Saving America’s Mustangs: A Mission

Last week I shared with you the love I have of horses…one that I’ve had since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Today I want to talk to you about Madeleine Picken’s cause Saving America’s Mustangs and her desire to create the Living Monument.

Growing up in Colorado, I used to hear people talking about all the wild horses roaming the state and the auctions they would have with the round ups. My tender horse heart wanted one so desperately!

"Our wild mustang should be a national treasure. The horses have no natural predator. Their only predator is mankind, when we do the wrong thing."- Madeleine Pickens

Madeleine is passionate about her desire to see these beautiful creatures taken care of and she is determined to make the government listen. Our passions can definitely make a difference.

"These horses belong here. They’re Federal horses. They belong here." –Madeleine Pickens

You may not believe this, but it wasn’t until I actually got my first horse did I realize they were using wild mustangs in slaughter houses! I was appalled! Were they not paying attention to fact that 110 years ago there were 2 million wild horses and today there are roughly only 30,000! The Bureau of Land Management has recently passed legislation that allows these horses to continue to be slaughtered!

But here’s the interesting part, the BLM doesn’t “own” these mustangs! They simply manage them. These are OUR horses, and they should be protected by us!


So, what is it that you CAN do? Check it out, it’s really easy and makes a difference:

●Contact local legislators to petition for the cause.

○Link to send your State Senator an email

●Contact Nevada legislators to petition for the cause.

○Link to send Harry Reid, (senator NV) email

●Contact Federal legislators to petition for the cause.

○Contact Secretary Salazar (US Secretary of the Interior)

○Contact John Boehner (Speaker of the House)

○Contact President Obama

●Join the Saving America’s Mustangs Facebook page and advertise upcoming

“Tweet Up” date.

○Mustang Monument on Facebook

○Twitter Party will be on 08/22/12 at 1:00pm EST (RSVP link to follow)

○Facebook Pic Links:BLM Antelope Complex (You can share these photos

with your readers)

●Take action through the Humane Society Link

●Follow along for updates on Twitter

And if my plea for you to get involved doesn’t stir you, maybe a look at your tax dollars “at work” will encourage you to consider getting involved! Nearly $85 million tax dollars are given to ranchers to house these mustangs under living conditions and no one holds them accountable! Madeline at the Mustang Monument could house these horses at almost 4x less the cost and save the American Taxpayer millions each year. Saving our American heritage in the wild mustang while saving money. Sounds like a good combination to me!

Source: jmanandmillerbug.com via Mimi on Pinterest

PINTEREST PARTY

Runs 08/10/12 through 08/24/12
●Pin for a cause! Join us (08/10/12-08/24/12) for the #SaveAmericasMustangs Party on Pinterest! We're giving away (2) $200 prizes.
●Official Contest Pin Copy Suggestion:
●#SaveAmericasMustangs by spreading the word!
●Pin for a cause and help #SaveAmericasMustangs
●Join the #SaveAmericasMustangs Party August 10- August 24, and you could win one of (2) $200 Grand

Prizes:
■$100 gift card for you
■$100 scholarship to the Saving America’s Mustangs Monument

●Party Rules
1. Create a #SaveAmericasMustangs Pinterest board.
2. Pin the #SaveAmericasMustangs party pin
3. Pin at least 3 images from Saving America's Mustangs (Mustangs, Advocacy, The Monument).
4. Pin at least 3 other photos of mustangs, animal rights advocacy, and western wildlife.5. Submit board link and email to the linky at the RSVP post:

http://www.thebusynothings.com/2012/08/09/a-pinterest-party-with-a-cause/

There will also be a twitter party:
The RSVP for the twitter party on 08/22/12 at 1:00pm EST is live.
Here's the link:  http://www.insanityisnotanoption.com/2012/08/join-us-on-twitter-to-bring-awareness.html

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for CollectiveBias™ and Saving America’s Mustangs.  #CBias #SocialFabric all opinions are my own and never influenced by the company.

The Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite at #BlogHer12

I would have to say I have 3 Events I would go to again next year out of all the ones I went to for the first time this year and as a Mom, the Big Toy Book’s Sweet Suite was one of them.

Yes, they had some of the MOST amazing brands in one location, but that wasn’t what made it awesome. The people behind these brands are what made my experience fantastic!

The first company I came to was Neat-Oh. I’ve seen their product before but didn’t know their name! The two products they had sitting out both had my boys names on them. One case was Ninjago the other was Star Wars. lol My boys would’ve been in heaven!

I met the people at the Teenage Mutant Ninja booth and these guys were awesome! They came out and talked to me, we shot the breeze for a few minutes, talked briefly about the toys, because I had already gotten the low down from the first guy, and we connected.

I didn’t ask for anything and neither did they. lol I love walking away with no agenda! Then again, my boys kind of like the whole ninja thing so I may have to send out an email in the near future. =)

I walked around scoping out the new toys about to hit the market like the ones at Bandai! Oh my gosh, my boys love Power Rangers and Ben 10. Their new Gigazord is super cool! That thing can become quite the beast! And the very cool wrist band that was demonstrated for me blew me away. Technology is amazing!

I meandered outside where I got to taste some amazing frozen yogurt with fresh fruit. I know, I stink because I forgot to take pictures. I’m telling you, there was SO much to see and do, it’s like I was a kid in a candy shop!

While I was outside, I made a bracelet and got to pick out three charms. It wasn’t easy, but I did it! Walking through the Suite, and all the adorable girl stuff, oh my gosh, I wished my girls were still little! I’m sad because I’ve been looking for my bracelet and can’t find it anywhere. =(

Ok, I don’t have an iPad, but seeing the game of Life and Monopoly able to be played with it, all updated to be more towards our kid’s generation made me excited to show my boys. They’re 13 and 9 and LOVE both of those games!

Mad Libs, for real, who doesn’t love them? My boys enjoy doing them on road trips and I love long road trips!

These will be perfect when we head to Chicago or my parents’ in VA!

The ONE thing my boys and I are holding out hope for one of these days is an Xbox. Yes, Kinect was there!! They have SO many awesome games and the biggest thing I like about it is that it’s hands free. The games the boys will want right away are the Star Wars and Kinect Rush: Disney Pixar Adventure!

I would really love to have a Kinect right now since I missed every part of the Olympics being that I was at BlogHer for 5 days and then traveling and out of town. It was a crazy 2 weeks. Xbox LIVE is packed with streaming and archived sports, even Olympic highlights!

I want to thank The Big Toy Book for inviting me to join their event. It really was fantastic! I hope to see them again in Chicago!

*By writing this post I am entered to win a prize package from The Big Toy Book. I was going to write about it anyhow, but needed to share this tidbit with you!

Oogieloves in Theaters Aug 29th and Giveaway Pack

When I was at BlogHer I saw posters everywhere for the new Oogieloves In the Big Balloon Adventure. My boys are a bit old for this movie so I had no idea what it was about. Then I read the following synopsis and realized my boys would’ve loved it several years ago.

THE OOGIELOVES IN THE BIG BALLOON ADVENTURE is a simple story of a loving friendship, a surprise birthday party and a BIG adventure...It’s a beautiful day in Lovelyloveville. It’s Schluufy’s birthday and the Oogieloves (Goobie, Zoozie, and Toofie) along with their friends J. Edgar, Windy Window and Ruffy, are organizing a party (Ssshh! It’s a secret). Everything is going along just perfectly until J.Edgar trips and loses the last five magical balloons in all of Lovelyloveville - OH NO!!! The Oogieloves immediately take action and set out to find the magical balloons in time to save their friend’s party. Along the way the they meet some very interesting characters indeed, including Dotty Rounder (Cloris Leachman); Bobby Wobbly (Carey Elwes); Milky Marvin(Chazz Palminteri), Rosalie Rosebud (Toni Braxton) and Lola and Lero Sombrero (Christopher Lloyd and Jaime Pressly). Can these new friends help them recover the magical balloons and get back to the cottage in time to celebrate Schluufy’s surprise birthday?

I’m giving away a prize pack as we gear up for the release! Here’s what’s in the prize pack:
stickers, tattoo’s, poster, beach ball and Frisbee

*I have not received any compensation for sharing this giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Trip to BlogHer in Photos

So, this was my first BlogHer conference. I'm still decompressing from it all and actually want to be back in NYC! I miss the energy of that city! I'm all about hustle and bustle. Today I'm just going to post a TON of photos from my trip. I know everyone who went is putting up their own posts.

I've also got a couple of brand posts I'm hoping to get done in the next week or so. Not sure how it'll go because my recovery time is unknown. lol I'm still walking around in a bit of a daze.

Top Left: Brett Martin, Amy Myrick, Me, and Laura Grace Andry from our Facebook Group

Top Right: Me at the Hallmark Suite loved this bear!

Bottom Left: Me at the Getting Gorgeous event at the Coldwater Creek Booth

Bottom Right: Free ride in the Dodge Journey! I’ll take it!

THESE photos are why I went to BlogHer…to meet bloggers and people I work with. Connecting was what was in it for me!

Top Left: Megan Broutain and me

Top Right: Courtney Velasquez and me

Bottom Left: Liz from a Nut in a Nutshell

Bottom Right: Heather Smith and me

And this awesome lady, Amy Fulcher…I was SO happy to turn around and see her standing right behind me at a party. That stupidly HUGE smile on my face should tell you how thrilled I was. She and I have been Twitter buddies for at least a year if not more.

She blessed me SO much with my necklace. She was making these for people who were ordering them and I wasn’t able to. I know, sad panda, right? Well, the next thing I know, she’s pulling out a gift for me…my very own charm!!! I whipped my necklace off so I could swap out the charms. I LOVED it!! I thought it was going to be a picture of a toaster at first, but alas it was my blog logo. Yah, the toaster is an inside joke!

Thank you Amy for my gift! I love it!!!

At one of the parties I was able to hangout with a fantastic group of bloggers I love!! At the Expo I met with a ton of brands and people. One of the fun things that happened was when we were getting Sam’s car we found out we were across the street from a fire dept and they were just pulling their rig in!! I squealed with delight!! Yes, I was going in for a photo. I’m am definitely cheesy like that! They were good sports! NYC’s finest!

Two Left photos: Brian braiding my hair

Top Right: Emily Kahn from The Motherhood

Middle Right: Me, Sam, Amy, and Amanda

Bottom Right: Me and NYC’s Finest Firemen

Everyone I met made this trip WELL worth the insanity of the week!

Dyson DC24 Vacuum Give Away

I'm not sure about you, but I am in serious need of a new vacuum, preferably a Dyson! One winner will be on the receiving end of this fabulous giveaway!

 

Mom Powered Media proudly presents the Dyson DC24 Giveaway

Dyson "The Ball" DC24 Vacuum
Impress yourself with your beautiful floors when you use the Dyson DC24 All-Floors Lightweight Upright Vacuum. Ultra lightweight and compact makes vacuuming with this machine effortless. The Dyson "Ball" technology turns the vacuum on a dime with no loss of suction, combined with the patented Root Cyclone technology makes this one extreme powerhouse of clean.

Dyson "The Ball" DC24 All-Floors Lightweight Upright Vacuum Includes:

• Bristle brush
• Product manual

Product Features:

• Clear hygienic dust collection bin - empty the bin with a push of a button
• Lifetime washable HEPA filter - requires no maintenance and lasts for the life of the vacuum
• Fingertip brush control - turn brushbar on and off at the touch of a button
• Motorized brushbar - powerful bristles remove dirt and pet hair from carpets
• On-board tool storage - brush, stair and crevice tools store right on your vacuum so they're always on hand
• Reversible wand - for dual usage
• On-board tool storage - brush, stair and crevice tools store right on your vacuum so they're always on hand
• Certified Asthma and Allergy Friendly by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America

ABOUT DYSON

Many vacuums use filters to trap dirt, which can cause clogs and suction problems. But Dyson, maker of the world's first cyclonic bagless vacuum, features technology that uses centrifugal force to separate dirt out of the airflow, so the vacuum doesn't clog. Dyson proves no loss of suction using the IEC 60312 Cl 2.9 test standard. As the only vacuum to be certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and featuring Clean Exhaust Air, it's easy to see why Dyson is an excellent choice for all your floor surfaces.

One lucky winner will receive a Dyson DC24 All-Floors Lightweight Upright Vacuum.

Giveaway ends August 31st at 11:59pm, open to US and Canadian residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

Thank you to Mom Powered Media owners: Mom to Bed by 8, Powered By Mom and Real Mom Reviews for organizing this event.

Make sure to visit our fantastic co-hosting blogs This Mama Knows, To Sew With Love and Life With Levi.

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Woven by Words is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment!