Instead of “cold & flu season” I think this time of year should be called “Vicks season” – ’tis the season to be using these great products that can bring you relief from the colds and flu that hit so many of us hard this time of year.  Why give “cold & flu” all the credit? Let’s re-name this time of year after my favorite remedies!

Recently I mentioned how a humidifer can help keep germs out of your home and make your home environment healthier – and today I am excited to be giving away one of these:

Vicks Warm Mist GermFree Humidifier

It’s a Vicks Warm Mist GermFree Humidifier!  If you’re a germaphobe like *ahem* Emily, you will love this bad boy!  It kills 99.999% of germs, mold, and bacteria before the steam even hits the air.  It promotes better breathing and sleep, and there are no filters to change or replace!  It has two tanks which makes it easier to fill and helps it to run longer.  It can operate up to 24 hours and has a two gallon capacity. Woot woot! It’s the Mac Daddy of humidifiers, is what I’m saying!

In addition to this fabulous machine, the winner of this giveaway is going to be swimming in my fav-or-ite product ever, Vicks VapoRub!  With the humidifer I am also giving away:

• 2 jars of VapoRub
• 2 jars of VapoRub Lemon (I haven’t tried this but I have a sneaking suspicion it would rock my world!)
• 2 bottles of VapoRub CREAM (for those of you who don’t like the ointmenty-feel of the original. I think you’re crazy but to each her own. )
• 2 jars of BabyRub for your little ones under 2! Jonah highly recommends it!

Here’s how to enter to win these awesome prizes to help you have a healthy Vicks Season!  You can enter up to three times, one time for each option.

1) Leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite Vicks product

2) “Like” Vicks VapoRub on Facebook and then COME BACK TO THIS POST and leave me a separate comment letting me know that you did (or already do).

3) Tell me your favorite Vicks VapoRub memory

ONE winner will be chosen at random on Monday, January 30th at 6 pm EST.  Winner will be notified via email.  Good luck!

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I am being compensated for my role as a Vicks Blogger.  All opinons about Vicks products are my own.

The Bionic is equipped to handle the Verizon Wireless 4Glte network, which is really noticeably faster than 3G (like, a lot). 4Glte is available in 190 cities and 118 major airports, and it is expanding rapidly. Click here to see if it’s available near you.

A couple things to note about this giveaway – the giveaway is for the phone, not service. The Bionic only works on Verizon Wireless, and it requires a data plan. And, like I said, it’s the one I’ve been playing with so it’s slightly used.

To enter, leave a comment on this post.

The fine print:
One winner will be chosen randomly from entries received by January 2nd, 2012. The winner will be contacted via email and has 24 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within said time a new winner will be selected at random. Winner will need to provide name, email and address for shipment and prize will be shipped out via FedEx. This prize must be shipped to a North American address. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

Good luck!

Awhile back I became a wee bit obsessed with Learning Resources Pretend & Play line of toys.  I got their Pretend & Play School set for my mom to give Sophie for Christmas because I know she will L-O-V-E it.  I just love all these realistic toys that let kids act-out some fun scenarios.  So, after talking Learning Resources’ website and Facebook page for awhile, I contacted them to ask if I could review and give away a toy from their Pretend & Play line.  They agreed, and I chose the Pretend & Play Supermarket Checkout set.

We received the set just as Joshua was having his first of many sick days from the stomach flu.  It was so nice to have a new toy to keep the kids busy when the kids were stuck in the house.  They had SO much fun with it!  Here’s a cute little short video of them playing together.

Here’s what I love about the Supermarket Checkout:

• The moving conveyor belt. Just one of the many realistic features of this set! The “cashier” can press a button and move their customers food on down the belt.
• The scanner that beeps, just like in a real life, when you pass the items over it.
• Pretend scale so you can weigh produce
• Cash register drawer that opens and closes
• Credit card that beeps and says “paid” when you pass it through the scanner

Joshua and Sophie are seriously having such a great time pretending with this set and making up different shopping scenarios.  I know your kiddos will love this, set too!  Here’s how you can win one for them!  You can enter three different ways:

1) Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite pretend toy was when you were a child

2) “Like” Learning Resources on Facebook and then come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did so

3) “Like” Mommin’ It Up on Facebook and come back here and leave a comment letting me know you did or already do.

This contest will be open until Tuesday, December 20th at 6 pm EST.  One winner will be chosen at random.  U.S Residents only, please. Good luck!  For more information on Learning Resources, check out their You Tube videos or follow them on Twitter.

I’ve linked this up to Things I love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries.  Head on over to check out what others love, too!

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Learning Resources provided me with the Pretend & Play Supermarket Checkout to review. All opinions about this product are my own.

Now remember, the winner of this giveaway gets to pick FIVE awesome pieces of the Starfish collection! WHEEE! Whether it be pants, tops, jackets – or some of each!  This collection keeps you so comfy and pulled together.  I want to highlight one of my very favorite pieces – this is the piece that I wish I had more of. MORE MORE MORE, I have a lust for more…

Starfish leggings!!

I love them! I really never thought I could do leggings, but these are so cute and comfy. Wear them with a Starfish tunic, a long sweater…LOVE.  I even wore mine with boots to my son’s school Christmas program. I need at least two more pair!

What item do you think would be your favorite? Tell me for a chance to win…here’s all the ways you can enter to win FIVE pieces of this amazing collection!

1) Go check out the Starfish Collection and leave me a comment letting me know which piece you think looks the best. If you can’t pick one, that’s ok, just tell me what you love!

2) “Like” our facebook page and leave us a comment on this post telling us you did our already do

3) Tweet about this giveaway “Win 5 pieces of the #landsend Starfish Collection from @jennyitup & @momminitup http://bit.ly/vJ7vq1″ then leave us a comment with your tweet URL.

4) Subscribe to our feed, then leave us a comment on this post letting us know you did or already do.

Starfish Spandex Terry Pants

They make my legs very happy.

These are a little more casual-looking than the other Starfish pants, and they have a drawstring – so if you’re a drawstring-pant girl, you’ll love them! The terry is so soft, and so warm – and the pants look great! Especially with the tops and jackets in the Starfish collection.

SO, who wants to win five pieces of this fabulous collection from Lands’ End?  Here’s how to enter!

1) Go check out the Starfish Collection and leave me a comment letting me know which piece you think looks the best. If you can’t pick one, that’s ok, just tell me what you love!

2) “Like” our facebook page and leave us a comment on this post telling us you did our already do

3) Tweet about this giveaway “Win 5 pieces of the #landsend Starfish Collection from @jennyitup & @momminitup http://bit.ly/w4j0Fr” then leave us a comment with your tweet URL.

4) Subscribe to our feed, then leave us a comment on this post letting us know you did or already do.

This giveaway ends Tuesday night at 10:30 PM EST.  If you don’t win this one, keep trying, we’ve got three more to go!

We’re giving away the latest and greatest in the world of smartphones – the Motorolla Droid RAZR.

Do you see how thin that phone is? It’s 0.27″ thick – the size of four quarters. The case is made out of Kevlar, the stuff that constitutes bullet proof vests, and the screen is made from scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, which means you’ll shudder a little less when the kids ask to play with your phone! It also has a coating that repels water.

The craziest thing about this phone is that it has “advanced artificial intelligence” that keeps track of how you use the phone and then modifies itself so it runs at peak effectiveness. You can even set it to switch to silent mode automatically when you go certain places, like church, for example.

Of course, it’s also fast – as we’ve told you before, the Verizon 4G LTE network is amazing. It runs up to 10 times faster than 3G!

Want to check it out for yourself? Here’s how to enter:

– Subscribe to our feed, then leave us a comment on this post letting us know you did or already do.

Contest fine print: One winner will be chosen by random.org from among entries received by November 20th 12pm CST. The winner will be contacted via email and has
24 hours to respond. If winner does not respond within said time a new winner will be selected at random. Winner will need to provide name, email and address for shipment and prize will be shipped out via FedEx. This prize must be shipped to a North American address. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The #MidwestMoms DROID RAZR Giveaway ends November 20th. Verizon Wireless will provide the winner with the giveaway item. Mommin’ It Up is not a sponsor of the giveaway.

In this post I am super-pumped to review for you my new favorite Starfish item: the Terry Foldover Collar Jacket:

Zomgoodness people, it is SO. CUTE. ON.  I adore the foldover collar, which fastens with two snaps.  It’s assymetrical, and cute, and warm, and cozy!  This jacket has pockets!  It’s flowy and comfy.  It looks great with jeans or with your favorite pair of Starfish pants.  It really looks dressy but it feels sooo comfy.  I am super, super, super-enamored with it. Love, love, LOVE it!

Lands’ End keeps coming out with great pieces to make the Starfish Collection even more amazing than it already is.  Here’s how lucky YOU can enter to win five pieces of this great collection, from the pants that started it all to one of the gorgeous tops or jackets!

1) Go check out the Starfish Collection and leave me a comment letting me know which piece you think looks the best. If you can’t pick one, that’s ok, just tell me what you love!

2) “Like” our facebook page and leave us a comment on this post telling us you did our already do

3) Tweet about this giveaway “Win 5 pieces of the #landsend Starfish Collection from @jennyitup & @momminitup http://bit.ly/txgNiv” then leave us a comment with your tweet URL.

4) Subscribe to our feed, then leave us a comment on this post letting us know you did or already do.

This giveaway will end Wednesday, November 9th at 6 pm EST!  Good luck!!

Don’t be sad if you weren’t the winner, because here’s chance #2 (of TEN!) to win!  You could choose this adorable Starfish stripe terry portrait collar top:

Starfish Striped Terry Portrait Collar Top

Or the fabulous original Starfish Refined Stretch Pant (of DREAMS!):

Starfish Refined Stretch Pants

Or, you could get warm & cozy in this Starfish Heavyweight Terry Parka Hoodie.  Ah, I DO adore a good hoodie!

Hoodie!

You can pick any five pieces you want!  And there is so much to choose from! Like I’ve said before, I love everything about the Starfish collection.  Comfort, style, and more than that even – you can feel comfortable while looking absolutely pulled together.  So, if you find yourself spending 24/7 in your Starfish outfits, don’t be surprised…not that I’ve worn them all day and then slept in them or anything…

*Ahem*

Ok, here’s how to enter to win!  And don’t forget the winner gets to pick FIVE pieces from the Starfish Collection!

1) Go check out the Starfish Collection and leave me a comment letting me know which piece you think looks the best. If you can’t pick one, that’s ok, just tell me what you love!

2) “Like” our facebook page and leave us a comment on this post telling us you did our already do

3) Tweet about this giveaway “Win 5 pieces of the #landsend Starfish Collection from @jennyitup & @momminitup http://bit.ly/mWFMHz” then leave us a comment with your tweet URL.

4) Subscribe to our feed, then leave us a comment on this post letting us know you did or already do.

This giveaway will end at 5 pm on Sunday, October 16th at noon EST.  Good luck!

Starfish Refined Stretch Pants

Well, thanks to my deep, obsessive love of all things Starfish, Lands’ End is giving YOU the chance to become obsessed also!  One lucky reader will get to pick FIVE ITEMS FROM THE STARFISH COLLECTION!! And that’s not all – over the next few months, we’ll be doing TEN, count ‘em TEN of these giveaways!!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

So let me share some more of my fave Starfish items with you, and then you can get entering.  Since I loved the original pants so much, I decided to try ALL the other Starfish pants – the fold-over waist pants, the cropped pant, and the Sanded Poplin Cargo pant.

Of course they are all AH-MAY-ZING!  First up, the fold-over waist pant:

Fold over pants. I love these even more than the original.

Okay fer the realz, I didn’t think anything could be better than the original Starfish refined stretch pant, but I actually like the fold-over waist ones a bit better! Unbelievable!  The fold-over part, I’m not kidding, has some CONTROL to it. I mean, I don’t think it’s designed to, but it totally holds in my c-section gut. AWE-SOME! And they.are. so. comfortable! `I really can’t properly explain how wonderful they are. *Sigh* I have a pants crush.  The only thing I like better on the original pant is that sweeeeet little zipper pocket at the top!

Cropped Pant of Dreams

Next up: the cropped pant – these are just like the original, just cropped for warmer weather. And they are CUTE!  And sooo comfy, and they have the POCKET!  If I die in warm-weather season, you can bury me in these!

Or maybe these…the Sanded Poplin Cargo Pant.

cute, comfy, cargos = WIN!

Now these are just cute, cute, cute.  They have a different look than the other Starfish pants, they aren’t quite as cozy, but they are very comfortable and functional and they look GREAT – I wore mine to Joshua’s parent-teacher conference last week with a cute sweater!  Also, I love the way you can adjust the length and wear the cuffs rolled up – they look great either way.  I adore them.  The sanded poplin fabric is light, wears well, and washes up great also!

Ok, but I saved the Belle of the Ball for last – I recently also got to try the brand spankin’ new Starfish Cowlneck Top, and it…is…the TOP I want to be buried in!

Starfish Cowlneck. Seriously. BUY ONE. Or more.

It’s so cozy, so classic, so comfortable, and it’s really just beautiful. I felt so pretty in it all day. And totally wrapped in comfort.  So in addition to the Starfish crew and Draped Cardigan I reviewed in my last post., this Cowlneck is a MUST-HAVE.  A must, must must must MUST-have.

And finally, I didn’t review this because I need another jacket like I need a hole in the head and I do have SOME self-control, but there are also some cute jackets in the Starfish collection!  Like this one:

Starfish Terry Jacket

Adorable, no? And it’s made of the same faboo french terry fabric so I know it must feel amazing on!

Starfish! Best! Collection! Ever!  Now here’s how to enter to win FIVE PIECES of this collection for yourself!

1) Go check out the Starfish Collection and leave me a comment letting me know which piece you think looks the best. If you can’t pick one, that’s ok, just tell me what you love!

2) “Like” our facebook page and leave us a comment on this post telling us you did our already do

3) Tweet about this giveaway “Win 5 pieces of the #landsend Starfish Collection from @jennyitup & @momminitup  http://bit.ly/oRue8A”  then leave us a comment with your tweet URL.

4) Subscribe to our feed, then leave us a comment on this post letting us know you did or already do.

ONE winner will be chosen Saturday, October 8th at noon EST.  But remember we will have NINE MORE giveaways and nine more chances to win!!

Happy entering!

And when I say we had the pleasure, I’m not being sarcastic – which is miraculous, really, because typically photo sessions drive me to drink. You should have seen the times Jenny and I took our tiny babies – Kate and Joshua – to Target to have their pictures taken together. Oh, if we’d only had this blog then, posts about those experiences would have definitely qualified for the “Greatest Hits” page.

But I digress!

Sunday’s shoot was a lot of fun. We met Lindsey at Eden Park in Cincinnati, which was the perfect backdrop. Lindsey is the mom of two little boys, and she was fantastic with my kids. Kate couldn’t wait to get in front of the camera lens, but Sam had fallen asleep in the car on the way there and wasn’t in the best picture-taking mood. Lindsey was able to get him smiling and joking anyway, and got some great shots.

I could continue to wax poetic about our photo shoot, but instead I think I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

I love them! It was hard to pick my favorites from Lindsey’s online proofing gallery (a very convenient feature in and of itself).

Lindsey very generously offered to photograph my family so I could write about my experience, and she would also like to extend that offer to one of our readers. We’re giving away a full portrait session for one lucky reader!

The session includes:
– A 60-90 minute session on location in the Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky area.
– 45-60 final re-touched proofs in an online proofing gallery.
– Client’s choice of 25 high resolution digital files with printing rights.
– $50 print credit.

To enter, “like” Smith Digital Photography on Facebook and then leave a comment on this post telling us you did so. For an extra entry, post a link to the contest on your Facebook status (tagging Smith Digital Photography and Mommin’ It Up would be awesome!) and leave an additional comment for that.

The giveaway will end Tuesday, August 7, 2011, and a winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!