Wednesday, December 21, 2011

I Caught Santa & you can too!!!! 5 lucky winners


I'm so excited about this Giveaway!!! I just found out about it today, but I'm such a kid at heart that I can't resist putting this last minute Christmas Giveaway up! It's open worldwide to anyone over 18, & will end Dec 24 at midnight (so technically the day before Christmas Eve). The 5 lucky winners can upload a picture of the inside of their house & choose which Santa pose they want to place where. The winners will be supplied with a code that will allow them to download the digital image of Santa being "caught" at their house for FREE. That's not all!!! They'll also get 5 different videos of Santa in their house to share with their excited children for FREE!!!

My Experience:

I literally just completed my picture at the I Caught Santa website. It was super easy to do. The hardest part about the process was deciding on which Santa pose I wanted & which border! It's very self explanatory, but if by chance you do get easily confused by technology, there are 2 different tutorials - 1 in video format & another with pictures & text.

The first step is to take a picture of the inside of your house - either your tree or maybe even your fireplace (if you have one).

Here is my tree picture.
And here is what the I Caught Santa website did!

I've just got to share the 5 videos with you! These are the cutest things ever!!!!

1) The "ssshhh" video

2) The "milk & cookies" video

3) Santa digging the Christmas music!

4) Checking out the "Naughty or Nice List"

5) Thank Goodness this is my last stop!

I literally squealed with delight when I saw these. I called my 13 year old daughter in the room to watch them with me & she was grinning ear to ear. We both wondered where this was when she was still a Santa believer!

Plus, you can get a 25% discount on orders! Simply use this code: SAVE25


Come on Moms; you know you want to enter! :o) Just imagine the huge smile on your child's face!

The Giveaway:

Ends at midnight on Christmas Eve (so technically the night before Christmas Eve), so that you'll have your "proof" before Christmas morning.  5 lucky winners will get coupon codes from me via email upon winning, so make certain you check your email!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Win a Leather Pouch with Branded Design by LovejoyCreations


One lucky winner will win the beautiful, hand crafted, leather pouch with a floral design pictured above. LovejoyCreations hand cuts & brands or burns their design onto the leather. There's a beautiful floral design on both the front & the back & the pouch measures 6" wide x 4" tall. This giveaway is open worldwide to anyone over the age of 18.

About LovejoyCreations:

LovejoyCreations is a husband & wife team (Brenda & John) who make custom, hand tooled leather goods. Examples include: purses, clutches, wallets, belts, jewelry, portraits, and scrapbook albums. They even do baby booties! They do other items as well, so don't be shy about asking! They're located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Brenda is a native Arizonan, and she's always been creative. She was constantly drawing, with horses being her absolute obsession. Brenda says she had a great High School art teacher who really laid the foundation for her art today. She began doing leatherwork in the early 1980s and didn't do it again for many years. About three years ago Brenda's mother brought her a clutch she had made years ago, and asked if she would relace it. She saw a beginner class at Tandy leather, and that began her on a course with leather again. Brenda loves the feel of "beautifully finished vegetable tanned leather" and never ceases to be amazed at what can be done with it. She's also done children's and animal portraits over the years, as well as illustrated quite a few children's books! To top it all off, Brenda is a survivor! She had a heart transplant in 1990! She says "I am many years later, by God's merciful grace!"

John is a very talented songwriter. He also enjoys drawing old trucks and cartoon characters. He is the organized one in the duo. 

LovejoyCreations is a member of Team CaC, Whoa Team and Createability team

You can also check LovejoyCreations out on Facebook.

My Experience With LovejoyCreations:

LovejoyCreations gave me the option of almost any design I wanted on a leather pouch. I chose a howling wolf design because my 13 year old daughter loves wolves. She's the biggest Jacob Black (Twilight Saga) fan you could ever meet! I thought I'd wrap it up & give it to her for one of her Christmas presents, after examining it thoroughly for the blog. My daughter follows this blog, but doesn't normally pay much attention to what I type because she thinks it's boring, so I'm counting on that to remain the case this time! :o) Please don't get me Murphy's Law!

Paw print, complete with claws.
 A view of the inside of the snap.
A view of the inside of the pouch
It will easily hold my smart phone!
This will give you a better idea of the size.

Brenda was super nice & helpful all through the process. I was impressed with the quality of the work on the pouch! It was beautifully done. The pouches can be used for almost anything - to hold money, cards, cell phones, cosmetics, keys, cash, or even a secure way to store vehicle papers.They can be used for virtually anything! The pouch measures 6" wide x 4" tall.

The Giveaway:
LovejoyCreations has opened the giveaway to anyone worldwide who is 18 & older. The Giveaway will end on January 3, 2012 at midnight.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Pad Review/Giveaway by WAHM Pug Love by persifunctant!


One lucky reader will win a pad or pantyliner by Pug Love by persifunctant! The winner can choose a pad in any size in the mermaid OR baby sea turtles print. The Giveaway is open to residents of ALL countries who are 18+! 

Before I go on with the review, let me tell you about a GREAT sale that Pug Love by persifunctant has going on right now for the holidays! You can get 50% off all of her items by entering the code "GET50" at her etsy shop.

About Pug Love by persifunctant: 

Allow me to introduce you to Amanda Lantz. She's a SAHM to a beautiful baby girl, & lives in Canada. Being a SAHM is her "dream come true". She's yet another talented Mom from my Due Date Group! She began her home based business in October of this year, & she specializes in cloth menstrual products, wool dryer balls, & cloth nursing pads. Everything is hand-sewn, eco friendly, & vegan. The cloth menstrual products come in various sizes, & she even has cute little cloth menstrual pad bags! 

Amanda always liked sewing and being crafty and creative. Amanda says "Since there is only so much I can make for myself, I thought I could make and sell some of the pads and stuff as a hobby."  Amanda's been sewing since junior high, and is self taught.

Amanda is multi-talented! She loves sewing, painting, and all things crafty. She's been drawing since she was 2 years old, painting since 7th grade, &  sewing since 7th grade. She think that everybody could use a little dose of glitter in their lives. 

My Experience with Pug Love by persifunctant:

Let me begin by saying that I'm a die hard tampon user. I CAN'T STAND traditional pads! Keep that in mind as you read this review. 

I'd never tried Mama cloth before & was very curious. I figured if my baby deserved to be pampered with soft cloth on her tushy, than maybe I do too. I received my pad at the beginning of November. I chose the mermaid print, so that I could match my baby girl's diaper that was made by Zippy Doo Diapers (see my review). I received a size large pad. For the first time in my life I was eagerly awaiting my period to start! I couldn't wait to try it out. 

I had a lot of questions for Amanda while waiting for AF, & she happily answered them. 

1) I wondered if the pads would leak - Nope; because the pad is made up of two layers of printed cotton, one hidden layer of breathable nylon, and then two layers of cotton fleece. So its slightly waterproof, but not quite the same caliber as pul. Amanda said that she's NEVER had a pad leak through ever - not even during her heaviest flow while sleeping.

2) I wondered about blood staining the pad - She said that I could use something like Shout or Spray And Wash for stains, but since the inside was black it shouldn't (in theory) show stains. She said to wash them with regular clothes, such as with my socks and underwear.

3) I worried that washing the pads with my whites (underwear & socks) would stain the whites - Nope;  the blood usually dries during the wait to be washed, so its no big deal. She said I could also soak or rinse them prior to washing too.

4) I asked about storing the dirty pads while waiting for them to be washed - Amanda said that's what the bags are for. They're like little wetbags for diapers, complete with a PUL inner. The strap even has a snap, so you can hang it from your towel rack!  

As soon as I started spotting I snapped her pad in my panties, & all I can say is OMG was it comfy!!!! I'm so used to those horrible paper pads that I didn't know what to expect. Her pads are super, super, super soft against your lady parts! I only had the opportunity to test the pad twice - once while spotting & again with a normal flow, with one washing in between. It performed beautifully. There were no leaks & most importantly I couldn't even tell that I was wearing a pad. I would say that it felt just like my panties except that my panties aren't this soft! Oh how I wish I'd had these after having my baby, when everything was so sore! (note: I didn't use a tampon either time that I tested these.)

Surprisingly, they actually do stay in place while wearing them! I was afraid that the pad would slide around, but it really doesn't during wear. When you pull your panties down to use the bathroom they do slide out of place, but it's easy to fix - just slide them back into place!

This might not be an attractive picture, but here's the inside of the clean pad snapped to my panties.
 And here's a pic of the print side, showing how the pad remains held in place with the snap.

I'm currently in the process of slowly putting together a stash of these. I just took advantage of Amanda's 50% off Christmas sale at her etsy shop to buy a pad bag & a few different size pads to try out. I'll continue to buy a few a month until I have a full supply. Remember that I said I was a die hard tampon user? Pug Love by persifunctant has converted me.

I'm also going to try to get my 13 year old daughter to give them a try. She'd be mortified if she knew that I was discussing her period online, but she's very irregular since it began. She started her period last year around Thanksgiving & has only had it twice since that time. Because she never knows when to expect it, & because her school doesn't allow them to go to the bathroom during class, & she doesn't want to be embarrassed by a leak, she's been wearing paper pads to school every day for the past year. That can't be comfy or healthy - not to mention unkind to our environment. I think once she tries these & sees how comfy the are she'll be hooked. I've discussed this issue with Amanda, & she recommends getting her the pantyliners for times when she isn't menstruating because they don't have the nylon layer, so are breathable.

Pros:

1) Cheaper! The price of one pad may be more at the outset, but because you reuse them it will save you a ton in the long run - just like with cloth dipes!

2) So comfortable! They really are soft & comfy. I highly recommend these for anyone who hates being chafed by paper products. They would be especially ideal post partum! I don't know about you, but I needed pads for roughly 9 week straight with both of my girls! Sorry, but talk about chapped lips! 

3) Cute...well as cute as a product like this can be. :o) Just like cloth diapers, you can customize to your own personal taste or mood. 

4) Healthier - these are more breathable than traditional paper products (so less likely to encourage the growth of yeast), plus you aren't exposed to all of those chemicals they use to make them. If you're using cloth diapers on your baby because you don't want to expose them to chemicals, than why wouldn't you feel the same way about yourself?

Cons:

None! Except maybe the start up cost, but if you take advantage of Amanda's sales that's not as much of an issue. Plus, this really will save you money in the long run.

The Giveaway:

Amanda has been very generous! She's opening this Giveaway WORLDWIDE to anyone over 18. It will end on Dec 28.

Friday, December 9, 2011

I'm Nuts About Plain Jane Granola from Nuts About Granola! Review/Giveaway


 One lucky winner will a $10 gift certificate to use at their online store!

About Nuts About Granola:

Nuts About Granola was started by a mother & daughter who enjoyed cooking together. Gayle and Sarah’s love for cooking and knowledge about nutrition led to the development of a granola treat to help them refuel during athletic events. Their granola snack was made fresh, using local ingredients from the Pennsylvania farm belt. Sarah decided to package and sell their granola on campus as a team fundraiser. The original flavors (Plain Jane, Lovers Combo, & College Staple) were so popular that Nuts About Granola, llc. was incorporated in the Spring of 2008. Nuts About Granola remains a small mother/daughter owned company dedicated to providing the freshest granola served straight from the oven of their home.

My Experience With Nuts About Granola:

Last week I received a sample of Plain Jane from Nuts About Granola. It was a yummy peanut butter flavor. I LOVE peanut butter, so I literally sat at my desk & inhaled the 2 oz bag. My 13 year old daughter tasted it too & we both agreed that it was the BEST granola that we've ever had! I was so impressed that I had a look at their website, & my mouth has been watering ever since.

I think this granola is great straight out of the bag, but I'd also like to try baking with it, putting it in yogurt, & eating it as cereal. I inhaled it so enthusiastically that I forgot to take pictures! That should give you an idea of just how good it is. If you follow my blog, you know that I always take plenty of pictures!

Here are the flavors they offer:

4 Pack - One 12oz. bag of their four original flavors

Plain Jane - peanut butter

Lover's Combo - Peanut Butter & Chocolate Granola

College Staple - Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola

Off Road Edition -Trail Mix Granola (Vegan)

Warrior Crunch - Nuts About Granola® and Cancer Warrior have teamed up to launch Warrior Crunch™ in an effort to raise money for cancer research.

E-Town Carrot Cake - A portion of the proceeds fund the Nuts About Granola Innovation Scholarship. (Low Fat)

Mexican Hot Chocolate - Mexican Hot Chocolate Granola- dark chocolate infused with cinnamon & a touch of cayenne pepper for a surprise kick at the end. (Vegan)

Johnny Appleseed - Apple Cinnamon Granola (Low Fat & Vegan)

Gluten Free Plain Jane - Gluten Free Original Granola.

Seeing as the holidays are upon us, I feel like I should mention that they have a Gift Section! Please check it out. They have some wonderful things - gift jars & boxes, sampler sets, & gift certificate.

The Giveaway:

It's open to residents of the US who are 18 & older. It will end at midnight on December 23.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Unique & Healthy Snack - Seasnax Review & Giveaway


One lucky winner will win their choice of any flavor case of  SeaSnax Grab & Go's (12/cs) or 4 packs of our full sheet singles in any flavor. They come in the following flavors: Classic Olive, Toasty Onion, Chipotle.

About Seasnax:

It's a 100% all natural snack - no GMO (1st ever Non-GMO Project Verified), roasted seaweed snack which is Vegan and Gluten-Free and made using 100% olive oil and a little sea salt. There are no artificial flavors, no Trans Fat, no artificial colors, no preservatives, no Cholesterol, no MSG, & no sugar. They're made only of Mother Nature's natural ingredients. Seasnax is a socially conscious family business that focuses on making healthy snacks that their own kids eat!

They contribute 10% of their annual net profit to non-profit groups who help make the world a better & gentler place for our children & the earth.

Seasnax are made of seaweed - yes, seaweed.  It's incredibly nutritious - loaded with vitamins A & C, & small amounts of calcium & iron. It's also a great snack for diabetics because the carb count is negligible 0.3 g or 0% daily value.

My Experience With This Unusual Snack:
I'm slowly munching on the Chipotle flavor as I type this. Last week I received a care package with a few different flavors to try - Classic Olive, Toasty Onion, & Chipotle. Seasnax sent me both the Grab & Go size, which is a snack size that would be perfect for a lunch box (0.21 oz) & the full sheets (0.54 oz) to try. I started out with the Toasty Onion in the Grab & Go size. I have to be honest & say that at first I wasn't a huge fan. It's not that I disliked it, but that I wasn't in love with it either. However, the strangest thing happened! The next day I found myself wanting to try more. I opened up the Classic Olive flavor & quickly decided that it was my favorite. The very next day I tried the Chipotle. I found the Chipotle to be very hot & intense! I'm a New Orleans lady, & I love spicy food, so for me to say that you know it packs some heat! As in run to the kitchen to get milk to put out the fire on your lips & tongue kind of heat!

In 3 days time I was done with the Snack & Goes. It was the oddest thing; I found myself craving these very unique snacks. I was extremely happy that Seasnax sent me the full sheets to try also. The full sheet packs come with 5 sheets. I went straight to the Classic Olive flavor & even shared a small bite with my 9 month old baby. She seemed to enjoy it! 

It's difficult to describe. It has a slightly crunchy texture, but melts in your mouth. It's slightly salty, & you do taste a hint of fishy flavor, but mostly it reminds me of spinach. In fact, I even tricked my extremely finicky husband into tasting it. He truly thought that he was eating some sort of spinach snack. 

Each day I've craved Seasnax more & more. I'm not sure if it's the taste that has grown on me or if my body needs something that this incredibly nutritious snack is providing. Whatever the case may be, I genuinely like it now. 

I saved the last Chipotle for the very last taste. I still find it mega hot - so hot that I have milk sitting nearby to put out the fire. I sit here sniffling as I type - yet I still keep munching on it. The packaging doesn't lie! It says "Seasnax; Strangely addictive!" It truly is.

The appearance of it surprised me. I wasn't sure what it would look like when I removed it from the wrapper. It was a super thin & crunchy sheet of seaweed.
 


Health Benefits of Seaweed:

I won't type them all out because your eyes would tire, but I'll list some of the most important health benefits.

  1. It's a natural weight loss and anti-aging agents. Scientists have proved that seaweed has a very positive effect on the human body. 
  2. Seaweed contains key minerals not found anywhere else in plant form & the body more easily absorbs the protein found in seaweed than meat protein.
  3. Shiny & healthy hair
  4. Keeps the mind sharp.
  5. Clear/healthy skin.
  6. Good for the eyes & the gums.
  7. Strengthens teeth.
  8. Maintains thyroid function.
  9. Improves immune system.
  10. Reduces cancer risks & stunts tumor growth.
 and on & on...

The Giveaway:

The giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18 & older.