, we received a kit with some cute surprises as well as access to even more surprises online!

My Storytime Friends is an interactive toy and storybook set for children ages 3-8 that is both entertaining and educational. The My Storytime Friends set includes a unique combination of a plush stuffed animal, an inspiring hardcover storybook and a lifetime membership to the My Storytime Friends Book of the Month Club. Membership also includes free access to My Storytime Friends online, an interactive place to learn and play. Kids will love watching their cuddly toys come to life as characters in the new stories each month. Parents and Grandparents will appreciate the positive life lessons the stories teach children about overcoming challenges, helping others and achieving dreams.

We were fortunate to receive a My Storytime Friends Kit (ARV $39.99), which included a cute plush bear and the book A Winning Dream by Andrew Wolfendon and illustrated by artist Berne Williams.

A Winning Dream: Brady Bear loves to race and he loves to win. When he enters the local ski race, all he can think about is coming in first. That is, until he realizes that some things matter more than the prize. Follow his fast adventure in this fun, inspiring tale.

This was such a great book with such an important message of how winning a race isn’t always everything—sometimes there are more important things that matter.

• Narrated online flip-book version of the Book of the Month
• Printable colored PDF copies of each Book of the Month story plus black and white versions for coloring. Hardcover copies of the books are available to members for just $6.95 with free shipping included.
• Access to educational, interactive activities on MyStorytimeFriends.com as well as additional offline activities for children and workbooks for parents.
• Audio-book version of each story

Additional Online Benefits:

• Children can catch up on their Storytime Friends between books by visiting the Newsstand.
• Kids can interact with characters from the stories by sending and receiving mail through the Post Office.
• The My Storytime Friends online store features fun accessories and outfits for the plush toys available for purchase.

I think having lifetime online access to these features is a huge benefit. For one thing, Little Music Man loves going on the computer, and being able to read books online and print or buy only what we want is great.

And each month there’s a new surprise book to read!

, Little Music Man has been keeping busy with some new iPhone apps!

We were fortunate to receive codes to download the following apps (ARV $1.99 each)

Pattern Painter enables preschoolers to learn and draw shapes at their own pace. Children complete basic shape patterns by tapping the next shape. Then they get to draw the correct shape. The app’s built-in shape recognition means beginners get extra help with easy-to-follow tracing animations. Jinja the cat, Robin the bird and Harvey the dog also appear for comic relief, making Pattern Painter the perfect preschool puzzler!

Little Music Man enjoys completing patterns in other games and even at school, so naturally he loved Pattern Painter! After each pattern was successfully completed, Little Music Man would practice drawing different shapes with his finger. Fortunately the app displayed the shape so he could trace it, because he still doesn’t know how to draw shapes on his own.

Color Collector takes preschoolers on a playful color quest. Children tap the screen to collect colors. When red, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple are found Fins the fish is fed. Stars show which colors have been collected, and when all six different colors are found Fins the fish swims around in delight. Color Collector is an updated eye spy game for little iPhone explorers. It makes it exciting for children to discover colors wherever they are!

The app did have trouble identifying yellow (it would always identify it as orange), and sometimes a color would not be identified at all and we’d have to “collect” another color, but overall it’s pretty neat!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Cynthia24x7!

• To enter, visit Tickle Tap Apps and comment on your favorite app (excluding anything mentioned in this post).
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and Tickle Tap Apps (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
  6)Follow Tickle Tap Apps on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is February 4, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on February 5, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US or Canada addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!
  

Thank you to zinc Roe design for providing the products for review and giveaway free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

After looking at the

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Jessica!

• To enter, visit My Baby Nest and comment on your favorite feature of the My Baby Nest carrier.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and My Baby Nest (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
  6)Follow My Baby Nest on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is February 1, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on February 2, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!
  

Thank you to My Baby Nest for providing the product for giveaway free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

• To enter, simply comment on why you’d like to win!
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is January 29, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on January 30, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!

Thank you to Durham Performing Arts Center for providing the products giveaway free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

: 101 Stories of Gratitude, Fortitude, and Silver Linings. (ARV $14.95).

This follow-on book to Tough Times, Tough People continues Chicken Soup for the Soul’s focus on inspiration and hope in these difficult times. These inspirational stories remind us that each day holds something to be thankful for — whether it is having the sun shine or having food on the table. Power outages and storms, health scares and illnesses, job woes and financial insecurities, housing challenges and family worries test us all. But there is always a silver lining. The simple pleasures of family, home, health, and inexpensive good times are described. These stories of optimism, faith, and strength will make a great start to 2010.

I admit that many times I complain and worry about things, but I often look back and realize how trivial my complaints are when in reality I am truly blessed, and reading Count Your Blessings only made me even more thankful for the countless blessings I have in my life.

I could relate to many of the stories in the book, but the stories that really hit close to home were those about losing a job.

A couple of years ago, the company I worked for (and thought I would work for until I retired) abruptly shut down, and I, along with thousands of other employees, were shocked and uncertain about our futures.

What made it even scarier was that just a few weeks before the company shut down, I found out I was pregnant with my second son.

I was consumed with anger and worry, but after a few days, I realized that worrying was unhealthy not only for me, but the baby, and I started to focus on what was really important, and in the end I knew that everything would be all right.

“No Longer Needed,” “The Comfortable Living Checklist,” and “We Have it All” are stories about people who lost their jobs and were later able to realize what truly was important in life. They were ultimately able to move forward, even though it was difficult.

There are so many other stories about people overcoming adversities and gaining new perspectives that were really touching.

One of my favorite stories was Third World Banquet, which was a story about the actions of a sixth-grader who really made an impression on everyone who participated in and witnessed a school event.

Things have a way of working themselves out. Everything happens for a reason. The stories in Count Your Blessings reinforce those notions.

And I am truly thankful for all the blessings that I have in my life.

Shop: You can purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings at various retailers online and nationwide.

• To enter, comment on something/someone you are fortunate to be blessed with.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Count Your Blessings (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is January 28, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on January 29, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!

Thank you to Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing for providing the products for review and giveaway free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

My boys were recently introduced to Planet Meno through two fun books, Adventure of Meno: Big Fun! and Wet Friend! by Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi (ARV $9.99 each)

This six-book series about Meno, a nostalgically modern space-elf and his out-of-this-world adventures, by award winning author/illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi and his wife Angela, will have kids and parents excited for each and every adventure. Each story is told with bright illustrations in nonsensical language, as if it were translated from Meno's Alien language into English. As childlike as they are sweet, these stories find humor in the simplest places, and are a delight to readers both young and old.

In book one, Big Fun!, tots and their lucky parents join Meno and his best friend Yamagoo, and find out what Meno thinks is the biggest fun of all! In Meno’s second adventure, Wet Friend!, Meno and Yamagoo decide they want a “friend trio” and, thanks to their wish-granting friend Wishi, get some out-of-the-ordinary choices along the way.

The Adventure of Meno books are so cute and are nothing like I’ve ever seen before! I love the retro colors and graphics and the “Meno” words. The books are not too long, and are easy reads for little kids. Although Meno and his friends speak in their own “language,” and what they say isn’t grammatically correct, my boys still have fun looking through the books and Little Music Man enjoys repeating the words as I read them.

What I love the most about the books are the fun surprises, such as learning what Meno and his pal Yamagoo do for “Big Fun,” and what very funny option Wishi gave them in Wet Friend!

We can’t wait to see what future adventures Meno, Yamagoo, and Wishi will find themselves in!

Shop: You can purchase Big Fun! and Wet Friend! on Borders.com and at various other retailers online and nationwide.

Win: One lucky winner will receive a Planet Meno prize pack which includes a copy each of Big Fun! and Wet Friend!, and a custom made Meno or Wishi blanket (winner’s choice of blanket).

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to VickeC!

• To enter, visit Planet Meno, take a sneak peek at Meno’s book, and comment on what you liked about it.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and Planet Meno (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is January 26, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on January 27, 2010(make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!
  
  

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing the products for review and giveaway free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

The following sponsored post was submitted by FreeinUK:

Reliving the Youthful Days…

Betty's joys knew no bounds as she held the gift voucher that she had won in an online jackpot draw. A couple of weeks ago, she had come across some websites that gave details about free product samples available with various online stores in the UK. Just for the heck of it, she had registered with them and even entered some of their free competitions. And lo! Lady Luck was on her side.

The gift voucher entitled her to get free clothes from an online fashion merchant for a certain credit limit. She sat in her cosy sofa with a hot cup of coffee and her laptop, and browsed through the virtual shop pages. There were vivid collections of clothes, jewellery, bags and other accessories. For a while, she sat admiring the various displays. Nostalgic memories of her teenage days suddenly came rushing back to her. Window shopping was something she had loved to do as a teenager. Saving up her pocket money she would even hunt for shops where she could buy things for cheap. However, now this mother of two, had got so busy managing home and work, that she had forgotten those little things that had made her so happy. Betty relived those sweet youthful days sitting in the comforts of her home.

She was overjoyed to learn that window shopping and finding free stuff on the internet were just a few clicks away. There was no need now to worry about who would look after the children while she was away shopping. And the best part was that the online shopping had even led to some quality mother-children bonding. The trio spent time together browsing through these freebie sites, finding new toys, clothes, CDs, DVDs, food stuff, books and more.

This is a paid post.

The track list includes:

Ever wondered what inspired your favorite songs? What was going on in the songwriter's life at the time? Who those lyrics were really about? Did he really write the song on a napkin? Many of music's most famous names reveal the stories behind their best-known songs. Many of these exclusive stories are told for the first time. Photos and lyrics are included too. You will never listen to these songs the same way again. A great gift for anyone who loves music, any age.

The Story Behind the Song featured the writers responsible for songs old and new, and from various different genres. Some stories I was somewhat familiar with, while others I had no clue about.

I knew the song One Sweet Day, written by Nathan Morris, was written for someone who had passed away, but I didn’t realize it was written for the Boyz II Men road manager.

I also learned the story about, Stay (I Missed You), by Lisa Loeb, which I always love singing to whenever I hear it, and how it became a part of the Reality Bites soundtrack.

I read about so many other songs, some of which are long-time favorites, such as Man in the Mirror and I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing, and others I have never even heard before, such as The Streak and Father of Mine.

The stories were amusing, inspirational, and intriguing.

The Story Behind the Song was a great read, and I know the next time I hear one of the songs featured in the book, I’m going to listen a little more closely, and I know I’ll enjoy and appreciate the song even more.

Shop: You can purchase Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story Behind the Song on Amazon.com, or at various other retailers online and nationwide.

Win: Three lucky winners will each receive a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story Behind the Song!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Gianna, rubynreba, Andrea!

• To enter, comment on a song you're interested in finding out the meaning behind.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Story behind the Song (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is January 24, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on January 25, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!

Thank you to Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing for providing the products for review and giveaway free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

Simple, yet delicious!

There's also a baked potato pizza recipe I want to try.

What's your favorite pizza/pizza toppings? I need more ideas!

• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children’s diets.
• Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child’s diet today.
• More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
• Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

With that in mind, I did not hesitate to pick up some boxes of General Mills cereal with the coupons I received.

Of course, Cheerios are always a must-have, and I also picked up Apple Cinnamon Cheerios which I was eager to try. Since Little Music Man loves Kix, I thought we’d try Honey Kix, and since he often asks for cookies, I’d thought Cookie Crisp would be a great choice.

Although not all of the cereals had sugar levels in the single digits per serving, the boxes did state they were a good source of nutrients and whole grain, and they all were delicious!

Cereal is a part of millions of kids’ breakfasts, and it’s great to know that General Mills is making a commitment to reduce the amount of sugar in their cereals and increasing its nutritional value as a whole.

For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

Shop: You can purchase General Mills cereals at various retailers online and nationwide.

Savvy Savings: Click here to receive a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals.

Thank you to General Mills and MyBlogSpark for providing the information and coupons free of charge. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

DVD I tried out, and I was fortunate to try two more over the past week (ARV $10.98 each):

Beginners AM/PM - Welcome to the exciting world of yoga! With the three basic workouts featured in YogaWorks Beginners AM/PM it will be a cinch to get going with your new yoga practice. You'll be guided through a series of fun and easy yoga postures that are simple enough for anyone to try. At a pace that's right for you, you'll build new strength and flexibility - in muscles you never knew you had!

The Beginners was a great workout and it made me more familiar with the most common poses.

The AM Wake-Up and PM Relax & Restore sessions were great ways to start and end the day. All the stretching in the various poses really felt wonderful!

Fit Abs - It's time to rejuvenate, slim down, and feel great! With YogaWorks Fit Abs, you will build a strong core in this fun, demanding practice that will tone your muscles and melt inches from your waist.

The Fit Abs section didn’t seem to incorporate as much abs work as compared to other abs workouts I’ve done, but the next day I really felt it. My muscles were sore!

Congratulations to Tylerpants!

• To enter, simply comment on why you’d like to win!
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and YogaWorks (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is January 21, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on January 22, 2010 make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!

by Gabrielle Bernstein (ARV $14.99, QNY), which was a very enlightening read!

• To enter, comment on what kind of ~ing you’d like to add more of in your life!
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
  1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and Add More ~ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness (leave the link in your comment)
  2)Subscribe to my feed
  3)Add my button to your sidebar
  4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
  5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is January 18, 2010, 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on January 19, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  Good luck!