4 mins read

Back To School Giveaway!

Lisa Martin161
If you purchase something after clicking on the links in this post, I’ll probably earn a few bucks from it. We aren’t talking enough for a mansion or yacht but more like chocolate and wine. And if I mention a product, I probably got a sample and possibly a cash payment. Remember that all Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings are 100% my own and may not represent your experience.

This giveaway is now closed. The winner is Holly G. Congrats!

With all of our kids heading back to school (some are in already!  Mine are!), it's time to do a back to school giveaway!  Nestle Toll House understands the transition from summer to school signals the start of a much busier schedule.  These busier schedules can make it challenging for families to stay connected.  Here are a few sweet (pun intended!) ideas for how Nestle Toll House can help keep your family connected during the back-to-school season:

1.  Brighten your child's day by packing a homemade chocolate chip cookie in his/her lunch along with a note telling them you're thinking about them while they are at school.

2 (aff).  What better way to greet your children when they come home (aff) from school than with the smell of fresh baked cookies?  Reconnect over cookies and a glass of milk.

3 (aff).  Keep the family together around the dinner table longer by baking a batch of chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

4.  For fun after school activities, use Refrigerated Cookie Dough to create cookie puzzles and other fun cookie games the whole family can enjoy.

5.  Make math fun by baking cookies and letting your  kids help with the measurements.

6.  Create special weekend moments and enjoy family breakfast time together.  Try adding Mini Morsel Toppers to chocolate chip pancakes.

7.  Help your children Bake Some Love for their whole class by baking cookies for classroom parties.

8.  Support your child's sports team or after school club with a bake sale.  No bake sale is complete without chocolate chip cookies!

9.  Create new, lasting memories together by baking with your children.

10.  Sweeten someone's day by helping your children bake cookies to give to their favorite teacher, secretary, school nurse, or bus driver as a special treat.

Nestle was kind enough to send my family and I a Back-to-School kits that included one adult apron, one child apron, exclusive TOLL HOUSE recipe cards, NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE morsels and other NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE products. We loved ours, so I've arranged for one lucky reader to get their own Back to School Nestle kit! Here's what you need to do:

In a comment, tell me how you stay connected with your kids as they head back to school? Do you do any of the suggestions above or do you have a few of your own tricks?

Each of these gives you one additional entry:

1. Twitter about this contest. I've made it super easy by adding a tweet button up by the title of this post!  You can do this daily — just leave  me a comment letting me know.

2 (aff). Stumble this post and add this post to other social media sites like Digg, Kirtsy, Blogging Zoom, Reddit, Propeller, Etc. (1 entry for each social network).

3 (aff). Add this to any forums you belong too. Please give me the URL, so I can verify.

4. Comment on another post on this blog. Let me know which one, so I can give you credit.  The more posts you comment on, the more entries you get.

5.  Add this contest of contest linkies (and let me know which ones please).  Each Contest Linky gets you another entry.

Each of these gives you 5 additional entries:

1. Blog about this on your blog. Please give me the URL, so I can verify.

2. Subscribe to this blog using either my email or RSS feed

3. Add my badge to your sidebar:

4.  Subscribe via Kindle

This contest will end on September 17th at 11:59 pm CST! Good Luck!

161 thoughts on “Back To School Giveaway!”

  4. We go back on the 7th ~ the week before school starts and the first week are always a little stressful and this year I have two kids entering schools that are new to them, so there are some additional little monkey wrenches in our daily patterns.

    Anyway, staying connected ~ it's funny you brought this up because last year hubby and I felt really disconnected from the kids and a lot of family stuff suffered because of it. This school year we're starting a new routine and incorporating a weekly family meeting. Hopefully helps keep us all in the same universe this year!

  6. I dont have kids of my own yet but I have an adorable niece and nephew that I love a lot! Baking with kids is one of the best ways to build lifelong memories, don't be afraid to have them help cook dinner too!

    aigcanada7 at hotmail dot com

  16. e 7th ~ the week before school starts and the first week are always a little stressful and this year I have two kids entering schools that are new to them, so there are some additional little monkey wrenches in our daily patterns.

  17. My children are grown but I spend time with my grandson reading and playing learning games.

    janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com

  19. Thank you for such great tips. Lunch becomes a mess when you are not able to think of the recipes or meals you can give to your children in their lunch boxes. Cookies would surely make a delicious treat for school going children.

  21. We text all the way to school and back. I recently told her if she's afriad to tell me something then text me. It's better than not telling me somethings.

  22. I don't have kids, but I stay connected with my younger brother's and sisters by visiting as often as I can and calling them weekly to see how school and other events in their lives are going for them.

    Winning this giveaway would be great.. my finance and I are on a budget saving for our wedding and our first house and don't have the money to splurge on fun things like this at the store.

    Seasidesmitten@aol.com

  24. I stay connected with my kids by baking something once a week be it cookies or a cake or cupcakes. I allow the boys to measure the ingredients and add them to the mixes to get a little math lesson in also.

  30. My oldest child just started kindergarten and she only goes for a half day. In the evenings, after my husband gets home, we look at her artwork from the day, do her homework together, and discuss her day. Even though we have a three-year-old and a two-year-old also, my daughter knows that this is HER time and we focus on her and her needs.

  33. We have our "girls day" on some Saturdays where we do our nails and soak our feet and chat as much as we like.

  40. I add little notes, and riddles to their lunch boxes. Since Monday seems to be the most hated day of the week, I add something special to their lunch such as a sticker, treat or a little trinket.

  42. After dinner we play Family Scrabble on our turntable Scrabble board. We help each other create words and figure out how to get the most points— because ALL of our points are added together. Our goal is to reach 400 points for a game. It's non-competitive and lots of fun.

    💡

  44. Baking and cooking together is a great way to spend quiet time together. No distractions of TV, just teaching by watching, and getting a meal or snack put together to boot.

  46. I take and pick my kids up from school. During that time we talk about their school day. We also ALWAYS eat dinner together and have that as a family conversation time.

  47. We homeschool, so we're always connected; and I love how she loves to show off the work she has just completed especially when it comes to art projects! 😀

  54. We stay connected by having Family Days. We make a pizza, play games, and have lots of fun together!

  55. I try to bake or cook something with the kids help at least once a week. They love baking cookies.

  63. 😳 I don't have kids going back to school but if I did I'd probably greet them with milk and cookies.

  66. After homework is done, we play games until dad gets home . We always eat dinner as a family and talk about our day.

  78. My son hasn't gone to school yet, but when he does I plan on staying connected by volunteering to help out in the classroom. Thanks for the contest! codisweepstakes2 (@) gmail(dot)com

  86. We stay connected by sharing at the dinner table. When they were young,I would attach"gottacha love notes in their lunch boxes.

  87. I am the bakesale momma 🙂 seems like I am always making something for some fundraiser or other.

    purehrt555(at)yahoo(Dot)com

  88. I take and pick up my children from school. So a lot of mornings we leave early enough to go out fro breakfast or we will go and have a snack after I pick them up in the afternoon.

    We also have family day on Sundays and movie night on Friday nights.

    jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

  104. I bake with my daughters all the time. It brings us closer together and that's when we talk together the most.

    CalifKitties (AT) aol.com

  112. I luck out right now. My son's school starts an hour earlier than my daughter's. I have time each morning to spend some one on one time with each of my kids. My youngest sleeps in and I then get to spend the day with her.

  115. I use the time in the car going to and from school, to talk to my son (I have a captive audience!). I ask him about school, his friends,etc. You have to ask! They are not going to tell you otherwise and sometimes even then, it is like pulling teeth to get more than a one word answer.

  119. Dinner time is our time to talk about school and how things are going. I also volunteer at my childrens schools.

  121. when the kids get home,we sit at the table have a snack and talk about the day!

    ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com

  123. I volunteer at the kids school so I"m always around. Also we make sure that we have dinner every day as a family.

  145. I agree that kids love coming home to home baked goods or ice cream. Also, I try to check with each of my kids to see how their day was and what is going on with them.

Comments are closed.

In April 2006, Lisa began blogging to stay connected with distant relatives and friends. As she delved into blogging, she discovered the potential to assist others by sharing her experiences. Lisa has actively engaged in numerous exclusive media ventures. Notable among these are her participation in events such as the Sony Mommy Bloggers Event, the Pampers Mommy Bloggers Event, the Epson Event in Chicago, the Stouffers Event, a memorable yacht excursion with Lands End, collaborations with 1-800-Baskets, an exclusive tour for bloggers by Mrs. Prindable’s, partnerships with Hallmark, PopCap games, Chicago Cubs Mastercard Priceless Events, and Rug Doctor. In addition, she has collaborated with Nutrisystem on a weight loss initiative, teamed up with Buick and Chevy, and served as a brand ambassador for Sprint. Lisa's collaboration portfolio also extends to Disney, where she has participated in press trips for significant movies such as Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, McFarland USA, The Good Dinosaur, The BFG, and Cars 3. Notably, for projects like Frozen, The BFG, and Cars 3, she was granted the privilege of walking the red carpet and conducting interviews with celebrities. The impact of Lisa's blog has gained recognition, with The New York Times referencing her content. Moreover, she has been featured in interviews by respected publications such as the Southtown Star, The Chicago Sun Times, and inside.