New Year, New You, New Business Giveaway February 4-11 2013

Look More Professional, Get More Organized, and Increase Your Web Presence.

The new year is a time for reflection and renewal. A time to set new goals and dreams. A time to challenge yourself . Thinking Outside The Sandbox wants to help you achieve your goals and make your dream attainable. Do you want to start your own small business or blog but don't know where to start? I remember very clearly when I first thought of opening my own business. I had many great ideas but did not know where to start. We want to help you in your small business journey. Wait, I already have a business/blog?! The New Year, New You, New Business Giveaway has everything you need to get started and organized. Business/blog idea is not included. If you already have a business/blog, the giveaway includes products and services which can push you to that next level (and look good doing it)! What if I don't have a business or blog but want to win some of these amazing prizes? Enter away! Just pay forward the good luck and donate all of the business/blog specific prizes to your favourite small business or blog. Prize Package worth over $600 includes:

• Petunia Pickle Bottom Cross Town Clutch in Brilliant Brussels ($90 retail value)
• Clarity Marketing and Design Custom Logo Design ($300 value)
• Advertorial and Featured Listing on Thinking Outside The Sandbox's Business Directory ($80 retail value)
• Vonny Market Tote in your choice of print ($76 retail value)
• Design Service Gift Voucher from Kitty and Buck ($50 retail value)
• GreenGeeks Hosting Coupon ($30 retail value)
• Advertising credit with Reachli ($40)

AND....

• $50 Paypal Cash

Prizes were donated from the following awesome companies: Thinking Outside The Sandbox is a website designed to help WAHMs and other business moms navigate the world of business. We think that running a business and being a mom can go hand in hand. Our mission is to help other moms in business to reach their full potential. There is no reason that you need to be alone in this endeavour! Aside from our daily posts, which range from social media tips to how to find a balance between work/home life, we also provide affordable advertising options. Advertorials are articles written about your business or product. We script the advertorials in our voice, to remain consistent, and write it not as an ad, but as an article, which encourages more reads. Featured Listings include photos and links and are a place where you direct your future customers to read honest, unbiased, and unsolicited feedback about your business. Basic listings are FREE. To sign up for your basic listing click here. Follow Thinking Outside The Sandbox on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Petunia Pickle Bottom Cross Town Clutch was donated by Bundles and Buzz. This clutch is a perfect addition to any mommy lifestyle. Not only does it have enough room to carry everything you need for a night out, but it is also the perfect professional accessory to bring to those business meetings and while networking. Bundles and Buzz bundles are surprise packages of mom/baby products, supplied by companies, who are looking to increase their sales, introduce a new product, clear out discontinued products or boost brand awareness. You can purchase Mama, Toddler, Baby, Family and Cloth (diapering) themed Bundles.

Make sure to say hi on Facebook and Twitter.

Clarity Marketing & Design provides web, graphic, SEO (search engine optimization) and social media services to small businesses and non-profits. Based out of Surrey, BC, Clarity has had well-known companies take on their services in the past, such as the Surrey School Board, BC Youth Week, City of Burnaby and Prostate Cancer Foundation BC. Attract a whole new audience with a custom logo design. Perfect for re-branding or making a great first impression with your new company. Check Clarity Marketing and Design out on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Vonny Market Tote was donated by Copy-Kids. Copy-Kids makes video content encouraging positive habits in young children by encouraging them to copy other kids. Our debut release is a DVD entitled Copy-Kids Eat Fruits and Vegetables. In it you find children joyfully eating fruits and vegetables. Kids watching it want to join in. It’s that simple. And it’s effective. The Vonny Market Tote is perfect for any busy mom but particularly one who also runs a business. Cai from Copy-Kids sent me this message; "These bags are so full of pockets -- absolutely amazing. We use ours for knitting... but can definitely be used to get organized." Copy-Kids is also on Facebook.

Get a head start on your blog or web design with a $50 gift certificate from Kitty and Buck. Shell is a qualified Graphic Designer (B. Digital Media) with over 5 years of professional experience. At Kitty & Buck we love to create something beautiful for you, whether it is a complete blog design, or something smaller like a new banner or branding for your online store. Shell works as an animator and designer for television during the day and moonlights as a ballerina, musician, crazy cat lady and chef. She dreams to one day provide beautiful designs for beautiful businesses (and the people behind them) from a secluded log cabin somewhere in the vast wilderness.

Need more Kitty and Buck? Follow them on Bloglovin', Pinterest and Twitter.

GreenGeeks is the industry's leading green energy web hosting provider, using wind energy to put back into the grid 3 times the amount of energy consumed. Thinking Outside The Sandbox uses GreenGeeks as our hosting provider and I can tell you from first hand experience they are amazing. Originally I chose them because of their environmental practices, but their customer service is top-notch. Not to mention their support staff (who are not only awesome but also do not laugh when you call with newbie questions)! With a $30 coupon code you are well on your way to paying for their affordable hosting plans.

GreenGeeks is also available on Facebook and Twitter.

Special Thanks: Special Thanks go out to all of our contributors and our intern Hannah. Please take a minute to learn about all of them here. We also want to give a BIG thanks and shout out to Reachli for helping us promote the giveaway. We use Reachli for all of our Pinterest pins. Check out our blog post about Reachli and why it is a must have for any business or blog. Cannot wait to win this prize package? Make sure to enter below and share. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini Easter Egg Cookies!

This couldn't be easier.  I've been trying to think of something festive for the upcoming holiday (Easter) to put in my kids lunchboxes, and this is definitely a keeper!  Thanks to our friends at the Yummy Mummy Club for sharing this one!

Mini Easter Egg Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet if you prefer)
2 pkg. (200g each) Cadbury Mini Eggs

Preheat oven to 375F.  Beat butter, both sugars, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

Mix in flour and baking soda, until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a small scoop or two spoons, drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet (approx. 2-3 inches apart).

Press 3-4 Cadbury Mini Eggs into each mound of dough.

Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and using spatula, move cookies to wire racks. Let cool completely.

What do you pack for lunch CONTEST!

I used to be a really really organized person before I had kids.

My grocery list was a printed out and laminated sheet of everything I ever buy, with checkboxes next to each item.
Every week i would meal plan each meal my husband and I would make (breakfast, lunch and dinner plus snacks) and I would create the master grocery list by checking each thing on my laminated "master" grocery list, with a dry erase marker.

Then, I'd go to the grocery store, and slowly rub off each thing that was checked as I purchased it.  It worked great, and I never needed to waste millions of scrapes of paper jotting down things I'd need to grab at the store.

That of course, all changed when we had our first child.  Now I have two, and food planning is a luxury that my very overloaded brain occasionally remembers I need to do, and sometimes I even remember it would make my life easier.
At my house, you will find many scraps of paper, here, there and everywhere, with little things jotted down that i suddenly remember we need, and then always loose.  Eggs, and Almond Milk.  Written on the back of an overdue bill on my desk.  Kale, Cherry Tomatoes, Cheerios.  Written on a crumpled up old receipt on the arm of the couch.  You can imagine.

So now I find  myself here.  Every morning at 7:00am staring into the fridge.  Thinking the same thought, "what on earth do I pack for lunch??" (I removed the profanity so as not to offend)

I've been graced with a picky eater, as I'm sure many of you have as well.  She only likes certain things depending on the day, or week, of phase of the moon (it could be, right??), and of course even if she does like something THAT day, it's absolutely disgusting tomorrow, and she's totally sick of it.

So, I've decided to tap into the collective motherhood (and fatherhood/grandparenthood) of my customers, blog readers, facebook and twitter fans.  There's a lot of you in this exact same position.... maybe it's easier for some than others (we want you people that make it look easy to especially help us!).

1.  I'm asking anyone and everyone to enter a week's worth of school lunches that you pack for your little people.  Do you have more than a week?  You rock.  And if you tell us, we'll be extra nice to you.
2.  Give us any recipes you'd like to share of your lunch box winners.

So, we're looking for IDEAS and/or RECIPES!  And be real, if you make PB & J's every day, it's ok to tell us that too.

You can do this by adding it as a comment to the end of this blog, or by entering it on our Facebook page, or even a simple email.

Here's the exciting part!  We're turning this into a contest to make it extra fun and enticing to participate.  After we gather enough recipes/ideas to put into a nifty little COOKBOOKLET (everyone will get a copy once it's done, if we get enough entries), we'll be selecting 2 winners at random to win $50 each to Bumblebee Toys, just in time for some holiday shopping!


Here's 3 different places/ways to enter:
Go to our FACEBOOK PAGE and enter there in a comment field.
or
Email us at info (at) bumblebeetoys (dot) com (spammers be gone!)
or
Comment at the bottom of this blog post

Contest will close on November 15th 2011 (or earlier if we get a bazillion recipes/ideas overnight)

Thanks and good luck!!

(PS... All these photos are courtesy of Lunchbots, and if you haven't heard of them, you simply must go check them out!  Or at the very least, go like their facebook page.  You will NOT be disappointed with all their amazing and inspirational bento box photos!!

How does our Facebook Party work?

With Bumblebee Toys and Jilly Bo Billy's approaching Facebook party coming up, we've been getting this question a lot!  Anyone can participate in this party, and it will be happening on our Facebook page.


When: April 8th 2011 from 12:30pm - 2:30pm PST
Where: Bumblebee Toys Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/bumblebeetoys)

There is also a Facebook Party "Event" to RSVP to through Facebook.  If you RSVP to our party, you will be entered to win an ADDITIONAL prize on top of all the prizes we're giving away during the party!

In addition to our Facebook Party, there are now two chances to Pre-Enter for the "grand prize"!  This has commenced on both Bumblebee Toys' and  Jilly Bo Billy's Facebook page.  so be sure to come on over to enter:
www.facebook.com/bumblebeetoys
www.facebook.com/jillybobilly


How it works:
You will go to our facebook page on April 8th at 12:30pm PST, and we will begin posting frequent posts.  You can refresh your page as much as you like (every few seconds) and each time you refresh your page, there will be lots of new postings and activity.  Feel free to join in the chatter!


Every few minutes we will be posting a giveaway with instructions on how to enter, ie "liking" a sponsors page, posting a photo, leaving a comment, etc.  There will be approximately 12 giveaways during our party, with a LARGE GRAND PRIZE as well, worth over $1100 in products.
Most of our sponsors have generously donated two items;  one for the individual giveaways during the party, and one for the Grand Prize at the end, so the Grand Prize will be massive!

There will also be a "promote your own business" window of time, with a special giveaway just for those who do so!  Yoyomama is generously donating a $150 ad for whoever wins!

Just for fun, we're including our list of sponsors for you to see.  Many of these prizes are in the Grand Prize pot as well.  It's going to be fabulous folks!  Hope you can make it!!!

(See our Contests page on our website for pics of the prizes!)

• Guidecraft - Child's Table and Chair set  ($220)
• Bamboletta - Serendipity Doll  ($180)
• Sarah's Silks - Rainbow Silk Scape and Fairy Dress with Rainbow Streamer ($100)
• Kiss Naturals - Soap, lip balm, perfume, and bath fizzle making kits ($84)
• Green Toys - 2 Tea Sets ($54)
• Jilly Bo Billy - Pick a party dress!  ($50)
• Artterro - Collage Jewelry and Art Doll Craft Kits ($50)
• Pixiekids Toys - Eco-felt Tea Set ($40)
• Bakerella -  Cake Pop Cookbook  ($40)
• Loves Me Not - Tea for Two Tank ($40)
• Luna Organics - 2 Make-Up Sets ($36)
• Eco-Kids - 2 All natural egg dyeing kits  ($34)
• Princess Poppets - Waldorf Doll Outfit ($30)
• Bumblebee Toys - Wooden Pastry Set ($25)
• Notes (by Redletter Design Studio) - Set of Personalized Invitations  ($20)
• Once Upon a Bedtime - Bedtime stories for children on CD  ($15)
• Lil Doodlers - Tea Pot Shaped Crayons  ($10)
• Ribbon Candy - Tea Party Felt Hair Clip  ($7)

Grow your own Easter grass!

All-Natural Living Grass Easter Basket! 

Tired of the plastic "grass" we typically use to fill our children's Easter baskets?  Try an easy and environmental alternative; growing your own Easter basket grass! 
Not only is it incredibly easy and fun, but children will be delighted when they get to be a part of the project.

Children are inherently born with an appreciation and curiosity for nature and the world around them. They gain so much by watching something they plant in the earth, with their own hands, grow to become something much different than the seed they started with.  It's natures' magic, and children are drawn to it!

As well, Easter is a celebration of rebirth and renewal.  What a wonderful way to further honour the meaning of Easter.
Start at least one week in advance (two is even better), and you will have a beautiful and lush living basket of grass right on time for the bunny!

Directions

• If you only have one week to grow the grass, soak spring wheat berries in warm water overnight. If you have two weeks before Easter, proceed to the next step; soaking the berries isn’t necessary.
• Line your Easter basket with aluminum foil, all around the bottom and up the sides.  Alternatively you can find a glass pie pan, jar, or other container, to fit inside the Easter basket.  Then, put at least 1 1/2 inches of potting soil into the bottom of the container and spread evenly. Scatter the soil generously with spring wheat berries and cover lightly with soil.
• Gently yet thoroughly water the seeded soil and place in a warm sunny location.
• Make certain the soil remains moist at all times during germination.

To add to the beauty of your grassy creation, you can decorate the handle of the basket with ribbons or dried flowers. 

Winter is here and so are the Snow-Ballers!!

It has been a much anticipated event.  We've already gotten oodles of orders for the Snow-Baller and Snow-Block, and so when the CanPar man knocked on our door at 7pm tonight, I yanked my daughter and we raced outside together to test these babies out.  This will explain why these photos are taking in the dark! :)

The Snow-Baller and Snow-Block do not disappoint!  It took a couple tries to get it, but mainly because the scoop needs to be cold so the snow doesn't stick to the hard plastic.  As soon as it got cold (after a couple snowball making attempts) the balls eased out like nothin'!

We were mainly enraptured with making as many snowballs as humanly possible in the shortest amount of time (the company claims 60 per minute, and it's no exaggeration), but tomorrow we'll test out the snow-block further as well.

Come and get 'em while they last folks!  No joke, these are already flying out the door, and people haven't even seen our testimonials yet!  Oh Happy Snow!  We shall be pelting friends and family with soft, perfectly formed poof-balls of powder!

The Capitol Theatre and Bumblebee Toys Entertain the Kids of the Kootenays

Yo Ho Ho, it's off to the Capitol Kids Series we go!


Nelson BC – The Capitol Theatre joins with BumblebeeToys.com to offer a fun giveaway for young theatre goers attending shows for the Capitol Kids Series.  Bumblebee Toys is generously donating two large wooden Venture Pirate Ships valued at $200 each to be given away live during the Capitol Kids Series this 2010/11 season.

Every year The Capitol Theatre brings in talented diverse groups that inspire the imagination of the Kids of the Kootenays.  The Theatre has been bringing generations of families spirited live entertainment that have inspired and help culture our community.  This year The Kids Series is hosting a buffet of fun and excitement for everyone.  The adventure starts with The Story of Esther by Major Conrad Flapps, then to the International Magic of ¿Qué Bolá? from Cuba, Flyn’ Bob swings in with his One Man Three Ring Circus and the series ends with a wonderful interpretation of The Velveteen Rabbit by Kathryn Popham.  This year the series has something of inspiration for everyone.

To add more excitement for the Kids Series, BumblebeeToys.com has donated two wooden interactive Venture Ships to be awarded live throughout the series to a lucky theatre goer.  Bumblebeetoys.com has a mission to inspire the imagination and nourish the senses.  That is why they teamed up with the Capitol Theatre and their quest to enrich the imagination and minds of children through live entertainment.

“We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful cultural opportunity with the diverse events featured at the Capitol Theatre Kids Series,” Quotes Neil Harrower Executive Director. “It takes a village to raise a child and we are excited to do our part by providing live entertainment opportunities to youth and young families.”

To find out more about The Capitol Kids Series and get tickets go online at www.CapitolTheatre.bc.ca or call 250.352.6363 and when you go to the show keep a look out for your chance to win one of two Venture Ships from BumblebeeToys.com.  See you at the Theatre!