Avery’s 3rd Annual “Give Back to Schools” Campaign (Giveaway)
May 7, 2012 by Kailani
Filed under giveaways, stationery
I feel that some of the most important and inspirational people in my child’s life are her teachers. My girls have been so fortunate to have had such supportive, knowledgeable, and caring role models in their lives. Their teachers go above and beyond the classroom in ensuring that their students have the safest and most positive educational experience possible. Whether it’s helping them deal with bullying, extra tutoring after school, or just calling and wishing them a Happy Birthday during Winter Break . . . our teachers have made a lasting impression on my children.
That’s why I’m so honored to participate in Avery’s 3rd Annual “Give Back to Schools” Campaign just in time for Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7 – 11).
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION
Beginning May 7th, you can stop by the Avery website and vote for your favorite school to help them win some amazing prizes! You can even sign up for daily reminders so you never miss a chance to vote. Here are the prizes up for grabs:
- 500,000 Box Tops for Education coupons
- $50,000 worth of Avery school supplies
- $5,000 in gift cards to teachers for school supplies
You’re able to vote once a day so make sure you get all of your family, friends, fellow parents, and educators on board! It only takes a minute to vote but think about the possible rewards! What school (or teacher) couldn’t use some help with obtaining much needed schools supplies? You have until September 14, 2012 to vote! Isn’t your school worth it?
GENEROUS DONATION
Now, I thought Avery was very generous in hosting this campaign but they went a step further and donated $1,000 worth of Avery supplies to my favorite school! How cool is that? Of course, I chose Kacie and Kiana’s elementary school as my recipient of this wonderful surprise!
PRODUCT REVIEW
In addition, we received a shipment ourselves of some cool Avery products to try out for ourselves. Of course, we were already familiar with their glue sticks, sticky notes, hi-liters, 3-ring binders and dividers because we buy them for back-to-school supplies. Through our past experiences, these Avery school products are durable and can last the entire school year without needing to be replenished.
We especially like the 3-ring binders because they really do last.
We’ve purchased cheaper ones before but find that eventually the rings will shift causing a gap and making it hard for the kids to flip their loose leaf papers without tearing the hole punches. And if there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s papers that don’t align properly in binders. All those pages sticking out at different angles just bugs me. I guess it’s the OCD in me.
We also like that when you insert your index dividers that the tabs don’t stick out. This ensures that the tabs stay protected while the binder is being shoved into my kids’ backpacks. However, for me the best part is that the Avery binder has a non-stick finish so that printed material won’t transfer onto the surface. I don’t know how many times I’ve thrown away a binder because my printed paper got stuck to the inside cover and left an inky mess when the sheet was pulled away.
However, some of the products that Avery is most known for are their labels and other printable stationary items. I use their labels and website’s templates all the time when I’m making goody bag tags, shipping labels, and greeting cards. But did you know that they also made Custom Print Flash Cards? Me, neither! These printable Flash Cards are 3″ x 5″ in size and come in tabbed (dividers) and non-tabbed (content) versions. There’s also a metal ring included to keep your cards together and easy to take along.
To design your flash cards just go to the Avery design center where you’ll find everything you need to make amazing flash cards. Since I’m not the creative type I really appreciated all the real-life photos and illustrations provided for me. You start with one of their themes . . .
. . . and customize from there. Here is the template . . .
. . . and here’s what I did to customize it.
Their design center allows you to add in text, shapes, your own images, as well as provide you with various edit tools to ensure your cards turn out perfect.
Here’s another card that I made using my own photo:
You can also print on both sides of the card if you prefer something a little more detailed. I had so much fun making my cards that I had to make a conscious effort to stop so I could finish writing this review!
So what are you waiting for? Stock up on Avery school supplies and don’t forget to vote for your favorite school!
Connect with Avery:
This post was written for Avery who provided the items for review and giveaway. I was also compensated with school supplies to donate to the school of my choice.
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Get Ready For Bath Time with Gerber Childrenswear (Giveaway)
Getting the kids in and out of the bath can sometimes be a chore. I don’t know about your kids but mine refuse to get into the tub. However, once they’re there they don’t want to come back out. *sigh* What’s a Mom to do?
For some, bath time is a part of their bed time routine and Gerber is here to offer some helpful tips to make this a pleasant experience for everyone.
Tip #1: Bath time isn’t all about getting clean. It’s also about having fun and bonding with your baby.
- Set a time every night that’s just for bathing so you and baby stay on schedule. That’s important early on!
- Bath time can also be a wonderful daddy/baby bonding experience after a long day at work. You’ll look forward to it and so will baby!
- Make sure you have all your bath time essentials within reach before starting so you can give baby all your attention. Bath wash, washcloths, hooded towels, Onesies brand one piece underwear, sleepwear, gown, cap and booties.
Tip #2: Establish a bedtime routine with your baby. You baby will feel more relaxed, likely to go to bed easier and fall asleep more quickly if you establish a nightly routine from the time he/she arrives home. Bathing a newborn baby is very soothing, so making it a part of the bedtime ritual is important. Be sure to have all your Gerber essentials within arms reach during and after bath:
- Washcloths for cleaning
- Hooded towels to swaddle them when done and keep the chill out
- Sleep ‘n play outfits to easily slip o and keep them cozy warm all night long
Once you are done with the bath, diaper change and dressing, it’s not storytime in the nursery rocking chair. You’ll soon find that bedtime is a special time for parents to create that special bond with baby.
I’ve always liked using hooded towels on the girls because they’re made just for little ones. Gerber sent us a 2-piece bath set to review which included the hooded towel and a wash cloth.
Both are made from 80% cotton and 20% polyester terry cloth for breathable comfort. I know we could just as easily use our own towels on the girls but they really like the idea of having one that’s made just for them. The bright colors, happy characters, and lightweight material are perfect for helping me to get them out of the tub.
I really liked that the colored bias was double top stitched. This will ensure that the towel will keep it’s original shape. We also liked the cute bear embroidery and the coordinating colors that were used. However, what makes this towel different (in the eyes of my kids) is the hood. For some reason they think it’s hilarious to have a hood covering their wet hair with the rest of the towel wrapped around them. Hey, whatever gets them out of the tub, right?
So stop by the Gerber website to view their bath sets as well as the rest of their product line which includes shower gifts, cloth diapers, outfits, bibs, and even organic items.
Connect with Gerber:
This post was written Gerber who provided the information and items for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
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The Energizer Utility Cash Program (Giveaway)
For decades Energizer has supported organizations helping to make a positive impact in local communities and around the world. This spring as part of the Energizer campaign—that’s positivenergy—they’re “building” on that commitment in a new way through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity®. Working with baseball legend and philanthropist Cal Ripken, Jr., Energizer is donating more than $300,000 and 1,000 volunteer hours to Habitat through a multi-city series of volunteer projects to help build new homes and revitalize existing homes for those in need.
Here’s where you can get involved. With the rising cost of utilities, we can all use a little bit of help right? Especially if we have a really hot summer! So, beyond helping Habitat, Energizer is doing something to help us all out. In addition to the series of volunteer projects, you will see the Energizer and Habitat for Humanity partnership coming to the shelves of your favorite stores. Through the Energizer Utility Cash program, you can collect codes from select Energizer battery and lighting products and redeem them online for savings, up to $25 total savings each per person/household/email address, off your own utility bill. You start earning rewards with just two codes and will need 10 codes total to earn the full $25. Or you can help make a positive impact and choose to turn the codes into a donation to Habitat for Humanity®.
So stop by a store and stock up on specially-marked packages of Energizer® MAX AA batteries. When yo do, follow these simple directions to redeem your codes:
- Once you are finished collecting your codes, visit www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/
utilities to enter your codes. - You must enter your codes all at once.
- The last day to redeem codes is 3/31/13 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
That’s it! Start earning your rewards today!
This post was written for Energizer who provided the information and items for giveaway. I was also compensated with complimentary Energizer batteries.
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Childproofing Your Home with Safety 1st (Giveaway)
When it comes to childproofing a home we all know to safeproof the more common things like oven doors, toilet seat covers, drawers, cabinets, and outlet covers. However, there may be a few places that you’ve never thought may become safety hazards for your young ones. Julie Vallese, Consumer Safety Expert for Safety 1st shares some important and valuable information on how you can make sure your entire home is childproofed.
- A recent study shows that over 5,000 children annually are treated in emergency rooms for falls from windows (CPSC). Make sure you have a Window Lock to help prevent falls.
- Beware of toy stacking. Children will pile up anything to get a view outside the window.
- Additionally, most screens cannot hold up to the weight of a small child, nor are they meant to. The study showed that in 83% of the reported falls, window screens were on the window that was fallen through.
- Anchor all heavy furniture or appliances that could topple onto child as a result of climbing or pulling. According to the CPSC the most common tip-over scenarios involve toddlers who have climbed onto, fallen against or pulled themselves up on furniture. About 70 percent of children’s fatalities involved falling televisions, and 27 percent involved only furniture falling.
- Use a Flat Screen TV lock to help prevent falling TVs and Furniture Wall Straps to attached large furniture to the wall.
- Anything that will fit inside an empty cardboard toilet paper roll is a choking hazard
- Remove dish towels from an oven door; a child could pull on the towel and hit his or her head on an oven door.
- Utilize an Oven Lock to prevent the door from opening, and Clear View Stove Knob Covers to keep kids from accidentally turning on the stove
- Babies can fall into a toilet, or front load washer head first and not be able to get out. The toilet also water source and a place where kids love to throw toy.
- Try to keep those rooms off limits, or install a Front Load Washer-Dryer Lock, or the ProGrade™ Push-Button Toilet Lock to keep children safe.
- Ensure all cabinets and drawers are locked and off limits. Young kids love opening and closing cabinet doors and drawers, where they can access sharp utensils, small appliances and cleaning supplies.
However, you should have a safe zone for kids to explore, such as leave the Tupperware drawer unlocked. I think it’s such a great idea to give kids a place where they can play safely!
For more information on child safety, stop by the Safety 1st website or Facebook page.
This post was written for Safety 1st who provided the information and complimentary items for giveaway.
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