Caption Contest Winner!

The winning caption for this wonderful pic is:

"And you want me to be the first to go across that bridge, with that terrible Troll hanging out on it! No Mam!"
by TheChurchillFamily


An email has been sent and they have 48 hours to redeem their $25 restaurant.com gift certificate prize!

My lucky day!

In the past twenty-four hours I have won two different giveaways,
 From: With Our Best I won a cool Bumbo Cover from Boutique Sweet Cheeks
 From Simply Stacie I won a Three Pack of Books by Tess Dare

 I am posting a celebratory linky for those with open giveaways to share my good fortune with others!

I also have two giveaways of my own open:
Summer Reads Giveaway - Seven Year Switch - ends August 3rd with 7 ways to enter!
Shutterfly Cards Giveaway - ends August 5th - 3 winners!

Why we can't move home again...

This post has been rambling around in my brain for the past few weeks, since we've been home in Toronto...

Wayne and I made the move to the USA to further his career, since there was little opportunity to land a tenure track position in Southern Ontario in his field when he graduated from his PhD... after spending a year in Pennsylvania, we moved to our current locale, Charleston SC... and expanded our family....

Every time we come home to Canada to visit, we inevitably get asked... when are  you moving home?  And as much as I love being home and visiting, we know it's not in the cards for us... for the following reasons:

• The cost of living in Ontario is significantly higher...
• Gas is about $4 a gallon compared to $2.50 a gallon in SC
• Milk is $5 a gallon, compared to $3.50
• Our house, uprooted to Toronto would easily cost double or more than we spent, and mortgage rates.terms are significantly higher here...
• Autism services have a huge backlog in Ontario...
• We are fortunate that SC has great programs and services for Liam with little to no wait time...
• Taxes are significantly higher
• Our income tax rates are fairly similar but the tax breaks on our mortgage interest and insurance, as well as dependents help to keep our OOP taxes low
• The SC Sales Tax varies but is rarely more than about 7% and there is no federal sales tax, while Ontario has a 13% HST (8% provincial, 5% federal) on 90% of goods and services...

There are some advantages to being in Canada, but for now at least, our family has found the balance we need in South Carolina and we're putting down roots

plus... we've learned that Liam is a true Southern boy who wouldn't ever swim in open water again if we moved up north... he likes his ocean much warmer than the cold lake water he's stepped into around here...

SmartKnitKIDS back to school giveaway

Check out the cool giveaway at SmartKnitKIDS and register to win over $500 in cool back to school stuff

3 Pair SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks

1 Amazon Kindle

6 Month Subscription to NetFlix

$100 Costco Card

20 Coloring Books

10 Kids' Reading Books

Supply of Purell Hand Sanitizers

5 Clorox Wipe Packages

250 Crayons

30 Pencils

15 Lightbulbs

15 Kids' Toothbrushes

6 Containers of Tang

Click HERE to enter

Disclaimer: Acting Balanced is not affiliated in any way with this giveaway and is providing this post as a method of gaining an additional entry into their giveaway.

I'm going to try... Shutterfly

I've ordered prints from various online retailers and local stores with mixed results... so when the opportunity came up for me and 3 of my readers to try Shutterfly's amazing photo cards I jumped at the opportunity...

Just leave a comment below, telling me what you would do with 10 free photo cards and I will randomly select 3 winners to share my bounty!

You could make

Holiday Cards
Christmas Photo Cards
Thank You Cards
Party Invitations
Baby Announcements
Save the Date Cards
Birthday Party Invitations

or be creative and come up with something truly original!

And if this is your first opportunity to use Shutterfly, you can also receive 50 free prints!

I am planning to make some cool Thank you cards with my coupon code! I might even use the template above for them, or choose from one of the hundreds of others available! Once I get them, I'll let you know how they turn out!

Contest closes at 11:59 pm on August 5th and winners will be announced and emailed on August 6th!  Don't forget, entries must include what you would make with your photocards, any other comments will not be considered.

Disclaimer: In exchange for this post, I will receive promotional codes for Shutterfly cards for myself and three readers.    I received this offer through Sheblogs

Snikiddy Snacks winner!

The winner was chosen by random.org and was #15

7/23/2010 9:24:26 Terra  commented on post

Congratulations Terra - please check your email for instructions on how to claim this prize!

Don't forget to enter the Caption Contest (closing tomorrow) for a chance to win a $25 restaurant.com gift certificate

and

my second Summer Reads giveaway for the new Claire Cook novel, Seven Year Switch (closes August 4th)

Wordless Wednesday... Just swinging in the sun!

Don't forget to enter my Caption contest and check out another cool Liam photo here - the contest ends tomorrow!

Post it Note Tuesday - Vacay Fun and Giveaways!

 

and now for some bloggy business:

Click here to enter the Snikiddy Snacks giveaway

Click here to enter the Caption contest

Click here to enter the Summer Reads Giveaway

And don't forget to check out the other fabulous blogs that are linking up with Supah for PINT!

Book Review & Giveaway - Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook

I am excited to be part of the

with a review and a giveaway!  I want to thank Claire Cook, Hyperion, and Pump Up Your Book for allowing me to review this book and offer a copy to one lucky reader!

My review:
Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook is a fabulous Summer Read - light enough for the beach, but with wonderful life lessons and insights that let you examine both the protagonist's life and your own...  I easily found myself identifying with Jill Murray, a mom with a ten year old daughter and a lot on her plate.  She's a single mom who is raising Anastasia all by herself and trying to make the best of the situations she finds herself in... but she's not prepared for everything that happens - her ex-husband re-appears, her job causes stress and even the neighbor, who is trying to be helpful adds to her stress...
While I'm lucky enough not to be a single mom, I could easily relate to the story because of the vibrancy of the characters and the beautiful story-telling... Claire Cook hooks the reader quickly and advances the story without rushing it, but keeps up a pace where you don't spend a lot of time going 'so what'...  
The premise of Seven Year Switch caught me as a good one for book group discussion - the idea of seven year cycles, where your life takes major turns and you experience new growth because of it...  I love that in this stressful time, Jill, the protagonist, has the opportunity to grow and explore both her inner self and the outer world as she travels, meets new and returning people in her life and balances who she is as a woman, mother and friend in a changing world.
I highly recommend this book both as a great Summer Read and also as a book club read.

I usually post an excerpt from the publisher's website, but this time, Claire Cook has provided a fabulous streaming trailer for you to check out:



The Giveaway:

One lucky reader from Canada or the USA will win a copy of the brand new Seven Year Switch by Claire Cook.  The giveaway closes at 11:59pm on Wednesday, August 3rd and the winner will be announced on Thursday, August 4th.

Initial Entry: Fill out the form below with your contact email address

Additional entries (you must enter your info and choose the type of entry:

1 for commenting on why you want to win this book on today's post

1 for following Acting Balanced on Google Friends Connect (below)

1 for liking Acting Balanced on Facebook

1 for following me on Twitter

1 for liking Claire Cook on Facebook

1 for following Claire Cook on Twitter

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not compensated in any other way. My opinion is my own and was not influenced by the author or publisher in any way.

#Bag It Forward - School supplies from Elmer

I've joined the Elmer's Bag It Forward Meme thanks to Dutchbeingme 

By writing this post, I'm helping to donate $10 in school supplies to Adopt-A-Classroom and having a son who attends school with kids whose families can't afford to purchase supplies for the classroom, I know how hard it is for teachers to make do with what they get... Liam's teacher already supplies many of the classroom extras she needs out of her own pocket and Elmer's participation in Adopt-A-Classroom will help make her life and the lives of other teachers in similar situations easier...

I'm going to pay this forward by sending a virtual bag of supplies to a few of my favorite bloggers:

Hallee from Hallee the Homemaker

Heather from Out of the Box and Into the Kitchen

Outnumberedmama at The Busy Woman's Guide to Surviving Motherhood

and YOU - even if I didn't tag you directly, you can still participate in this wonderful campaign...

here's how it works:

Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom with your participation. Join now!

The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward is charity blog meme, bloggers are able to raise $10 per blog post for Adopt-A-Classroom by writing a blog post and donating a virtual bag of school supplies . Elmer’s will donate $10 per each post written to Adopt-A-Classroom, up to $10,000.

HOW CAN YOU JOIN? It’s easy.

• Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
• Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
• You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
• The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 12 PM EST on August 12, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
• The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section below for your participation to be counted.
• In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES

• Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
• Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
• Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
• Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
• Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
• Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

Here is the photo you can use for your virtual bag or create your own!

Off the beaten path... vacation story

Who woulda thunk it?  A ski resort in the summer?  Well, friends of my brother's own a condo in the Town of Blue Mountains in the shadow of the Intrawest Resort - Blue Mountains... so Wayne, the kids and I packed up our car and headed north with my brother, his wife and daughter for a quick getaway for a few days out of the city...

You have to remember that I'm already on vacay - hanging out in Toronto, but it was nice to see some new sights and get some time with Mark, Mary and Ella, oh and their dog Kona :)

When I've told people around here where we were headed, I got mixed reviews... I mean it's a resort on beautiful Georgian Bay and the price was right for the accomodations... free :) but a ski resort?

Well, we packed an awful lot of fun into our 3 days there... and still had a list of fun things to do that we didn't even touch...

We checked out a local Waterfall...

Hiked a short way on the Bruce Trail

Played at the beach:

Checked out the Resort:

And Robyn even went Mountain Biking with her Uncle Mark, golfing with Wayne, Mark and Mary and to the Plunge Water Park with Liam, Ella and I... and we were too busy to take more pictures...

It was a fabulous getaway and not too crowded...

My tips for travel to a resort like this - go during the week, head a little further afield for some free hiking, beach time and mix in some spectacular extras to round out the trip!

H.

PS - don't forget to enter my giveaway for Snikiddy Snacks and the caption contest

New Contest- Gimme a caption!

Wayne (aka Heather's Hubby) snapped this picture of Liam on our trip to Blue Mountain, on a hike at Walter's Falls and it just begs for a great caption... so I am offering up a $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate for the winning caption to be judged by the family on Thursday, July 29th - cut off is NOON on Thursday for guesses and the winner will be emailed that evening and published the next morning...

Restaurant.com gift certificates are good for US restaurants only, but are good for one year after purchase, so this contest is open to anyone from anywhere around the world who will use a US restaurant gift certificate...

Each person can submit one caption in a comment below, per day of the contest (so you can enter multiple times, but only once per day)

and now for the photo...

So... what is he saying?

5 Question Friday

I thought I'd try out something new while on vacay and so here is my very first Five Question Friday:

http://fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com

1. What were your school colors?

Red and White 

2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

That I'm a great mom

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

yep... not really brand loyal so I buy whatever I can get on a deal...

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

No surprises here...

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

my laptop... with wi-fi








Don't forget to enter my Snikiddy Snacks giveaway here
and my Caption contest here

I'm so excited! Upcoming review...

I'm so excited, I have been asked to do a product review for CSN and there are so many things to choose from on over 200+ websites...

Should I choose a new Dutch Oven from Cookware.com?  Or I could head over to AllModern.com for a cool new Planter for the backyard?  How about a new light from CSNlighting.com?  They even have a whole horde of things that I want for Ach Baby... including this stroller that I've had my eye on for a while...

There are so many choices... I just can't decide... well, actually I have decided, but you'll have to wait until I get it and review it in a few weeks to see what my choice is...

In the meantime, you should check out CSNstores.com and their affiliate websites for all the cool things you need this summer!

And the winner is....

The winner of my first Summer Reads giveaway for the Nancy Thayer book, Beachcombers - is:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:26Powered by RANDOM.ORG

# 26 - 7/20/2010 22:08:02 Kathy who commented on review

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Come back on Monday, July 26th to check out my next Summer Reads review and giveaway:

Product Review and Giveaway - Snikiddy Snacks!

I was so excited to be part of the review team from Mamabuzz for Snikiddy Snacks!  They are a snack that I can happily share with my entire family because they are GLUTEN FREE, healthier than potato chips and they taste great!  Our family sampled the Snikiddy Baked Cheddar Fries, and while they are no 'poutine', they are a wonderful, crunchy and did I mention GLUTEN FREE snack!

This is the info I was provided with... but the words and pictures just don't do these snacks justice...

A healthy, tasty alternative to typical fried snacks like potato chips, making them a favorite for families seeking healthy snack options-

• All Natural
• Gluten-free
• Wheat-free
• No corn syrup
• Peanut-free
• No preservatives
• No trans fats
• No hydrogenated oils
• 50% less fat than potato chips

Price: 4.5 oz. bag for $1.79

With only 140 calories per serving and just over 4 servings a bag, this snack is great for on the go, at the park, in the car or even just hanging out at home...  While we got to sample the Cheddar Cheese flavor, which melts in your mouth.. there are six varieties of fries and four more of baked cheese puffs - that are all GLUTEN FREE!   The bag went quickly at our house!

In Charleston, you can find these yummy snacks at Whole Foods and Earth Fare or you can buy them online at Alice.com or Amazon.com!  Right now, there is a special running at  Snikiddy.Alice.com where you can save $1 off per bag and get free shipping on their baked fries and puffs!

They also have a sweepstakes running on their facebook page for yummy treats and a grand prize of a lightweight Jamis kids bike! They have also generously offered to send one of my US readers their own bag of Cheddar Cheese Fries to try!

Disclaimer: This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by: Snikiddy Snacks for this review

To enter my GIVEAWAY (Ends July 27th at 11:59pm):

Mandatory entry: Visit Snikiddy Snacks and tell me what other product you would love to try!

Bonus entries (must be separate entries and completed after the mandatory entry): 

1 entry (each) for following Acting Balanced on Google Friends Connect, Networked Blogs, Twitter or Facebook (GFC and Networked blogs links are at the bottom of the page)

1 entry for liking Snikiddy Snacks on Facebook

1 entry for following Snikiddy on Twitter

1 entry for leaving a comment on this blog post 

Ending tomorrow!

Don't forget to enter my Summer Reads giveaway featuring Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer

Read the review here and Nancy's guest post here and use the links in either post to enter my give away!

The give away closes at 11:59 PM EST on July 21st and the winner will be chosen by Random.org and posted on Thursday, July 22nd

Book Review: - By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan

My review:  By Fire, By Water by Mitchell Kaplan is a beautifully crafted novel that brings together four seemingly separate historically significant phenomena and weaves them together to form a believable chain of events that lead to the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 under the Spanish Flag...

This book has it all - suspense, intrigue, religion, romance and history.  It starts out introducing you to the major characters and can leave you scratching your head and a little bewildered about how a disparate group of individuals play into the drama that is going to unfold... but if you can persevere and get past the initial onslaught of characters and facts, you will be drawn into a world that spans Christianity, Judaism, Islam and travels through Spain, Northern Africa and beyond...

I have to say that I was somewhat skeptical at first, given the huge amount of character and historical information thrown at the reader in the beginning, but by the time I came to know the characters and make the connections, all of the background info made sense and helped me to focus on the relationships, drama and events that moved the story to its inevitable and sometimes bittersweet conclusion.  Kaplan brings together a host of history in this novel, including the New Inquisition, the Spanish re-conquest of Granada, the expulsion of Jews from Spain and the initial voyage of Christopher Columbus.

As a history buff and someone who loves to read about the dramatic history of Europe, I highly recommend By Fire, By Water as a must read!

About the Author:
Mitchell James Kaplan has lived and worked primarily in Paris and Los Angeles as a translator, screenwriter and script consultant.  Currently he resides in Mt. Lebanon, PA with his wife and two children.  By Fire, By Water is his first novel.  To read more about him, check out his webpage at http://www.mitchelljameskaplan.com


Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of By Fire, By Water by the author for the purpose of this review.  All opinions are my own.

MMMmonday - Hallee's Coastal Cole Slaw

My friend and fellow blogger, Hallee from Hallee The Homemaker posted this wonderful Cole Slaw recipe a while back... and it is so good that I have to share it with you!

I also want to wish her son Scott a happy 4th birthday- you can read his amazing birth story here

Hallee's Coastal Cole Slaw

Ingredients

½ head of green cabbage
2 carrots
½ cup cup mayonnaise
3 TBS vinegar
2 TBS sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Shred the carrots and grate the cabbage

2. Whisk together mayo, vinegar, sugar and spices

3. Mix everything together and serve!

Cook's notes: Hallee suggests using homemade mayo and apple cider vinegar... I'm not that ambitious and have used a variety of vinegars (whatever I have on hand) and store bought mayos and they all work beautifully...

If you want to see photos of this recipe, check out Hallee's page!

Mini-vacation

I am off for a few days on a vacation within a vacation.  My brother, The Versatile Investor, my sister-in-law, niece and our gang are headed up to the beautiful Intrawest Resort in Blue Mountains for a few days of fun in the sun... so I have left a few columns including a fabulous MMMmonday for you and will return on Thursday to return comments and visit everyone who is kind enough to stop by between now and then!

I was going to post pics of my sister's wedding shower today, but unfortunately I left the camera at my Mom's house so I will have to post them later....

We Have A Winner! Canadian Treats Giveaway

image from here

The winner of the Canadian Treats giveaway (of 16 recorded entries) is: #3 Cindy as chosen by Random.org

"I signed up to follow you on Google Connect! Does that get me another entry?? Canada is credited for the invention of the electron microscope. 
:)"

Cindy will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond and claim her prize, otherwise a second randomly generated winner will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Don't forget to enter my Summer Read giveaway for the Beachcombers Book - ending July 21/10

I know I said I wouldn't do it...but...

I am participating in another Friday Follow - and hoping that by finding some new blogs, and reaching a new audience, I can start to rebuild some of the credibility and 'points' I lost while took a bloggy break when I had morning sickness...

I am hanging out at:



hosted by Smart & Trendy Moms



hosted by Simply Stacie and My Wee View

and



hosted by Toddler Awesome
For those who are just finding Acting Balanced, welcome...

This blog has a little of everything - family, recipes, commentary, reviews and giveaways... and speaking of giveaways, I will be posting the winner of my Canadian Treats giveaway tomorrow, but there is still time to check out the Beachcombers book giveaway here (ends 7/21)

I invite you to comment and follow me if you are interested in delving more into what AB is all about...

Thanks for stopping by!