Blogger swag

So I've been doing my Long Beach Family blog as a hobby.  I'm always finding events and passing them along to friends.  I figured I'd just put them in one place and not send so many emails, haha.  Well, I got onto some kind of publicity list and now I get alot of emails asking if I would mention this event or that product.  Some of the companies even offer to send me samples to try.  After all, how can I write about it if I don't know anything about it?  That is all well and good.  I've been getting kid/family DVDs like Tooth Fairy and Percy Jackson, but I also got Avatar.  They offer to do giveaways and the companies send DVDs to some of my readers.  I get all kinds of other products, too, like baby equipment, lotions, supplies, as well as stuff for older kids and families.  We also got tickets to a Dodger game and various other events.  Well, I was recently invited to a "blogger" lunch in Manhattan Beach.  Very swanky and surprisingly relaxed.  There were companies there like Pottery Barn, Dyson, and Toyota giving away samples and prizes.  I ended up winning a bunch of toys from Backyard Safari.  Rachel loved it.  It's been quite fun getting this swag, especially now when we don't have alot of funds for extra stuff.  Here are some pics: