Enter to Win a Healthy Cookbook!

I am perpetually in search of recipes that are good for us. I love food and I hate sacrificing taste and quality. Plus sugar is one of my great loves.

So say the name "Sara Lee" and my sugar-loving cells pay attention. Otherwise I might have skipped right past this healthy endeavor- WomenHeart's ALL HEART Family Cookbook.
Ok so it isn't the most mouth-watering name for a cookbook, but when you slap the Sara Lee name on that baby I am all in.

Couple that with the word "giveaway" and I salivate.

Now here is the important stuff, the point of getting my (and your) attention:

• Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States. Sara Lee Fresh Bakery knows the first step to a healthy heart is maintaining a healthy weight and getting the nutrition women need in order to live a strong life and care for their families.
  
• Sara Lee is partnering with The Heart Truth Campaign to raise awareness of heart disease among women and encourage them to make heart healthy food choices every day. One of the best things a mom can do for her family is to take care of herself!
  
• To support the campaign, Sara Lee Fresh Bakery is offering heart healthy sandwich recipes in the WomenHeart's ALL HEART Family Cookbook and will contribute one dollar for every cookbook ordered up to $35,000 to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease.
  

You can enter to win one of 2 All Heart Family Cookbooks by filling out THIS form. If you don't win a cookbook you can get one by sending 6 UPCs from any Sara Lee Healthy & Delightful products along with this form and $3.95 S&H.

Learn more about the signs of heart disease from my recent article, or head to the Sara Lee Red Dress website.

Fabulous Dog Treat Giveaway!

I discovered Lainey's Pawtique, an adorable shop for all things canine, just last month. It seems the Pawtique's namesake, Ms. Lainey herself, looks adorably similar to my very own sass-butt puggle. I quickly fell in long-distance love with that sweet little Lainey, how could I not when she looks so like Dave?

See the resemblance?

Well as it turns out, Ms Lainey has Davey's dream job, she is one of two head taste-testers for the homemade dog treats featured at Lainey's Pawtique. Seriously, that is Davey's dream job. He eats in his sleep; he is sleep chewing this very moment.

Here are the envy of every dog in the Chicago area, Lainey and her sister Chloe:

Davey did have the distinct privilege of trying out a slew of treats from Lainey last week, including Milk & Blueberry cookies, Crispy Apple cookies (Davey's absolute favorite), Pumpkin Pie bread, Rawhide Sprinkles, Apple Pupcakes, Chocolate Coconut cookies and Easter Rainbow cookies. Dave is one mighty spoiled (and happy) puggle! We don't want to make you too jealous, but here he is enjoying a yummers Milk & Blueberry cookie:

And a Rawhide Sprinkle:

Dave LOVED every single treat he tried. I got him to do things so enthusiastically when I mentioned that he could have a "Lainey Cookie". For example, we took some on walks and Dave's normal wild-man howling when he sees another dog quickly disappeared when I pulled out a miraculous Lainey cookie!

Those of you who know Dave are aware of how much he loves food in general. But there are a few things I love about the treats from Lainey's Pawtique.

• First of all they are made from all human-grade ingredients, something you simply can't find at the store.
  
• You can smell and see the wholesome ingredients used- things like blueberries and apples. And yes, I tasted one... not bad, but don't ask me to potty outside for one.
  
• Every every recipe is lovingly altered and enthusiastically tested in Lainey's own kitchen- so you know it is going to be well received by your dog, not to mention healthier than an dull ole milkbone.
  
• The size of the cookie treats are perfect for putting in a kong. They don't get stuck and they aren't messy- I love that!
  
• Every shipment is adorably packaged and made fresh when you order. How fantastic is that?
  
• A portion of proceeds from every sale is donated to a dog or human cancer charity.
  

So, now that all you doggies out there are all salivating let me tell you the wonderful news! I have TWO yes TWO great packages of treats to giveaway. The First prize winner will get an amazing Lainey's Cookie Bucket filled with an assortment of tons of cookies! Plus a package of Rawhide Sprinkles! This prize, worth $24, is courtesy of Lainey herself.

I'm also giving away a second prize of THREE bags of Lainey's cookies to one lucky dog out there. Here is a teaser of what you can choose from:

If you simply can't wait to win, stop by Lainey's Pawtique at her website or her etsy shop and pick up some home-baked lovin for your pup. Currently if you buy 2 bags of cookies you get the 3^rd one free on Etsy, a great deal if you ask me. Items start at 4 bucks! Plus there are a ton of other cute items for your canine and feline friends.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! There are lots of ways to enter and I am so excited to send these out because I know your dog will love them.
How to Enter
The giveaway is limited to the U.S. and Canada only. The winners will be picked by the randomizer, but Dave will be rooting for the puggles!

If you do not have a blogger account you may e-mail your entries to me at pestkaj(at)yahoo(dot)com or send me a facebook message.

First entry (must be done for other entries to count)- Visit Lainey's etsy shop and tell me which treat you think your dog would like best. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5236245


Additional Entries: please make one post for each additional entry

Follow @laineyspawtique on twitter (1 entry)

Tweet this giveaway (1 entry per day)

Purchase any item from Lainey's Pawtique (5 entries!)

Blog about this giveaway (3 entries)

Fave this blog on technorati – linky on the sidebar(1 entry)

Become a fan of Lainey's Pawtique on Facebook (1 entry)

Follow me on blogger or subscribe via e-mail (1 entry)

The giveaway will close April 13^th at 12 AM CST. Good luck everyone!

Win a website, blog or boutique make-over

Although I currently have an amazing artist working with my on a blog makeover, I could certainly use all the help I can get when it comes to this techy blog stuff. If you struggle like I do with the crazy jargon and such I highly recommend you head over to Mom Blogs at MomDot.

They currently have a great giveaway to won a blog, website or boutique makeover...plus they always have tons of giveaways, articles and fantastic advice. Good luck!

Flushable Dog Waste Bags by PetHabitats

It's a topic no one really wants to discuss, but every dog owner must deal with daily- pooh. I don't mean the cute bear named Winnie either. Whether you are a city dweller who takes Fido for multiple walks a day or a suburbanite with a spacious back yard you know that eventually, all things (even socks, tennis ball pieces and earplugs) come to pass. And if it passes through your dog chances are you will be the one scooping up, picking up, stepping in it- or facing your neighbor's wrath.

I know many take the economically approach to dog waste and use plastic bags from the grocery store. This is, however, the least environmentally friendly option we have. Here are some statistics from Reusablebags.com and pethabitats.com about dog waste and the standard plastic bags we use:

• 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year.
  


• Plastic bags, made from non-renewable petroleum based chemicals, do not biodegrade but rather break down into small pieces that can contaminate soil and water.
  


• A plastic bag filled with dog waste and tossed into the trash will eventually end up in a landfill, where the waste can also contaminate soil and water. In fact, pet waste is THE major source of bacterial watershed pollution in U.S. cities.
  


• Flushing dog waste is the most environmentally sound way to handle waste, as it allows for the waste to be treated in the same way human waste is handled.
  

When I first learned about flushable dog waste bags I was a little skeptical. I worried they would melt in my hand, or clog my pipes. I figured it was better to toss waste in the trash. I thought my biodegradable dog waste bags were earth-friendly enough. After using flushable bags and doing a bit of reading I have completely changed my opinion.

Meet Flusheze

Although biodegradable dog bags are a better option than standard bags, the waste still goes in the trash, and ultimately our soil and water. After learning all of this I pleased to find and try Flusheze bags from PetHabitats. These bags didn't leak, they are sturdy and didn't tear like many of the biodegradable bags and I had no issues with my pipes. I do recommend you follow instructions and be sure to roll as much air out of the bag as possible, since air floats and makes for one buoyant little poop bag!

A 60 count supply of bags runs $12.95, which is for most dog owners a month or two supply. For me the cost is well worth the convenience of being able to flush the waste and the assurance of being just that much greener with something I use every day.

You can try the bags out before you buy. Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) to: A to Pethabitats Inc. - 565 Striped Moss St. - Roseville, CA 95678. They also have a free shipping special located on their website at http://www.pethabitats.com/specials/

Have a great eco-friendly option you use for pet waste? I would love to hear about it…

Yo-plait Winners!

Thanks everyone for entering this giveaway! The winers of the yo-plait pack are:

Valerie2350
Rebecca from Copper Brick Road
Bettycd

It was great to hear how many of you use probiotics in your lives.
I will be contacting the winners shortly! Congratulations everyone.

A Quick Note About Reviews

I never take payment for reviews. Products? Heck yeah I'll take stuff, but not payment.

That isn't to say I can't be bought...just that I haven't yet.

Winner Alert!

The randomizer has spoken and the winners of the Flip Notes are…..

 

Rebekah S and Liza767

 

Congrats!! And thanks everyone for entering.

I have sent you both an e-mail to get your info. If you haven't received it please let me know.