House cleaned – check. Kids picked up from soccer practice – check. Dinner made – check. Trying to make ends meet – check. Exhausted – CHECK! A common theme in households nationwide.

It’s no surprise that women today are busier than ever juggling multiple roles, especially as we enter the most hectic time of year. So what are women missing? More than 80 percent feel they are missing out on life moments with family due to the stress and time involved with everyday responsibilities.*

Now imagine these stress-causing chores removed from the day or better yet, for an entire week. Would individuals travel or simply stay home and truly enjoy what matters – family. Nearly 60 percent of women say they’d prefer to spend time off with family at home versus a destination vacation, especially given today’s economic challenges.*

Mary LoVerde, recently named Speaker magazine’s top 25 people to watch, explains, “In a world that demands better, more, faster and sooner, reenergizing is necessary. Taking a moment to pause and reenergize your life gives you the time to connect with loved ones.”

In today’s high stress pace of life, more than 80 percent of families are finding it difficult to escape everyday responsibilities and spend more time together*. To help families slow down the pace and enjoy the moments, Pine Mountain® is launching the “Win the Ultimate Vacation at Home” program supporting a call for all to benefit from “More Warmth, More Time, More Life.” The national consumer campaign runs from Sept. 1, 2009 through Feb. 28, 2010.  As part of this effort, Pine Mountain is teaming up with lifestyle expert and best-selling author,  Mary LoVerde, to provide tips to help families reduce the stresses in their lives and add more warmth to everyday living.

Why the “Win the Ultimate Vacation at Home” Program?

A recent survey conducted by Impulse Research confirmed that due to a long list of daily responsibilities, families today are finding it more difficult to truly enjoy what matters. In fact, women claim that if daily responsibilities were alleviated, nearly 60 percent would choose spending time with their families at home instead of going on a remote vacation.  The “Ultimate Vacation at Home” offers families the vacation they are looking for — more warmth by a cozy fire, more time with family and more life without daily stresses (at least for seven days).

Other interesting findings….

The top daily responsibilities women claim to cause the most stress include: cleaning the house (66 percent), working outside the home (45 percent) and making dinner (39 percent).  Not surprisingly, these are also the daily responsibilities they would gladly hand over. Women today define a relaxing evening at home as one with no ringing phones (52 percent), a bubble bath (43 percent) or a warm fire in the fireplace (34 percent).  If women today had an extra hour in their day, they would put their feet up and relax, (40 percent), spend time with friends and family (37 percent) or shut the bedroom door and take a nap (36 percent).

Lifestyle Tips

Lifestyle expert, Mary LoVerde, recommends the following tips…

In a world that demands better, more, faster and sooner, reenergizing is necessary. Taking a moment to pause and reenergize your life gives you the time to connect with loved ones.  Meaningful rituals provide a sense of security and comfort. Take a moment to connect with yourself and your family, to preserve what is sincerely important to you. Connection creates balance, and feeling good is what balance is all about.

Prizes

One grand prize winner will be selected at random and will receive seven days of pampered living featuring the winners’ choice of stress relieving services up to $5,000 and $5,000 in cash. Whether they chose a landscaper, a housekeeping service or a personal chef, Pine Mountain is pleased to be alleviating these daily responsibilities and helping this lucky family kick back, relax and enjoy the “Ultimate Vacation at Home.” The winner will be announced and awarded their prize in March 2010.

Hundreds of instant win prizes, enhancing the ‘at home’ experience, will also be awarded. Prizes include: free Pine Mountain® firelogs, Bicycle® Playing Cards, Crock-Pots®, and other great products from Jarden Corporation. Pine Mountain “Win the Ultimate Vacation at Home” campaign offers prizes that connect the whole family and ignite endless fun.

How to Enter:

Individuals can enter the sweepstakes by entering the UPC codes from specially marked packages and visiting www.pinemountainbrands.com. Opportunities for instant win prizes are also available. No purchase necessary to enter. Full rules and regulations are available on the Web site.

Pine Mountain®

Pine Mountain® firelogs, a top selling brand of firelogs in the United States, has been adding warmth and a cozy ambiance to any occasion for more than 20 years. Pine Mountain® is a leader in the production and distribution of firelog options, including: Multi-Purpose firelogs, 100%Natural firelogs, Java-log, firestarters and Outdoor firelogs. For more information, visit www.pinemountainbrands.com