I watch a lot of DVR’d shows because of my busy schedule.. and as they end, I almost always catch a glimpse of the show after it. Many times, I start watching in.. and it shuts off..  darn. Well, I recently saw a segment of the show “Shark Tank” that featured Melisa and Michele, the creators of Sendaball. I was so intrigued that I immediately looked them up.. and I fell in LOVE this the idea!

Sendaball is a family business created by sisters Michele and Melisa, with is official headquarters in Melisa’s Chicago basement!  The idea is quite simple, yet so much fun!

“I come from the direct mail world, so I knew the mailing rules. I made a practice of sending silly things in the mail over the years. One day I was in Osco, saw a BIN of bouncy balls, grabbed one and thought “I can mail this”. Took a sharpie, addressed it to my BFF Sharon, wrote “Have BALL with your new baby”, went to the post office and mailed it. Sharon loved it so much, my sister and i sent them again and again to other friends. A few years later while standing in line at the post office, a guy behind me asked about the balls and asked if I could send one for him. Initially I instructed him in the steps to do it himself, but by the time we got to the front of the line, he had given me the info and $5. Laughing, I called my sister and told her how funny that just was. She said, ” MICH, I THINK WE ARE ONTO SOMETHING”.” — Melisa

Their idea has skyrocketed in the last year with appearances on the Today Show, CNBC, Good Morning America, and even Oprah! If you are in a pinch and really want a unique greeting idea.. or are looking to send a gift to a child in your life, Sendaball has the solution. You can create your own saying, or of theirs. Chose a color. Fill in the shipping information and for only $19.95 [that includes postage] you can send a smile via the US Postal Service!

The balls are about 10 inches in diameter and are sent fully inflated! There are no boxes, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, or string. What you see is what you get! Orders are generally shipping within one business day and are shipping First Class mail. A Sendaball is treated as if it were a package, so be aware that they may not be shoved into your mailbox. This is a patent pending idea!

So what did we really think?

OMG! THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!

I am totally in love with the idea.. and I cannot believe that someone did not think of this sooner. Really.. I would have loved to get one of these in the mail as a kid. My mail lady was NOT pleased.. but then again.. she doesn’t like the fact that I get so many packages. She made a comment about having to lug it around and it rolling around in her truck.. I just laughed! It is really magical for Serenity to get anything in the mail, but this truly took the cake… she was ECSTATIC for the ball. Both kids love their ball which is of course a summertime staple.

My only concern came about as I was reading over their FAQ section. I noticed a piece saying, “As hard as we may try, we cannot always honor your color requests, but we do try to find something comparable.” I was a little shocked to see that, and I know that I would be disappointed to receive something other than I requested. At the same time, this is a business run out of their home and you can only do what you can do!

I really feel the prices is reasonable and along with the truly unique idea… it really cannot  be beat as far as a gift idea. Kids love getting mail.. and getting a fully inflated ball delivered by the post man.. well.. it can’t be beat.

Giveaway

** You do not need a blog or website to enter this giveaway. You only need a VALID email address. **

**Open to US and Canada**

Please remember to leave 1 comment per entry or they will not be counted separately.

(All additional entries are optional and worth 1 additional entry each)

Follow: Follow this blog

Twitter: Follow me at@BHBarbie AND @HeySENDaBALL AND tweet about this giveaway (once per day)

You will have until 3/21 to enter this contest.

The winner will be announced using random.org shortly after! No entries will be accepted after midnight ET on 3/21. Winners will have 48 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be selected.

Get your entries in, and be sure to spread the word!

** I was given review item free of charge for review on my blog. No cash compensation was received.  All  items have been used by myself and my family to ensure that an honest, quality review was composed. All ideas and opinions in this review are my own, unless otherwise stated. Information about the company may be paraphrased or quoted. I AM an ethical blogger **

Did you ready my review? No? You should.. this is the one thing that every parent should have when leaving the house with their kids!

Congratulations to our winners….

#9 Melissa @ Frogs & Snails & puppy Dog Tales

AND

#5 Stephanie @ Coupon Clippin’ Mommy

Heath is an IT guy.. he is your man if you have a computer problem. He can build them from scratch, install and troubleshoot nearly anything, and is even dabbling in web design. I love it. Computers really are the present and even more advanced technologies are our future.. and I am glad that I will be “in the loop”.. and b e able to teach my kids the pros and cons of technology.

And another thing I hope is that my kids look to my husband and I as role models.. while I will be proud of them no matter what.. how cool would it be for the kids to model our career choices?! Caeden is quite the little fix-it!!!

Ahhh! We missed the circus today :(

I was bummed, Serenity was bummed.. and most of all.. I didn’t get to take Caeden. We have been having some car troubles.. I just started my new job, and we are moving in 6 days. Life is hectic right now.. and as much as I have tried to do it all.. I just cannot.

If you are interested, we actually saw the Zing Zang Zoom show back in October.. and I posted a review for that.  I would like to draw your attention to my besties blog.. she did attend the circus event.. and did a FANTASTIC review!!

Visit Jessica @ Mommy to a Lil Lady[bug]

e.l.f. Makeover

Wow! I am actually surprised by the number of entrants being that it was such short notice!! Thank you all! I just want to let you know that I have a giveaway Playhouse Disney Live giveaway coming up and it is at the Cleveland Wolstein Center!

Congrats to our winners!

Sandy Mannino

and

Tammy Wilson

I love CSN stores! They offer over 200 online stores that sell just about everything you can think of including; toys, couches, kitchen appliance, toddler beds, and toys! I have been given the opportunity to work with them on a great review.. and the kids are going to be blown away by what the “Easter Bunny” brought them this year… besides a basket full of candy and eggs!

Wanna know?!

Well….I had to make a really tough decision as.. and it came down to…

ANY GUESSES?

Eyes, Lips, Face

I rarely wear makeup. I am not very good at applying it.. and most times I end up looking like a clown. Over the last few months, I have made a resolution of sorts to learn the art of applying makeup. I have visited blogs, watched videos, and even make a trip to a local makeup store to get some one on one instruction. Of course.. Miss Serenity is a natural.. and makeup artist in the making. No really.. she told me so! Anyway. I was in contact with e.l.f. Cosmetics so they could further help me explore my girly side and they offered me some great products to review!!

Eyes, Lips, Face [e.l.f.]

“e.l.f.’s philosophy is that beauty comes from within and it’s our goal to enable every woman to look and feel her personal best through the perfect blend of both the inner and outer person. With that goal in mind, e.l.f. cosmetics was born – a line of simple, luxurious, problem-solution tools that allow you to showcase and believe in your unique, personal beauty. Our cosmetics are designed to improve and accentuate the individual, not hide her away.” — e.l.f.

Okay, so we created a short little video.. this is NOT my review.. but Serenity is in love with makeup.. so I thought we would put together a little video of my makeup artist. Enjoy!

What did we really think?

Wow! There is so much to take in with this brand that I can in no way do it in just one post! As I mentioned earlier in this post, I am new to makeup and am still learning the do and don’ts of products. The e.l.f. website is soooo full of inf you could literally spend hours exploring! So far, my favorite feature is the “makeup tips” section. There are easily hundreds of tips for you from bad breath solutions to dark eye circles.  Of course just about any celebrity you can think of has been spotted at some point praising e.l.f..

Sooooo…. I spent some time messing around with their makeover feature.. ahhh.. it’s a hoot! Really.. you must try it. You simply upload a straight on photo and experiment with hairstyles and makeup. What did I pick?

We were given the opportunity to try out some of the products. As I searched the site, I noticed that the prices were reasonable… I mean $1 lip color, eyeshadow and nail polish. Really?! As hard as I tried.. I could not find a price that was too high in comparison to makeup stores.. or even department brands. My first thought was that lower prices equal lower quality, but I was willing to try it out.

We received an eyeshadow duo in Blueberry, Length and Volumizing Mascara, and french manicure colored nail polish. Honestly, we loved it all! The eyeshadow color was not as intense as I would have expected from such a deep blue, which makes me wonder about other deeper shades. The mascara was great. It was the perfect combination of waterproof and washable. You could remove it easily with soap and water and without tons of scrubbing and burning eye. I am still working on the art of the french manicure.. but overall the polish was bright and long lasting.

Yes my friends.. I loved e.l.f. soooo much that I became an affiliate. So, if you are interested in checking it out and possibly making a purchase, please click my little link above.

Become a Facebook Fan

Find them on Twitter @askelf

Check out the YouTube videos

Come back on Wednesday for a peak into my husband’s e.l.f. makeover!!!

WOW!!! Thank you all so much for following me! I am so proud to have hit 400 followers… I am excited that you all have stuck around to here my ramble about my kids and my life. Or maybe you guys are really just in it for the giveaways.. either way.. I am glad! Thank you.

We did reach 400 followers and then some last Friday.. and as promised, I am giving away (2) $10 GC’s to Target!!

Congratulations to my winners:

Kristina [Who did not leave me a website]

and

Katie @ Momma of Two Girls

Again, thanks to all of my followers for making this blog… I have LOTS of great giveaways coming up. Please excuse the mess for the next couple of weeks.. I am starting a new job and moving :)