WIN!! $25.00 American Express Giveaway - SuperValu Box Tops for Education (Ends 5/21)‏

I am so excited to be participating in the SuperValu Box Tops for Education‏ spark. I have been collecting box tops for years. It is a great way to help support your local schools.

In fact, every year 24 million parents and children join in clipping Box Tops to support their local schools. As a result, SuperValu shoppers helped participating schools earn more than $10 million in the 2008-09 school year alone!

To make it even easier to participate in the program, the SuperValu family of stores (ACME, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh and Jewel-Osco) joined Box Tops for Education in creating a website that not only tracks your Box Tops contribution and the school´s redemption, but also offers recipes, coupons, store promotions and more.

From now through May 31, SuperValu stores and Box Tops for Education are giving you a chance to win 50,000 bonus box tops for your school. That´s a $5,000 value! All you have to do is register at www.GrowingLocalLearning.com, and click the link to the 50,000 bonus box tops sweepstakes*. You will automatically receive 5 Bonus Box Tops just for signing up!

*Please note that the sweepstakes is void in some states.
Visit www.GrowingLocalLearning.com and view the sweepstakes´ official rules
for more details.

After you´ve entered the sweepstakes, be sure to stick around and browse the website where you´ll find a variety of great offers on your favorite General Mills brands including Betty Crocker®, Old El Paso®, Totino´s® Pizza Rolls® and Pillsbury®. Once you register you can also find recipes that will earn you even more Box Tops and you can access coupons for the latest deals at your local SuperValu store! 

GIVEAWAY

One lucky Box Top collector will recieve a $25.00 American Express Card!!
Mandatory Entry
(Must be done for others to count)

• Tell me how many Box Tops you think you could collect with a $25.00 American Express Card if you are the winner.

Extra Entries

Extra Entries

• Follow STM on Twitter

• Tweet or blog about this giveaway-Leave the link in comment

• Follow STM on Reader of choice

• Follow STM on Friend Connect-Left Sidebar

• Subscribe to STM via Email

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Ends on 5/21 and is open to U.S.  
SuperValu and General Mills provided me with a gift card, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark. Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer

{Tassimo}

I love my lattes- vanilla lattes in particular. I love having “coffee dates” with my husband at the local coffee shop too, but that is another post altogether. Anyway, I've tried latte-mix packets in the hopes of capturing some of the “coffeehouse feel” on the days that I don't get out for a latte, but I was disappointed; those mixes don’t even come close to tasting like a good latte. So, needless to say, when we got the opportunity to try the Tassimo T20 Home Brewing System, I was excited!

Here’s why - The Tassimo System brews single cups of a number of different beverages – coffee, hot chocolate, tea, espresso, cappuccinos, and lattes - each in about a minute.

The machine uses what they call t-discs, which are single-serving containers that hold the coffee or milk or tea. You put in the t-disc for the beverage that you want to make and the machine reads the barcode and uses the correct brewing time, pressure, the amount of water needed, and even the correct temperature for the drink you are making.  High tech.  Cool.  You can also adjust the strength of the coffee by pressing the button again at the end of the brew time.

I also love the fact that there isn't any mess. Everything is contained in the t-disc. You just lift it out and throw it away. I was initially a bit concerned about having to purchase the t-discs for the machine. I normally don't like anything that needs refills like that (Believe it or not I don't even have a Swiffer), but for this I really don't mind. There are some good prices on the t-discs online and when you compare the cost of the discs to the cost of coffeehouse beverages, it’s a good deal. It would be nice if there was some sort of refillable t-disc.  Not sure if that is possible, but it would be nice.  I tend to be forgetful and can see myself running out of t-discs.

The Tassimo quickly makes great drinks. The machine would be great for entertaining too – since you can make single cup servings of exactly what everybody wants. The kids love the hot chocolate; Hubby loves the coffee; I love the lattes and cappuccinos. We haven’t tried to tea yet. (I’ll update this review if we do – not sure if we will though because I love my tea kettle.) Overall, I was really pleased with the Tassimo Home Brewing System. I am especially pleased with the fact that I can have a great tasting latte at home!

I received a complimentary Tassimo Home Brewing System, a package of decaf t-disks and a package of Starbucks latte t-discs in exchange for my honest opinion.  I purchased additional t-discs myself to use in testing the machine. 

Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer

WIN! - Eclectic and Flirtatious Apron from Scarlet Threads CLOSED

With Mothers day coming I am so glad to bring you this giveaway! Scarlet Threads is a boutique that features products designed and produced by seamstresses in rural Asia. The vision and values of Scarlet's Threads is one that makes me very proud to be hosting their giveaway. There is no better time to make a purchase than now. Any mom would be lucky to receive one of their aprons.They can easily mail the package directly to the recipient.  Also, they have a special Mother's Day offer on thier Phoebe and Xiao Phoebe aprons... get both packaged together for a $5 savings!  Just order the package in their shop. Gift wrapping also available:)

Read the wonderful story behind Scarlet Threads

Like any piece of cloth, many threads came together to form Scarlet Threads.  For two years, we've made our home in a poor Chinese village.  We've spent a lot of time trying to reconcile the world we see around us with the one we know at home in the USA.

Here, we've watched families separated for months so that they can try to earn more money to pay back a loan they borrowed to pay for stitches to sew up a bad cut.  We've heard stories of families in our village who couldn't afford the medical care their children needed, and their children died.  Families who go without meals so that they can save money for their child to attend the village school.  In a heart-breaking succession, the stories go on.

When we moved to China in 2007, we came to work with special needs' orphans.  As we grew more involved in that work, we began to understand that in many cases, children become orphans due to poverty.  As we learned more and talked to people, we began to understand that so many of the social problems we saw were fundamentally rooted in poverty.  We believe that with knowledge comes responsibility, and we began to explore ways that we could help.

Before we moved to China, we learned about Fair Trade, a growing global economic movement that uses trading partnerships to alleviate poverty.  Quite simply, in traditional trade models, the artisan responsible for crafting the vase on your desk might have worked in a sweat-shop and been paid a few pennies for their work.  In Fair Trade, artisans are paid fair wages and provided safe working environments.  It's a revolutionary model that results in transformed communities and lives, and we've been looking for ways to launch a small-scale Fair Trade project to benefit our community.

In the summer of 2009, we met our first seamstress.  After doing a few small projects for us, we grew more and more impressed with her skill and attention to detail.  We learned that she wanted to do more work to help support her family, and our idea for Scarlet Threads was born.  With the help of others on our team, we now have our first collection of products, and the Scarlet Threads Boutique is now a reality.

We know that our village is full of other talented seamstresses, and we can't wait to see how Scarlet Threads grows! Thanks for joining us on this journey! When you support our vision by purchasing a product or spreading the word, you become a critical part of our story!

Find many great products at Scarlet Threads
Connect on Twitter and Facebook

GIVEAWAY

One lucky will receive the Phoebe Apron shown above! Its so pretty

Mandatory Entry

(Must be done for others to count)

• Like/Fan their Facebook page

For an extra+2 entries, suggest this page to your friends!!!

Extra Entries

• Visit and tell me something you love!

• Follow STM on Twitter

• Follow them on Twitter

• Tweet any 1 of Scarlet Threads Items(limit 2 separate items and tweets

• Tweet this Giveaway-Can be done 2 times daily-1 hr apart

• Follow STM on Reader of choice

• Follow STM on Friend Connect-Left Sidebar

• Subscribe to STM via Email

• Blog about this giveaway

• Like us on Facebook

Ends on 5/12 and is open to U.S

I received nothing for hosting this giveaway. Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer

Fantasy Jewelry Box Review and Giveaway-WIN item of choice*Up to $35 CLOSED

Honestly i have not purchased all that much jewelry online. It has always been like clothing for me. Have to see it, hold it and try it on. That is until Fantasy Jewelry Box. I had the awesome chance to try out one of their items. I knew right away what i wanted to choose.

I chose an adorable ring set called Antonia's Round Cut Imitation Diamond Wedding Ring Set. My current wedding ring set is big that i haven't worn it in years. When it arrived it came packaged ready for gift giving. I love the set. It looks amazing and the fit was great. And it shipped super fast. FantasyJewelryBox.com makes it so easy to get that something special from celebrity and designer inspired jewelry to faux wedding ring sets.
Find all they have to offer here
Connect with them on twitter.

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive item of choice- Up to $35
Mandatory Entry
(Must be done for others to count)

• Visit their website and tell me something that you love

Extra Entries
All are good for one extra entry!

• Subscribe to their Newsletter

• Follow STM on Twitter

• Follow them on Twitter

• Tweet this Giveaway-Can be done 2times daily- 1 hr apart

• Enter any other giveaway -1 entry per giveaway

• Follow STM on Reader of choice

• Follow STM on Friend Connect-Left Sidebar

• Subscribe to STM via Email

• Blog about this giveaway

• Like us on Facebook

• Follow on Networked Blogs

Ends on 5/11 and is open to U.S.
I received said product in exchange for my honest opinion. Smart and Trendy Moms finds products, ideas, projects, recipes, and other information that we have personally found helpful or interesting.  As always, it is up to you to determine what is appropriate for you, your children, and your situation.  See our Disclaimer