Carmex Healing Lotions and Creams Just in Time for Winter! [Giveaway]

The winter is cruel to our lips and skin. Even living in the deep South, during the winter, there are several times a day where you will find me apply any combination of lip balm, lotions, or some type of moisturizing products to my hands, arms, elbows, ankles (if they are accessible), lips, and face. I have no idea what I would do if I lived somewhere that actually got cold!

But some of you do and you need more protection than I do. Carmex knows how you feel and they are here to help!



Carmex, known for their awesome lip balms, also has a fantastic line of skin care products that includes Healing creams and lotions. These products not only replenish the moisture that the cold and wind have removed, but act to heal the damage caused by the elements during this vicious time of the year. Healing from wind burn and chapped and dry skin is hard to come by usually, but Carmex declares that we no longer need to wait for our skin to heal itself. They are here to help!

Since it isn't exactly winter around these parts yet (although it has gotten chilly several nights this fall already), we decided to test the healing creams and lotions on our "tough" areas of skin - you know, ankles, elbows, etc.  And for the ultimate test, we tested the healing cream on Chip's funky toes. Now, I will start by saying that we don't call them funky because they smell - because they don't - but rather because they seem to acquire an extra layer of skin for no apparent reason. Yep - he has callused toes although he does not do anything in particular to earn them. It's strange. It's just not normal. And it is the perfect opportunity to try out these products.

So we started a regimen of treating Chip's toes with the Carmex Healing Cream that we were sent for review. After one day, you could feel a slight difference. After three days, they were no longer "scaly."  After 5 days, you couldn't tell there was anything abnormal about the skin on toes.

I would show you pictures, but I don't want to do that to him or to you. =)

Take my word for it though - it works!

So we will be using the Carmex Healing Lotion, Carmex Healing Cream, Travel size Carmex Healing Lotion, and Travel size Carmex Healing Cream that we were sent by Carmex this winter to heal our aching skin as well as prevent further burns.

And you'll get that chance now too!



Carmex wants to offer one of my readers the chance to win the same prize pack that I was sent for review to soothe your winter woes.  And with Christmas coming up, these would make for some great stocking stuffers!

If you are not selected to win, know that you can currently find it in your local CVS and Walgreens, and you'll soon be seeing it in all of these retailers as well!  So you don't have to miss out just because you don't win this giveaway!  But let's not think about that right now...let's go enter this thing!

Click "read more" below to enter via Rafflecopter.

Aloette Skin Care - Review and Giveaway US/CAN

I love some pampering and love to discover new products to make me feel like I'm giving myself a little gift each time I use it. I discovered some products like that about 7 years ago and now I'm getting the chance to not only share them with you but to offer you the chance to try them yourself!  I can't wait for this one!

Many years ago I was invited to an in-home party for a company of skin care and cosmetic items called Aloette. Honestly, I had never heard of them, but wanted to go for the socialization and to help out the hostess of the party, who was a friend (and who is now my sister-in-law although at the time we never had an inkling that would be the case!). I digress....

So I went expecting to learn a little about this company and to pick up a few items for myself. What I didn't expect was to be wowed by how impressively this stuff worked when the demonstrator used it on the back of my hand. My hand received it's own mini-"facial" and I was automatically sold and convinced to buy the full line of skin care products. I stayed away from the cosmetics at the time because I knew I was already going to have to explain all of the items I would be receiving!  =)

The skin care system by Aloette convinced me to have a regular skin regimen. Before that time, I liked to use products, but was not really committed to making it a nightly routine. I did it more when I wanted to feel a little special or if I felt I had the time. These products made me WANT to use them because I felt so good when I did use them. I was so convinced that I even convinced Chip to let me give him a facial on several occasions just to prove to him how incredible this stuff was!

A little about Aloette - it "is one of America’s leading direct sales beauty companies, specializing in scientifically advanced skin care and makeup with good-for-your-skin ingredients. For over 30 years, Aloette has empowered women with superior products, a network of dedicated beauty consultants and a business opportunity for personal success."  With aloe as the #1 ingredient in ALL of their products, you know that your skin will come away feeling refreshing and alive. Each and every item you get from Aloette nourishes your skin and leaves you feeling your skin breathing and alive. I know...that sounds terribly like some cliche for skin care products, but this feeling is REAL, people! It's why I created a beauty regime when I previously did not have one!

And when you buy from Aloette, not only are you helping a hostess earn products that she desperately loves, but you are helping a consultant make her dreams come true by working "for herself." 

I have been a consultant in direct sales in the past (although not with any beauty products) and it provided an incredible chance to earn extra money for our family. It was our "fun" money when our bills absorbed every other penny we made. We were able to eat out and buy things that we otherwise would not have enjoyed without that side income. Many women use it as an opportunity to quit their "9 to 5" job and stay at home with their children. Many women are using it to support their families full time. Many women are helping out in a struggling economy when their husbands' jobs are not as secure (or even as existent) as they previously were. Some women do it to enjoy the socialization, provide products they believe in, and just have a little "me time." 

Whatever the reason the consultants do it, by purchasing these products, not only are you getting superior products, but you are supporting someone's dream. And you can't beat that.







For this blog post, Aloette, sent me three of their AloePure products: their Gentle Foaming Cleanser, Restorative Enzyme Peel, and Skin Refining Toner. I am loving these products just as much today as I did the first night I discovered them 7 year ago. And Aloette and I would like for you to enjoy them as well!

Aloette wants one of my readers to receive the same items I did (a $72 value) to discovered the pure bliss experienced when using Aloette.  Just click "Read more" below and enter via Rafflecopter.

Animal Jam by National Geographic - Review and Giveaway WW

Our 6-year old son is a science and nature fanatic. Let me clarify that statement a bit - he doesn't much like to get nature ON him, but he likes to learn about life and natural sciences a lot. His favorites shows always focus around animals and the like. That's why when I was approached to review a game sponsored by National Geographic, I knew that we had to let him check it out.

Now, we don't let Patrick have a lot of screen time for games and whatnot, but when we do let him on the computer, we like to make sure that the games he plays are teaching him not just have to manipulate the gaming functions of the computer, but something that he can take with him as real knowledge. Animal Jam is one of those sites that we love and will continue to let him play on.



Animal Jam is a game for children ages 5-11 where children get to learn trivia and facts about animals and nature through games, challenges, and multimedia clips.  They get to create an avatar based on their favorite animal and embark on a journey through the fictitious land of Jamaa. By playing games they earn money and gems with which they can "purchase" items for their avatars, creating various looks and outfits to sport around in.  Here is Patrick's current avatar:

Patrick's avatar - name removed for privacy

Those items to the left are the items he owns that his tiger can wear. As you can tell, he can customize his tiger so much that it doesn't even resemble a tiger much at this point. There are times where he spends more time changing his avatar than he does playing games. If that translates in adolescence, we might have issues with getting him out from in front of a mirror in the mornings.

Parents can rest assure that we have full parental control on what Patrick is allowed to do on this site.  We can set his chat and access settings from our own account, which he cannot access, so we have assurance that he is not doing anything we do not allow. Additionally, the site is 100% advertisement free, so you don't have to worry about ads influencing your children while they are playing on this site. And lastly, the site is monitored 24 hours a day by technology and professionals who maintain safe practices and good conduct among the players.

That being said, when kids are having fun on this site, they are purely having fun. You can feel confident that there is nothing on the site that will compromise your family's teachings or practices. That's is definitely something I am looking for in a website.

Animal Jam is free to register for, so your kids can jump on board right now and play along! Stand over their shoulder and make sure you like what's going on there, but I promise you, you will not be disappointed!

BUT - in addition to the free registration access, you can pay for a membership that will allow additional benefits like multiple avatars for each player, access to more accessories in the shopping area, and the chance to win more gems while playing!

And National Geographic's Animal Jam would like to offer TEN of my readers the chance to receive a 1-month paid membership to the site.  After that month, you will have the option (no obligation or tricks involved) to continue the paid membership, or to resort to the standard free membership, and continue playing along! The site is awesome, why wouldn't you want a few bonus items for a month? Additionally, a portion of the proceeds earned from the memberships goes to help National Geographic's Big Cats Initiative.

Click "Read more" below to enter via Rafflecopter.

Weekend Round-Up #105

Here is it, the weekend that many will be celebrating that "holiday" full of candy, masks, begging, and sugar. Hooray for Halloween!

Seriously...I hope you have a safe and happy weekend. If you are trick or treating this weekend, have fun. If the door to door travel doesn't happen in your neighborhood/city until Monday, well, um... watch football.

Yeah...football.

Here is some reading for you:

FINANCIAL:

• 3 Hidden Dangers of Refinancing Your Mortgage by David Ning at Wisebread is a great list to consider if you are thinking of refinancing. Don't get into more debt trying to save money.
• How Financial Loss Can Be a Blessing at Money Help for Christians is basically a true story about our lives.
• 25 Ways to Entertain Your Child for Free or Cheap by Jason Topp at Wisebread is a list to keep handy!
• Are Your Actions Setting Up Your Children for a Lifetime of Debt? at Enemy of Debt forces us to take a good look at what we are teaching our children.

FAMILY/LIFE:

• 2-week-old baby girl saved from under earthquake rubble in Turkey at 22 Words is moving. Not a dry eye in the house.
• Creepy Eyeball Cookies at The Sweet Adventurs of Sugarbelle are fantastic and perfect for this weekend!
• Top 6 Tips for Having a HORRIBLE Halloween Experience! Avoid These Miserable Mishaps! at Mommy Living the Life of Riley is full of great tips for this weekend.
• Strawberry Cream Cheesecake Muffins Recipe! at Mom Spotted was shown on yesterday's post, but is so worth showing again here!
• How to Pick Toys with Staying Power [and Avoid the Duds] at Baby Cheapskate is timed perfectly as we all start (or finish?) our holiday shopping!

FAITH:

• Raising Strong Kids at We Are THAT Family is powerful stuff.  I teared up and smiled for Kristen as I read. I hope to be heartbroken for my children for the same reason.

FUN:

• If Obi-Wan Kenobi were a little bit more honest… at 22 Words cracked me up.  Let the geek in you enjoy it as well.  
• 7 Things I’ve Learned at My Kids’ Soccer Games by Bryan Allain put a big smile on my face.

Photo credit: ehpien

Friday Faves - Pinterest 10/28

So I'm going to show you more of my finds on Pinterest.  If you see what you like, come join me and follow along.  If you don't, then jump on board with Pinterest and pin what you do like. =)

Sorry for so many...I would say that I can't pick favorites, but that isn't true. These ARE my favorites (which is why I pinned them all). 

So now, appearing in the order that blogger put them in (because I was too lazy to change it), here are some of my pins for the week.

Baked Blueberry Muffins!

Blue Velvet Cake with Blueberries and Cream Cheese Frosting

Fairy Tales - by C.S. Lewis

I so agree!

Even if I'm not girly - I LOVE this coat!

Mommy Mittens - how cute!

God IS Love



This is so true!




Glad I'm not the only one tired of them.




Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins



The nerd in me about spit out my drink.



Made from wreckage from Tuscaloosa tornado




Bundt cake + Bundt cake = pumpkin.  BRILLIANT!

 Link to some of your favorites from the week in the comments.  Or better yet, come follow me and let me follow you back!

What Lending Club did for Our Timeshare Loan - Our True Story

Featured in this weeks Carnival of Personal Finance!

In September we made a leap and took out a Lending Club loan to replace our timeshare financing. I wanted to give you the details of this deal. And see, I'm a numbers kind of gal. I'm logical to a fault and numbers just make sense to me. So although this post might be a bit tedious to read for some, it sheds a lot of light on the subject of debt to me. Please read on whether you like numbers or not. It's truly shocking.

Here are the down and dirty details of that deal:

Original Cost for Timeshare: $17,820.00

Down Payment: $4,716.69

Total Amount Financed: $13,103.31

That was in February of 2008. 

Balance of Loan September 2011: $10,906.17

Whoa!  WHAT?! 

Yep...in three and a half years after paying $238.78 a month on time every time with no penalties, we had knocked down that loaning a massive $2197.14.

TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS in 3-1/2 YEARS? 

Yep...that's the horror of 17.9% interest. That's the horror of ANY interest. (cash is king, people!)

So, in September of 2011 we took out a Lending Club loan for $12,000 at 9.99%.  This would cover our timeshare debt as well as the loan fees associated with taking out the loan. It left us about $300 that got us through a rough period in a tight month.  But that's another story.

So we made our first payment on October 9th to our Lending Club loan in the amount of $387.15. 

So notice that our payment is now about $150 higher.  We could have settled for a payment that was closer to our previous payment but we chose a 3 year loan with a lower interest rate rather than a 5 year loan with a higher one.  We did they math and saw that we could work in the extra $150 for the hugely improved (over 17.9%) interest rate.

Of our first payment, $287.25 went to principal.  That's 74.2% of our payment that went towards principal.  One month earlier, of our $238.78 that we paid, only 31.0% (or $74.05) went towards principal.  Yep...in one month we've already paid more than 3X the amount of principal than we would have on our old loan.

To make it even crazier...we are paying $148.37 more a month for this loan, but in the first month, paid off $213.20 more in principal.

AWESOME!

And as crazy as it may sound to some of you, I actually care that my interest is going to people who are responsibly investing their money in Lending Club rather than a financial company that financially rapes people like they were us.

So, if you had any questions about whether Lending Club works, I can tell you that it has certainly worked for us. Even in one month's time.

So if you need a loan, go check it out.  Do the calculator they provide on their site. Go through the pre-approval process to see if the payments would do the wonders for you that they have done for us. Interest rates start at 6.78%.

And if you're looking to invest wisely, consider Lending Club. You may not put a large sum in, but the current returns for investors average 9.6%.  Because I invested with $50 of free money, I invested in more risky loans, and my current return is 18.01%.  Either of those beats anything you'll get with a CD or even the more risky current stock market. You can rest assured that Lending Club does not lend to just anyone; in fact, the only approve about 10% of the requests for loans before people even get a chance to decide if they want to fund them. And you can know that you are helping people who are working their way out of debt the honest, hard-working way.  

Links provided are affiliate links, but the story is all mine and all true. It really does work for us and I couldn't be happier about it.

Totsy's Huge Clearance Sale Continues...

If you haven't already been a part of it, now is the time.  Totsy is having awesome daily sales! 

If you aren't sure what I'm talkng about, Totsy is a clearance site for some great kids' (and sometime's adults') products.  It's free to join.  Click through here to do it.

You can get this coat for $19.

You can get this set for $6.75.

You can get this easy to clean silicone bib by Ulubulu for $4.85.

And it's not just for little kids either.  You can get these sneakers for $10.00 or these loafers for $7.50.

These? $2.00

There are headbands, hats, bloomers, and so much more for the little ones.

There are also rainboots starting at $7.50 for you!

And there's lots more.  But the more I type, the less time you'll have to shop.  And supplies are limited, so get over there now.

Did I mention your first order ships free?  So what other excuse do you have now?  GO!  Now!

Papa Murphy's Encourages Family Time!

Recently a town between work and home opened a Papa Murphy's Pizza. One of my coworkers was so excited because it was opening. I was clueless as to what it was, but I thought I'd have to try it sometime to see if it lived up to her praise.

 If you are not familiar with Papa Murphy's, as I wasn't, it is a "Take 'N' Bake" pizza place.  They prepare the pizza right in front of you with the most delicious-looking and fresh ingredients.  Then you take it home and cook it according to the directions provided with the pizza. They don't even have freezers or ovens in their stores!

To celebrate Family Dinner Night on September 26th, Papa Murphy's treated our family to some pizza and fun. It was the perfect opportunity to try out this highly esteemed establishment.

I selected two family size pizzas for our brood from their extensive menu. One was pepperoni and the other was Hawaiian (pineapple and Canadian Bacon).  I wish our kids were a bit more adventurous in their eating because there were a LOT of delicious sounding options! Next time, we might have to have a kids' pizza and a grown-up pizza. Let me add the caveat that the sizing info hanging on their wall is accurate, but makes for a much larger pizza up close than it does from afar! Seriously...look at these things! (yes, that is a standard size stove and not an "apartment" size one).






I used my nifty pizza paddle provided by Papa Murphy's, and boy am I glad they sent it!  With the size of these pizzas, I'm pretty sure I would have made a big mess on our floor or inside the oven (or both!) without it!

As the gentlemen in the store recommended, I swapped the placement of the pizzas in the oven halfway through their baking time.

In the same amount of time and for about the same cost as a frozen pizza preparation, we had top quality, fresh-ingredient pizzas.

Behold...the beauty of pizza!  YUM!

To assist in the "Family Night" celebration, they also provided this box of 51 dinner table games for families.  They offered several fun yet not overly-distracting ways to bond and laugh with your kids around the dinner table.  We eat around our table every night, but for those families who don't, this would certainly make the experience fun for the kids and they'd certainly start to really look forward to eating with the family seated together. 

So what was the verdict? 

Eight thumbs up from our family!  The kids both LOVED the pizza and Chip and I not only loved the taste, but fully appreciate the value and ease of preparation.  We WILL be picking up pizza from Papa Murphy's again for more fun around the table.  I would suggest you do the same if you have a local store! 

And if you do it soon, check out this option of their Jack-O-Lantern pizza that they are offering for a limited time (and it's only $6!!!).

The package mentioned above, which included Papa Murphy's gift card, the pizza paddle, an enormous pizza cutter, and the dinner game set were provided by Papa Murphy's in exchange for my review using honest opinions. The opinions expressed above are true. 

Money Towards Breast Cancer Research - Just Takes a Moment from You

Following the Freschetta Proud to Support Pink giveaway, which just finished up here at Mrs Nespy's World, Freschetta passed along an awesome opportunity for me to share with you.

So many of you indicated when you entered the giveaway how you, a friend, and/or a family member have been touched by breast cancer.  I was so touched by the impact of it all.

Now ANYONE can go to www.proudtosupportpinkprogram.com and enter the code FRESCH11 to donate $1 to breast cancer research. That's it. No purchase necessary!  Of course, if you buy one of the specially marked boxes of a Freschetta product, there will be an additional code inside to enter for another $1 donation.

But just please take 30 seconds of your time and do this. It could make all of the difference in the world for someone you love.

Real Life Superheroes

The movies are flooded with images of (mostly poorly remade stories about - although that's a story for a different day) superheroes.  Kids grow up longing to be them. They emulate their every step. My son wanted to play Spiderman long before he'd ever seen a Spiderman cartoon (and he still hasn't seen the movies). He plays "Superman," and I don't think he still has ever seen a cartoon Superman in action.

They are heroes. They are role models. They are practically worshipped.

But over the last couple of weeks I have run across several real life superheroes that are either new stories or ones I'd at least never heard of before. And since I believe THESE people are ones to be truly idolized, I wanted to share them with you, in case you missed any of them.

1. Stacie Crimm

This mother struggled to conceive and when she did, she was elated. Just weeks later, she discovered that she had an aggressive form of cancer that would likely take her life without intervention of chemotherapy drugs. Fearing for the life of her child, Stacie refused chemo, opting to give her child life instead. Stacie delivered by C-section early as her heart rate plummeted. 20 days later she was allowed to hold her baby for the first time. She very soon fell into a coma and died three days later, making the ultimate sacrifice for her little Dottie Mae.  I still cannot read her story without tears in my eyes.  This link is the most comprehensive I could find.

2. Dakota Meyer

In case you missed it, this 23-year old former marine is the latest military hero to be presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor. This young man was one of 13 trainers working with Afghan soldiers to establish a more stable military within Afghanistan. During a journey to a routine meeting, they were ambushed by (believe to be) 150 Taliban fighters. "Positioned in a rear position when the ambush began, Meyer and other members of his unit disobeyed orders to remain in place and used a Humvee to rush into the kill zone to try and rescue the four trapped at the head of their column." (abcnews.go.com).  He saved 36 US and Afghan soldiers and finally broke free to the 4 trainers that had been trapped at the front of the ambush and brought back their remains. In interviews, he insists he is not a hero, but just a Marine. He is

riddled with guilt as he is lauded as a hero. His humility is amazing.  And now, this brave young man is applying to become a member of he FDNY.  Amazing.

3. Glenn McGillivray

Lt. McGillivray, a veteran Boston firefighter, saved the life of a 3 year old boy this past week as his grandparents dropped him out of the third story window of a burning building.  Feeling they had no choice but to let the little boy fall into the firefighter's arms, Herbert and Judith Lamb, released the little boy.  The firefighters said that they knew Mrs Lamb would not be able to hold onto the boy until more rescuers arrived, so they told her to drop him. They then rescued her and 13 others from the blaze. McGillivray denies he is a hero for catching the boy and feels he was just "doing [his] job."  Although things worked out well this time, Lt. McGillivray hopes to never have to experience that again. 

4. Irena Sendler (1910-2008) 

Irena worked in the Warsaw Ghetto as a plumbing/sewer specialist. Irena smuggled Jewish children out; infants in the bottom of the tool box she carried and older children in a burlap sack she carried in the back of her truck. She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers wanted nothing to do with the dog, and the barking covered the kids’ and infants’ noises. Irena managed to smuggle out and save 2500 children. She eventually was caught, and the Nazis broke both her legs, arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar buried under a tree in her backyard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived and reunited some of the families. Most had been killed. She helped those children get placement into foster family homes or adopted. A few years ago Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected. Al Gore won- for a slide show on Global Warming. Read more of her amazing story in the snopes article here.

5. Fauja Singh
This amazing 100-year old British man was just the first centenarian to complete a marathon when he finished the Waterfront Marathon in Toronto. The final competitor to complete the race, Singh's final time was 8 hours, 11 minutes, and 5.9 seconds.  Amazing!

What do you think?  What's one of the most amazing stories you've heard in a while?  If you can, link to it in the comments so we can all enjoy it!

Tuesday Free For All - 10/25

Welcome to another week of the Tuesday Free for All! I hope you find a lot of goodies to cash in on - and make sure to enter the giveaways at the bottom of this post (or list your own!). Have fun!

FREEBIES:

• Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel Sample: Here is your chance to score a Free Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel sample with soothing menthol. Just fill in your details to get your free sample. 
• Boyfriend Fragrance Sample: Stop by any Sephora store to get a free sample of Boyfriend by Kate Walsh fragrance. 
• Free Applebee’s Birthday Dessert: Join the Applebee's newsletter today and not only will you be kept up to date with all the latest news from Applebee's but they will also send you a Free Dessert on your birthday! 
• Free Back Yard Burger: Sign up for the Back Yard Burgers eClub and they will send you out a coupon good for a Free Back Yard Burger. 
• Kotex Liner Samples: Right now you can request two free Kotex Natural Balance Liner samples. *Note this is a Costco freebie, so you will need a Costco membership to order these.
• Try the Arm & Hammer Simply Saline Neti Pot Kit for FREE after mail-in rebate (up to $14.99).  Offer ends 7/31/13.
• Free Sample of Armani Code Sport Cologne.
• Free Sample of o.b. Tampons.
• Free Sample of Aveeno Living Color Shampoo and Conditioner.
• Free Sample of Nescafe Peppermint Mocha.
• “Like”Jamba Energy on Facebook and grab a coupon for a FREE Jamba Energy Drink. Redeemable at participating locations.
• Walmart.com has a new freebie available! Go HERE and request a free sample of Poise Hourglass Shape Pads. Allow up to 4 weeks for shipping.
• Chips Ahoy! is giving away FREE Chips Ahoy! Coupons on Facebook starting Tuesday, 10/25/11, at Noon EST to the first 20,000 people! Simply “Like” their page and check back tomorrow for your chance to win one of these great coupons. 
• FREE sample of the fragrance Hugo Boss Orange Sunset when you sign up.
• Quick Chek is offering a printable coupon for a FREE Pretzle M&M’s (1.14 oz or smaller). You must be a fan to print the coupon. Offer expires on 10/31/11.  Click here for a location near you.
• In honor of Veterans Day, Sam’s Club locations nationwide will distribute 36,000 Hugo canes  free of charge on November 9th, 10th and 11th, 2011 to U.S. military veterans in need of mobility  assistance. Limited quantities available only while supplies last. Sam’s Club Membership is not  required. Proof of military service may be required.

SWEEPSTAKES:

• Blāze by SolarActive Sun-Activated Color Change Nail Lacquer Prize Package Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win five Blāze nail polishes that change color in the sun! Number of prizes: 20 | Expires: Tuesday October 25 2011 | ARV: $64.75 
• Sandos Caracol Beach Resort and Spa, Playa del Carmen, Mexico Getaway Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win a five day, four night all-inclusive stay at the Sandos Caracol Beach Resort and Spa in Mexico Number of prizes: 1 | Expires: Wednesday October 26 2011 | ARV: $1,200.00 
• Totsy.com $150 Shopping Credit Plus Free Membership Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win a $150 credit that can be used towards any purchase on Totsy.com, plus a free membership to the savvy Mom-friendly shopping site Number of prizes: 2 | Expires: Saturday October 29 2011 | ARV: $150.00 
• GLAD’s ‘Stay Fit and Be GLAD® You Did’ Prize Package Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win a “Stay Fit and Be GLAD You Did” gift package that includes a year’s supply of GladWare To Go Lunch and Snack containers and a $250 gift card to Lululemon Number of prizes: 3 | Expires: Sunday October 30 2011 | ARV: $306.00 
• BeautyRx Skincare by Dr. Schultz’s Advanced Exfoliating Therapy Pads Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win the award-winning Beauty Rx product, Advanced Exfoliating Therapy Pads, for more lustrous skin Number of prizes: 15 | Expires: Monday October 31 2011 | ARV: $70.00 
• D-Link Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win this Wireless N Day/Night Home Network Camera from D-Link Number of prizes: 10 | Expires: Tuesday November 01 2011 | ARV: $149.99 
• Midwest Living Featured Destination Sweepstakes: One lucky winner will receive a getaway to Northern Indiana, a prize package worth over $2,400! Sweepstakes Ends: October 24, 2011 One entry per household. 
• Better Homes and Gardens $5,000 Share the Joy Sweepstakes: Win $4,000 of holiday decorating products from FTD plus $1,000 cash!Sweepstakes Ends: October 31, 2011 One entry per day. 
• Better Homes and Gardens $5,000 Fall Fix Up Sweepstakes: Boost your home's appeal with $5,000 for a home fix-up this fall! Sweepstakes Ends: October 31, 2011 One entry per day. 
• Listerine Think You Know Clean? Sweepstakes: WIN instant prizes of $25 PLUS a chance at the $1,500 grand prize! Sweepstakes Ends: October 31, 2011 One entry per day.

GIVEAWAYS:
Don't forget to enter the giveaways going on here!


Freschetta Proud to Support Pink Giveaway - Ends tonight!

25 Photo Cards from Shutterfly - 3 Winners! - 10/28



*Huge thanks to my sources: Thunder Fap, , PointClickHome, Woman’s Day Magazine, The Freebie Blogger, Deal Seeking Mom, Couponing 101, Free Sample Freak, Better Homes & Gardens, SwagGrabber, Mommies with Cents & "Deal"icious Mom

Photo credit: Google Images

Video - Melanie's Love Drop

So in September, Love Drop rallied to assist Melanie, a loving mom of 4 who recently was hit by a car near her home in Boston. She is doing pretty well after that trauma but now has a new lifestyle to have to adjust to. And she needs our help making those adjustments.

How did it go?

Well here is video evidence.  You'll want to see how amazing this group of people is!



So now that you're ready to get involved, stop by Love Drop and check out the drop that will be happening soon! Jump in and have some fun giving back!

Weekend Round-Up #104

I hope you are all having a great weekend!  Today we'll be watching some college football as well as attending a 6-year old Halloween themed birthday party. It'll be the first time Patrick gets to wear his entire costume and he's psyched!

Here's some great reading I wanted to pass along to you.

FINANCIAL:

• Make Sure to REWARD Yourself After Accomplishments at Bugets are Sexy is a reminder I need to keep at the forefront. But then the guilt sets in.... Oh, I do need to be better at this.
• A Creative Christmas: Increase Your Joy, Decrease Your Spending! from Christian PF is a large (and great!) resource for a more frugal and more meaningful Christmas. Check it out!
• Personal Finance For A Nine Year Old at Enemy of Debt is great example of how I want to be able to teach my children about money. Are you making sure yours don't have to learn the hard way?
• 10 Ways To Screw Up Your Finances Without Even Trying: Common Personal Finance Mistakes at Bible Money Matters is a must read if you haven't been intentional with your personal finances.

FAMILY/LIFE:

• Be A Courageous Parent at We Are THAT Family issues a challenge. Could YOU be this brave?  I don't know if I could.
• 15 Theme Ideas for a Memorable Halloween Party by Ashley Watson at Wisebread has a lot of GREAT ideas! Check it out!
• 100 Days of Christmas – Day 34 is just part of a series at Moms by Heart that I am LOVING.  I have pinned so many of these ideas away for my planning purposes! This one points us over to a site to learn about making the most adorale no-sew snowmen from socks. LOVE!
• DIY Cake/Cookie Stands at The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle is awesome! It even makes it look like something I could do!
• Oh Cream Puff! at Sweet Treats and Good Eats looks so tasty and holiday-rrific. I wonder if I could pull these off?
• What NOT to Hand Out on Halloween by Ashley Watson at Wisebread. Make sure you aren't "that" house.
• 10 Alternative Ways to Use Lemons at Fun Saving Money is a wonderful post.  You know I like these "alternative uses" types of lists, don't you?

FAITH:

• Wondering if you should wait on God?  at Stuff Christians Like is something that I've struggled with more than once. You?

FUN:

• My Other Kid Could Beat Up My Honor Student at Passive Aggressive Notes really cracked me up.
• Rules Regarding Weddings by Tyler Stanton is great!  How many of these have you seen?

WEBSITE WITH REAL POTENTIAL:

• Siri Funny:  Now that the new iPhone has this great (so I've heard) new tool called Siri, there are bound to be some funny responses to requests to it.  This website is likely the new Failbook ro DYAC.

Photo credit: Jenn and Tony Bot

Holiday Photo Cards from Shutterfly - A Giveaway with 3 Winners!

Before we had children, I never thought anyone cared to see photos of Chip and me, so they got standard cards for Christmas.  However, ever since Patrick was born 6 years ago, I feel that everyone needs to see what beautiful children that we have. I mean, WHO would not want to see them?  =)

Yes...I'm one of those moms who will flood you with pictures of my children whether you want to see them or not. That includes at Christmas time when I dress them up nicely, snap some photos and design our own cards with Shutterfly and send them out to the masses.

This year, Shutterfly has a wonderful selection of holiday cards to choose from. Here are some of the ones that I found on the first page alone that will be in the running for my cards this year:

As you can tell, I like the ones that show off multiple pictures. That's usually because I rarely can choose just one favorite!

I mean seriously...there are too many beautiful cards to choose from that I couldn't possible show you all of my favorites now!  But I will show you a few more that I really like because they ar different than my standard (above).

I love that this one is "non-Christmasy" but still Christmasy.  This one is all about the great photo!

I love that this is like an abbreviated Christmas letter and would be great to look back on in the future.

Last year I ordered our Christmas cards with Shutterfly.  I had used them the previous year for our birth announcements for Abigail and knew their selection was fantastic.  This is the card we chose last year:

but of course with our own photos. =) 

Shutterfly has great customer service and speedy shipping services as well.  The quality is so high and really one of the best options available for publishing your own cards.

And while we are speaking Christmas, consider them for Christmas gifts as well.  You can find photo books, calendars, home decor, jewelry and office supplies complete with your photos.  These are all great gifts for grandparents or your spouse.

While we are speaking of Shutterfly, why don't we just do a giveaway?  That's why you're here after all, isn't it?

GIVEAWAY:
Shutterfly has offered to give away 25 photo cards to THREE of my readers! YIPPEE!

To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter entry form by clicking "Read more" below.