CHALKBOARD CHINA!!

"30 Best Gifts for Christmas" - Day 7!

How cute is this vase???
We entertain a LOT in our house. And with my 4 children, there is always someone's birthday, or another occasion that we are celebrating! We also love to write notes to eachother and leave them on dry erase boards, our "message plate," etc. Now, we have a new venue for our fun notes!

CHALKBOARD CHINA!

The thing I love the most about it is that you can make it as dressy, or as casual as you want! As you can see above, the charger plate becomes very elegant with scroll writing, and a bright accent plate! The truffle tray, charger plate, mini vases, and wine glass were sent to me for my review. We have used all of the items multiple times, already! Just last night, I had guests over, and served one of them a drink in the wine glass! It is always a big hit.

Also, it is very low maintenance! The chalk wipes clean with a damp cloth. Allow it to dry, and you're ready to write on it again! Be sure to hand wash your Chalkboard China!

And this is the PERFECT time to buy a customizable "Dear Santa" plate!


Isn't it adorable?? You could even hang a plate on the wall as a gorgeous message center! The possibilities are endless!

And one lucky reader will WIN some Chalkboard China of their own! The Chalkboard China company is offering a "Mingle Over Mocha" reader a set of FOUR Champagne Glasses! This is a value of $60! They will be PERFECT for ringing in 2010!

To Enter...

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the Chalkboard China site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5. Digg this post by clicking the “Digg This Story” button at the bottom of the post (above the rules).

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/5509192421. Comment below that you did, pasting your tweet! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries!

9. Invite friends on Facebook to become a fan of Mingle Over Mocha on Networked blogs, and comment that you did!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 14th at 6pm. Good luck!

Thank you to Chalkboard China for donating the free products for my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any reviews or giveaways on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I receive a free or donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review. The Author of Mingle Over Mocha is not responsible for your difference in opinion or happiness with this product, or your safety when using this product.

TWO GIVEAWAYS TODAY!

"30 Best Gifts for Christmas" - Day 6

So far, we've focused on fun toys for both parent and child! But this Christmas, we also need to remember to take good care of ourselves, health-wise, and spiritually! That's why today, I will be posting two giveaways which relate to our health in both of these areas! Below is the are two great giveaways for today, focusing on our physical and spiritual health!

"A Different Kind of Wild- Is Your Faith Too Tame?" - by Debbie Alsdorf
(Study Guide Included!)


Routine.
For some of us, that word means structure, schedules, and staying on track. But is it possible for us to get stuck in a routine rut? I believe it is.
Author Debbie Alsdorf explains in her book, "A Different Kind of Wild," that sometimes we need to really let ourselves go! Not in a bad way... but in our God. Until we truly can release ourselves in Him, we may not realize the extent of His plans for us!

The Author’s “less of me and more of Thee” attitude is shown in deed and kind all through this book in her determination to “live up”. I could identify with the need to be stretched too thin and not obeying the inner voice to sit and have quite communion with our Father. Nothing bad can come of us going “wild” in His grace!

An excerpt from her website:
You were born to be WILD

Not bad wild -- good wild, with a new zest for life, for Jesus, and for his thrilling, bold, and creative plans for you. Join Debbie Alsdorf as she coaches you into the exhilarating process of developing as a woman of God. She'll show you how to break free from old expectations and boring patterns and find the WILD (Women in Lifelong Development) way of life.

Alsdorf includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter and an expanded study section at the end of the book, so you can explore the wild alone or in a small group.

So grab your cheetah-print gear and start living the WILD life God has imagined for you -- a life bigger and grander than you ever thought possible.

220 pages
Revell 2009


About the Author:

Debbie Alsdorf is the Founder of "Design 4 Living Ministries." She is a speaker, author and encourager of women to "Live up!" Visit her web page at www.Design4Living.org. Since 1997 she has been the director of women's ministries at cornerstone Fellowship, where she and her team lead a vibrant women's ministry. Debbie is a biblical lay counselor and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. She lives in Northern California.

Would you love to win a copy?

To enter, please do any or all of the following:

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the Design4Living site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5. Digg this post by clicking the “Digg This Story” button at the bottom of the post (above the rules).

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/5479926242. Comment below that you did, pasting your tweet! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries!

9. Invite friends on Facebook to become a fan of Mingle Over Mocha on Networked blogs, and comment that you did!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 13th at 6pm. Good luck!

Thank you to Debbie Alsdorf for donating the free copy of "A Different Kind of Wild," for my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any reviews or giveaways on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I receive a free or donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review. The Author of Mingle Over Mocha is not responsible for your difference in opinion or happiness with this product, or your safety when using this product.

TWO GIVEAWAYS TODAY!

"30 Best Gifts for Christmas" - Day 6!

So far, we've focused on fun toys for both parent and child! But this Christmas, we also need to remember to take good care of ourselves, health-wise, and spiritually! That's why today, I will be posting two giveaways which relate to our health in both of these areas! Below is the first...


I LOOOOOOVE yogurt. And Yoplait is by far my favorite. I love all their flavors, and my newest addiction is their greek yogurt! Their new "YoPlus Digestive Light" yogurt is amazing! You cannot tell that it is lower calorie, and it helps to improve digestion! I love giving this to my children, and making them their daily "power smoothies" out of it!
MyBlogSpark recently sent me some great coupons to pick up some YoPlus Yogurt for free! And, they were so generous to also sent the great "Get Healthy" sports pack shown above! You can win one too!

When juggling a hectic schedule of everyday life, it may be difficult to find the time for foods that will help keep you feeling on track. But, that doesn´t have to be the case anymore with the help of YoPlus Light yogurt, a quick, healthy snack that also helps regulate your digestive system without compromising calorie intake or taste!

With only 70 calories, YoPlus Light contains a special blend of probiotic cultures, 3 grams of natural dietary fiber and the same great taste you expect from Yoplait. Even better, YoPlus Light is now available in three new delicious flavors - Key Lime Pie, Honey Vanilla and Strawberry Banana - and is already available in supermarkets nationwide.

So, would you love to win the super cool "Get Healthy" sports pack shown above?

Here is what is included in the pack:

• stylish sports bag
• sports towel
• ear buds
• two free coupons* for any flavor of the new YoPlus Light yogurt.

*Please note: These free coupons are not valid in Louisiana, Nevada and North Dakota.

Additionally, you can now download a $1.00 off coupon for YoPlus Light here: http://bricks.coupons.com/bstart.asp?o=57800&ci=1&c=GM&p=4XeBjIEi

To enter, please do any or all of the following:

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the YoPlus site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5. Digg this post by clicking the “Digg This Story” button at the bottom of the post (above the rules).

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/5479401249. Comment below that you did, pasting your tweet! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries!

9. Invite friends on Facebook to become a fan of Mingle Over Mocha on Networked blogs, and comment that you did!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 13 at 6pm. Good luck!

Thank you to MyBlogSpark and Yoplait for donating the free "Get Healthy" pack for my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any reviews or giveaways on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I receive a free or donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review. The Author of Mingle Over Mocha is not responsible for your difference in opinion or happiness with this product, or your safety when using this product.

KAJEET PHONE!!!!

30 Best Gifts for Christmas- Day 5

I know your kids are begging for a cell phone. And I know you've visited all the cell phone company's websites, and perhaps even called them. You KNOW you must be reading something wrong. It looks as if it is impossible to get cell phone service for a child for under $30 a month! The worst part? You really only want them to use the phone in emergency situations. But, you don't want one of those firefly phones that look like a 2 year old's toy.

So... is there a solution? YES! THERE IS! It's called KAJEET!

Take a look at some of their plans! (sorry it's fuzzy! It's a screen capture.)
Can you believe you read that right? Their plans start at just $4.99 a month!
And, my son has his cell phone and service through Kajeet, so I can speak from personal experience. The coverage is wonderful, the service is excellent, and there are NO hidden fees!!

SO.... Would you LOVE to win a SAMSUNG m300 and 5 minutes of airtime (included with activation) from Kajeet???
OF COURSE YOU WOULD!

To enter, please do any or all of the following:

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the Kajeet site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5. Digg this post by clicking the “Digg This Story” button at the bottom of the post (above the rules).

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/5448859209. Comment below that you did, pasting your tweet! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries!

9. Invite friends on Facebook to become a fan of Mingle Over Mocha on Networked blogs, and comment that you did!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 12 at 6pm. Good luck!

Gamewright Game- Too Many Monkeys!

"30 Best Gifts for Christmas" - Day 4!

The Gamewright Games Company makes some WONDERFUL games. Some of our favorites are Boochie Ball and Ring-O Flamingo! Now, we can add "Too Many Monkeys" to that list!
If you are looking for a great way to spend some time with your little ones, this game is the perfect solution. We've all heard the statistics surrounding the importance of family time! I am sure your kids would enjoy a quick game of Too Many Monkeys before your family dinner! There is educational value, and lots of laughs to be had!

Tillywig Toy Awards says this about Too Many Monkeys:

"Too Many Monkeys is a great game for kids or kids and parents to play together. It's quick moving, easy-to-learn, and includes some very playful graphics and quirky 'special' cards in addition to the numbered monkey cards. The game-play teaches number sequencing and order placement, but more importantly, it's just plain fun!"

- Tillywig Toy Awards

You can download the rules of play HERE!

Would you like to own Too Many Monkeys?

To enter, please do any or all of the following:

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the Gamewright Games site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5. Digg this post by clicking the “Digg This Story” button at the bottom of the post (above the rules).

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/5421064455. Comment below that you did, and paste your tweet.

9. You can tweet daily about this contest for extra entries!

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 11 at 6pm. Good luck!

Prince Lionheart pottyPOD!!!

"30 Best Gifts for Christmas- Day 3"
Prince Lionheart!!!

You all know by now that I LOVE the Prince Lionheart company. They made the awesome wheely cow ride-on that I was fortunate enough to review, along with the stroller accessories, and the seat protector that I reviewed last month!!

Well, here is one of my absolute favorites from Prince Lionheart! The pottyPOD!

If you have a baby or a toddler in your house, this is the PERFECT addition to their Christmas list! I am very happy to say that the pottyPOD helped my last little potty trainer accomplish her goals! And although we are all happily potty trained now, she still loves her chair! I catch her sitting on it to play a game, etc. The part that she sits on is SO squishy and comfy- it is unlike any potty training chair that any of my 4 children have owned!
And, the handle on the front lifts the inner cup out so easily, there is no worry of spilling it when dumping it out! It is super easy to clean, and my daughter loves it!
You will LOVE all of Prince Lionheart's products, but this one is one of my favorites!

Trust me that you DO want to enter this giveaway! If all of your own children are potty trained, your friends or relatives will love you for life if you win one for their baby!

To enter, please do any or all of the following:

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the Prince Lionheart site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5.Digg this story!

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vaagen/statuses/5389969816. Comment below that you did.

9. Favorite this blog on Technorati by clicking HERE

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 10 at 6pm. Good luck!

SKITTERTOY!!!

"30 Best Gifts for Christmas - Day 2!"

The little ones in your life are going to LOVE this.
What a GREAT Christmas present this will make!!

The SKITTERTOY!!!!


When this came in the mail for my review, my kids all went nuts! Usually, my kids play with a new toy for a few days, lose interest, and then it begins collecting dust. NOT the SKITTERTOY. Skittertoy and Plasmacar are the same product, in case you've heard of one and not the other!

My 3 year old can ride this as easily as my 11 year old! We have a bumpy driveaway that is a large hill, and they still have no issues riding it!
The Skittertoy is self propelled, so your stomach and arms get a workout as you are driving! I admit it, I am guilty of riding it almost as often as my children!
Here are my favorite points about the Skittertoy

• It is comfy! The seat is not flat- it is curved, so it is a comfy ride!
• It is safe! It doesn't go so fast that you have to worry about your little ones riding out of control! And...
• It has a stability wheel that keeps it from tipping forward!
• The handle bar is comfy on your hands.
• It gives you exercise! You don't realize you're working to make it move, but you are!
• It is fun! The motion you experience is unlike that of bikes and scooters- it's a swivel motion!
• You can order replacement wheels, which resemble that of rubber roller blade wheels, for a different ride!
• After all 4 of my kids using this toy often, and myself and my husband trying it out, I am very comfortable saying it is DURABLE!!!
  

The Skittertoy is a Dr. Toy "Best Products" winner!!!
See what others have had to say about it:

"She plays with the Skitter everyday inside and outside, non-stop..."

"P.S., My son's Skitter is his favorite toy and by far the best one that he has ever owned. He loves..."

"It has improved my sons coordination and core strength..."

Received the wheels and installed them. They work great!
THANKS
Chad

THE GRANDSONS BOTH LOVE THE SKITTER MOBILE AS THEY CALL IT! HAPPY I PURCHASED ONE FOR CHRISTMAS

Our Daughter has Angelman syndrome and this has been the only toy that we feel safe for her to play on. She has difficulty with balance but the Skitter is low enough to the ground plus her helmet that we feel safe for her to enjoy hours of fun.

The Best, simply the best toy that our kids (2 girls and 1 boy) love to play on, they can ride all day...

We run a Day Care in Texas and this is the best toy that we have found that is durable and most used...
Augustines Day Car

Our son was hit by a car a year and half ago and lost the ability to move his right arm...we searched forever to find something to loft his spirits...this is it, he can operate the Skitter toy with his good arm and has lifted his spirit.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Fun, fun, fun that is all our 2 year says now that he has a Skitter,
John

Our son is so in love with his Skitter that he wants to eat his meals on the toy...any advice,
Mother Carrie


We were not sure if we could have the kids continue to ride the Skitter in the house with our new hardwood floors, but the new upgraded wheels do not scuff or leave a mark, life is good again.
Jeanine

To enter, please do any or all of the following:

1. Comment below, with your email address

2. Visit the Skittertoy site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you love the most!

3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.

4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.

5. Digg this post by clicking the “Digg This Story” button at the bottom of the post (above the rules).

6. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.

7. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net

8. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vaagen/status/5361582965. Comment below that you did.

9. Favorite this blog on Technorati by clicking HERE

The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on November 9 at 6pm. Good luck!