Hot Lava Clothing Giveaway!

I'm so happy and fortunate to have such great friends and customers :)  Hot Lava Clothing has grown to 200 fans/likers on Facebook and its time for a giveaway!!  There will be 3 prizes from Hot Lava Clothing

1st Winner:  Your choice of a Girls Hawaiian Dress
2nd Winner:  Your choice of a Girls Skirt or Boys Shorts
3rd Winner:  A coupon for $10 Off any purchase at my Etsy Shop

Here's a peek at a few of my favorites :)

Boys Hawaiian Board Shorts sz 6-10  and sizes 6mos to 5T 

Board shorts are a staple item here in Hawaii and popular not only for the beach/pool, but just to wear anyway :)

These are available in sizes 6mos to 10

Girls Hawaiian Halter Dress 6mos to 4T
and also available in 5T to 10

Hawaiian fabric prints make for such adorable dresses and I'm always so pleased when I see one ordered :)

My designs are so that the dress will fit her later on as a halter top too.









Of course, something for Juniors/Womens too.  I've recently added just a handful of things and will be adding more soon.

Womens Hawaiian Top
This top is cool & comfortable- shirred across the front & back and ties on the shoulder.  Perfect for the summer months.
















Here is how to enter:
Mandatory Entry - Visit Hot Lava Clothing (http://hotlavaclothing.etsy.com) and select one favorite item, leave 1 comment with your email address (so I can contact you if you win).

5 Entries - Purchase any item from Hot Lava Clothing (http://hotlavaclothing.etsy.com) , leave 5 comments

3 Entries - Blog about this giveaway, leave 3 comments and the link to your blog post

1 Entry - Become Hot Lava Clothing Facebook Fan/Liker (current fan is also eligible), see link on the right panel of the blog, leave 1 comment with your user ID or name

1 Entry - Follow Hot Lava Clothing on twitter, www.twitter.com/hotlavaclothing tweet about this giveaway (remember to add @hotlavaclothing on your tweet) , leave 1 comment each day you tweeted with the link to your tweet

You can also copy this tweet " Cute Clothes #Giveaway @hotlavaclothing  http://hotlavaclothing.blogspot.com/2010/05/hot-lava-clothing-giveaway.html "
***This Giveaway is open to USA, Canada & International***

There are so many different ways to win. This giveaway will end on Sunday May 31st at 11:59pm PST. Each entry is assigned a # and the winning # will be drawn and announced on this blog as well as emailed.

June 1, 2010 This giveaway is closed- please see this post for the winners :)
http://hotlavaclothing.blogspot.com/2010/06/hot-lava-clothing-may-giveaway-winners.html

Fast Food VS Home Cooked

Its been awhile (okay, a month) since I've posted on here but this is something that's been on my mind alot lately.  Without a doubt, I have a "large" family, 5 kids is nearly 3 times the "average" for the USA so while this may not work out to the same savings for every family, it definitely makes sense for us $$ wise but health wise too.

Let me preface this with the fact that my kids love the idea of fast food-- french fries, the toy, etc.  And, I will readily admit, I love Big Macs & french fries.  BUT these days, fast food has increasingly become more expensive than eating at home.  Not to mention how "bad" it really is-- the calories, the fat, the sugar, and all of the "ingredients" that make it taste so good.

We are a family of 7 (2 adults 5 kids) so eating at Mc D's, the King, etc. costs us about $45 by the time you factor in 4 kids meals (roughly $3.50 ea), 3 adult meals (about $6.50 each) plus a couple of extra burgers/sandwiches ($4.00/each).- afterall, my husband and oldest son (who is now 15)  can eat :)
So for us to eat at Mc D's--
$41.50 + 1.72 tax = $43.22 TOTAL  (not to mention the gas to drive to & back)

The comparison?  NY Steaks, a veggie, salad, garlic bread, & milk
$17.85 Steaks (3 large steaks is enough for all of us believe it or not)
     2.25 frozen veggie- 16 oz. white corn or green beans (pop in the microwave to cook)
     3.41 a loaf of pre-made garlic bread (reheat in the oven)
     1.62 1 head of organic romaine lettuce (salad)
     1.42 cherry tomatoes (salad)
        .75 shaved Pecorino Romano cheese (salad) + olive oil & balsamic vinegar dressing (homemade of course)
     2.00 1/2 gallon of milk
      4.00 charcoal for the grill plus the incidental electricity/water
$ 33.30 + 1.39 tax = $34.69 TOTAL

I could substitute the milk for Soda (soda pop) and it would probably add a $1.  Still, for nearly $10.00 LESS, my family gets a higher quality dinner at home, not to mention that its healthier.  I know that $35 for dinner isn't cheap by any means... so down the road, I'll post one that's even more budget friendly.

My reasoning for posting this isn't that I'm going "anti- fast food".  Its moreover a realization that eating at home is not only better for your family's health, but also the bank account.

Ah... and if I could, I've recently added a few things for Juniors/Womens.... take a peek!


With that thought... here are a few of my favorite finds from fellow Etsy sellers!