Scrutiny by the Masses

The Tempur-pedic Bed contest is Now Closed

Thank you so much for voting.

I will announce a winner by 4 p.m. EST tomorrow, 12/24.

All of the email addresses must be verified - and I'm doing it all by myself. As in, with no staff, and alone. I have six kids and tomorrow is Christmas Eve.

If there is an email that bounces back as it is not valid, that vote will be disqualified. If the correct wording wasn't followed, that vote will be disqualifed. If a vote wasn't on the correct post, it, too, will be disqualifed.

Please understand that it is only me doing this - and I have to follow all of the rules. I'm exhausted and tired of verifying emails.

Updated: The winner of the bed is Bernnie Kee Steadham, by five votes. The voting was *incredibly* close, and there were several invalid emails - if you saw the comments fluctuate, that was why.

Congratulations, and I will connect with you for your address after the holidays.

Shabby Apple - Beautiful, Stylish and Affordable

I was compensated for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I love to wear dresses. I think that they make me look more pulled together, more classy, and wearing a dress just makes me feel more feminine. It can be difficult to find a great dress that either a) doesn't look like I'm on my way to the club or b) qualifies me as the most covered up woman this side of Iraq.

There's gotta be a good looking compromise, is my point.

Shabby Apple delivers on that point.

Founded by two women who were tired of the inability to find stylish dresses that were modest, Shabby Apple has become synonymous with stylish clothes that need no tank top or cardigan to be beautifully modest and attractive.In their store descriptor, they say: Wehave designed dresses that  are “A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything…no tank tops, no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!).

I love their dresses, and I was thrilled to be able to try one for myself - and have the opportunity to offer the same dress to one of my readers! I looked at the website for a long time. I went back and forth between a few dresses, but this was my ultimate choice:

Nothin' Like a Dame

(I have no idea why the photo is so small.) Click the link to see the dress in all it's glory.

The fabric is soft, the dress is flattering and this dress has quickly become one of my favorites.

Want to win one of your own? Like Shabby Apple on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you did so for one entry. Leave me a comment telling me your favorite Shabby Apple dress - visit the site and pick one, and make sure you have a LOT of time to look! - for a second entry.  

This giveaway will run from 1/12/2012 to 1/18/2012 at 11:59 p.m. It is open to US residents only. You must be 18 to enter.

Bake Up Some Fun with Entemann's

I was sent product to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are all my own.

Entemann's, the well known bakery, has come out with a new book, full of images and recipes, guaranteed to help you become the best baker possible. Kathleen Robbins has been the Master Baker in Research and Development at Entenmann's Bakery for the past 21 years. She's spent this time in the lab and the bakery at Entenmann's creating innovative and delicious products from classic Ultimate dessert cakes to portable Little Bites snack products. My family loves baked gods of all kinds and Entemann's is a favorite - especially the cheese danish. My oldest boy could eat an entire danish in one sitting.

The first third of this book is devoted to recipes you can create using the Entemann's products - donuts, crumb cakes, lemon loaf and the like. We wanted to go rogue, though, and had some friends over to make Vanilla sugar cookies.

 

The recipe was *very* easy and didn't require fancy ingredients or tons of work, and the results were, well - judge for yourself!

And this is where a photo goes of the finished product - but I can't, because WE ATE THEM ALLLLL.

Yes, they were *that* good.

Want to win a copy of this book for your own? Leave me a comment with your favorite Entemann's product before 11:59 p.m. on 12/28 and one winner will be chosen at random. US residents only, please.

Zeo - Help for Those Who Can't Sleep

I was provided with a gift code in thanks for this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.

It's no secret that I have trouble sleeping. Falling asleep - no, that's not the trouble. It's the STAYING asleep part that's so elusive for me. That's why I was happy to be asked to partner with Zeo to help all of us figure out what are our "sleep stealers" and how to fix them.

Give and Get the Gift of Sleep!

We’re all pulled in multiple directions these days – women are spending 48.3 hours multitasking each week and men are following close behind with 38.9 hours per week. It’s no wonder we’re all so exhausted!

Next year though, you can help those you love control their exhaustion with a Zeo Mobile Sleep Manager. Zeo Mobile is a revolutionary way to monitor and manage sleep. Help those you love take control of their sleep by tracking it, finding pesky ‘sleep stealers’, and getting sleep improvement tips. It makes a great gift for everyone on your list, even your hard-to-shop-for friends; husbands, your parents, parents with newborns, insomniacs and other frustrated sleepers. Because when we sleep better, we do better.

Zeo has partnered with us this holiday season to offer you a chance to win a free Zeo (plus everyone who enters gets $10 off til 12/31)! To enter the promotion, get started by clicking below.

Good luck!

How to enter: Click on the link below to enter this giveaway. This form will prompt you to ‘Like’ our blog and Zeo on Facebook and enter your name, email address and zip code (to prove you are a US Resident). You will need to connect to this app through Facebook to enter.

Important Rules: Entries to this giveaway must be submitted through the form above. Many partner sites are participating in this giveaway with Zeo, so winners will be drawn from all qualifying entries. Limit one entry per person; more than one entry per person will disqualify entrant. Zeo is the sole administrator of this giveaway and is responsible for drawing winners, contacting winners and prize fulfillment. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to the sponsor(s) of this promotion and not to Facebook. Giveaway ends December 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM ET and is open to US residents.

 

Reverse Charades - Silly Fun for the Entire Family

I was sent two copies of this game to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Reverse charades. What an amazing, awesome game. I've never laughed so hard in my life.

Available in two versions, one for the family and one geared towards younger players, this raucous game is very similar to regular charades - except that teams have 60 seconds to act out (without speaking) as many words as one person can guess.  The words are weird and wacky - think synchronized swimming, piñata, paparazzi, dogpile, leapfrog, pillow fight or CPR.

Yeah. Picture your Great Aunt Tilly acting out CPR.

Reverse Charades was seen on the Today Show, where it was proclaimed "So easy a 5 year old could play!" and that's not far from the truth. My 7 year old had a total and complete ball with this game. Reverse Charades has won many awards, including Creative Child's Game of the Year and the AARP Best Holiday gift under $50. Reverse Charades also won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

Intrigued? You should be.

I'm giving away one copy of Reverse Charades and I'd love for you to win it. To enter, please leave me a comment telling me your favorite party game - either wiht your family or a group of friends. One lucky winner will be drawn at random to win this fabulously fun game. This contest is open to residents of the United States only and will close on December 23 at 11:59 p.m.

Tempur-Pedic Bed Giveaway Finalists Announced!

I'm giving away a full Tempur-pedic bed and I'm happy to say that the finalists have been chosen!

I'm super glad that I wasn't responsible for picking the finalists, because there is just no way that I could have done so. If it was up to me, I'd buy every single entrant a bed.

There are seven finalists posted below. Please read their entries/watch their videos, and leave a comment in the comment section ON THE BLOG POST THAT YOU WISH TO WIN. Only this comment is allowed "I want xxxx to win the Tempur-Pedic bed!" with, of course, the finalists name in place of the xxxx. That's it. Only that sentence. If the comment says more or less than that, it's disqualified and I will delete that comment. A comment on THIS post will not count. It must be on the post that you would like to see win the bed. ONE comment per person - per email. It must be a valid email.

**In other words, if you choose to use the same email address for five different names, four of those votes will not count. If you use the same name with four different emails, and I check and they are not valid emails - they will be deleted. Please do not cheat.**

I'm sorry. Rules are rules. You have to follow the rules.

You are free to solict any votes you want by any legal - read: non bribing - method. Facebook, your own blog, email your friends. If you tweet, please use this tweet: Vote for me on @mttsm's #tempurpedic bed giveaway at bit.ly/tNwEZ1 Also use that link on Facebook or your own emails or blogs, please.

You can insert your twitter handle and request RT's. You must use that link, however. Tweets do not count for entries - only comments using the language above.

This contest will open on 12/20/2011 at 10:00 a.m. EST and will close on December 23 at 11:59 p.m. the winner will be notified on 12/24/2011 by 12:00 p.m. and will be announced on Twitter and my main blog, Mom to the Screaming Masses, shortly thereafter. Any votes that are submitted before or after those times will be disqualified.

Happy Christmas to one lucky reader.

Finalist #1 - Khristopher Gonzalez

Finalist #2 - Angela Gray

Finalist #3 -Sarah Manley

Finalist #4 - Heather Durdil

Finalist #5 -Jenn W

Finalist #6 -Bernnie Kee Steadham

Finalist #7 - Tammy

 

 

Tempur-Pedic Bed Finalist #1- Khristopher Gonzalez

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES POSTED ABOVE - ONLY THE VOTES WITH THE CORRECT WORDING WILL BE COUNTED. Also, if you choose to use the same email address for five different names, four of those votes will not count. If you use the same name with four different emails, and I check and they are not valid emails - they will be deleted. Please do not cheat.

I'll be honest we have a bed now, well physically it feels like a piece of rock laid over a sheet of card board. After long days of work and training I find myself making excuses to my wife to try and sleep on my beat up couch because it feels like wood, instead of rock the softer the better if you ask me. Occasionally I have to make up a creative argument so she could MAKE me sleep in the living room. You know the saying where people get stuck between a rock and a hard place, well the rock is my bed the hard place is my wall so I go through this every night if me and my wife are on good terms,which lately is everyday I mean come on one argument wouldn't kill you please I WANT THE COUCH! This is only one aspect of why I need a new bed but let's move on it is good to get that off my chest cause i haven't told a soul about my sleeping problems. The other reason is after a long hard day of getting my butt kicked by 200 pound men thinking I'm there size because my technique is better, I would love to heal on something soft not get beat up again in my sleep by Bully the Bed. I won't throw anything in your face like beds are expensive I can't afford to buy one like this but I cannn drop suddle hints;p. Another reason is for my wife's safety, I am an aspiring UFC fighter so i tend to live breath and eat martial arts techniques even in our queen sized rock at night. Just the other day my wife and I were sleeping well I was sleeping she was bombarded with a jab, cross, lead elbow, now that I think about it that might be the kids advanced combo, ooops. Well i woke up with her eyes locked on me, like a gorilla seeing a banana for the first time of course I had no idea what transpired I was asleep its not my fault I am passionate about my dreams. I thought she was going to dig a hole in the backyard for me. To be honest I really do need and want the bed but I would love it if I made you cry from laughing this is the first thing I have written in a long time so excuse my crummy grammar. P.S. I don't beat my wife I can't help that passion follows me to sleep in a queen rock I'm a tall man. Please save this women I'm gearing up for a proffessional debut and if we don't get some space I don't think she'll make it through another one of my dreams

Tempur-Pedic Bed Finalist #7 - Tammy

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES POSTED ABOVE - ONLY THE VOTES WITH THE CORRECT WORDING WILL BE COUNTED. Also, if you choose to use the same email address for five different names, four of those votes will not count. If you use the same name with four different emails, and I check and they are not valid emails - they will be deleted. Please do not cheat.

‘Twas the middle of the night, in the wee hours of the morning.
The only creature stirring was my tossing and turning.
My arms full of needle pricks, I’d flip this way and toss that,
A kink in my shoulder, a crick in my neck,
Just as I finally drifted off, my husband began his nightly snoring: what a ruckus!
Then sounding more like a pig than a pug, Missy would join the nightly chorus.
When finally I awoke after having slept very little,
It was to the words, “your tossing and turning have kept me awake!”
So if Santa should bring me this new bed I dream of
It would certainly make our nights much more peaceful
And begin our mornings much more loving and kind!

Tempur-Pedic Bed - Finalist #6 - Bernnie Kee Steadham

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES POSTED ABOVE - ONLY THE VOTES WITH THE CORRECT WORDING WILL BE COUNTE. DAlso, if you choose to use the same email address for five different names, four of those votes will not count. If you use the same name with four different emails, and I check and they are not valid emails - they will be deleted. Please do not cheat.

My husband has a degenerative disc in his back and he sleeps in the guestroom a lot of the time because our old mattress hurts his back. I think this little story illustrates why we need this bed.

I have been a lot of places in this world, but my favorite will always be beside you in our bed, our girl down the hall, timing my breathing to match your own, your hand on my bare thigh, your grip loosening as you drift off to sleep. I close my eyes and try to memorize the way each finger feels on my skin. After awhile you ask me what I'm thinking about. I tell you I'm trying to file this away in my memory so I can recall it later: this happiness, your scent, your warmth, the way my heart catches in my throat.

You lean in close, and even in the dark I can tell you are smiling.

You don't have to memorize, you say. I'll refresh your memory every night for the rest of your life, until you know it by heart.

Until you know it by heart. We need this bed so he can keep his word. :-)

Tempur-Pedic Bed Finalist #5 - Jenn W

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES POSTED ABOVE - ONLY THE VOTES WITH THE CORRECT WORDING WILL BE COUNTED. Also, if you choose to use the same email address for five different names, four of those votes will not count. If you use the same name with four different emails, and I check and they are not valid emails - they will be deleted. Please do not cheat.

Saggy bed, Saggy bed, saggy bed each night,
I toss and turn, and move and squirm,
and still it doesn't seem ri-ight.
I've gone to the Doctor, Chiropractor and therapy,
and still have daily headaches,
the migraines are here and never disappear,
oh this bed will make it al-right.

On a serious note, I have headaches almost every.single.day. of my life. I have migraines at least once a month and sometimes up to 4 days in a row, maybe even twice a week. It's ridiculous. I am a mom to three gorgeous, loving and kind children who don't need to hear their mommy ask them constantly to, "Please be quieter, Mommy's head hurts soooo bad." I try not to do that but like I said, I have kids. They aren't always the quietest. I wake up in the morning with the headaches and I know it's because of our mattress. I need a miracle to stop the pain and I believe this is it.

Tempur-Pedic Bed Finalist #4 - Heather Durdil

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES POSTED ABOVE - ONLY THE VOTES WITH THE CORRECT WORDING WILL BE COUNTED. Also, if you choose to use the same email address for five different names, four of those votes will not count. If you use the same name with four different emails, and I check and they are not valid emails - they will be deleted. Please do not cheat.

Her video Entry:

Why I need to win a Tempurpedic Bed from Heather Durdil on Vimeo.