Pink Lemonade 1st Birthday Party!

This is a review of my little girl’s first birthday.  It was a Pink Lemonade Birthday Party! Get ready for a picture-heavy post because there were just too many photos to choose from!

 

Pink Lemonade Party Invite

Isn’t this invite adorable? I can’t take any credit for it though;  this is the

creativity from Lemonade Design Studio.

 Pink Lemonade Party

Here is the sweet table.

 

Pink Lemonade Party Decorations

Outside I hung fluffy pink decorations with pink ribbon.

 

Pink Lemonade Banner

This banner came from Target’s Big Honkin’ Sumer promotion.

 

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Some of the cupcakes I made and some I bought and embellished.

 

Pink Lemonade Candy

Here is an up close picture of some of the candy.

 

 

Pink Lemonade Birthday Cake

I made the cakes myself but the gorgeous pennant banner is from

the etsy shop, AFeteBeckons.

 

Pink Lemonade Smash Cake

This is my daughter’s “smash cake” on top of a cake stand I made myself.

 

Pink Lemonade Party Food

Here’s a picture of the full spread.  We also had grilled hamburgers with all the fixings.  Our lemonade was from Chick-fil-A and we had fun pink twisty straws for the kids.

 

 

Pink Lemonade Birthday Girl

This is my sweet birthday girl! Her outfit came from Gymboree.  I couldn’t find the perfect pink lemonade outfit so I bought a lemonade outfit for the first half of the party and a pink outfit for after her smash cake.  She didn’t love her cake so while it was nice that there was no mess to clean up I was sad that we didn’t get to debut her second outfit either.

 

 

Pink Lemonade Smash Cake Crying

This is her after everyone sang to her and her Daddy tried to help feed her some.

She would have none of it.

 

Pink Lemonade Cake Layers

Last but not least we cut the cake!  There is a lemon layer between two pink lemonade layers and it’s topped with pink lemonade icing.

 

WOW. What a party it was! I love throwing a party that makes little kids’ eyes light up with wonder and amazement. And of course, maybe a few grownups too. Because as you know, pink lemonade is all about fun, pure goodness, and never taking life too seriously.  My little girl was thrilled to pieces, besides the cake incident,  and that’s what it was all about. Thank you to EVERYBODY who came and made this day such a success! We love you!

 

 

Vendors:

Party Invitations are from Lemonade Design Studio.

Fondant cupcake picks are from Parker’s Flour Patch.

Pennant banner is from AFeteBeckons.

Free Finish Quantum Sample

Finish

 

Right now you can sign up for an absolutely free Finish Quantum sample Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.

 

Thanks, For the Mommas!

Free Neutrogena Makeup Removing Towelettes at Target

neutrogena

 

I’m always excited about beauty deals but beauty freebies are awesome!  Get clean skin fast with Neutrogena Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes….free towelettes!  Clip this coupon and head to Target to get these 7 count face wipes for free.  Here are the details:

 

Neutrogena Makeup Removing Cleansing Towelettes, 7 ct $1.97, regular price
Use $2.00/1 Neutrogena Face Makeup product, excludes trial sizes, limit 1 coupon per customer from RP 7/29 (exp 9/30)
Free!!!

Office & Back-to-School Deals for the Week of 9/2/12

Back to School

 

Here are the BEST office & Back-t0-School deals for the week of 9/2/12!

 

 

CVS

 

Kleenex Tissues Regular 100ct or Lotion 70 ct $0.99, limit 5
Use $0.50/3 Kleenex Facial Tissues, 50 ct or higher or (1) bundle pack, excludes trial size from SS 8/12 (exp 9/23)
$0.82 each, when you buy 3

 

Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, 80 ct $5.00
Use $0.50/2 – Lysol Disinfecting or Dual Action Wipes
$4.25 each, when you buy 2

 

Georgia Pacific Copy and Print Paper, 500 sheets
Buy One Get One 50% Off

 

 

Rite Aid

 

Sani-Hands Hand Sanitizing Wipes, 50 ct $2.99
Buy 1, Submit for $2.99 Single Check Rebate, Limit 1
Pay $2.99, Submit $2.99 Single Check Rebate
Free!

 

All Copy Paper $3.99
Sani-Hands Hand Sanitizing Wipes, 50 ct $2.99
Submit for $2.99 Single Check Rebate
Free!

 

Bic, Sharpie, Pentel, Pilot or PaperMate Writing Instrument
Buy One Get One Free
Price Varies

 

Mead Five Star, Cambridge, Trapper Keeper, or Flex Brand Item
Use $2.00/1 Five Star Binder, including Five Star Flex Hybrid NoteBinder from RP 8/5 (exp 9/30)
Or $1.00/2 Five Star products, including Student Planning from RP 8/5 (exp 9/30)
Or $1.00/2 Five Star Reinforced Filler Paper products from RP 8/5 (exp 9/30)
Price Varies

 

Assorted Backpacks, Lunch Kits, or Lunch Totes
Buy One Get One Free

 

Scotch Tape, Fashion Notebooks, Theme Books, Composition Books or Portfolios 50% Off
Use $1.00/1 Scotch Magic Tape One Handed Tape Dispenser from SS 8/5 (exp 10/31)
Or $0.25/1 Scotch Magic Tape product from SS 8/5 (exp 10/31)
Or $1.00/1 Scotch Pop Up Tape product from SS 8/5 (exp 10/31)
Price Varies

 

Mead Notebooks, 70 sheets or Composition Books $0.66 each when you buy 3

 

Art Skills, Darice, Crazy Art, Mega Brands, Crayola or Playskool Arts and Craft Supplies, Royal Posterboard or Mead Art Tablets
Buy One Get One Free

 

Elmer’s Glue, Staplers, Staples, Sharpeners or Scissors, Home or Harvard Square Writing Instruments, Tablets, Index Cards, Poly Notebooks, Glue or Tape
Buy One Get One Free

 

Kleenex Tissue 100 ct or with Lotion 60 and 70 ct $0.97
Use $0.50/3 Kleenex Facial Tissues, 50 ct or higher or (1) bundle pack, excludes trial size from SS 8/12 (exp 9/23)
$0.80 each, when you buy 3

 

 

Walgreens

 

W Facial Tissue, 75, 90 or 184 sheets $0.99

 

Lysol Wipes, 35 ct $1.99
Use $0.50/2 – Lysol Disinfecting or Dual Action Wipes – (lysol.com)
Submit Buy Two Lysol Products, Get One Lysol Wipes Free Mail-In Rebate from SS 7/22 (exp 10/31)
$1.16 each, when you buy 3

 

Wexford Mechanical Pencils, 30 ct, Composition Book, 80 sheets, 1-Subject Notebook, 60 or 70 sheets, Filler Paper, 280 sheets, Gel Pens, 10 ct
Buy One Get One 50% Off

 

Wexford or Splash 2-Pocket Poly Portfolio $0.99

 

Wexford 2-Pocket Paper Folder $0.20 each when you buy 5

CVS: Deals for the Week of September 2-8, 2012

CVS Logo

 

Here are the best CVS deals for the week of September 2-8, 2012!

 

Buy 1 Gillette Shave (Online price is $2.19), Get $2 ECBs (Limit 1) 
Use $1/1 coupon from the 8/26 P&G insert
Or use $0.55/1 coupon from the 7/22 RedPlum insert
As low as $0.19 after coupon and ECBs!

 

Nature Made Vitamins (prices start at $4.49) – On Sale Buy One Get One Free
Use $2/1 printable 
$0.24 after coupons

 

Buy 1 Colgate Optic White Toothpaste at $2.99, Get $1 ECB (Limit 2)
Use $1/1 coupon from the 8/12 or 8/26 SmartSource insert
Or use $0.75/1 printable
As low as $0.99 after coupon and ECBs

 

Spend $12 on Scrubbing Bubbles, Fantastic, or Windex, Get $4 ECBs (Limit 1)

*Deal Scenario*
Buy 4 Scrubbing Bubbles or Windex (Online prices are $3.69-$3.99)
Use 4 $1/1 coupon from the 8/26 or 7/29 SmartSource insert
Pay $10.76 out of pocket, Get $4 ECBs
As low as $1.69 after coupons and ECBs

 

Buy 1 Schick Hydro Silk, Hydro 3, Hydro 5 or Hydro 5 Power Razor (Online prices start at $9.99), Get $4 ECBs (Limit 1) 
Use $4/1 coupon from the 8/19 SmartSource insert
Or use $2/1 coupon from the 8/5 RedPlum insert
As low as $1.99 after coupon and ECBs

 

Buy 1 Quilted Northern Bathroom Tissue $6.99, Get $1 ECB (Limit 4)
Use $1/1 printable
$4.99 after coupon and ECB

 

Huggies Jumbo Pack – $8.97
Use $1.50/1 coupon from the 8/12 SmartSource insert
$7.47 after coupon

Walgreens: Deals for the Week of September 2-8, 2012

walgreens logo

 

Here are the best Walgreens deals for the week of September 2-8, 2012!

 

Buy 2 Dental Care Products at $3, Get $3 Register Rewards
Oral B Complete Toothbrush, Scope Dual Blast or Outlast Mouthwash, Crest Toothpaste
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 8/26 P&G insert
Or use $1.50/1 coupon from the 8/26 P&G insert
Free after coupon and Register Rewards!

 

Buy 1 Alteril Sleep Aid at $4.99, Get $5 Register Rewards
Free after Register Rewards!

 

Buy 2 Mitchum or Lady Mitchum at $3, Get $4 Register Rewards
Use $1/1 printable 
Or use $0.75/1 coupon from the 8/19 SmartSource insert
As low as free after coupon and Register Rewards!

 

Power Bar or Zone Perfect Bar – $0.99
Buy 5 and use $1/5 printable 
Or use $0.55/1 coupon from the 8/2 SmartSource insert
As low as $0.45 each after coupon

 

Buy 1 Crest Pro Health Mouthwash, Pro Health Clinical Rinse at $3.99, Get $3 Register Rewards
Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 8/26 P&G insert
$0.49 after coupon and Register Rewards

 

Buy 2 Aussie or Herbal Essence Hair Care at $3, Get $2 Register Rewards
Use $3/2 coupon from the 8/5 RedPlum insert
$0.50 each after coupon and Register Rewards

 

Buy 3 Chex Mix, Gardetto’s or Bugles at $1, Get $1 Register Rewards
Use $0.50/2 coupon from the 8/5 General Mills insert
$0.50 each after coupon and Register Rewards

 

Bush’s Baked Beans – $1.25
Buy 2 and use $1/2 printable 
$0.75 each after coupon

 

Hormel Compleats Meals – $1.99
Use $1/1 printable or coupon from the 8/19 SmartSource insert
$0.99 after coupon

 

Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color – $5.99 with in-ad coupon
Use $3/1 coupon from the 8/12 SmartSource insert
$2.99 after coupons

 

Biore and Jergens Products – $5.99
Buy 2 and use Buy One Get One Free coupon from the 8/12 SmartSource insert
$3 each after coupon

Rite Aid: Deals for the Week of September 2-8, 2012

Rite Aid

 

Here are the best Rite Aid deals for the week of September 2-8, 2012!

 

Renu Fresh or Renu Sensitive Multi-Purpose Solution – $8.99
Get $7 UPR
Use $2/1 printable
Free plus overage after coupons & UPR!

 

Sunsweet Plum Smart Juice, 40 oz Prune Juice, 64 oz or Prunes, 16 oz – $2.99
Buy 1, Receive $2.00 +Up Reward, Limit 3
Use $1.00/1 – Sunsweet PlumSmart or PlumSmart Light – (facebook.com)
Or $0.75/1 – Sunsweet PlumSmart or PlumSmart Light – (sunsweet.com)
Or $0.75/1 – Sunsweet PlumSmart or PlumSmart Light – (coupons.smartsource.com)
Or $0.75/1 – Sunsweet Dried Fruit – (coupons.smartsource.com)
Or $0.75/1 – Sunsweet Juicers, 64 oz – (smartsource.com)
Or $0.75/1 – Sunsweet Prune Juice – (sunsweet.com)
Or $0.55/1 – Sunsweet Product – (facebook.com)
Or $0.55/1 – Sunsweet Dried Fruit – (sunsweet.com)
As low as free plus $0.01 overage after coupons & UPR!

 

Samy Fat Foam Hair Color – $9.99
Use $5/1 in-ad coupon
Use $5/1 printable
Free after coupons!

 

Sani-Hands Hand Sanitizing Wipes, 50 ct – $2.99
Pay $2.99, Submit $2.99 Single Check Rebate
Free after SCR!

 

Colgate Total Advance or Total Toothpaste, or Manual Toothbrush Max – $2.99
Use $2 in-ad coupon
Use $1/1 coupon from the 8/26 SmartSource insert
Free after coupons!

Honest Tea – $1.25
Buy 4 – Get $2 UPR
Use 2 $1.25/2 printable
$0.13 each after coupons and UPR!

 

ACT Anticavity Kids Fluoride Rinse – $4.99
Use $2 in-ad coupon
Use $1/1 printable
Or use $2/1 coupon from the 8/19 SmartSource insert
As low as $0.99 after coupons


Free ebook: Back to Beauty

Back to Beauty

 

Right now you can download a free copy of Back to Beauty: 57 Natural Beauty Recipes for Flawless Skin and Radiant Glow.  The price is originally $7.99.  Be sure and double check the price is still $0.00 before you head to check out.  Enjoy!

Sleep Number Delivery and Review

We recently got the exciting opportunity to review a M9 bed from Sleep Number.  We’ve been using it for two weeks now and are ready to report in!  You can read about my Sleep Number store experience and finding my Sleep Number here.

 

We went to the Sleep Number store to find our perfect number and then we anxiously waited for the delivery of our Sleep Number M9 bed.  The delivery was scheduled with a four hour window and the team arrived on the very early side of that.  The delivery team was top notch.  They were very professional and had the installation down to an art.  You can assemble the bed yourself and the directions look like they are very well done.  It would have taken us a lot longer to do ourselves but it is definitely doable.  The biggest problem we had was actually the removal of our old bed (which is free with the purchase of the installation fee).  This pointed out another huge advantage of a Sleep Number bed.  You can put one of any size you want in any room of your house.  With our house design you can just barely get a queen sized box mattress around the corner going up our stairway.  The Sleep Number bed comes in pieces that are assembled in the bedroom so you are only limited by the size of the room itself and not by the route through the house.  We couldn’t fit a king sized bed in our bedroom comfortably but if we wanted to give up that space we would not have been limited by the corner of the stairwell as we would be with other beds so this is something to consider when deciding on a bed and this is another unique advantage to Sleep Number.  After the setup the delivery team did a very thorough explanation of how to use the remotes and care for the bed.  They left no mess and did a great job.

 

Sleep Number Frame 2

They assembled the frame in our room.

 

Sleep Number Assembly

Then comes the cover.

 

Sleep Number Foam Assembly
Foam layer.
Sleep Number M9 Foam Walls
A cover for the foam.
Sleep Number Air Chamber Assembly
Two separate air chambers with a lot of individual air chambers inside.  Very nice!!

 

Sleep Number M9 Memory Foam

5 inches of memory foam on top!  : )  My favorite!

Sleep Number Delivery

Knowledgeable delivery men explaining all the details of assembly in case we decide to move one day.

 

 

Sleep Number in Bedroom

Here’s our new, completed Sleep Number bed!!!

 

Honeymoon Matress

Here’s a picture of our old mattress.

 

The next step was sleeping!  Our old spring mattress was 11 years old (about the life of a spring mattress) and it was what we used to call a “honeymoon bed” 🙂 because it had developed a big dip in the middle  that always brought us together.  As delightful as this forced cuddling was it also had the adverse effect of putting a tremendous amount of pressure on our back and hips.  Just like the deflated pressure map test in the store, once the springs started to give over the years there was not enough support to take off that pressure and the result was some back pain.  Neither of us had bad backs but we would still wake up aching every morning for the past few years.  Admittedly just about any bed would have been more comfortable in contrast to this but the M9 was so much better.  No back pain in the morning and less tossing and turning meant more uninterrupted sleep.  My husband usually gets really hot at night and was worried since he heard that memory foam slept hot.  He noticed no big difference in spite of the LuxFit™ foam so the temperature balancing sleep surface seems to have worked in that area.  We have both tweaked our number in the two weeks since we’ve been using it.  I dropped down from a 35 to a softer 30.  My husband tested his sleep number on his back and was a 50 but he sleeps on his side and needed a little more firmness for that so he’s now a 50.  Once you hone in on your sleep number the bed is quite comfortable.

 

Sleep Number Remote

The easy to use Sleep Number remote.

 

The memory foam element to the M9 bed is so unbelievably nice.  I had heard rumors that some memory foam will leave you hot but that hasn’t been the case for us.  The M9 includes 5 inches of CoolFit™ foam with gel technology that keeps the surface cool. It’s also suppose to make it more breathable.  We’ve had no issues with the bed feeling warm and we’re trying it out in the summer {a hot sticky NC summer!}.

 

In addition to the memory foam on the M9, you also get the exclusive Sleep Number DualAir™ technology which lets you adjust firmness on each side of the mattress. This DualAir technology element has made it possible for both my husband and I to pick our perfect of softness or firmness. We’re actually on different sides of the firmness scale so I’m glad we found the Sleep Number brand or we may have never decided on a bed.  My Sleep Number is a 30 and my husband is 50.  I was amazed at how quiet the whole thing is when adjusting itself even with people laying in it.

 

All in all, from the sales to the service to the M9 bed itself we are very impressed with the Sleep Number company.  And looking forward to the future, we’ll also note that where a traditional spring mattress lasts about 10 years, a Sleep Number bed offers a 20-year limited warranty.  This is something you should consider when you are pricing mattresses.  There are no springs to give in over time and develop the “honeymoon dip” so you’ll just have to take the initiative to cuddle on your own.  They also offer a 30-night in-home trial, on the M9 and most other models, to make sure you find it comfortable.  You’ll still have to pay for shipping and return shipping but will be reimbursed for the cost of the bed itself.

 

In summary we love our M9 from Sleep Number for many reasons:
-Individualized comfort.  We can pick our own sleep number for each side of the bed.
-We can change our sleep number as our bodies change (from aging, pregnancy, etc.).
-There are no springs to weaken over time.
-If we move we don’t have to worry about fitting it into any room of the house.
-We won’t have to buy another bed until our kids are grown.
-5 inches of LuxFit™ foam to sink into every night!
-Select Comfort is an American company that stands behind its product.

Shopping for a Better Mattress for a Better Night’s Sleep!

My family was excited with the opportunity to review a M9 bed from Sleep Number.  Like all beds from Sleep Number, the M9 is built around the Sleep Number DualAir technology that allows you to quietly adjust firmness on each side of the mattress with a wireless remote (the M9 comes with 2 wireless remotes), so you both enjoy ideal comfort.  Added to that the M9 features 5-inches of LuxFit™ foam that softly cushions pressure points and features a breathable air-flow design.  One complaint many people have with memory foam is that it “sleeps hot” but the M9 LuxFit™ foam is topped with a temperature balancing sleep surface designed to absorb excess heat that can disrupt sleep.

 

Sleep Number Store

 

Now with the technical information out of the way we’ll get on to our experience.  Any Sleep Number experience begins at the Sleep Number store.  Ours is located at our local mall so we loaded up the baby and headed out.  We were met there by the friendly manager C.J. who suggested we start off by determining our individual sleep numbers.  Sleep numbers range from 0 (deflated) to 100 (completely full of air).

 

Sleep Number Ashley

Finding my Sleep Number

 

Sleep Number Fit

The top pictures is the regular pressure of my husband’s body.
The bottom picture shows the alleviated pressure with his perfect Sleep Number.

 

The store has a special bed set up with IndividualFitSM 3-D Imaging that creates a pressure map of your body that is then displayed on a big screen at the foot of the bed. C.J. began by taking the air out of the chamber and showing us what the pressure map looked like.  At the low pressure setting we could see there was quite a bit of pressure on our hips.  C.J. then began adding air until we felt the pressure relieved from our hips and then we compared the pressure images so we could see the pressure on the hips eliminated when the chamber was inflated to our Sleep Number.

 

As a quick aside, My husband’s sleep number was 55 and mine was 30.  You can really tell a big difference between the two numbers as well!  This is probably the number one reason (for us) to choose a Sleep Number bed over another.  Two people will not typically have the same level of comfort on one firmness setting on any bed and, as C.J. pointed out, over the lifespan of a bed even an individual’s body can change substantially enough to warrant a different level of firmness to be comfortable over the years.  After finding our sleep numbers C.J. took us to the M9 and helped us pick the right pillow for the bed and for the way we sleep.

 

Sleep Number Slumber

 

I sleep on my stomach primarily so I got matched up with a thin feather pillow and my husband is a side sleeper so he was matched with a memory foam pillow.  The staff were friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable about their products.

 

Sleep Number Baby on Pillow

She sleeps on her tummy too!

 

 

Sleep Number Family

We were comfortable and felt right at home.

 

 

Sleep Number Check Out

 

C.J., the salesman, was amazing, he really deserves a raise!  We went in not looking to buy anything {because we were provided the bed from Sleep Number} and to be honest we were kind of in a hurry because I had a cake to finish and deliver in a few hours.  He made us feel so relaxed!  We took our time, I completely forgot about the cake, he talked my husband into buying me some amazing sheets (bless him!), and we walked out of there spending almost $400 we had no intention of spending.  A good salesman makes you want to buy things and salesmen like that are rare these days.  Don’t get me wrong, I felt no pressure to buy anything at all!  He simply found products that fit my life and showed them to me.


Sleep Number Sheets

My little girl loved the sheets as much as I did!

I enjoyed my experience in the Sleep Number store and I can’t wait to review the bed in my own home!  Update: You can now read my full Sleep Number review.