Top Secret Mission

This Momma/Grammy Cow has accepted an invitation to be part of a very special event this summer and she's working her fingers, hooves and toenails to the bone getting ready with some top secret soapy creations. This top secret mission is for a wonderful cause that has me absolutely tickled pink! I will reveal this top secret mission and soapy creations real soon....In the meantime, I'm up for guesses as to what this top secret mission is about. If you think you know, leave a comment here on this post. On or after June 15, I will reveal this top secret mission and if YOU guess what it is (or a good close guess), I will let you enjoy a shopping spree in my shop! My dear blogger friend (and partner in crime) Lily aka Hot Lips is the only person who cannot guess ~ only because I shared with her a month or so ago about this top secret mission...so Lily ~ mum's the word (and no fair accepting bribes, either!), got it? LOL Oh...you guys want clues? I've given enough clues already...just reread this post if you have to, it'll bite you in the nose!

Congrats to Winners

Isn't she so sweet, peaceful and innocent? Such a blessing, indeed.

I haven't forgotten about the contest, and I must admit I've started to write this announcement for a few days now, but time has slipped away. There were two people that chose March 10 as the day Christina would arrive. My initial thought was to pick the winner based on time of day, but since there were only two who guessed March 10, I'm going to be generous and let both of them go on a $25.00 USD shopping trip through Spotted Cow Soaps. Congratulations to Storybeader and mel*~reachforthestars~*. I've sent each of you an email with instructions. :)

She is Here!

Christina Ashley arrived at 12:29 AM today. She weighed 6 lbs. 3.4 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. After a very long and hard labor, DD delivered the most absolutely beautiful little girl into our hearts and hands. I am so thankful my DD asked me to be her labor coach. Bringing my granddaughter into this world was the most amazing experience any grandmother could ever wish or hope for.

I present to you....my beautiful granddaughter....



I will look over all of the entries in the contest and notify the winner ASAP.

Guessing Contest

In case you didn't know...LOL...my oldest daugther is due to have her first baby soon. And since this is also my FIRST Grandbaby, it calls for a contest! All you have to do is guess the date and approximate time you think she will have the baby and leave it as a comment right here on my blog. Her given due date is March 10. You must also leave a working email in your comment so I know how to reach you if you are the one to make the lucky guess.

So....what could you win? A shopping spree to Spotted Cow Soaps ~ haven't decided the exact $$ amount ~ but I will say that I am going be real generous!!!

Guess away ~ and I will announce the winner as soon as the baby arrives!

Winner of Gingerbread Dreams Chosen

We put everyone's name into a hat and Ashley pulled the lucky winner ~ Sew Happy Designs. WOOT! Cindy is such a sweetheart and I was so excited when her name was drawn because I know her family is going through a tough spot after losing a loved one. ((((HUGS))))) from the Cow to My Sew Happy friend! I hope this will help brighten your Christmas and thank you for being a faithful bloggy friend. It is going out in the mail today.

Lucky Winner Chosen

Ashley picked the winner for me this morning It's....

~ Leslie from Unique Charms~

Congratulations!!! Leslie ~ Please send me your address to "joyful_1963 at Yahoo dot com" and we'll send your soap right out to you!

Last Chance

When I get up tomorrow morning I'll be selecting the winner for my blog giveaway. Wanna see what it's all about and how you can enter? Click here.

WOOT WOOT ~ IT'S PARTY TIME AGAIN!!!

Ms. Moo has her party hat on and celebrating...

Today we hit 300 sales in our Etsy store so that means another giveaway! WOOT WOOT!!! Post a comment on this blog post and you are IN the drawing. On Saturday morning, November 15, I'll be drawing out the winner and contacting them. I've got some delicious new soaps to give away...A bar of each of the following:

Candy Cane Soap

Gingerbread Soap

And the Winner Is.....

CONGRATULATIONS TO....
Lucky Commenter #38 - Marigold!
She happened upon my blog via one of her favorite portals to the crafting world, Everything Up Close. I'm always interested to learn how readers find my blog because Google alerts isn't necessarily very reliable in notifying me when someone links to my blog. Marigold will be receiving this basket of bath fizzies:


Marigold found the Chocoholics Unite Whipped Sugar Scrub to be her favorite item from my shop. As a special Thank You for taking the time to visit my shop, I'll be including a jar of this delightful pampering treat as well!


I wish I could have sent a basket of goodies to everyone that took the time to stop by my shop for a visit. Rest assured, with the Holiday's coming upon us, I'll be finding more reasons to celebrate, I'm sure! Keep checking back for more opportunities.

It's Time to Celebrate!

I'm celebrating for two reasons this week...I hit 175 sales in my shop, and my graduation today. I've got a basket of bath fizzies in assorted scents just screaming for a new home. Here's the deal...visit my Etsy shop and post the link to your favorite item in my shop right here in the comments on this post. On Monday, October 20 I will draw one lucky winner from all qualifying comments.

Thank you for looking at my shop...I look forward to your responses.

And the Winner IS....

(drum roll please) My son stuck his hand down into the hat this past weekend and drew......Caly from Nightshade Arts!!! This is the fabulous gift that was delivered to her just today! Sparkling Champagne is one of those few fragrances that I had to go all out and make companion products because, well, it's just yummy and heavenly. Golden swirls and delicate bubbles literally leap from this fragrance with an effervescence that tantalizes your nose.
With Bubble Bath, Bath Fizzies, Soap, and a Body Lotion Parfait you can't go wrong. Create a relaxing moment for yourself, or a quiet moment to share together with someone special. Perfect for New Year's, Wedding Gifts, Valentine's Day, Anniversary's and more.......You can pick up this set right here.

I Haven't Forgotten

Things have been super busy at work this week and I've been putting in a lot of long days. It happens at the beginning of every school year, nothing new. I didn't, however, anticipate having to find a substitute for one of my staff members so early in the school year. She's been out all week with a very sick child and I'm extremely thankful to have a substitute pool to choose from this year, unlike previous years where we had to limp by when someone was absent. So....don't worry, I promise to do the drawing this weekend for the contest when I have more enthusiasm and energy to announce with excitement. I'm still waiting for one small detail of the prize to be ready before announcing, anyway. :)

Labor Day Sale and Shop News

12:01 AM to 11:59 PM EST I'm offering a very special deal when you purchase 8 bars of our fabulous soap. One Day Only - September 1, 2008. Stock up for yourself, or gear up for the Holiday's. Mix & Match your fragrances and take advantage of this steal. Best of all, if the soap is all you want, it can be shipped to you in a Flat Rate Envelope for $4.80 US, $9.95 Canada & Mexico, $11.95 Everywhere else. What a bargain!

If bargains are what you are all about, then hop on over to our Sale Section and help us clear out the last bits of spring and summer at bargain prices. We need to make room for the rest of our fall/winter line.

And....drum roll, please...today we debut the Body Lotion Parfaits in our shop. Currently available in Perfect Pumpkin and Autumn in Vermont, with more Yummy fragrances on their way. We don't recommend eating these, even though they do look tempting.

Today is ALSO the last day to enter our giveaway!

I Was the Winner of a Holiday Website Contest

The year was 1999. We had purchased our first computer and I promised my husband I would make it pay for itself within the first year (I was a SAHM at the time). As the year wore on, I found all sorts of interesting sites with promises of money to earn. Ha Ha! I was product tester, earning money for my feedback. I clicked for points to earn gift cards and cash until one day I happened across a website where you could build a free web page with drag and drop. This interested me. Before long I was surfing for graphics and clicking away with drag and drop and a website emerged that included recipes, household tips and useful information.

Shortly thereafter, it was announced that the website owners were looking for the ultimate Holiday website. The winner would receive a brand new computer from Dell, and 10 runners up would receive scanners. The idea of a new scanner was enticing to me (I already had a computer) so I started a new website and poured my heart into it, working around the clock for days. The site had appeal to both young and old. There was a family greeting, a memorial to my Grandfather that had passed away just before Christmas the year before, children's activities, holiday recipes and more.

The deadline to submit the website for inclusion in the contest was drawing closer. When I viewed the other websites I was up against I certainly didn't feel I stood a chance of winning and held off to submit. In the final hours before the contest entry deadline I came to realize that it wasn't about winning, but rather the satisfaction that I had successfully built the website and had fun in the process. The website was subsequently submitted for inclusion in the contest, never dreaming I would stand a chance of winning.

Several days prior to the announcemnt of the winners, I received official notification that my site had been selected as the overall winner in their contest which meant I had won the grand prize ~ a Brand New Dell Computer. I had to pinch myself several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming. When the realization hit me that I had actually won, I started hooting and hollering and jumping up and down chanting "I won! I won! I won!!!"

My winning website no longer exists after the site owners eliminated the "free" websites. Regardless, I will never forget the experience that gave me such deep satisfaction and a very large boost of self-confidence.

This topic was inspired by the Etsybloggers Blog Carnival for September 15
A very Special Thanks to our Gracious Host ~ Storybeader who asked us to Choose one of these two topics to write about:
1) pick a favorite color, and show it in your work

2) tell about a challenge or contest you've been in, how it's done, and what kind of reaction you got

Time for Another Giveaway!!!

Summer is quickly coming to an end...and sadly so! I have seen some trees already starting to change colors. I love the vibrant colors of autumn but not so much the thoughts of having to close up the house and turn on the heat.

So, to celebrate the end of summer I'm giving away some awesome goodies for your skin. All you gotta do is post a comment on any of my blog posts between now and September 1, 2008 to be entered in the giveaway. The winner will be announced on or about September 2, 2008.

Oh, so you wanna know what I'm giving away.....WELL...I don't wanna spoil all of the surprises for my fall and holiday line up before they are officially launched in my shop. But, the lucky recipient will receive an assortment of skin loving goodies in a top secret fragrance that I've been working with for over a month now. Winner gets to test drive this new fragrance (and some new products) before it is officially launched in my shop.

Just so you know...Mr. Moo latched onto the end pieces from this stash of soap so it's one of those universal fragrances.

The Pig Review

The Whole Hog BBQ & Music Festival in Haverhill, NY is one of 60 sanctioned Memphis BBQ Network contests in the country, and the only one in New England. The overall winner of the contest will receive an opportunity to compete at the MBN (Memphis BBQ Network) World Championship in Memphis in 2009.

This past Sunday hubby and I attended the Whole Hog BBQ and Music Festival with enthusiasm and big appetites! Live music was great, and we enjoyed the day until taste testing time when the skies opened wide and we were soaked from head to toe. We weren't alone, hunderds of other spectators stood in the long lines to sample every entry and place their vote for the People's Choice Award.

Having watched the Memphis BBQ Network contests on TV, it was a thrill to be present. Someone commented that the portions weren't very large at each tent. Ahem...2 ounce portion cups, multiply that by NINE participants...and you gotta figure if you visit every tent, you will have consumed over a pound of pork in samples...hardly a cause to cry world famine! Just goes to show you that you don't realize how much food you consume when you "graze".

And now, on to the highlights before the skies opened wide with rain....

Decorating the pig in anticipation of the judges arriving...


There we are, all decorated and pretty for the judges...


A good thing to display so the judges see...


Judging Time...


And finally, the judges get to do the taste test...


Who won? We don't know yet...we left because we were cold, soaked and in need of dry clothes and warmth. LOL

30 Recipes ~ 2 1/2 Day - Part 2

More Highlights from the Healthy Cuisine For Kids Class. If you missed Part 1 - Veggies - you can find it here.

Chicken Salad

Beef Stirfry

Taco Bake (made with ground turkey)

Breads and Grains will be next, so keep watching for those delicious treats! OH...and my Birthday is coming right up so I feel another blog contest coming on.....

I Forgot to Announce!

We have a winner in the Repeat Day Contest. Congratulations to Storybeader who was selected as the winner in a rather interesting manner. While on the phone with my oldest daughter I asked her to pick a number. After she told me the number she asked, "what did I just do that for?" Storybeader's entry happened to be the post that coincided with the number and she had mentioned two work-outs in one day which counted as a repeat. She picked the following soaps:Berries & Cream, Naturewalk, Spring Fling, and Lime Sugar. They are on their way, keep watch in the mail, Storybeader!

Next month is my Birthday so I'm going to have to come up with another contest.

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat, Repeat....Whoa!

Okay folks, it's time to announce another Fun & Wacky Contest.

TODAY, June 3, is Repeat Day!!!

Repeat Day is an opportunity to do things over and over again. Repeat Day is an opportunity to do things over and over again. (hee, hee)

Hopefully you will choose to repeat things you enjoy doing. Pick a wide array of foods, snacks, and activities, and repeat them today. As a matter of fact, it's perfectly okay to repeat them over and over again today. It's also perfectly okay to avoid doing things you don't like. It's a certainty that you will not enjoy distasteful things the second time around.

I'm seeking photos, funny stories about repetitive habits, silly blog entries, and more that relate to Repeat Day. Come back here and post a comment with the link to your blog post that tells me all about what you chose to repeat, or avoided repeating. Don't wait too long, this is a short-lived, fast moving contest. It starts right now and ends at NOON on Tuesday, June 10, 2008! I will choose one very lucky winner who will get to choose 4 bars of my awesome soap! (Your skin will thank you!) Please keep entries family friendly. Spotted Cow Soaps reserves the right to exclude any questionable entries.

One more twist in this contest...you can only enter the contest once. But, since this is Repeat Day, you have the opportunity to earn bonus entries by exercising some repetitive keyboard motions. Simply said, anyone you send to my blog to participate in the contest should mention you sent them over. Every person that mentions your name with their participation in the contest you will earn an extra bonus entry in the contest. The more people you send to participate, the more chances you will earn. Let the Repeat Day fun begin!

We Have a Winner!

A little late...but we have a winner! I had my daughter draw the winner for the Lost Sock Memorial Day Blog Contest and she selected Tulip's Treasure Box. Thank you to everyone who participated in the blog contest. Until next time...