5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere – Week 68

Welcome to our weekly roundup here at “5 Minutes Around the Blogosphere”.

As usual we have a ton of announcements, fantastic posts and giveaways to share with you.

Also, we are now including a Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post so that you can add more giveaways throughout the week. If you’re hosting a contest, or you have a noteworthy post, go ahead and add the url to the Mr. Linky and then link back to this post so that others can join the fun.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Over at Happy To Be At Home, they are sponsoring a challenge that they’d really like to see spread. As bloggers, we all know the boost we get from our readers. We also know how good it feels to help out our favorite bloggers and spread the word about their blogs. So they’d like to see the blogosphere spend the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s spreading some bloggy love.

  This challenge is called “Spread Some Bloggy Love – A 14 Day Challenge To Show Your Favorite Bloggers Some Bloggy Love.” We’ve written a post with 14 suggestions, one for each day, to spread that love.

• Cool Zebras has started a weight loss challenge, with weekly prizes. It is open to bloggers and non-bloggers.

CONTESTS & SWEEPSTAKES

• Over at LittleMissMatched they are asking fans of all ages to design their next 3-pack of socks that, in true LittleMissMatched spirit, don’t match.

  Not only does the winning designer have his/her socks join the LittleMissMatched collection and go into production, they also receive a prize of $500. It’s a great opportunity for people to let their creative side out.

• In honor of the Year of the Ox, Wanchai Ferry Chinese Dinner Kits will give one grand-prize winner an all expense paid trip for two to San Francisco, home of the largest Chinese New Year festival outside of Asia.

  People can visit www.AmazingChineseFood.com for their chance to win the trip, including airfare, hotel and spending money, as well as a 10-course Dim Sum lunch. The contest runs from January 1st to March 1st.

BLOG GIVEAWAYS

For Everyone

• All Because Two People Fell in LOVE $50 Tiny Prints Gift Certificate (1/30 US Only)
• Thrifty & Chic Mom Sample Pack of Soap Nuts (1/30)
• Susan Heim On Parenting Lock Jaw Security System (1/30)
• A Wrestling Addicted Mommy $25 Gift Certificate to Paper Shouts (1/30 US Only)
• All Because Two People Fell in LOVE Protect-A-Bed Mattress and Pillow Protectors (1/29 US Only)
• All Because Two People Fell in LOVE Soccer Flash Drive (2/1 US Only)
• From Cribs to Car Keys Protect-A-Bed Mattress pad and pillow protector (1/30)
• Chefdruck Reviews $50 Tiny Prints Gift Certificate (1/31)
• Thrifty & Chic Mom Spring Los Angeles Tote (1/30)
• Adventures in Babywearing $50.00 Gift Certificate to Tiny Prints (1/30)
• Mom Giveaways 500 Business Card from BizCard (1/28 Worldwide)
• A Wrestling Addicted Mommy Lexen Healthy Juicer (2/4 US Only)
• An Island Review Beautify Your Heart Prize Pack (1/30 US Only)
• All Because Two People Fell in LOVE TNT Trust Me House Party Package (1/27 US Only)

For Women

• Jolly Mom My Fair Lady Gift Set by LUSH (1/29 US Only)
• Simply Stacie Bella Crystal Necklace (1/30 US/Canada)
• Jolly Mom $100.00 gift card to the Spa (1/27 US Only)
• Muse Reviews Greenheart Glass Heart Pendant & Glass Heart Bracelet (2/1 US Only)
• Thrifty & Chic Mom Love Squared Necklace (1/30)
• Close To Home Bejeweled Glamour Ring from Avon (1/27)
• Jolly Mom Lullaby Exercises DVD: Workout With Your Baby (1/29 US Only)
• Simply Stacie Twilight Altered Art Charms (2/1)
• Jolly Mom A Makeup Kit by Mommy Makeup (1/27 US Only)
• Muse Reviews “Access” necklace from Risky Beads (1/28 US Only)

Just for Kids

• Muse Reviews “Clouds of Candy” gift set from Piggy Paint (safe, non-toxic nail polish for girls) (1/29 US Only)
• Thrifty & Chic Mom Jimmies CD (1/30)
• Nurse Mommy Wett Giggles nailbrush/soap combo (2/1 US Only)
• An Island Life Bug Pod from Boon Inc (1/27 US Only)
• The Laughs Will Go On $35 Worth of Items from Frecklebox (1/29)
• Nurse Mommy Childrens Framed Print of choice (2/1)
• All Because Two People Fell in LOVE Week’s Worth of Socks from LittleMissMatched (1/31 US Only)
• 5 Minutes for Special Needs Feeleez (Encourage Your Child to Communicate) (2/1 US/Canada)

Baby Essentials

• Northwest Mom Finds Queen Bee Creations handmade Rita diaper bag (1/30 US Only)
• Design For Baby Organic Ultimate Receiving Blanket in Mod Kiwi Circles (1/30 US Only)
• Chefdruck Reviews Baby Skincare Basket from the Body Shop (1/31)
• A Bookworm(Mom)’s Diary A pair of Smiley Soles shoes from Shooshoos (1/26 US/Canada)

Books for Grown-Ups

• An Island Review Parenting Is Your Highest Calling by Leslie Leyland Fields (1/28)

Books for Kids

• Simply Stacie “The Siege of Macindaw” by John Flanagan (2/8 US/Canada)
• Susan Heim On Parenting The Cupcakes Club books and shirt for tween girls (1/31)
• Muse Reviews Love, Splat by Rob Scotton (1/27)

POSTS WORTH YOUR WHILE

• Valentine’s Gift Guide from Now What Baby
• Mommies With Cents wants to make sure that you don’t miss out on a GREAT deal (lots of freebies from McDonald’s)

Would you like to share a fun giveaway or a worth our while post? Please add it to the Mr. Linky below. You can come here any time this week to add in your link. Don’t miss out on the fun. Be sure to visit throughout the week as the linky grows, and more sites are added.

If you would like to have a post on your blog featured in 5 Minutes Around The Blogosphere, please send us an email with the actual link to your post at features5minutesformom at gmail dot com and we’ll see if it can be arranged.