Friday, Friday, FRIDAY — WooHoo! It’s time for the Friday Giveaway Linky! Also, it’s an awesome Friday because it’s the last one I’ll spend being 33 since Sunday is my Birthday :) I plan on having a great weekend with my family it may involve my hubby taking me to buy vegetable plants for our raised beds and a night out to dinner! Plus, we’ll watch the Les Miserables DVD that I ordered and got in the mail this week! We may even fit in a family picnic and a trip to the flea market or a local annual yard sale. I do hope that you all enjoy this Memorial Weekend and have a wonderful time with friends and family!

Please add the giveaway end date to your listing!

Adding the country allowed to enter and an RC for Rafflecopter giveaways is also a great idea! Something like this:

• Your Name: Blog Name – Giveaway Title (end date) RC US/CAN/WW
• URL: direct link to your giveaway post please!

Check out my Giveaway Linky Directory for more places to list your giveaways! Contact me if you’d like your linky to be added.

Now, let’s enter some giveaways!

The post Hen’s Friday #Giveaway Linky 5/24 – 5/30 appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

This Wednesday, May 22nd, I’m excited to join The Motherhood, dermatologist-on-call and sun care expert Jeanine Downie (@ImageDerma) and Neutrogena, the number one dermatologist recommended skincare brand, for a Twitter party to discuss how you can be certain that both you and your family’s skin is well protected this summer. Summertime can be so harsh on our skin! I’m looking forward to learning tips and advice on summer skin care — We’ll be chatting about the importance of sunscreen, when you should use it and why in this “Sunscreen 101″ Twitter Party!

Come prepared to chat with your tips on getting your family to wear sunscreen and your questions on skincare! Dr. Jeanine Downie will be sharing all of her skincare tips for the summer and answering our questions, so we can look our best all summer long! I hope to see you all there!

*I am participating in a sponsored campaign on behalf of Neutrogena for The Motherhood. All opinions are my own!

Neutrogena #NTGDERM Sunscreen 101 Twitter party details:

• What:  Derm-On-Call Jeanine Downie will shed light on sun protection & help us brush up on sunscreen knowledge!
• When: Wednesday, May 22nd @ 4:30 pm est 
• Where: Follow the #NTGDERM hashtag to track the conversation.
• Hashtag: #NTGDERM

• RSVP via Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/NTGDERM2
• Prizes: Throughout the party, prize baskets with Dr. Downie’s (@ImageDerma) favorite Neutrogena sun protection products will be given away!
• Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann
• Party TweetGrid: http://bit.ly/18ZE10J

• Co-hosts:
  • Andrea, Li’l Kid Things - @AndreaUpdyke
  • Caroline, Smarty Pants Mama - @SmartyPantsMama
  • Henrietta, A Hen’s Nest - @ahensnest
  • Jennifer, The Suburban Mom - @SuburbanMomClub
  • Jessica, Life As Mom - @fishmama
  • Kristina, Hott Mama in the City - @HotMamaNtheCity
  • Laurie, Guessing All The Way - @clueless_mama
  • Staci, Seven on a Shoestring - @7onashoestring
  • Vanessa, The Queen of Swag! - @queenofswag4u
  • Yolanda, Sassy Mama in LA - @SassyMamainLA

The post Join me at the Neutrogena #NTGDERM Sunscreen 101 Twitter party! appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Merck Consumer Care.

I am so looking forward to summer and being able to spend some good family time exploring our local area. In fact, I’m joining The Active Family Project this year by making a pledge to share quality time with my family! By scheduling “play dates” with my family members, I’m committing to having fun with them this summer! We always make time to connect during the summer by taking off on a weekend or even a weekday. It may just be a quick day trip to the local zoo, the flea market where we sip iced coffee and slushies or a lazy day at the lake but we always have fun and enjoy the time spent away from all of the technology, television and sometimes monotonous everyday life!

Merck Consumer Care started the active family initiative as a way to empower moms to enjoy healthy active lifestyles with their families. As part of the program, families can use the Active Family Project Activity Finder as a guide to find instant ideas and solutions to fill family playtime with fun. I used the Activity Finder and it did have quite a few good suggestions for fun family activities, even in our rural area.

Many of the suggestions, such as the Battles Museum, Erie and Cleveland Zoos Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Pymatuning State Park, are ones we have visited and enjoyed many times before. I know we’ll most likely visit some of them again this year. One place I definitely want to make a play date with my family at this summer is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It’s been on our to-do list for awhile and I want to make it happen this year! The Activity Finder was a nice way to be reminded of all the local fun we can have together as a family!

Promise to share a playdate & WIN!

Through May 26th, you can visit the Active Family Project on Facebook and commit to spending quality time with your family. You’ll have the chance to enter to win the Family Playdate Sweepstakes! You just might win a Family Beach Vacation Prize Pack or the grand prize family trip to a resort located in Port St. Lucie, Florida + year’s worth of home cleaning service, a video camera and tote bags, WooHoo! Sweepstakes ends 11:59:59pm ET on 5/26/13 (open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Puerto Rico) who are eighteen (18) years of age or older as of the date of entry).

Make time to play with your family this summer!

Disclosure: I received $100 from Merck Consumer Care, and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

The post Make time for family fun this summer + Enter the Family Playdate Sweepstakes! appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. Gardening should be fun!  I love to garden but I have to admit that I am guilty of having big plans then failing because I forget to keep the plants watered, or I end up watering my plants too much and drowned them. To keep things simple, I have plans to add a lot of fun garden projects to my current container and raised bed gardens this year, the first of which is my mini herb garden! Plus, I know that when my containers are close to the house, I’ll be reminded to take care of them like I should! 

I almost always use some form of Miracle-Gro in my gardens, it’s especially nice in my raised beds since most mixes already contain continuous release plant food. This year, I’m also using Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix in my pansy pots and other various flower and vegetable containers. Some of my very favorite plants to have all summer long are herb plants.

Growing a DIY Herb Garden is really easy and a great little project to do with the kids. I thought I would share the Rustic Wheel Herb Garden that I added to our back porch. The porch is right off of our kitchen so it will be nice to step outside to snip a few herbs to add flavor to our summer meals. While I used an old rusty wheel for my herb garden, you could really use any pot, container, old wheelbarrow or whatever else you have laying around! I have even seen mini gardens planted in old tires and toilets, be creative!

How to make a container herb garden:

After a trip to the store for my herb garden supplies — herb plants, marigolds for color and Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix — it was back home to start planting.

Once I had my container picked out. I chose to place it on the sunner corner of our back porch. Since the porch has wide spaces between the boards, I used an old chicken feed bag to line the bottom and sides of my container. (I had a few curious “helpers” who eventually needed to be shooed off or there wouldn’t have been any soil left for the plants! Silly chickens think ALL loose soil is especially for them to dust bathe in!)

I then dumped in some of the potting soil and packed it around all of the edges. I separated each plant into 2 – 4 section depending on how many were in each pot and planted them in the spokes of my wheel. Then I packed more soil around the plants and gave them plenty of water.

My rustic wheel herb garden has Flat Italian Parsley, Sweet Basil, German Thyme and Onion Chives. These delicious herbs, along with the Sage, lemon thyme and rosemary that I already have in my raised beds, will be so delicious this summer! While my mini herb garden may look a bit sparse right now, I wanted to be sure to plant the herbs far enough apart since they will fill out and spread over the next couple of weeks. 

See how easy that was?

I was originally going to plant some marigolds in my herb garden but my eyes were bigger than the wheel. So, I added the marigolds to two containers and placed them next to my herbs —  still pretty and the marigolds will get quite large and keep the pests away from my edible plants!

Join The Gro-Project!

This do-it-yourself herb garden is just one of many many ways that you and your family can have fun in the garden this year! Miracle-Gro’s The Gro Project is a “growing movement” that’s showing people gardens don’t have to be complicated to be a success. Get involved and visit the fun garden projects Pinterest board for garden tips, advice and ideas all summer long. Whether you are new to gardening or have been gardening for years, there’s bound to be a garden project perfect for your life.

You’ll find step-by-step instructions to make the Toyarium, Ukulele Garden, Origami Garden, G.Y.O.B. or Thrown Down garden projects on the Pinterest board! Plus, make sure to check out the Miracle-Gro facebook page to see what everyone else is planting!

Happy Planting!

The post DIY Rustic Wheel Herb Garden How-To #MiracleGroProject appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

Hooray for Friday! I can’t believe May is already more than half over! School is winding down and college planning is in full swing for my son! It’s going to be a busy summer and I’m looking forward to it, we just have to get through all this graduation stuff first! I hope you all are enjoying these last days of the kids being in school! Don’t forget to check out the giveaways that are currently open! You could win a $50 gift card to spend at Novica.com or a GetUnCommon.com gift card to create your own custom iPhone case! Also, enter to win a full value coupon for a LACTAID product (yummy!) or, you could even win two wonderful Flower Formulas from Mossop Natural Remedies!

Please add the giveaway end date to your listing!

Adding the country allowed to enter and an RC for Rafflecopter giveaways is also a great idea! Something like this:

• Your Name: Blog Name – Giveaway Title (end date) RC US/CAN/WW
• URL: direct link to your giveaway post please!

Check out my Giveaway Linky Directory for more places to list your giveaways! Contact me if you’d like your linky to be added.

Now, let’s enter some giveaways!

The post Hen’s Friday #Giveaway Linky 5/17 – 5/23 appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

School will be out in just a couple of weeks and that means summer vacation is about to begin! I can't wait for the lake to warm up so we can visit the beach and spend long lazy hours listening to the waves and soaking up some sun! My poor hands and feet however are feeling neglected and dry after a long cold winter. Instead of hiding them in shoes and under beach towels, I have been using a trio of Tree Hut hand cream & Foot Care products that I was sent over for review.

I haven't used this line of summer care products before but I am really glad that I know about them now! Tree Hut products are Made in The USA have no DMDM and are Paraben Free. Plus, the Tree Hut products are NOT tested on animals. All great reasons that I will support the brand. Here are the products I've been using and I suggest them to get your feet and hands into shape for summer!

Foot Cream: 
• Certified Organic Shea Butter: skin repairing & moisturizing, anti-aging, promotes elasticity 
• Argan Oil: natural anti-aging properties 
• Rose Hip Oil: natural anti-aging properties 
• Non-greasy formula 

Hand Cream: 
• Certified Organic Shea Butter: skin repairing & moisturizing, anti-aging, promotes elasticity 
• Aloe Vera: Nature’s soothing moisturizer 
• Peppermint Oil: Moisturizes skin 

Foot Scrub: 
• Certified Organic Shea Butter: skin repairing & moisturizing, anti-aging, promotes elasticity 
• Real Sugar: Natural sugar exfoliates skin smooth 
• Peppermint Oil: Moisturizes skin 

My poor feet were in the worst shape. After using the Tree Hut foot cream for a few days, they feel great. Using the exfoliating foot scrub really helped to get rid of all the cracked, dry skin I was experiencing on my heels and now my feet feel so soft! Plus they smell really nice! I ADORE the scent of these products. Peppermint is my favorite smell and both the Tree Hut foot scrub and cream have an amazingly minty scent that just refreshes my skin. 

Since I'm ready for summer now, I was inspired to create a fun natural beauty look that's perfect for the beach. Of course, I'll need a fun tote to carry along my new Tree Hut Hand & Foot Care products. I love this bright yellow canvas one to go with a simple strappy sundress and sandals. A classic straw floppy hat completes the look and protects my skin from being burnt. 

Where to find and how to stay in touch!

Do you need to perk up your skin for summer fun? Tree Hut products are easily found at your local Walmart stores. The products are super affordable at around 4 – 6 per bottle and the cream is thick and wonderful!  To keep up to date with promotions and Tree Hut summer fun, like Tree Hut on Facebook, and follow Tree Hut on Twitter.

The post Revive Dry Feet and Hands with Tree Hut! #Natural Beauty appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

When Diana Mossop’s son had a bad reaction to vaccines as a child, she did the only thing she could do and took matters into her own hands. She helped her son recover his health with natural remedies. With her lifetime’s interest in the natural healing power of plants and plant essences, Diana has worked over the years to make it her mission to do the same for others by “bringing safe, affordable and ethical health care to the people of the world, and in particular, the children, using the natural resources of the planet; the infinite energy of flowers and plants.”

Phytobiophysics Flower Formulas are just one product in a range of natural remedies that you will find on Diana Mossop’s website — MossopNaturalRemedies.com. I was fortunate enough to receive two flower formulas for review recently. I can’t pretend that I know how these remedies work, nor can I give you an explanation of their make-up. I will however offer a few quotes from the site and an introductory video to the site.

The core concept of Phytobiophysics® involved harnessing the naturally-occurring vibrational energy of plants to release energy blocks in the human body, thereby allowing balance to be restored at all levels of consciousness: spiritual, emotional, mental and physical.

Each of the Phytobiophysics® formulas is made up of hundreds of different plant essences which, through the science of  phytobiophysics, are produced to resonate on an exact energy frequency. Introducing a formula with the correct frequency creates immediate action to remove the energy blocks and re-establish balance.

The Phytobiophysics formulas are used by many thousands of people worldwide and are not designed to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any diseases or medical conditions but to provide emotional and spiritual assistance to help the body to heal itself.

Phytobiophysics Flower Formulas are: natural safe; contain no additives; safe for babies and children; safe for the vulnerable; do not interfere with medical prescriptions; powerful emotional support for people undergoing medical procedures.

The Phytobiophysics formulas are researched through an understanding of acupuncture meridians and the flow of energy through the body enabling the Flower Formulas to encourage the body’s own innate ability to heal on a profound level thereby releasing energy blocks in the meridian system to create instant increase in energy flow thus enabling the body to respond on a deep level.

If you are uncertain about where to start or what formulas you should choose, there is a very handy “Heart Lock” tool, which is found on the site’s sidebar, to help pinpoint the areas you would like to improve. I chose FF14 Daffodil Formula, Yellow, for “Skin Beauty” and FF6 Phacelia Formula, Indigo, for “Clear Senses”, as my review products. Each flower formula has an extremely detailed description page noting all of the possible reasons for using that particular formula. They are very informative and worth a  read. In essence, here are the reasons I chose these two.

 –daffodil essence helps return skin to its natural radiance while providing a sense of determination and a boost of ambition to make something more of one’s life. Supports the Small Intestine meridian it is essential to help whenever one feels stressed and uncomfortable after eating.

 –Phacelia essence works to restore your confidence and assuredness in yourself while relieving internal emotional upset. Helps the body eliminate dust and pollen, animal fur allergies.

The flower essences are coated onto tiny little placebo sugar pills. They are very easy to take and my bottles direct me to take my pills 3 times per day. One bottle has 150 little pills so they should last me 50 days, quite a long time! 

I have only been taking the pills for a few days and not correctly. I didn’t read the instructions so was only taking one a day… oops! So, I have yet to see any big results, I will be taking them right from now and! But, I will say that I somehow feel a bit lighter, emotionally, after taking  my pills.

I have no idea how the flower formulas work but it is intriguing and interesting, to say the least! There are a ton of great testimonials to read on the site, I enjoyed looking through them to see which formulas people are using for their situations.

Where to find and how to stay in touch!

Phytobiophysics Flower Formulas, along with a wide array of other natural remedies, are available for purchase at www.MossopNaturalRemedies.com. To learn more about the science behind these products, please visit www.DianaMossop.com. Whether you would like to try them yourself, or gift a few to a loved one, they are a unique way to show how much you care.

To keep up to date news and information on this fascinating subject, please visit the Diana MossopFacebook page, follow @MossopRemedies on Twitter and YouTube.

Win TWO Flower Formulas!!

Thanks to to Mossop Natural Remedies and  Diana Mossop, one super lucky reader will win TWO Flower Formulas of their choice!  This is a wonderful oppportunity to try these natural remedies for yourself! Please enter in the Rafflecopter below and Good Luck!

Entry is super easy using the Rafflecopter form below. Just complete the first mandatory entry to open up a bunch of optional extra entries! Giveaway is open to U.S. residents ages 18+ only and will end on May 23, 2013 at 11:59pm est. Winner will be chosen randomly using the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted via email. Winner must respond to winner notification email within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn. Sponsor will be responsible for shipping prize to winner. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Product information, giveaway prize and complimentary review product were provided by Mossop Natural Remedies, all thoughts and opinions are genuine and 100% my own.

The post Mossop Natural Remedies Flower Formulas for a happier you! appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.

As moms, we know how hard all of the running, errands, and activities can be on our schedules! I know even though my kids are older, I still don’t get enough sleep! Add that to genes and you get some dark under eye circles that are enough to wake the living dead! I try to use an under-eye product daily, at least to help smooth out any fine lines that I have and hopefully make those dark circles look a little brighter.

Belli recently sent me a tube of their Eye-Brightening Cream to try out. I’ve used it several times now and I really like the product. Before I go to bed, I dab a small amount under each eye. When I wake up, my under eye area is a bit less puffy and not nearly as dry as it was before. I think with continued use, I’ll see an even bigger improvement thanks to the Belli Eye-Brightening Cream.

Belli Eye-Brightening Cream

A Vitamin K enriched eye cream that revives and illuminates tired eyes. Vitamin PP (from saccharo-myces cerevisiae extract) also helps the area around the eye look restored, with a more uniform complexion.

• Features Vitamin K–  to help reduce the appearance of dark circles 
• Uses hydrolyzed soy protein to minimize the appearance of fine lines 
• Hydrates delicate skin around the eyes to reduce the appearance of puffiness 
• Cools and comforts on contact

Where to find and how to stay in touch!

Belli Eye-Brightening Cream is available for purchase at www.BelliSkinCare.com. They also offer a wide array of products that are safe for pregnancy and babies, as well as moms of all ages. Be sure to check out their current promotions, today you can enter a giveaway to win a beautiful pendant. You can also Enjoy 20% OFF site wide with promo code BLI20BB at checkout on Belliskincare.com.

To keep up to date with other promotions and great skincare products like this one, check out the BelliSkinCarePage on Facebook, follow @belliskincare on Twitter and  Pinterest.

Product information and complimentary review product were provided by Belli Skin Care, all thoughts and opinions are genuine and 100% my own.

The post Banish Dark Circles and Fine Lines with Belli Skin Care Eye-Brightening Cream appeared first on A Hen's Nest - NW PA Mom Blog.