Busy Mom Reviews

One in four kids in the United States will not graduate high school.

Research proves that reading proficiently by the end of third grade is a significant milestone on the path to graduation. Third grade is a turning point at which children make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn.

This is important to me, I have a third grader.

As part of Target's Read With Me initiative, Target is helping more U.S. children reach this milestone through doubling it's current support of reading by setting a goal of $1 billion by 2015 donated to support education and helping children learn to read.

One of the best things you can do for your child's success is read to them every day. Join Target and pledge to commit to a regular reading schedule with a child; donating up to 2 million age-appropriate books to kids in need; and establishing a physical and virtual center of excellence for reading that will bring reading resources to children, parents and caring adults who need them.

Need to get started? Look for children's books and check out some fun reading activities.

The giveaway

The prize: a 16GB Wi-Fi enabled iPad and a selection of children’s books to read.

1. (Required): Tell us (comment below) about your favorite children’s book and/or your favorite time and place to read with your kids.

2. For an extra entry, tweet about this contest (I'm @busymom), and be sure to leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet.

2. One (1) winner will be picked randomly via Random.org from the comments.

3. Contest is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older

4. Winner(s) has 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise another winner will be drawn.

5. Hurry! Ends January 20, 2011 at 12am EST.

Also, please come by my blog, Busymom.net and say "hi" if you're so inspired!

Another thing, while you're here, check out (has sound) SWAGG, a cool way to load all those gift cards you got for Christmas onto your iPhone or Android. Shop online and in person using your phone.

This sweepstakes is only open to U.S. residents 18 years or older. A winning commenter will be drawn at random, using Random.org, after the sweepstakes closes on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011 at 12:00am EST.

If the winner does not reply in that time frame, he or she forfeits the prize and another winner will be drawn at random. Please note that we cannot ship the product to a P.O. Box.

In addition to the prizes (for giveaway) listed above, Target has given me compensation for my time. Please know that I support their children's literacy efforts, and I didn't get an iPad. The universe doesn't seem to want me to have one.

A while back, I introduced you to SWAGG (has sound), the app that helps you deal with the gift cards, loyalty & membership cards that clutter up your wallet or handbag.

The SWAGG app lets you load all those gift cards, loyalty points, etc into your iPhone or Android mobile device. Voila, now you can shop from your phone, and you can also use them online.

I had a gift card to Omaha Steaks in my SWAGG account. I decided to try out ordering online since you can use SWAGG online as well as on your iPhone or Android.

It was easy to do. When I went to check out, I used the "use online" selection under my gift card in my SWAGG account, and it gave me the information (a Discover Card number, actually): name, card number, expiration, etc. to use just like a credit card on my order.

I placed my order, and now I have STEAK on the way!

I can access my card balance on my phone as well to see if I have enough for my next order.

SWAGG is a great way to have all those gift cards with you. I'm forever losing them or hanging onto them, not really knowing my balance, and I know I've given up a lot of money not using them over the years.

Did I mention the app is free? You can download SWAGG here.

I was selected to be a SWAGG Brand Ambassador by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. This is a compensated program, but all of the opinions I share are my own.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

I grew up with TABASCO® sauce. My dad taught me to eat it at an early age, and I always keep a bottle of Original Red around the house.

TABASCO® has been around a long time. Original Red was the first sauce introduced by the McIlhenny family back in 1868.  TABASCO® Original Red is really only a combination of salt, red pepper, and vinegar, but it's perfected in a 3-year aging process. It's "so much more than hot", it enhances the flavor of your food.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy   is on eggs. In addition to putting it on scrambled eggs, it's a great addition to deviled eggs, too:

Deviled Eggs

    * 1 dozen eggs
    * 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
    * 1/3 cup mayonnaise
    * 1 Tbsp minced onion  
    * 1/4 teaspoon TABASCO® Original Red
    * Salt and pepper
    * Paprika

Directions:

1 Hard boil the eggs.  

2. Peel the eggs and gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl. Put the egg white halves on a serving platter.

3. Using a fork, mash the yolks and add mustard, mayonnaise, onion, TABASCO® Original Red, and a little salt and pepper.

4. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika.

Makes 2 dozen deviled eggs.

With the Super Bowl coming up, don't forget to check out the Game-Day Party Menu.   TABASCO® Original Red is more than just for chili, eggs and wings, it's great on pizza, too. As a matter of fact, it can make Pizza Perfected.

Be sure to get your <a href="http://www.tabasco.com/specialoffers/">$.50 off TABASCO printable coupon</a>.  

What's your favorite way to enjoy TABASCO® Original Red?

Once the holiday decorations are down, I get the itch to do something different to the house, or at least to tackle some of the things we've been putting off.

We have a bathroom that needs some attention, and an all-out remodel isn't in the cards, so an update and a check mark on the to-do list is in order.

You don't have to spend a fortune to update your bath. Renewing a bath can mean a variety of updates including changing out a vanity, adding new lighting, installing a new floor, changing out the toilet, replacing the shower head or adding a new paint color.

The Home Depot is having a Renew and Redo Your Bath for Less event right now where they have vanities, lighting, faucets, flooring, paint and more for less (while supplies last) from January 20-February 23, 2011 (Store event: Thursday 1/20 – Monday 1/24).

The Home Depot even offers in-store experts and online tools to provide inspiration, help you decide on what to buy for a new bathroom look and show you how to get it done right.

We went to check out our local Home Depot today, and one of the first things we're going to do is take care of some of the details in our downstairs/guest bathroom that were never done when we moved in.

20 years ago.

There's nary a towel ring or rack in the room, and the current shower head is a bargain basement find, we joke that you don't really take a "shower" in there, you take a "random spray".

So, that's our beginning to update and take care of some details in the bath that everyone sees.

Stay tuned for more!

The Home Depot works with bloggers such as myself to conduct product reviews. They do not tell bloggers what to say about their products or how to say it. The Home Depot fundamentally believes that people should be free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words.

The Home Depot often provides product – free of charge – to bloggers for review as they did for this post. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.