NEW Episode of Dinosaur Train and PJ Giveaway (Closed)

Attention all Dinosaur Train fans!  Dinosaur Train is "roaring" into the new year with an all-new episode that is premiering on Monday, January 17 on PBS KIDS (check local listings for time).


In the all-new episode, “The Good Mom;” “Diamond Anniversary,” Mrs. Pteranodon meets fellow mom, Millie Maiasaura, who is a little too over-protective of her kids. The two moms share some time comparing mothering methods in a play date at the Big Pond.  And, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon decide to surprise each other with gifts on their anniversary.

Regarding the first part of this all-new episode, “The Good Mom,” you might be interested to know that Maiasaura, meaning "good mother lizard", was a large duck-billed dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. There is evidence that Maisaura lived in large nesting colonies and that the parents diligently cared for their young!  That's pretty cool, if you ask me!

And if you miss the TV broadcast of “The Good Mom;” “Diamond Anniversary” you can view it at the following link: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/dinosaurtrain/lessonplans/maiasaura/

There is also a great promotion going on with the premier of this new episode!  One reader will have the opportunity to win a new Dinosaur Train sleepwear item, size 3T.  These pajamas are adorable!  The dinosaur appliques and striped pattern on these footed pajamas offer timeless touches, and the footed design keep toes toasty. SRP is $26.00, available in sizes 2T-5T.

There are several things you can do to earn an entry.  Please fill out the form for EACH entry, including the bonus entries.  You may enter once a day, including the bonus entries.  Multiple entries other than daily entries and bonus entries will be deleted.  This Giveaway will run from 12:00pm on 1/15/11 until 12:00pm on 1/22/11.

Congratulations to Rickey P!  The winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond.  If no response is received, another winner will will be chosen.

If you can't wait to see if you were the winner of this giveaway, the pajamas are also available at Kohl’s.

And, don't forget to check out all the sites to keep up with the latest Dinosaur Train information.

Dinosaur Train on PBS: http://pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain/
The Jim Henson Company: http://www.henson.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hensoncompany
Twitter: http://twitter.com/hensoncompany

Three Sixty Marketing provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Swag Bucks

While I have been staying at home with Mason, I have been looking for any and every legit opportunity that I can earn money or credit towards gift certificates or merchandise.  Swag Bucks is a GREAT opportunity to earn "Bucks" just for searching the Internet.  Isn't that something you do anyway? 

Here's how it works: Using the Swag Bucks toolbar for everyday searches is the easiest way to earn Bucks.  By downloading the Swag Bucks toolbar, it makes it so easy to conduct your searches and keep track of the Bucks you have earned.  There is an Offerwall that allows you to chose offers that you can sign up to earn Swag Bucks.  There are "No Obligation Special Offers" (NOSO's) which feature name brands that you already know and trust. Sign up only for the offers that appeal to you.  You can complete surveys, participate in trade-ins and polls, or shop and earn, in which you earn 2 Swag Bucks for every $1.00 you spend.

If yours is a winning search, you will see a congratulations screen featuring your Swag Bucks award immediately above your search results. You will never be directed away from your search.  Your current total will be automatically updated and displayed in the top bar. Once you earn your your Swag Buck, you can go to the Swag Store and redeem for prizes and gift certificates.  My favorite prize is a $5.00 Amazon.com gift certificate for just 450 Swag Bucks!  So far, I have earned over $50.00 in Amazon gift certificates.  Other items you can get include t-shirts, posters, jewelry, books, magazine subscriptions, kids items, and much, much more.  A bonus...On Friday's it's Mega Swag Bucks day.  You have the opportunity to win double the amount of Swag Bucks!  So get out there and start searching so you can start earning prizes!

Rainy/Snowy Day Activity: Moldable Clay

This was originally going to be a rainy day post, but since it is snowy in my backyard, I thought I would post this as a "waiting for my husband to dig us out so we can go play" activity. 

Have fun!


MOLDABLE CLAY

Materials

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 packages powdered drink mix
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 Tablespoons oil

Instructions

• Bring water to boil.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, powdered drink mix and salt.
• Add oil to dry ingredients and mix.
• Carefully add water to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.
• Let cool
• When it is cool enough to touch, let your child knead the mixture with their hands.

Have fun and take lots of pictures to capture the memories!

Beef Taco Bake

I love to try new recipes.  I get bored with the same old, same old so each week I "experiment" on my family in the hopes of making dinner more interesting.  I usually go for the quick and simple, but definitely something different.  Last week I had salsa I had to use up, so this Beef Taco Bake recipe from Campbell's was perfect!  I was surprised at how tasty it was too.  It is a definite keeper in my house!

Beef Taco Bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can condensed Tomato Soup
6-8 flour tortillas (or 8 corn tortillas) cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned.  Make sure you break the meat up into pieces as it cooks.
2. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half of the cheese.  Spoon into a 2 quart shallow baking dish.  Cover.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Enjoy!

This is great served with a side salad. And, for added flavor, don't forget the sour cream to top the Taco Bake.