3-Night Hotel GIVEAWAY in California!!!

What a fun week! I hope you had an opportunity to get to know the creative, awesome, talented and beautiful contributors in the Contributor Q&A Blog Hop! I know I did. I love getting to know people and learning more about what they love to do, what they love to eat, and how they like to fill their time. If you hopped around, I hope you were able to make new friends, find new ideas, and gather new recipes. Everyone loves new recipes! How many times, in your stressful life, have you dreamed about laying out on the beach with a great book? 'Or so she says...' to the rescue! So, to further expand on our favorites, all of the OSSS contributors got together to give away their favorite books, perfect for summer reading! The coolest part is, one person will win EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. That's right, the whole bundle! That's 15 books, yo. Oh, but it gets better. Get Away Today, the greatest travel agency ever and 'Or so she says...' contributor, offered another winner a 3-night hotel stay in Anaheim or San Diego (winner’s choice) with their choice of two adult theme park tickets... PLUS, they get the 15 book bundle too!

Lets go over those prizes again:

Grand Prize Winner: 15 'Contributors' Favorite Books' Bundle PLUS a 3-night hotel stay in Anaheim or San Diego (winner’s choice) with their choice of two adult theme park tickets! Vacation courtesy of Get Away Today. Runner Up: 15 'Contributors' Favorite Books' Bundle (details of books below.) Ready to enter? So, all we ask is for you to follow 'Or so she says...' and the contributors on Pinterest. We are all pin-maniacs and know you'll love the great ideas we send your way. After you enter, be sure to scroll down and check out all the books included in the giveaway. It's so fun to see what each contributor picked as her favorite book! a Rafflecopter giveaway Want to know which books are included in the bundle?? What are the contributors' favorites?? Check 'em out! . 1. Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley ~ "This book was not what I expected...it surpassed what I was hoping for. Mystery, romance and intrigue. Great characters and an interesting plot. It was a great read and perfect for summer reading!" Jana of Double the Deliciousness 2. Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin - "This book is a favorite because it teaches how to not only how photograph food, but how to do it beautifully!" Gina of Kleinworth and Co. 3. These is My Words by Nancy Turner "While I'm a country/ farm girl at heart, I can't even begin to imagine what the early settlers went through! I love how they worked the land, built their own homes, and made everything from scratch! And I'm always up for a good love story! Jack and Sarah's won't disappoint!" Brooke of Blissful Roots 4. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino - "Aw, I love this book! It's a super unique book, in that it's a parable, teaching you how to be a better person, but also an activity book. Each chapter, you read over and over, until you master the character trait. It's a great story with lots of great thoughts. I think I highlighted half the book!" Mariel of 'Or so she says...' 5. Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray "Eat Cake will make it's way into your list of favorite books, it's a quick and enjoyable read. I love this book for more reasons than the fact that the main character shares my name! It'll have you laughing and crying- all at the same time! If you're like me and have a unexplainable urge to bake... you'll totally connect with Eat Cake!" Ruthie of Cooking with Ruthie 6. Wonder by RJ Palacio - "My 9-year-old daughter recommended Wonder to me and I enjoyed it just as much as she did. This is a compelling novel that is fun and easy enough for summer, but also intelligent and thought-provoking. Share it with your family when you are finished!" Allison of Tips for Family Trips 7. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin - "I love this book because it is getting me to think deeper about what I do to bring happiness upon myself. I am a happy person, but am loving the new outlook and am loving making new goals to make myself really live a happy life." Kiki of Kiki and Company 8. Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar - "It's easy to think that once a certain thing happens, I'll be happy. Well, this book provides little life secrets to be happier each and every day. It is applicable for every life stage. It has changed my way of thinking about happiness." Melissa of So Festive! 9. Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson - "Sometimes a mom just needs a good, quick, easy summer read to distract her from doing more laundry or to keep her busy during swim lessons. If you love a good Jane Austen romance, you will love this book! Set in Jane Austen's English countryside of 1820, this romance will keep you quickly turning the pages as you watch Kate's struggle to learn to follow her heart!" Veronica of Lolly Lu Designs 10. Leadership and Self- Deception - "Do you want to know the secret to having a happy and successful family and marriage? Want to know how to have successful relationships with anyone you come in contact with? Leadership and Self-deception holds the key to mending, strengthening and flourishing in all of your relationships. This book is a life changer- Promise!" Heather of Family Volley 11. Surprise Inside Cakes by Amanda Rettke - "It's a beautiful book of cakes and it's full of cake decorating tips for the everyday bake. Amazing cakes for every special occasion, all with a little surprise on the inside." Zainab of Blahnik Baker 12. The Child Whisperer by Carol Tuttle - "It taught me how to parent my very determined toddler (at the time) based on her personality type." Amy of The Connection We Share 13. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaleo Hosseini - "I read this as part of a book club and it has stuck with me ever since. It is a beautifully written, emotionally gripping story of two Afghan women's suffering, strength, and resilience. What I love most about it is the way it celebrates the strength of the human spirit - a beautiful thing!" Cathy of Lemon Tree Dwelling 14. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella - "A light, charming book by the author of the popular Shopaholic series. This clever romantic comedy makes for a fun and easy summer read, by the pool or on the beach!" Samantha of Five Heart Home 15. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale - "I loved this simple story that has some fun little twists. My favorite part is that my daughter loved this book as much as I did. I love being able to enjoy the same books as my daughter. This is one that was enjoyable for us both!" Holly of Bits of Everything Longest post of your life? Maybe! But, it's worth it. Good luck to you!

Fine print: Must be U.S. resident and 18 years or older to enter. Vacation package must be booked at least 60 days in advance and is subject to availability and some blackout dates. This post contains affiliate links.

Ubooly and a Holiday GIVEAWAY!

The last few weeks I have had the opportunity to work with a number of great companies. Their products are perfect for gift giving. Over the next few weeks , I want to introduce you to a few of these companies, in hopes that their products make your holidays easier. 

Continuing our ode to gift giving, today I want to share with you another great gift. You can find my first two suggestions here and here. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.

Today I want to introduce you to the newest member of our family. Ubooly. 

Ubooly is a creative and educational creature that is powered by your iPhone or iPad touch. (Works with iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5 as well as iPad touch 4G and 5.) Ubooly is a plush toy. You slide your device inside and by running an app, your phone or ipod becomes the interactive face of the plush character. 

Ubooly comes to life, ready to be your child's new friend. Always full of surprises, Ubooly can play interactive trivia games, play pretend, tell stories with fun choices (think choose your own adventure), tell jokes, tell fun facts and can play music. 

Here's how it works. 

1. Download the free Ubooly Pet App. (Available in the App Store). 

2. Slide your device into Ubooly's pocket. 

3. Ubooly comes to life and listens to what you say. 

4. Ubooly automatically updates with new activities every month. 

Our kids have loved having Ubooly around. The most magical moment when our children first played with Ubooly was with our 4 year old. My husband slide his phone into the pocket and when Ubooly's face lit up, our daughter gasped in excitement. Her favorite feature is that Ubooly plays music. Our son loves the jokes Ubooly tells. He memorizes them and then tells his friends at school. 

The Ubooly experience is completely different than anything our children have played with before. For starters, Ubooly is accurate. There is nothing more frustrating than an interactive toy that doesn't understand what you are saying. This tech savvy plush toy communicates in a real voice and understands what is being said. Ubooly is also different because it rarely, if ever repeats itself. Most interactive toys seem to run on a cycle, and if your kids play with the toy enough, it repeats itself. Not Ubooly. Plus, your Ubooly will automatically update every month with new information, free of charge. No subscriptions or monthly fees. Another feature that makes Ubooly different is that over time, she will learn your child's favorite activities and interests, and will tailor her responses to match your child's preferences. 

Recommended for children ages 4-9, but I have to say, our 10 year old son loves Ubooly, and our 18 month old little girl is fascinated when Ubooly turns on. She carries Ubooly around and babbles to her. 

Another great perk is that when my phone is in Ubooly, it is protected from little hands who might drop it. You can play catch with Ubooly and your iPhone or iPod touch is safe. 

Priced at $29.95, Ubooly is a very reasonable gift for the children in your life. Just be ready, you will want to play with her a little too. 

Want to win your own Ubooly. Of course you do! Delivered in plenty of time for Christmas. And one less gift you have to buy this holiday season.
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Moms are some of the most savvy mobile users and so are their kids. Ubooly is a toy designed for this new high-tech generation. While learning and sharing new content every week, Ubooly is the only toy that grows with your child. It encourages listening skills, and a break from high-energy / high-stimulation play. Through stories & interactive games, Ubooly’s curiosity is sure to awaken the creativity within your child’s imagination.

Ubooly is the hot toy of the season, it’s new to the scene and is on track to sell out this winter! Free updates through Wi-Fi creates ongoing entertainment for kids.

Click here to adopt your own Ubooly and get FREE SHIPPING now!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Ubooly. The opinions and text are all mine.

Blurb Book-GIVEAWAY!

The last few weeks I have had the opportunity to work with a number of great companies. Their products are perfect for gift giving. Over the next week or so, I want to introduce you to a few of these companies, in hopes that their products make your holidays easier. 

Continuing our ode to gift giving, today I want to share with you another great gift to give that special someone. You can find my first suggestion here. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post.

Have you heard of Blurb? 

Blurb is a creative publishing platform that allows anyone to create, share and sell a professional quality book. 

• create a baby book of baby's first year
• an archive of your blog 
• a cook book of your favorite recipes 
• a photo book of your family pictures 
• a quick book of your instagram or facebook photos. 

The possibilities are limitless. It’s easy and quick to do. 

A few weeks ago our family took a trip to a family wedding. I put together my first Blurb book on my laptop in our hotel room. It was so fun and simple. 

In about an hour, I created a facebook album full of my hubby's favorite photos. I am going to give it to him for Christmas. 


I simply went to the Blurb website and clicked on "Make A Book." I then choose a template and that is when the fun began. 

With a very easy to use template, I was able to access all the facebook photos that I have posted, as well as any photos friends and family have posted that included me. With a simple click of the mouse I added all the photos I wanted included in the book. When you add the photos, you can also choose to add the captions that were on facebook, AND the comments if you want. You can leave the facebook captions off and add your own if you prefer. 

I was very impressed by how easy it was to organize and arrange the pictures. I finished things up by choosing and designing the cover. A few days later our Blurb book arrived in the mail. 

What a great gift a Blurb book would make. A book full of pictures of the grandkids for grandma and grandpa. A book full of favorite family recipes to share with siblings. Blurb books would also be the perfect way to "scrapbook" your families life. 

Once your book is completed, you can also share it with others on your facebook/twitter or website, blog- you can even sell it for profit.

Want to win a $50 dollar gift card to Blurb? Of course you do. You can use it for yourself, or for that special someone this holiday season.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Blurb is a creative publishing platform that allows anyone to create, share and sell a professional quality book. Make a portfolio of your client work, an archive of your blog, a cook book of your favorite recipes, a photo book of your family pictures or a quick book of your instagram photos – the possibilities are limitless. It’s easy and quick to do – with a variety of software options you could complete your dream book in next to no time.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Blurb. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mom's Best- Hot Product Giveaway!

In conjunction with a great event I was able to attend last week, we have a giveaway for a great cause. My favorite kind of giveaway!

Last week I attended the Mom's Best "Hot Product Review." Mom's Bloggers were introduced to some truly amazing products. We got to put in our two sense about the products and we even got to take a little something home with us. I was lucky enough to bring home a pair of Mocassins from Freshly Picked. They are amazing.

There were many highlights to the night. Meeting new friends, and laughing with old friends and viewing all the amazing products. But the most powerful part of the night was when we sat down to write notes to victims from the Riverside Rape Crisis Center.

Mom's Best gave all the wonderful products to the Rape Crisis Center. The things they don't need will be sold or auctioned and the money will go to the center. One thing that really helps the victims at the center heal, is a journal. We took a few moments to write notes to put inside the journals that were being donated.

What exactly do you say to someone you don't know, who is dealing with such horrible things. It was humbling to sit and write words of encouragement. It brought a new perspective to the evening and to life.

In order to raise even more awareness and more money for the Rape Crisis Center, we have a great giveaway here on Family Volley.

One of my favorite products of the night came from Jeka Tree Bloom Accessories. They make leather hand goods that are out of this world. I loved the cuffs for women, but my favorite were their little leather cuffs for girls and babies.

Jeka Tree Bloom is giving away a Flower Bracelet of your choice.

Every entry helps vicitims at the Riverside Rape Crisis Center, so Enter to help others, and for yourself.

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This Weeks Photo Challenge and Zoobie Winners

Although I don't have last weeks photo challenge up quite yet, here is this weeks challenge so you can start thinking and planning. Last weeks challenge was "Something Old". I will get it up this week.

Photo Challenge - (April 25): Faceless Self-Portrait.

Winners of the Zoobies Giveaway. Congratulations!!!

You have until Tuesday, April 24th at midnight to contact me. 

Jenny

Savannah

Exciting News and a GIVEAWAY!

Two weeks ago I received a really exciting email. An invitation to contribute to Mom's Best Network. The site just launched last week and it is lovely. Mom's Best is all about empowering mothers and women to become their very best. I love their use of the word become. It is a good reminder that life is a process and we all here to help one another do our best.

There are amazing contributors. All lovely women who believe in supporting one another. Be sure you follow along. You will love what you see.

In conjunction with Mom's Best, we have a giveaway today.

Each week Mom's Best chooses "HOT Product Winners". These are products that mother's endorse and love. This week, one of the HOT product winners for new moms is Zoobies Pets.

Have you heard of Zoobies? Our kids have been asking for one for forever. They are plush pets, that are also pillows, AND a blanket. Not just a little blanket, but a great big blanket, big enough for your kids to curl up in.

The Giveaway

TWO WINNERS will each have their choice of a Zoobies Blanket Pet. 

Here's how to enter.

Leave a comment on this post telling me who would get the Zoobies Pet if you win. Don't forget your email address.

Extra Entries. 
Leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. "Like" Zoobies on Facebook

2. "Like" Mom's Best on Facebook.

3. Pin any post from Family Volley to Pinterest. 

4. Tweet about this giveaway. 

Giveaway will run through Friday April 20th and the winner will be announced on Saturday April 21st.

I was not compensated in anyway for this giveaway. Opinions are all mine.