Monday, December 23, 2013

Kleenex to Go Packs for Winter Woes

It's winter time again. Here in Ohio, that means rain, snow and cold temperatures most of the time. We always end up with sniffles and cold when the weather goes from warm to cold, especially like this year where we were sitting at around 50 degrees just days before Christmas, but had inches of snow last week. 




I wanted to share something with you that I received as a member of Crowdtap. I was sent a selection of the Kleenex to Go Packs to sample and share with friends and family. These cute little packs each contain 10 tissues, and they are resealable too. 


These are perfect for backpacks, purses, diaper bags or a storage compartment in the car. They are thin and compact and will even fit in your pocket. While you are battling the cold weather blues, you might want to grab some of these to have on hand!

Piczzle Brings Memories Alive and Giveaway


*Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I am a fanatic for cute, personalized items of almost any kind. I love being able to make something my own, and have it turn out just the way I want it. My obsession doesn't just stop there. I love giving personalized items as gifts too. This provides a great way to assure you are giving something that will not be given by anyone else and lets you create it around the person who will receive it.

My daughter and I recently had a chance to try a fun personalized item from Piczzle. If you aren't familiar with them, Piczzle offers a variety of super cute photo puzzles that you can customize to your liking. These puzzles can be made from 6 to 2,000 pieces, in both standard or wooden format. We selected a picture of my daughter in her Halloween costume for our photo puzzle.

 

After choosing our size and puzzle design, we then added words to make it even more one of a kind. We put "Punk Rock Reagan" because she was a punk princess for Halloween. She loved that she could help create the puzzle, and then be able to keep it to do over and over. Not to mention that she has shown it to everyone she sees.

Watch the video review for our thoughts-



One of my readers will have a chance to win one of their own small, cardboard Piczzle Photo Puzzles

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

We Made A Gingerbread Village

The past few years, my children and I have been making some type of gingerbread creation for Christmas. This year they decided to do the village set because there are 5 of us and 5 buildings in the set. 

The kids each selected the building they wanted and began to make their creations. It was a little slow getting started. We were using royal type icing from the kit and it takes a few minutes to set. Eventually it worked though and they were able to start adding decorations. 


They had a blast getting everything just as they wanted it and posing for pictures with their creations.


Once everyone had finished and the photos were done, the kids rushed to devour their individual building. 



They had as much fun eating them as they did making them, so it was a win/win for everyone!


What are you doing this week before Christmas?


Thursday, December 19, 2013

Raise Social Awareness with Causora

When disaster strikes, we all hope someone will be there to help. Something so unexpected can take everything from a family in just moments, leaving them searching for the basic things they need to survive. Suddenly even the smallest of things can be a major hurdle, and every little bit can make a huge difference.

To make fundraising even more rewarding, Causora has developed a system that allows you to give and get at the same time. When you make a donation to one of their amazing charities, you get $20 in thank you rewards for every $20 donated. The causes include favorites like Habitat for Humanity, Aids research, the American red Cross and many more, with rewards from places like Novica, Zipcar, Milk and Honey and more. Then you can take your rewards and grab something for yourself or to give as a gift. It;s a win-win for everyone!


You can start your own fundraiser, join in one that you are already aware of, or browse for a great cause to support. They track donations, so you can see when a goal has been reached too! If you want to donate to the cause of the month, which is Red cross Typhoon relief, or any other cause, visit Causora and gain while you give!

Friday, December 13, 2013

$100 American Express Gift Card Giveaway


It is said that more babies are born during the warmer months than the cold ones. I think there is a good explanation for that. When it starts to get cold outside, people tend to stay in more. You can only watch so many movies or read so many books before you begin to get bored. It is not long before you start to find more interesting things to do, thus resulting in a lot of summer and fall births.

 To avoid, or take advantage of, this situation, it is a good idea to have some Family Planning items on hand. There are a variety of items available to minimize, or increase, your chances of a warm weather baby. You could really stock up if you won this $100 American Express gift card!


GIVEAWAY DATES - Today thru 12/31
Prize $100 American Express Gift Card


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Experience Hello Santa with Your Child Today

With Christmas fast approaching, this is a great time to enjoy the small things with your children. The holidays are the perfect time for creating new memories that will last a lifetime. The remaining days will be over much too soon and it will be back to business as usual. Take the time to treasure these moments while you can.

A great new way to enjoy the wonder on a young child's face is by using Hello Santa. This new service will be live all through the holiday season, so you still have plenty of time to take advantage of this fun activity with your little ones. Using this unique service, people all around the world will be able to have real time video calls with Santa from their iOS devices or webcams. The app needs iOS 6.1 or later to run, is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and is optimized for iPhone 5.

Created by Make Believe Labs, this is such a fun way to let your children experience talking with Santa. When making the video call, they will be able to see that they are speaking with Santa himself, and not someone pretending to be him on the phone. Seeing his smiling face while hearing him chat with them is something you just can't replace. You can even do one with each child for an individual special treat.



To make this even more perfect, you have the option to schedule a call for a specific time, or simply tap the "Call Santa Now" button to start a live video call with Santa instantly. It would be perfect for Christmas Eve too. Just have them make their call and then head off to bed to await his arrival for morning. When the call is complete, you can share it with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, email and SMS so everyone can see how adorable your little one is chatting with Santa.

Hello Santa is great for the kid who is starting to doubt that Santa is real too. After talking to him while they see his face and reactions, they will have a hard time not believing he is really out there waiting to bring them gifts. Why not let them hold onto those childhood dreams a little while longer, especially when it is this convenient and easy to do.

Bill Cosby's Far From Finished

I grew up watching Bill Cosby all of my life. From Fat Albert to Dr. Huxtable on The Cosby Show, he has always been a favorite television icon to me. I didn't know until I was older that he also did stand up comedy and other ventures. I still find myself watching old reruns of the shows because they remind me of childhood and the laughter we shared watching him.

I had no idea that he was doing a comeback until Far From Finished debuted on Comedy Central on November 23rd. This was Bill Cosby's first television concert series in 30 years. If you didn't get a chance to see the show, don't worry, there will be more airings coming soon. Directed by Robert Townsend, the show is a compilation of material from shows that Cosby performed earlier this summer.




 To celebrate his return, he is asking his amazing fans to spread the laughter by using his #LaughterIsUniversal game. This is a great way to keep the laughs going and to celebrate one of America's most beloved comedians of all time.

Bill Cosby draws from his own life experiences when doing his comedy routines and shows. He designed Emmy Award winning Fat Albert based on his own life growing up in Philadelphia, followed by The Cosby Show, highlighting life in an upper middle income black family.

Cosby was the first African American to costar on a weekly dramatic television series in I Spy. He overcame these racial obstacles while winning three consecutive Emmy's too. He has received an array of awards including The mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the Marian Anderson Award, the Kennedy Center Honors and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.

It truly doesn't matter what age, race or gender you are. Bill Cosby brings laughter to everyone who watches him. His routines, albums, books and movies transcend all that, to bring true comedy to us all. When asked about his return, Cosby himself simply said, "Because...funny is funny". I can think of no better way to describe it.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Help Stop Child Abuse with Knot Genie and USFG

One of US Family Guide's partners, Knot Genie Detangling Brush, works hard to create peace in homes across the world with their brushes. But at this time of year, they are working to create peace in homes where children only wish their pain was about hairbrushing. Knot Genie has created their Peace It On Petition. For each name added, they will make a $.25 donation to the National Children's Alliance to help stop child abuse. They also send an opt-in $7 coupon to every person who signs. Won't you please go to www.knotgenie.com and sign the petition...

 http://knotgenie.com/peace




http://www.usfamilyguide.com/blogpromos/9/usfampeaceitonemail.jpg


This is such a horrid thing for any child to go through. We all must do what we can to stop it now!

Save $120 off Ellore Femme 24 Piece Makeup Brush Set

The Ellore Femme 24 Piece Professional Makeup Brush Set with Travel Case provides you with specific tools cover a wide range of areas! From eyes to lips to second foreheads and boast a luxurious blend of soft animal hair and synthetic bristles. The slim brushes stay neatly lined within a fold-up PVC case.

24 professional makeup brushes
Designed for foundation, blush, eye shadow, and more
Bristles made from natural animal hair and synthetic fibers
Fold-up leather case for easy transport
Dimensions: 9.85" (L) x 4.9" (W) x 1.9" (H)


http://www.usfamilyguide.com/blogpromos/13/efsku_h680401_2.jpg

Included Brushes

Bevel eyebrow/eyeliner brush
Concealer brush
Eyebrow and eyelash comb
Eyelash brush
Eye-shadow brush
Fine eyeliner brush
Foundation brush
Highlight brush
Large bevel contour brush
Large eye-shadow brush
Large powder brush
Lip brush
Medium bevel eyebrow/eye shadow
Medium bevel eye-shadow brush
Nose-shadow brush
One large fan-shaped extra-powder brush
Powder and blush brush
Small bevel eyebrow/eye shadow brush
Small fan-shaped extra-powder brush
Sponge eye-shadow brush
Two medium eye-shadow brushes
Two small eye-shadow brushes
Roll-up leather case



http://www.usfamilyguide.com/blogpromos/13/efsku_h680401_7.jpg



My Readers save $120 Off Ellore Femme 24 peice makeup brush set with promo code BL29 http://www.ellorefemme.com/usd/24pc-make-up-brush-set.html
Regular Price: US $149.99

Blog Price: $29.99 with Promo Code: BL29

Hurry and grab yours now. This would make a great gift this Christmas!

Color It Pretty with Hair Chalk from Ellore Femme

I mentioned to you before about my daughter and her fascination with hair chalk. She asks to color her hair every day before school and we have had some really cute results with it. It takes only minutes to apply and washes out easily in the bath. We can change colors daily to match her outfits, or just add some colors for fun.



If you don't know what Hair Chalk is, then prepare yourself for amazingness! It's a super fun, temporary method to add some serious flair to your hair. These vibrantly colored hair-chalk sticks from Ellore Femme help you to easily paint rainbow hues onto strands. The easy-to-blend dyes are formulated with natural plant pigments, rendering the chalk non-toxic. All 24 colors easily wash out in the shower.




http://www.usfamilyguide.com/blogpromos/12/ellorefemmechalkmain


Spontaneous hair color
Set with heat
Blendable colors
Nontoxic, natural plant pigments
Washes out after one shower
Use on wet hair
24 vibrant shades
May transfer onto clothing during application
May cause respiratory irritation if inhaled

My Readers save $30 Off Ellore Femme 24 peice Hair Chalk set with promo code- BL15

http://www.ellorefemme.com/usd/hair-chalk.html/
Regular Price: US $44.99

Blog Price: $14.99 (with Promo Code: BL15)


This would make a great gift for the holidays. Check back to read my review!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Bunch of new Coupons-Toys and more! 12/9

$1.10 off TWO Holiday Bags of HERSHEY'S Chocolate $2.00 off Colgate Total or Optic White Mouthwash$1.00 off ONE CRYSTAL LIGHT Sugar Free On the Go $1.50 off on any ONE (1) GEVALIA Coffee product$0.35 off Pepperidge Farm Goldfish $1.00 off ONE Swiffer Refill

Toys! - They go fast!
New Coupons

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Our Thanksgiving Celebration

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving a little differently than usual. For the past several years, I have held dinner at my home and my mother, sisters and their families have all traveled here. It has worked fine, but since my mom and her boyfriend have never had one at their home, they wanted to host this year.



Mom made the ham and I made the turkey to make less work for her. We also had stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, baked beans, salad, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cranberry salad, as well as desserts.


My sisters are both having issues with our mom at the moment, so this year it was just my husband and I, the kids, my mom and boyfriend and their neighbor and her toddler son. We had way too much food, but we had a great time trying to put a dent in it.


On the way home we stopped to see my youngest sister, nephew and new baby niece. This was only my second time seeing her since she was born, so I was happy we were able to fit it in.



It was nice to share the cooking and not have to do it all myself. I had much less to clean after and all I had to do was take food home. It was fun to visit and relax and I am thankful that we were all able to do so. How was your Thanksgiving?

Help Your Little One Go Swimming in Style with Babi-Kini Suits






While on the hunt for a super cute swimsuit for my new niece, I came across Babi-kini. Made in the USA, these adorable little suits are available in a variety of colors and styles to fit your baby bathing suit needs. You can select from traditional or full cut bikinis, as well as one pieces, all in a range of eye catching patterns like the zebra printed one I received. 


I love the attention to detail in these suits. The stitching is nice and secure so I don't have to worry about it unraveling while she wears it. The material is soft and silky to the touch, so no worries about it being itchy or scratching baby during use. The colors are bright and pretty too, so you know your baby will be the center of attention. I hate to wash something and have it come out faded, so I was thrilled to see these do not have that issue.


Each suit comes with beaded accents that add a little extra flair to the suit. They are nice quality beads that do not break or fade after use and are smooth to avoid any scratching.


The suits seem very true to size. They fit well and do not leave bulges in the material. They are so compact I was able to fit both of the suits into the little gift bag. This is the perfect for gift giving and a great way to carry or store them too.


You can purchase these for only $30 each and low shipping. Select from several shipping options depending on your needs or preferences and orders are shipped within 1-3 days. They even offer a great refund policy that includes the shipping cost. Stop by and look around to see what you like best.

Follow Babi-kini on Twitter or like on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest items, news and more.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.