Win “THE HUNTSMAN: WINTER’S WAR” on DVD

August 24, 2016 by 61 Comments

snow white

If it’s the Snow White tale you’re looking for, discover the story that came before in The Huntsman: Winter’s War, coming to Digital HD on August 2, 2016 and 4K Ultra HDTM, Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on August 23, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Huntsman: Winter’s War on Blu-ray™ and DVD includes an all-new extended edition of the epic action-adventure, plus exclusive bonus features that reveal the movie’s behind-the-scenes secrets.
The Huntsman: Winter’s War stars Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road, Monster) as the evil Queen Ravenna, who betrays her good sister Freya (Emily Blunt: Sicario, Edge of Tomorrow) with an unforgivable act, freezing Freya’s heart to love and unleashing in her an icy power she never knew she possessed. Retreating to a kingdom far to the north, Freya raises an army of Huntsmen as her protectors, with the only rule that no two of them should ever fall in love. As a war for domination escalates between the two queens, the hero standing between good and evil is Freya’s most elite Huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth: Thor, Star Trek Into Darkness). Alongside fellow warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain: The Martian,The Help) — the only woman who has ever captured his heart — Eric must help Freya vanquish her sister or Ravenna’s wickedness will rule for eternity.

One of you can win a copy of your own- just feel free to enter using the RC form below. Good luck! Ends 9/16/16
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Filed Under: entertainment, giveaway, movie Tagged With:

“Rise from the Ashes” with Smokey the Bear #SmokeyBearHug #OnlyYou @smokey_bear

August 24, 2016 by 4 Comments

smokey the bear

If you are one to keep up with national news, you have no doubt seen the chaos and devastation that the wildfires are causing across 7 different states. Thousands of acres burned, families who have lost their homes, and even people who have lost their lives. We have all heard the message of Smokey Bear – he has been telling us to prevent fires for 72 years now. His message is just as important now as it was back in 1944.

Smokey Bear’s message about wildfire prevention is the center of the longest running and one of the most successful PSA campaigns in our nation’s history. Although progress has been made, accidental, human-caused wildfires remain one of the most critical environmental issues affecting the U.S. the Soberanes fire, in California, is a perfect example. This fire was caused by an abandoned campfire. By someone being careless and not thinking about the consequences.

fire

We have to take preventative action, always! And while we all know that matches, burning cigarettes, and abandoned campfires are all potential threats for wildfire – there are MANY lesser known causes. Ones that you might be participating in and not even realize it.

Did you know? A wildfire can start due to the following:

  • Improperly extinguished fire pit
  • Dumping ashes from a BBQ/grill
  • Metal chains hanging from a moving vehicle
  • Parking over tall, dry grass
  • Dying embers left in a campfire
  • Oil from a lantern

Note: To Avoid Such Issues You May Make a Best Fire Pit that will help in various ways while traveling.

Coinciding with Smokey Bear’s 72nd birthday, the Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), have launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) created to help prevent wildfires nationwide by increasing awareness about less commonly known fire starts.

forest fire

Although most of us don’t behave this way intentionally, each year we learn of devastating wildfires caused by careless behavior which can impact millions of acres of forest and thousands of homes. Although four out of five wildfires are started by people, nature is usually more than happy to help fan the flames.

  • In 2014 there were 7,933 wildfires caused by lightning, but 55,679 wildfires caused by human error (as reported to the National Interagency Fire Center).
  • In 2015 58,916 human-caused wildfires burned over 2 million acres.

Nature, the forest, our parks and trails – these are all an immensely important part of our lives. We need to take the pledge to be smart when we go outdoors. To do everything we can to preserve our beautiful forests. Will you join me in taking the pledge? I for one want to see these incredible lands preserved for my children and for their children.

Filed Under: charity/notforprofit, safety Tagged With: , ,

#JungleBook Twit­ter Party on Monday 8/29

August 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Join us and Blog­gin Mamas as we host the #JungleBook Twit­ter Party on Monday, 8–29–16 at 9p EST/6pm PST! We’ll be chat­ting about The Jungle Book, which will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on August 30th!

Date: Monday, August 29th, 2016
Time: 9p EST / 6p PST
Hash­tag: #JungleBook
Pre­sented by: @BlogginMamas and @AlliedHispanic
Fea­tur­ing: @TheJungleBook
Mod­er­a­tors: Eng­lish– @HeLoEnterprises Span­ish– @BBabushka
Co-Hosts: @EnzasBargains, @BabySavers, @HaveSippy, @DonnaHup and @MamasMission
Pan­elist: @MommyPowers

About The Jungle Book

Critically acclaimed, Jon Favreau’s stunning live-action reimagining of Walt Disney’s animated classic, will be available early on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on August 23, and on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand on August 30.

Venture behind the scenes with in-depth bonus features that reveal the innovative filmmaking technology used to create the richly immersive jungle world and characters; Follow the journey of the film’s only on-screen actor, charismatic newcomer Neel Sethi (Mowgli); Delve into a candid and humorous scene-by-scene audio commentary with director Jon Favreau and meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score.

The all-star cast includes Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”) as the voice of Baloo, Sir Ben Kingsley (“Learning to Drive,” “The Walk”) as Bagheera and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) as the voice of mother wolf Raksha. Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”) gives life to Kaa, Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) provides the voice of alpha-male wolf Akela, Idris Elba (“Beast of No Nation”) roars as the voice of Shere Khan, and Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”) lends his iconic voice to King Louie.

Bonus features include*:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:

· “The Jungle Book” Reimagined – Favreau sits down with producer Brigham Taylor and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato to discuss “The Jungle Book” and reflect on the years they devoted to the reimagining of this timeless tale. Discover how Rudyard Kipling’s original stories and the classic animated film influenced their unique approach, witness the technical wizardry that enabled the team to create a believable and thrilling movie-going experience, and learn how they borrowed a page from Walt Disney’s innovation playbook to make it all happen. Lastly, meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score.

· I Am Mowgli – Follow the extraordinary journey of 12-year-old Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of hopefuls worldwide to play Mowgli “alongside” some of today’s biggest movie stars. Get a glimpse of Neel’s life before Hollywood came calling, check out his audition that sealed the deal, and see how a close-working relationship with Favreau brought out his best. Plus, Neel shares how filming “The Jungle Book” was one wild ride, from working alongside imaginary animals to performing some super-fun stunts.

· King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

· Audio Commentary – Favreau delivers his scene-by-scene perspective on the live-action adventure “The Jungle Book” with all the candor and humor you’d expect from this multi-talented actor-writer-director-producer.

DVD

· King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

*Bonus features may vary by retailer

Note: The 3D version of The Jungle Book will be available later this year.

Connect on Social Media

Like The Jungle Book on Face­book:

https://www.facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook

Fol­low The Jungle Book on Twit­ter:

https://twitter.com/thejunglebook

Fol­low The Jungle Book on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/disneythejunglebook/

Trailer: https://youtu.be/C4qgAaxB_pc?list=PLTnR43JTLNs_ncXOccXuWYG7TeeUEV7cN

The Jungle Book will be available on Digital HD on August 23rd. It will be available on Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on August 30th!

Tweet­share:

Dur­ing the Twit­ter Party there will be a chance to win one of the fol­low­ing prizes by answer­ing var­i­ous trivia ques­tions about The Jungle Book. Win­ners will be selected at ran­dom from all eli­gi­ble entries.

Prizes
One (1) $25 AMEX gift­card (ARV $25)
Two (2) $50 AMEX gift­cards (ARV $50 ea, 1 per win­ner)

Grand Prizes
Two (2) $100 AMEX gift­cards and The Jungle Book Digital Code Cards (ARV $125 ea, 1 per win­ner)

RSVP Prize
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card and one (1) The Jungle Book Digital Code Card (ARV $50)

RSVP Below!!

Terms and Con­di­tions
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING.
By RSVP’ing to this event and uti­liz­ing the #JungleBook hash­tag, the atten­dees acknowl­edge hav­ing read and agreed to these terms and con­di­tions.
Twit­ter Party Prize Give­away begins August 29th, 2016 at 9:00 pm ET and ends no later than August 29th, 2016 at 10:30pm ET (the “Twit­ter Chat Entry Period”). Entrants enter via fol­low­ing @TheJungleBook, @HeLoEnterprises & @BlogginMamas, and post­ing a tweet with the #JungleBook hash­tag dur­ing the Twit­ter Chat Entry Period. Five (5) Win­ners will be drawn ran­domly by random.org at approx­i­mately 12 min­ute inter­vals dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. One (1) Win­ner will be drawn ran­domly via random.org from the event RSVP’s on the Mr. Linky wid­get.
Prizes include:
One (1) prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $25, to be awarded to one (1) win­ner.
Two (2) prize packs, each includ­ing one (1) $50 AMEX gift­card. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $50, to be awarded to each of two (2) win­ners.
Two (2) Grand Prize packs, each includ­ing one (1) $100 AMEX gift­card and one (1) Digital Code Card for The Jungle Book movie. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $125, to be awarded to each of two (2) win­ners.
One (1) RSVP Prize pack, includ­ing one (1) $25 AMEX gift­card and one (1) Digital Code Card for The Jungle Book. Total approx­i­mate retail value (“ARV”) $50, to be awarded to one (1) win­ner who RSVP’s via the Mr. Linky wid­get.
Each win­ner receives one (1) prize pack. Entrants who fail to com­plete said actions will be dis­qual­i­fied and an alter­nate win­ner will be selected from all entrants who entered dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. Win­ners will be noti­fied via Twit­ter Men­tion & will need to com­plete a claim form. Win­ners will have 48 hours to com­plete the claim form includ­ing pro­viding ship­ping info, or a an alter­nate win­ner will be selected from amongst all entries received dur­ing the Twit­ter Party Entry Period. All prizes will be awarded pro­vided they are validly claimed by September 1st, 2016 at 11:59AM EST.
Entrants agree to release and hold harm­less the Blog­gin’ Mamas, Heather Lopez Enter­prises, LLC, Allied His­panic, Dis­ney, The Jungle Book, Twit­ter, and any other orga­ni­za­tions respon­si­ble for spon­sor­ing, ful­fill­ing, admin­is­ter­ing, adver­tis­ing or pro­mot­ing this give­away, and their respec­tive par­ent, sub­sidiaries, and affil­i­ates and each of their respec­tive offi­cers, direc­tors, mem­bers, employ­ees, agents and sub­con­trac­tors (col­lec­tively the “Released Par­ties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and lia­bil­ity, includ­ing but not lim­ited to neg­li­gence and dam­ages of any kind to per­sons and prop­erty, includ­ing but not lim­ited to inva­sion of pri­vacy (under appro­pri­a­tion, intru­sion, pub­lic dis­clo­sure of pri­vate facts, false light in the pub­lic eye or other legal the­ory), defama­tion, slan­der, libel, vio­la­tion of right of pub­lic­ity, infringe­ment of trade­mark, copy­right or other intel­lec­tual prop­erty rights, prop­erty dam­age, or death or per­sonal injury aris­ing out of or relat­ing to a participant’s entry, cre­ation of an entry or sub­mis­sion of an entry, par­tic­i­pa­tion in this give­away, accep­tance or use or mis­use of prize. Entrant agrees to indem­nify, defend and hold harm­less the Released Par­ties from and against any and all claims, expenses, and lia­bil­i­ties (includ­ing rea­son­able attorney’s fees) aris­ing out of or relat­ing to an entrant’s par­tic­i­pa­tion in this give­away and/or entrant’s accep­tance, use or mis­use of prize, includ­ing, with­out lim­i­ta­tion, lia­bil­ity for per­sonal injury, dam­age, or loss.
The Released Par­ties make no war­ranties, and hereby dis­claims any and all war­ranties, express or implied, con­cern­ing any prize fur­nished in con­nec­tion with the give­away. WITHOUT LIMITING THE GENERALITY OF THE FOREGOING,SUCH PRIZES ARE PROVIDED“ASIS”WITHOUTWARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND THE RELEASED PARTIES HERE BY DISCLAIM ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, INCLUDINGBUT NOTLIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT ABILITY,FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND/OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Dis­clo­sure: Blog­gin’ Mamas is man­ag­ing this Twit­ter Party. Indi­vid­ual co-hosts are receiv­ing com­pen­sa­tion for their par­tic­i­pa­tion. All prize ful­fill­ment is the respon­si­bil­ity of the spon­sor.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

3 Tips for Hiring a Car Abroad

August 24, 2016 by Leave a Comment

When traveling abroad it can be hassle to rely on public transport to get you around. With language often a barrier, many travelers get stressed at the thought of having to get themselves from place to place on bus or train, in fear they might get on the wrong one. On your next trip abroad, avoid the dreaded public transport and hire yourself a car, giving you the freedom you need to get wherever you want. In this article, we have three tips to make sure that everything goes smoothly for you when hiring a car abroad.

Make Sure You’re Eligible to Hire and Drive a Car

Before you can even consider hiring a car abroad, you need to make sure that you’re eligible to do so. Depending on where you’re traveling to in the world, laws will be different. Most of the time you need to be over the age of 21 and have been driving for 3 years or more. Check out the government advice here. If you haven’t yet passed your test but want to hire a car in the future, then use Toptests to help you with your theory. Then get your test booked as soon as possible.

Decide Where You’re Going to Pick It Up and Drop It Off

Most airports around the world have hire car services within them, meaning that you can pick your car up as soon as you get off the plane, although this might come at a higher cost. So if you’re looking to save some money on your trip then find out places close by to the airport that you can hire your car from. If you’re staying in the same city on your trip, then picking up and dropping off your car at the same place will be the best option for you. Whereas if you’re leaving the city you flew into and flying back from elsewhere then you’ll need to find out where you can drop off your car before you leave. Most car hire services will have dealerships across the country, so you should have no trouble in finding out where to drop it off.

Make Sure You Know the Fuel Situation

Once you’ve picked up your car, make sure you firstly know what type of fuel it takes and secondly know how much fuel you need to return it with. By knowing this information you’ll avoid any mishaps on the trip and expensive fees on your return to the dealership. Make sure you know where you can stop for fuel whenever you’re driving to avoid running out and ending up in a stressful situation.

Hiring a car abroad will give you the freedom that you’re looking for, giving you endless alternatives of places you can visit to get to know every part of this world. Make sure more than one of you can drive the car, so that you can take it in turns and avoid accidents caused by tiredness during your trip.

Filed Under: traveling Tagged With:

Lunch Boxes: The Traveler’s Secret Money-Saving Weapon

August 21, 2016 by 1 Comment

One of the best parts of going somewhere new is trying the food native to your destination. But as any seasoned traveler knows, those special meals at local hot spots can empty your wallet fast. It is especially frustrating when you have had your fill and there is food to spare, but you still have sight-seeing to do and have no choice but to leave your leftovers behind. If you want to avoid finding yourself in this situation time and again, there is a simple solution.
Food Storage on the Go
If you have not used a lunch box since your school days, then you should know that your options have exploded since then. For example, Arctic Zone lunch boxes come in a huge selection of prints, styles, and storage configurations, making it easy to find exactly the right choice for your lifestyle. Most lunch boxes have multiple divisions, enabling you to pack items of different weights without fear that more delicate foods will get crushed. They are also available in numerous profiles, so you can pick a classic bucket style, a utilitarian cargo style, or anything in between.
Some lunch boxes even come in shoulder-bag styles, making them perfect for bringing along on a day of tourist activities. You can store your keys, wallet, and phone in the outer zipper compartments. Best of all, the patterns are so attractive that no one will even realize that your adorable purse is actually busy keeping your food cool.
Next time you go on adventure, remember to bring your new lunch box along. When you are finished feasting at the restaurant of your choice, you can save your leftovers without worrying that they will go bad or having to traipse around with a fragile Styrofoam container in hand. Leftovers make great midnight snacks for hungry travelers. You can even save a little extra money by eating them for breakfast or lunch the next day. By thinking ahead and bringing a lunch box, you can avoid waste and enjoy a delicious meal twice.
Pack Ahead
Your food storage solution does not just have to work for leftovers, either. You can also save money on food while travelling by making a small grocery run when you get into town. For the same price of one meal at a restaurant, you can make several days’ worth of sandwiches or wraps. You can also bring along fruit or veggies some healthy snacks. All you have to do is make your lunch in the morning, toss in an ice block to keep perishables fresh, and venture out for a day of fun.
Not Just for Travelling
Of course, you do not have to limit the use of your food tote for your special expeditions. You can also use it for picnics and outings at home. The easy-clean surfaces can stand up to toddler clumsiness and playground dirt alike, and the material is okay to bring into your home because it is lead and phthalate safe and free of both PVC and BPA. Even if all you ever do with your insulated tote to keep a few drinks cool while you run errands, you will soon wonder how you ever lived without it.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

HGTV Summer Blogger Event #BloggerBlockParty #ad

August 20, 2016 by 3 Comments

I received product for my time in developing this post. All opinions are my own.
hg
HGTV Magazine’s 3rd Annual Blogger Block Party event engages a coveted influential audience of lifestyle bloggers, designers and style savvy consumers who turn to HGTV Magazine for inspiration in all areas of their lives. The 2015 event drew over 500 attendees, and with dedicated promotion & outreach we anticipate the event to increase in size in 2016. The 2015 event generated over 5 million social impressions.  This event is taking place at Event 404 10th Avenue, New York City.

For 2016, HGTV Magazine is aligned with NY NOW event, at the Javits Center, and will be the exclusive sponsor of NY NOW’s on-site Social Media Lounge, and has also secured a coveted partnership with Etsy.

2016 dedicated speakers include Emily Henderson, Genevieve Gorder, Young House Love bloggers, Sherry & John Petersik, and Handmade Charlotte’s Rachel Faucett, who will create the social event of the summer season.Unique opportunity to engage and be hands on with advertising partners through interactive activations.

Hope to see you there!

 

Filed Under: review

Win Entenmann’s® Little Bites® muffins and Nature’s Harvest® Prize Pack

August 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment

pic9

It’s that time of year again! Back to school season is here and Entenmann’s® Little Bites® muffins and Nature’s Harvest® bread are teaming up, bringing families the PERFECT lunchbox equation!

From July 15th to September 30th, Entenmann’s® Little Bites® muffins and Nature’s Harvest® bread are hosting the “Life of The Lunchbox Sweepstakes.” Fans can visit http://www.lifeofthelunchbox.com to enter for a chance to win a $10,000 savings bond for their child. An additional 100 2nd prize winners will receive a Lunchbox Bundle that includes Little Bites® snacks, Nature’s Harvest® bread and a $50 gift card for school supplies. Check out how to enter and find the rules here.

Made with Little Bites® signature golden muffins and chock full of delicious chocolate chips, the Little Bites® Chocolate Chip muffins are filled with mega-chocolaty goodness to go! These pre-portioned pouches of delicious bite-sized baked snacks are made with real ingredients and are perfect for today’s families and their on-the-go needs. With over 10 different favors of Little Bites® baked snacks there are plenty of choices for on-the-go snacking. Never any high fructose corn syrup and always zero grams of trans fat.

Nature’s Harvest® Honey Wheat Bread is baked with 8 grams of whole grains per serving and a touch of honey! It’s a delicious step towards getting more whole grains into the lunchbox and reaching the recommended 32-48g of whole grains per day. Help balance your family’s diets with delicious, nutritious whole grains, simply by adding their favorite Nature’s Harvest® breads to the grocery basket. In any variety of Nature’s Harvest® bread you chose, you can always count on 8 grams or more of whole grains per serving, no high fructose corn syrup, and no artificial flavors or colors.

One of you can win a package valued at $71. The “Life of The Lunchbox” giveaway package includes: One $25 AMEX gift card, four Entenmann’s Little Bites coupons, four Natures Harvest coupons and two boxes of Entenmann’s Little Bites Chocolate Chip muffins. Make Sure you leave a comment as to who you would give this to. Good luck!
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Filed Under: giveaway

Heading to Niagara Falls on a #RoadTripChip @CapeCodChips (and you can win a gift package)

August 18, 2016 by 59 Comments

Disclosure- I have received the below in order to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own and honest. For more info, please see “I Disclose”.

Niagara Falls

Recently, my son and I decided to head north for a visit to one of the natural wonders of the world, Niagara Falls.

cape cod chips

We packed up the car, and headed out. It took us about 10 hours to get there, but that’s nothing that can’t be done in a (very long) day.  Of course, when taking a road trip, especially with kids, you can’t forget the snacks.

cape cod chips

Always bring the drinks, a few things to play with, and stuff to eat- because no one likes a cranky kid. We took all sorts of things, including Cape Cod Chips, which are having a fun summer road trip hashtag this year to encourage you to get out and see some cool places.  It’s a fun way to see what your fellow Cape Cod Chip lovers are up to, as well.

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While visiting Niagara Falls, we made sure to visit some of the most famous places. The falls themselves, of course, as well as taking a White Water Walk and a Journey Behind the Walls.

cape cod chips

We also took the newly-turned-100 Whirlpool Aero Car 3,500 feet across and over the rapids and gorge. We had to take a Hornblower boat cruise into the falls to really experience the power they possess- and how beautiful they are. That was really a highlight for us all.

white water walk

We visited the Butterfly Conservatory at Niagara Parks, which was spectacular and honestly so much fun and very much a special experience, with butterflies of all colors and species floating about and landing on each of us.

niagara falls night

While Niagara Falls is amazing ad stunning during the day, we had to stop by and see it at night, when it was all lit up. Did you know that they light up the falls every evening? You can also take a night boat cruise- you won’t get as wet, but the photos are beautiful.

chips

During our time in Niagara, we of course kept our Cape Cod Chips handy- we had to keep the “hangry” monster away.
One of you can win a box of your own Cape Cod Chips- feel free to enter using the RC form below.

cape cod chips

Good luck! Ends Sept. 3, 2016.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: giveaway, review, traveling Tagged With: , ,