5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere

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Aloha and welcome to the very first edition of 5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere.

Each Sunday, we’ll be bringing you the best contests, informative posts, and interesting happenings throughout the Blogosphere. Why? We know how valuable your time is so why not make things a little easier for you?

This column will include things we come across in our daily bloghopping as well as recommendations from you. So, if you have anything you’d like to be considered for future posts, please feel free to let us know. We’ll try to accommodate as much of your requests as possible but please keep in mind that we do have space constraints to consider.

So, without further ado, here is this week’s round-up.

INTERESTING POSTS
With all the toy recalls going on lately, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up. Thanks to a tip from Prontip, you can go to www.Recalls.gov to get a list of the latest recalls broken down into categories. If you prefer, you could also sign up on their email list and the information will be send to you automatically.

Jennifer of The Wilson Six has come up with a great idea. Why not show a random act of kindness to someone who really deserves it? Join her every Monday as she gathers up and shares the wonderful things that bloggers have done throughout the week.

The Carnival of Family Life is a popular blog carnival that receives over 70 submissions a week. If you’re interested in submitting a family-related post for a future edition, you can find more information here.

Shera has organized a group blog study on the book, The Power of a Praying Parent written by Stormie Omartian. Each week, the group will read one chapter and Shera will post a list of study and prayer questions for you to think about. If you’d like to participate, please visit A Frog In My Soup.

How would you like to see a photo of your home published in a coffee table book? Well, you are all invited to participate in “America at Home” by taking digital photographs of what “Home” means to you. This project has received multi-million dollar funding from IKEA, Google, and HP so you know it’s a big deal. For more info, stop by the CONTESTS & GIVEAWAYS

ABC’s Children’s Picture Book Competition starts today. One of the finalists in the 3rd round is The Doll Violinist – a heart-warming Christmas tale set in Victorian Europe. Author Mayra Calvani and Illustrator Amy Moreno, have decided to hold a contest where the winners will receive one of the following:

* An enchanting antique doll in Brussels lace
* $50 Amazon gift certificate
* Beautiful zirconium & sterling silver ring (size eight)
* A print copy of Mayra’s latest paranormal thriller, DARK LULLABY
* A print copy of ANGEL IN A BUBBLE (children’s picture book)
* A customized 11″ x 14″ pen and ink rendering of your house on acid-free paper, created from photos provided by you

Michelle of Scribbit is holding her monthly group writing project. This time the theme is “learning”. Deadline to enter is September 19th. You could win a cool button to display and a gorgeous bag made by Michelle herself!

Ever wished for a place where you could post something without the fear of your co-workers or in-laws finding out? Well, now there’s Mom’s Turn – place where you could anonymously say anything you want. If you help spread the word on your blog, you will be entered to win either a handmade quilt or one of four handmade notecard sets.

COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

The Great American Eat Right Challenge is now in session and we would like to challenge all of you to start eating healthier. For more information, please visit the American Cancer Society.

Did you know that Ovarian Cancer is the #1 gynecological cancer killer in women with no effective early detection method? You can find more information about this at the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund site which also includes signs and symptoms of this disease. Since September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, the talented Designing Diva has created the Love & Hope Necklace. 25% of all sales will be generously donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare, degenerative, fatal disease that affects children progressively and is described as combining the worst symptoms of five major illnesses: cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, cancer, and immune deficiencies. To help raise funds and spread awareness, Tim Borland will be participating in the A-T Tour Cure by running in various marathons from Disneyland in Anaheim to New York City. They’re looking for your help in supporting Tim by spreading the word on your blogs.

Well, that’s it for this week. Until next time, take care and be safe!

Kailani can be found at An Island Life.