Happy Birthday!

Today my Dear Husband turns 30!  I am so proud of the man that he is and all that he has accomplished.  Birthdays are a great time to look back, and I just wanted to share a few photos...

Happy Birthday!!

Pin It

Winner Announced!

Congratulations to Julie K G. who won the BeadforLife Madaala Necklace!  Number 166 was randomly draw by Random.org via Rafflecopter.  Julie correctly answered the skill testing question and responded to my email within 48 hours. 

Julie, I hope that you will enjoy your new necklace and share its story with others!  Congratulations!

Photo Courtesy of BeadforLife Store.

Make sure to enter to win a new iPad on the blog today until July 15th!

Pin It

The New iPad Giveaway!

Mom to Bed by 8, the Iowa-Mom is proud to present the The New iPad Giveaway Event, sponsored by BeeSavy.

Special thank you to our co-hosts VoiceBoks, Pardon My Poppet, What's Up? - Contests, Freebies and Everything Nice and To Sew With Love.

BeeSavy is the first website to combine comparison shopping with coupons, cash back discounts and referral cash back.

Compare prices on millions of products from hundreds of trusted online stores.

No matter where you shop or what you're buying, you'll save $:

I know what I want... but where should I buy it? Search for any product in BeeSavy's search engine. BeeSavy show you all the stores selling that product along with the total price at each of those stores. The total price includes the list price, tax and shipping costs, cash back discount, and coupon savings.
I already know where I'm shopping... how do I save $? Even for you brand-loyal shoppers, you can save money every time you shop at your favorite stores. Click the Shop By Store button in the top right to get started. First, check for coupons at your favorite store. Next, click through to your favorite store and make a purchase. When you shop online through BeeSavy, you will earn a cash back discount. Your cash back discount will post to your BeeSavy account within 1-4 days. BeeSavy will send you a check or deposit your cash back into your PayPal account once your balance reaches $10.
I don't know what I want... Now what? You can browse popular products by clicking the Shop by Category button in the top left. You will see the most popular products in hundreds of different categories.

Other BeeSavy benefits for online shoppers:

Trusted retailers only! Unlike other comparison shopping websites, BeeSavy carefully chooses each and every one of its stores to ensure a safe and secure shopping experience. If you ever have a bad experience with a BeeSavy store, please let them know right away.
Feeling generous? Donate your savings to a charity. When you request a cash back payment, BeeSavy gives you the option to donate a portion or all of your cash back to a charity. Just choose a charity and how much you want to donate and they'll take care of the rest!
Love BeeSavy? Tell your friends and get referral cash back forever. Tell a friend about BeeSavy and you will earn a 40% commission on all of their cash back forever. There is no limit to how many friends you can refer! They even pay you a 10% commission on all of their referrals up to seven levels deep! So this could add up quickly for those of you who like sharing a great deal with others.

BeeSavy benefits for online retailers:

It's a win-win-win. With most forms of marketing, online retailers must pay upfront with no guarantee of results; however, with cost-per-sale marketing, online retailers only pay BeeSavy when it generates a sale. Online retailers choose a commission rate that fits within their profit margin, thereby ensuring a positive return on their marketing dollars. By giving most of this commission to the purchasing customer as a cash back rebate, BeeSavy utilizes this online retailer marketing method to save its customers money that traditional comparison shopping websites cannot match (due to their cost-per-click revenue model).

 

One lucky winner will receive an iPad 3rd Generation, 16GB Unit from BeeSavy!

Pin It

Flat Stanley in Maui!

I was introduced to Flat Stanley back when I started teaching grade one.  I loved the story of the little boy who became flat when a bulletin board landed on him.  Being flat, he could fit in an envelope and travel the world.  Classes, usually around grade two, read the book and then do numerous activities.  My favourite is when they colour Stanley and send him to some family or friends that live in a different part of the country or world.  The person who receives Stanley is then responsible to show him around and take some photos of him on his adventures.  They then return him to the student along with a short write up about their adventures together.

I have seen some teachers make wonderful bulletin boards with a map in the middle, and then photos and letters of Stanley's adventures all around the outside.  It looks awesome when they place a string between the photos and the location of the map, so you know where in the world Stanly has visited!

I received my own Flat Stanley from a coworker over five years ago and I still take him with me.  Last summer, we took him to Maui with us, and I wanted to share a few of his adventures with you.  We went snorkeling at Black Rock, hiking at IAO Valley, and suntanned at Big Beach.  Pretty good vacation, don't you think?

Have you ever heard of Flat Stanley?  I would love to know if you have ever shown Stanley around, or where you would take him if he came to visit.

Pin It

#SummerSolstice Giveaway Hop 2012

Welcome to the 2012 Summer Solstice Giveaway Hop hosted by MamaNYC!  Nearly 100 bloggers have teamed up to bring you some amazing prizes to start your summer!  This is the first giveaway I have ever hosted on my blog and I am very excited to be a part of it and to share a non-profit organization with you that I am very passionate about!

This event will run from June 18-24, 2012 and hopefully you will discover (and win) some amazing prizes for you to enjoy this summer!  Each giveaway features a prize value minimum of $25.00 and there is plenty of time to hop down the entire list.

___________________________________________________________________________________

For my first ever giveaway, I would love to introduce to you the wonderful non-profit organization BeadforLife, and give you a chance to win a beautiful Madaala Necklace.

BeadforLife helps impoverished women in Uganda to better themselves by opening up amazing opportunities for them.  For more information, please check out my review and watch this amazing video.  One person can make a difference, and by hosting a BeadParty that person can be you!  I encourage you all to host a BeadParty, at no cost to yourself, and share these amazing products with your family, friends and community.  You will feel empowered knowing that you are helping others to live a better life!

My Giveaway consists of a Madaala Necklace in colour of winner's choice (ARV $25) and is open to US/Canada (excluding Quebec), 18+.  Please check out my giveaway rules above for more information.

Enter via the Rafflecopter below.  First time entering using Rafflecopter?  Check out this quick tutorial.  Sometimes you will need to refresh your page if it is not working properly.  Feel free to use the following links if they are not working in Rafflecopter.  Like BeadforLife on Facebook.  Follow @BeadforLife on Twitter. 

Madaala Necklace

Photo Courtesy of BeadforLife Store.
Click on photo for more information
and to see colours!

Enter Here!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Level 5 Disclosure

Now that you have entered my giveaway, make sure to stop by MammaNYC to enter to win one of three amazing Grand Prizes including $150 PayPal Cash (WW), a Sterling Silver Father's Day Photo Dog Tag (ARV $130, US/CAN), and 1000 Places To See Before You Die book, (ARV $20 each, 3 winners, US/CAN).  Make sure to tell them that Spinkled With Love by Deb sent you!  Once you have entered there, make sure to hop along on the linky below for your chance to win more great prizes and to discover some amazing blogs!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Make sure to hop along to the rest of the wonderful blogs that are a part of #SummerSolstice 2012! 

Good Luck!

Pin It

Day 8: Beach Time!

Day 8 was all about the beaches of South Maui.  We lucked out and were given some boogie boards from a family that was checking out of our condo.  Next we headed to Kihei where we stopped at Boss Frogs to pick up a paddle board and some snorkel gear.

Our first stop was Makena Landing Beach Park.  We were told this was a hot snorkeling spot, so my husband and I tried it out.  There is a little grass area and a public bathroom, but not much of a beach.  We were also disappointed with the snorkeling in comparison to the other places that we had already been.  It was a beautiful spot though.

Pin It

Day 7: IAO Valley

Day 7 of our Maui adventure included a trip to the Iao Valley State Park located in Central Maui, just west of Wailuku.  This 4000-acre park is home to the Iao Needle, one of Maui's most recognizable landmarks.  Not only is it beautiful, Iao Valley is considered sacred due to its historical significance.  In 1790, King Kamehameh I fought in the Battle of Kepaniwai, defeating Maui's army in order to unite the islands, and ultimately changed Hawaiian history.

The 1,200-foot Iao Needle

Pin It

BeadforLife Review and Upcoming Giveaway

I am so excited to share BeadforLife with you.  I received my first piece of BeadforLife jewelry in 2010 and was intrigued not only by its beauty, but with the little card that was included that shared their story.

"BeadforLife creates sustainable opportunitites for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange that enriches everyone."-Mission Statement

BeadforLife currently works with Ugandans to sell beaded jewelry.  Each piece of jewelry is made from colourful, reycled paper that is rolled into beautiful beads.  The beads are laquered and then strung together to create bracelets, earrings, and necklaces.  BeadforLife purchases the jewelery from Beaders at Fair Trade prices and then sells the pieces via their online store and through BeadParties.  They have helped to reach a new market for the jewelry that the Beaders could not have done on their own.

Look at the amazing colours!

Pin It

Day 6: D.T Fleming Beach

One activity that I love to do while traveling, is writing a journal about what we did each day.  It is a great way to remember the small things that helped to make the trip so wonderful.  I am also a big scrapbooker, and I find that it helps me to organize and journal about our trip as well. 

It is days like today that I am so happy that I keep a travel journal.  I have been searching through all of my Maui photos, and still can't remember all that we did on Day 6.  I know we spent most of the day at D.T Fleming Beach, boogie boarding and laying on the beach.  From there I draw a blank.  I cannot find any photos either.  My photobook is sitting at about 80% complete too.  It is so frustrating.

I am saved by the fact that when I get back to Alberta, I know I can find my journal to help fill in the blanks.  I am also hoping that the other couple we went with might have some photos too.  Until then, I encourage all of you to write a journal when traveling.  I also know, that I will continue this tradition for all of my future trips!

Please stay tuned for my post on BeadforLife later today!




Do you keep a journal when you travel?

Pin It

Day 5: Molonkini and Lana'i Snorkeling Adventure

My first snorkeling experience was ten years ago while visiting Grand Cayman Island.  The moment that I broke the water surface and saw the amazing underwater world, I was hooked.  I was in awe of the multi coloured fish and coral.  I was truely an experience that I will remember for a lifetime!

We booked a snorkeling adventure with the Pacific Whale Foundation, that included a full day on the water with a stop at Molokini and off the coast of Lana'i.  We chose PWF because all of the profits go towards supporting their work to protect the oceans.  Our tour included numerous free options including learn-to-snorkel class, a fish ID class, a Jr. Naturalist program and a free guided reef tour.  They even provided snorkelers with reef-safe sunscreen.

For an extra fee, you can rent an underwater digital camera, which I highly recommend.  We captured some amazing photos and video footage!  We also rented wet suit shirts which added some extra protection from the sun, and the water which felt quite chilly to start with. The snorkel gear included was top class, and included optical masks for anyone who wears glasses.  I tried these out and they worked great, but they have limited numbers, so ask about them early.

We met at the Pacific Whale Foundation Ocean Store at The Harbor Shops at Ma’alaea.  After an orientation, we boarded the boat and enjoyed a tropical-style continental breakfast including delisious, local grown fruit.  Our first stop was Molokini, a world-famous crater with crystal clear waters, and home to more than 250 species of fish.  The views were absolutely amazing!  Try to be one of the first people off of the boat because the time goes by so quickly.  I felt really safe on this tour. The Pacific Whale Foundation had members kayaking in the water, and had noodles available for anyone that wanted a little extra help floating.

From here, we crossed the channel to snorkel off of the beautiful coast of Lana’i, enjoying a delicious BBQ lunch along the way.  Several of the PWF workers also shared a wealth of knowledge about the variety of fish species in the area.  Once at Lana'i, we had the option of jumping into the water or 'sliding' off of the boat.  The reefs in this area did not disappoint.  We saw many more fish and were lucky to sight wild dolphins as well. 

On the boat ride back, they swam next to us for a while putting on quite the show!

The ride back was pretty rough, so we stayed put while the workers served everyone with refreshments.  We enjoyed the time to talk with the other tourists while enjoying the amazing views.  Overall, we had an amazing experience.  The only thing I did not like was that I ended up getting some "sea legs" later that night!  I went to be early and felt great by the morning. 

Stay tuned tomorrow when I look back at Day 6 including boogie boarding at D.T Flemming Park.

Have you ever been snorkeling or SCUBA Diving?  If so, where?  I would love to try SCUBA Diving sometime but I am a little chicken!



Pin It