Category: Giveaways

Great giveaways, contests, of some of the favorite (and not so favorite) products the Herring family has tried and shared.

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Gifts for Kids: Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique

Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique

Christmas has been so much fun for me last year and this year because of the twins. I was so blessed with one of each that now I have a mini-me to dress up, do her hair, we can do girlie things in a house full of boys. While on my quest to find the sweetest girl gifts and ideas I stumbled upon Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique and seriously if they are not the sweetest boutique ever!

Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique Look at that cute outfit! I could not believe that is handmade. Yes, you heard me correctly. HANDMADE with love from one of the most talented women I have ever had the pleasure of speaking with via email. I actually ordered this dress for review sight unseen. You see a picture was not posted and if I did not just have the most awesome luck! Can you believe this dress? Honestly totally cute and great for all seasons. Do you see the cute bow (that I was so lucky that my Little Bitty did not yank out of her hair)? Yes the bow matches that adorable dress.

So the dress is a fabulous light corduroy feeling fabric. Most people cringe at corduroy, but I embrace it and just love the soft velvety feel and the rough texture. Kids are fabulous candidates for corduroy because it is so tough and rugged for their playing. The pattern is awesome with the bright colors and Sara was losing her mind when she saw the dress. She is such a girlie girl at heart, if it is pink…..she now has possession, so beware.

Sweetie Pies Kids is more than just girls clothes. Boys clothes are also available, as well as an assortment of adorable bows, tutu’s, monogrammed cups, frames, crayon rolls (which are great for travel!), and lots of totally cute baby gear like bibs, blankets, passy clips, they have it all. Of course, the best part is the handmade. I love to support mom and handmade so Sweetie Pies Kids is a no brainer.

Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, Sweetie Pies Kids BoutiqueWant to know where to find Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique clothes, well you can shop online with their fabulous site and if you happen to be a resident of North Carolina and in the area of Kernersville and Youngsville you can see all of their great products at Barabara’s Cottage in Youngsville and Emma Jane’s in Kernersville, but of course you can check out the Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique site for your one stop shop if you are not in the area.

If you have a boy or girl in your life this year that you want to buy them something completely unique and away from the ordinary that you find at your standard box stores or maybe you want to customer order…they take those too, well this is the place to read on, because the owner Kristen Holmes of Sweetie Pies Kids is offering The Five Fish readers a $20 gift certificate to her site to shop for some fabulous gift items this year. And if you are not a winner for this giveaway, that is still okay because if you mention that you saw Sweetie Pies Kids on my blog you get 10% off your purchase! How fabulous is that!

So you want to know the fabulous deets on how to win? Alright:

MANDATORY: Check out Sweetie Pies Kids and tell me who you would shop for and what you would want to buy for them.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Go Join the Sweetie Pies Kids Boutique Facebook Page to get all your updates for the shop.
  • Stumble, Digg, or Delicious Sweetie Pies Kids and tell me you did (an entry for each)
  • Buy something with your 10% discount from Sweetie Pies Kids (for 5 extra entries, let me know your info so I can confirm)
  • Follow my blog and or tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
  • Tweet this giveaway with daily RT’s “Sweet as pie with Sweetie Pies Kids & @KariewithaK (put the link to the giveaway here)”
  • Blog about this giveaway with 25-100 words linking back to The Five Fish & Sweetie Pies Kids (Worth 4 extra entries)
  • Enter one of the other giveaways for an extra entry (each giveaway is an extra entry here, 4 giveaways, 4 extra entries! WOO)
DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE for FABULOUS products to be showcased here on the blog throughout the month including giveaways and HUGE money savings just in time for the holidays!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 18TH @ 11:59 AZ TIME
BEST OF LUCK!
 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.

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Shoes for Toddlers Pedoodles

Parents, grandparents, and the like always look at shoes as an item to buy for back to school or because a need exists. While my poor Seth (and his gigantic growing feet) needed shoes, they also make a great gift for the holidays. My kids are definitely MY kids when the topic of shoes is breached. Shoes means we are going somewhere….like Costco. Exciting for a toddler, really.

I have bought my kids shoes in the past from your standard places, Target, Wal-Mart, Payless Shoes, and each of these places has shoes with HARD rubber (or worse) soles. So your children really look like midgets trying to maneuver snow shoes on dry land. You know the walk right? Lifting and walking as if they have weights wrapped upon their feet. I found the wonderful company of Pedoodles and just had to see what they are all about. I also found them based on their Eco-Friendly compliant shoes. You know we at The Five Fish try to reduce our carbon footprint.

I perused the site, just adoring all the cute baby shoes, toddler shoes, leather, sandals, moccasin type shoes. I finally found the perfect pair, the Bumper Cars. I contacted them and they were so gracious to allow Seth-en-stein to test out a sample of their shoes and would you believe it that my 20 month old BOY, LOVES his shoes. I mean he really likes shoes period, but if you set all his shoes in front of him he truly picks his Pedoodles.

THE REASON WHY
The shoes move with his feet. He is not constricted or restrained by the chunky, unable to flex and move, hard construction of a standard shoe. I mean you might as well have put children in wooden shoes the way they walk in the hard, immobile soles and construction. He also has toe box room for his wide feet. Baby feet are not narrow and pretty, they are Hobbit feet, they have to be able to support their frames and give them balance, and the shoes have to allow for the support and the movement of the child. The shoes are super soft! Truly super soft! The leather is movable and pliable like leather clothing and not “shoes.”

I mentioned the Eco-Friendly shoes right?! Well these shoes are Constructed from “Eco-Friendly” premium leather remnants which are safety tested for children (Free of Lead, Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Mercury, Selenium and harmful Amines.) [Pedoodles.com, 2009] Oh and those soles on the shoes? Fabulous as well, they look like little tire treads and you want to know why? The Soles are made with recycled materials to help reduce global waste. They’re also safety tested (Passes British Safety Standard BS 5665-3 and European Standard EN71-3). [Pedoodles.com, 2009]

But hey….do not just take my word for it. Enter to win a pair! That is right! Your crawler, walker, runner will be up and moving in a new pair or Pedoodles! Your first entry…..go head over to Pedoodles and come tell me how many pairs of Eco-Friendly shoes they offer! Be sure to leave your email addy or make your Blogger account available to see your email.

EXTRA ENTRIES

  • Follow my Blog (tell me you do or did)
  • Subscribe to my feed (at the top)
  • Follow me on Twitter (tell me you do or did)
  • Follow Pedoodles on Twitter
  • Tweet this giveaway “If babies were born w/shoes @Pedoodles would be it! Enter to win @KariewithaK (enter link here)”
  • Enter one of my other giveaways (worth as many entries as the giveaways you enter! i.e. if I have 3 giveaways, 3 entries! You see…)
  • Blog about this giveaway in 50-100 words with a track back to me and to Pedoodles.com (worth 3 entries)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Technorati fave my blog (I have a new listing since I changed the URL)
  • Stumble Pedoodles.com
DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE  to see what other great products will be featured with awesome money savings for the holidays and of course giveaways!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 13TH @ MIDNIGHT
BEST OF LUCK! 
 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.
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Give the Gift of Pearls of Joy

pearlsofjoy.com, thefivefish.com

People say diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But really, diamonds, in this economy? You probably would look more like a douchebag princess getting some major bling like that. I, however, have always loved the classic, timeless, elegant look of pearls. You have to admit, something has to be said about a woman in pearls, just completely classy and pearls can dress up any occasion.

The folks at Pearls of Joy contacted me* and I was overflowing with joy because I love pearls. I love to wear pearls and they are just absolutely gorgeous. I chose to review the earrings of all the choices. I do not wear earrings much but when I do, they are pearls. I actually had a beautiful set of black pearls DH bought for me in San Francisco but somehow the dear boy Big G got a hold of those earrings and broke them. Resulting in a black pearl lost in a sea of shag carpet which inevitably got sucked into the black hole of vacuums thus resulting in lost earrings and a new vacuum.

pearls, thefivefish.com

Regardless, I found the perfect and beautiful replacement of Black Akoya pearls. Magnificent aren’t they? They have an iridescent blue, peacock color that is absolutely stunning, gorgeous, eye catching. I love the darker pearls because they look mysterious, exotic, and again they are timeless. I was pleasantly surprised too at the quality, pearls are either good quality or garbage where they are basically costume jewelry. Pearls of Joy pearls are top notch! Equipped with a certified GIA in pearls appraisal. Beautiful, functional, and I love to wear them. I received many compliments, even from the hubs on how lovely they looked on me, with the white gold posts to offset the dark color of the beautiful stone pearl.

In general my ears are very sensitive to the posts of earrings which generally require me to wear gold in 14k or higher. Sometimes even 14k causes issues where my lobes and the piercing hole becomes inflamed. I did not have this issue which made me even more excited over these wonderful beauties.

So folks, if you are looking for that gift to surprise your mother, sister, daughter, or of course your lovely wife….try the timeless and classic choice of pearls. Or better yet, enter here to win a pair just in time for Christmas for that special woman in your life! You got it!

Win a choice of a strand of pearls or a piece of pearl jewelry (as seen above) from Pearls of Joy.com!

The Skinny entry info:

MANDATORY: Go check out PearlsofJoy.com and tell me what other beautiful bling you would love to add to your jewelry collection. (Please leave your email address or make your blogger profile public so I have your email address for your winnings…otherwise…no cool loot!)

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Blog about this giveaway (Minimum of 50-100 words…sorry…have to avoid spammers folks….I play fair!) with a track back to me and PearlsofJoy.com (3 entries)
  • Subscribe to the PearlsofJoy Newsletter (2 entries)
  • Follow my blog or tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
  • Tweet this giveaway “Enter to Win timeless pearls from @KariewithaK valued @ over $200 (include the link to giveaway here!)”
  • Enter one of my many other giveaways (worth an extra entry for each giveaway you enter!)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Technorati fave my blog
  • Stumble, Digg, Delicious the Pearls of Joy website
DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE
 CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 13TH @ MIDNIGHT
Best of luck to you all!
 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.
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Cooking with Imagination Step2 Lifestyle Kitchen

Step2.com, thefivefish.com, Karie Herring

The Herring Hunting, Five Fish Holiday gift guide is now officially in FULL SWING and I wanted to get this puppy started off right. My kids and I had the awesome opportunity provided to us by Step2 to receive and review the Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen. I have to tell you that the kids LOVE IT! The first day the kitchen was assembled they rallied around it, with all the great features, accessories, the fostering of some really great pretend play!

Grant told me immediately that we had to go to Costco to stock up on supplies, that his fridge was looking a little barren. We needed bread, Cheerios, some more fruit and vegetables, maybe some milk. DH and I were laughing hysterically and taking note to plan a trip to Costco for he and the twins. The gnomes love all the sounds, the buttons and controls, plus the utensils have been loads of fun for them.

Here is what the Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen has to offer as far as amenities and features:

thefivefish.com, Karie Herring, Step2 kitchen, giveaway

  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  •  Granite-look counter top
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)

[Source: Step2 IPK]

Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, Step2 Kitchen giveaway

The Mrs. Fish take: the appliances are cute for a small scale, so yes, realistic for the gnome size scale. The counter top I took to be more Corian than granite looking, the accessories are very cool, and adding more is even MORE fun for the kids.  Truly TONS of storage which is nice for the kids to experiment and play. The light is cool, the kids love to turn that on as the room gets darker. Adult assembly FOR SURE is required, the whole system to put together is snap and lock with a few screws here and there, however, I would suggest a strapping individual to help with the initial put together and a drill for the screws. Also be sure you have all the screws, we were short a few but scrounged some together in the garage. The put together is time consuming so be sure to set aside at least an hour or more if working alone.

All-in-all a GREAT toy! The only issue we had was with the screws, no biggie, the stickers and accessories were loads of fun to put away before the kids played with it and to see what all was included. I feel comfortable with my kids playing with this toy from Step2 because 1. it is made in the USA and 2. no choking parts for my little guys and 3. my oldest is six and he loves to play with it too! He was whipping up hamburgers and fresh baked buns the other day! Loads of fun!

Are you ready to have loads of fun with the Step2 Lifestyle Deluxe Kitchen? Good because you have your very own chance to win one! Valued at $219.99 and just in time for Christmas, definitely a “Santa” worthy gift for hours of unadulterated pretend play. Here are the rules:

Mandatory Entry:
Visit Step2 and tell me what other products from their kitchen line you would love to have in addition to the one listed in this review and how that would help foster your child’s imagination and learning.

EXTRA Entries:

  • Follow my blog (at the side)
  • Follow my blog on Networked Blogs (again…at the side)
  • Fan the Fish on Facebook (again….at the side)
  • Technorati fave the Fish (….since we have the new URL)
  • Oh want to increase your odds….Kristin and Lizzy have giveaways going on too! Enter with them and get an extra entry!
  • Follow Me On Twitter
  • Tweet this Giveaway by saying this: “@KariewithaK and @theStep2Company fostering imagination #giveaway http://tiny.cc/biyxB” (only one tweet per day please)
  • Blog this giveaway with a minimum of 50-100 words, using my button (to the right) and linking back to this post. (Worth 4 Entries!)

Now play fair, if you FAIL to enter your EMAIL or I cannot find one attached to your blogger account…no entry. Also, you must tell me in each comment with proof (tweeted, etc) of your entry. I really hate to disqualify entrants, so again, please follow the simple rules. My dear friend Tammi @ My Organized Chaos brought up that this giveaway is US only, I say this because she is Canadian. *Sigh, I’m so sorry….

DOWNLOAD your Copy of the catalog HERE to see what other great products will be featured with awesome money savings for the holidays and of course giveaways!
CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 30TH @ MIDNIGHT ARIZONA TIME (Pacific Standard)

Thank you Step2 for providing a great toy for giveaway!

 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.
  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  • Granite-look countertop
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)
  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  • Granite-look countertop
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)
  • Appliances make realistic electronic sounds
  • Granite-look countertop
  • 38-piece accessory set included (accessories may vary)
  • Loads of storage space
  • Framed window with overhead light
  • Sink with modern faucet and pull-out sprayer
  • Adult assembly required
  • Made in USA of US and imported parts (phone, play food, light, faucet, electronic keypads and burner made in China)
  • Requires 8 – AA and 5 – AAA batteries (not included)
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Holiday Gift Guide

You have now entered the twilight zone…..seriously for the next few weeks….be prepared to lose your silly little shopping minds in preparation for the holiday and Christmas season as we….well I, who happens to have a mouse in her pocket, deliver to you the BEST in holiday gift ideas. From the everyday to the not so everyday to the unique to the extraordinary!

Moms, Dads, Kids, everyone in between and gift ideas for the whole family! Enjoy all the great reviews, discounts, and oh did I mention the BOAT LOAD of great giveaways for you to enter! If you want a sneak peek into who will be showcased, click HERE, download your VERY OWN catalog of all the great participants of the gift guide, where to find them and where to buy them!

Big thanks to all of those who participated in The Five Fish Holiday Gift Guide, seriously, you folks ROCK and I love you for your UBER coolness and thanks to you, my faithful readers who will have some really cool ideas to take with you for gift ideas. Enjoy everyone! Thanks again!

Karie, aka Mrs. Fish

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Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Prize Pack

Over the past eight years, Cheerios has given away more than 40 million children’s books by distributing them free inside cereal boxes and has donated $3.2 million to First Book, their non-profit partner, which provides books to children from low-income families. The program is part of Cheerios’ ongoing commitment to helping parents provide their children with a healthy, nutritional and educational foundation.

Beginning this month, Cheerios is again bringing books to the breakfast table, by providing six million children’s books free inside Cheerios boxes. The books are for children ages 3 to 8 years old, and include a brand new book in the popular “Trucktown” series, available only inside Cheerios boxes. And for the first time, all five books have been specially printed in both English and Spanish. This year’s book offerings from Cheerios – all by Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing – are:

Junkyard Fort, written by Jon Scieszka, and illustrated by David Shannon, Loren Long and Dave Gordon: Join Gabriella, Jack, Melvin, Ted, Lucy and the other Trucktown characters as they make their own fort, using things found in the junkyard. Ages 4-8.

Tea for Ruby, written by The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser: Wherever Ruby goes, a bit of disaster seems to follow. But one sunny morning, things change when the postman brings Ruby an amazing invitation: would she like to have tea with the Queen? Ruby needs to polish her manners, and quickly. Ages 4-8.

Sleepyhead, written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by John Segal: In this rhythmic bedtime story, a cat is the parent and a teddy bear is the child who doesn’t want to go to bed. All ready for bed with teeth brushed and story read, Sleepyhead teddy tries anything to prolong his bedtime; books and his quilt provide ample fodder for his imagination. Ages 3-7.

Ballyhoo Bay, written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Derek Anderson: Mira Bella, an artist who teaches painting and sculpture, loves Ballyhoo Bay and what it offers: sun, sea, sand, and sky. But one gray day a billboard arrives, announcing an impending development that would take all the fun out of the place. Read along to see if Mira Bella and her art can save the day and Ballyhoo Bay! Ages 4–8.

What’s Under the Bed?, written and illustrated by Joe Fenton: Young Fred cannot stop worrying about the scary creature that might be hiding beneath his bed. Finally summoning the courage to peer under his bed, Fred, with his cumbersome glasses, sees that the only thing there is Ted, his friendly Teddy Bear! Ages 3–7.
[Courtesy of MyBlogSpark and Cheerios (a General Mills Brand)]

We here at The Five Fish LURVE Cheerios. My kids had Cheerios as their first finger foods, my son eats Cheerios for breakfast because of the low sugar content, and who doesn’t just love a handful as a snack on a road trip. In no way did this program affect us, other than the additional reading material we received as part of this wonderful promotion.

DH and I strive to read and sing to our kids all the time. We think reading helps to foster imagination, improve educational strengths, and reading is a fabulous hobby. I mean I blew through the Twilight series in like four days flat. Non stop reading. We want our children to enjoy reading as much as we do and we also encourage Big G to read as much as he can on his own. Especially since he is doing the Harcourt reading program at school!

The Spoonfuls of Stories books we think fit into his Harcourt reading program. The books are great short stories that engage a child and their imagination, not to mention the cool activities at the back of the books. Grant is a HUGE fan of reading on his own now and as a parent the most wonderful feeling is seeing the lights click and the bulb light up when your child begins to read on their own, without the phonetic and parental attempts and assistance. Truly an indescribable feeling. Since he is such a new reader he has lots of fun books to read from educational to story-time books, so no specific favorite just yet. My favorite books as a child were Ramona, The Box Car Children, Charlotte’s Web, and as I got older I became a fan of novels, poetry, prose, and comedies. (Yeah I am a bit of a literary snob at times)

So in an effort to promote a strong educational foundation with reading and healthy eating with Cheerios, The Five Fish are bringing you a Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Prize Pack which also includes a $25 Gift Card to Barnes and Noble!

PRIMARY ENTRY:  Tell me your reading story ritual with your children or maybe the importance of reading in your children’s lives or maybe tell me your favortite character from your favorite book (childhood or otherwise)
(Please make sure you have an email address or your Blogger account is public, I like Sherlock Holmes, but I don’t like to play detective.)


EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Follow my blog (or tell me you do)
  • Follow me on Twitter (or come tell me you do)
  • Tweet this Giveaway “Promoting healthy habits and reading for life with @CheeriosBrand and @KariewithaK, Win a Cheerios Prize Pack http://tinyurl.com/yzy5n3h” (once per day)
  • Technorati fave this blog
  • Enter one of my other giveaways (3 extra entries)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
  • Blog about this giveaway (minimum of 100 words) (worth 5 entries)
 CONTEST ENDS NOVEMBER 8TH 2009@ MIDNIGHT
Best of luck to you all!
*Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency. Click HERE! 
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Five for Fighting AUTOGRAPHED CD Giveaway

If every album provides snapshots of where an artist’s mind at heart is at the moment, Slice, the latest offering from John Ondrasik (aka Five for Fighting), is a collection of digital jpegs and faded Polaroids. The album takes stories of friends, family and even American servicemen, and sets them to music shot through with the spirit of the great songs of his youth. It’s a diary, or a blog, in which Ondrasik speaks his mind about current issues, experiences and sentiments, while setting those thoughts to piano, bass and drums. [Source: One2OneNetwork]

If you loved Superman you will love this album (in my opinion of course). If you really liked 100 Years, you will REALLY like this album (again, in my opinion). Some albums are made where you like only a handful of songs, they resonate with you because of a time in your life, an event, some meaning is hidden in the words that shoots through your emotions. Five for Fighting has created an album (again in my opinion) that each song represents an event in our country, our lives, our emotions are touched. Some songs on the album make you want to get up and dance, cry, laugh at a memory, or just smirk. Here are the fabulous tracks to this new album:

1. Slice
2. Note To The Unknown Soldier
3. Tuesday
4. Chances
5. This Dance
6. Above The Timberline
7. Transfer
8. Hope
9. Story Of Your Life
10. Love Can’t Change The Weather
11. Augie Nieto

Now if you are like and love to catch music LIVE, RAW, IN CONCERT!!! Well here are the show dates for Five for Fighting, where you can catch them in a live performance with your favorite songs and the new releases off Slice.
24-Oct                          Washington, DC                                   Jammin Java
26-Oct                          Boston, MA                                         The Paradise
27-Oct                          Philadelphia, PA                                   World Café Live (downstairs)
29-Oct                          Nashville, TN                                       The Belcourt
30-Oct                          Chicago, IL                                           Lakeshore
3-Nov                           Salt Lake City, UT                                The State Room
5-Nov                           Seattle, WA                                          Crocodile
6-Nov                           Portland, OR                                       Aladdin Theater
10-Nov                         San Francisco, CA                              Swedish American Hall
11-Nov                         Los Angeles, CA                                 Largo at the Coronet


If you have caught a “slice” of the new album then here is your opportunity to win it and enjoy for yourself, and what is even better, this is a great collectors item with the AUTOGRAPHED CD and hey, maybe a great gift for someone else to enjoy too!

The skinny on entering to win a copy of Slice:

  • Leave me your EMAIL address with ALL entries if you do not have your email enabled on your Blogger account.
  • Tell me how music has been a “slice” in your life.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

  • Follow this blog (or tell me you already do)
  • Follow me on Twitter (or tell me you already do)
  • Tweet this: “Get your “Chances” for Five for Fighting: Slice autographed CD from @KariewithaK and @One2Onenetwork Plz RT”
  • Technorati fave this blog (or tell me you already have)
  • Fan the Fish on Facebook (or tell me you have)
  • Blog about this giveaway (no less than 100 words) and tell me you did with a link back (worth 3 extra entries be sure to comment for each)
  • Enter one of my other current giveaways and tell me you did (extra 5 entries, limited time only!)
  • Grab my Gift Guide button and blog (with link back) about how that starts Nov 1st with companies like Rubbermaid, Step2, Pedoodles, and MORE (extra 3 entries)
GOOD LUCK!!
CONTEST ENDS  NOVEMBER 4TH 2009
 *Five Fish always blog ethically and with transparency.

(Album Slice was provided on behalf of One2OneNetwork for promotional purposes)

 

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Step2 Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest

Step2.com, thefivefish.com

Step2 is introducing a wide array of new kitchens covering a variety of price points, home décor styles and play pattern needs. Whether for boys or girls, experts like best-selling children’s cookbook author, Barbara Beery agree that having and using a play kitchen in a home builds imaginations and cultivates a love for cooking while helping to promote a lifetime of healthy eating habits.

To celebrate creativity in the kitchen for both parents and kids, Step2 is announcing a national contest that will award ONE grand-prize of a NEW DREAM KITCHEN SUITE from Frigidaire, including a refrigerator, dishwasher, over the counter microwave, and oven, as well as a new Step2 toy kitchen of their choice.
step2.com, Step2, Frigidaire, kitchen, cooking, thefivefish.com

The “Step2 Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest” is asking families to submit an essay of 250 words or less on how they foster creativity when cooking and have fun in the kitchen together. Second place prize is a Step2 kitchen of their choice, while one third place winner will receive a $50 gift certificate good toward any toy on Step2.com.

The Step2 Creative Kids in the Kitchen Contest begins on September 15, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends on December 4, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

[Source: Step2 IPK]

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Santa Fish is Coming to Town

Can you believe that we are more than three-quarters through 2009?! I know I cannot believe how fast time has flown. I can tell you that we have 75 days until Christmas!

THAT’S IT! ES TODO!

So if you are like me and wait until the VERY last minute to shop, or you finally get the nerve to rouse in the morning before 4am to fight all those lovely Black Friday shoppers, like I did last year. Well you are in luck!

I, Karie, aka Mrs. Fish, am compiling the ultimate gift guide for you! These lovely gifts will be oh so unique that your recipient will be swooning in joy over their one of a kind package. The range is from a total family gift, so one everyone in the family can enjoy, to individual gifts for the “hard to shop for” or “they have everything.”

Be ready! The gift giving begins HERE November 1st. What is even better than a guide of wonderful gifts, is the chance to WIN some of these AWESOME gifts! How is that for holiday shopping! You’re very own holiday concierge, right here, delivered by moi.

thefivefish.com, Karie Herring, holidays, Christmas, gifts, giving

I am still compiling a FABULOUS month of gift giving ideas, reviews, and giveaways, because you can never have enough GREAT ideas for gifts. If you are not participating with The Five Fish Holiday Gift Guide YOU SHOULD BE! Share with us your products, we love to hear about them and give them a good whirl in our house. If you are PR, please use the linky above to submit all requests. I look forward to hearing, sharing, and giving you all a Jolly Good Holiday time!

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A is for Admission: Review and Giveaway

Some of you may or may not know that I am a reformed text book junkie. For the last few years I had been hooked on my text books for college. One of the many downfalls of obtaining a degree is the endless reading of boring text.

Hatchette Books reformed me and I am happy to say they started my rehab off of text books quite well with The Twilight Saga and of course Bound To Please (which was HOT HOT HOT).

I was happy when they contacted me to broaden my reading horizons with this HIGHLY informative book by Michele Hernandez, “A is for Admission” (1999).

I will tell you that this book is a must have for any parent with any aged child. I wish this book was published when I was applying to colleges some-teen years ago after I graduated high school. My dream was to attend an Ivy League college. I am, and was, an academic snob in that sense. I wanted the best education possible, but I could not afford the tuition prices that accompany the Ivy League education status. Some kids, and most parents, want the best for their child and an Ivy League education is on the list of wants but cannot always have as the stigma of you have to have money or know someone or be someone to get into an Ivy League school. Michele helps to share the dirty truths on Ivy League admissions.
Here is the skinny on A is for Admission:

About Author

Michele A. Hernandez graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1989. She served as an assistant director of admissions at Dartmouth College from 1992 to 1997. Currently, she is the president of Hernandez College Consulting LLC, one of the nation’s leading firms on helping students gain admission into top colleges.
Description
For generations, the admissions process of the Ivy League schools has been cloaked in mystery and myth. Now, a former admissions officer at Dartmouth College reveals how the most selective schools make their decisions.

Now I started reading this and at first I was thinking okay this will just be a tutorial and guide of how to apply to an Ivy League school. WRONG!! This is your ultimate walk-through guide, Bible, and handbook for insider secrets to the admissions process to some of the most ELITE schools. You know them, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale, Princeton, to name a few. Like I said, I wish I had this for myself when I was looking to apply to colleges some-odd-teen years ago.
Michele details the process in the beginning of the book drawing the no name face of the admissions staff. A Hodgepodge if you will of Ivy League grads and “Average Joe’s (Jane’s)” skimming through piles and piles of over glorified or under-reviewed applications from the most prestigious families whose children have never gone without, to those families who are barely getting by, but the applicant is the diamond in the rough.
The author, Michele Hernandez, goes on to share the intricate details from the moment your child begins their educational career. Not to push your child too hard, but keep them on the brink of “Challenge” so that they strive harder for themselves, to work towards that not so lofty goal, of a college education, that everyone can attend university and an Ivy League at that.
I resonated with this book so much not only as a college graduate myself, but because I was academically gifted and financially challenged which made an Ivy League dream impossible, or so I thought. After reading A is for Admission I have promising dreams now for my own children to go after that dream of an Ivy League education, that they too can meet their goals and fulfill their dreams.
If you are like me and want to know the insiders secrets to applying and being accepted to an Ivy League college your buck stops here because Hatchette Books and I are giving away FIVE (5), yes FIVE, copies of A is for Admission to The Five Fish readers. Get a sneak peek of inside of the book too over @ Hatchette.

Here are the deets for entering to win:

Now I for one busted my own hump to finish my undergrad with kids, pregnant, working, the whole bit. So I want to hear YOUR story of a college dream and or the college dream for your kids. Leaving me this comment is the FIRST along with your VALID email address as a must to be entered to win one of the five(5) copies.
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CONTEST ENDS OCTOBER 11TH

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