Build-A-Bear Part 2

To read the first post on our Build-A-Bear trip, click here.

After breakfast, the fun really started. Over the course of the two days at the Bearquarters, I learned so many things about the company. I honestly can not say one bad thing about my experience. We were all treated like royalty, our families included!

Maxine Clark has a wonderful team. I would imagine that the founder of BAB would be friendly, but she is so much more than that. Kind, generous, down-to-earth, welcoming and warm are just a few words and only the beginning of what describes her.

Maxine Clark, CEB of Build-A-Bear Worshop

The company is very involved in volunteering and honoring those who go above and beyond to make an impact in our world. The have created a program to do just that - Huggable Heroes. We had the pleasure of meeting Zach Bonner and his mom, Laurie. Zach is currently walking across the United States to raise awareness about his platform, youth homelessness. He is also the founder of the Little Red Wagon Foundation. In 2011, there will also be a feature film based on him and his works, March Across America. Did I mention he is only 12? Zach is on Twitter and I am positive that he would love your support as he walks!

Laurie and Zach Bonner

We had the pleasure of listening to many speakers - Andrienne Weiss, Mary Heston, Jill Saunders and many, many others. After we had a few speakers, we were able to take of tour of the Bearquarters. This place is amazing! Obviously, it has Build-A-Bears everywhere. It is painted the classic yellow that is found in their stores and the walls are covered with 'Bearisms'.

Our fun tour guide, Sarah Terrill

Just one of many Bearisms.

Some of the offices

Just of few of the Build-A-Bears

A 'holding room' for many Build-A-Bear items

The bear hospital where bears are healed and lost
bears are returned to their owners.

The set where they photograph everything.

Maxine Clark really knows how to treat her employees like family - you need to bring your child to work? No, problem. You want off on Friday? They schedule that in bi-weekly. You want to bring your dog to work? We have gates and will play with your dog while they all work.

A dog that was at the office

This bed belongs to Mildred, who is the office dog. She also has
her own email address and business card!

Maxine Clark and her husband also invited all 25 or so moms and their families to her home for a BBQ. Her home is beautiful and she is such a gracious host. The kids had a magician and a balloon animal maker. Adults had the chance to socialize and relax. The food was consisted of hot dogs and mini hamburgers with all the sides but they were exceptionally yummy!

Bob and Maxine's lovely home

Macie waiting for her balloon

Zoa checking out the grounds

I just love this picture!

Zoa with her balloon, Ariel

Maxine would naturally be with the kids!

All of us moms also had the chance to chime in on several different ideas that BAB is coming out with.

My favorite, the "Smallfrys", hitting stores soon!

We also learned a lot of BAB Birthday Parties. After learning about what the parties consists of, we had the chance to have our own party at the Build-A-Workshop. It was such a fun time!

Laurie and Zach Bonner waiting for our party to start!

After the party was over and we all said our goodbyes, Jeremy and the girls joined me as the girls got to make there bears. This is something that never gets old in our family.

Macie waiting for her leopard, Spots

Zoa getting ready to put the heart in her puppy, Paws.

This will be a lifetime memory for my family and I. Jeremy loves the company as much as I do now and I learned so many things while I was there. It gave me a spark to dive back into blogging after losing it for a while. I am eternally grateful to Maxine, Bob and her family at Build-A-Bear.

Three Ladies and a Dad Disclosure: This post is possible through Build-A-Bear. Build-A-Bear provided me with a hotel room for two nights for my family and I, as well as gift cards and products as a thank you for attending their event. My post is an expression of my own honest opinion based on my experience and is not reviewed or edited by Build-A-Bear.

Build-A-Bear Part 1

A few weeks ago, I received an email inviting me to a Brand Building Conference at Build-A-Bear in St. Louis. After switching Jeremy's vacation around, I responded with an "yes!".

We headed to St. Louis last Tuesday and hit up a local water park. It was so hot! After soaking up the rays all day, we went to our hotel and went to Target. Exciting, I know.

Wednesday, we went to Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags and was soaked all day. One thing I have found is the older I get, the more I love summer. Bring me heat, humidity, sweat...I don't care! But just give me some water to dip my feet in! That evening, we checked into our new hotel, which was amazing by the way, and went to Target number 2. We seriously live on the edge, people.

Thursday I was up bright and early. Myself and several other bloggers arrived at Build-A-Bear
Bearquarters at 8:00 a.m. and sat down to a wonderful breakfast of fresh fruit, bagels and orange juice.

But that was just the beginning. The things I learned about branding in general and the Build-A-Bear company, including the generous founder of BAB, Maxine Clark, will stay with me forever.

Stay tuned for more posts about this event!

Three Ladies and a Dad Disclosure: This post is possible through Build-A-Bear. Build-A-Bear provided me with a hotel room for two nights for my family and I, as well as gift cards and products as a thank you for attending their event. My post is an expression of my own honest opinion based on my experience and is not reviewed or edited by Build-A-Bear.

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks - Give and Win: A Review and a #Giveaway

If you know anything about me, I try to avoid processed foods. So when I was given the opportunity to review Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks, I was not quite sure what to do. Then a read a little more and knew I wanted to. (And the girls are loving the 'treats'!)

Do you know what little Miss Betty Crocker has been up to lately? Betty Crocker has teamed up with One Laptop per Child (OLPC), "an organization that creates educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning."

If you have bought any specially marked packages, you may have seen a logo that says Win & Give. This is what that logo is for.



Great stuff, huh? Best of all, for each package of these specially marked packages of Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, Fruit by the Foot, and Stickerz & Shapes, you have the chance to win a very own laptop of your own for your child!

Just for posting this information to you, Betty Crocker will donate $25 to One Laptop per Child in my name. Pretty great!

And now you have the chance to win two boxes of Betty Crocker snacks, which have the code to enter which means you could potentially win a laptop! Betty Crocker will also donate another $25 to One Laptop per Child in your name.

To enter, just leave me a comment. For fun, let me know what child in your life could use a laptop. For the fine print and up to five additional ways to enter, click here.

I will draw a winner on Friday, March 26. Please make sure I have a way of contacting you should your name be drawn.

Good luck!

Three Ladies and a Dad Reviews Disclosure: This review is possible through My Blog Spark and Betty Crocker. My Blog Spark and/or Betty Crocker sponsored this post by providing me with two boxes of Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks and two to give away so that I may share this information with you. My post is an expression of my own honest opinion based on my experience and is not reviewed or edited by My Blog Spark and/or Betty Crocker. My Blog Spark and/or Betty Crocker does not compensate me in any other way for this post.

Winner!

Congratulations to lucky number 21 - @WildOrchids09 - for winning my $25 Kroger Gift Card giveaway!

Check back this week for another giveaway!

Kroger & Box Tops for Education: A #Giveaway!

If you have a child in school, you have probably heard of Box Tops for Education. I admit, I have not always collected these. I started about a year and a half ago and when I see one of something I buy, I throw it into a little container under my sink. Every now and then, I collect all of them and send them with Macie to school. It is an easy way to help keep tuition down at school!

There is a program going on now called Reward Your School. When you register your school, they can get five Box Tops automatically in their account! Another promotion going on now is Bonus Box Tops. You simply load your shopper card and when you buy participating products, you get Bonus Box Tops!

What an easy way to get Box Tops for your school!

How about a $25 Kroger gift card to help get you started collecting more Box Tops? To enter, leave a comment! That's it! For the fine print and up to five additional ways to enter, click here.

I will draw a winner on Friday, March 5. Please make sure I have a way of contacting you should your name be drawn.

Good luck!

Three Ladies and a Dad Reviews Disclosure: This review is possible through My Blog Spark and General Mills. My Blog Spark and/or General Mills sponsored this post by providing me $25 Kroger gift card for myself and one to give away so that I may share this information with you. My post is an expression of my own honest opinion based on my experience and is not reviewed or edited by My Blog Spark and/or General Mills. My Blog Spark and/or General Mills does not compensate me in any other way for this post.

K'Nex and Sesame Street: A Review

When I the girls were given the chance to review a couple of products made by K'Nex, they were excited. We received the K'Nex 400 piece tub and the Police Car Building Set by Sesame Street and Kid K'Nex.

I started by opening the K'Nex 400 piece tub and boy were there a lot of pieces! Cars, airplanes, ferries wheels and hundreds of the pieces that connects them. This set alone entertained my girls for about 45 minutes. The building tub has literally hundreds of pieces! What does that mean for you? Endless fun...your child would have a hard time getting bored. There are so many things they could make and there are even more ideas online and in the included book. The best part about it is it does come in a storage tub so clean up is a breeze...I love it when toys with small pieces come with a storage container.



Next was the Sesame Street Police Car Building Set by Kid K'Nex. These have a larger pieces which make it easier for tiny hands to play with. If your little one is anything like my nephew, they love 'vroom vrooms' and this is perfect! There are also additional sets so your child can make the entire neighborhood! The sets come with a Play and Learn activity sheet for you and your child so this could easily be transformed into a deeper educational toy.

Unfortunately, I don't have a set to giveaway. But if you go to the K'Nex website and submit a video of your child playing with their K'Nex building set, you have a chance to win $1,000.00 and be featured on the site. Just look at the details and rules and submit your video! This ends on December 7th, 2009.

Want one? The K'Nex 400 piece tub is available at most retailers, including Amazon, Target, Toys R Us and Wal Mart. The Sesame Street Neighborhood Building Set is available at Toys R Us, Wal Mart and Target as well.


Three Ladies and a Dad Reviews Disclosure: This review is possible through Team Mom and K'Nex. Team Mom and K'Nex sponsored this post by providing me with both sets so that I may write a product review. My product review is an expression of my own honest opinion based on my experience trying the product, and is not reviewed or edited by Team Mom and/or K'Nex. Team Mom and K'Nex does not compensate me in any other way for this product review.

PUR Flavor Options: Winner!

The girls had the honor of drawing the winner for the PUR Options Water Filter...just press play to find out who won...



#30 is The Royal Family

You should have received an email me from me. Congratulations and thanks for entering everyone!