Blogging My Way to BarkWorld with Pruven

About this time last year, I wrote about how much I wanted to go to BarkWorld. Most of the blog events I attend are related specifically to parenting or women's issues so I think it would be amazing to shift my focus to another niche I am highly interested in. I am an avid supporter of our local shelter, Kansas Humane Society, and my day job is at a design firm that created their mobile app, PetBridge. Everyone in our office believes very strongly in pet adoption. So much so that we're fostering kittens! I'm writing this post today in the hopes of winning a trip to BarkWorld next month so I can learn more about tailoring my social media efforts to helping animals.

If you're a longtime reader, you know how much I love animals. Our current household roster includes two dogs, six cats and two dwarf frogs. (Our turtle, Tick Tock, was released into the wild earlier this summer although my mom reports she saw him by her back door and put him in her koi pond. I have yet to confirm this although the kids back up her story.) All of them were rescue pets, except for the frogs, who came via mail. I hate to brag but keeping some teensy frogs alive for three years kind of proves my animal rearing skills… ha!

The sponsor of this year's BarkWorld blogger trip is Pruven, from 3M. I haven't actually had the chance to try their wares yet but I am anxious to. Especially the odor removing stuff because, uh, I have six cats and a year old Boxer with anxiety issues. By writing this post, I am hoping to win the following:

1. A ticket to BarkWorld 2013 
2. Roundtrip airfare (up to $350)
3. A 3 night hotel stay at the host hotel, Westin Buckhead (room & tax)
4. Roundtrip airport transport in Atlanta, GA

Wish me luck!

Return to Nim's Island Blu-ray & DVD Giveaway

Return to Nim’s Island premieres on Hallmark Channel March 15, 2013 at 7/8 CT

This sequel to Walden Media’s 2008 box office hit Nim’s Island picks up the story a few years later with 14-year-old Nim (Bindi Irwin) more determined than ever to protect her island and the animals that call it home. With ruthless resort developers and greedy wildlife poachers threatening the existence she loves, Nim realizes she and her animal pals can’t defend their home alone. To save her island, she is forced to combine forces with an outsider: Edmund, a runaway from the mainland. Only with his help does she stand a chance of stopping the villains from dismantling her world.

Return to Nim's Island marks the debut of Walden Family Theater, presented by Walmart and P&G.  The new destination for family entertainment, exclusively on Hallmark Channel.

You'll also be able to pick up your own copy of Return to Nim’s Island on Blu-ray & DVD exclusively at Walmart Stores just 4 days after the premiere. Enter to win a copy for your family to enjoy together at home by filling out the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bindi Irwin will be doing a Live Twitter Q&A on Saturday March 9th at 6pm EST/3pm PST! Bindi will be collecting questions to answer on Saturday so start asking right away, by tagging your questions with #nimsislandchat! 

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that this contest is being sponsored by Partners Hub and Hallmark Channel. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

Curious George - New Episodes This Week!

I've been a fan of Curious George since I was little and he did naughty, politically incorrect things like smoke pipes and start fire alarms. The current incarnation of the classic character is still mischevious but he's also a little less destructive, thankfully! Curious George is starting its seventh season on PBS this week with three brand-new episodes about animals.

The premiere episode of the season, "Monkey Down Under," finds George and the Man with the Yellow Hat in Australia for an Outback adventure. George investigates giant footprints in the sand and learns about indigenous animals from local conservationist and wildlife expert Bindi Irwin, the progeny of the late Crocodile Hunter and a force for animals in her own right. George learns all about koalas, kangaroos, emus and more in this fun episode.


Curious George is a great way to engage preschoolers in learning. Check your local PBS channel listings for December 3-5th and watch these with your little ones. You won't be disappointed!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received a screener DVD to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided for this post. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.