A Little Luck of the Irish ...

I had so much fun with this giveaway! Almost as much fun as traveling to Ireland for a weeklong getaway ... almost!


Thank you for humoring me with Skittle flavors, pot of gold finds, baby girl name choices, and most delightful, the heartfelt proverbs - you can read those at the end of this post!


The Winner ...
It seems my dear friend Chitown Momma (who has also done a guest blog for me) had the luck of the Irish on her side ... or maybe it was her numerous entries ... either way, she's our winner! Woo Hoo!

And here are those Proverb Entries I promised ... so sweet and creative!

Miss Mel said...
May you always have your silkies and sockies for the tearsrubber pirate and mermaid boots for the rain, warm milk in your Snow White cup,endless tickles to cheer you you, those 100 stuffed animal you each love near you,and all your heart might desire.

Raising Z said...
May you always have a smile that lights up the room,a George to cuddle, sunflower butter on toast,good friends to cheer you, family members who love and cherish you, and all your heart might desire.

Terri said...
May you always have magic kisses to heal your wounds, ice cream for the tears, prayers to calm your fears, a warm bed to crawl into, the power of love around you, and all that your heart desires.

Chi-town momma said...
This is for my toddler...May you always have cars for racing, your dog for snuggling, books for reading, music for dancing, giggles to cheer you (and everyone around you), those you love (who love you back even more!) near you, and ALL your heart might desire!!! Each night our prayer is "Dear God, Please keep Benjamin/Taylor Happy, Healthy and Safe. Amen!" If my kids are always blessed with these three wishes, life is perfect!!!

Epiphius said...
A house is not a home, but you'll always have a home in our houseWe'll give you everything you need, but not everything you wantWe wish for you unconditional love, enless belly laughs and a life full of light.

the Speks Giveaway - Final Chance to Win!

Here's your 5th - proverbial - chance to win a copy

of this fantastic kids' music CD ...

If you haven't already read my review and listened to this Irish-inspired music,

it's only a click away.

May you always have walls for the winds,

a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,

laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,

and all your heart might desire.

This is a popular Irish proverb/blessing. Your FINAL CHANCE TO WIN requires you to wax poetic ... or at least proverbial ... and rewrite this proverb addressed to your toddler. It can be funny, ridiculous, sincere, sweet, ... whatever. And there's no pressure, all efforts are considered an entry .. but I know some of you will undoubtedly impress :)

Because this one requires a little brain power, I am leaving the giveaway open until Sunday evening ... that's three days worth of proverb-writing potential :)

the Speks Giveaway - 4th Chance to Win!

Here's your 4th - wee little baby - chance to win a copy

of this fantastic kids' music CD ...

If you haven't already read my review and listened to this fantastic music,

it's only a click away.

Perhaps you've heard ... there's a wee one on the way, and she's going to need a better name than "wee one."

image from here

Here's your chance to give a little input on what we should name Baby Girl 2.0 ... IF we decide to go with an Irish origin ...

According to yeahbaby.com, these were the top 30 most popular Irish baby names for girls ... way back in 2003 (it's the best I could find).

Emma - Sarah - Aoife - Ciara - Katie - Sophie - Rachel - Chloe - Amy - Leah - Niamh - Caoimhe - Hannah - Ella - Lauren - Megan - Kate -Rebecca - Jessica - Emily - Laura - Anna - Grace - Ava - Ellen - Shauna - Roisin - Holly - Aisling - Lucy

To enter and possibly WIN the Speks GIVEAWAY (see details above), simple leave a comment with your Top Choice(s) from this list of girl names.

the Speks Giveaway - 3rd Chance to Win!

Here's your 3rd - very sweet - chance to win a copy

of this fantastic kids' music CD ...

If you haven't already read my review and listened to this fantastic music,

it's only a click away.

This one is simple and fun ... here's your chance to "taste the rainbow" ...

just leave a COMMENT telling me .... which flavor is your favorite?

Missed the 2nd Chance? Click here.

the Speks Giveaway - 2nd Chance to Win!

Here's your 2nd chance to win your very own copy of a fantastic kids' music CD ...

Sing-Along Songs from Glasses Island

by the Speks

Leave a COMMENT telling me what your TODDLER would find in the pot at the end of the rainbow ... it can't be gold ... because, really, what toddler would be interested in gold?

If you haven't already read my review and listened to this fantastic music, it's only a click away.

Spek-tacular

There once was a mom of a sweet little tot
Many a kid's music CD she has bought
When from across the sea
New tunes just for me
A love for Sing-Alongs I've certainly caught

I'm writing silly limericks. I am craving a big bowl of Lucky Charms! (And I don't think it's just some weird pregnancy craving!) I've met a troop of leprechauns Irishmen, and they are quite talented. I've danced a jig. I've laughed with my lassy. I've even spotted a rainbow or two ... and that pot of gold comes in the form of some really great kid-friendly music ... and this discovery wasn't made at my local library (as are most of my music-finds).

No, this CD found me from all the way across the sea - an island off Ireland to be more exact. I received a delightful email from a guy named Quince. He likened his music to "Riverdance for toddlers" and said his bandmates would be "like cows jumping over the moon with delight," if I would accept a copy of their debut CD! How could I possibly refuse an offer like that?

Sing-Along Songs from Glasses Island by the Speks

The CD is a collection of traditional songs - mainly nursery rhymes - with musical arrangement that is really unique and delightful. I am mesmerized, and a bit enamored, by the instrumentation - fiddle, banjo, flutes, and others I am sure I can't even name. The familiarity of the songs makes singing along, well, easy and fun for adults and kiddos. But it's the Irish flair that gets my toes tapping and my face smiling ... and occasionally a leprechaun accent used :) We've listened to these songs in the car and during dinner-making hour, a tough time of day for toddlers ... but I've found this music puts us both in a good mood!

the Speks - Online at http://www.thespeks.com/index.html

The band's website is very, very well-done ... and I am kind of hard to please in that department. The design is clean and simple. The content is high-quality. That's about the best combination I can hope for in a website! Obviously, there's a link to listen to their songs - for free - called Our Jukebox. But what I am most impressed by is the Teaching Notes section. Talk about an unexpected little pot of gold at the end of an already wonderful rainbow! Each song is linked to an explanation of the arrangement, activity suggestions, and the lyrics. And as I told Quince, "As a mommy and a teacher, I certainly appreciate entertainment that is also educational."

Hey, Hey Did Someone Say Giveaway?

The Speks were so generous and sent me two copies of their debut album - one for me and one for Natalie ... however, this seems like the perfect opportunity to give my toddler some practice with the concept of sharing, I've decided to SHARE GIVE her copy to one of you!

Here's your first of many chances to win, win, win ... Natalie's your very own copy of ...

Sing-Along Songs from Glasses Island by the Speks

Giveaway - 1st Chance: Go visit their website - http://www.thespeks.com/ - and get to know these guys a little better: watch a video, listen to a few songs, or read a few of the Teaching Notes. Come back here and leave a FIRST IMPRESSION COMMENT.

All of the other CHANCES (5 in all) ask you a simple - Irish-related - question.
Click to go to the other posts.

Giveaway - 2nd Chance

Giveaway - 3rd Chance
Giveaway - 4th Chance
Giveaway - 5th Chance

Giveaway ends Sunday, October 4th at midnight PST. If you leave a comment, please make sure I have a way of contacting you.

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Start with a limerick, end with a proverb, that's what I always say ...

“Your feet will bring you to where your heart is.”