in my opinion...

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Green Mountain Coffee Review & Giveaway

2012-02-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

If you are running out of ideas for Valentine's Day gifts, have you thought about treating your Valentine to a special breakfast? Maybe even breakfast in bed!! Oooo...now that is something that I would love. :) I remember as a child making my mom breakfast in bed. Oh my, the things we would think of to put on her tray! I think we included foods like Pringles, toast, cereal, juice, eggs, etc. Looking back, she was always sooo gracious and would never complain about the menu (even when we poured the milk on her cereal 1/2 hour before we took the tray to her.). Bless her heart. :) I cannot remember the last time I got breakfast in bed; usually I am up getting the children breakfast before hubby wakes up so I have yet to experience this! If I were to be treated to such a luxury, I know I would want a nice hot cup of coffee on my tray. So, if you are looking to surprise your Valentine with a special morning, I have a wonderful coffee company to introduce you to today! They will get you on the right track if you are looking for the perfect cup of coffee.

Green Mountain Coffee is a company that caters to the coffee and hot beverage fan. They have everything from Keurig Brewers to spiced cider. Also, they carry a multitude of varieties of coffees and gifts. Here is a bit more about this company...

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) was founded in 1981 as a small café in Waitsfield, Vermont. In 1993, the Company went public (NASDAQ: GMCR) and that same year made an early investment in Keurig, Incorporated. GMCR acquired the remainder of Keurig in 2006 and the combined company is changing the way North America prepares its beverages both at home and in the workplace with its Keurig® Single-Cup Brewing System. Today, GMCR is recognized as a leader in specialty coffee and coffeemakers, and acknowledged for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and environmentally and socially responsible business practices.

I have always admired the Keurig Brewers and think that they are soooo great! I don't own one...yet, but hope to sometime in the future. How convenient that you can brew a fresh cup of coffee each time you want one? To me, that is ingenious!

So, for this review I was sent a VERY tasty bag of Green Mountain Coffee in the Golden French Toast flavor! I am a huge French Toast fan, so I was very eager to see what the flavor of this coffee tasted like. I also might add that because I am pregnant, I do not indulge in coffee very often so this was a treat!

When I first opened the bag all I could say was "Wow!" The smell alone was enough to get my mouth watering. This coffee comes already ground, which works great for me as I do not have a coffee grinder.

I started my pot of coffee and jumped into the shower. While I was showering, I could smell the coffee brewing and it smelled JUST LIKE French Toast!! I knew this was going to be a great cup of coffee.

As I thought, the flavor of the Golden French Toast was just like I imagined. I could taste all aspects of French Toast...syrup, butter and cinnamon. It was SO good! My children must have liked the smell as well because they kept asking for a taste. Ha ha!

Golden French Toast from Green Mountain Coffee retails for $9.49 for a 10 ounce bag. It also comes in K-Cups.

So, in my opinion..Golden French Toast coffee from Green Mountain Coffee is pretty amazing. I love how the flavor is just like eating a hot stack of French Toast. As someone who loves coffee, I am becoming a fan more and more of flavored coffee and believe me, Green Mountain Coffee is on the top of my list now!

Green Mountain Coffee has offered to give a bag of this Golden French Toast coffee to one of my readers! Hope you enjoy this giveaway and a huge thank you to the sponsor for this opportunity. :) Here are your entry options...

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART. ENTRIES THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE DELETED**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free bag of Golden French Toast Coffee for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Green Mountain Coffee website and email. Prize is being shipped by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ "I Love You...More Than Chocolate" Book Review & Giveaway

2012-02-14T00:01:00.003-05:00

~ VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

When I was pregnant with our second baby, I often thought to myself "how am I going to have enough love for two babies???" I honestly knew how much love I had for Hannah...but the new baby was going to need lots of love too and I felt like I would not have enough to go around. It probably sounds silly, but I really didn't know what to expect. Then, when the big day came and we brought tiny Jacob home from the hospital I suddenly understood how I was going to love them both. I had more love in my heart for them then I had ever experienced with just one child...it was wonderful!! I find that some days, I need to tell them just how much I love them. Hannah and I have a little saying that we use and it goes like this "I love you much!". This was a spin-off from "I love you very much!" and it was just so cute when she said it the other way that it just stuck.

Do you have trouble trying to let your children know just how much they are loved? Perhaps you are a busy mom and really cannot think of a way to tell them. Or, maybe you are just not good with words and so oftentimes, it goes unsaid. Well, today I have a delightful book to tell you about that will help you express your love to your children in a totally new way!

"I Love You...More Than Chocolate" is a really sweet book (no pun intended!) that was written by Melanie Milburn; a musician, award-winning songwriter and teacher. Here is a bit more about her and the story behind this book...

This book was originally a song, and inside the back cover of the book, is a CD of Miss Melanie singing the song. When Melanie would tuck her children into bed at night, she made sure they knew how much they were loved. She told them she loved them more than anything – even chocolate! Her children knew she was a chocoholic, so they had no doubt, they knew they were loved.

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day with your children than to snuggle up on the couch with this book and enjoy it together? I will say that this chocolate is MUCH healthier for your children than the edible kind! (Although, I still have my stash! Ha ha!)

So, for this review I was sent this book, "I Love You...More Than Chocolate". My daughter LOVES to read and so tonight as we were sitting down to do our nightly reading session, I knew it was the perfect time to get this book out and show Hannah just how much her mommy loves her!

This book is simple in it's message, yet very colorful and eye-catching for little ones. My daughter is 3 and she asked me to read this book twice to her. She loves rhymes because they help her remember what the book is about.

It talks about how a mother loves her child more than things...even more than chocolate! If you LOVE chocolate and your child knows it, then this is the book for you! It will show them that no matter what, you love them more than anything else in the world. This is a picture of the second to last picture in the book and yes...that is REAL fudge on the bottoms of the pages!! YUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

My Hannah loved to read this book and kept re-reading it even after we were done reading together. So, tonight before I tucked her in I hugged her and said "I love you more than..." and she finished the sentence with a hearty "CHOCOLATE!!!"! It was pretty cute. :)

"I Love You...More Than Chocolate" also comes with a beautiful music CD with the words of this book put to music. It was very soothing and gentle to listen to. Melanie has a beautiful voice!! This book retails for $16.95 and is available for purchase directly from Melanie's website HERE.

So, in my opinion... "I Love You...More Than Chocolate" is a wonderful book! The pictures are colorful, the message is simple and the meaning is clear. Show your child this Valentine's Day just how much you love them and get them this book. They will LOVE you for it! :)

Melanie has offered to give a copy of this book away to one of my readers! So sweet...thank you Melanie for the generous giveaway! Readers, here are your entry options!

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART. ENTRIES THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE DELETED**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free book for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Melanie Milburn website and email. Prize is being shipped by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Activia Harvest Picks Yogurt Review

2012-02-13T10:55:00.001-05:00

Here in our house, we are big yogurt fans. I don't remember loving yogurt when I was growing up though...not sure why but now I love it! I have also found that my children, from the time they are introduced to solid foods, love it as well. My daughter is a bit more picky than my son as she does NOT like chunks of fruit in her yogurt. So, I usually give her vanilla, key lime pie or another flavor that doesn't have chunks in it. My son doesn't care what is in the yogurt though...he is a food hound and LOVES anything that he gets in way of breakfast foods. :) I am so glad that my children love their yogurt because I know that it is very good for their digestive systems and because my children do not enjoy drinking milk, this is another way for them to get those important vitamins. My love for yogurt has really blossomed during this particular pregnancy as it is a great source of protein and my body is just CRAVING protein right now.

I am not sure if you have ever heard of Activia yogurt from Dannon, but it is a very good brand of yogurt that really tastes yummy and is GREAT for your body! Well, there is a brand new line of Activia that has been introduced to the market and this new line is called Activia Harvest Picks.

Here is a bit more about this tasty line of yumminess from Dannon...

Activia is a delicious line of Dannon yogurts and smoothies that contain the exclusive probiotic culture Bifidus Regularis® (Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010). Activia with Bifidus Regularis helps naturally regulate your digestive system. **Consume daily for two weeks as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. It is available in a variety of flavors and sizes, as well as in Light, Fiber and our Activia Selects Greek and Parfait style blends. You can also enjoy refreshing Activia Drinks.

Each serving of Activia contains billions of natural Bifidus Regularis cultures, which survive passage through the digestive tract in sufficient amounts for Activia to have its beneficial effects.

My daughter has been on a probiotic vitamin for some time now because she has a difficult time with her digestive system. This is evident in her lack of regular bowel movements and so, this is why I am excited about Activia Harvest Picks.

For this review I was sent a coupon for a free 4-pack of Activia Harvest Picks yogurt. I found it easily in the dairy section of my grocery store and yes, there were several flavors from which I could choose. Because peach is MY favorite flavor, that is the flavor I chose for my review. As it so happened, these were on sale this week, so it was a really great deal if I wanted to purchase more.

I could not wait to try this yogurt! I had never had it before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, was I in for a delightful surprise! Upon opening the container I noticed that the yogurt was not tinted orange like I am used to seeing with peach yogurt. It was white and I could see large chunks of peaches.

This yogurt is sooo silky and smooth! I could not believe how great the texture was! It kind of reminded me of Greek yogurt, just milder in flavor and not as rich. I was not sure how my daughter would react to it as it had peach chunks in it, so I let her try it. As I thought, she ate one bite then gave it back to me. Oh well...at least she tried it! I, on the other hand, LOVE it!! My son thought it was pretty tasty too. :)

Activia Harvest Picks is available in several flavors: peach, cherry, mixed berries and strawberry. I would love to try out the other flavors as I am really loving Activia. My first experience with this brand is astounding and yes, I will buy it again! The suggested retail price for a 4-pack is $2.79.

So, in my opinion...Activia Harvest Picks is AMAZING. I love the texture and the flavor...rich, yet not too rich. The price is perfect as well...I actually was pretty surprised that it wasn't more expensive given that it is a well-known brand and a newer line. I will definitely purchase this product again and would recommend it to anyone!!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free product coupon for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Activia/Dannon website and email. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ MakerCraft Jewelry Review & Giveaway

2012-02-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

Being a woman, and being the "bling lover" that I am, I love jewelry! This was evident when I went on a missions trip back in my early 20's. I went to the Dominican Republic and being the island that it is, you can just imagine the jewelry that they make there! So, it is no wonder that I came home with a whole bag full of beautiful beaded necklaces for souvenirs. Beaded jewelry really is beautiful and when designed correctly, looks so stunning with any outfit for any occasion. This Valentine's Day, I have the perfect company to introduce you to that allows YOU to design and create your own pieces of beaded jewelry!

MakerCraft is a company that is allows customers to design their own jewelry on their iPads, by dropping and dragging beads from the available selection and customizing their design. Then, the customer pays for the design, MakerCraft assembles it and ships it out! Simple! Here is a bit more about this company and why Corissa McClay, the CEO, came up with the idea of do it yourself jewelry design!

So many people have problems finding accessories that fit their style perfectly, especially jewelry. I can't tell you how many times I've gone looking for a necklace to match an outfit and had no luck finding what I wanted. Or needed just the right kind of belt, which was nowhere to be found. For so many of us, shopping is a time-wasting exercise of frustration and compromise. And with our increasingly fast-paced, mobile society we don't have time to waste buying things we don't love!

I started MakerCraft to try and fix this; so that no one has to compromise their personal style. Our goal is to change the way you shop. We want everyone to be able to buy exactly what they want, as quickly as possible, without having to pay extra for the privilege.

It is nice to have a company like this think about the consumer and the time they spend looking for a specific type of jewelry. So many times I have found myself in a store perusing the jewelry section COMPLETELY bewildered. I have something particular in mind and suddenly, I am overwhelmed with the options...none of which are even close to what I had in mind! That is what makes MakerCraft so special...you can avoid the frustrations and make EXACTLY what you want!

So, for this review I was sent a necklace from MakerCraft. I just had to get a picture of the package it came in...I love how the box looks! Very unique.

This necklace is made completely out of glass beads and I just love the blue! The beads are kind of iridescent too, which adds a touch of elegance. If the light hits them just right, they seem to glow! Very neat!

The pendant itself is glass as well and the color scheme really fits the rest of the necklace. Now, I am not a huge fan of the gold beads but honestly, each time I look at this necklace, it grows on me a little more and more!

As someone who has worked extensively with beads in the past, I can say that this is a very well-made necklace. The string is sturdy and not elastic and the clasp is very well constructed. (I am saying this because I have had several necklaces that I have made fall completely apart...yeah, not fun!!) So, the quality of this necklace is very nice.

A design like this, with the beads that were used retails for about $15, which really is not bad at all considering that you can design it yourself and save the headache of shopping for one!

So, in my opinion...MakerCraft is a company that really is on to a great idea! I love the idea of being able to make my own jewelry the way I want, when I want. This makes shopping so much easier for me (and for hubby too!). I would recommend this company to anyone looking to try their hand at jewelry design...it is easy and convenient which in my book--is perfect!

MakerCraft has offered to giveaway a piece of jewelry to one of my readers...designed just the way you want it! Now, you don't have to have an iPad to enter this giveaway. They can help you design what you want. Either way will work fine. The value of this prize can be anywhere from $15-$25. Here are your entry options!

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART. ENTRIES THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE DELETED**

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free necklace for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the MakerCraft website and email. Prize is being mailed by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Fog Free Shaving Mirror Review & Giveaway

2012-02-10T00:01:00.001-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

Well ladies, if you are looking for a great gift for your man this Valentine's Day then I have something you are going to love to get him! Does your man like to shave in the shower? Mine does. He uses razors and likes to get his shaving done while he is getting his bath. I had never thought of having a shower mirror for him before and actually, he never even mentioned wanting one.

Today I am going to introduce you to a product that will aid that special man in your life with his shower shaving. The Fog Free Shaving Mirror is a product that emerged after multiple attempts to use "fog free" mirrors when in the shower. The man behind this mirror is Bill Vogel and here is a bit more about his product...

The Shave Well Company™ anti fog shaving mirror is fog free simply by design! The Shave Well mirror removes easily from the wall mounted hook. Just hold it under the shower stream for a few seconds. In that short time, the temperature of the moist air and the mirror itself will equalize to create a long lasting, truly fog free image for the duration of your shower. It's basic science. No more temperature difference - no more fog. It's just that simple.

Like I said before, I had never tried a fogless shower mirror before so I was very interested to see what this one was like.

So, for this review I was sent a Fog Free Shaving Mirror for my hubby to try. I got my opportunity right away as my hubby has to shave his facial hair quite frequently. He was very excited (literally) to use this product as he usually just shaves blindly and "cleans up" what he misses when he gets out of the tub.

This mirror is simple to use. It comes with an adhesive hook that is mountable anywhere in your shower. I chose to put it down lower so Greg could reach it when bathing.

The mirror then just hangs from the hook and is easily accessible from anywhere in the shower. I really wasn't sure what Greg would think of this as it would seem like any other mirror to him. When I showed it to him and he began to shave, he LOVED it! He kept saying "This is really nice! I like this alot!"

The beauty of this Fog Free Shaving Mirror is that it really is fog free! I tried it multiple times while in the shower and it really does do what it says it does! All you do is run the mirror under the shower when you first get in and the mirror adjusts to the temperature of the water. This prevents condensation, which keeps the fog non-existent. Also, it is not a huge mirror so it is easy to handle and maneuver with one hand.

This Fog Free Shaving Mirror can be found on the Shave Well Company's website and holds a retail value of $9.99. If you have a guy who shaves in the shower, then this mirror is definitely worth every penny!

So, in my opinion...the Fog Free Shaving Mirror is a wonderful product. My husband loves it and uses it each time he shaves. It has really helped to eliminate the time it takes to finish up his shaving when he gets out of the tub too. I would definitely recommend this product...and so would my husband!

Bill Vogel has generously offered to give one of these mirrors away to one of my readers! (OK...think VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT for a guy, ladies!). Here are your entry options...

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART. ENTRIES THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE DELETED**

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free Fog Free Shower Mirror for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from The Shave Well website and email. Prize is being mailed by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dieting...My Favorite Plan

2012-02-09T17:09:00.000-05:00

When I was a teenager, I was constantly trying to lose weight. I come from a family of stockier people and we all struggle with our weight. In fact, my mom lost over 80 pounds after the birth of my youngest brother. She was struggling with severe health issues due to her weight and was not doing well at all. So, she was the first in our family to try to lose weight.

Years later as my sisters and I were well into our teenage years I was the first of us to go on a diet. My first experience with dieting entailed utilizing a Richard Simmon's diet plan (my mom's idea). It was a great plan and I lost weight...but didn't keep it off. So, bored with the diet plan, I moved onto the next diet! My mom was a member of Taking Off Pounds Sensibly which is another very popular diet program and she encouraged me to try some of the tips and hints that they gave her. She also helped me get into a healthy regimen of eating and helped me choose healthy foods. Food preparation was always challenging, but she was a great support! In tandem with doing this plan I also began to do a lot of biking, and that really boosted my weight loss. This plan was what worked best for me for a long time.

Then, I got married. My weight once again became a problem...UNTIL I became pregnant with our first baby. I lost weight instead of gaining, which was a very pleasant surprise! Now, before you get too jealous, remember that I was bigger to start out with so any weight gain was being counteracted by weight loss (I hated food). After my daughter was born, I immediately lost 30+ pounds and was finally down to a nice weight. The same thing happened after my son was born 22 months later. My current pregnancy has held no weight gain, just losses. So, laugh if you will but my best weight loss plan has and always will be...pregnancy!!! :)

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for lap band and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ K-Y Date Night Gift Pack Review & Giveaway {US & Canada}

2012-02-08T00:01:00.003-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

Please note: This post contains content that is for mature adults only. While this blog is family friendly, I am married and did make an exception for this post in honor of my Valentine's Day Gift Guide as the product itself is geared towards married couples and does not represent inappropriateness.

Ahhh Valentine's Day. The perfect day for couples to spend precious time together and enjoy each other's company. I for one look forward to opportunities to spend time with my husband. I am a stay at home mommy of two busy little toddlers and when hubby gets home from work, it is so good to be able to talk to an adult!! :) When it comes to our date nights, we love to go out to eat as it usually means a sitter for the children and several hours to shop, eat and be together without having to worry about bibs, sippy cups and wiggly children. I don't know about you but that is WONDERFUL for me!

I am sure that you have all heard of the K-Y brand of lubricants and the quality that they represent. I for one do not like to use cheap imitations because if it is going "there", I want to be sure I know what it is! So, that is why when I look for something of this nature, I usually end up going with K-Y because I TRUST it (not to mention there is so much from which to choose!!). Here is a bit more about this brand...

Since 1917, we've been making quality personal lubricants and intimacy enhancement products for all kinds of duos, twosomes, and pairs. Your pleasure is our business, and we're proud to be the leading brand trusted by couples all over the world.

From personal lubricants to arousal enhancers, we make a diverse range of products to satisfy your every intimate need. K-Y® is the #1 doctor recommended brand.

This Valentine's Day, K-Y has partnered with Moviefone.com to offer couples a date night package that is phenomenal...and FUN! I was sent one of these lovely packs to check out and try and I have to say...it is quite a nice set of products.

Inside of this package you will find several products from K-Y. It includes K-Y Yours + Mine and also K-Y Touch 2-in-1 Warming Oil and Personal Lubricant.

Also included in this special package of goodies is a voucher code for $10 off two movie tickets! To redeem, just go to the website provided (Moviefone.com/date-night) and enter your special voucher code that is provided on the inside of the package. Easy! So, on Valentine's Day, you can go out for dinner, a movie and then have a romantic evening with your love!

I won't go into details as to my experience with these products but I will say, they definitely made for a romantic experience with my hubby. This is definitely my preferred brand! :)

This K-Y Date Night package retails for $26.99 and can be found at major retailers. Today, you can WIN it for FREE!! Yes, that's correct...one of my readers will receive the lovely gift pack pictured above AND this giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents! Here are your entry options...

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free K-Y Date Night Pack for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the K-Y website and email. Prize is being mailed by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART. ENTRIES THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE DELETED**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purex Triple Action Detergent Giveaway

2012-02-07T00:01:00.005-05:00

Do you all remember back in December I conducted a Purex Triple Action Detergent Review? Well, my bottle of detergent is almost gone *sad face* and I am ready to go stock up on some more very soon!

Purex Triple Action Detergent is a wonderful product that should be hitting the store shelves this month and I love it! In fact, the Purex brand is all I use when it comes to my laundry supplies. You know you really love something when you buy it after you review it and that is ALL you use. :)

Anyway, Purex has sent me 3 coupons to giveaway and these coupons are for one full-sized free bottle of Purex Triple Action Detergent! So, that means that three of you now have the opportunity to WIN your very own bottle and see just how great this stuff is!

So, here are your entry guidelines and again, I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway (do you love Rafflecoplter or what?!?!). Hope you all win! :)

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. As a Purex Insider, I did receive Purex Triple Action Detergent for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Purex website and email. Prizes are being mailed by myself. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

**PLEASE REMEMBER THAT TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART. ENTRIES THAT DO NOT FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES WILL BE DELETED**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Few Things

2012-02-03T17:26:00.002-05:00

I appreciate the guest post, Vito Rivers

There are few things my family needs more than quiet time. I feel like ever since we moved all anyone does is yell at each other and if the kids aren’t arguing about their board game it’s something else and I’m about to lose my mind. I went to www.expertsatellite.com to get us some additional cable channels and cable boxes because I knew they were going to argue over who got to control what was on the TV but that doesn’t help. Since we got in this new house where they have to share rooms you wouldn’t believe the fights we’ve fielded – it’s like they’re war enemies instead of siblings. I think this move is going to be a good thing in the long run but as of now I’m really questioning whether or not we made the right decision. I love that there are so many things my family has in common but at the end of the day I think we’ve got a long way to go before everyone is happy, you know?

Wisdom Teeth...My Experience!

2012-02-02T16:58:00.001-05:00

Back when I was a teenager, I was informed that I would have to have my wisdom teeth extracted. Oh dear...I had heard so many different horror stories about having this done and I was not very happy with the fact that I had to have mine out. But, given the risks of not having them out I guess I "agreed" to have them out. They were not causing me any trouble at that point but I knew that if the teeth weren't dealt with, they would cause trouble down the road.

So, the day of my surgery arrived and I was a bit unsure of what to expect. I had told the oral surgeon that I didn't want to know anything so whatever he had to do to make that happen, would be great! :) He had assured me that I would receive laughing gas to "knock me out". I was like "Wow...this ought to be fun!"! Mom drove me to the dentist that morning and I waited for my turn in the waiting room. It wasn't long until they called my name and back to the sedation room I went! (I think that is what they call that room where they give you the anesthesia) They gave the the gas and the next thing I knew I was waking up.

Now, this was where the fun part began. I started to wake up and was VERY confused. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton and I could barely talk. Then, I started to bawl my eyes out. I am not sure why this happened but the nurses were fine with it and acted like they had seen my reaction 100 times before. I was moved to a recovery room and then mom came in to see how I was. I was so embarrassed when she told me how I was crying and acting like a baby. As mom helped me to the car I sheepishly bid farewell to the office and got in the vehicle. Boy, was I GLAD to be leaving that place!

My recovery was anything but smooth. I developed an infection and was on antibiotics for two weeks following. My pain was awful and it took me 2 hours to eat a bowl of mac and cheese. Boy oh boy, I would NOT like to go through that again...EVER!!!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for sedation dentistry nashville and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Trinity Candle Factory Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}

2012-02-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

In keeping with our romantic theme for Valentine's Day, I would love to bring you another post pertaining to candles. It seems that you cannot talk about the single most romantic day of the year without thinking about candles. To me, no matter the occasion, you can never have too many candles. They create such a warm ambiance and soften the room in such a calming way. If I find myself getting stressed out, I have discovered that lighting a candle or two really helps to make my life much more tolerable (not to mention they help to eliminate "child-created" odors...if you know what I mean!!).

In honor of another Valentine's Day Gift Guide post, I am going to introduce you to yet another lovely candle company and I am certain that you are going to love them! :)

Trinity Candle Factory is a company that produces soy candles in abundance, as well as other candle-related products to make your candle-burning experience safer and easier. Trinity Candle Factory sells Reed Diffusers, Scented Oil Burners, Rooms Sprays as well as Wax Potpourri; among other things. When I first visited their site, I was amazed at the different and unique scents that they have in stock. Here is a brief list of some of their scented candle choices:

~Blueberry Fields

~Birds of Paradise

~China Rain

~Mojave Springs

~Pear Glaze

~Secret Crush

~Strawberry Kiwi

I would really LOVE to know what China Rain smells like...doesn't that sound like an interesting and intriguing scent?

So, for this review I was sent a nice package of Trinity Candle Factory products and am going to share them with you all today! In my package were two of their most requested Valentine's Day candles...Cupid's Arrow and Rose. I am usually not a huge fan of rose scented things, but I made an exception with this special jar candle. :)

I was also sent a beautiful straight votive holder and a Candle Pad as well! I hadn't heard of a Candle Pad before so it was really nice to receive one and see how it worked! A Candle Pad is a soft coaster type of product that you place under your candle to protect furniture on which the candle is sitting. Pretty nifty, don't you think?

This cute little votive is called Cupid's Arrow and I just love how it has the two layers of pink. Cupid's Arrow smells like strawberries and looks quite pretty when lit!

And as for the Rose scented candle...wow. It smells really nice! I love how it has the pretty gold shimmery ribbon tied around the neck of the jar. It looks great placed next to Cupid's Arrow and will definitely be one of my favorites on Valentine's Day! If you look closely in the picture above, I am utilizing the Candle Pad and it is so discreet, you cannot even tell the candle is sitting on anything! I love it!

All of these items and MUCH more can be found right on Trinity Candle Factory's website. I guarantee that if you visit this amazing site you will be there awhile...there is so much to see and so many candles from which you can choose.

So, in my opinion...Trinity Candle Factory is a wonderful soy candle company. I am very impressed with the products I was sent and also with the quality. This is no ordinary company...they definitely try to offer a variety for any person. This Valentine's Day, why not surprise your sweetheart with a pretty candle and some accessories? You cannot go wrong when it comes to candles!

Trinity Candle Factory has offered to give one of my readers the same box of goodies that I received for this review! That's right, everything you see in the picture can be yours ~ a retail value of $23.00! Here are your entry options...

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive Trinity Candle Factory products for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Trinity Candle Factory website and email. Prize is being mailed by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

**TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART...I will be monitoring this. Tweet entries that are not 2 hours apart will be deleted!!!***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Carefree Acti-Fresh Sample

2012-01-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

This is my pantiliner of choice, ladies! The Carefree brand has always been my choice and I stick with them regularly. You can get a free sample of Carefree Acti-Fresh to try and see if it will be YOUR favorite too!

Click HERE for this sample.

Good while supplies last.

Free Sample of Calcet Creamy Bites

2012-01-30T11:49:00.001-05:00

So, do you need more calcium in your diet? I have never tried this brand before but just looking at the picture makes my mouth water. These Creamy Bites from Calcet look amazing!

Click HERE for your very own free sample of Calcet Creamy Bites!

(Not sure when this expires or runs out.)

Long List Of Winners To Announce!

2012-01-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

Hi all! Hope you are enjoying the Valentine's Day Gift Guide and are getting your entries in! Thank you for all of your entries so far too. :)

I have a nice long list of winners to announce for past giveaways so without further ado, here they are!

Carmex Lotion Gift Set: Darlene

Zevia Soda: Rebekah {honeyandcheese}

PetCakes: WWillows6

ALL-ETT Wallet: 10750coupons

Green Giant Prize Pack: Tara

Greased Lightning All-Purpose Cleaner: Jessica

Pure Bars: Lisa

Tommee Tippee Spill Proof Sippy Cups: AmberFaith

Tropical Traditions Natural Deodorant: BethElderton

SoftLips Winter Flavors: ♡♥♬ Raven In A Blue Room ♬♥♡

Perplexus: Anonymous

Green Valley Herbal Fix-a-Foot Kit: ryanac32

Community Coffee Season's Greetings Sampler: kathypease

As always, if you still have not yet received your prize and it has been over 6 weeks since you have won, please let me know so I can notify the company. While I do not have control over what the company does, I can do my best to be sure you receive your prize by contacting the appropriate parties.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Gourmet Gift Baskets Review & Giveaway

2012-01-27T00:01:00.003-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

Who doesn't enjoy receiving a gift basket? I can tell you for a fact that I myself love getting them because it isn't just one special item...it means there are several gifts in there! Usually, there are small items that carry the same theme or just random items to make you feel extra special. My favorite types of gift baskets to receive are food gift baskets. I love getting these because I can share with my family (after I remove and hide my favorite selections! Hee hee!) and friends. They also make for some great game time snacking as well. Hubby and I love to play Scrabble and always have some snacks to go along with our game. Gift baskets that contain snack foods are wonderful because you have variety and unique flavors all combined into one basket!

I am sure most of you have heard of Gourmet Gift Baskets but if not, you will want to tune in today...have I got a special treat for you! Gourmet Gift Baskets is a company that makes gorgeous gift baskets of all themes, shapes, sizes and for all occasions. If you are looking for the perfect gift basket, this is the company you are going to LOVE!!

What I love about Gourmet Gift Baskets is that you can shop for any age. They have Kids's Gift Baskets, Corporate Gift Baskets and many more. Another HUGE plus about this company is that if you do ground shipping, it is totally free!!! So, don't even calculate that into your cost when choosing a basket. :) Love it!!

Because we are in the midst of my Valentine's Day Gift Guide event, I thought it appropriate to introduce you to their Valentine's Day Gift Baskets! Let me tell you...if you are looking for romance, Gourmet Gift Baskets has you covered. If you are looking for something for your chocoholic Valentine or for the candy lover, there will be a basket that will fit that criteria perfectly!!

For this review and in honor of Valentine's Day I was sent the Be My Valentine gift basket!! I was very pleased with how quickly this shipped to me...it was within several days of my communication with the company and I love that! I also love how gorgeous the presentation of this basket it...check out that multi-colored ribbon that wraps around the basket!

This basket is packed full of wonderful and tasty treats that will "wow" anyone...especially that special person. I was impressed by the variety of items in this particular basket. There are cookies, candies, nuts and chocolate.

As soon as my children saw me pull this basket out of the box they wanted to get at it SO BAD!! I had to share with them (of course) and also force myself to enjoy some treats too! :)

Some of my favorites were the jelly filled Raspberry Sticks and the Wafer Cookies. My children kept asking for more and I had to hide them when I was done! I love how there is something for everyone in this basket...very nice.

The Be My Valentine Gift Basket retails for $49.99 and is available exclusively from Gourmet Gift Baskets website. While you are there, check out their other Valentine's Day Gift Baskets too...there are so many different ones from which to choose!

Now for the FUN!! :) Gourmet Gift Baskets has offered to give away the Be My Valentine Gift Basket to one of my readers! YAAY! Because this giveaway will run until the Friday before Valentine's Day, I cannot guarantee that the winner will receive the basket in time for the holiday. Here are your entry options!!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free Be My Valentine Gift Basket for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Gourmet Gift Baskets website and email. Prize is being provided by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

***PLEASE NOTE: TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART! IF THIS IS NOT FOLLOWED, THOSE ENTRIES WILL BE REMOVED!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Clipa Handbook Hanger Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}

2012-01-26T00:01:00.003-05:00

~Valentine's Day Gift Guide~

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Have you ever been some place and been forced to put your purse on the floor for whatever reason? Or, worse yet...you are a mom like me and you have to change the baby's diaper in a public restroom on one of those diaper changing tables that folds out from the wall. There really is no place to put the diaper bag within reach. Well, because this is a Valentine's Day Gift Guide post we aren't going to talk about diaper bags and changing tables...we are going to talk about going out to eat. So, you are at the restaurant and you are on a date with your Valentine. You sit down and look for a place to put your purse. If you are like me, you sling it over the back of your chair or put it on a chair next to you...or, on the floor. I hate the latter of those choices because we all know how filthy those restaurant floors can be. Well, I have a solution...thanks to this next company and yes (listen up men!), this product will make your Valentine very happy.

Today, I am going to introduce you to the Clipa...the Handbook Hanger. This product is designed to keep your purse or bag off the floor and within arm's reach. It also doubles as a beautiful bracelet!

Clipa is a product that is manufactured by Topcor, a company based out of California. This company also manufactures other innovative products to help make life easier and less complicated. They also like to focus on "out-of-the-box" ideas for new products...which is great!

So, for this review I was sent the very beautiful Polished Silver Clipa to try out and share with all of you! There is no trying to unbuckle anything, unfasten or undo any complicated snaps when using this product.

All you do is open the clip (it is spring-loaded) and attach it to your purse or bag handle. It looks very stylish on there too. Then, the clip is ready to use.

Using the Clipa is a cinch. Just pull it open and hang it wherever you need it to be. It can go on table edges, restroom stall doors, diaper changing tables, etc. The part that rests on the table has a nice little rubber pad that helps keep it from sliding and falling off.

And, good for me to know...the Clipa holds up to 45 pounds! I tend to overload every purse or diaper bag I carry so knowing the weight limit of this gadget is helpful. :) In the picture above, my purse is not touching the ground...it had about 2 inches to go until it was resting on the floor.

My only observation about the Clipa that seemed unsafe was that if you are not watching your bag, it seems easy for anyone to grab it and run. So, don't trust this product to keep your personal belongings safe...it isn't meant for that. Make sure you always keep your possessions in view.

The Clipa retails for $19.99 for the solid styles, and they also offer customizeable crystal clips, and colored clips. These retail from $29.99 - $39.99 depending on style and color.

So, in my opinion...Clipa is a really nifty and handy product! I love how easy it is to use and how it can simplify my life as a mom on the go. Clipa is sturdy and beautiful and adds alot of finesse and charm to any handbag as well. Great product!

The maker of Clipa has offered to give away one of these clips to one of my readers. The winner will receive the same Clipa I received, Polished Silver. Here are your entry options...

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free Clipa for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Clipa website and email. Prize is being provided by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

***PLEASE NOTE: TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART! IF THIS IS NOT FOLLOWED, THOSE ENTRIES WILL BE REMOVED!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winter Workwear For Men

2012-01-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

My husband has the type of job where he sits in front of a computer and does programming work. This means that he gets to dress in business casual clothes and be comfortable while at work. Here where I live, we are in the dead of winter if my hubby had an outdoor job, finding warm men's workwear would be imperative. Although it has been a mild winter, we have had some very cold days and I really do feel bad for those of you who have to be out in the elements right now! Today I had to run an errand and passed a truck of workers who were filling in winter potholes. Boy, did they look COLD!

My brother has a job where he delivers propane and I guarantee you, he has to have warm clothing. Getting in and out of a truck, tromping through snow drifts and standing in the biting wind can be very taxing on a body and although my brother is a big guy, I know he gets chilly. This is why he wears carhartt clothing. It is more than just for looks...it is for warmth. I don't know about you but I can spot the carhartt brand a mile away. It just has that good quality look to it. He loves this particular brand and has even purchased a woman's carhartt coat for his wife. She wears hers all the time and you can tell she appreciates it very much!!

So, if you are looking for warm clothes, don't wait until the cold weather...start in the off-season. You will be grateful for the warmth when the cold arrives!

Brought to you by your friends at davesnewyork.com

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Self Essentials Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}

2012-01-24T00:01:00.010-05:00

~Valentine's Day Gift Guide~

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Here is my second post for my Valentine's Day Gift Guide Event and I am so glad you have joined me once again. :) Hope you are enjoying this event thus far.

So, lets talk about candles. What would a romantic dinner be without a candle or two? Having two children, I cannot recall the last time I had a truly romantic dinner with my hubby here at home. I know we should make time for that, but we don't like our children being babysat very often and so our dates are few and far between. Maybe this Valentine's Day we should have a date, hmmmm? I am seriously thinking about that. So, when you think of a lovely candle to use for a romantic dinner or quiet evening at home, what scent is the most appealing to you? Chocolate? Vanilla? Strawberry? Well, if I am going for romance, I am thinking chocolate or vanilla.

Recently I discovered a really lovely company that makes soy candles of every shape, size, color and scent. I am a particular fan of soy candles because of how clean they burn. I hate the black and sooty result of burning non-soy candles and many of my candles are not soy. Sooo, I end up having to wipe the insides of my jars when burning my candles to keep the black soot away. Self Essentials is a company that is found in New York City and they hand craft all of their candles.

Here is a bit more about this company and their wonderful candles...

Self Essentials, Inc. is a soy candle company located in New York City that provides exceptional Soy Candles, Soy Pillar Candles, and Aromatherapy Soy Candles.

All of our soy candles are handcrafted to order for our customers. We offer highly scented soy candles that are aromatic, beautiful, and are customized to your specification. We also offer a wonderful selection of natural aromatherapy soy candles made with 100% pure essentials oils.

Self Essentials' products are not only natural, they are elegant. All of our products are beautifully packaged and will make wonderful gifts for your family and friends.

I know so many people who RAVE about essential oils and I know how wonderful these oils are in lotions and creams. They also smell great so I was really excited to see how Self Essential's candles smell with these essential oils in them.

So, for this review I was sent a Frosted Red Valentine's Day Soy Candle in a beautiful gift box. I had my choice of several scents (Chocolate Kisses, Lick Me All Over, Sensual Seduction, Rose Petals and Unscented) and I chose Chocolate Kisses.

My candle arrived the other day and upon opening the box I was greeted by a white gift box with a pretty red bow on top. The label on the box was very elegant as well. The candle itself was nestled in red paper "grass" and I could immediately smell chocolate. :)

This is a 7 ounce candle that smells beautiful when lit. Self Essentials suggests letting the candle burn for three hours in order to create an even burn. Mine has now been burning for about 2 hours and the scent is wonderful.

This candle looks really beautiful in a dark room when burning too...the red frosted glass glows very nicely and creates a very romantic ambiance.

The Frosted Red Valentine's Day Soy Candle retails for $13.60 on Self Essentials website and would make the PERFECT gift for your Valentine.

So, in my opinion...Self Essentials really knows how to make a great candle. The scent is perfect and the price is just right. I love the Chocolate Kisses scent and it really infused my whole kitchen when I lit it. I can think of a number of people who would love to receive this candle as a gift...including me!!

Self Essentials has offered to give a $20 gift certificate to one of my readers...good towards any product on their site! This giveaway will also be a Rafflecopter so I hope you all will enter! Thank you to Self Essentials for the generous giveaway. :)

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free Soy Candle for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Self Essentials website and email. Prize is being provided by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

***PLEASE NOTE: TWEETS MUST BE AT LEAST 2 HOURS APART! IF THIS IS NOT FOLLOWED, THOSE ENTRIES WILL BE REMOVED!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valentine's Day Gift Guide ~ Intentional Chocolate Review & Giveaway {CLOSED|

2012-01-23T00:01:00.005-05:00

~VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT GUIDE~

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Well folks, it is that time of year again...time for Valentine's Day! What better way to start my Valentine's Day Gift Guide Event than to talk about chocolate?!?! When I think of this special day, my mind always wanders to chocolate. Truffles, milk chocolate, caramels...yum. There is just nothing like a fresh box of chocolates to get your mouth watering and your taste buds tantalized.

With so many choices and so many brands from which to choose, it can be hard to decided what your Valentine would like the most. I prefer truffles but my hubby loves dark chocolate. But what do you do if your special someone loves organic chocolate? That can be harder to find and much more pricey too. Well, today I am going to introduce you to a totally new and yummy company that will solve your biggest problem at Valentine's Day...what to get that picky person.

Intentional Chocolate is a company that makes specialized hot chocolate, coffee, and of course, chocolate. The special thing about this particular company is that they carry organic dark and milk chocolate...which I love.

Before I continue with my thoughts about Intentional Chocolate, here is a bit more about their company...

Intentional Chocolate originates from a tradition of exemplary chocolate products. Its parent company, Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, was the first and only grower of cacao in the United States at the time of its inception in 1992 and was reported on in The New York Times as “the best chocolate in the world.” “We took the world’s finest chocolate, Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, added a concentrated form of positive intentions, and created Intentional Chocolate™, an edible, sensual experience of well-being,” states Ashley Walsh, Director of Operations for Intentional Chocolate.

I had never heard of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate before and was very curious to see what this particular chocolate tasted like. You can imagine my excitement when I found out I was going to get to review Intentional Chocolate...yay!!!!!!!

So, for this review and my very first Valentine's Day Gift Guide Event post, I was sent a gift box of items from Intentional Chocolate to try and share with you all!

I think that the labeling on these bags is adorable...I love the little stick figure!! This was actually the first product that I tried and when I tasted these chocolate discs, my first thought was "Wow! My husband will L*O*V*E these!!!" My daughter and son also split one and they too, were asking for more.

Don't they look YUMMY? This is 72% fine organic dark chocolate..formed into small pistoles. They also claim that there is "intention" infused into the chocolate. Because I am a Christian, I don't acknowledge and promote this type of belief but that is what they say when it comes to Intentional Chocolates and this is what they consider to be special about their company.

When my daughter found out that they sent us hot chocolate, she wanted some for breakfast. I was really surprised by how this hot chocolate looks. It isn't powder, it's bits of dark chocolate. All I did was boil water, put in some chocolate bits and stir it up. I of course added marshmallows and that was the icing on the cake for Hannah. She LOVED it. And may I add, it was some of the BEST hot chocolate I have ever had.

Hannah enjoying her "cocoa"

The coffee was AMAZING. It smelled so fresh and was in bean form. The taste was wonderful...not too bold, just right.

Really, this coffee was fresh and ready to go. All you have to do is grind it up and make your pot of coffee!

This particular gift box from Intentional Chocolate retails for $45.00 and you get all the items that I have reviewed today.

So, in my opinion...Intentional Chocolate has some of the best chocolate products that I have tasted in a LONG time. I was impressed by the quality, quantity and value of the products and was sooo pleased to be able to surprise my Valentine with dark chocolate after a long hard day at work. I can assure you that this chocolate won't disappoint and that you should check out Intentional Chocolate this Valentine's Day!

Intentional Chocolate has offered to give away one of these gift boxes to one of my readers! How fun!!! You should receive this prize in time for Valentine's Day but I cannot nor will not guarantee that. Also, this is my very first Rafflecopter giveaway and you all will have to let me know what you think. If you have any issues, email me ASAP so I can correct them. Here are your entry options!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a Intentional Chocolate Gift Box for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Intentional Chocolate website and email. Prize is being mailed by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TODAY ONLY FREE Valentine's Day Card from Tiny Prints

2012-01-20T13:43:00.000-05:00

Do you need a special card to send to someone this Valentine's Day? Send your love courtesy of Tiny Prints for FREE! Here is how:

Create a card, then have the card mailed to yourself. Enter Tiny Prints coupon code: FBLOVE at checkout, making these FREE after the code!!

**Please Note: Be sure that your send the card to yourself, to avoid the shipping.

I am going to get my card ordered today so it will be here in time to be sent for Valentine's Day!!

Quick Note...

2012-01-20T09:01:00.000-05:00

Good Friday to all my readers!! I wanted to let you know that I have enabled word verification for blog comments for now. I have been getting a TON of spam comments and am hoping that this will slow that down a bit. Sorry for the inconvenience...if you have any trouble with this not working properly or what not, please let me know!!

PS-I am still considering using Rafflecopter for giveaways...what do you all think of that? Is that your favorite way to enter giveaways? Let me know!

Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach Review & Giveaway {CLOSED}

2012-01-19T21:31:00.004-05:00

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

When it comes to cleaning my house, bleach is not my most favorite product to use. I know it disinfects and cleans, but the smell is so overpowering, I can hardly be in the same room with it long enough to actually clean with it. I also hate how chlorine bleach stains my clothes and breaks down fabrics. When I do use chlorine bleach, I usually have "bleach clothes" that I put on that are stained already so if I do splash some on my clothes, it won't be a big deal. I don't know about you, but I don't like going through all that in order to clean my house. So, today I am going to introduce you to a non-chlorine bleach that will knock your socks off!

Tropical Traditions has once again offered another product to me for review and this time, I chose to review the Oxygen Bleach. I was intrigued by this particular product because it is non-chlorine and seemed to be a very multi-purposed product as well. Before I continue though, here is a bit more about this Oxygen Bleach...

Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach is a safe and effective alternative to chlorine based products and it can be used in many applications in and around the home. It is based on sodium percarbonate which uses oxygen for destaining and deodorizing. Oxygen Bleach is safe to use at all temperatures, on most washable fabrics, and all colors, in hard or soft water, and is compatible with other household cleaners. Also, it produces no harmful by-products which negatively affect the environment. Unlike chlorine bleach, which can merely cover up a stain, Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach attacks and breaks down organic stains to totally remove them from the garment.

The part that really caught my eye was the fact that this Oxygen Bleach doesn't stain clothes! Wow...I HAD to see this!

So, for this review I was sent a full-sized container (6 pounds) of Oxygen Bleach to try and see what I thought. My first thought was "Wow..that is one big container of bleach!!!"

This Oxygen Bleach is in a powder form and when I opened it, it had no strong odor at all. This made me happy as I HATE the smell of normal bleach. My first experiment with this bleach was when I was washing dishes. Because I do not have a dishwasher, I sometimes wonder just how clean my dishes get. So, I added a bit of this bleach to my dish water before doing dishes. It is hard to tell just how clean my dishes got, but I was pretty sure they were sanitized better than if I hadn't added the bleach. Oh yes, and I slopped some water on my shirt but it didn't turn white where the water hit!!!!!!!!!!!11

Then, tonight I decided to try the Oxygen Bleach on my bathtub. I have a very old tub with ceramic tile and stained grout. I really dislike my tub and we are looking to one day, remodel our bathroom and get a new tub. But for now, I have a very large task on hand when it comes to cleaning. I made a paste out of the bleach and a bit of water and headed into the bathroom to clean.

Before

The stiffest brush I found was a toothbrush that I use for cleaning small places and I set to work. I put the bleach on to the areas to be cleaned and started to scrub. One thing I noticed was that once the bleach was applied, it started to foam and I could hear it working. It sort of took over the dirt and helped the brush to lift it away. When I was done, I was pleased with the outcome. While my grout is still badly stained, most of the grime is gone. Woo Hoo!!

After

Not only have I used this bleach for my bathtub and dishes, I am also soaking my son's cloth and vinyl bib in hot water and Oxygen Bleach. His bib gets soo dirty and gets a sour smell to it as well. Putting it in the washing machine doesn't help much so I am pretty confident that this bleach will work.

Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach retails for $16.75 for a 6 lb. container and is WELL WORTH the purchase.

So, in my opinion...Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach is an excellent product. I love the fact that it didn't stain my clothes, didn't have an odor and cleaned well for me. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking to clean their home safely and efficiently. Great product!

Tropical Traditions has offered to give away a container of Oxygen Bleach to one of my readers! Here are your entry options...

Mandatory Entry:

Visit Tropical Traditions, then come back here and leave a comment letting me know which product you would love to try. :) You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email where you can be reached should you win. If you do not leave an email address, it must be where I can easily find it. This giveaway is open to US residents and will end 2/3 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be selected.

*****

Want to increase your chances of winning? Here are some Extra Entries! :)

1. "Like" Tropical Traditions on Facebook. 2 entries, so 2 comments.

2. Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter. 2 entries, so 2 comments.

3. Become a GFC follower of My Opinion. Leave a comment to let me know that you did/ do. 3 entries, so 3 comments.

4. Follow me on Twitter. Leave a comment to let me know that you did/do. 1 entry

5. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with the link. 3 tweets per day, at least one hour betweet tweets. 3 comments per day.

Feel free to use this tweet:

Enter to WIN Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach *Fantastic Cleaning Product!!* @Troptraditions @coupons4moms Ends 2/3 http://tinyurl.com/72sc6xt

6. Vote for me on Picket Fence Blogs. 1 entry per day, so 1 comment per day.

7. Leave a comment on any review only post. 1 entry per post commented on..tell me the name of the post on which you commented. Unlimited.

8. Add this giveaway to a linky. Leave me the link to the linky list it was added to. 1 entry per linky.

9. Blog about this giveaway. Leave me a DIRECT link to your post. 5 entries, so 5 comments.

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive free Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Tropical Traditions website and email. Prize is being shipped by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

~Valentine's Day Gift Guide~

2012-01-19T18:46:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I have my very first event coming soon and want you all to be a part of it! I am having a Valentine's Day Gift Guide Event and will be featuring products that would make great gifts for this Valentine's Day! This event will start on Monday, January 23rd and will continue until about February 14th.

I have some great companies that I will be featuring so stay tuned to see what excitement waits you HERE, on In My Opinion... !

Internet Marketing Worked For Us!

2012-01-19T16:54:00.000-05:00

When my husband and I were first married, we never even thought of getting a dog. A year after our first child was born we started to discuss having a dog and the benefits of getting a dog while our child was still small and could get used to a pet. The more we talked about it, the more we wanted to do it. We really wanted to get a Golden Retriever and the idea of having a "child-friendly" dog was very appealing to us. So, we began to search and we were shocked at the amount of puppies that are out there!

Well, our search led to a really wonderful breeder in Ohio and we fell in love with a small, 6 week old Golden Retriever that they had. We wanted a female and so we named our puppy, Lily. Oh how wonderful it was to take the 9 hour trip to Ohio and be able to pick her up when the time was right! She was the cutest, most adorable puppy on the planet and we loved her at first sight!!!

Time went on and we made it through the house breaking and the other "things" that come with having a new puppy. Shortly after we brought Lily home, I found out I was expecting our second child. This was wonderful news but I immediately began to worry about having a puppy and a new baby. The work Lily required was already challenging, but I could not even begin to imagine what it would be like with a baby. As time went on it became very clear to us that we would not be able to keep our puppy. She was so busy and rambunctious and required alot of attention that we could not give her...she deserved so much more.

We decided to do some internet marketing and try to get the word out about our beautiful dog. It wasn't long before our phone started ringing and people started coming to see Lily. We were extremely picky about who Lily's new owner would be. Finally, we got a call from a lady who was looking for a dog for her mom. Lily sounded like a perfect fit...and she was. Lily met (and loved) her new owner and was taken home after the first visit.

So, our first adventure with a dog didn't turn out so well. But, thanks to internet marketing, we were able to find a better home for her and she is a happy dog now...getting the love and perfect attention that she deserves!!

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for an internet marketing company and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

Purex UltraPacks Liquid Laundry Detergent Review

2012-01-17T21:50:00.001-05:00

As you have all probably noticed by now, I have two toddlers. My daughter is 3 and my son is 19 months. They keep me VERY busy and I am constantly amazed at the amount of laundry they go through in a given week. I usually do upwards to 2 loads of toddler laundry per week. If I don't do it that often or even more often than that, they seriously run out of clothes to wear. Today I did their laundry and it took two loads to complete it...wow. When it was just hubby and I the laundry pile was much smaller and I had always heard people talk about when the children come how the laundry increases. I can't say that I didn't believe them...I just had to really experience it to understand it fully. Needless to say, now I understand. :)

Well, as a Purex Insider I have yet another opportunity to introduce you all to a new product that Purex is bringing out and this one is very nice. Purex UltraPacks are convenient, small (yet powerful) packets of liquid laundry detergent. Using these packets is super easy as all you do is toss them in the washer and watch them dissolve. This process releases the detergent and there you have it...no mess, no fuss.

Although it looks like a small amount of detergent, it is very powerful and will do the job that your normal detergent would have done. I was a bit skeptical, but quickly put that aside when I saw how they worked.

So, for this review I was sent a full-sized package of Purex UltraPacks Liquid Laundry Detergent. The scent I chose was the Mountain Breeze as I prefer a nicely scented detergent for my laundry.

Before you handle the small packets of detergent, make sure your hands are clean and dry; otherwise you will start the dissolving process of the packet before it hits the washer. As you can see above, all the packets are the same size and are VERY pretty...so be sure to keep them out of your children's reach!!!

I had a load of toddler laundry to do recently and it was the perfect opportunity to try out theses little packets. Now, if you are doing an extra large load (which I tend to do often), you will want to use 2 packets. Like I said, I tend to fill the washer full to capacity so I usually need 2. As the water begins to run into the washer, toss in your packet. Here is what happens:

The packet is in the water...

...and here it is all dissolved. You can see it starting to ooze out of the casing it was in.

The next step once the packet has dissolved is to toss in your laundry. That is IT! No messy cup to rinse, no drips and best of all, no waste!

I am pleased to tell you all that my laundry turned out looking and smelling great. I was thankful that I didn't have to make a mess and the process went quickly because of the ease of using the packets. The Mountain Breeze scent is wonderful...my favorite!

Purex UltraPacks are set to hit the stores in February of 2012 so be on the lookout for them in your area. Since I have tried the Purex brand, I have yet to return to my previous brand...that is how much I like it!!

So, in my opinion...the Purex UltraPacks are a wonderful product! As a mom, I look for convenience and simplicity and this particular product has all that and more! My laundry looks and smells great and best of all, I make no messes in the process! Double thumbs up!! I would highly recommend this product to anyone out there that is looking to revolutionize their laundry time and make things easier...hey moms...sounds like you! Take advantage of the offer and check out this product today!!

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. As a Purex Insider, I received a free, full-sized package of Purex UltraPacks for review purposes. All quotes are from the Purex website and email. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Horseback Riding Anyone???

2012-01-17T21:07:00.000-05:00

Growing up, I lived in a huge farmhouse. There was a large barn and several buildings on the property as well, but my parents were not farmers. We only had barn cats and a few dogs but no real farm animals. I have always admired horses for their strong builds, majestic airs about them and for their unique personalities. I think if I had a horse growing up I would have had a better appreciation for them today...but I honestly am a bit scared of them. It is probably because they are so big...but the thing about most horses (that I have heard) is that they are big but very gentle. I know this is true, but I am always afraid of getting run over by one when I see one running.

I have known so many people who are just in love with horses and it's no wonder why. My cousin has always been into horseback riding and has been in countless shows with them. Professionally speaking I have lost track of where she is today but I know her love for her horses is undying. I have another friend with whom I worked and her daughter also was very much into training, riding and caring for horses. She worked at a shop that sold horse riding gear and other tack...and she was very good at what she did there. If I had a horse, I would want to get information from someone who was proficient and knowledgeable about horses...like her.

When a person is serious-minded about horseback riding, they almost always look into getting equestrian clothing. This not only helps with making them look professional, but it also helps to streamline their bodies and creates less friction in the wind. I have seen some pretty awesome looking equestrian outfits and find that they do sharpen up just about anyone's "look" while on a horse.

So, if my child ever takes an interest in riding horses I will definitely have some more research to do regarding what it takes to fulfill that interest. I wish I had been given more opportunities to be around horses...my ideas about them today would probably be much different! Maybe someday I will get another chance. :)

Brought to you by your friends at manhattansaddlery.com

Thankful For Our Bank's Billing System

2012-01-12T19:47:00.000-05:00

Don't you just hate getting junk mail? I do. But what is worse than that are bills. At least with junk mail you can just toss it in the trash and forget it ever came. If you did that with your bills, you would probably have some collections agencies calling you in short order.

I cannot remember just how long ago we started to stop paying our bills via the mailbox. The main reason we stopped doing that was because postage was creeping up higher and higher and honestly, why pay that every month when you can just pay online? Now, we do pay all of our bills online but some of them we still have to put in the mailbox. For instance (and this is silly to me), our water bill has to be mailed in...if you pay it online you get CHARGED to do so. Isn't that a bit backwards??? I am not sure what they are thinking there. But anyway, it is so much easier for us to pay our bills now. I used to be in charge of writing out the checks and getting the bills out. But now, hubby takes care of it all online and I have to do nothing. This is wonderful for me as it takes the stress of deadlines off me.

My husband's bank has a wonderful billing system that allows us to pay the bills through the bank and they send a check to the company. Basically, they have a form that you fill out and verify the dollar amount. Then, you set the date on which you want the check sent and voila!! It is done! I cannot tell you just how much money this has saved us in postage...and the aggravation it has saved me.

Now, if we could just get the bank to pay our bills FOR us. That would be pretty awesome! :)

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog for Recurring Billing Software and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

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