New Freschetta By The Slice review and contest. *CLOSED*

This post brought to you by FRESCHETTA®. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was given the opportunity to try FRESCHETTA® By the Slice I will say it, I love pizza- fresh from the oven pizza, but I do not always have time to bake my own pizza or travel over 15 miles to the nearest decent pizza place. Plus with warmer weather sneaking up on us quickly, who wants to turn on the oven? I was a bit worried that this would taste like some of the frozen pizzas that I ate in the past that tasted more like cardboard than pizza. I was pleasantly surprised to find that was NOT the case. The Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom pizza that I chose was crispy on the bottom but still had a soft crust. It had that fresh from the oven taste that I love! The toppings were just the right amount as well, there was enough chicken and mushroom to get some with each bite and the cheese that covered the entire slice.         

- Other flavors offered:
* BBQ Recipe Chicken
* Vegetable Medley
* Six Cheese Medley

Check out FRESCHETTA® on Twitter at @FreschettaPizza and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freschettapizza

FRESCHETTA®would also like to give one lucky reader the chance to try out FRESCHETTA® By the Slice themselves. You could win a coupon for a free FRESCHETTA® By the Slice as well as a six piece container set.

To enter leave the flavor or pizza you would like to try.

For extra entries:

-Follow FRESCHETTA® on Twitter at @FreschettaPizza

-Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freschettapizza

-Tweet about this contest, maximum of two tweets a day and be sure to include @runninlateagain in the tweet.

-Blog about the contest (ten entries)

*Available to US residents only. Contest ends 5/21/11 11:59pm CST.

Lucky to be Redbox.

 

Want some free Redbox movies? Follow these steps to score free Redbox movies from now until Thursday, March 17.

• Sign-up for a redbox online account at www.redbox.com/luckymoms
  • Why? By signing up for an online account, you can see what movies are currently in redbox kiosks near you and reserve your picks to guarantee they’ll still be waiting for you when you get there (until 9 p.m. the next day).
• Redbox will email you a personal web address link
• Share the link with your friends
• Every time someone reserves a movie online through your personal web address, you’ll receive a credit in your online account for a free one-night DVD rental
• If it is your friend’s first time reserving online, they’ll also receive a credit for a free one night rental
• Spread the luck!  Email it, post it to Facebook, Tweet about it

I am entering a giveaway for free Redbox movies and movie snack packs as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club.

Google Call Phone- ♥ it!

If you are like me you may have completely ditched your landline. I recently had an issue with my Blackberry, now you know those pesky cell phone companies and they do NOT like you troubleshooting a phone that you are talking to them on. I searched for the kids' cell phones that should have been left at home while they are at school (BUSTED! I'll deal w/you later!) but they were no where in sight. So I downloaded Google Call Phone, their currently free VOIP (voice over IP) phone. ♥ it! I could talk to them and troubleshoot my phone w/o having to wait for the kids to get home and dealing w/yelling and screaming kids while trying to follow instructions. I will definitely be using you again!

Potty learning.

I am about to take on the task of potty learning with Kira. Shouldn't be too hard, I have successfully trained 5 other kiddos. The fastest learner was Kaly who took two days to get it and got it both day and night. She decided she was done with diapers and that was that. The longest was Loryn, she-as she does now-fought me tooth and nail. I think it was two months before she learned during the day and another six months before we figured out a solution for night time. I had to take her to the bathroom between 10:30pm and midnight every night for her to stay dry through the night. She was and still is a very heavy sleeper, she still wakes on her own to use the restroom at this time every night, well it is more like sleep walking lol. After we figured this out with Loryn, we used that with the rest of the kids (except Kal who never needed it).

The main challenge that I will face this time, is carpet. All of our previous homes had a combination of wood and tile throughout with only carpet in the bedrooms. During the initial learning stage we just shut all the bedroom doors and kept the kids out in the easy clean up areas. I will not have that this time. We only have the kitchen and baths with tile flooring this time. I have been searching the net for good training pants that are more like cloth diapers than pull-ups and I found them.

 

SuperUndies! They can be found at http://www.superundies.com and they are just like a regular underwear only they have a pocket for cloth inserts and a waterproof outer layer to catch accidents. The thing that really sold me on them however, was the easy open tabs, located on the back side to allow for easy clean up on those messier occasions. I am anxiously awaiting my order, but once I get it and try them out I will update-hopefully on my or rather Kira's success!

Fisher Price EZbundle Review

Fisher Price recently introduced the EZ Bundle 4-in-1 Baby System. The bundle includes one seat that interchanges into 4 different seat bases, an infant seat, swing, high chair, and toddler seat. Being a mother of seven children, my living room home looks like a daycare with all of the baby gear scattered about. Seeing the EZ Bundle made me excited to relieve my home of some of that clutter.
Assembly:
I was a bit intimidated by the contents of the box. There was a ton of pieces and although I have put countless amounts of baby gear together, the sheer number of pieces made me think the process would take much longer than it did. After hunting down a screwdriver that my husband hid put away, I got to work. All in all it took about 20 minutes to put all of the bases together. Two things did stump me and held up the process a bit, the first was locating the swing seat base-it was set into the seat already and just had to be detached but it was something that I wasn't expecting nor was in the instructions (I looked when I couldn't find it!). The second was assembling the toddler seat/highchair base. I kept messing up and putting the back into the front and the front into the back. Seriously I am usually not this blond, but every time I twisted it around to put the piece in the right spot I grabbed the wrong part.

Infant Swing:
Once the seat is set into the base and the legs are place it is like any other swing as far as operation. The legs snapped into place smoothly but finding the proper angle to get the legs in place is a bit hard. I at first thought that only one leg fit into one slot but now know that they will go into any with the right angle. Below are the swing features:

• 6-speeds for variety

• 3-point restraint
• Comfy stain-resistant seat pad
• Approx. 0-6 Months, Maximum weight: 25 lbs.
• Use Swing from birth until child becomes active and attempts to climb out of the product.

High Chair:
Perfect height for use, seems to be very sturdy. I was expecting it to be wobbly but that was NOT the case.

• 5-point restraint
• Comfy stain-resistant seat pad
• Approx. 6-24 Months, Maximum weight: 50 lbs.
• Use High Chair only with a child who has enough upper body control to sit up unassisted.

Newborn Seat
The recline was perfect for a younger baby or a sleeping baby. As you can see, Jonas was very comfortable in the reclined position.
• Great for feeding or napping!
• 3-point restraint
• Comfy stain-resistant seat pad
• Approx. 0-6 Months, Maximum weight: 25 lbs.
• Use Infant seat from birth until child is able to sit up unassisted.

Toddler seat
This is perfect for play the seat can be used with or without the tray and in a pinch can be used as a highchair from the floor.
• Holds toddlers up to 50 lbs.!
• Comfy stain-resistant seat pad
• Approx. 18 Months & up, Maximum weight: 50 lbs.
• Use Toddler seat only with a child capable of getting into and out of the product unassisted.

Recommendations: This would be perfect for anyone who does not want their home over ran by baby gear or who does not have the space for an infant seat, swing, highchair and toddler seat.

Things I would change: I would send more than one set of legs with it, yes it is easy to switch but I am seeing how that can be a hindrance on the product. If the baby is screaming wanting to eat or swing, you do not want to try and switch the legs as you have to set the baby down to do this. I would also add a handle to allow parents to easily switch bases without having to take the baby out of the seat. I would also have the tray attach to the interchangeable seat rather than the toddler seat/highchair base. I would have loved to use the tray with the swing but there was no way to attach it. Another item to mention is, Jonas kept reaching out and grabbing the swing arms when in the swing. I was afraid that he would hurt himself by getting his arm between the swing arm and swing legs. I would have to say the swing was for younger babies and not for a child that can sit up and reach out to grab the arms. Lastly I would like to see a belt added to the toddler seat so that it can be attached to a chair and used as a highchair w/o the base.

*Thank you Fisher Price and MomSelect for giving me the Fisher Price EZ Bundle 4-in-1 baby system to review.

Little swimmer.

I always knew that Kira would not follow the path of my other kiddos and have that gripping terrified fear of the water that prevented them from enjoying the pool. She has proved me right. We were using a life vest for her but it seemed to be too bulky and cumbersome for her to use. I saw a few pictures from an online friend with their daughter swimming in a Puddle Jumper, so when I came across one for 1/2 price at Shopko I decided to give it a try. Three different times in the pool and now she is like a fish!

Back to germs......er, I mean back to school.

I am not one of those germaphobes who obsesses about germs and must sanitize everything, but I am very conscious of their effects on my family. We went through a terrible flu season last year and ended 2009 and started 2010 with a very sick toddler that was hospitalized for reoccurring pneumonia. That being said you can understand why we will be doing a bit more this year to try and keep those germs away, not only for Kira, who was a preemie and had pneumonia 4 times, but for Jonas who was a preemie as well.

As I went through the kids school supply list I added on hand sanitizer. I gave them each a bottle last year at the beginning of the year and then another after winter break. The challenge was getting them to use them and making them want to use them. This year I picked up a few of these Bath & Body Works hand sanitizers with the holders. They are on sale right now for 5 for $5 and the holders are 2 for $1 so for just about $8 I got the five kids who are in school sanitizers for the backpacks in fun scents that they cannot wait to use! I will be going back for more as I know they will run out quickly (they are small bottles) and I need to put one on the diaper bag and the one attached to my purse is running low.

A few precautions you can use to reduce the amount of school germs entering your home are:

• have children changing clothes immediately upon coming home from school,
  
• then washing hands,
  
• keep all backpacks hung and away from younger siblings

Here is to a safe and relatively low germ school year for all!

Mom legs.

I woke up about three years ago and found that I was finally at my before baby weight. I was the weight that I was at 19 years old. What a great feeling. I pulled out the shorts that only skinny chicks could pull off and finally put them on. That was when I turned a bit in the full length mirror and saw them.....MOM LEGS.

The icky blue veins were not new to me, after all I got my first hint of a varicose vein at 17. I was mortified but thought that since it was so small it would NEVER look like my mom's legs. Boy was I wrong, after my second pregnancy I found a nice little cluster on my left leg that only grew with each of the following 6 pregnancies.

When I had my 'mom leg' moment that morning I knew that once Toby had his vasectomy I was going to get my legs done and be rid of them once and for all. Well, Toby never did get that vasectomy and if you are an avid reader of my blog you will know that we had two more children since that day. Now that we are for sure done I made that leap.

I called Lincoln Radiology and scheduled my apt. The consolation was odd to say the least. You have to stand while you have an ultrasound on your veins to check for reflux. This is done by the tech squeezing your calf to see if any blood flows back up the vein. My right leg was done and about two minutes into my left leg and I about passed out. I don't know if it was from the heat in the room, if I locked my knees or if it was some weird thing that happened due to the reflux but I guess it's pretty common as she kept warning that some people do pass out. Turns out I have a lot of reflux in both legs, more on the left than the right.

So I got the apt set up and went in only to be sent away after being poked and numbed and prodded w/o getting the leg done. My vein was spasming and I didn't have the time to sit and get an I.V. ran for a 1/2 hour as I had to get the kids from school. So two days later I was back and was finally able to get the leg done. I do have to say that the pain was worse than any of the labors of all of the kids. It was also strange to have them carry on as if I were not in the room or attached to the leg/vein that they were working on. You can opt to have a zanex to calm your nerves but as I didn't have someone to drive me to and from the apt I was on my own and had to be aware of all that was going on. Another interesting thing is I apparently have very sensitive veins and a high tollerence to lidocane-which by the way hurts like cuss when injected! The nurse there was awesome and talked to me to distract me and let me squeeze her hand. I am such a baby when it comes to needles. Once the dr had the laser where it needed to be the procedure went fast, it took longer to wiggle into the support hose. This Friday will be one week since the left leg was done and I can't wait to finally be out of these sexy support hose that I am forced to wear.

Now on to the right leg. Today I went in for leg two and the dr thought that I wouldn't need an I.V. this time and started to do the procedure which included about 4 shots of incredibly painful lidocane shots only to change his mind and have an I.V. ran anyway. I didn't mind it to much as I was able to read a chapter in the Eclipse book that I brought with me. Turns out that my right leg was just as painful as my left and just as hard to get into the vein. An hour after getting the equipment into the vein the dr was done in five minutes. I go back in a week for my follow up to see if the procedure took and the veins are dieing. Once the legs heal up and aren't as bruised I will post before and after pictures.

I am starting to get very excited and once I loose the weight that I regained after having two pregnancies in three years I can't wait to buy new skinny person shorts and check out my non-mom legs.

*I did not receive any compensation for this post, all opinions are mine.

Promote your business with UPrinting free business cards. CLOSED

Are you looking for a great way to promote your business or generate business? Uprinting is wanting to giveaway a set of 500 business cards to one lucky reader of my blog (complete specifications below). You will be able to either upload your own design or choose from a variety of designs Business Cards Online.

500 Business Cards for One (1) Winner

Sizes: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (slim card)
Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock
Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

To enter:
Visit Uprinting: Business Cards Online and let me know what design you'd choose.
Additional entries:
Follow Protect-A-Bed on twitter.
Follow me on twitter and tweet about the contest.
Follow my blog via Google.
Subscribe to my newsletter (must confirm subscription).
For 10 extra entries blog about this giveaway (please include a link to your post and leave a separate numbered comment for each entry i.e., blogged about giveaway #1, #2, etc).

Protect-A-Bed National Napping Day + Giveaway! CLOSED

National Napping is the first Monday after Daylight Savings, the day when we lost an hour of sleep. As the people at Protect-A-Bed say "Napping is an art – an art studies show bolsters health and creativity. History has produced a legion of great nappers. Among them are Leonardo DaVinci, Thomas Edison and Lord Byron, who after sweet slumbers achieved great feats of art, science and literature.Is this a coincidence – this combination of greatness and napping?"
This year with a new baby, every minute of sleep is needed. I know what you're thinking, babies nap all day right? Well, yes, they do sleep a good portion of the day but anyone who's had a baby knows that they generally sleep when you need to do things and are awake when you want to sleep. So today I will attempt to acheive greatness and take a much needed nap!
In celebration of National Nap day the people at Protect-A-Bed would like to give you a way to make your own bed dust mite and allergy free, and give you a queen size mattress cover.

To win:
Visit Protect-A-Bed and leave a comment on which product would make napping more enjoyable at your home.
Additional entries:
Follow Protect-A-Bed on twitter.
Follow me on twitter and tweet about the contest (2 tweets per day).
Follow my blog via Google.
Subscribe to my newsletter (must confirm subscription).
For 10 extra entries blog about this giveaway (please include a link to your post and leave a separate numbered comment for each entry i.e., blogged about giveaway #1, #2, etc).

Contest is for US residents only and winner will be drawn and announced on 3/30/10)

Postcard Giveaway!

With the birth of this baby approaching, I was looking for a great way to announce his arrival with others in my family who are out of state and other friends and associates. When I was given the opportunity to give away these great cards I jumped at the offer. These would be a great way to share the news. I used a similar card to notify people of our address change, and it is also a great way to promote your business or to include in shipments for money off offers. There are so many possibilities!

To purchase the cards please visit http://www.uprinting.com you can choose to have them print your own creation or visit postcard design templates and look through their pre-made templates.

One lucky winner will receive 100 double sided full color postcards (size 4x6, 14pt card stock gloss).
*Winner is responsible for shipping costs, valid for U.S. residents only.

To win:
Simply visit UPrinting.com and let me know what you would use the postcards for.

For one additional entries each:
*Follow me via google
*Subscribe to my my blog either RSS feeder or email
*Follow me on twitter (Runninlateagain)
*Tweet about the giveaway (leave the link in your post- one per day)

Contest ends 1/25/10 at noon, winner will be drawn and notified by 1/29/10.

**CONTEST CLOSED**

UpBeat!

I recently had the opportunity to try a new energy drink by Keller's Creamery called UpBeat! I hadn't heard of the product before trying it so I was a bit nervous on the taste. In reading about the product, I found that it not only was made with real milk but contained 7g of protein and 6g of fiber yet only contained 100 calories.

They come in 3 flavors, Vanilla, Caramel Swirl and Chocolate Decadence. Now it was time to see if they both sustained energy-something that is much needed at this point for me- as well as taste well enough to make me want to use it. I started out with the Vanilla flavor, I wasn't impressed. It did not have a vitamin taste to it even though it is packed w/both B1 and B2 vitamins but I just did not dig the Vanilla flavor. The next morning I decided to go for Caramel Swirl. I am a huge caramel fan, if a candy or candy bar doesn't have caramel in it, IMO it's not worth eating, so I was very excited to try this flavor. BINGO! This was tasty and like the previous day I did notice that I wasn't constantly yawning from mid morning until well past dinner. Next up, Chocolate Decadence. This flavor although much better than Vanilla, didn't do it for me either. Could be that I am not a chocolate milk drinking fan, regardless I noticed even more energy the third day than that of the prior two days.

After going through the six pack that was sent to me I went to my local Hy-vee grocery store loaded up with coupons to stock up on it again. The price per unit at Hy-vee was a bit more than I expected at $1.99 a piece but after the .55 coupon it brought it to a much better price. Since I am pregnant I would need to still have a meal w/the drink at breakfast but if you were not pregnant this would be a very cheap breakfast option for you. On the go I spend more than that for a drink to go along w/my breakfast!

Would I recommend this drink? Yes! I love and still drink the Caramel Swirl and can easily see this replacing my usual bagel breakfast after the baby is born. Please visit the UpBeat! website at http://www.upbeatenergy.com/ and download your .55 cent coupon and try it for yourself!

Where's my $?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.


After my daughter Kira weaned herself last January we spent a small fortune in formula over the next 6-7 months until she transitioned to cow's milk. Not to mention the first 3 months of her life that she was on EnfaCare, a special formula to help her gain weight. Had I had known that PBM Products were just as good, we could have saved so much money!

PBM has fought the formula giant Mead Johnson and won. They were vindicated in court that their product all though far less expensive is just as good as the name brands. I have had conversations with another Mom that actually thought she wasn't doing right by her babies because she had to buy the 'generic' brand formula. These companies had actually made her feel like less of a mother when in actuality the formula she was feeding her babies was just as good.

I don't plan on using formula right away for this baby but when I do need it, I at least know there is a great alternative out there that will save us some money. When you have as many children as we do, every little bit counts!

The details of the decision and the complaint are posted online in full at:

• http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/Order_Laches.pdf
• http://www.pbmproducts.com/docs/PBM_Complaint_MJ_III_LIPIL.pdf

Wall Sticker Giveaway!

Have you ever wanted to hang a photo but didn't want to damage the walls?

Have you ever wanted to turn your favorite picture into one of those wall stickers?

Online Poster Printing is giving you the chance to check out their new product, it is being rolled out on OnlinePosterPrinting.com, and they are giving you the chance to win it! The new product is an innovative adhesive fabric that we call a Wall Sticker. Just imagine a huge sticker that you can peel and stick on any flat surface! (Similar to the Fat Heads stickers you’ve seen on TV) In addition, these use the same high-quality printing we use for our poster prints, so you can print photos, artworks or patterns in great detail.

They want to offer (2) of readers a 24”x 24” Wall Sticker.

In addition, they will be hosting a Video Blog Challenge in October to find the most creative Wall Graphic Print! The winner will receive a cash prize, so win this giveaway or make your own Wall Sticker and submit a video entry!

** Winner must pay for shipping. Open to US residents only.

GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS:
To enter simply leave a comment stating what you would use your cards for.

Extra entries:
Tweet about the giveaway.
Post about the giveaway.
Follow me.
Subscribe to my blog via email.

Contest ends SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 – winners will be notified via e-mail.

Need some business cards?-CLOSED

(2) PRIZE WINNERS WILL RECEIVE

500 Business Cards

If you win, you can choose between 3 different business card sizes!
Choose size: 2x3.5”, 2x3”, 2x2";
Choose paper: 14pt cardstock (matte or gloss coating) & 13 pt cardstock uncoated
Choose Color: (4/4) Color both sides; (4/1) Color 1 side , B/W backside; (4/0) Color 1 side, black backside

Shipping must be paid by Winner. Offer Valid for UNITED STATES SHIPPING ONLY.


GIVEAWAY INSTRUCTIONS:
To enter simply leave a comment stating what you would use your cards for.

Extra entries:
Tweet about the giveaway.
Post about the giveaway.
Follow me.
Subscribe to my blog via email.

Also check out their Die Cut Business Cards.

Contest ends SEPTEMBER 10, 2009. Winner will be e-mailed September 11, 2009.

Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings

I had the opportunity to try Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings today. Just so happens there is a Wendy's not even 5 minutes (by freeway) from my work. I zipped over for lunch and I am so glad I did.


Not only were they better than I expected but the Bold Buffalo wings were both hot and spicy. I have been to other fast food restaurant that claimed to have 'hot' and 'spicy' wings, yet they were neither. Such a disappointment. These were nothing like that, now don't get me wrong, I wasn't breathing fire after eating them, nor was I running around at work looking for someone who had Tums. They were also quite filling, I normally can finish most of my fries but today they were wasted. Really sad because I love my Wendy's fries.

These were just the right mix. I would recommend these, they also come in Honey BBQ and Sweet and Spicy Asian.

Recommendation: Go get yourself some, you will love it as either a snack or to eat while watching your fav football team play (or just to have a quick lunch while people watching:)).

16x20 Rolled Canvas Print Poster Giveaway-Closed!

I know I have posted this before, but it is my very favorite photo that I've taken this summer. The grass combined w/the color of her clothes is great. I wish she was smiling, but that isn't normally something that happens right now. She loves the camera-to play with-when it's pointed at her she gets that lovely deer in the headlights stare. But I am getting away from the point. Get that favorite summer photo, dust it off, scan it, find it on your memory card or hardrive and get ready to enter this great contest! One lucky person will win their own 16x20 rolled canvas print!

About Online Poster Printing
Online Poster Printing specializes in printing high-quality posters using premium materials. We offer a money back guarantee on all our products, such as photo canvas prints, vinyl banners, wall stickers, and rolled or mounted poster prints.

To enter:
Leave a message describing the photo you would like to have printed.


Additional entries:
Click here to create your post (must have a blog) showing your favorite summer photo. (5 additional entries- leave one comment for each additional entries)
Favorite me on Technorati (3 additional entries)
Sign up for my emailed updates (2 additional entries)
Follow me.
Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post.

Contest ends July 29, 2009 12:01am, winner will be drawn via Random.org and notified later that day.

Disclaimers:

Giveaway is open to US/CAN residents. Shipping of prizes is not included and must be paid by winner. Online Poster Printing reserves the right not to print obscene or offensive materials.

All designs submitted in the form of a giveaway may be used by Online Poster Printing for online marketing and promotional uses. The designs will be used solely as examples and will not be printed or commercially distributed.

Tree Frog Creations

I had entered into a contest at The Morris Bunch Blog to win a personalized bucket from Tree Frog Creations and won! When we got home from my son's wrestling camp today on my door-step set the box containing the cutest bucket! Kira loved it immediately and started saying 'mine' as soon as I showed it to her. It is very well constructed and I love the color and design of it.

Head over to Tree Frog Creations and check out the other great buckets and wall art they have to offer!

Tell 'em how you do it!

As technology progresses, we have learned to rely on it more. It is constantly changing the way we live our lives, contact our friends and families, and how we learn and play.

If you are a Charter customer, phone, internet or cable - Charter wants to know how you live your digital life. Do you now order movies on-demand instead of driving to Blockbuster, do you read news from online sources, do you share photos and videos online with friends and family, do you catch up with old friends on Facebook, or play video games with friends who are five states away? Digital tools have dramatically changed our lives. What have these tools done for you that you couldn't have done before?

Charter wants you to “Tell Us How You Do It,” and for telling them you can win some great prizes. Each week Charter is giving away either a 15” laptop or a 52” HDTV to one lucky customer who submits their story.

At the end of the promotion, Charter will be giving away a package of one 52” HFTV, one 15” Laptop, and a free year of the Charter Bundle with includes Digital Cable with HD and a DVR, Charter High-Speed Internet and Charter Telephone.

All you have to do is visit Charter.com/yourlife/ and submit your story with photos or video that shows us how you use your digital tools. You can also see examples at Charter.com/yourlife/ of how other people are doing it. Add your story today!

Charter has created a buzz around its online contests. And they keep getting better. Last year it gave away laptops and Xbox 360 game systems and one customer drove away a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid.

Follow Charter on Facebook to learn about other upcomming promotions.

Tired of getting left out of the picture?

I know I am! I am often the one behind the camera or the one either setting the timer and running and hoping that I am able to hop into the shot or with my arm stretched out as far as it can go hoping that I got everyone in the frame. With this handy gadget you just set the timer and hold out the camera. It is telescopic so it can fit easily in a camera bag or your pocket when not in use! At only $29.95 I can't wait to get one of these for myself, and there is a 30 day money back guarantee if you decide that it isn't for you!

Above is an example of how it works, any digital camera or video camera will fit on it! So head over to xshot and check it out for yourself!