Umi: A Little Dressed Up~ photo contest/win Umi shoes

A Little Dressed Up

A ghoul? A princess? Or perhaps a frog? Umi wants you to show off your little one dressed up for Halloween.

Post a photo or a couple photos of your costumed boy or girl on our A Little Dressed Up events page on Facebook! Then get your friends and family to go vote!* The boy and girl with the most 'likes' on October 31st at 8pm central time, will win a selected pair of Umi's from their Autumn/Winter 2010 collection!

And don't forget to post the name of your child and their age in the caption, please!

*Vote by clicking 'Like' link associated with a particular photo.

I know that I am going to enter for my kids! I love Umi shoes, and my kids love dress up!

Check out the great selections of shoes at Umi :http://www.umishoes.com/

I was sent this information to share with my readers. I was not compensated in anyway for my review.

Rozoni Smart Taste Pasta & Contest!!

"Spaghetti Stud"

My kids love eating pasta, noodle meals. If they could, I am sure they would eat these kind of meals most always. Our family goes through a lot of pasta, not only is it a more affordable meal

to make for a large family, but it goes a long way. I have been searching the nutrition facts on the boxes of pasta, and it can be a challenge finding a pasta that offers lower calories and higher fiber, but still be affordable. Rozoni's Smart Taste is a great tasting pasta/noodle and it offers the higher fiber and lower calories, yet it isn't over priced. Our family has made the switch over to Smart Taste over other brands because we love the taste, it is lower calories, and it is in our budget. We have tried other brands in the past, and we really can't taste any difference between the brands, so it is an easy choice.

Here is what the website says:

"What's so special about RONZONI SMART TASTE? It's the first white pasta to be enriched with Fiber, Calcium and Vitamin D-- and lots of it. RONZONI SMART TASTE is an excellent source of Fiber and contains Calcium and Vitamin D equal to an eight-ounce glass of milk. Studies show that many diets are lacking in these three important nutrients. Plus, RONZONI SMART TASTE is lower in calories and fat than traditional pasta. That means RONZONI SMART TASTE is the same great taste -- the smart taste --your family loves but with greater nutritional value. RONZONI SMART TASTE Taste comes in seven delicious varieties:
Elbows
Rotini
Spaghetti
Thin Spaghetti
Penne Rigate
Angel Hair
Extra Wide Noodles
RONZONI SMART TASTE is part of New World Pasta, the leader in healthy pasta. Our family of brands consists of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest® and the New World Pasta classic white pasta brands of Ronzoni®, Creamette®, Prince®, American Beauty®, Skinner® and San Giorgio®. New World Pasta is also home to Light 'n Fluffy® egg noodles. Learn more about New World Pasta."

Our family loves the Rozoni Smart Taste pasta! We made the Spaghetti noodles with Vodka cream sauce and grilled chicken, and it was delicious! Our kids happily ate their meal, as you can see in the photos, and they all wanted seconds. The family doesn't notice any difference in the taste of the pastas, and for the nutritional values of the Smart Taste, our family will eat Smart Taste!

With reviewing the Rozoni Smart Taste Pasta, I have a chance to enter the photo contest for bloggers!

Please Vote for my little Spaghetti Stud! (see picture at top) I have a chance to win the grand prize of $500 and a year’s supply of Smart Taste Pasta!
Voting will be open on June 14th at http://www.Ronzonismarttaste.com/blogger and stay open until June 25th.
You can vote once per day, and I would be forever grateful if you could help me out.

Thanks so much!!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review and photo contest entry. In addition, I received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest (GIVEAWAY!! Retail value: $33)

If you are planning a vacation or a staycation, remember to bring your camera because you might just take that photo that wins you a trip of a lifetime – a National Geographic Expedition for two to the Greek Isles. Did I mention you will also have your image appear in an Energizer Ultimate Lithium ad in National Geographic?
Entry is simple: Visit Energizer.com/lithium and click on Enter Now and follow the directions.

Contest will end on Wednesday, June 30th!

Aspiring photographers can visit nationalgeographic.com/lithium to enter one photo in each of six thematic categories: animals/wildlife, nature, travel, people/cultures, weather and action/energy. Whether you are a digital photography novice, a proud picture-taking mom or a long-time photo enthusiast, all skill levels are encouraged to enter!!
“You don’t have to be an expert or have professional equipment to capture a magnificent shot,” said 20-year National Geographic photographer and contest judge Jim Richardson. “One of last year’s Category Winning photos was shot by a zoo employee on a regular point-and-shoot camera. Great photography is often about being in the right place at the right time and making sure you’re prepared to capture the moment when it happens.”
After the entry period closes, Richardson will review all of the entries and select two finalists in each category. Then, from Aug. 17 through Sept. 15, Americans will be asked to go online and review each of the Category Finalists and vote for their favorite in each category. Once the Category Winners are determined, Richardson will help choose a Grand Prize Winner, to be announced on or about Nov. 4.
The Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest Web site also serves as a valuable resource for photo enthusiasts. Visitors can check out photos and tips from Richardson, enjoy a gallery of past winners as well as view a weekly gallery that will be updated with new submissions. Photo buffs can even participate in a Q&A with Richardson, asking about anything from his 20 years with National Geographic to questions on gear and equipment.
Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries are such an asset to your camera, because they outlast other brand batteries and they have an amazing storage life~ 15 years!!

Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries are the world’s longest-lasting AA and AAA batteries in high-tech devices. They last up to 8x longer* in digital cameras and up to 2x longer* in flash units than Energizer® MAX®, the company’s flagship alkaline brand. The batteries also last longer in portable GPS units, LED flashlights and handheld games.
Along with a storage life of 15 years, Energizer® Ultimate Lithium batteries are 33 percent lighter than ordinary alkaline batteries and perform well in extreme temperatures from -40 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 to 60 degrees Celsius), making them ideal for photographers who are on-the-go.
“Energizer sets a world standard for reliability and long-lasting power, so it made perfect sense for us to partner with the world’s premier publication honoring photojournalism,” said Jim Olsen, Vice President of Marketing for Energizer North America. “Both Energizer and National Geographic share the goal of celebrating the work of photographers from all skill levels. We can’t wait to see the incredible submissions the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest receives this year.”

***ENTER TO WIN HERE TOO***
Energizer is sponsoring a giveaway for my readers! You can enter to win two 4-packs of AA and one 4-pack of AAA Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries ($33 value)!

To enter, tell me about a photo you took recently and it was super! This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. This contest will end on June 2, 2010.

**For more extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment about Energizer's products or National Geographic! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I was contacted by Energizer to post this information on the photo contest. They sent me free product in return for a review and promotion. I was also able to host a giveaway for my readers, sponsored from Energizer. I was not compensated for my time or written review.