Halloween Giveaway Family Friendly Fun Sweepstakes Multiple PRIZES for Mom Dad & Kids - ENDS 11/7

GIVEAWAY

Entry Details Below, ENDS 11/7/11

NEW POST Today! Mommy Blog Expert is giving away lots of fun family-friendly gifts for Halloween for kids parents and home decor. Made by the brands you love most, these prizes will make adults smile and may even keep the little ones busy through Thanksgiving that are up for grabs include: Mr. Potato Head Trick or Tater with Ghost Costume from Playskool, Disney Family Fun Create Your Own Creepy Creatures Halloween Clay Craft Kit, Fall & Halloween Theme 100% Cotton Guest or Kitchen Dish Towels, Pumpkin Baby Bib, Collectible McDonalds Halloween Costume Stuffed Ty Beany Bag Toy, and Designer Pumpkin Party Drink Coasters. SUPER EASY ENTRY: Just leave a comment below about what you or your child are dressing up as for Halloween this year.

Halloween

Family Sweepstakes

Ends November 7, 2011

Mommy Blog Expert Halloween Sweeps Prizes

iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment(s) below this post.  Contest ends November 7, 2011 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. 6 winners will be selected at random from all entries to each receive one of the six prizes and will be notified via email.

Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying what you or your child is dressing up as for Halloween.  Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info in the comment section so the winner can be contacted.

Additional Extra Entries

Get extra entries to win for doing any combination of the easy options listed below.  Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your extra chances to win.

1. Follow MBE on Twitter

2. Like MBE on Facebook

3. Subscribe to MommyBlogExpert

Super ***Bonus Entries***
You can earn even MORE chances to win each time you TWEET the message below, up to 3 times each day until the contest ends.  Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for each of your RTs.

Tweet:
Halloween Sweepstakes Toys Crafts Home PRIZES Disney FamilyFun Playskool McDonalds + more http://tinyurl.com/3hgghbf #Giveaway RT 2 #WIN

McDonalds Vintage Halloween Ty Beany Bag Toy Prize

iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

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LOTS More 

Family-Friendly Giveaways!

Currently Being Hosted by Mommy Blog Expert

ENTER Them All HERE

FTC Disclosure: Brands provided some prizes while others were purchased by Mommy Blog Expert. However, this blog did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Jason Natural Hair Care Shampoo & Conditioner Line - Eco Beauty That's Free of Harmful Chemicals

Haircare

Does she or doesn't she? Only her colorist knows for sure, the old ad campaign goes. Well, I'm going to let you in on a secret because it relates to this post.  Yes, like most Baby Boomer women I do have my hair colored every few months. I also want to always maintain the health, color and shine between treatments, too. No doubt those are issues that virtually all gals in every age category who dye their tresses are concerned about.

So, why would any of us want to further complicate the health of our hair by washing and conditioning it with products containing harmful chemicals? That's why I'm glad I had the opportunity to try Jason brand new and improved eco friendly Pure Natural Shampoo and Conditioner in the Color Protect Henna variety.

Love that the conditioner label is inverted, as I don't wear my contacts in the shower

iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Not only did it smell heavenly while showering, after experiencing the luxurious after effects of using Jason's shampoo and condition, it's good to know that I'm using a product that is free of harmful sulfates (surfactants) and phthalates (fragrance stabilizers) which can hurt your hair. In fact, the manufacture of products containing some of the ingredients that go into many other conventional shampoos on the market can potentially produce dangerous carcinogens according to the World Health Organization. 

Since I don't have to worry about my hair, I can enjoy this good book
iPhone Photo, MommyBlogExpert.com

In addition to the Color Protect Henna type I tried for this review, Jason Pure Natural Hair Care shampoo and conditioners come in Moisturizing Aloe Vera, Super Shine Apricot, Restorative Biotin, Long & Strong Jojoba, Smoothing Sea Kelp, Volumizing Lavender, and Revitalizing Vitamin E. The 16 ounce shampoo and conditioner are listed at $10.49 SRP and are available at natural food stores, Whole Foods Market, ULTA Beauty and on the company's website.

What's your favorite brand of shampoo and conditioner? And what concerns you most about the products you use to wash and condition your hair? Leave a comment and share.

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FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert receive products to facilitate this review. However, I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

7 Kids Halloween Safety Parenting Tips

Halloween Safety

Guest Post

By Paul van Gorkom, Allied Barton Security

MBE Editor's Note

For many U.S. kids, Halloween is one of the most anticipated and exciting holidays in American culture to celebrate. Unfortunately, according to a nine-year study by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Halloween is also one of the top three annual celebrations leading to holiday related pediatric emergency room visits.  Considering that many of the accidents, injuries and other mishaps might have been avoided if moms and dads had simply erred on the side of caution, there's no better time than now to share these Halloween safety tips.

7 Halloween Safety Tips

Without question, there are lots of entertaining and frightening activities for you and your children to take part in this fall, particularly Halloween. To maximize your chances for a safe and fun holiday, here are some basic safety tips to keep in mind as your family heads out for all the festivities.

• Whether you are going trick-or-treating or visiting a haunted house with your son or daughter, each chaperon should carry a bright flashlight and a cell phone. If going with a small child, be sure to securely attach a glow stick to their clothing so you can find them easily in the dark.

• Don't set your family or friends up for a real fright. Wherever you are this holiday, watch your step. Be sure everyone uses the handrails and that they walk -- not run -- up or down steps. This is particularly important when going through a haunted house or stepping onto an unlit or dimly lighted doorstep when going door to door for treats.

• Also, while we're on the subject of haunted houses, it's a wise idea for you and the kids to know where all the exits are before entering in case of an emergency. Ask the admissions person if you don't see a handout or anything posted on the wall about this.

• No matter what your Halloween plan is, always have adults in front and behind your group when going from place to place on foot to make sure young children don't wander off.  Always walk on sidewalks, if they are available. In the case of toddlers, it goes without saying that you should be particularly cautious and hold their hands when in or near a street, parking lot or any other area where they might get hurt if they dart away suddenly.

• Similarly, it is also a smart move to have a planned place where everyone knows they will meet in case you are separated. For the youngest children, you may even want to consider pinning your cell phone number to their costume similar to what many schools do when taking groups of preschoolers out in public for field trips.

• Whether you'll be just going out in your neighborhood in search of treats, taking a stroll through a corn maze or enjoying a horse drawn hayride, always remind everyone to dress appropriately and wear proper shoes suited to local weather.

• Last but most important of all: Be sure to enjoy all the fall festivities by planning in advance and always being safety-conscious.

Paul van Gorkom is vice president of operations at AlliedBarton Security Services, the largest American-owned security officer services company providing highly trained personnel to a range of industries.

Don't forget to enter the Spookley Square Pumpkin Giveaway MommyBlogExpert is hosting! FIVE Winners will receive ALL the prizes pictured. ENDS 11/2/11 ENTER HERE

FTC Disclosure: This guest post originated from AlliedBarton and was edited by Mommy Blog Expert. However, I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Spooky Buddies Halloween Kids Disney Movie Review & Giveaway, Ends 11/7

Kid Movie Review &
Halloween Giveaway

Entry Details Below, ENDS 11/7/11

Any child who loves dogs, animals, the Air Bud series and/or Disney videos will likely enjoy this really cute and fun Halloween 2 Disc Combo Pack DVD & Blu-Ray set. In this digitally mastered G rated feature adventure film, which runs approximately 88 minutes, boys and girls will be equally enchanted and spooked by the most adorable Trick or Treating puppies in costume ever.

iPhone photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

This does involve a haunted house and both human and animal villains, too, so parents might want to watch this together with their elementary school age children. Younger kids might be a little frightened viewing this humorous action movie shot with real puppies, dogs, and kid actors, so it might be a good idea for mom or dad to preview this before letting toddlers and preschoolers see it.

This is so sweet, hearthwarming and entertaining, I think kids will enjoy viewing this again and again year round. List price $39.99

Disney Spooky Buddies

Double Blu-Ray & DVD

GIVEAWAY

Ends November 7, 2011

HOW TO ENTER

 
Good news: I'm giving away the actual Disney Spooky Buddies Blu-Ray DVD Disc Combo Pack reviewed in this post that is pictured above. The winner of this prize gets both discs in original hard clam shell box (outer cellophane wrapper removed).

Leave a comment(s) below this post.  Contest ends November 7, 2011 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. Winners will be selected at random from all entries and will be notified via email.

Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying what your child will be dressing up as for Halloween this year.  Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info in the comment section so the winner can be contacted.

Additional Extra Entries

Get extra entries to win for doing any combination of the easy options listed below.  Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your extra chances to win.

1.  Follow MommyBlogExpert on Twitter

2. Like MommyBlogExpert on Facebook

3. Subscribe to MommyBlogExpert

Super ***Bonus Entries***
You can earn even MORE chances to win each time you TWEET the message below, up to 3 times each day.  Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for each of your RTs.

Tweet:
Spooky Buddies Disney Blu-Ray DVD 2 Disc DVD Blu-Ray combo Movie Giveaway http://tinyurl.com/44c9eem #Halloween #kids RT 2 #WIN

Tweet

LOTS More 

Family-Friendly Giveaways!

Currently Being Hosted by Mommy Blog Expert

ENTER Them All HERE

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received the video reviewed and being given away as a gift. I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Ultimate Halloween Candy Apple Recipe - Organic Healthy Delicious & Easy With Just 3 Ingredients

Good Food

This absolutely delicious and festive Candy Apple Cupcake Recipe comes to this blog via Handstand Kids which has been covered on MommyBlogExpert on multiple occasions. It is not only fun to make with kids for Halloween and Trick or Treats but for any Fall party with family or friends. One of the best things about this is that it requires THREE basic ingredients (4 if you count the popsicle craft sticks) that you might already have in your kitchen at home or can easily pick up at your local supermarket. It's healthy too, because these are made with organic fruit and the skin is not peeled. 

That's not to say you can't go all out embellishing these sweet treats with  the rainbow of edible decorations available to dip these in from M&Ms, nuts, sprinkles and crumbled Oreo cookies to anything else that sounds good to you. The main thing is to enjoy making these as well as eating them.

The Ultimate Candy Apple 

Ingredients

• 1 cup cinnamon red hot candies
• 2 tablespoons water
• 6 large apples, use a variety of green and red organic apples (since you will
• be eating the skin)
• 6 craft sticks

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Insert craft sticks into each apple.

2. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, mix together candies and water. Remove from

heat when the mixture is liquid and let cool slightly.

3. Carefully dip apples in hot mixture and place on waxed paper to harden.

4. Sprinkle with favorite Halloween decoration candies or chopped nuts.*

5. ENJOY!

*The original recipe is from Handstand Kids, but I think you can really get creative with this and jazz them up. The sky is the limit, so feel free to add your own favorite sweet accents: chocolate chips, small candies like Snowcaps, crumbled cookies, or even nuts and dry fruit.

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.