It’s Time to “Fill the Backpack” with a Great #Giveaway ($750 ARV)

The winner of the Fill the Backpack Giveaway is Karen409! Congrats and thanks to all who entered. See you again next year.

I can’t believe that school will be starting here next week. It seems like summer just began and yet already it is time to start preparing for those back to school blues! The truth is I think my son will really enjoy school this year. It is his second year of preschool, so he knows a little bit more about what to expect. I am hoping that some of his classmates from last year will be in his class as well. I guess we will have to wait and see. I have a feeling it will be me having the hardest time.

Instead of lamenting at how big our kids are getting, or racing to the store to buy all the school supplies our kids need (wow those are some long lists!), the team at Splash Creative Media came up with Fill the Backpack last year. Now in our second year we’re doing it bigger and better! With an overstuffed Lands’ End backpack filled with goodies from companies like Eventbrite, LeapFrog, Mabel’s Labels, HP and more with a retail value of over $750! Here’s how it works. Starting today we’re launching giveaways on 8 blogs (that means 8 chances to win!), and all month long you can enter, chat with us about back to school topics, learn about our awesome sponsors and join us for our twitter party Tuesday, September 6th at 9pm EST for even more chances to win!

Fill the Backpack benefits Communities in Schools

This isn’t just an ordinary giveaway though, it’s also a way for Splash Creative Media to give back. 10% of our net profits are going to our nonprofit beneficiary, Communities in Schools, a wonderful organization that surrounds students with a “community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.”

A donation to Communities In Schools is an investment in the future of our country. For approximately $200 per child per year, we are able to keep 97 percent of the young people we serve in school and on track to graduation.

You can find out more about Communities in Schools, donate, or learn how you can volunteer via their website, twitter and Facebook pages.

Our Sponsors

Fill the Backpack Giveaway includes:

Eventbrite: $50 credit for Eventbrite events-great for school events and fundraisers.
Leapfrog: LeapFrog’s Leapster Explorer ($69.99) provides handheld learning experiences in a portable device designed for ages 4-9. It serves as a mobile hub for downloadable Learning Apps that include eBooks, video, games, and flash cards that auto adjust during game play according to a child’s needs and skills and works with LeapFrog cartridges (prices vary).
Sleep Innovations: Help your kids get proper rest, so they can study better Sleep Innovations REMedy Study Bundle set, twin XL, contains a 1 1/2 inch twin XL-size gel memory foam topper and gel memory foam pillow in a reusable zippered canvas bag. ($80)
Etymotic: You’ll receive an exciting new family product from Etymotic that will be released next month! You’ll be among the first to own it! ($49 or $79)
HP: With the HP Photosmart e-All-in-One Printer your student can use ePrint technology which gives them the ability to set up a customizable ePrint address, allowing the sender to receive documents, email or photos from any smartphone or laptop, the same way they would send an email message. ($99.99)
AVG: AVG 2012 ($54.99), internet security for the whole family.
Mabels Labels: Labeling all the kids lunchboxes, water bottles, clothes and more is easy (and fun!) with Mabel’s Labels ultimate back to school combo pack ($39) and a set of adorablebag tags ($21).
Marble Jar: Looking for a way to help reinforce positive behavior for your family? The Marble Jar app for iPhone ($2.99) can help you and your kids stay motivated.
ChicaLogic: ChicaLogic is a company that creates software for women, by women to keep your PC running smoothly. ChicaPC Shield ($29.95) and ChicaPC Fix ($29.95) work to scan your PC to find and remove threats caused by malware invasions and errors caused by regular use.
Lands’ End: You can’t beat Lands’ End backpacks for durability and quality for kids of all ages. We love that these come sized to fit toddlers-high schoolers. (prices vary)
Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac ($150) or Microsoft Office 2010 for PC ($149.95) are packed with features that help you tackle every assignment, and work together on group projects-from almost anywhere.
California Innovations: California Innovations eco-friendly lunchboxes are offered in a variety of colors, sizes, and even with your children’s favorite Disney characters. Made from recycled material (and PVC free), this is a great alternative to paper bags. (prices vary)
Stonyfield: From everyone’s favorite organic yogurt company, we have a gift pack with coupons for YoKids, an activity book, and more! (approx value $15)
Carolina Pad: Carolina Pad offers a fun back to school package featuring exceptional quality and design. You can find everything from binders to notebooks, planners to folders for back to school in their online store or at retailers nationwide. (prices vary)
Scholastic: Literacy is the cornerstone of a child’s growth, and for nearly 90 years Scholastic has created quality products and services that educate, entertain and motivate children and are designed to help enlarge their understanding of the world around them.(prices vary)
P&G: P&G offers an Back to School box filled with tons of great products to help you and your family get back to school. Even better you can help kids stay in school by purchasing products using P&G’s brandSAVER. (prices vary)
Johnson’s & Johnson’s: A back to school gift pack including Johnson’s products including detangler (no more tears over hair brushing), hand and face wipes (perfect for classroom cleanup), and baby powder (for everything from the locker room to your shoes). For all those playground scrapes, and bumps they’ve also included Neosporin, and Mickey Mouse Band Aids."They work better together." (approx value $20)
Playful Planet: Keep your kids healthy, and get some fun exercise in on rainy or cold day with the Storyland Yoga DVD. Your kids will love being a part of the story through these gentle yoga moves by Certified Children’s Yoga Instructor, Ahmed Fahmy. ($15)

Enter to Win the Backpack!

1. Leave a comment and tell me what the hardest part about your kids heading back to school is for you. (1 Entry)

Extra Entries: (please leave a comment for each additional entry)

2. Share the Fill the Backpack giveaway on twitter using #Backpack11 in your tweet. (tweet once per day and leave a comment for every tweet)

3. Subscribe to GUESSING ALL THE WAY…….Tales of a Clueless Mom by Email (must be activated to count as an entry) (2 Entries)

4. Follow @Splash_Creative and @FilltheBackpack on twitter (1 entry for each follow)

5. Follow my site with Google Friend Connect. (1 Entry)

For an extra 5 entries write a blog post about the Fill the Backpack campaign, Communities in Schools, or a back to school topic and include the following:

“Win an overstuffed backpack of goodies from Fill the Backpack , Splash Creative & Guessing All the Way. (valued at over $750).”

Enter on all the Splash sites for more chances to win!

Visit the sites of the Splash Creative Media team to learn about the other companies who have generously donated items for our Fill the Backpack giveaway! The Fill the Backpack team consists of: