Gutzy Gear Winners!

Ok, so first of all, THANK YOU to my Facebook friends who let me know that Blogger at some point in time turned on word verification for my blog and that it was not friendly.  I had zero intention of having word verification, because I hate it.  Unfortunately, it didn't show up for me when I tried to comment, so I had no idea that it was there.  When you see things like this, let the bloggers know - sometimes they aren't aware.  Needless to say, my settings are updated to allow for more people to comment and there is no longer any word verification.  If you see it, let me know!

Whew.

I have three winners to announce for the Gutzy Gear giveaway, and I apologize for the delay in announcing them.  I have started getting migraines more and more often, and I've been down and out with them for the majority of the past two weeks.  It kept me from my computer for way too much, but knock on wood I'm up and running now.

So yay, three winners!

They are:
Mel S from Two Mom, a Little Time, and a Keyboard
Paula from Frosted Fingers
Melanie from Tales from the Crib

Congrats, Ladies!  You have 48 hours to get back to me with your contact information, or I have to chose a new winner, and I don't want to do that!

Naperville's Ribfest with Ty Pennington and #CBias

So do you know where I was on Saturday?  What?  You don't have my schedule memorized?  I was at Ribfest in Naperville.  It's a local Chicago event that I've heard about for years but just never made it to before.  I mean, c'mon, Ribfest.  What a great way to celebrate summer, and I had the delight of spending the majority of my time in the Sears #GrillingIsHappiness tent with their celebrity demonstrations from Ty Pennington, Robyn Landars, George Hirsch, and Perry Perkins.

Personally, I love to grill, and we do it year 'round.  At the pre-event reception on Friday night, one of the Sears folks said something about how they don't want to be there just for the sale of the grill and outdoor living items for the four months we can grill in Chicago, but developing a relationship via #GrillingIsHappiness.  I love almost all that idea - except that part about grilling only four months a year in Chicago.  In our house, we grill all year, and that includes shoveling a walkway to the grill in February!

But Sears is doing it right with the Grilling Is Happiness website.  The four celebrities we got to hang with on Friday and Saturday - who were beyond nice - aren't the only contributors.  The site is filled with constantly updated information on decorating and bbq parties and recipes and everything you need to spend your summer in your outdoor kitchen from all sorts of experts.

Ribfest itself was a hoot.  I had a great time hanging with Laura from Mom Mart, another blogger attending.  This is is one of the great Chicago annual events, and there was far more than just ribs there.  The Steve Miller Band played on Friday night - and all concerts are included in the admission - and there was also Joe Walsh and ZZ Top, amongst others.  And just like any other festival, Laura and I found all sorts of other vendors, from the rubber chicken Laura managed to have fly into a grill to every newspaper in Chicagoland to the usual carnival rides and games.  I felt mildly guilty that I hadn't brought the wee ones when I saw the children's area - children 11 and younger are free - but then I remembered how hot it was, and I was ok again.

The carnival games make me giggle as always.  It was fun to watch other people play - neither Laura nor I had any interest in lugging around a prize for the rest of the day - and they were definitely having fun.  Our emcee in the Sears #GrillingIsHappiness tent, Alex, had no such issues and came back from the carnival tent with a giant stuffed husky.  He admitted that he'd beaten out six kids at Whack-A-Mole for it, though he claimed not to have known he was playing kids because they were on the other side.  It made us giggle, and that's what carnivals are for, right?

I loved the whole atmosphere of the day.  It was far too hot to eat much of anything, but I made sure to have a few ribs.  As I was on my way out for the day, I found a woman who had the right idea.  A vendor somewhere was selling watermelon or strawberry smoothies - or strawberry daiquiris - in a hollowed out watermelon.  I wish that I'd found it earlier, but I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed my own lemonade(s).  Tell me that isn't one of the coolest things you've ever seen.

At the actual Ribfest tent, I had a blast.  Of the hours I was at Ribfest, I spent the vast majority of my time hanging out there - and not only because it had shade.  The four chefs each had a demonstration that provided all sorts of neat tips - many of which I recapped in a Google+ album about my Ribfest experience.  When they weren't cooking, they were a hoot.  I loved having a little "behind the scenes" time with them where I could chat with them and see what they were doing to prep their food - extra tips for me!

This was such a neat experience, and I got so many great tips.  The whole event was a big draw for me, and I love that this is something local to me.  The big draw for most people, however, appeared to be Ty Pennington.  Ty was at the Sears #GrillingIsHappiness Tent on Saturday with us, and oh did the people line up for their photos with him!  He was so gracious to everyone, which was great.  One lucky person even had the opportunity to grill with him, and yes, Sears gave away grills and other great prizes, too.  We all had to get our photos taken with Ty of course.  Proof that he's a good guy?  When the fan next to us kept blowing my hair into my face,  Ty took care of it - he was my fan blocker with his hand!

Yes, that is sweat on his shirt.  He had promised to wear shorts, but then didn't.  He regretted it.

The best part of the whole experience is that is isn't over.  Ribfest goes through Tuesday night where they'll have what I've been told are awesome fireworks to close it down.  I'm tempted to go back again this year, but I know no matter what I'll be back again another year.  I just hope it's a little bit cooler so I can try out some more ribs!  Unfortunately, when the winners were announced on Sunday, the ribs Laura and I tried didn't win best ribs or best sauce.  But we were happy with them anyway.  So who's heading to Ribfest with me next year?

Before I forget, I have a winner to announce, too!  In my Father's Day Grilling post, I had a grill tool set to give away from Sears.  Thank you to everyone who entered, but congratulations go to Debi Jackson who was the winner as chosen by Random.org!

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sears.  As always, all opinions expressed remain my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

Winners!

Yikes - I just realized that I haven't posted the winners to my last two giveaways. That's what spring gala season will do (why yes, yes, I am on that committee. Again.) - my apologies for the delay.

The Toy Dozer was won by Jen at Big Binder Blog.

The Hallmark greeting cards were won by Samantha from the Peanuts Gang.

Congrats to both ladies!

Winners!

First of all, shame on me. I've been delinquent in posting my winners. My apologies. They have all been contacted and received their prizes - or at least they should be on their way.

Now that I'm recovered from Blissdom and hopefully over the deadly malaise I've had for the past week, I am posting some more giveaways quickly.

First, however, winners....

The Dulce de Leche gift pack courtesy General Mills and MyBlogSpark was soccermom1.

The $25 American Express gift card from NutritionPossible.com and Centrum via One2One Network went to Cheryl from the Lucky Ladybug.

And the tickets to the Chicago Girls Night Out benefiting Go Red for Women went to Maria from A Savings Wow!

Congrats again to all the winners!

Winner!

Congrats goes out to i find bargains who won the giveaway from MyBlogSpark, General Mills, and DC Entertainment for the Justice League prize pack. Congrats - and the 48 hour window to respond with contact information is ticking down.

Congrats again!

Winner!

Apparently the Activision DS games giveaway was just a little bit popular. It's always good to see new people come enter giveaways and hopefully find something that they like and then stick around.

That said, the winner of the DS game bag was Laila of Only Laila who I'm guessing is just a little bit excited right now. That said, she has 48 hours to get her contact info to me or I'll have to draw a new winner. Congrats!

Winners!

Yes, it's once again time for some winner announcements. I've had two giveaways end, and I think there are going to be some happy people.

For the Shutterfly giveaway, I had three winners who will receive codes for 25 free cards each - note that they expire December 31, 2011! The winners have 48 hours to contact me with their information or I will have to choose a new winner. Congratulations go to: Shutterfly Adict from Shutterfly Experience, Angie from Angie's Spot, and Carrie at In the Hammock. Congrats, ladies!

I also have the $100 Red Envelope gift card winner to announce. Congratulations, Eunice from Random Walk Down Mommy Street! She also has 48 hours to get back to me before I choose a new winner.

Enjoy - and come back soon for more great fun and giveaways!

Winner!

And the Freschetta quick giveaway has ended, and Digital Hope was our winner with the first entry (see, number one does come up in Random.org sometimes!). She is @WindyCityHope on Twitter, and she has already claimed her package. Congratulations to her, and keep an eye here!

Winners!

I have several winners to announce, and there are more giveaways coming so keep checking back!

The Hallmark cards pack was won by Summer of A Mom Less Ordinary.

The Purse Perfector was won by Susan from Susan's Disney Family.

And Lexiquinn (no blog - and no, having a blog is not a requirement!) won the Big G prize pack, including the $25 gift card.

All winners have 48 hours to provide their contact information, or I will draw a new winner but I'm hoping I won't have to!

Congrats to all the winners, and check back soon for more fun here.

Winner!

Congrats goes to Amy from Tiramisu Mom who won the Mechatar robot giveaway. She has 24 hours to get back to me with her contact information before I have to draw a new winner.

Keep an eye out for more giveaways!

Winner!

Yikes! It's possible that someone (that would be me) has lost her brain lately. I could have sworn that I'd drawn and contacted the winner for the Lawry's seasonings back when school started but guess who didn't. My apologies for this. It's a good thing I did take a look at the posts I've done recently to notice that I hadn't put this up.

That said... the winner was entry number 3, Morninglight Mama from My Thoughts Exactly. Congrats, Dawn! She has 48 hours to get back to me with her contact information, or I will have to choose a new winner.

Did you see the Mechatar giveway that's up now? And there's more coming shortly, too!

Winners!

Yay, a couple more winners for me to announce. That's always a good day, I think!

First off, we have the winner of the Strawberry cotw asok. That was The Stockwell Family from The Stockwells in Colorado! They have 48 hours to get back to me with their contact information before I select a new winner.

We also have winners for the Giddy Snacks. Remember, this was two winners this time around. The first winner is Cheryl F. from The Lucky Ladybug. The second winner from this giveaway was Mommy who does not have her profile enabled and did not provide me with an email address. I have my fingers crossed that I receive the contact information for both winners in the next 48 hours, or again a new winner will have to be chosen.

Congrats, and check out more to come!

Winner!

Congrats to Liz of a belle, a bean, and a chicago dog who was the winner of the BusyBodyBook organizer. My apologies for the delay in announcing. It's been hectic with BlogHer, and I discovered that my iP*d does not post on Blogger anymore. Boo.

She has 48 hours to contact me before I draw a new winner. And yes, more giveaways going up ... almost immediately!

Update: Liz has acquired a BusyBodyBook of her own since the contest (go her!), so she is graciously giving up the prize for someone who does not already have one. That means our new winner is: Cheryl F. from the Lucky Ladybug! She also has 48 hours to contact me before a new winner is chosen.

Winner!

Congrats to Angie from Antics With Angie for winning the Kung Fu Panda 2 gift pack from MyBlogSpark. She has 48 hours to get back to me with her contact information. Congrats again to her!

As always, look for more fun to come!

Winner! Cooking Matters Gift Bag

I feel sort of sad. My official connection with Cooking Matters is coming to an end. With all that I've learned over the past several months, I truly wish that I could get involved long term in teaching and volunteering with the program, but the location in Chicago is too far. That won't keep me from advocating for them though, and I still do aim to get involved with the Northern Illinois Food Bank because of my experience.

Want to know why?

Read Part 1 - the first day of my Cooking Matters Bloggy Boot Camp experience last week
Read Part 2 - my experience with the Cooking Matters Boot Camp here
Read Part 3 - discussing the Cooking Matters class I took back in Chicago
Read Part 4 - interview with the Cooking Matters director on the program in Chicago here

Summer has arrived, and that means hunger is here more than before. The school programs that fed kids breakfast and lunch have ended, and those meals are no longer being provided. More than sixteen percent of the population in Cook County (where Chicago is located) are food insecure, and 35% of those are more than 185% over the poverty threshold. Thirty-seven percent of the people served by the Food Depository are children under 18. How scary is that?

We can all make a difference whether it's donating to our local food banks, helping with the Cooking Matters programs to increase education, or something else entirely. You can take a pledge to help end childhood hunger by 2015, which has tons of information and opportunities to get involved.

And if you're in Chicago, there's a fundraiser for Taste of the Nation on August 10 at Navy Pier. For $95, you can get a ticket to Taste of the Nation Chicago, with a gathering of talented local chefs from Chicago and celebrated mixologists. You will be served all sorts of great bites, in addition to fine wines, local craft beers, and premium spirits. The evening also features live entertainment by DJs, and a silent auction. You can purchase tickets here.

And yes, I do have a winner for that Cooking Matters gift bag. Congrats goes to Lexiquin! She has 48 hours to get back to me with her contact information before I have to choose a new winner. Congrats - and don't forget, there is so much you can do for childhood hunger!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with some of the items in the gift bag (the tote bags, calculator, measuring cups, cutting board, etc but not the gift card) as a thank you from ConAgra Foods Foundation. I was also compensated by the ConAgra Foods Foundation for my participation in the Bloggy Boot Camp and the posts I've written. That said, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Winner!

Congrats goes to Deanna G - whoops, not sure where I got her blog from initially! She doesn't have one (and that's ok; you don't need one to enter) - for winning the Lands End gift card. I'm sure she'll put it to good use - IF she gets back to me within 48 hours. My apologies for the delay in getting the winner out for this one; the last week of school has been a busy nightmare for me, and I haven't been near my computer at all.

That said, look for more fun to come!

Winners!

Unfortunately, I never heard from Alicia who was the original winner of the Cheerios Young Author gift pack - please make sure you put in your email when you enter! I had to choose a new winner, so congrats go to Cris Goode from Goodeness Gracious who has 48 hours to respond.

I also have a winner of the Hasbro travel game. Tell Melissa Taylor from Imagination Soup who wins a new game - a mystery one of the six available!

There is still a Lands End gift card giveaway up now, and more will be coming now that I'm home from Autism One and have a moment to start posting again!

Winner!

Congrats to Megan Simmons (MegPieMeg) who won the Wacoal America giveaway! She has 48 hours to get back to me with her choice of product and size before I need to choose a new winner. Congrats to her!

Winner!

Congrats to Cheryl F the Lucky Ladybug for winning the $35 gift certificate to DaySpring and InCourage. She has 48 hours to get back to me. Congrats!

More giveaways and reviews to come - school volunteering is sucking me dry at the moment!

Winner!

Congrats to Carole Spring (with no blog!) for winning the Freschetta prize pack! She has 48 hours to get back to me with her contact info before I draw another winner.

And did you know I'm giving away a really nice bra or shapewear of your choice (and size!) from Wacoal? There are *no* entries right now, and who doesn't need a new one? Check it out here!

Plus, more coming soon!