So, remember those Yanni Voices?

Yes, you do. Remember how I 'interviewed' them at Blissdom 09?
Well One2One Network just reminded me (and asked me to remind you) that the Yanni Voices concert will be on PBS starting March 2nd!

Now YOU can see what all of us at Blissdom were madly tweeting about as we got to experience Nathan Pacheco and Ender Thomas live and in person. Now YOU can enjoy Nathan, Ender, Chloe, Leslie, and the entire, amazing group of performers from the Yanni Voices Live from Acapulco show starting March 2nd on your local PBS station!

Full Disclosure: I was never a huge Yanni fan. I had nothing against the guy, but I always thought of his music as something I'd hear waiting to get my teeth cleaned.
Listen up.
I. Was. Wrong.

Take a sneak peek:




The mix of vocal and stage performers and the incredible light effects blends so well with Yanni's music that we were all mesmerized watching on the big screens at Blissdom 09. I hear it had the same effect on those who went to the Mom2.0 Summit. Now I'm going to see what the Twofer think of it. I bet they won't be able to take their eyes away for a minute.

Check your local PBS listing for March 2nd and look for Yanni Voices Live.
In the DC area it's playing Monday, March 2nd at 8:00pm on WETA and I can't wait to see the full show.

Watch and enjoy then tell me what you think!
Were you a Yanni fan before? If not, are you now?

Janine

Johnson's is 50 Years of No More Tears

I can still remember visiting my grandma and having to take a bath at her house. At the age of eight I was way beyond the baby stage, but there was something about that yellow bottle of Johnson's Shampoo that made me smile when she would pull it out from under the sink. I knew I could be a little kid and play in the bath instead of being rushed through a shower.

At my shower for the Twofer I remember I received a baby bathtub filled with goodies including a number of bottles of Johnson's baby wash, shampoo, and lotion. For me Johnson's IS that baby smell, you know, the one you get when you rub their little head under your chin?

Here are some pics of the Twofer in those chubby baby days getting a bath...

M on left L on right, cheeks on both!

Um....excuse me for a minute.

OK, better.

Rarely do I get the urge for another baby but those pictures get me sometimes!

Where was I? Oh, so to celebrate their 50th Anniversary Johnson's has a few new products and thanks to Mom Central we were able to try them out.

I'm not sure I would have bought them otherwise because my twins are now almost six. And yet I found the JOHNSON'S® HEAD-TO-TOE® Foaming Wash great for my girls.

They are at that age where they can shower themselves but the soap keeps slipping out of their hands. The foaming wash comes in a pump which is perfect for them!

The JOHNSON'S® Baby Bubble Bath & Wash comes in a blue bottle and while it's not as great at getting the tangles out, it does give them that baby smell.

Johnson's has a great channel on YouTube where you can watch and submit videos, get special offers, and more.

What's your favorite bath photo? Post a link if you have one online! I'd love to check it out.

Janine

Storytime with the Twofer Twins Week 6 - All About Animals

Technically this is week 7 or even 8 because I've missed a few but give me a break - who's watching these anyway? If you are, please leave a comment so I can share them with the authors.

This week L was inspired to write a book for a baby that is on the way. No, not mine. One of my husband's cousins is having a baby soon and the girls came with me to the baby shower. I'm mailing this book out today to the lucky parents-to-be.



Do you have a creative way to preserve your child's artwork?
I'd love to know about it because this stack of books is growing and while I've captured most on video...I'm thinking I should keep the hard copies too.

Janine

Kajeet Giveaway! The kids cell phone that parents love. {Contest CLOSED}

***UPDATE 3/4/09****
This contest is now closed. The winners are:

The three participating blogs eached picked a winner using Random.org. Then I took those three names and used the List Randomizer from Random. org to come up with the grand prize winner and runners up.

The Grand Prize winner of the Samsung M300 Kajeet Phone goes to....

@auntiethesis from http://auntiethesis.blogspot.com


The runners up and winners of the Kajeet prize packs are....

@minnemom from http://minnemom.com/
Maybe Mama from http://juryreview.blogspot.com/

Congratulations!!!

Thanks for participating and don't forget, if you didn't win you can still get 15% off the cost of a Kajeet phone by using promo code: JANINE when you visit www.kajeet.com!
____________________original post_____________________

Lord knows when the Twofer hit their tween years they will want a cell phone, and frankly, I'm not completely opposed to it. The world can be big and scary and a little crazy, and as a responsible parent with a tendency to be a little neurotic, I'm thinking a cell phone offers some security.

Which is why I'm so happy to have already found Kajeet!

When I first read about Kajeet and explored the website I was really impressed with the level of parental control, and the flexibility of the program. Here's what I liked:

Affordable

With Kajeet no contract is needed and you can pay-as-you go for $.10 a minute.
But for less than $5 a month you can have 10 minutes of call/text time and if you go over, it's just $.10 a minute as opposed to $.32 a minute most "family plans" charge for overages. See the comparison:

Compare Kajeet's Basic Plan ($4.99/month) to most Family Plans

Parental Controls

Parental controls mean that you can work with your tween/teen to manage when the phone is used (Time Manager), decide what numbers and texts to allow (Contact Manager), and even decide who pays for which phone calls. So calls to Grandma can come out of the parent wallet encouraging more calls to Grandma!
The GPS Phone Locator allows you to find the phone at any time. And all of these controls are easy to manage online.

Giveaway

You can enter to win a Samsung M300 Kajeet phone that will come with a $5.00 credit!

This phone does everything kids want it to do (text, photos, games, etc.) and the Kajeet service has everything you as a parent will love.

What's more, I have 2 Kajeet Gift Sets that will go to two runners up!

Here's how to enter:
Choose 1 of these or do all 4 for 4 chances to win!
1. Leave a comment with your favorite Kajeet feature.
2. Subscribe to this blog (click on the RSS button for posts just above the Kajeet image in the right column)
3. Email this contest to 5 of your friends and cc me: scarytwins at yahoo dot com
4. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter (and leave comment here with link)

**Special Note***
For another view of Kajeet visit my new blog friend Toni's blog, The Happy Housewife, on Thursday (2/26) where you can double your chances of winning and then stop by MommaDJane's Blog on Saturday (2/28) where you can enter AGAIN!

Contest ends Tuesday, March 3rd at 11:59pm. Winners will be chosen by Random.org and announced Wednesday, March 4th.

If you don't win the free phone, you can still get 15% off the cost of a Kajeet phone by using this special code at checkout: JN0005

Good luck, and happy phone shopping!
Janine

Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt Review and Giveaway! {CONTEST CLOSED}

{Congratulations to the WINNERS!}
Random.org picked the following winners:
So congratulations to: 1) quitecontrary1977 2) Spooky and 3) Jenn
_________________________________________________________

Yogurt is the go-to snack in our house. It's good for you, and more importantly, with 2 bottomless pits called L and M, it fills you up.

I've recently started back at the gym after taking a few months off because I was... just too busy - is that the lamest excuse or what? Anyway, along with working out regularly, I'm really trying to watch what I eat because frankly, that twin tummy is starting to creep back into existence.

That's why I was thrilled to find out my first MyBlogSpark review would be the new Yo-Plus Blueberry Acaí yogurt from Yoplait. At only 110 calories, Yo-Plus is the perfect snack to take the edge off that 3:00 hunger. Yo-Plus has only 1.5 grams of fat and is a good source of fiber, calcium,and vitamin A and D.And the taste? I loved it and The Twofer loved it!

Right now Yo-Plus is now offering a $1.50 off downloadable coupon for a
4-pack of yogurt so there's no excuse not to try it.

What's more, Yoplait is giving me 3 Gift Bags to giveaway to my readers that include:

• a sweet cooler tote bag (Great for packing healthy snacks on those long car rides)

• a 36 oz water bottle (to last all day and it's BPA-Free)
  

• and mini journal to track what you eat, and when you exercise (I always do better when I write down what I eat and this little journal is small enough to fit in your purse or back pocket so you really can take it everywhere.)

• a coupon for a FREE 4-pack of Yo-Plus yogurt (Try the Blueberry Acai, I swear you'll love it.)
  

How can you win one of these great Yoplait Gift Bags?
You can enter up to four times leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Leave a comment and share with me one of your tips for staying healthy.
2. Tweet this contest on Twitter and leave a separate comment with the tweet url.
3. NEW! I have a new Twofer button! Grab the code and add it to your own blog then leave yet another comment with a link (I'm happy to return the favor too!)
4. Email your friends a link to this contest and cc me (scarytwins [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Contest ends Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 10pm
Three winners will be chosen by Random.org and announced Monday, March 2nd.

Good luck!
Now, back to my stomach crunches....502, 503, 504...

Janine

Seeing the Circus on a Budget

We have been working really hard this year to reduce our expenses, and increase our income wherever possible. One area we have done well is entertainment like eating out, going to the movies, and seeing shows.

Which is why I was thrilled to learn from Mom Central of a very special code* to use so to get 4 tickets to The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus for just $44.00!

I know!
I am freaking out too!
When are we going??!!?!

The Circus is just one of those annual shows we like to see with the girls. Last year my mom said she had not been to the circus since she was little and so we brought her too. Every year the show changes a little bit. Every year we enjoy it more and more. At $11 a person, I know we can swing it this year!

Below is the Very Special Code and 2 ways to use it.

The very special code: MOM

1) Use it to purchase 4 tickets for $44

• Go to www.ticketmaster.com
• Purchase a minimum of 4 tickets
• Enter the code MOM
• You pay on $44!

Fine print: Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other Restrictions May Apply.

2) Want Front Row or VIP?

A select amount of Front Row and VIP seats have been reserved for people with the special code "MOM"! Just enter the code "MOM" when purchasing those seats.


Don't forget about ***Baby's First Circus***

OK, so I might have mentioned this last year but I have a few more readers now and some who have had babies or are going to have them soon. If you are one of them, listen up! If you have a baby under 12 months old and you live in the continental US....
Go to www.Ringling.com and sign up for Baby's First Circus to get

• A free ticket voucher that can be exchanged for a free ticket to any Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey performance, anytime, anywhere. No expiration date!
• A very special personalized baby certificate, printable online!

Dates and cities where families can use the national MOM discount code this spring are as follows:

Newark/East Rutherford/Uniondale/NYC
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
March 5 - April 13
Offer not valid on performances from April 10 - 13 at Madison Square Garden

Washington D.C./ Fairfax, VA/ Baltimore, MD
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
March 18-April 19

Philadelphia
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
May 13-May 25

Phoenix
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
June 24-June 28

Houston
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
July 15-July 26

Anaheim/LA/Ontario
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
July 8-August 2

San Francisco
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
August 12-August 23

Dallas/Ft Worth
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
July 29-August 16

Sacramento
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents ZING ZANG ZOOM
August 27-August 30

Kansas City
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® proudly presents Over The Top
September 16-September 20

I can smell the cotton candy from here!
Janine

Another book, an extra hug, a photo and a reminder of what I have

Just because they looked cute

Yesterday I was checking in with a blog hero, Anissa to see how her daughter Peyton was doing after a horrific day getting blood drawn. You see Peyton has cancer. Peyton also recently had her port removed and the family celebrated a Cancer Free day. So this bloodwork would determine whether the party could continue, or if the family would get back on that roller coaster of fear, pain, sadness, worry, and general suckiness. (The results, after a loooong 2 days were good...silent cheer!)

I then caught a tweet by local blog star Jessica about a little angel named Vivi. Of course I went to Jessica's blog and read the post and then HAD to go to Vivi's own blog. And then the tears started.

But I wasn't done. From Vivi's blog there were several other links to blogs about children who are battling cancer, and the parents who are putting on brave faces, celebrating milestones, or in some cases, learning how to say goodbye.

By the time I was done it was after midnight, my eyes were puffy and red, and my heart ached and ached. I think there were a few hiccupy-breaths in there too - you the kind you used to get when you were little and just wailing? Yea, I had that.

But today I woke up a little different.

• I actually read not one, but two books to the girls this morning (I never read before school as we're usually late from the minute we're up!).
• I took extra time to sit with the girls when they got dressed (instead of yelling to them to hurry up as I make lunch).
• Then something unusual happened - they both asked me to put their hair up in a ponytail, my fave! So I took the time to do that too.
• They were so cute in their little skirts with their hair up that we took extra time to take some pictures.
• We were definitely late to school, but I gave them each an extra long hug and kiss before they went into the building.
• I then kept my promise (the same promise I have broken 3 days in a row now) of making chocolate covered strawberries today after school

Today I was a different mom...a better mom - I'm not afraid to say that. I'm improved. I give thanks to those parents who reminded me to appreciate what I have and to take that extra time. I will hug, and kiss, and squeeze, and help, and read to, and cook with, and tickle, and tuck in and everything else more now to honor the parents who can't.

What will you do?

Janine

Welcome Blissful Buzz readers!

If you have found my little piece of the blogosphere through Blissful Buzz than welcome! I hope you come back and visit again soon.

For my regulars (you know who you are...mom, cousin Jess), my roommate from Blissdom 09 asked me to be a contributing writer to her Blissful Buzz column on Blissfully Domestic.

Feeling Blissful myself I said sure!
Check out my first article and leave a comment there so they know I'm one of the cool kids.

Thanks!
Janine

Twincident #146 "Not without my sister!" - Twins stick together

It Finally Happened

After 5 years I realized the Twofer really do have a "need" for each other that is stronger than your average sibling bond.

Maybe at 5 they are mature enough to understand their need. Or maybe at 5 they can better express how they feel. Whatever it is the other day I was telling L about a playdate she had coming up and I heard, plain as day,
"Not without my sister!"

Me, "Since when?"

L, "I won't go unless M goes too."

And for the first time ever, I emailed the little girl's mom and asked if she could take both of my girls because the one was refusing to go without the other. I offered her Twofer the Price of One!

Something about this was different.

The new friend is a very shy and quiet little girl and she is in a different kindergarten class. This is exactly why I thought L would be a great friend to have. L alone is a little quieter, and sometimes shy herself. Most people don't know this because she can be riled into a silly, goofy, and loud little thing...with the help of her sister.

Also, I believe this is the first time L would be going to a new friend's house, alone. Usually she meets new friends at school, or we have them over to our house. I think she was just very uncomfortable going home with someone she didn't know very well and she realized that could be resolved by having her sister come too. Strength in numbers. Hmm, now where have I written about that before?

The other mother graciously accepted the invitation for her to take both of my children. (I would have had her daughter to my house but that day I was off being fabulous at a certain Fashion Show in New York.)

The Result?

The girls had a BLAST and by BLAST I mean supercalifragilstickexpialidocious.
Because it was the day before Valentine's Day they each came home with a huge heart balloon, cards they had made at the friend's house, and wanting to have another playdate with their new friend AND the new friend's older brother!

I definitely don't want to make a habit of them going on playdates together. I want them to continue to learn how to make friends on their own. But you know, maybe having your sister there is just one of the benefits of growing up a twin, and maybe that's not such a bad thing to have.

Janine

A Sassy little shop with a Twofer discount

Welcome to Day 4 of A Little 2 Sassy's Blog Tour!

My bloggy friend MommaDJane just introduced me to a rock star twin mom named Kristina. Not only does Kristina have her own business, A Little 2 Sassy, but she makes much of the merchandise herself!

Kristina gets a Twofer Thumbs Up for finding the balance between being a wife, mom to 3 kids including twins, crafter, and business owner. PLUS - she's giving all Twofer readers a 15% discount when you shop and use code: 0809mamma15

I'm loving these Croc bows

They make Crocs acceptable as party shoes!

And the headbands...



But for me?

This Giraffe print wallet for only $19.99 is a must-have.

My belt collection could benefit from some bling...


Be sure to stop by A Little 2 Sassy and check out all the goodies. Read the Sassy Story and then tell me how you are going to use your 15% discount!

Janine

Red Dress Collection Fashion Show 2009

My FIRST evah fashion show and it's the one with ALL the celebrities in it! Not to mention, a fashion show that reminds us all that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

The Red Dress Collection Fashion Show is a celebration of the red dress being the symbol of heart health for women. Red as a color alerts us to danger, and yet is also sexy, feminine, and fashionable.

I was given the chance to attend this event by the generosity of Twitter Moms and Olgivy PR and I was live tweeting with hashtag #hearttruth all day...which started at 5:45 am as I boarded my Amtrak train for NYC.

I was so excited walking up to The Tent at Bryant Park (and surprised that it really was a huge white party tent) that I barely noticed the numbing already starting in my toes - I never wear heels anymore.

After waiting outside, then inside, then watching the mannequin models with their Netbooks, then chatting with Bryn Taylor of SheFinds.com, the gates were finally opened and we streamed inside to where the party was.

Mannequin models

The first thing you see are the photographers, then the red catwalk. And while I was sooooo tempted to jump on there and do my best "I'm too sexy" move, I stuck with Bryn (a pro) and found my place at the very top of the seating. Actually, behind the seats...
where I stood...
in my heals...
that were already making my toes numb an hour earlier.

The view from my 'seat'

Then the show begins. And Tim Gunn {gasp, vigorous clap} from Project Runway came out and started talking about heart disease in women, and it got real quiet. We all realized that the celebrities, the designers, the glam of Fashion Week in New York, (and my now bleeding toes) mean nothing when compared to the battle women are fighting every day within their own bodies. Tim mentioned 4 things that women can do to lower their risk of heart disease:
1. eat right
2. be physically active
3. don't smoke and
4. maintain a healthy weight.

A Red Dress

So began the celebration in which 20 celebrities came strutting down the catwalk wearing creations by some of the greatest designers. Some of my favorites were:

Jennie Garth in Badgley Mischka (stunning)

Tori Spelling in Betsey Johnson (fun and flirty)

Vivica A. Fox in Jenny Packham (for her 'girl power' move)

Lynda Carter in Carolina Herrera (one of my personal favorite designers and Wonder Woman looked amazing)

Samantha Harris in David Meister (OK, I sort of hated her for how good she looked)

Susan Lucci in Gustavo Cadile (because she's Susan!) and

Katie Couric in Carmen Marc Valvo (because she looked a little uncomfortable and that made her real).


Before I show you the video, I have a little something I want you to do:
Go to The Heart Truth website and download a .pdf version of The Heart Truth for Women brochure.
Put it into a #10 envelope and write a little note that says, "Because I love you."
Then mail it to your mom, your aunt, your grandma, your sister, or your best friend.

Because that is what this day was really all about:


Before the Red Dress Collection Fashion Show from twincident on Vimeo.


The Red Dress Collection Fashion Show 2009 from twincident on Vimeo.

Take care of your heart!
Janine

For a closer look at the models and the dresses, check out The Heart Truth Flickr stream and the OlgivyPR video of the show.

Today I'm over at JessicaKnows (BLOG IDOL)

For real. This is BIG. JessicaKnows asked me to guest post and I was bouncing in my seat! You see I not only went to Blissdom, I landed a few great interviews with Nathan Pacheco, Ender Thomas, and Chris Mann.
Jessica asked me to write about my tips for interviewing a celebrity and you can see that I learned quite a lot...mostly from making mistakes.

Video of the interviews below. Take it easy, I'm a beginner.
But watch out Joan Rivers - I'm coming to a red carpet near you!

Ender and Nathan from Yanni Voices


Chris Mann

Chris Mann interview from twincident on Vimeo.


You can see photos of me with my interviewees over at JessicaKnows.
Stop in and tell her how I did!
Janine

Tips for Your First Blog Conference

Some day this blog will return to the 'twin mom' roots but having just returned from my very first blog conference, Blissdom09, I have the need to share my tips with others who might be afraid to take part.

Before I left I was afraid I'd feel lonely (having no real blog friends), out of my element (Feedburner does what?), and defeated (because of my traffic...I appreciate you dear readers more than you'll ever know).

But upon returning I can tell you I have lots of blog friends, I am a member of an incredible movement that recognizes the power of women/mothers/bloggers, and I am motivated and energized to put what I've learned to work!

So if you are afraid of taking the leap - don't be!
If you are even slightly interested and can afford a blog conference - GO!
Here are some tips to help you feel more comfortable:

1. Get a roommate
Email some of your favorite bloggers, readers, or twitter friends to see who else is going and who is looking to share a room. This does two things: cuts down on the cost of the room and sets you up with an automatic friend! Before heading down to the conference I called my roommate and flat out told her I'd be sticking to her like glue. Luckily, this was her first conference and she felt the same way.

2. Get a list of mobile phones
Before you leave chat with some of the attendees (see #1) and get a few cell numbers so that you can text and arrange to meet when you are down there like I did with Renee. You'll feel better knowing you've got a few 'friends' already and trust me, they quickly become your friends/sisters/supporters.

3. Bring a notebook
I had the right idea in my earlier post and I'm glad I followed through. The notebook came in handy during sessions, to jot down the names and blogs of the people I was meeting and wanted to connect with later, and even for keeping track of the conference schedule. On the way home I had everything in one place as I started notes for this post and for future posts. (Also check out JessicaKnows' Moleskin notebook.)

4. Bring business cards
For me, business cards helped me stand out. Not just because I used an envelope, but because it was what I used to break the ice and talk to people. I usually asked them for their card, then asked if I could give them mine. A number of people had seen my post and immediately we had something to talk about. And if I had never heard of their blog, I asked. Plus, now I have a database of people I can turn to for advice, partnership, and support. I hope they feel the same way when they look at my card.

5. Participate
Don't be afraid to ask questions at a session. People remember you when you ask a good question and will often approach you and mention it.
If there is a cocktail hour, go.
If there is a karaoke party, ask one of your blog idols to get up there with you and sing Dancing Queen.

photo courtesy MommaDJane on Flickr

Renee, me, BLOG IDOL White Trash Mom, my roommate Linda

Sugar Jones invited me to sit down at breakfast with Mandi, Lisa, and Rachel and we later explored downtown Nashville. Introducing myself and approaching people was how I found one of my new BFFs MommaDJane.

6. Meet the Sponsors
Check them out before you go so you know what to say to the people representing the companies. Without the sponsors there would be no conference, or it would be really expensive to attend. Reach out to them if you have a chance, say thank you, and if you feel compelled, post about them!

I know I became an even bigger fan of Yanni Voices (thanks to Disney Pearl) and Chris Mann (thanks to Sony Music). I'm going to start using Lijit, start buying Little Debbie 100 calorie snacks - probably at Walmart, and start wearing cool Crocs boots as soon as I use my gift certificate!

Would love to have your suggestions too!
Janine
More posts on Blissdom09 here:
What to bring to a blog conference
Help me get dressed for Blissdom09
Diving head first into the shallow end of the blogging conference

UPDATE: Pacific Shaving- Twofer Thumbs Up for giving and giving

**12/13/09 UPDATE**
WINNER is...MommaDJane! Congrats and your going to change the way you shave forever!
______________________________
If you hate shaving, you will love this post and the giveaway. And this one isn't just for the ladies - GUYS, you are in for a treat too! As I've mentioned before, I am a huge fan of Pacific Shaving Company's all natural shaving oil.It's all natural. It's powerful - just a few drops is all you need. It's packaged in a travel-friendly and eco-friendly little bottle. And, it's works better than any 'skin sensitive' shaving cream I have ever tried.

As the Mr. said recently, "I should be the poster-boy for this company! I haven't shaved in a month and I don't even have a rash!"
As my friend described it, "It's the Tivo of shaving. Once you try it, you wonder how you ever lived without it."

And so I am giving away not one, but two bottles of Pacific Shaving Company All Natural Shaving Oil (1/2 ounce bottle gives you up to 100 shaves) to celebrate the fact that my husband now might shave more frequently!

What's more, this post is also in honor of Bloggers Give, a new website devoted to the mission of collecting extra blog giveaways for the purpose of donating them to needy causes. Pacific Shaving Company has pledged a Twofer - they are giving me two bottles to give away, and 2 bottles to Bloggers Give!

Here's how to enter and note: the more you do, the more entries you have:

1. Leave a comment with your thoughts on shaving...(I hate it, I love it, I've moved on to waxing..) and remember this is mostly a family show.
2. Tweet this contest and leave link in separate comment
3. Follow my blog (in right column just under Kajeet) and mention that in comment
4. Here's a new one, friend me at Wishpot and add Pacific Shaving Company All Natural Shaving Oil to your list (then leave another comment here)

Contest ends Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 11:59pm.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org an announced on Friday, February 13, 2009.

Happy shaving!
(for more great giveaways visit: 5 Minutes for Mom)
Janine

Storytime Week 5- "T is for Twins" by Mary Bond

This week's Storytime with the Twofer is a little different. While I thoroughly enjoy exploiting my daughters and their ability to write and read (Hollywood, are you listening?) I thought I would expand the series to include books you can actually purchase and read to you own children.


Today I bring you T is for Twins by Mary Bond one of our family's favorite children's books that also happens to be great for twins.




Janine

What to bring to a blog conference

OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG I'm starting to freak out now!

I'm going to Blissdom 09 in just a few days and this is my first ever blog conference, the first time I'll meet ANY of my bloggy friends and blog idols in person, and the first time I've been away on a work (?) sort of thing in a loooooong time.

So yes, I'm a complete dork and already started my outfit list (and thank you everyone for your cocktail outfit votes!) and now have compiled a list of other things I think I should bring.

I'm hoping some of you more experienced bloggers and conference goers will weigh-in here.

Here's what I have so far:
1. Wine - wait, maybe that shouldn't be number one...makes me look like I have a problem. But I do, I'm nervous! OK, we'll take that off #1 and I'll buy it down there, but it's not leaving the list completely!

OK, start over
1. Laptop - because my faithful readers (all 2 of you) don't go on vacation just because I'm hanging with my blog peeps and getting all fabulous n stuff.
(Question - do people actually bring their 'puters to the sessions too?)

2. Business Cards - of course I don't have any but that isn't going to stop me. I've come up with a very creative if not handy little calling 'card' that I will reveal here:


This business card is actually a small envelope in which my fellow bloggers can store all the other cards they will be collecting. (Notice the Twofer stamp?) If you think it's hokey I don't really want to hear it because it took me a lot of time to make them and, well, at least it's memorable.

3. Mobile Phone - like this one:
not to stay in touch with my family you silly people, to do some LIVE Tweeting!

4. Snacks- I'm just one of those people that completely loses focus when I get hungry, so I'm planning to pack a few granola bars. (I will share so if you feel your blood sugar running low, c'mon over.)

5. Notebook- Because I will be meeting so many cool people and getting invited to participate in all kids of fabulous things, I better bring a notebook to jot everything down.
And here is where I really Geek'd out...I took a minute this morning to organize my notebook with an area for the schedule, people I meet, my questions/goals, and session notes. Plus, I put some paper clips and sticky tabs so I can highlight certain things if needed.


Again, I can take criticism, but at least I've put some thought into it.

6. Wine - is it appropriate to mention that now here?

7. A good book- because sadly enough the thought of waiting and waiting in an airport and on an airplane brings me a certain kind of joy. The kind of joy you just don't get unless you're used to two 5-year olds constantly asking you questions, whining about being hungry, arguing, and basically needing you.

8. People Magazine and Us Weekly - always a treat when I travel and always a great source for small talk. Plus, I'm going to use them for 'research' for a new writing role I may take on.

9. Lists - I am spending some much-needed money on this conference and to make sure I get the most out of it I better prepare all my burning questions for my blog idols. I also want to make a list of ideas I've had, and new projects I'm working on so that I remember where I'm looking to partner with someone.

10. _______________________You fill it in! Please leave me your #10 in a comment. Did I overlook something really obvious? What have you wished you had with you at a conference? If there's enough interest, I'm happy to compile the list and post it after the conference.

Thanks for your input and Blissdom 09 Here I come!
Janine

Plant a seed, grow a field of dreams **UPDATE**

**update**

Vote for the Plant a Seed Super Bowl commercial!



Click HERE to vote and look for the image with the green grass and fence.

.....Original post......
I am so proud to be chosen to help Mom Central and Kelloggs spread the word about the Frosted Flakes Plant a Seed campaign that helps communities maintain their playing fields.

Kelloggs Frosted Flakes realizes that important things happen to kids on playing fields. Kids gain self-esteem, make new friends, learn about teamwork, and stay healthy. Through the program, people can nominate a field, show support for fields around the country, and start their own "seed packs".

Visit the Frosted Flakes Plant a Seed site now and get a preview of tonight's Super Bowl commercial before it airs!

And check out Robin's success story too. It will inspire you to nominate a field in your area that needs some work.

And now I'm off to inspect the fields in my town,
Janine