Spring Fever Giveaway! Catch it!!

It's Spring!  It's warm(ish) and dry(ish) and absolutely wonderful!  It's that time of year again when we pull on a sweatshirt instead of a coat, pull out the outdoor toys, and dust off the camping gear.  It's one of my favorite times of year!  (You know, right along with summer...or fall...or any day that isn't cold!)  My kids are getting bigger and warm weather is getting even more fun, because there is so much world out there for us to explore and enjoy!  I am so excited to get out there with them!  

If you've been following my posts this week, you know that I've got a whole host of gear to help you get out and get going this spring, and I'm going to give it all to one of you!  It's about $450 worth of stuff, and it's a GREAT package to start your spring strong!  So, without further adieu, my lucky winner's loot! (Please click the link and visit the sponsor spotlights!)

Prize 1:

GeoPalz Pedometer (Your choice of styles)

ARV $25

Prize 2:

Haan Total Steam Cleaner

ARV $149.95

Prize 3:

Selestial Soap I'll Fly Away Bug Spray

$59.95 Value

Prize 4:

LightSpeed Quick Cabana Tent

ARV $74.99

Prize 5:
ECOlunchbox Oval AND ECOlunchwrap
ARV $37

Prize 6:
Schwinn Throttle or Mist
ARV $101+

Enjoy, my friends!  I want to win this as much as you do, trust me!  Contest ends on 21st!  I'll draw a winner on the 22nd.  Good luck!

(Be sure to follow the linky after the Rafflecopter form to enter a bunch more awesome Spring Fever giveaways!)

I was given most of these products at no cost to me in order to facilitate reviews.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are my own.

Spring Fever: Walk it off!

Almost a year ago I reviewed a pedometer.  A really nice pedometer.  A Fitbit pedometer.  Several months later, I reviewed their "new improved" version as well.  I love it.  I wear it every day.  I catch myself, several times a day, pushing the button to see how many steps I've taken.  Some days it's a lot, some days not so much.  I'm not going to embarrass you by telling you how awesome I am today, but let's just say you'd be blown away...or not!

Shortly after I received the pedometer, my kids started asking me randomly throughout the day how many steps I'd taken!  I'll tell you what, nothing's more of a motivation than having your kid ask how well you're doing...except giving that same kid a pedometer of her own!  About a month ago we received a GeoPalz pedometer in the mail for Little Lou to test out!  I thought it'd be a super fun Spring activity to start a little "contest" between the two of us to see who walks further on an average day: a 1st grader or her stay at home mom!

GeoPalz are super cute kid-sized pedometers, built to encourage kids to get moving!  Encourage they do!  Little Lou loves wearing her pedometer!  She especially loves that most days (when she remembers to wear it...which is most days) she walks more steps than I do.  She loves the cute design.  She also loves showing it off to her friends at school!

I love that it has a cover, so Little Lou doesn't accidentally hit the buttons while she's playing and reset it or change any of its settings!

The GeoPalz pedometer is pretty thin, so it doesn't get in her way when she's running, climbing, playing...being a 6 year old!

GeoPalz also has a really good website, where you can not only log your own steps, but those of your family members as well!  My Fitbit monitor links to the GeoPalz site, so it can automatically upload my steps!  It's a really neat program.  We have had occasional "glitches" on the website, but nothing terribly major, and they've all been rectified!

One of Little Lou's favorite things about GeoPalz is that for every mile she walks, she earns a "point."  Those points add up, and she can pick prizes!  We haven't ordered any prizes yet, but she is SO excited to do that!

The one thing I don't like about the GeopPalz pedometer is that the clip hold SO tightly that it's really hard to get onto some clothes.  I love that it holds tightly.  It makes me feel more secure that the pedometer isn't going to fall off of her waistband during a day of play.  Little Lou just gets tired of standing still while I struggle to get it onto her pants!

Would I recommend the GeoPalz pedometer?  I've considered cashing in some of my swagbucks to get an amazon giftcard to buy one for Bugsy!  I would most definitely recommend it!  I love that, from a very early age, it encourages kids (and families)! to get moving!

Want to win your very own GeoPalz pedometer?  Stay tuned on Sunday...there'll be a GeoPalz pedometer (ARV $25) up for grabs as a part of my AMAZING Spring Fever package!

I was given this product at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Competitive Momming

When the competition heats up, so do my super-mom skills.  Yep, you heard me right.  Nothing gets my mom-juice flowing like a good ol' "I can do better than you."

People, my house is cleaner.  I get up earlier and wake my kids with a smile rather than a yawn.  I respond more quickly to my kids' calls.  I play more.  I'm a better version of me.  Why?  All because someone said, "I can do better than you."

Little Lou, my friends.

She's the culprit.

Oh, it might be my fault, but I'm telling you, she's the motivation.

On Saturday, she got her very own GeoPalz pedometer.

(Don't worry, you'll hear more about that in a couple weeks.)  I told her I thought it'd be fun if we had a daily contest to see who can walk the most steps.  She had questions: what's our goal, what do we win, how is it even FAIR if I'm at school all day, and more.  And then she said it.  "I can do better than you, Mommy."

And, ummm, yeah.  She HAS done better.  3 out of the last 4 days, she's done better.  Yesterday, she devoured me.  Chewed me up and spit me out.  I even went for a walk while she was at Girl Scouts!  Today, though?  She Will. Not. Win!  Before noon?  10,000 steps.  I'm cool with her winning some days-maybe even most days, because she's six and if she doesn't win...a lot...she'll get frustrated and give up.  Where would my motivation be then?!?

But it doesn't even stop there.  I told my family about the challenge.  My mom was on board right away, to my surprise, asking if she could get a pedometer and join!  My sister, Jennifer, from Life with my BOYS, jumped on the walking wagon as well, and bought a pedometer this morning!  Even her hubby is joining in!  Bugsy wants a GeoPalz pedometer as well, but we'll have to scrimp and save to fit it into the budget.  I'm not sure yet how that will work.

Guys, Little Lou has a pedometer, and because she has a pedometer, I have walked over 13,000 steps today.  Little Lou has a pedometer, and because she has a pedometer, my mom, sister, and brother-in-law are joining us in a race to take the most steps.  Little Lou has a pedometer, and because she has a pedometer, my whole family is taking literal steps toward improving our health!

(Oh, and the travelling trophy is going to be AWESOME!)