Travel Essentials Giveaway Ends 7/22

Tammilees Tips Giveaway

 

I’m  excited to be working with Promotionalcodes.com and Tammilee Tips to bring you this great Travel Essentials Giveaway!

 

Promotionalcodes.com knows that vacations can be costly and they are trying to reduce costs by offering thousands of online promotional codes.  To make your travels a little easier Promotionalcodes.com is going to give 1 lucky winner a great Travel Essential Prize Pack!

 

Enter to win:

-Vera Bradley Travel Duffel Bag ($85 value)

-Travel Jewelry Case ($30 Value)

-Philosophy Travel Luxury Bundle ($35 value)

And a few surprise bonuses!

 

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  This giveaway ends July 22, 2012 at 9:01 pm PST.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Shell Spin to Win Instant Win Game! Win Free Gas!

Shell Spin to Win

 

 

Shell has an awesome instant win game: Spin to Win game where you can win FREE gas!

 

Here are the prizes:

  • Grand Prizes: Free fuel for a year
  • First Prizes: A free fill-up
  • Discounts: Cents per gallon savings (up to 0.25/gallon!)

Here’s a little Spin to Win secret.  You can keep clicking the refresh {F5} until you get the spin you want.  I got $0.25 off a gallon!

 

Once you lock in your savings and register you’ll then get a unique link.  Keep that link, it’s yours!  Then share that link with everyone you know!  Share it on Facebook, Twitter, email it to people.  You’ll get a savings of $0.05 off a gallon for every person that signs up under you.

 

Are you convinced yet?  I hope so!  Start spinning now to save!

 

Disclosure: Yes, this post contains my referral link. : )

Thanks, Front Page Freebies, for sharing your link with me!

iPad Giveaway Ends August 1, 2012!

ipad3

Brand new iPad Giveaway!

 

I am overflowing with excitement!  When you sign up for Unsubscriber for Gmail you’ll be entered to win a new iPad!  If you’ve been wanting a revolutionary new iPad for your very own, now’s your chance.  Just sign up for Unsubscriber for Gmail to enter.  If you don’t have a Gmail account already I highly recommend it.  It’s incredibly functional!  They’ll announce the winner on August 1st. While you wait for the big announcement, you’ll get to enjoy the benefits of Unsubscriber.  It boasts of being the simplest way to stop emails you don’t want.  I’ve been playing around with it for a while this morning and I couldn’t be happier!  Sign up for Unsubscriber today!

 

I can’t tell you which I’m more excited about, a chance to win a new iPad or a way to clear out my very full inbox!

Reduce Odors with Filtrete Air Filters

Filtrete Odor Reduction Filter

For years I have battled with allergies.  Some places I’ve lived have made it easier to deal with than others but unfortunately living in this part of North Carolina has me continually struggling.  I try my best to keep the floors vacuumed, surfaces dusted, sheets changed, windows shut, and air filters up to date.  I’m a huge fan of Filtrete air filters for a little allergy relief but now they have a new Odor Reduction Filter!  A filter that blocks dust, and pollen, and ickiness is great on it’s own but now it helps minimize obnoxious odors!  I’m in love!

 

Healthy living expert and author Lisa Beres has shared tips with us on how to naturally remove odors from the home and I hope you find them helpful.  I know I have!

 

Lisa’s tips include:

  • Clean the fridge drawers and shelves by adding a few drops of natural dish soap to a bowl of baking soda and stir until it creates a thick paste.  This will remove odors as well as stains left behind from food.
  • To rid towels of the mildew smell, first wash them once in hot water with a cup or two of white vinegar. Then wash them again with a natural or eco-friendly laundry detergent. Finally, dry the towels in the dryer on high heat.
  • Reduce the unpleasant smell of pet dander by bathing and grooming your pet weekly.
  • Pesky ants and other insects can make their way into your kitchen but instead of using harsh toxins, set a line of coffee
    grinds, lemon juice, cinnamon or cayenne pepper around doors and windows to create an effective barrier they won’t cross.  {I need to try this!}

 

Filter Benefits:

  • 65 times more effective than other carbon filters at removing odors, such as those from cooking, tobacco smoke, pets, mildew and cleaning chemicals. {65% is HUGE!}
  • Starts to remove even the strongest odors in minutes, after the furnace fan is turned on.
  • Captures large airborne allergens such as household dust, pollen, mold spores and dust mite debris.
  • Captures microscopic particles such as smoke, pet dander and smog.
  • Last up to three months for odor removal and particle capture for air passing through the filter.

These Odor Reduction Filters have a suggested retail price of $15.99 which isn’t much more than a regular filter!  They can be found at your local hardware, home center, grocery store, or they can be purchased online.

 

I LOVE this!  Filtrete has an eNewsletter that will email you when it’s time to change your filter!  I’m actually going to sign up for that right now because we’re always a month late.  They’ll also email you clever tips and money-saving coupons.  You can also follow @Filtrete on Twitter and like Filtrete on Facebook to stay up to date on their latest products and promotions.

 

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Filtrete and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Free 0% APR Loan for 15 Months!

Discover

Discover card is offering 0% APR for 15 months!

Here’s my tip of the day:  If you must use a credit card, Discover More Card is one of the best.  Take advantage of it’s 0% APR offers and 5% cash back but never go over the 15 month limit!  It’s just not worth it!

Amazon.com Baby & Household Deals

Pampers SoftCare Wipes

 

Right now on Amazon.com you can stock up on a few household items for cheap!  These prices may not be rock bottom meaning that you might be able to beat it when combining a sale with a coupon but they’re good prices if you’re in need of these items quickly or you live in an area where stores and sales are limited.

 

Pampers SoftCare Unscented Wipes: Pampers SoftCare Unscented Wipes are back on sale for $0.02/wipe.  They are on sale for $18.49 and you can save 20% with Amazon Mom or 5$ with Subscribe & Save.  These are our favorite wipes and this is the around the target price I try to get.  For more information on how I set my price list see my post, Stock Up Price List.

 

GoGoSqueez: Order GoGo SqueeZ Pouches in AppleCinnamon, ApplePeach or AppleBanana (48 ct.) for as low $24.17, or $0.50 each. Our family loves these for on-the-go snacking!

 

Earth’s Best: Pick up a 12-count Earth’s Best 2nd Fruits Variety Pack for $6.60 (or $7.76 without Subscribe & Save).

 

Q-tips Swabs: Stock up on three big boxes of Q-tips Swabs.  You can get 1875 swabs for only $9.99 ($9.49 with Subscribe & Save).  This is cheaper than our big box store’s prices.

 

Sequence Game: Sequence is one of our family’s favorite games and you can get a great deal on it now at just $14.99!

ColdwaterCreek.com: Stone Bracelet Only $3.99 Shipped (Reg. $24.95!) & More!

I love the style of ColdwaterCreek.com but I don’t always love their prices.  If you feel the same way you’ll probably be excited to take a peek at their clearance section!  I found quite a few goodies for myself.  Below are the items that I snagged but go head and browse their outlet section for yourself!  When you use the coupon code WFH7313 you’ll get Free shipping with no minimum order!  Don’t forget to shop through Ebates for 2% cash back!

 

Stone bracelet

Stone bracelet for only $3.99 (regularly $24.95!)

 

 

Mesh Top

Crossover Print Mesh Top for only $19.99 (regularly $69.95)

 

ColdWaterCreek Shirt

Vine Print Sheer Shell for only $19.99 (regularly $74.95)

Choosing the Best Vacation

Beautiful vacation spot

 

If you ever decide to go on vacation you’re left facing a number of difficult choices. Making the right ones should mean that your break will be an enjoyable, but what are those decisions, and what do you have to think about before booking a vacation? Before you think about deciding to book a luxury cottage with cumbrian-cottages.co.uk, or a laid back TN Bed & Breakfast, here is what you need to ask yourself in order to choose the best vacation for your family:

 

  • Work out where you want to go. If you have a clear idea of your ideal destination, then you should do all you can to seek the right accommodation. Also, the destination should have what you and anyone else, who’s coming with you, likes to do.  For example, if you’re travelling with kids and you all enjoy walking, you should visit somewhere like the Lake District with its many walking routes.  If not all of your family can swim a trip to a water park might not be too enjoyable.  Just think about what relaxing activity your entire family would enjoy.
  • Know what you can afford. You should try to find a vacation that fits easily within your budget. In doing so, you’ll have enough money left over to spend on things like food, travel and souvenirs.  Personally I have to avoid souvenir shops because I get sucked in and want to buy every t-shirt and key chain they’ve got but that’s another story.  If you don’t have enough money in your budget to go to a big resort this year scale back to a smaller vacation spot or save up for next year.  Don’t use a credit card to fund your vacation!
  • Is the accommodation suitable? You should get accommodation that’s big enough for you and everyone else who’s coming with you. Staying somewhere that’s too big or too small could ruin your vacation.  This usually isn’t a problem unless you have a very large family or you’re vacationing with another family.

 

Aside from choosing a vacation which suits your needs and tastes, you should also be wary of a number of things before making a final decision. These include any extra costs you have to pay for.  For instance,  parking and internet access, local facilities, and transportation.  You may also want to take note if a destination is family-friendly, pet-friendly or if they have wheelchair access. Also, if you’re heading to the beach you may want to avoid special weeks like Senior Week and Biker Week.  Once you know all of that, you’re ready to pick a place and hunt for the best deal!

Magic Mike Who?

Magic Mike Who

 

I stumbled across a post today and I absolutely loved it.  Actually, my husband found it and showed it to me.  Mrs. Gore writes about true masculinity and I think she hit the nail on the head.  She wrote it in response to the new movie, Magic Mike.  I hadn’t heard of this movie until now but apparently it’s a movie about a male strip club. IMDB‘s description of it says, “A male stripper teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money.”  Umm yea.

 

Please, if you have the time take a few minutes and read this post from Mrs. Gore’s Diary called Magic Mike Who?  I think you’ll like it!  Feel free to come back and share your thoughts.

 

On a related topic, you may be interested in reading Why I’m Not Reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

Big Honkin’ Summer Fun at Target

Big Honkin Summer logo

 

Target is the destination for everything families need to make the most of summer and to prove it Target sent a few bloggers a “Big Honkin’ Summer” kit to review.  Target has items to keep your family occupied whether you are traveling to the beach, mountains, or having a staycation.  Target has all the essentials for you to make the most of your summer.  If you’ve been in a Target store recently, you may have noticed the giant beach balls, sunglasses, and sand buckets that lead you directly to their brightly colored summer merchandise.

 

Here are the items that I received to review and check out Target’s kid catalog where you can find all of these products and more for summer:

 

  • Kid Made Modern Printed Tape Set – $6.99
  • Kid Made Modern Board Book Kit  – $14.99
  • Toy Golf Club with Ball Set – $2.99
  • Giant Badminton Set – $7.99
  • Lemonade Stand Banner – $2.00
  • Lemonade Stand Money Box – $3.00
  • Lemonade Stand Sign – $4.00
  • Lemonade Stand Juice Container – $6.00
  • Lemonade Stand Ice Bucket – $6.00
Lemonade Party Collage

We fired up the grill, gathered about ten different couples and their kids and we had a big honkin’ pink lemonade party!  The Giant Badminton set was my personal favorite as it reminded me of playing in the yard as a kid.  The Kid Made Modern Board Book Kit & Kid Made Modern Printed Tape set are adorable and could keep kids busy for quite a while.  The Toy Golf Club with Ball Set was probably a favorite with the kids.  Even when they weren’t “playing”  you could always see one kid carrying it around.
Lemonade Party Collage 2
The Lemonade Stand Banner, Money Box, Sign, Juice Container, & Ice Bucket were all used at the party and will probably be used over and over again for summers to come.  I was surprised how well each piece was made for being so inexpensive.  We colored the lemons on the banner and the sign with a pink Sharpie to make them look like pink lemonade.  I can’t help it, I’m girly!  : )
Lemonade Party Collage 3
Summer is my favorite season and it always seems to go by so fast.  Sometimes I honestly can’t believe how fast time flies!  Can you believe my little girl just had her first birthday?  {She’s the one above in yellow}  In hopes that summer won’t pass me by so quickly this year I’m trying to slow down and make the most of every moment.  Our family has a few weekend trips planned but for the most part we’re staying home and enjoying homemade ice cream, watching fireflies, playing in the yard, grilling out, taking walks in the evening and well, just spending time together.  Target makes it easy to have a Big Honkin’ Summer without leaving town.

 

 

Target Summerizer App

 

Target has a fun Facebook app called “Summer-zier” that allows you to add large “Big Honkin’ Summer” icons to your favorite photos.  You have the option to share them online with your friends and you could even to order prints at your local Target Photo Center.

 

To learn more about Target’s Big Honkin’ Summer you can find more information at Target.com or follow Target on Facebook.

 

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Target and received products to facilitate my review and thank me for taking the time to participate.”