The last batch of winners has finally been drawn.

Please check your inbox for an email from me, and if it’s not there, check your spam filter as well. If you still don’t see a winner’s notification and you think that you are the winner for the contest I announced, send an email to info (at) 5minutesformom (dot) com with your full name and address and the contest that you won.

For more information about any of the products, click through the product link, or re-read our review at the “giveaway” link. If you didn’t win, but we’ve peaked your interest, support the product sponsors by buying through the links.

• The eighth giveaway in this event is for a Step 2 Canopy Wagon goes to #132 Shannon.
• The ninth giveaway is again from Step 2. # 661 Alyssa has chosen a the Step 2 River Run Waterpark with Umbrella.
• Our tenth giveaway is for an award winning ride-on-toy called the Wheely Bug®, and it goes to #532 Amber.
• In our eleventh giveaway the winner, #330 Shawna, will receive three adorable doll clothes outfits from Emily-Rose.
• Our twelfth giveaway is the fun, family video game, Buzz! Jr. Robo Jam and the winners are #238 Sue S. and #257 1stopmom.
• For our thirteenth giveaway, we have another huge Hasbro giveaway. #608 Kathy Pease wins the Jenga girl talk and Baby Alive, #597 Bonnie wins the Littlest Petshop Monkey and digital pen, #41 Robyn wins Transformers and My Little Pony set,  and #98 Shawna wins the Fur Real Friends.
• Our final contest is for an assortment of toys, including Sophie the Giraffe, from The Funky Monkey Baby Boutique and the winner is #80 Lana B.

We have a winner.

We received over 5000 votes, and the people have spoken.

The winner of $1000 in the Egg Beaters’ Mother’s Day photo contest is

Overstuffed with Polka Dots

Lara explained why she entered this picture:

I bought these new shoes recently (aren’t they cute?), and Sophia has completely taken them over. She seriously won’t let me wear them. If I want to wear them she freaks out and puts them on herself. If I manage to get them on my feet without her knowledge and she sees me with them on, she physically tries to get them off of me. Even though I keep them in their shoebox in my closet, she knows which one it is and wears them all the time. I’m pretty sure she’s worn them way more often than I have in the short time I’ve owned them.

I love this picture because it just reminds me how much my children look to me as their example. Sophie sees me look in this mirror every day as I get ready. She sees me wear jewelry. She sees me wear stylin’ shoes. She wants to be like her mommy in everything she does. She’s always watching me and often copying the things I do.

Just makes me realize I need to make sure that everything I do is copy worthy, because that is how I teach my children the most: not with my words, but with my actions.

Thank you all for sharing what Motherhood means to you.

And last but not least, we want to thank Egg Beaters and their delicious new Egg Beaters with Yolk for sponsoring this contest with an unbelievable $1000.00 prize!

I can’t iron, I loathe house cleaning and my laundry folding skills would have me fired from any retail shop — for proof look at my linen closet.

And I’m not craftsy. I know that’s not a word… but you know what I mean. I can’t sew, I don’t scrapbook, I don’t hand-make cards. Heck, I can’t even wrap a gift nicely.

But now I can worry less about that last fault.

Hallmark figured it out. They’ve revolutionalized wrapping. With their new Adhesive Gift Wrap even I can wrap a gift like a pro. The paper has a special coating that sticks firmly to packages so that it is easy to create a smooth, perfectly wrapped present.

And wow, it is easy and fast. Two key features for me.

Yesterday was Julia’s third birthday and I had hid at Janice’s house a stack of presents tall enough to spoil any little girl. Being the busy work-at-home mom that I am, I left the wrapping to the last moment and ran over to Janice’s to quickly wrap ‘em up.

After I dug through Janice’s drawers to find a roll of sticky-tape (as Dora calls it), and fumbled through wrapping the first present, Janice called out, “Wait… you can test out this Hallmark Adhesive wrapping paper.”

So I used the new paper and motored through wrapping the rest of Julia’s gifts in record time.The resulting stack of pretty pink packages looked fantastic.

It was a little strange to have such a common task that I’ve done the same way for so many years suddenly change. Here, watch this video and see what I mean. It’s oddly simple. You don’t even use tape.

Since I was late pulling everything together for her little party, I didn’t get a photo of all the gifts neatly wrapped… but here’s a shot of Julia tearing into one.

Don’t take my word for it, try the paper yourself. Thanks to Hallmark, we’ve got six prize packs to give away. Each of our six lucky winners will receive a set of eight rolls, along with matching ribbon.

Leave a comment below and let us know if you’d like to win one of these Hallmark Adhesive Gift Wrap sets. We’ll announce the six random winners on Saturday, May 24th.

This giveaway is open to both US and Canadian shipping addresses.

I am drooling over purses. But can you blame me? Look at these fabulous spring/summer colors! They are so fun.

I thought I would give you a glimpse of them in case your family is looking for last minutes gift ideas for you (or if you are looking for last minutes gift ideas for yourself!)

I am especially partial to the pink, (but can you tell from our site that Sue and I are fond of pink?)

I also love the whole yellow idea too… apparently yellow is THE color of the season. Sunshine in a purse.

Don’t Forget - you have only a couple more hours to enter all our Mother’s Day Giveaways - including a chance to win a SAK purse.

Please check your inbox for an email from me, and if it’s not there, check your spam filter as well. If you still don’t see a winner’s notification and you think that you are the winner for the contest I announced, send an email to info (at) 5minutesformom (dot) com with your full name and address and the contest that you won.

For more information about any of the products, click through the product link, or re-read our review at the “giveaway” link. If you didn’t win, but we’ve peaked your interest, support the product sponsors by buying through the links.

• In our fifth giveaway, #484 Jaime has won the ExerSaucer® Mega Farm™ Active Learning Center™.
• The sixth giveaway, and all 30 winners, was already posted HERE.
• Our seventh giveaway Easy Bake Oven winner is #289 Stacey Shehorn
  and the FORTY FIVE Mix and Measure kits go to

#17 Magi
#19 Megret
#28 Courtney
#56 Mama4jc
#57 Elliemae
#66 Janessa
#91 Jamie
#94 Julie D.
#139 The Happy Housewife
#144 mod*mom
#171 Lindysue
#185 Ashley
#212 Alyson
#240 Gina
#248 Heather @ Cool Zebras
#264 Diane
#288 Ann Fantom
#295 Jennifer Russell
#297 Amanda
#299 Casey H.
#314 Denise Mower
#428 Kathy Scott
#460 Kathy
#464 Lisa Fosses
#489 John Z.
#501 Mitzi
#505 Tosha I.
#507 Liz
#512 Nissa
#515 Charline S.
#521 Christina
#526 Elizabeth
#559 Kim aka Accidental Mommy
#568 Pam
#592 Erika Cass Designs
#611 Anna Bernecka
#627 Candice Bradley
#659 Tammy Bradley
#663 Michelle Martinez
#699 Barbara Fox
#704 Felicia Shapiro
#706 Sarah Stern
#732 Liz Sawyer
#764 Kali

It’s time for 5 Minutes for Mom to change it up.

We are ready for a site redesign, and you can make it happen.

If you’re the one who FINDS the perfect graphic designer for us, we’ll give you a $20 Amazon gift certificate.

And if you happen to BE the perfect graphic designer for us, well you won’t really need the gift certificate, because we’ll give you the job… which will likely be worth a LOT more.

We’re looking for an experienced web designer who works with Wordpress. Please contact us with links to previous work and include the subject line: “DESIGN”.

From the first moment Bob and Larry hopped their way into America’s living rooms, getting kids to have a healthy dose of “veggies” has been just plain easy. These veggies are fun!

And with their clever plots and witty banter, adults can actually enjoy the show right along with their kids. It is win win for everyone involved.

So whenever a new VeggieTales® movie is released, my son’s (and my) ears perk up. You simply can’t go wrong with VeggieTales®.

“Lessons from the Sock Drawer” is the newest release in the VeggieTales® series. Bob and Larry kick off these silly shorts by digging into a dresser full of socks, which is also known as Larry’s “Veggie Vault”. The kids get to hang out with a story-telling donkey and a sock puppet while learning some valuable lessons.

When the screener arrived for me to review, I popped it in the player to watch with my son Jackson, our resident VeggieTales® expert. Of course he loved it (did I have any doubts?) When I asked him if he would recommend it to other kids, he exclaimed, “Oh YEAH! I would recommend it for ALL ages”. (So there you have it - straight from the six year old expert.)

When Edmund’s pet hamster disappears after he accidentally leaves the top off its cage, he writes to Bob & Larry asking for advice. While Bob feels like there’s no lesson to teach Edmund - after all, it was an accident - Larry feels quite the opposite! He has just the right stories with just the right lessons tucked away in The Veggie Vault!

Filled with hilarious video segments and music, “Lessons from the Sock Drawer” has 15 irresistible shorts together on one DVD for the very first time. Includes favorite Veggie moments, like “Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly,” “Larry’s Lagoon,” “Omelet,” “Going Up,” “The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill,” and many more. Each story is woven together with new video clips, and as an extra special bonus, you’ll find segments from the VeggieTales TV show that have never been seen on DVD before now.

And to make this VeggieTales® DVD release party even more fun - we have a fabulous contest for you to enter!

Not only are we giving away the new “Lessons from the Sock Drawer” DVD, but one of our readers will win our GRAND PRIZE — an HP Photosmart A446 Digital Camera and Printer Dock, extra ink and a package of photo paper, as well as a copy of the VeggieTales® newest DVD release, “Lessons from the Sock Drawer”.

In addition to our grand prize winner, we will also have four runners-up who will win a copy of the “Lessons from the Sock Drawer” DVD.

To enter leave a comment at this post and we will announce the winners on May 30th. (This contest is open to US AND Canadian shipping addresses.)

And, for some extra fun, here are some free VeggieTales® coloring sheets for your kids.

http://bigidea.com/other/misc/socks_coloring/coloring_blues.pdf
http://bigidea.com/other/misc/socks_coloring/coloring_forgive.pdf
http://bigidea.com/other/misc/socks_coloring/coloring_sly.pdf
http://bigidea.com/other/misc/socks_coloring/coloring_socks.pdf

VEGGIETALES®, character names, likenesses and other indicia are trademarks of and copyrighted by Big Idea, Inc.

The voting for the Mother’s Day photo contest ends tonight at 9:00 p.m. EST.  If you haven’t voted yet, pop over and pick your favorite.  We’ve tallied over 4000 votes, and two of the photos are separated by only 60 votes.  It’s anyone’s game!  You might want to let your blog readers get in on the fun, too.

You can vote HERE.

I posted the first third of the winners for the Two Weeks of Toys contest, and the rest will be posted before the end of the day, so stay tuned.

Then on Mother’s Day, the winners of all the other giveaways for that contest will be published.  You can still enter–on the individual posts–through today.

And lest you think the fun is over, we are still posting new contests, with more to come.  You can always check out our contests page for the latest chances to win.

Yep, we have 30 winners for the Nerf N-Strike Recon CS-6 Blasters. If you didn’t win, but you’re still interested, get the details from our original post.

The winners are

#145 Heather
#173 Melissa
#182 Janna
#190 Christy
#249 Ana
#296 William Causey
#300 Molly Capel
#385 Carolyn Hagerman
#395 Libby Wilson
#409 Gloria Dornin
#412 Ann
#413 Christine
#416 Kyrstal Deblasio
#421 Leigh Nichols
#449 Liz
#492 Marie Fink
#523 James Jenkins
#531 Amy Cottrell
#535 Alison
#555 Storm
#560 Naomi Bailey
#568 1stopmom
#630 Donna
#633 Frances Watson
#634 Kelly Ann T.
#635 Anissa
#659 Dia W.
#669 Karla Smith
#707 Mandy

5 Minutes for Mom brings you exclusive samplings from the best mom blogs in our weekly column, The Sampler, hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom contributing editor Shera, from A Frog In My Soup.

I’d like to introduce all of you this week to Genny Heikka. She is an aspiring children’s author who lives in California with her husband and two children. Genny’s blog is My Cup 2 Yours, where she consistently shares simple daily conversations or activities and has the ability to point out great life lessons for moms. I truly encourage you all to visit her blog often.

Two Kinds of People

I was out running errands the other day when the traffic light in front of me turned yellow. I immediately slowed down, while the driver in the truck next to me gunned it. He sailed through the intersection and I stopped at the crosswalk, both before the light came close to turning red. And that’s when it hit me that there are two kinds of people in this world—those who put on the breaks and those who are able to throw caution to the wind.

Guess which category I fall into?

There’ve been many times I’ve wished I didn’t though. Many times I’ve wished I was more daring. And I’m not talking about traffic lights. I’m talking about trying something new, like skydiving or white-water kayaking. Why don’t I like to jump off cliffs or go scuba diving? Why is it when I’m wakeboarding or skiing, I worry about falling? I’m very fast-paced in my daily life, but take me to a roller coaster and I’ll pick the kiddie train over the loop-d-loop any day. I’m obviously missing whatever gene makes people enjoy speed and danger. And I used to be hard on myself about this.

I used to wish I wasn’t so cautious. But since I’ve had kids, my perspective has changed. Because in understanding their personalities, I’ve come to understand my own as well.

When my son snow skis, he points straight downhill and goes as fast as he can. My daughter, on the other hand, prefers the side-to-side S curves. My son is competitive. He cares if his soccer team wins or loses. When my daughter played soccer, she was more interested in the bugs on the grass than the score of the game. My son says he wants to hang glide, drive a race car and invent a jet-powered backpack that can make people fly. My daughter has “safer” aspirations…to be a mommy, an artist, an actress.

Recognizing my kids’ differences has really helped me to appreciate the unique people they are. It’s made me appreciate my own uniqueness as well. Instead of comparing myself to someone else and wishing I was more “that way”, I recognize that this is me. Sure, I could push myself and do something “crazy” like bungee jumping (see how I called it crazy?). And maybe someday I will. Maybe it would be fun. But if I don’t, I won’t beat myself up about it either.

Although my son is like my husband (who definitely has that gene), he’s also like me in many ways. And the same goes for my daughter. Both of them have a little bit of both of us. But my husband and I have realized that it’s not about who they’re like, it’s about who they are. And it’s about (whether they put on the breaks or throw caution to the wind) making sure we appreciate and love them. No matter what.

~ Written by Genny Heikka of My Cup 2 Yours. As an aspiring children’s author Genny has won several awards and has had work published in magazines.

If you would like to be considered for The Sampler please review The Sampler Guidelines.

This column is Hosted by Shera. She can be found at A Frog In My Soup

The little ones at these homes are going to be very happy that their mom (or dad, or grandma) found these contests.

Please check your inbox for an email from me, and if it’s not there, check your spam filter as well. If you still don’t see a winner’s notification and you think that you are the winner for the contest I announced, send an email to info (at) 5minutesformom (dot) com with your full name and address and the contest that you won.

For more information about any of the products, click through the product link, or re-read our review at the “giveaway” link. If you didn’t win, but we’ve peaked your interest, support the product sponsors by buying through the links.

• The winners of our first giveaway from Playskool are as follows:
  Rose Petal Cottages: #667 Just Add Dots, #633 Amy Cottrell, #263 Beth
  Easy Dunk Basketballs: #203 Where’s the Box, #578 Elaine, #4 Pamela Kramer
  Day To Dream Soothers: #138 Angela Young, #148 Ramie
• For our second giveaway, #341 Carla wins the LEGO® CITY Police Headquarters.
• Our third giveaway winning the bébéPOD® PLUS baby seat is #520 Willow Sprite.
• Our fourth giveaway is for the fun, new, creation from Hasbro - Martian Matter–and the winner is #397 Kim aka Accidental Mommy.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more winners. . . .

I am not sure when or where Jackson heard the song, but for the last month he has continually been singing, “I wanna rock n roll all night… and party every day…”

It is getting old fast, let me tell you.

This morning, when I was attempting to tame his bed-head before school, Jackson revolted, “Mom! That’s not how rock-n-roll guys wear their hair.”

With a wild shake of his head, he ran his fingers through his wet hair. When his messed up hair met his approval, he air guitar-ed his way out of the bathroom singing, “I wanna rock n roll all night… and party every day…”

And this is six. What is waiting for me???

Today, Heather Ledeboer, from Mom4Life is facing a pregnant mother’s worst nightmare. Just three weeks before her precious baby Sawyer was due to meet his mother face to face, his heart stopped beating. Today, Heather’s doctor will induce her and she will give birth to her baby who is already waiting for her in heaven.

Heather is an incredible woman of faith. Her strength right now is unbelievable. Reading her brave words is inspiring.

Our hearts are broken for Heather and her family and we send them our love, thoughts and prayers. Please lift up this family as they endure this agonizing time of loss. May God comfort them and heal them.

Expectant mothers have never had so many options and resources available to them during their pregnancy, from prenatal yoga classes to stylish maternity fashions. But especially for new moms-to-be, navigating through all the information available, considering your childbirth options, staying fit, eating right, and deciding what baby gear you need can be overwhelming.

The Bump (which recently joined forces with the wedding supersite, The Knot) aims to consolidate all that information and be the ultimate guide to pregnant living. By browsing its online resources or leafing through the pages of The Bump’s local print guides, you can learn how to build a fashionable maternity wardrobe, throw an eco-chic shower, or find tasty, healthy meal plans for your pregnancy. The Bump in Your City provides links to regional retailers and resources, and a variety of experts offer tips on fitness, nursery design, nutrition, and other topics.

Kara Forney, CEO of The Bump and its founder, shared more with me about The Bump and its offerings:

Please share with 5 Minutes for Mom readers about how The Bump got started and its mission. What sets The Bump apart from other pregnancy-related magazines and web sites?

I started The Bump out of personal experience. During my first pregnancy, I had a demanding career that involved travel and long hours. The last thing I had time for was leisurely exploration of the local maternity/baby scene in my hometown of Phoenix, AZ. I found myself checking various web sites, phonebook, friends, and other information sources just to figure out where I needed to go and for what. It amazed me that there was no comprehensive, consolidated source for information about the local marketplace for such a lucrative and important target audience. There were local guides galore for wedding planning, but none for maternity and baby planning. So, the idea was “born” (forgive the pun) and I began outlining my plan for an upscale, savvy, fun publication that would speak to hip moms today and provide them with a clear snapshot of the products, services, and businesses serving them right in their own backyard.

The local component is the key to our guides. We have the look and feel of a national newsstand magazine, but with the local information and flavor of your hometown. We speak to moms-to-be where it means the most to them–where they eat, sleep, shop, and where they will be raising their families. Our mission is to provide to-be and new moms with the most comprehensive snapshot of their local maternity scene, coupled with informative articles, tips and advice. We become experts in each market we serve and then pass our knowledge on to our readers.

Where can women find The Bump print magazine? How does the print guide differ from The Bump web site?

The Bump resource guides are distributed mainly through OB/GYN offices, so women can get it at their first prenatal visit and use it throughout their pregnancy and as a new mom. We have a list of participating OB offices on each of our city sites at The Bump. Additionally, we have retail distribution in each city through some of our advertisers as well as through partnerships with babystyle and Right Start stores. All distribution points are listed on each city web site.

TheBump.com mirrors our print guides in that it provides comprehensive market-by-market information about local businesses serving the mom-to-be as well as direct access to business websites for more information. The web site also has great content and articles, like our guides do, and additionally it is where women sign up to be a part of our Bump Rewards program. This is a great perk for the mom and mom-to-be–simply sign up and receive your Bump card in the mail, which is good for great promotions and savings in your city (and online) on anything from prenatal spa services to baby gear and clothing. Best of all, it is FREE! Our readers love it.

What are some of the biggest mom-to-be trends right now?

Going green is one of the biggest. The amount of products and services catering to the green market has exploded just in the last several years, and moms are taking advantage of the availability of these eco-conscious alternatives. There are books out now about having a green pregnancy, a green baby, and an overall green family lifestyle. Organic cotton layette items, organic bedding, phthalate-free bottles, and all-natural house cleaners are just a few of the options for to-be and new moms.

Another great trend gaining momentum is the BabyMoon vacation. This is that last romantic getaway with your spouse/partner before the baby is born–and couples are going all-out, as indicated by all the BabyMoon packages popping up in 4- and 5-star resorts these days. Couples can enjoy everything from a beautiful tropical retreat in Hawaii to shopping for the baby layette in Italy. There are a number of websites dedicated to BabyMoon vacation packages. Two of my favorites are Baby-Moon.eu (great information on European packages) and Babymoonfinder.com, which focuses more on US market offerings.

The other “trend” is really not a trend but is more of a societal shift. Pregnancy today is exciting, sexy, stylish, and out there. It is something to flaunt and have fun with. And the marketplace is recognizing that and responding–just look at the fabulous clothes, the accessories (Mia Bossi diaper bags, anyone?) and the services (dedicated mom-to-be spas, baby planners, etc.) that really have hit the market just over the last 5 years or so. It is an amazing time to be pregnant, and I think it will just keep getting better.

In what ways do you think that moms-to-be, particularly first-time moms, can get informed about pregnancy and motherhood without becoming overwhelmed by all the information available to them?

Well, of course the first thing they should do is get their hands on The Bump guide in their city! That will help them understand and navigate the resource maze out there in their local marketplace. Secondly, they should get a good book or two on the subject; we have a bookstore on The Bump where we list some of our favorite reads. Lastly, she should relax, have fun, and trust her instincts. This is her time to plan, dream, and anticipate all the wonderful things to come. She should learn as much as she can to feel informed, but not worry about knowing EVERYTHING, because that would put too much pressure on herself. When I was pregnant, it was always a comfort for me to remember that women have been doing this for thousands of years and I would be just fine.

Thanks, Kara! Visit The Bump to sign up for its newsletter and Bump Rewards program and get information about upcoming events in your area.

Making sure that the kids are fed is one of the jobs of a homemaker. It might be Dad, but it’s usually Mom who takes on this responsibility. Making sure that there is food in the house is the first step, but most of us try to go a step further and make sure that we are feeding our kids well.

Today’s giveaway may not be all about you, but it is about making your life as Mother a bit easier. We have two products to offer which can help in these endeavors, and even get your kids involved in taking some ownership as well.

The thing that I like about both these products is that they can be displayed prominently on the refrigerator for all to see, which gets everyone involved, taking the burden off Mom.

Just today, my four-year-old son was checking out the Lily on the Fly Meal Planning chart on the fridge. He was pointing to the meal cards. I think that having them out like that helps de-mystify the whole dinner experience and hopefully makes the cuisine more acceptable to little ones (and maybe big Daddies too). The dinners included in the starter kit are not gourmet offerings. They are simple family fare that will appeal to all ages.

This would actually be a great gift for a newlywed or a recent college graduate who is trying to begin the process of meal planning for herself or her family.

The idea of being “on the fly” is how this product differs from others. Each recipe is contained on a card which can be stored in the sleeve on the fridge, but more importantly can be carried in your purse or car for those times when you are “on the fly.” If you’re on the way home from work or soccer practice and need to stop at the grocery store to buy dinner for that night, the one small card has the recipe on front and a neatly organized shopping list on the back.

Another unique feature is the “soul food” contained on each card, a reminder meant to inspire or encourage you in your journey. One that I think sums up the company and the goal of enabling women to plan and prepare healthy meals for their families is “Things don’t always have to be complicated to be fulfilling!”

You can order the starter kit as well as expansion kits online at Lily on the Fly.

Chickin Feed is a nutrition tracking chart with little chickie magnets that your own little chicks can move over from the “What They Need” column to the “What They’ve Had.” In addition to the food groups of protein, grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy, the chart even includes a segment for activity (exercise), and one for sweets/extras (in our case filling that one up quickly helps my children see that they need to start making some wiser food choices for the rest of the day).

When I’m consistent about having my kids use it, I find that the chart provides not only a good visual reminder, but a great conversation starter which leads my kids to making their

The board is about the size of a legal sheet of paper, and is quite sturdy. The magnets adhere well, but still move easily without causing the board to slip off the refrigerator.

Are you sold on the concept? You can even buy Chickin Gear (T-shirts), and Chickin Bags (100% cotton shopping totes) online in the Feed Store.

Do you want to learn more about the mom-owner of this delightful product? Are you curious to find out if she puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to feeding her own kids? Read my interview with her on my personal blog, Snapshot.

Enter to Win:

If you would like to win a Chickin Feed Nutrition tracking chart and Lily on the Fly starter kit, all the instructions about entering the Mother’s Day 2008 Giveaways are included in the Mother’s Day 2008 Giveaway post (including the code to put our Mother’s Day Giveaway button on your site.)

But here is a quick run through:

• Leave a comment on this post to be entered.
• Post a link to this contest (it is always nice to let your readers have a chance to win too!) and/or link and post a button to our Mother’s Day 2008 Giveaway post. (If you post the button and link to the Mother’s Day 2008 Giveaway, you are qualified to enter in all the upcoming Mother’s Day 2008 Giveaway contests. And we have two weeks of contests to enter!) Non-bloggers are welcome too - we understand you can’t link - but feel free to pass the word on to your friends or write about it on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Good luck!

(Have you checked out the other contests in Mother’s Day 2008 Giveaway contest?)

About Blogging
by Melanie Nelson
Melanie answers your basic blogging questions every week day at Blogging Basics 101.

May 1 was RSS Awareness Day as declared by Daily Blog Tips. The intent of the declaration was to bring attention to something all bloggers need to be aware of: their RSS feeds and how to make sure readers can subscribe to them.

RSS feeds, or feeds as many people call them, are useful when you have
a blog or any other site that is updated on a regular basis because the audience doesn’t have to check back to see if content has changed or updated; the content is sent to them.

Confused? Watch this video. It’s the best explanation of RSS feeds (and how to use them) I’ve found.

Feeds are read in an