I have been chosen on behalf of Sprint to receive, keep, and provide feedback for the new Sprint HTC Snap Smartphone. So over the next 2 weeks I will be bringing you updates on how the phone works, what doesn’t work and what I like and don’t like and I will be completely honest with my feedback. I also have an exciting giveaway coming up in the next couple of days so be on the lookout for that. I am looking for interaction on these posts with my readers, so if you have thoughts or questions please post them in comments and I will get to them all. And without further delay I will get to my thoughts and feedback straight out of the box on the…

Sprint HTC Snap – The stylish Sprint HTC Snap is designed to simplify your life while keeping you connected to the people you care about.

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard
• Microsoft Office Mobile
• QWERTY keyboard
• Live Search
• Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR
• 3G support

Right away I was impressed with the size of the Sprint HTC Snap. Fits in the palm of my hand and is lightweight and that is always a huge plus for me. I am used to a bigger keyboard but I can get around that because what the rest of the phone brings is worth it. My favorite part about this phone so far is the fact that it runs Windows Mobile.

I have spent quite a few hours, even losing track of time, syncing all my stuff with the Sprint HTC Snap, like my calenders, my contacts and even my One Notes as it has Office Mobile and with all that I do and need to keep track of I am so happy to see that is available.

I am also a big into social media, so seeing that Facebook and Twitter applications were available for this phone boosted its ratings for me. I am coming from a not so Smartphone, in my terms, and all of this is a new experience to me and it is going really well. Over the next few days I will be testing out the GPS ability, setting up my multiple email accounts and talking about my general use of the phone.

Remember if you have any questions or would like to know about a feature the phone has please leave me a comment and I can explore the phone and learn about it with you. So far, out of the box I am loving the Sprint HTC Snap, it may just be the phone that makes me switch as it has made my life so much easier in the short time I have had it.

Stay tuned for more updated feedback as well as the exciting giveaway I have for you all…

It’s like magic, but you don’t need to be a magician to get it to work. The PlasmaCar is a mechanical marvel that makes use of that most inexhaustible of energy sources, kid-power, by harnessing the natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, gravity, and friction. It’s so easy to operate; all it needs is a driver and a smooth, flat surface.

I was recently given a PlasmaCar to review here on The Dirty Shirt, and while reviewing is what I do here I have to say that this particular product has brought me something more than the typical joy I get out of seeing my children play, and I will get to that in a second, but here are the specifics of the PlasmaCar.

PlasmaCar is made from state-of-the-art, high-quality ABS plastics, rugged and durable. Kids will like its looks because it´s vivid, sleek and aerodynamic, just like a racecar. No batteries, no power-cells, no liquid fuel are required. It´s so easy to operate; all it needs is a driver and a smooth, flat surface. For the kids, the PlasmaCar is pure energy and pure fun. For the folks, it´s safe, inexpensive, and quiet.

The PlasmaCar has been nothing but a amazingly great toy for my kids to play with, they zoom around the house either one at a time or with the older kids giving the youngest a ride, screaming and laughing and having a great time. Heck I am not ashamed to admit that I too, have gotten on and zipped though the house, and no, video won’t be shown even though hubby did get some. So for me the PlasmaCar has been a blessing, something I love because my kids love it and have so much fun with it.

Now I want to share with you the special thing the PlasmaCar did for my family. First I would like you to meet my nephew, D…

A little background on D, he is on the Autism Spectrum, and at the age of almost 4 he is just starting to do things that some younger kids are doing, reaching milestones that they are reaching. He is a bit behind and my sister has found it hard to find things that capture and hold his attention for a good amount of time. He has tried to ride a bike but didn’t like it, we are not sure what about it he didn’t like but he refused to ride a bike.

I see the struggle in emotions that my sister and her husband go through during times like trying to find something that he likes. It breaks my heart! So any time I bring the kids to see him or they come to our house we try to come up with things that he may be interested in. The day after I received the PlasmaCar I was invited to her house and decided to bring it along to show my sister how much fun it was and to see if it may spark D’s interest.

I was so touched to see him get on it and figure out how to maneuver it all on his own. The look on my sister’s face was priceless and brought tears to my eyes seeing her so proud of her son. His like of the PlasmaCar was extremely evident when I had to leave and take the car with me so I could fully review it. This prompted a massive search of stores throughout Orlando to find this car right away. My sister went everywhere, but never found it. She didn’t want to order it and wait for delivery, but that looked like what was going to happen. I did however find it the next day at a store near me and bought it for him right away, called her and they immediately came over to pick it up.

My sister was so happy to have been able to get the PlasmaCar for D and I am thrilled with the results it has had with him. So not only do I recommend this product to everyone for the sheer fun it is but if you too have a child on the Autism Spectrum, this car may be just the thing to help them out. (these results may not be the same as ours,  I am just sharing with you the results that I/my sister have had with this product.)

To learn more about the PlasmaCar please go here, and you can connect with them on Twitter and Facebook. And stay up to date with the PlasmaCar on their blog as well.

Where Good Thinking™ and good value intersect.

As one of the country’s leading distributors of small kitchen appliances, Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc. sells over 35 million appliances every year.

Our company’s most famous brands — Hamilton Beach®, Eclectrics®, Proctor Silex® and TrueAir® — are found in households across America, Canada and Mexico. Now we’re expanding into new areas as well, delivering our “Good Thinking™” approach throughout the home.

We’re proud that our product quality, wide variety of options, superior customer service and brand name strength continue to earn us kudos with consumers. And we’re committed to helping make your day a little easier, more creative and flavorful through Good Thinking™ applied to the style and function in all of our small electric appliances.

BrewStation® Summit 12 Cup Coffeemaker

PRODUCT FEATURES

• Coffee stays fresher longer – no hot plate to scorch coffee flavor
• Versatile brewing – choose from bold, regular, iced coffee or small-batch options
• One-hand dispensing – no carafe, no pouring, no spills
• Adjustable auto shutoff – customizable from 0-4 hours
• Programmable clock/timer
• Insulated tank helps prevent heat and flavor from escaping to keep coffee fresh
• Never break another glass carafe

I had been searching for a new coffee maker for a few months now and I am so happy to have had the chance to receive this BrewStation as it has truly made my life so much easier! I will be the first to admit that I tend to lean toward the clumsy side, and most of the time I fall, as did my glass coffee carafes. I had replaced that thing at least 4 times, and then my coffee maker started leaking, and I was at a loss without my coffee in the morning.

The BrewStation swept in and helped me get back to my great tasting coffee. I LOVE that there is no carafe and I can literally get my coffee with one hand in the morning. I can also make iced coffee for the hot afternoons in Florida.  I really love the Hamilton Beach BrewStation and I recommend it to all my coffee drinking readers. This is definitely a must have!

Hamilton Beach has donated one of it BrewStation Summit Machines to The Dirty Shirt for my Crazy For Coffee Week and I thrilled that I can bring an easier coffee making experience to one of my readers. If you would like to win the BrewStation Summit please see rules below to enter:

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Go to the Hamilton Beach website and pick another of their products you would love to have and come back and tell me what it is in comments. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Please leave direct URL in comments so I can check or click Tweet button at the top of this post (next to title) and add @jentifa to it.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to the Hamilton Beach website.

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 1, with winner being announced the morning of August 2. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

(Cartoon Network links have sound, be sure  volume is at comfortable level before clicking)

Now in its fifth year, this 40-city tour is designed to motivate, energize and educate kids ages 6-14 about healthy living choices by using the power of Cartoon Network’s shows, characters and brands.

The tour will run all summer-long and feature interactive areas designed around select Cartoon Network series as well as activity areas for kids, including: the Crayola “Everything Imaginable” tent featuring three different Crayola activity stations; an FDA (Food and Drug Administration) area where kids will toss over-sized “nutrition label” dice and compare the two face-up labels for a prize, while learning to understand the nutrition facts label on food packaging more effectively; and a Subway section where kids will have the opportunity to compete on stationary bikes with a video game to beat a countdown clock.

Here is a list of stops the tour is making this summer: If a venue is not yet specified, it will be posted on the official Web site www.GetAnimated.com closer to the event date.

07/18/09 – Time Warner Cable – Cleveland, OH – Water Works Family Aquatic Center 20225 Munroe Falls Ave, Cuyahoga Falls, OH  44221

07/19/09 – Comcast – Detroit, MI – To be announced

07/23/09 – Time Warner Cable – Columbus, OH – Easton Town Center

07/24/09 – Time Warner Cable – Dayton, OH – The Greene

07/25/09 – Time Warner Cable – Cincinnati, OH – Coney Island 6210 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45228 11AM – 5PM

07/26/09 – Comcast – Indianapolis, IN – To be announced

07/30/09 – Comcast – Nashville, TN – To be announced

07/31/09 – Comcast – Memphis, TN – To be announced

08/11/09 – Comcast – Minneapolis, MN – To be announced

08/15/09 – Time Warner Cable – Kansas City – To be announced

08/19/09 – Cox – Tulsa, OK – To be announced

08/22/09 – Comcast – Denver, CO – To be announced

08/23/09 – Comcast – Denver, CO – To be announced

08/29/09 – Comcast – Seattle, WA – To be announced

08/31/09 – Comcast – Portland, OR – Oregon State Fair

9/5/2009-9/6/2009 – Comcast – San Francisco, CA – To be announced

09/09/09 – Comcast – San Diego, CA – To be announced

In addition to Cartoon Network’s GET ANIMATED Tour, our sponsor Crayola will also be visiting cities nationwide to promote the Crayola “Outdoor Challenge,” an initiative aimed at inspiring families to spend more time outside exercising their bodies and minds.  For more information, tips on outdoor fun and to take the Crayola Outdoor Challenge pledge, visit www.crayola.com.

Crayola has supplied me with 2 gift packages, 1 for my kids to review, and 1 for me to giveaway to one lucky Dirty Shirt reader. These products are a great way to get your kids outside and moving around! My kids loved the chalk and spent countless hours outside creating awesome pictures on the patio. Below is what the gift package will include:

Gift pack includes Color Explosion Extreme Surprises, Color Surge, 3D Sidewalk Chalk (this stuff is awesome!) and Sidewalk Crayons.

Your children will have hours of fun with these Crayola products, so if you would like the chance to win, see rules below and enter today!

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments what your children are doing to stay animated during the summer months. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Please leave direct URL in comments so I can check or click Tweet button at the top of this post (next to title) and add @jentifa to it.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 1, with winner being announced the morning of August 2. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Trix Swirls® combines two mouthwatering fruity colors into every fun puff that will satisfy kids´ taste buds and spark their creativity! A good source of calcium and vitamin D, the Trix Rabbit won´t be the only one who can´t resist these fruity combos, which include lemony green, berry berry blue, and rasporangey orange!

Trix has always been a part of my breakfast since I was a little girl and the new Trix Swirls is a fun addition to what has always been a great cereal. My kids loved the new flavors that my daughter said looks like they collided.

Together with MyBlogSpark I am able to bring you a fun giveaway for your kids. Below is the image of the gift basket I have to giveaway to one lucky Dirty Shirt reader. There are 2 available…

Trix Swirls® Creative Kid gift basket includes a sample of the product along with a colorful apron, a set of watercolor pencils, watercolor paints, brushes, a sketchbook, and an art supply box. Great fun for everyone, my tween and toddler love all the art stuff they got to play with. See rules below to enter to win, remember there are 2 up for grabs.

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Ask your child/children how they think the colors got swirled together or what two items they would like to see swirled together. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Please leave direct URL in comments so I can check or click Tweet button at the top of this post (next to title) and add @jentifa to it.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on August 1, with winner being announced the morning of August 2. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Here are your random numbers:

111 – Christine – No Blog
77 – Janelle from Brimful Curiosities

Timestamp: 2009-07-17 10:39:39 UTC

Please check your email and get back to me within 48 hours or I will have to choose another winner.

~~~~~~~~~~

Music Box CD Winners (5) are…

Here are your random numbers:

10 – Susan – No Blog
6 – Sylvia – No Blog
41 – Christine W – No Blog
8 – Kimberly – No Blog
22 – Rose Red – No Blog

Timestamp: 2009-07-17 10:47:41 UTC

Please check your email and get back to me within 48 hours or I will have to choose another winner.

The name of this guide may sound familiar to you if you’re familiar with Heidi Murkoff’s What to Expect Series.  Actually, Heidi worked with The What to Expect Foundation and Clorox to develop the “What to Expect: Guide to a Healthy Home” in 2006.  The “What to Expect Healthy Home Growth Chart” is a new supplement to the original healthy home guide that’s shorter and is broken down by your child’s age.

A few healthy tips from the guide include:

• Set up small changing stations with baby wipes and diapers in multiple rooms in your house to make diaper changing easier on you… especially if you have multiple floors.
• Disinfect frequently-touched surfaces in the home – such as doorknobs, light switches and hard toys – with disinfecting wipes to help prevent the spread of germs.
• If a stuffed toy isn’t machine-washable, put it in a plastic bag in the freezer overnight to help get rid of dust mites.

Try this neat trick: The last page of the guide is a great print-out for moms to post on the fridge or distribute to playgroup members for quick tips.

To read more and download this free resource click here.

“I grew up working side-by-side with my father on the coffee farm, learning to love and respect the land. Every morning at dawn, he and I would travel an hour by mule to our coffee farm. Whether planting shade trees, applying organic fertilizers, or weeding or harvesting, the two of us always felt a deep connection to the land and our coffee. Today, even though I live away from the coffee farm, I feel great joy that I am able to help my father sell his coffee here in the United States, finally fulfilling his life-long dream of bringing to the world the best gourmet Guatemalan coffee.”
~Anavela Mijangos~

Café Xinca Gourmet Guatemalan Coffee – At Café Xinca our coffee is roasted in small batches, never exceeding 35 lbs in any particular roast, which is a sign of high-quality roasting, unlocking the full-flavor associated with the Arabica coffees from my country.

Spanish Roast – A rich, dark roast coffee with a bold smooth flavor. The whole beans are dark in color, like a dark chocolate. This roast is similar to a French roast, but a little sweeter in flavor.

I love to try new coffee either whole bean or ground and have continuously been impressed with a lot of what I try. But I will have to say that after being given a bag of Café Xinca’s Spanish Roast Blend for this review and giveaway, I have found a new popular blend in my household. It has a nice, bold flavor and I love how finely ground it is. My husband and I both love it and when we had our neighbors drop in they tried it out as well and they were in agreement, Café Xinca Spanish Roast is a great coffee with a full flavor with just the kick I need to get me going in the morning.

I have great news for all you coffee lovers too. I have been given an extra 1 lb. bag of Café Xinca Spanish Roast Ground Coffee as part of the Crazy For Coffee Week for a giveaway. So if you would like to give this coffee a try see the rules below to enter…

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments what your favorite blend of coffee is. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Please leave direct URL in comments so I can check or click Tweet button at the top of this post (next to title) and add @jentifa to it.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on July 31, with winner being announced the morning of August 1. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

Family Car Games gives you instructions for 100 gear-free games the whole family can play!  Guessing games, word games, singing games, memory games, games for under 5s, games using the car radio, lots of brand new games, a few old favorites…minivan-tested, all ways to have FUN…and bring your family closer together.

This is a perfect app for your iPhone or iPod that will definitely keep the kids entertained and stop them from fighting with each other. You can use it on long trips or short trips to the local grocery store. I recently had the chance to review this app and used it for the first time on a car trip to run errands, not a long trip but I can tell you it was a quiet trip with the kids playing nice and laughing. I love that you can just shake your iPhone or iPod and the game spins to pick your game. When you select the game it lands on you get a screen with all the directions on how to play the game. It gives you the Difficulty, Type, Length and # of players needed for the chosen game.

This is a great idea and I am actually looking forward to our long road trip that is coming up now that I have tested this app out on my kids. They love it and even ask for it now even if we are just going down the road. Which for me is a blessing. I love this app and it will provide hours of entertainment for your whole family. I have even been given the chance to show one of the Dirty Shirt readers just how much fun it is by offering a giveaway for a copy of Family Car Games for your iPhone or iPod. See rules below to enter:

Giveaway

• MAIN RULE – Tell me in comments what your family’s favorite game to play is on long road trips. (remember if this rule is not followed then no others will count)
• 1 Extra Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed or by email (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Favorite The Dirty Shirt in Technorati and leave your name (I will be checking) in a separate comment
• 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter (button in subscribe section on on the right sidebar) and let me know your Twitter name in a separate comment.
• 1 Extra Entry – Tweet this giveaway. Please leave direct URL in comments so I can check or click Tweet button at the top of this post (next to title) and add @jentifa to it.
• 2 Extra Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog.

This giveaway will run through midnight on July 31, with winner being announced the morning of August 1. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen. Giveaway is open to everyone.