BLOGMANIA SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Lakeshore Learning Materials {GIVEAWAY}

I've got the scoop on another of my fabulous sponsors for BLOGMANIA today - Lakeshore Learning Materials.

There are so many things I love about this company but let's start with how it was founded.

Way back in 1954, Ethelyn Kaplan, an Omaha homemaker, decided to pack up her family and move to California to open a toy store. Talk about an unconventional move for a woman in 1950s America!  Initially, Mrs. Kaplan focused on selling toys to parents, but before long, local schools started calling her for art materials and other classroom supplies. Sensing an untapped market, she sold the store and started Lakeshore Learning Materials.

Lakeshore now includes more than 50 retails stores and an online store and is still run by Etheyln's sons and grandsons.  Every product they make is distinguished by its quality, safety, educational merit and play value, and is backed by their ironclad guarantee:  If you are unhappy with any item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund or exchange, no questions asked.  Who can argue with that?

One of my favorite things about shopping on the Lakeshore site is that you can sort products by category (active play, arts & crafts, block play & manipulatives, dramatic play, language, science, etc.) and by age or grade.  So if you're looking for language tools for toddlers, they're easy to find!  And the products that Lakeshore carries aren't only educational, but also tons of fun.  I love the Three-Way Tabletop Easel which also has a dry erase and chalkboard:

What kid wouldn't go nuts for this Indoor/Outdoor Croquet Set?

Gabrielle and Alaina love the Baby Bowling Dinosaurs.

And the Shapes Discovery Boxes.

I'll be adding the Stack & Learn Counting Board to the girls' birthday list.

Along with the Toddler Dress Up Trunk.

And you there's so much more on the Lakeshore site than just shopping.  They have an amazing selection of free resources, including printable flash cards, math puzzles, word searches, awards and more.  Your kids will love to learn with all of these great goodies.

I could go on and on about this company but let's get back to what this means for BLOGMANIA.  I'm very excited to announce that Lakeshore will be giving the winner of our WHOLE KID CABOODLE prize package a $50 gift certificate to their store!  And that's not all.  During BLOGMANIA, we'll also be announcing a coupon exclusively for AFOMFT readers that will allow you to buy one item at Lakeshore and get a second for half price.  Just in time for holiday shopping!  How great is that? 

You'll be able to enter to win THE WHOLE KID CABOODLE prize package, including the $50 store credit to Lakeshore, on September 15th & 16th here on AFOMFT.   To make it simple to enter all of the BLOGMANIA giveaways, there will only be one means of entry on those days but you can earn extra entries over the next month. Here's how:

You can do any of the following once and earn one entry for each that you complete.

• Visit Lakeshore and sign up for their newsletter on the lower left of the homepage.
• Follow @LakeshoreLM on Twitter
• "Like" Lakeshore Learning Materials on Facebook

You can also earn bonus entries daily by:

• Tweeting this: @LakeshoreLM is giving away a $50 store credit during #Blogmania at @AFOMFT! September 15th & 16th - Don't miss out! #PPRO
• Clicking here to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs - .  You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to note one entry for each one.
• Blogging about this giveaway or mentioning it in your Facebook status including a link to this post.   

To record your bonus entries, YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FORM HERE.  You can fill out the form every day to record new tweets and/or votes on Top Baby Blogs.

PLEASE NOTE: Your entries will not show up as comments on this post but will be recorded in a spreadsheet that I will use when I draw the BLOGMANIA giveaway winners.  DO NOT POST YOUR ENTRIES AS COMMENTS.

For more information on BLOGMANIA including more sponsors and the other blogs participating, visit the Blogmania Central Website, "like" Blogmania on Facebook and follow @Blogmania2010 on Twitter.  You can follow all of the AFOMFT BLOGMANIA news HERE and stay tuned - we'll be featuring more of our wonderful sponsors very soon!

Images: Lakeshore Learning Materials

BLOGMANIA SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: SusieCues {GIVEAWAY}

Do you remember me posting about BLOGMANIA?  It's a two-day event where hundreds of blogs will be offering great giveaways, totally more than $25,000!  Sounds fantastic, right?  Well, guess what?  It's coming soon - this soon, in fact!

AFOMFT will be hosting two giveaways during BLOGMANIA.  The first is called MARVELOUS FOR MOM and will include more than $600 worth of products that any mother will love.  From jewelry and clothing to beauty products and stationery, you'll want every single item in this great gift pack.  You'll learn more about each piece of the package over the next few weeks.

The second giveaway is currently valued at $550 and the theme is THE WHOLE KID CABOODLE.  This fabulous prize is chock full of goodies for little ones - toys, clothes, note cards and much much more.  What else could there be?  You're about to find out!

I am so excited to have SusieCues as a BLOGMANIA sponsor!  Started by a WAHM mom, this fabulous Etsy store is filled with gorgeous handcrafted goods, including custom baby and kid's bedding and adorable children's clothing and shoes.  Isn't this custom crib set darling?

Here's a little bit about Susanne, the woman behind the wares.

AFOMFT: How did you get started making such adorable crib bedding and baby accessories?

Susanne: Everything started when our son was born. When he was just teeny, my mom and I went to Denmark to visit family. While we were there, I ended up buying a gorgeous old style, huge baby pram. It came with a mattress and duvet, but I ran out of time to buy bedding for it. When I got home, I decided to dust off my sewing machine, to see what I could come up with. His little set turned out wonderfully, and when I took him out and about around town, all sorts of people started asking me where they could find bedding like the set I had. That's when I decided that maybe I could make a go of selling bedding online.

As for the rest of it, the Little Shoes, and other accessories, well, I have a major fabric obsession! I can never leave the fabric store with just the items on my list, inevitably I come up with something I just have to have. With lots of extra fabric around, I can be free to experiment with new ideas!

AFOMFT: Do you have a favorite product in your shop?

Susanne: Hmmm.... that's a hard one! I LOVE my bedding sets, and I've made quite a few which have been just to die for. But, if I were going to buy anything right now, it would probably be a pair of Little Shoes, or baby blocks!

AFOMFT: What do you find most gratifying about handcrafting your beautiful pieces?

Susanne: I took a leap of faith and quit my day job just over a month, to sew full time. If it weren't for my sewing, I wouldn't have the incredible privilege of spending every day with my little boy and having quality time regularly as a family. But the best part of creating all these unique pieces, is the excited and joyous reaction my customers have when they receive the bedding set of their dreams!

The lucky winner of THE WHOLE KID CABOODLE prize is going to be living the dream thanks to a $100 store credit to SusieCues! 

There are so many things I would spend that $100 on.  First on my list would be custom toddler bedding in these fun fabrics

I'd also want two pairs of these Punk Rock Crib shoes.

And a set of these pretty pillowcase dresses.

Oh, and one of these super snugly Minky blankets.

I totally exceeded $100 with my wish list, but when it comes to the cuteness at SusieCues, it's so hard to choose! 

You'll be able to enter to win THE WHOLE KID CABOODLE prize package, including the $100 store credit to SusieCues, on September 15th & 16th here on AFOMFT.  To make it simple to enter all of the BLOGMANIA giveaways, there will only be one means of entry on those days but you can earn extra entries over the next month.  Here's how:

You can do any of the following once and earn one entry for each that you complete.

• Visit SusieCues and make the store a favorite.
• Follow @SusieCuesCanada on Twitter
• "Like" SusieCues on Facebook

You can also earn bonus entries daily by:

• Tweeting this: @SusieCuesCanada is giving away a $100 store credit during #Blogmania at @AFOMFT! September 15th & 16th - Don't miss out! #PPRO
• Clicking here to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs - .  You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to note one entry for each one.

To record your bonus entries, YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FORM HERE.  You can fill out the form every day to record new tweets and/or votes on Top Baby Blogs.

PLEASE NOTE: Your entries will not show up as comments on this post but will be recorded in a spreadsheet that I will use when I draw the BLOGMANIA giveaway winners.  DO NOT POST YOUR ENTRIES AS COMMENTS.

For more information on BLOGMANIA including more sponsors and the other blogs participating, visit the Blogmania Central Website, "like" Blogmania on Facebook and follow @Blogmania2010 on Twitter.  And stay tuned - we'll be featuring more of our wonderful sponsors on AFOMFT soon!

Images: SusieCues