The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
The new year is rapidly approaching and with that comes lots of excitement for a new year to many, means new chances at new things and changes. The new year is no exception across cultures and some of the most fun events for the new year come from the Chinese. The upcoming Lunar New Year is a big celebration for Asians around the world to include the Asian-Americans in our own country. The Lunar New Year celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring and is actually one of the more important celebrations among Asians. The Lunar New Year is based on the phases of the moon and will fall on February 19, 2015 according to the Gregorian calendar. Many think it's tied to January 1st but it is not! As part of their continued support to the many different cultures their workers and customers represent, Best Buy is releasing an Asian inspired gift card and e-gift card for purchase through February 22, 2015.
The Asian inspired gift cards look really nice and would look wonderful under your Christmas tree or even as a birthday gift. There are a variety of denominations to choose for as well. Year's ago, I had a Chinese themed party for my oldest which was a huge hint. The decor and celebrations from the Chinese are extraordinary to me. I love the rich reds, yellow and golds. My favorite restaurant is a Chinese restaurant as the food is superb but the decor is simply beautiful. I love the look of these new Best Buy cards!
Click on the link for a Best Buy Lunar Year Gift Card or to purchase a Best Buy Lunar Year e-Gift Card, scroll over to "occasions."
$40 Amazon, Target or Walmart Gift Card Giveaway - 11/23/14
Have you heard of products that helps make your brain think clearer and quicker? There are many new products out there and the latest one is Provagen. I've been taking it for about a week so it's a bit too early to report my findings. Stay tuned for an update on my results.
As we age, we lose proteins that support our brain.* Prevagen® supplements these proteins during the natural process of aging.* Prevagen® (apoaequorin) is clinically shown to help with mild memory problems associated with aging.*Have you ever taken a brain supplement? Ever heard of Provagen? Here is a chance to win a $40 Amazon gift card to try it out yourself if you like. It's ideal also with Christmas approaching!
Only Prevagen contains the patented ingredient apoaequorin, a unique protein originally obtained from a specific species of jellyfish called Aequorea victoria found in the Puget Sound. Apoaequorin is a protein our brains need for healthy function but is diminished in the aging process.
Do not leave a comment on this post for the one entry option! Please follow the link!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
$20 Target or Walmart Gift Card Giveaway - 10/31 - Daily Entry Options
Here's another easy giveaway as over time, I receive gift cards for my blogging so I give the smaller increments out as a giveaway to thank my readers
PLEASE NOTE THAT HELPING THE CHILDREN'S NON-PROFIT ENTRIES WILL BE CROSSED CHECK TO ENSURE ACTION(S) WERE COMPLETED.
ALL ENTRIES FOR A PERSON WILL BE INVALIDATED IF ACTION(S) WERE NOT PERFORMED YET WERE STATED THEY WERE.
Just enter by using the Rafflecopter form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway ends 11/20.
Sign Up Your Event or Group for Johnsonville Apparel and Charity Sponsorship on PearUp.com
Running a charity or helping other groups is very time consuming and sometimes, it's really hard trying to find resources to help from a financial standpoint. I wanted to share this fantastic program from Johnsonville called PearUp.com because it's so easy to start using and helping those groups and events you love to support! It doesn't cost you anything and the best part about it is, you work to rally and engage your supporters to complete tasks. You can choose from different sponsors to apply to as well. I just signed up our non-profit and it was so easy already gaining points from the Johnsonville Apparel and Charity sponsorship on PearUp.com.
The online activities are easy and as your supporters grow, your group or event will gain more! It's easy and completely free to use! Not only will you earn great points but you get to find out some great recipes for Johnsonville, the latest news and more about our family's favorite sausage products.
Want to learn more, check out the video:
For those mom's, aunt's grandparent's and so forth in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Baltimore areas, your social network can help raise $1,000 or more toward custom apparel! It's easy and the same way I did it by getting sponsored by Johnsonville on Pear! Even if you are not a part of a group but your child is, you still qualify! To get started, create a sponsorship page on Pear & invite friends to join in. The more people who join, the more money your group can earn toward apparel and merchandise and what a great way to help out!
Not sure if your group qualifies? Here are the requirements:
- Group type(s): School (K-12) group or event, Sports team, league or event (non-school), Not-for-profit or cause-based group or event, All other types of group or event, College group or event
- Basically any group that is comprised of mostly females and/or would be supported by a female
- Would love a focus on family reunions if possible, but not a requirement. Family reunion groups may qualify to receive a ‘gift’ from Johnsonville at the completion of their Pears.
- Age range(s): 13-17, 18-24, 25-35, 36-54, 55+
Here are highlights of some of the fun things we have done in the past for our non-profit:
If you don't have a group or event to support, you can always support ours:
Angels4Epilepsy, Inc.
Want to earn $50 right away? Create your own Pear and leave a comment with the links on this blog!
#JohnsonvilleSponsors
Alpha Grillers Garlic Press and Peeler Set Review
I enjoy cooking and prefer using fresh ingredients as I think it tastes better and I can control what I use such as organic food. Even though I have not made the all out switch to organic and non-GMO foods, I am trying and doing what I can to eliminate especially the GMO foods. When I cook, I feel satisfied knowing I'm giving my children something better and not something full of artificial colors or flavorings, no GMO products and no preservatives. I also love to use spices when I cook and my three favorites I turn to are salt, pepper and garlic. Garlic has health benefits but I think it just adds so much value to a meal especially when using fresh garlic. The Alpha Grillers Garlic Press and Peeler is ideal for my family. I've never had a press like this and can say I love it!
As you can see from the picture above, it arrives in a nice box making it a great gift as well! Christmas is coming so might as well start thinking about the cook in your life! It's a premium solid stainless steel press that minces unpeeled cloves with ease as the peel stays in and the garlic is presented in perfect form. For those that have trouble with their hands or wrists, it's ergonomically designed for easy squeezing so again, a perfect gift idea! If you use ginger a lot, it's perfect for that too although I did not try it out. The silicone garlic peeler is easy to use and it keeps your hands from getting that stinky garlic smell that my girls hate. You can see by the picture below how easy it is to use:
As a bonus, it also arrives with a bonus e-Book of 50 delicious recipes using crushed and sliced garlic. Some of the other aspects I liked about the press are:
- No leakage of garlic running down the press
- A hinged chamber so I don't have to track down both pieces after cleaning and storing
- Perfectly shaped garlic
- 100% money back guarantee
Look at how perfect that is! The peel stayed put and only the garlic comes out in perfect shape to ensure a beautiful tasty dish. I've always wanted a garlic press that works and the Alpha Grillers Garlic Press is spot on!
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.
$20 Walmart Gift Card Giveaway 10/29
Are you ready for Halloween? Did you know that Walmart has everything you need for Halloween ranging from costumes to decor to candy? I have a very easy contest to enter to win a $20 Walmart Giveaway by using the form below.
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Adorable Baby Clothing Gift Card Giveaway 10/29 - Value $65 - International
Do you remember going through some of your old pictures as a child and wondering what your mom was thinking dressing you in those outfits? I know my daughter gives me a hard time when she looks at some of mine. I remember going through some of mine and really not getting those horizontal striped shirts matched with tiny checkered pants but we wear what's in style for the most part. As styles evolve, there are just some styles that remain timeless. Those timeless styles are the ones that can become heirloom outfits to pass down to your children and their children. After going through some of my oldest child's clothing and realizing none were fit to hand down as quality wasn't as good as it is now mostly because I was a struggling college student having to purchase clothing from discount stores. They were also horribly dated and no longer viewed as cute. When my two younger ones came along, I paid more attention to the special occasion clothing I was purchasing as I wanted to give them something that I didn't have. I wanted to give them a part of me to give to their children which were special occasion clothing. This is where I found Adorable Baby Clothing.
My Family Picture |
- You never know when you might receive your order.
- You never know if your order will be cancelled.
- You don't know the quality until you receive it.
- There isn't a return policy so you are stuck with what you have.
To date, every single dress I have ordered, which has been many, are of amazing quality. Mine have been multi-layered dressing that adds beautiful dimension to each dress. They don't wrinkle either! It's amazing as the dresses arrive in a package that you would think would cause wrinkles but with some fluffing of the hands, it poofs out to provide this elegant, timeless, picture perfect dress! I am going to be a grandmother to a boy so at last, I will get to try out one of the gorgeous suits...or many! Not only are you getting amazing quality with the clothing from Adorable Baby Clothing, but you get outstanding customer service as this is a business ran by a single woman who strives to ensure her customers are happy as if they aren't happy, she's not. She will accept returns and you will receive your order on time and not weeks later. There really isn't anything I can say negative and I have been a customer since 2008.
Here are just some of the dresses I have purchased over the years:
If you would like to begin a timeless tradition of passing on beautiful, high quality clothing to your children and grandchildren, enter to win this amazing giveaway of a gift card up to a value of $65!
Please use the form below and if you want 10 bonus entries, send a picture of one of your ugly outfits or your child's outfits to staying_younger@yahoo.com!
Giveaway ends 10/29 at midnight (EST).
a Rafflecopter giveawayPlease note that the gift card can be used for any item up to the value of $65. It is a one time use gift card. International winners must pay for shipping costs.
Swagbucks Saving You Money in Time for the Holidays & Enter to Win a $50 Visa Gift Card - 10/24
Congratulations to Lynn!
Swagbucks, the web’s largest rewards site, would like to scare up some savings for your Halloween shopping needs this month with up to 14% cash back from some of your favorite retailers including Groupon, Target, BuyCostumes.com, Costume Supercenter, Living Social and much more."
For all purchases over $75, Swagbucks Halloween shoppers will also receive an additional $5 gift card to the retailer of their choice (or cash!) direct to their Swagbucks account.
To help celebrate this promotion, Health, Beauty, Children and Family readers can win a $50 gift card just for entering on this post and answering the following question: “What do you – or your kids – want to dress up as for Halloween this year?” ALSO -- we would like to ask the member to include his or her Swagbucks username in the blogger post comments if they are already a member. This will allow us to more efficiently award their prize if they win your giveaway.
Don't delay! It's easy to enter and the $50 Visa Gift Card along with the savings you WILL accrue by using Swagbucks will help offset the high cost of buying gifts at Christmas!
The only entry requirement is to tell me What do you or your kids want to dress up for as Halloween AND don't forget to leave your Swagbucks username in the comment to this giveaway.
Bonus FIVE EXTRA Entry Tweet: Win a $50 Visa Gift Card - 10/24 @stayingyoung2 http://www.healthbeautychildrenandfamily.com/2014/10/swagbucks-saving-you-money-in-time-for.html
Leave a comment that you tweeted and the URL
Winner will be chosen 10/24 after the giveaway ends at noon (EST). Winner's name, address and e-mail must be provided to receive the prize. Open to all.
I was provided a gift card as part of my participation and I am a Swagbucks member.
Neuma Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner & Intensive Masque Sample Packet Review
I don't normally spend a lot of time on my hair of late as I'm trying to make it healthier after a hot summer under the sun coupled with blow drying and using a hair straightener. My hair is easily damaged as well due to repeat coloring so it's a must I have something of high quality to use on my hair. I tried the Neuma Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner & Intensive Masque sample packet and did like how my hair felt but unfortunately, being a sample, I cannot provide long term input as my hair requires a lot of conditioner and I had to use the whole pack on my hair one time. The fragrance was nice and I liked how it rinsed out without having to keep running water over my hair like many other. Overall, I would have to try it longer term to really get a good feel for the product. I did like how my hair felt and looked after the first use.
Neuma Hair Care Products contain:
Renewable, beneficial plant-based ingredients
Certified Organic Extracts
85% post consumer recycled bottles
100% certified wind power
100% recycled fiber containers
Organic raw materials, sustainable business practices and continuing membership as a global corporate citizen will make the difference in the long run.
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.
Canvas Champ 12 x 8 Canvas Review and 10 x 8 Giveaway 10/11/14
I am an avid picture taker and even though no where near a professional, I do enjoy collecting many memories throughout the years of my family. My current mission is actually rounding up all pictures from both sides of my family to create a nice guest room and to share in the memories of generations gone by. I've been slacking in getting pictures and prints up on my walls mostly due to all the moving around so the opportunity to review a canvas from Canvas Champ was ideal!
The canvas, although the appearance in my photo are not as vibrant as in person, it's spot on with the photograph. The colors are perfect along with the lighting and the wrap around canvas and ready to hang hardware makes it even more appealing. I don't know about you but I hate having to assemble the hanging hardware on pictures and since it's already attached, the only problem I had was to figure out where to hang it. I cannot review the ordering process as I ordered via a person direct but after looking at the site, it looks incredibly easy ...so easy, I'm ordering this right now!
The process is so easy:
- Select the type of print you want: canvas, peel & stick, photo boards, metal prints, acrylic prints or canvas banner.
- Upload your photo and choose from the various options from layout to size.
- Select display options, border and frame and any optional retouching and color finishing
- Add to the cart
You can see a 3D view, on the wall view and in design view to ensure you are getting exactly what you want.
They also have a 100% guarantee so if you don't love your order, they will back it up! Shipping is free for orders over $100 and they tout fast shipping. I was AMAZED at the speed of delivery and my canvas was packaged to perfection with no damage. The canvas at the top is just beautiful isn't it? Canvas Champ has a repeat customer now!
The Giveaway:
One winner will receive their very own 10 x 8 canvas.
To Enter, please use the form below.
Giveaway ends 10/11/14 at midnight (EST). US only please
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.
Homeschool English Tea Cakes with World Vision Prosperity Cinnamon Review & Giveaway ($85 Value) - US - Ends 10/11
I'm starting a series of homeschool recipe days which currently has an English themed due to my dual citizenship and the girl's grandmother being from England. The girls are enjoying selecting a recipe and then making it. We have tried egg salad and chicken salad tea sandwiches, pork pies, strawberry scones and now English cream tea cakes minus the clopped cream. So far, most have been a hit except the little tea sandwiches so I wonder how bangers and mash will go over. This morning, we started our day making the tea cakes and setting up for our little tea party. We also utilized our complimentary Prosperity Cinnamon compliments of World Vision.
Danielle is definitely in her element and is loving the idea of the Jane Austen/Regency period so she must get dressed up to include the traditional English type hat.
Jamie skips the formalities and just participates but was quite pleased with her recipe choice. She also liked this recipe since we were using a product that will raise awareness about giving back. The girls have a non-profit that delivers items to children with epilepsy and/or asthma so giving back is huge in our house.
Our recipe addition was our complimentary prosperity cinnamon we received from World Vision. This world renowned sweet cinnamon from Vietnam is collected from the Cassia tree. The villagers carve these beautiful boxes out of cinnamon bark and it contains 3 ounces of cinnamon. The symbol on the box is the Asian character for prosperity.
It's simply beautiful and a magnificent gift for those the have a love in the kitchen or Asian art. If you have not heard about World Vision, they have a Christmas edition that is released every year with beautiful, unique and handmade gifts that are available to purchase in exchange for fighting poverty across the world. The World Vision's Gift Catalog provides over 100 different ways to improve the lives of children through clean water, food, medicine, education, job training and small business loans. There are many gifting options as well that includes helping those in the United States from giving food, backpacks with school supplies to disaster relief. There are so many options to make a difference and give back from the smallest token at $20 to the very large gift donation of $39,000.
Our recipe was very easy:
1 cup of butter
3/4 cup of sugar
2 1/4 cups of flour
4 tablespoons of Bird's Custard Powder 300g
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350
Beat butter and sugar until very soft. Add beaten egg, custard powder, flour and salt.
Knead on a floured surface.
Roll out and cut with a plain biscuit cutter.
Bake for 10 minutes or until a pale brown.
Add clotted cream or rasberry jam. I had neither one so I just mixed powder sugar and almond extract together for a slight sweetened taste.
The girls had a lot of fun with their tea party once again.
The Giveaway:
One winner will receive the same gift I received. A World Vision Prosperity Cinnamon Box valued at $85.
To Enter:
Please use the form below. Giveaway ends 10/11/14 - US only please
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide.
Some World Vision Gift Catalog Facts:
- The 2014 Christmas season marks the 19th annual edition of the World Vision Gift Catalog.
- More than 100 meaningful gifts ranging in prices from $16 to $39,000 are available.
- There are more than 250 items available online at www.worldvisiongifts.org
- More than 30 gifts are in the catalog at $35 or less
- Donors can choose to have a card sent in honor of a loved one.
Announcing Another Grandchild and Win A Wish from Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers
I participated in a Huggies® and Mom Central posting opportunity in which I received a gift card from Huggies® in exchange for my honest opinions.
If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I have children and that I've always stated what a Huggies® family we are. Not only did I use Huggies® with my two younger ones but my oldest uses Huggies® exclusively too. I didn't use Huggies® with my oldest as she's 26 and have no idea what I used all the way back then! I have tried many brands and I do have a second favorite but I always turned to Huggies® for the reliable protection and unbeatable skin care which is why I eagerly wanted to share Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers with you. I also wanted to share that I'm going to be a grandmother again! My oldest is due early November and in spite of her newly discovered ovarian cancer, we know her little-one-to-be saved her life as the tumor wouldn't have been discovered if it weren't for him. As she progresses towards her second child, who are close in age to my second crew of children, we are happy to continue along the Huggies® line of products.
As snug and as happy as can be with a dependable, dry Huggies® on! |
As I plan for my newest grandchild, it's time to open up an old post I wrote in which I made a Huggies diaper cake for my first grandchild. This time, I'm using Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers in a Beatrix Potter theme and will stack the sizes since Huggies ® Little Snugglers Diapers are available in five sizes from Preemie (up to six pounds) through size 3 (16-28 pounds). With a suggested retail price of $11.99 for a jumbo pack to $22.99 for a BIG pack, I can't go wrong and the other beauty is, they are available in grocery stores and major mass retailers nationwide so wherever I shop, I will be able to find them. Although my favorite place to shop is Target, which I had done weekly while we lived in El Paso, but we just moved across country so now I have to find my nearest Target and fast! My oldest loves Target too and has a registry for her baby-to-be.
As part of my participation in this project with Huggies® and Mom Central, I received a $50 Target gift card which I used to purchase two packages of Huggies® Little Snugglers Diapers online as I forgot to capture my prior week's purchase of Huggies® for my other little one. If you haven't shopped online via Target, you are missing out! There are great shipping deals and other specials they routinely run and if you live in a congested area like I do, shopping online beats fighting traffic!
If you know someone who is pregnant or if you are, don't forget to submit your wish to Huggies® as for six months, there will be one lucky winner per month with a prize value up to $5,000! All you have to do is create, if not already done, a registry at Target and then click on the Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers Make a Wish to learn more and enter! I just did so hurry and enter and as a bonus, you get to sign up for a free sample after you complete your wish entry. The registry is fast and easy and really lets you set up what you want and need to help others give you the perfect gift! Target provides suggestions or you can browse on your own and what is wonderful, Target will even allow your gift givers to ship the gift to you!
LeapTV Pre-Order is HERE!
This is a sponsored post from LeapFrog and MomSelect but the opinions are of my own.
If you have children, you probably have heard of LeapFrog. My children and grandchild are big fans of LeapFrog's array of educational products and from the LeapFrog family including the LeapPad, LeapReader Interactive Map, Letter Factory DVDs, LeapReader Book Sets, Touch Magic Learning Bus and Leapsters that we own and now we can't be more excited to learn about the latest LeapFrog product is now available! This is sure to be a huge hit with kids given that it's made for kids and provides education and action.
LeapTV provides three opportunities to play from body motion, pointer play and classic controls. Just swivel one end of the controller out with a simple click to play in pointer play mode. For body motion, no controller is needed and your child will be able to use the camera mode for playing fun games like Sofia the First. Classic controls might be a favorite to the little video game avid who's used to pressing A and B buttons for fast paced gaming. The three modes of play will surely be a hit among the little ones and why not offer up educational value while they play? I know my kids love playing games and I gravitate towards the ones that will teach while engaging their attention in fun play.
Check it out the LeapTV behind the scenes video here and don't forget, you can now purchase the new LeapTV during the special pre sale!
Get Ready for LeapFrog's NEW LeapTV Gaming Console Coming September 2nd
This is a sponsored post from LeapFrog and MomSelect but the opinions are of my own.
As I previously wrote, if you have children, you probably have heard of LeapFrog. My children and grandchild are big fans of LeapFrog's array of educational products and from the LeapFrog family including the LeapPad, LeapReader Interactive Map, Letter Factory DVDs, LeapReader Book Sets, Touch Magic Learning Bus and Leapsters that we own and now we can't be more excited to learn about the latest LeapFrog product releasing on September 2nd called LeapTV! This is sure to be a huge hit with kids given that it's made for kids and provides education and action.
Mark your calendars because on September 2nd, LeapTV Gaming Console will be available for pre-sale! If you haven't heard about LeapTV, check out the great LeapTV YouTube video:
Aperion® Audio Speakers Rock
My family loves all the gadgets like most everyone else as we have iPods, an iPad, iPhones and other devices. It's almost a must nowadays to have at least one and of course, most use them to hold their music collection on them. They make it so easy as well to have multi-purposes for the devices such as traveling, at home, exercising and more. They are great to have but the sound is not all that great which I've learned as I take my iPhone with me on the treadmill. I'm constantly pulling out the headphones which disrupts my run as I want to use it for the Nike run app. Not having a good sound demotivates me because I get energized with music which is where Aperion® Audio Speakers comes into play as I just love my ALLAIRE™ WIRELESS SPEAKERS AND ACCESSORIES! Music has never been better!
I can hook up all my devices and with the Avantree Roxa Bluetooth 4.0 Receiver, I can play music from anywhere in the house and it will be transmitted to the Aperion® Audio Speaker. When I received it, I was surprised by the size as it was bigger than a typical device speaker but it was portable enough to take anywhere. The set up was very easy which I like as I don't like reading instructions. Other features include:
I can hook up all my devices and with the Avantree Roxa Bluetooth 4.0 Receiver, I can play music from anywhere in the house and it will be transmitted to the Aperion® Audio Speaker. When I received it, I was surprised by the size as it was bigger than a typical device speaker but it was portable enough to take anywhere. The set up was very easy which I like as I don't like reading instructions. Other features include:
- Adjustable and removable steel base allowing you the look you want
- 100W total power
- Six internal speakers that includes four powered drivers and two passive radiators
- Three sound modes: natural, bass boost and enhanced stereo
- Simple connection to your home network via push-button or wizard for Wi-Fi and plug-and-play for Ethernet
- Compatible with Windows 7 Play To and Windows 8
- Works with DLNA®
- One-year warranty
- FREE SHIPPING
- FREE lifetime technical support
- Live chat
- 30 day in home trial
I recorded the sound first on the Kindle with the highest volume allowed and then I plug it in and you can hear how much louder, clearer and better it sounds:
It's really a great system and my girls like it so they can't hear my voice fluttering as I sing and run per my middle daughter.
To show you how easy it is to set up, here is their own video:
Overall, I love the Aperion® Audio Speaker system. I love the portability and lightweight feature of the speaker. The wireless adapter allows the speaker to be placed anywhere while plugging in the device somewhere else. The three music functions allows the user to adjust the sound to their preference and the various volume levels is ideal for any listener since it can be tuned in very low or very high. There was no distortion or interference heard and the sounds was incredible. It's a great speaker system to have in any house that enjoys music or even audio books and more. I would recommend it.
*Disclaimer: I received the complimentary system as part of this review. The opinions are of my own.