Shopping for Savings

Win a 4GB FlipCam & $60 PayPal Cash to Help You Capture the Love

2012-02-13T12:47:00.002-05:00

Capture the Love with a new FlipCam and $60 in cash (paid via PayPal)!

What a perfect gift to help memorialize all the great memories you make on Valentine's Day - and every other day, too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please take a second to show a little love to the other bloggers sponsoring this awesome giveaway.

Leapin' for LeapPad Giveaway! (US & Can; ends 2/29)

2012-02-13T09:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Leapin' for LeapPad Giveaway!

This giveaway event is organized by ShePromotes and sponsored by a group of fabulous ShePromotes bloggers! We've come together to offer you one of the hottest children's products of the year -- the LeapFrog Explorer Tablet! Even better, as part of the event, you will have the chance to enter to win 1 of 2 LeapFrog Explorer Tablet prize packs! Yes, we are giving away 2 separate prizes to 2 different lucky winners!

Here's how to enter:

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter for your chance to win. The giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents, 18+ and will be open through 11:59pm EST on February, 29th. You have until the end of the day on Leap Day to enter for your chance to win!

Please note that there are two separate Rafflecopter forms. Each prize package has its own form and its own entry requirements. You will earn bonus entries for entering on both Rafflecopter forms! Enter to win the other prize package here!

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$350+ February Coupon Giveaway!

2012-02-09T17:54:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Crazy on the 8’s Coupon Giveaway held monthly using Rafflecopter.

This giveaway is hosted by 8 sponsors, including myself: Money Saving Michele - Sweep Tight - Go Momma Coupons - Penny Pincher Jenny - Mama Bee Does - Mama Does It All - Adventures in Coupons.

All blogs are sponsoring $40 or more in coupons for the giveaway. To enter, answer a quick question listed on the Rafflecopter. You could win $320+ in coupons. There are lots of bonus entries, too; the more entries you complete, the more chances to win!

This months prize will be over $350! Our featured sponsor is Mama Does It All who is sponsoring $60+ in coupons. A little about Mama Does It All: deals, steals, reviews, giveaways, tips and random thoughts are all on the menu! This month you will get 5 bonus entries if you choose to follow Mama Does It All on Twitter.

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Sweets for Your Sweet! Pin Me! Pinterest Thursday

2012-02-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

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I can't believe Thursday is here already! This week Matter of Cents and I have chosen the theme of Valentine's recipes for Pin Me! Pinterest Thursday. Baking and making sweet treats for Valentine's Day is an activity I look forward to every year. I've especially been looking for recipes that would mail well to include in A1's care package; some of the ones I'm sharing below should do the trick!

Peanut Butter Blossom Hearts

Use heart-shaped chocolates (like Dove) instead of kisses. These are a perennial fave of my hubby.

Source: bettycrocker.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Candied Strawberries

These look so pretty and are a nice change-up of a traditional candied apples.

Source: secretlifeofachefswife.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Neapolitan Cupcakes

You have brownies. You have cupcakes. You have frosting. So good (and pretty)!

Source: iheart2stamp.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Candy Cane Hearts

Great use for those 90% off after-Christmas sale candy canes.

Source: notsoidlehands.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Hugs & Kisses Cookies

Little bites of love! And easy to share/mail/transport.

Source: bedifferentactnormal.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Bacon Rose Bouquet

This one kind of cracked me up. Maybe a nice substitution for the guys?

Source: bedifferentactnormal.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

You can see the rest of my Valentine's recipes on my Sweets for Your Sweet board.

We'd love to see what all of you have found! Please link up your tasty Valentine's treats below. Please include a link to our posts (here and here) so that your reader's can see the whole range of goodness everyone is sharing. I'm sure those who link up would love if you followed their Pinterest boards, too, if you get a second.

Color, Click, Capture Photography Challenge: Week 2 - Orange

2012-02-08T14:32:00.001-05:00

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Last week I shared with you that I was participating in a photography challenge hosted by East9thStreet, A Helicopter Mom, Nap Time Is My Time and Sunshine and Sippy Cups and centered around colors. The first color was red; you can see the flowers I photographed here.

This week's challenge color is orange. While I love the color orange, I realized I don't have many items around that are orange that would be very interesting. I have some burnt orange towels in the master bath, but towels don't scream "photograph me!". I finally settled on this candle:

One of my photography goals is to learn how to take photos that make the flame really stand out as the focal point.

I also took this quick snap of Baby C.'s first birthday party invitation. There's lots of orange in it, since it's Pooh Bear!

And this last one is of Baby C. in the pumpkin patch last year. My aunt knit the cute pumpkin hat she's wearing.

Next week's color is yellow. Any suggestions on what I should snap?

Hot Artichoke Dip - Tasty Tuesdays

2012-02-07T10:57:00.002-05:00

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My husband's aunt makes a great Hot Artichoke Dip that she serves at Thanksgiving, Christmas and other special occasions. It's one of my favorite snacks and I'd been craving it lately. So I got the recipe from her and made it on Sunday for us to snack on while we watched the football game.

(I would have shared it with you on Sunday, but I couldn't find the USB cord for my camera.)

Here's the recipe for you; you can put it together quickly, and then just throw it in the oven an hour before you'd like to serve it.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 C mayonaise

1 C grated parmesean cheese

1 C Colby/Montery Jack cheese blend, shredded

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl until combined.
Spread mixture in a serving dish.
Bake for 1 hour (the top will be golden brown and bubbly).

I had wanted to bake the dip in individual ramekins, but I could only find two of them, and I had enough dip for four. So I ended up just baking it in an 8x8 square glass Pyrex dish. Feel free to put it in whatever you want (maybe a heart-shaped dish for Valentine's?). Serve with crackers.

Have you made a recipe that you'd like to share? Please feel free to link up below!

Share the Love Giveaway (US; ends 2/14)

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Share the Love Giveaway Hop hosted by ShePromotes

There are lots of great prizes offered to share the love with you. The prizes are not all love or Valentine's Day themed, we just are simply sharing our love for great products with you.

I have a great prize pack for you! Flying Wish Paper is generously sponsoring a set of three wishing activity kits: Honey Love, Red Velvet, and Lovebirds. Don't forget about the special discount just for all of you! Use promo code S4S at the checkout and save 15%.

After you are done entering our giveaway you'll want to check out everyone else's and enter for a chance to win the grand prize: a Kindle Fire sponsored by Tweetalicious! Each blog that you visit and enter their giveaway will be another grand prize entry!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter the Grand Prize here!

Don't forget to enter all these other great giveaways!

$140 in Amazon GCs: Pin It To Win It Giveaway! (WW; end 2/21)

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

I've teamed up with a group of bloggers to host a giveaway to share our love of Pinterest. In the Pin It to Win It Giveaway, one lucky person will win all these gift cards donated by the host blogs:

12 x $10 Amazon.com Gift Code

1 x $20 Amazon.com Gift Code

For a total of $140 in Amazon.com Gift Codes!

How to Enter

Entering is easy. Just pin a picture in any ONE of the posts below to one of your boards on Pinterest and leave us a link to your pin on the Rafflecopter form!

If you're still new to Pinterest and would like a brief explanation, you can check out this post I wrote last year on Pinterest, how to use it, and how to get started with an invite.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Game Day Snacks for the Big Game

2012-02-05T16:14:00.003-05:00

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Yesterday I asked our Facebook fans for suggestions for snacks and other tasty treats for the Big Game today. I received a few comments that started the wheels in my mind to turning, but still was interested in more options. So then I decided to check my Pinterest boards to see if I had pinned any ideas; I had a couple, and a quick search turned up even more. Here are a few that I'd like to make.

Chocolate-Dipped Football Strawberries

(I think these would also be a great fundraiser item at a HS game or from the booster club.)

Source: products.berries.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Football Deviled Eggs

Around here, it's not a party without deviled eggs. These are a cute twist!

Source: party.tipjunkie.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Individual Veggies & Dip

Don't forget to include some healthy snacks!

Source: Uploaded by user via LMC502 on Pinterest

Hot Dog Bar

An easy & fun way to serve a traditional favorite (and everyone gets it just the way they like it.)

Source: hwtm.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Individual Seven Layer Dip

Love this! Double-dip to your heart's content.

Source: igoyougo.wordpress.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Football Pull-Apart Cupcakes

There's a how-to video on the site, too, for those of us visual learners.

Source: bettycrocker.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Do any of you have a favorite game day/tailgating recipe? Or a recipe that you're always asked to bring to the Big Game party every year? I'd love to hear about them!

Valentine's Day Crafts - Pin Me! Pinterst Thursdays

2012-02-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

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This week Matter of Cents and I have chosen Valentine's Crafts as our theme. I'm excited to give some of these a try (and to tuck some away for when Baby C. is a bit older and has classmates to which she can hand out cards).

What's your favorite Valentine's craft?

Bananas For You Valentine's Day Card

...and bananas is good! (Love Runts & love Guy Fieri)

Source: fiskars.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

I Dig You!

Love these for the cute factor and for the fact that kids can still play with the shovel later

Source: thefryfamilyblog.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Scratch-Off Valentine's Cards

These are incredibly cute and have great potential for adults as well as kids.

Source: bhg.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Curtain of Hearts

Who wouldn't love to wake up to this hanging from their door?

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Valentine's Scrolls

"I Love How You Roll", "You're a Life Saver" - these are fast, cute & easy to make

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Oracle of Love

Will you be my Valentine? DIY "Magic 8 Ball" using a baby food jar and some clay.

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

You can find the rest of the Valentine's crafts that I love on my Valentine's Crafts pinboard here.

We would love to have you link up your favorite Valentine crafts' pins. Please just include a link to our weekly posts (found here and here); if you're using an old post (which is completely fine!), please go back in and add a quick link to us so others can find some Valentine's pinspiration, too.

Color, Click, Capture Photography Challenge: Week 1 - Red

2012-02-01T01:35:00.000-05:00

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East9thStreet and some other bloggers are hosting a new weekly photography challenge. Each week will focus on a photo (or photos) that include objects of a specified color. The photography class I took in high school has had a bit of time to fade from memory, and I've been wanting to work on my snapping skills, so I thought it would be fun to participate.

The first week's challenge color is red. Here is a picture I took of the flowers on the dining room table:

The flash washed it out a little, but they're a pretty, glossy shade of red.

I would have loved to have taken a few more photos for our first week of the challenge, but we're in the middle of our move. The only color there's much of right now is brown, as in boxes. Next week we should be all settled, so hopefully I'll have a few different shots for the orange challenge.

If you have any photography tips, I'd love to hear them!

Giveaway Love is in the Air - Date Night Prize Pack! (US; ends 2/7/12)

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Giveaway Love is in the Air, sponsored by The Maven of Social Media.

We all love a great giveaway and what’s better than one that comes from the heart? Make your way through the linky and enter to win prizes full of love, romance and friendship! All prize packages are valued at $25 or more!

Make sure to enter the grand prize giveaway to have a beautiful bouquet of flowers delivered to you or the recipient of your choice. The Maven of Social Media is sponsoring one Sunshine Valentine Romance Bouquet to a reader of one of the participating blogs! You can enter to win the Sunshine Valentine Romance Bouquet here. Please say that Shopping for Savings sent you!

Sample GC Choice

In addition to the grand prize, I am giving away a date night prize pack! One winner will receive their choice of a $25 restaurant gift card (like Applebees, Buca di Beppo, Bonefish Grill, to name a few) plus $10 in PayPal cash to cover a movie rental and snacks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now please hop around and enter to win all the other great prizes!

Make Your Kitchen Smile - KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer Giveaway! (WW; ends 2/10)

2012-01-27T01:47:00.000-05:00

I have wanted a KitchenAid Stand Mixer for ages. I mean, who wouldn't want one of these shiny babies in their kitchen? While I still don't have one yet - you could!

Image Courtesy of Amazon

I have teamed up with a group of bloggers to giveaway a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer in Empire Red (ARV $349.99). This product can only be shipped from Amazon.com to addresses in the United States. A Canadian winner will receive a $300 Amazon.ca Gift Code and an International winner will receive a $300 Amazon.com Gift Code instead of the mixer because of shipping restrictions.

To win, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grab Your Vorpal Blade And Follow Me Down The Rabbit Hole

2012-01-27T01:17:00.000-05:00

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Today is Lewis Carroll Day!

While Lewis Carroll (whose real name is Charles Lutwidge Dogdson) is probably most famous for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and to a lesser extent, Through The Looking-Glass, he also has a couple of great poems. One of them, "Jabberwocky", I first read in elementary school and I still love it. It's a perfect poem to read out loud; the nonsense words are fun to say and you get to shout things like Callooh! and Callay!

(A bit of trivia for you: the word chortle was made up by Carroll for use in that poem, and we still use it today to mean a joyful laugh. Kind of neat for us word nerds.)

In honor of Lewis Carroll, here are some images representing his works. I pinned them to one of my Pinterest boards for easy access; feel free to re-pin!

Disney's Original Classic Alice in Wonderland

Source: swagbucks.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Disney's New Alice in Wonderland

Source: swagbucks.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Alice in Wonderland-Inspired OPI Nail Polishes

Source: alllacqueredup.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Alice-Themed Fondant Cake with Cheshire Cat

Source: swagbucks.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Alice-Themed Decorated Cake & Cupcakes

Source: swagbucks.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Printable Alice in Wonderland Valentine's Day Cards From Disney

Source: family.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Pin Me! Pinterest Thursday - Crafts and DIY (Reader's Choice)

2012-01-26T00:03:00.000-05:00

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Matter of Cents and I are excited to bring you another week of Pin Me! Pinterest Thursdays.

This week I asked those of you who are following me on Facebook for your theme suggestions, as this week is Reader's Choice. I'll be saving the other suggestions for some future posts, but I selected the "Crafts/DIY" option for this week. Here are a few of my faves.

Wedding Invitation Ornament

This one is actually one of my own crafts; I made it for my brother and new sis-in-law

Source: 502shoppingforsavings.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Rain Gutters as Bookshelves

Can't wait to try this in Baby C.'s room!

Source: decorate.tipjunkie.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Card Table Playhouse Patterns

What a cute idea!

Source: partiesandpatterns.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Disney Princess Bags

These would be great as party favors for a Princess Party

Source: etsy.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Crayon & Coloring Book Tote

Nice to keep things tidy in the car

Source: 733blog.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

DIY Loft and Playhouse

What kid wouldn't love this in their room?

Source: ana-white.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

If you have a post of pins that you'd like to share, please link up with us. We just ask that you please link to our posts (here and here), and if you could follow one or more of our Pinterest boards, that would be awesome.

Finding Nemo 3D - Coming to Theaters Soon!

2012-01-25T01:34:00.001-05:00

Disney is releasing "Finding Nemo" to theaters again - this time as Finding Nemo 3D! Nemo will come swimming in to a theater near you on September 14th, 2012.

Did you know that "Finding Nemo" won the 2003 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature - and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy! It was the highest grossing G-rated film of all time at the time of it's release, and in 2008 The American Film Institute named "Finding Nemo" one of the top 10 greatest animated films ever made. That's a lot of accolades! We also love this film; Nemo, Dory, Crush and all the other adorable characters are some of our favorites.

Here's a quick clip for you to check out. Be sure to like Finding Nemo 3D on Facebook for more updates!

Clip courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Tasty Tuesday - Corn Chowder

2012-01-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

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At least a couple of times per month, we make this corn chowder recipe. It took us a few times, with multiple tweaks, to get it just right, but now we consider it perfect. It's also pretty quick and easy to throw together! It's a little lighter in calories than most chowders and you really can't notice a difference in taste.

Corn Chowder

4-6 strips bacon

1 sm onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 carton (32oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth

approx. 3 cups diced potatoes (fresh or canned)

2 cans creamed corn

1 can corn nibblets

2 cups 2% milk

1 packet country gravy mix

8 oz Velveeta, cubed

In a large stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove; drain on paper towels.
Add onion and celery to the bacon drippings. Saute over medium heat about five minutes, or until they are translucent.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes; return to a boil, then simmer over low heat 15-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
In a small bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk the gravy mix into the milk. Set aside.
Add both the creamed corn and corn nibblets; bring to a boil. Pour in milk mixture and return to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium; add in the cubed cheese a little at a time, stirring until each addition is completely melted.

Remove from heat. The longer the soup has to sit before serving, the more the flavors will meld. We usually try to wait 3-4 hours, but it's delicious when served immediately, too. We like ours served with cornbread on the side and topped with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, and sometimes croutons (if we're not having cornbread).

What is your favorite soup?

Forget the Resolutions Giveaway Event! (WW or US; ends 1/26/12)

2012-01-21T00:02:00.000-05:00

Hosted by Planet Weidknecht and Going Crazy!!Wanna Go??

They say it takes 21 days for something to become a habit, and it's already been three weeks since you may have made New Year's resolutions. If you're like most people (myself, included!) you've probably already broken a few of them. So have our hosts - and that's why they say FORGET THE RESOLUTIONS! Let's have a giveaway hop instead!

The Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop runs from January 21 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to January 26 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Each blogger is hosting their own giveaway of at least $20.00. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs and enter theirs too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

These fabulous bloggers are also hosting amazing giveaways:

Winnie the Pooh Day

2012-01-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

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I don't know how I missed it, but yesterday was Winnie the Pooh Day!

We are big Winnie the Pooh fans here; Baby C. adores him. To celebrate his big day, here are a few of my favorite Pooh items and pictures.

Baby C. received a Pooh & Tigger chair for Christmas from her Grammie & Grampie:

A1 and A2 also gave me a really adorable plaque and stand that has a quote from Pooh. It's so sweet!

A classic Pooh Bear pose - trying to get that honey!

I love this Pooh cake

Source: google.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

And these Pooh cookies

Source: google.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Are you a Pooh Bear fan?

Pin Me! Pinterest Thursday - Celebrate the Chinese New Year

2012-01-18T22:05:00.001-05:00

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It's our fourth week of the Pin Me! Pinterest Thursdays, and this week Matter of Cents and I choose to go with the theme of Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year kicks off on Monday of next week; this year is the year of the Dragon. I've never had a Chinese New Year's party, but after finding all these great crafts, recipes and party ideas - that may soon change!

Paper Lanterns to Make Your Party Festive

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Good-luck Goldfish

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Fortune "Cookies" (Made From Cupcake Wrappers!)

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Dragon Puppet (Uses an Egg Carton)

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Chinese Dragon Cupcakes

Source: hoosierhomemade.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Nian Gao, Chinese New Year Cake

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

New Year's Poppers

Source: niftythriftythings.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Chinese New Year's Party Ideas

Source: hoosierhomemade.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Fire-Breathing Dragon Cake

Source: familyfun.go.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

We'd love to have you link up your posts that have pins relating to the Chinese New Year. We just ask that you link to our posts (found here and here). We'd also love to have you follow us on Pinterest (I'm sure that everyone else that links up would love for you to follow the, too).

Big Screen, Big Game Giveaway - 40" LCD TV (US; ends 1/28)

2012-01-14T00:02:00.004-05:00

Welcome to the Big Screen Big Game Extravaganza!

33 bloggers have teamed up to give away a 40" LCD HDTV to one lucky winner just in time to watch the Big Game!

This giveaway ends at midnight on January 28th and is available to US residents only. The winner will be chosen on January 29th and will have 24 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be chosen.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter! Only entries completed on the form will be eligible to win.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chinese New Year Giveaway Hop (WW; ends 1/23)

2012-01-13T10:57:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the Chinese New Year Hop, brought to you by How Was Your Day.

There are more than 60 blogs participating, each with a minimum $25 prize package. We also have a Grand Prize. You can earn entries for the Grand Prize by entering the giveaways hosted on each blog. After you've entered my giveaway, be sure to visit all these other great blogs and enter to win their goodies!

MyMemories.com is providing one winner with the My Memories Suite digital scrapbook sofrware (ERV $40). This software is extremely easy to use (my personal review of it is coming soon) and there are so many kits to choose from! They also offer free digital goodies on a regular basis. You can use promo code STMMMS41921 to take $10 off your purchase of the software; it also scores you a $10 credit to download elements.

To win, enter on the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveawayNow enter the rest!

Winter Weather - Pin Me! Thursday Week 3

2012-01-11T19:08:00.001-05:00

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Matter of Cents and I are pleased to bring you Week 3 of our Pin Me! Pinterest posts (say that three times fast). This week's theme is Winter Weather.

Winter in Kentucky doesn't compare to winter in Maine in terms of severity. While we're supposed to get 2-4 inches here over the course of tomorrow and Friday, I've seen 12-14 inches (and then some) fall in the same time frame in Maine.

Not going to lie. I prefer the accumulation here.

But there's something so peaceful and so beautiful about a fresh snowfall. It's a silence that you can't describe unless you experience it yourself. And the way trees look draped after the first storm - so pretty. Here are a few of my favorite pins that highlight winter weather (including one from my hometown!).

This little guy loves the snow, too!

(It's so entertaining to watch animals try and figure the white stuff out.)

Source: peaceinlove.tumblr.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

I loved making snow sculptures when I was a kid - but nothing this great!

(We had a snow sculpture contest every year in high school. My class never won.)

Source: travelocafe.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

And who doesn't love building a snowman?

(I remember building an entire village of Smurf snow-people one winter when I was like six - no lie. Blue spray paint and everything!)

Source: upload.wikimedia.org via LMC502 on Pinterest

After the season's first snowfall in Maine.

(Isn't this pretty? For Mainiacs, it's just not Christmas without snow.)

Source: Uploaded by user via LMC502 on Pinterest

I'd love to walk down this street!

(This reminds me a little of the first few Narnia scenes in the Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.)

Source: Uploaded by user via LMC502 on Pinterest

Speaking of the Narnia movies...

(The wonderment of winter through the eyes of a child - in this case, Lucy.)

Source: Uploaded by user via LMC502 on Pinterest

Would you like to share your take on Winter Weather? Please link up below! We'd love for you to add a link to this post and the one at Matter of Cents, if you would, please. Please add your link below so everyone can see your favorite winter weather pics!

Tasty Tuesday - Baked Sliders Done Two Ways

2012-01-10T23:00:00.000-05:00

We always spend Christmas Eve at my in-laws, and Honeybaked ham has always been on the menu. This year, though, my MIL made these awesome baked sliders that someone had cooked for one of their bunco gatherings.

As much as I enjoy the Honeybaked ham, these were so very good. They're also fairly simple to make. Below are the two varieties that we noshed on, but you could make these with pretty much any combination of cold cuts. Please let me know if you try any other combos!

Baked Sliders:

24 rolls (dinner rolls, King's Hawaiian rolls, whatever you like), split

12 slices honey ham (such as Honeybaked, cut fairly thick)

12 slices deli turkey (honey roasted, smoked, etc.)

12 small slices Swiss cheese

12 small slices Cheddar cheese

1/3 C mayo

1/3 C Miracle Whip

For the Sauce:

1 T poppy seeds

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 T dry minced onion

1 1/2 T yellow mustard

1/2 C butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.
In a small bowl combine the mayo and Miracle Whip. Spread the cut sides of all the rolls with the mayo mixture.
Add one slice ham and one slice Swiss to 12 of the rolls. Add one slice turkey (you may need to fold it up, or tear it into pieces and layer) and one slice Cheddar to the remaining 12 rolls.
Cover each slider with the roll top; nestle the sliders into a large baking dish (you want them to be touching and cozy).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all 24 sandwiches. You may not use all the sauce. The sauce should cover the tops; any extra sauce you can save for dipping or another batch.
Let stand for at least 15 minutes (best if refrigerated overnight).
Cover dish with foil and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Remove the foil and return to the oven; bake an additional 2 minutes, or until the tops are lightly browned and starting to get crispy.
Serve warm.

Sorry I wasn't able to snag a picture; they were snapped up rather quickly! As soon as I'm able to make a batch of my own I'll update with a photo.

Do you have a recipe or food-related post that you'd like to share? Please link up below!

Crafts for January - Make at Home Mondays

2012-01-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

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I shared last week that one of my goals for this year is to get more crafty. So I've been spending some time on Pinterest collecting a few of my favorite crafts so I can stock up on supplies. Then as I find some time this month, I can start on them. Here are a few of my favorites. If you have a craft that you've made this week, or one on your to-do list for this month, please feel free to link up at the bottom of the post.

For Baby C.'s Room (Not yet 100% sure which one I like best. Thoughts?)

Source: wellhownice.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Source: chiccheapnursery.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Candles - These would be great for parties and centerpieces

Source: agirlinparadise.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Easy Magnets! How cute would these be with small pieces of the kiddos' artwork?

Source: notmartha.org via LMC502 on Pinterest

Phrases - Love for Valentine's, Lucky for St. Patrick's Day, Your Family's Last Name - Lots of Ideas

Source: adiamondinthestuff.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Monthly Coupon Giveaway! $350+ in Coupons (US; ends 1/18/12)

2012-01-09T01:10:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the monthly Crazy on the 8’s Coupon Giveaway!

This giveaway is hosted by myself and 7 additional sponsors: Money Saving Michele ~ Sweep Tight ~ Go Momma Coupons ~ Penny Pincher Jenny ~ Mama Bee Does ~ Mama Does It All ~ CUT IT OUT Coupon Organizers

All blogs are sponsoring $40 or more in coupons for the giveaway. Answer a simple question and you are entered to win $320+ in coupons! There are also bonus entries; the more you enter, the greater your chance to win.

This month's prize will be over $350! Our featured sponsor is Sweep Tight who is sponsoring over $60 in coupons. Sweep Tight has a team of reviewers bringing you the latest product reviews and lots of fun giveaways to enter! They also feature deals, sweepstakes and other fun topics. This month you will get 5 bonus entries if you choose to follow Sweep Tight on Google+

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST on January 18th; open to US only. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond to winning notice or a new winner will be chosen.

Disney's Tangled Ever After & Beauty and the Beast 3D - Opens January 13th!

2012-01-07T00:14:00.002-05:00

Did you know that Disney's Beauty and the Beast is returning to theaters on January 13th for a limited engagement? And for the first time ever it will be presented in Disney Digital 3D. Personally, I am thrilled. Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorites! (I even translated the lyrics from the theme song from English to French for my French class project my sophomore year of high school.)

There's another treat from Disney: the all-new short Tangled Ever After will play before the Beauty and the Beast 3D feature! I love that they're combining a classic favorite with the characters from a classic in the making (so many people loved Tangled). Here is a clip from the new short:

To stay on top of all the Beauty and the Beast news and promos, be sure to "like" Beauty and the Beast on Facebook.

$120 CASH Giveaway! (WW; ends 1/12/12)

2012-01-06T17:19:00.001-05:00

First Blogoversary: $120 CASH Giveaway!

Welcome to our celebration! Matter of Cents will officially be one year old on January 8, 2012!

TEN awesome Sponsors have contributed to this CASH Giveaway!

Enter to Win $120 Paypal (USD) by completing the entries in the Rafflecopter widget. If you don't see it, give it a minute to load or refresh your page. This giveaway will end at 11:59pm on January 12, 2012. Open Worldwide, to individuals ages 18 years and older. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is in no way sponsored by or associated with Facebook

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pin Me! Week 2 - New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-05T00:15:00.001-05:00

Pin It

Our theme for the second week of Pin Me! Thursdays is New Year's Resolutions. Yesterday I shared my 2012 goals with you; today I'll share some pins that expand on those goals.

Fitness!

I will be incorporating this arms & ab workout (plus some others).

via Jessica on Pinterest

Crafty-ness!

I will learn how to make these bracelets (and send a care package of them to A1 at college).

Source: www-en-rhed-ando.blogspot.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Cake Decorating!

I will attempt to do something similar to this for Baby C.'s 1st birthday (or practice enough so that I can for next year).

Source: cakecentral.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Organization:

I'll be doing something very similar to this (keep an eye out for my post about it).

Source: littlelucylu.com via LMC502 on Pinterest

Please link up and share your New Year's Resolutions with us! If you could follow myself and Matter of Cents on Pinterest and in your post link to this post (and the one at Matter of Cents!) that'd be awesome!

New Plans for a New Year: Welcome 2012!

2012-01-04T23:46:00.003-05:00

2011 has officially come and gone. It was definitely a year of milestones for my family and I. Here are a few of the highlights:

We welcomed Baby C. into our family in February
A1 finished up her first year of college (with just shy of a 4.0!)
A2 finished up his first year of high school
My baby brother married and added his lovely wife to our family
We had the opportunity to take a trip to Maine
Reached 4500 Facebook fans!

While those are some of the "big" ones, there were also many other smaller, lovely memories that come with day-to-day life.

And now that 2012 is here it's presenting us with a blank canvas. I have both personal and professional goals for this year, and sharing them with you is a great way to help hold myself accountable.

Goal-setting is so important. You wouldn't (or at least most of us wouldn't) say "I'd like to drive to Disney World" and then just jump in the car and hope you found your way there. Instead, you'd probably at the very least consult a map or GPS. Setting goals is really the same concept.

My 2012 goals:

A blogging facelift. I have an exciting new face - and name! - planned and will be sharing it with you all soon. Don't worry, all the things you've shared with me that you love - reviews, giveaways, crafts, recipes and more - will all still be here for you, but I'll also be bringing you some new great features and exciting content.
Increase my blogging footprint. In addition to the facelift I have planned, I hope to reach an even wide audience this year (if you'd like to invite your friends to become fans, I would love you forever!).
Networking and professional growth. I hope to be able to attend a few events this year (Blissdom, ABC Kids Expo, BlogHer) to increase my knowledge of (and network in) both the blogging industry as well as the industries of the products I use and feature.
A healthier outlook. I'm blessed to be part of the Nutrisystem Blogger Nation, and I definitely want to continue to focus on that. But what you put in your body is not the only factor in being healthy. I want to incorporate more exercise (more on that later), plus take time to occasionally recharge my batteries.
Volunteer opportunities. I was the Community Service Chairwoman of the Student Government at my college, and continued that in some of my corporate life, too. Life has been busy, though, and I don't do nearly as much as I did previously. I don't want "I just don't have time" to be an excuse, though, and I want to be sure we're setting the right example for our little one, so I will be looking for ways for us to be involved, as a family, throughout the year.

I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, but these are a good start, I think.

What about each of you? I would love to hear some of your goals for this year.

Nutrisystem #NSNation Update: Week 4

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I first started my Nutrisystem journey!

This week was not my most successful week, but to be honest, I kind of expected it to be that way. Between the yummy foods and sweets we had for Christmas Eve, Christmas day and all the leftovers - well, not much of it was Nutrisystem-friendly. But by following my Nutrisystem holiday eating tips, I was able to keep it mostly in check.

I am still loving the program. I keep discovering new favorite dishes every day. The cinnamon buns for breakfast are to die for; I could honestly eat one every day (they're so good, they couldeasily qualify asdessert, too). My favorite lunch pantry item is still the pizza, though. See how tasty:

I added lots of mushrooms (an unlimited veggie) and a couple of torn up turkey pepperonis.

Still waiting for my new SUCCESS kit, but once it arrives, I'll fill you in!

My Tally:

Previous: -5 lbs

Week 4 + .5 lbs

Total: -5 lbs

Please stop in and check on my blogger friends and see how their journey is going:

Matter of Cents

Passport to Frugal

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

As part of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger program, I am receiving my meals for free in order to facilitate my reviews. I'm receiving no additional compensation and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

New Weekly Pinterest Linky - Week 1 - New Year's Eve Ideas

2011-12-30T01:00:00.000-05:00

Pin It

You all know how addicted I am to Pinterest (for those of you that are still scratching your head a little with what Pinterest is all about, check out this post). There are just too many good ideas on there that need to be shared! So Matter of Cents and I have joined up to bring you a new weekly Pinterest linky. Each week we'll share with you some of our favorite pins or some great new finds for you to pin; often those pins will be centered around a theme, but sometimes it may just be whatever caught our fancy that week. Whatever the idea, I'm sure you'll find some personal pin-spiration.

To kick off our new feature and in preparation for NYE, this week's Pin Me! Pinterest Linky theme will be to bring you our favorite NYE party ideas, foods, crafts - anything to do with NYE. Here are a few of my own personal favorites:

Chalkboard Paint-dipped Glasses

New Year's Kids' Party Ideas

Family NYE Celebration

NYE Ball Drop Cupcakes

NYE Printables

NYE Goodie Bags

NYE Photo Op

Please visit the other blogs below and see what NYE ideas they have to share with you!

If you would like to participate by joining our linky, we'd love to have you do so. All that we ask is:

Please follow both myself and Matter of Cents on Pinterest
When creating your own Pin Me! post, you include a link to both hosts' posts (here and here).
If you'd also like to include our button, that would be awesome, too.

New Year's Hoppin' Eve Giveaway Event! #NewYearHop (WW and US; ends 1/2/12)

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Get ready for 2012 by entering to win tons of prizes! The "New Year's Hoppin' Eve" Giveaway Event is hosted by Matter of Cents and Our Family World. More than 100 blogs have joined together to give their readers several chances to win. Swagbucks is also sponsoring a Kindle Fire as the Grand Prize!

Swagbucks.com is the online rewards community that works, rewarding people for all of the things they're already doing online - search, games, watching videos, shopping, surveys and more! The Swag Bucks earned by users have helped purchase everything from diapers to video games - it's easy, it's rewarding, and it's 100% free! Bloggers: if you'd like to work with Swag Bucks in their Blogger program, please send me an email here and I will get you the contact info.

I'm sure you'd like to know what Shopping for Savings is giving away! Well I have some awesome prizes for you for three winners!

My first prize is a Shrink Yourself Premium 12-week online membership (ERV $160). Open WW. You can read more about this prize here.

My second prize is a copy of the game The Oregon Trail (for the Wii or Nintendo 3DS, winner's choice). Open US. Please read my review of the game here.

My third prize is a SolPal's MoonBeam Solar-Powered Nightlight! Open U.S. Please read my review of the MoonBeam here.

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After you've entered my giveaway, please head over to Matter of Cents and enter to win the Kindle Fire grand prize!! The grand prize is open to US and Canada only (no P.O. boxes).

After you've entered here and entered to win the grand prize, be sure to visit all the other participating blogs and enter to win their great prizes, too!

New Year's Hoppin' Eve Sponsor Spotlight: The Oregon Trail Game (Wii or Nintendo 3DS)

2011-12-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

I love games that touch on a note of nostalgia. That's why when I found out that The Oregon Trail was being gussied up and released on the Wii and Nintendo 3DS for the 40th Anniversary of the game, I was nearly beside myself with giddiness.

I remember many hours of Oregon Trail game play - back when it was on a 5-1/4" floppy! - during my elementary school years. For those that may not be aware of this classic, the Oregon Trail is set in the mid-1800s and lets players assume the role of a wagon pioneer guiding a party of settlers westward from Independence, Missouri, to Oregon City, while they follow the Oregon Trail. It's a great game on so many levels, because in addition to the fun factor, there is also luck, logic and skill involved. Do you bring an extra 200 pounds of meat in case you can't find anything to forage or hunt (and risk over-extending your oxen)? Should I rest an extra day so that a case of the sniffles doesn't turn in to cholera (but risk the water being too high at the next ford crossing)?

Since it's release in 1971, more than 65 million copies of the highly popular game have been sold. And now The game has now been modernized for play on the Wii and Nintendo 3DS systems: for the first time, players can drive the wagon on the trail (shaking the Wiimote is like cracking your whip, and you steer with the nunchuck). You can also customize the design of your wagon. In addition to steering, you can also still enjoy the standard features like hunting, foraging, fishing, trading, river fording, and interacting with travelers along the way.

If you're looking for amazing graphics and complex game play, you're probably going to be disappointed. It retains the more simple "old-school" feel of the original, which is one of the things that makes it so great. It's like enjoying a piece of history....while actually reliving history, too.

Want your own copy? This new version of The Learning Company’s classic educational action adventure game is available for a SRP of $19.99 (Wii version) and $29.99 (3DS version). The Oregon Trail is rated E-10+. Or you can win one from me! One winner will receive an Oregon Trail game for either platform.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

New Year's Hoppin' Eve Event Sponsor Spotlight: Sol Pals Solar-Powered Nightlights

2011-12-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

SolPals is the brainchild of Ron and Chantele Gustaveson and is the creator of the world's first solar-powered hybrid lights. Both Ron and Chantele have a passion for solar and wind power, and after seeing a documentary about children who lived in darkness due to not being able to afford electricity, they focused their solar power passion on a way to address the issue raised in the documentary. Their mission is to "light up the night with the power of the sun".

SolPals has two products: Moonbeams, which are nightlights for kids and the FlexLight which is a utility light. Their products use both a rechargeable battery and two backup alkaline batteries. All SolPal products have the option to be either completely solar-powered or to use the built-in hybrid technology. The hybrid sensor first utilizes all stored solar energy, then, if necessary, automatically switches to the backup alkaline batteries.

I met Ron from SolPals when I was at the ABC Kids Expo and I really liked what I saw. He was so passionate about hit product, that I knew I had to learn more. And what a unique product! We've had the opportunity to try the MoonBeam Flower-shaped nightlight in twilight blue (they also have a Star-shaped one in stardust white and more designs like dinosaurs and snowflakes coming soon). It works so much better than I had expected! I used the suction cup (it has a lock feature) to attach it to the window and as soon as it started to get dark it kicked on and the area near the window was bathed in blue light. It also gives me the peace of mind that it's not going to short out and be a fire hazard.

You can purchase your own nightlight from their website or Amazon (free shipping) for $29.99. Or you can win one from me! SolPals is providing one winner their own MoonBeam as part of my New Year's Hoppin' Eve giveaway event that starts 11/28/11.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Willow House Wirework Treasure Trio - Review & Giveaway (US; ends 12/30)

2011-12-27T19:00:00.000-05:00

I love shopping for Christmas ornaments, decor, and other items after the big day has come and gone because you can score some amazing deals. Willow House is one company that has some great discounts on Christmas products right now.

For those of you not familiar with Willow House they are a home-based company that is represented by Design Consultants - consultants like Paula Jolly who wanted to help introduce Willow House to all of you. In addition to sharing their products and ideas at parties, they’ve recently empowered ther Design Consultants to sell online so guests can shop between parties. Early next year they also plan to reveal a whole new way to shop online with an expanding collection of enhanced eBoutiques.

Willow House products are both unique and lovely. They believe that a product should make you happy each time you use or look at it. Good design should be accessible and affordable, because the days of fussy and overpriced products are gone forever. And like their namesake willow, Willow House sways with the trends but are not overwhelmed by them.

I am a big fan of Willow House products; I can always find something new that I'd like to have. Right now I've been checking out their "Seasonal" sale and found this Roxy Reindeer Cheese Plate and Spreader that I'd love to have. It was originally $39.96 and is now marked down to $11.96. I'd love to fill the plate up with crackers and use the spreader to help serve my hot artichoke dip.

And from the Outlet section, I'd like to have the Gramercy Triple Dip Stand, regularly $19.96, now marked down to $7.96.

I recently received the Wirework Treasure Trio about which I was very excited. I have lots of plans for them next year: in addition to filling them with small wrapped candies, I think I'd like to use some reindeer moss in one, maybe some tiny round glass ornaments in one. I think the round and star one could also be used for an extended season by filling them with "wintery" items, like acorns, evergreen trimmings, etc. They're very sturdy and seem like the would hold up to multiple seasons of usage.

Where to Buy:

You can purchase the Wirework Treasure Trio - or a number of other beautiful items - directly from Paula Jolly's website. The Wirework Treasure Trio, regularly $24.96, is marked down to $9.96. You can also contact her if you're interested in hosting an online show or are interested in the Willow House opportunity.

Want to Win?

Paula is providing one winner with their own Wirework Treasure Trio set! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

New Year's Hoppin' Eve Sponsor Spotlight: Shrink Yourself!

2011-12-27T18:31:00.000-05:00

Sponsor Spotlight: New Year's Hoppin' Eve Event

If one of your New Year's Eve resolutions is to lose weight, Dr. Roger Gould - author of the book Shrink Yourself - wants to help.

Dr. Gould focuses on helping you recognize emotional hunger and differentiate it from real hunger. Emotional eating is eating for reasons other than your body needs, like satisfying frustrations, and can be a problem when it's a regular occurrence. Dr. Gould's 12-week Shrink Yourself! online program is designed to help with this. Watch the video below to see more about how the program can help.

If you're wondering if you're an emotional eater, you can take this short online assessment and check your results.

The 12-week program includes topics like Good Options for Bad Feelings, Treating Yourself Well, and Growth Without Weight Gain. The Premium program also includes one individual expert consultation ($100 value). An additional valuable feature: fifteen guided sessions are available 24/7 from either your PC or phone and are reusable.

Dr. Gould is sponsoring a Premium 12-week Membership (ERV $160) for one lucky winner.

Christmas Letdown Giveaway Hop! (US; ends 12/30)

2011-12-26T00:10:00.000-05:00

The day after Christmas sometimes feels like a letdown.

All that preparation, then BAM it's over.

You're left with a hundred boxes and three garbage bags of torn paper.

Didn't get what you wanted? You're not alone.

This will cheer you up!

The Christmas Letdown Giveaway Hop, hosted by Planet Weidknecht and co-hosted by Going Crazy! Wanna Go? runs from December 26 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to December 30 @ 11:59 p.m. EST. Each blog on the linky list below has a giveaway worth at least $20.00.

You can hop from blog to blog and enter to win prizes on every single one!

Good luck and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am giving away a prize pack sponsored by Smart & Sexy valued at $50. Actual items will be selected for the winner based on their size choices. You can read my review of their items here.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blogs Participating in The Christmas Letdown Giveaway Hop:

Smart & Sexy Intimate Apparel - Review

2011-12-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

Most women I know believe that the clothes that everyone can see you wearing aren't the only ones they want to be sexy or pretty, and I tend to agree. I like my intimate apparel to be fun and stylish, even if the world doesn't know it. And who hasn't heard while growing up from their mother "Always wear nice underwear, you never know if you might be in an accident!".

Intimate apparel can be pricey, though, which can be a deterrent from having a closet full of the stuff. Smart & Sexy aims to provide indulgent sleepwear, bras, panties and swimwear that is affordable. With chemises as low as $15, I think they're hitting their target.

I've also always been a little bit of a sucker from matching bra and panty sets. I honestly can spend an hour or more in intimate apparel stores looking through them. Most of the time it's hard to find a set under $50 which means only one new one at a time. With sets from Smart & Sexy priced at $15 I'd be able to pick up three different ones for the same price!

Below are a couple other items I like: Leopard-print Tankini and Black & White Racerback Chemise.

I received a couple of items from Smart & Sexy that aren't currently on their website. The sleepwear item has a built-in bra that makes it easier to fit, which I really loved. Being a little "chesty" sometimes it's hard to find chemises that are big enough to fit my chest but aren't too big allover.

Where to Buy:

You can purchase Smart & Sexy items directly from their website.

Want to Win?

Click here and then fill out the Rafflecopter form!

To stay on top of promotions, contests and more you can like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

Nutrisystem Week 3 Update & Exciting News! #NSNation

2011-12-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

My third week of Nutrisystem is down - and so am I. Down another half pound, that is! I know 8 ounces might not sound like much to be excited about, but it's eight ounces towards my goal and not away from it, so I'm happy.

One of my favorite food items this week: the pantry Flatbread pizza. It was amazingly yummy, and as we're supposed to add a few fruits and vegetables each day, I topped mine with lots of mushrooms and a few leaves of baby spinach. So good! Another favorite? The pound cake. I saved one of my fruit servings during the day and added a couple of chunks of fresh pineapple to it as sort of a deconstructed pineapple upside down cake. It made a great dessert.

This past week the Nutrisystem Nation Bloggers also had the opportunity to try three of the new Chef's Table Dinner Collection Meals (there are seven in all). The Chef’s Table Collection uses new microwaveable steamer bag technology to help create some of the tastiest microwave foods possible. The entrees include Citrus Barbeque Glazed Pork, Steak Tagliata and Moroccan Inspired Chicken. The meals were created by the Nutrisystem Celebrity Chef Culinary Council; members include:

Tony Mantuano, chef/partner of the only four-star Italian restaurant in Chicago, Spiaggia; a James Beard Foundation winner for Best Chef of the Midwest and a finalist on Top Chef Masters Season 2
Michael Solomonov, owner of Philadelphia’s award-winning restaurant Zahav, 2011 James Beard Foundation winner and contender on Food Network’s hit series,“Iron Chef America.”
Kent Rathbun, owner of award-winning Texas restaurants including: Abacus, Jasper’s, Shinsei, Rathbun’s Blue Plate Kitchen and KB’s Woodfire Grill; thrived in the national scene as a winner on Food Network’s hit series, “Iron Chef America.”
Mark Estee, owner of newly opened CAMPO in Reno; also known for his dedication to local products and his acclaimed restaurants in Nevada and California.
Carmen Gonzalez, known in the culinary world for over 20 years as a talented and award-winning chef, as well as for fusing Puerto Rican influences with modern American cuisine; most recently a finalist on Top Chef Masters Season 2.

The Citrus Barbeque Glazed Pork was really great - a nice amount of kick without being overpowering, and came with a roasted corn salsa that I liked.

The other piece of exciting news? Nutrisystem has a new face, and that face belongs to...

Janet Jackson! She is helping Nutrisystem kick off SUCCESS, the most comprehensive weight loss program to date. The SUCCESS approach is designed to help take the weight off and keep it off through frequent, portion-controlled, balanced nutrition and low Glycemic Index eating. The SUCCESS program offers Nutrisystem’s largest ever assortment of signature artisanal fresh-frozen meals (including those new Chef’s Table dinner entrees); new chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee advanced protein shakes; the introduction of a personalized “My Daily 3™” physical activity program; and increased personalization and flexibility through transition and maintenance plans that help consumers manage their weight on their own. I'll have more info on SUCCESS for you when my new kit gets here next week.

My Tally:

Previous: -5 lbs

Week 3 - .5 lbs

Total: -5.5 lbs

Please stop in and check on my blogger friends and see how their journey is going:

Matter of Cents

Passport to Frugal

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Sing4 The Hits Edition (With Microphone!) for the Wii - Review & Giveaway (US; ends 12/26)

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Teens/Him/Her

(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

We enjoy most of those singing shows that are on TV - you know, the ones that pluck people out of relative obscurity and give them a chance to be a star? A1 even considered trying out for one when they came to town a few years ago (she should have; that girl can sing). So when we had the chance to try out the new Sing4: The Hits Edition, I knew it was going to be a winner.

Sing4 is unique in the fact that it's the first singing game with high-precision lyrics that can tell the difference between actually singing and just humming. It also comes with 40 songs from artists like Train, the B52s, Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, Michael Bublé, Queen and many others. You can also download additional tracks to give you even more to choose from. The game has four modes: Solo, Duet (sing together, each taking a different part; highest score wins), Battle (up to four compete by singing the same piece, highest score wins), and Co-op (combined score; everyone sings the parts they're best at).

The words come up on the screen, just like karaoke. And once A2 pointed out to us that the next line of lyrics was on the screen in the line under the current lyrics, we were all much more successful. The bars that are superimposed on the video (see below) let you know if the notes will be high/low or go up/down and also give you a sense for how long the sound should be held. You'll also get instant feedback - like "Perfect!" and "Try Harder!".

We've had a lot of fun with this game. There is a good mix of songs, so everyone is able to find something they like or at least remotely know the words to. I am glad, too, that there are more songs available via download (I hope they add more soon, too). Everyone took a turn - some braver (younger) folks took a few. Even Baby C. was doing her little "dance" while everyone sang. There was a lots of friendly competition; I have to be honest and say A1 and A2 kicked our butts. Still, it's nice to be able to find a game the whole family can play together.

Sing4 is also sponsoring a contest right now. You could win $10,000 just by singing one of four songs and uploading your video. Videos must be uploaded by January 31st, 2012; visit their YouTube page for more info.

Where to Buy:

Sing4: The Hits Edition retails for $39.99; Amazon also has it with free shipping.

Want to Win?

One winner will receive a copy of the game plus the microphone. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Twas the Night After Christmas - Review & Giveaway - 2 Winners (US & WW; ends 12/23)

2011-12-19T22:21:00.001-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Toddlers/Kids
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

I know you've heard me say a number of times how much I love books, and especially Christmas books. Now someone has found a way to extend the joy and excitement that comes with Christmas stories; there is "The Night After Christmas" book.

"The Night After Christmas" picks up where the iconic "The Night Before Christmas" book leaves off. It takes you back to the North Pole with Santa after the presents have all been delivered and the children are all snuggled in bed with their new gifts. I always wondered what Santa did on Christmas night - and now I know!

Baby C. has let me read this to her a few times and she loves the illustrations. I'm sure this will find a home in our yearly reading rotation. I've heard from a few others that it's quickly become a much-loved book in their homes. I think you will love it, too.

Where to Buy:

"The Night After Christmas" is available in both soft cover ($8.99) and eBook ($0.99) form from retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Buy.com.

Want to Win?

One winner (US only) will win a copy in soft cover and one winner (WW) will receive an eBook version. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

Flash Giveaway! 5 Winners Get An iCaughtSanta Photo (WW; ends 12/20)

2011-12-19T20:53:00.001-05:00

Are your tots a little on the fence this year about Santa? Or maybe you just want to create a little holiday magic for a kid - or a kid at heart. iCaughtSanta.com lets you place Kris Kringle, himself, right in your own home or other personal setting.

Creating a photo is quick and easy. Just visit iCaughtSanta.com and upload a photo of your tree, your child's bedroom, a friend's kitchen - whatever would have the most impact for your recipient. Then add in Santa; there are 20 poses to choose from to help make your photo as authentic as possible. You can flip and rotate Santa's image, zoom your background picture and edit in other ways for the best results. It took me less than 5 minutes. See the video below for additional information.

From there, you can download your finished product to use however you see fit. You can order prints of them, print them yourself, share them on Facebook, etc. Baby C. loves Santa but is still too young for the concept; I'll definitely be ordering one of these when she's older, however, so that she can enjoy the excitement.

Where to Buy:

Single photos are available from iCaughtSanta.com for $9.99 or you can get four photos and a video for $24.98. Use promo code SAVE25 to save 25%.

Want to Win?

Five winners will each receive one free photo! Since it's already close to Christmas and I want you to have them in time, this will be a flash giveaway - open only until midnight tomorrow night! So get your entries in quick by filling out the Rafflecopter form below.

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.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Two Winners - Jewelry Prize Pack Giveaway! (US/Can; ends 12/23)

2011-12-16T23:30:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Want to win that great jewelry I shared reviews on today? Here's your chance! There will be two winners; you get to choose your prize pack!

The first prize pack will include the Reija Eden necklace and the Charm Factory bracelet.

The second prize pack will include the World Vision necklace and SG Designs bracelet and card.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: SG Designs - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; ends 12/23)

2011-12-16T23:00:00.003-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Sometimes when you're looking for something specific it's good to go to a source that specializes in that type of gift. So if you are looking for a bracelet, SG Designs has dozens for you to choose from.

SG Designs specializes in bracelets crafted from semiprecious stone, stone and faux semiprecious stones. Stephanie - the owner and designer behind SG Designs - also creates necklaces and earrings. In addition to the numerous bracelet choices available on Stephanie's site, she will also create custom designs for your bridal party, a special design for your family, a party, anything you can think of.

Stephanie has an Art degree from York College of Pennsylvania. She worked for an art consulting company for 20 years before making the transition to real estate. Art is still a huge part of her life, however; in addition to designing jewelry, she also draws, paints and enjoys photography.

I had a hard time choosing a favorite bracelet; there are so many color and stone combinations to choose from. In the end, I selected the Olive Jade bracelet with silver tone accents. I thought that the olive green stones would go well with a number of outfits, and I love earth tones to start with.

Stephanie also included one of her original watercolor, handmade greeting cards. It's mistletoe - so whomever you give it to will owe you a kiss!

Where to Buy:

You can purchase Stephanie's designs - jewelry, cards, drawings, paintings, murals - from her website.

Want to Win?

One reader will win one of the Olive Jade with Silver Tone accents bracelets and a mistletoe card. To enter, click here and fill out the Rafflecopter form.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Charm Factory Bracelets and Charms - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; ends 12/23)

2011-12-16T23:00:00.002-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Charms and charm bracelets are a hot item right now. When we in Maine for my brother's wedding a few months ago, I had the chance to meet up for lunch with two of my good girlfriends. One of them had a really pretty charm bracelet on and mentioned that nearly everyone had been purchasing them over the last year.

I looked into the trend and found that a lot of the bracelets and charms out there were a little on the pricey side. So I was really pleased to find the Charm Factory; their charms are extremely similar in appearance to some with price tags dozens of times the price. I did wonder a bit if the quality would be as good, but when I received my bracelet I could tell the quality was much better than the price implied.

For example, the Glass Lampwork beads are less than $3 each! Right now they're even on sale for less than half that. They're really pretty, too. Here are a couple of samples:

They also have a ton of cute charms. Some of my favorites are:

If you'd like something already put together for you, you can purchase one of their new beaded bracelets.

You can purchase a bracelets in birthstone colors, graduation theme with year (choose your own school colors), "Mom", and others. Having just had Baby C. I was drawn to the Mom one, which comes in red and blue (I, of course, had to choose blue - UK colors!).

Where to Buy:

Charm Factory bracelets and charms can be purchased directly from their website. Orders for Christmas delivery can be placed (via Priority mail) up through 12/20.

Want to Win?

One winner will win their choice of beaded bracelet (available in sizes 7.5", 8" or 9"). To enter, click here and fill out the Rafflecopter form.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: World Vision Gifts - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; ends 12/23)

2011-12-16T23:00:00.001-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

If you'd like to purchase a unique gift that will make both you and the recipient feel good World Vision gifts is a nice place to start.

World Vision provides help both abroad and here in the United States; some of your donations could be helping a neighbor down the road. Some of the ways your money can help people here at home include distribution centers that provide school supplies, disaster relief, and life skills training for high-risk youth.

World vision has 36 items that allow you to give a meaningful gift while changing the life of the beneficiary to your purchase. Your gift will provide things like food, clean water, micro-loans, and ways for families to generate income. For example, your $100 donation will earn you Gertie the Plush Goat to keep or give - and will provide a real live goat to a family, helping them to feed and nourish their family with the milk, cheese, and yogurt, plus income from selling the extra at market. Check out the video below to see more about how the Gift Catalog works.

One of the other items World Vision has in their Gift Catalog is an Artisan Multi-colored Necklace. The necklace is made from semi-precious stones and glass beads. You can wear it long or short, or even as a belt! The necklace is your gift for a donation of $100 - money that will go to help stop human-trafficking.

You might also consider visiting “The True Spirit of Christmas Tour” Facebook page. For the third consecutive year, World Vision staff will be traveling across the world to see the impact that goats, sheep and other gifts have on family and children.

Where to Buy:

You can shop the Gift Catalog on the world Vision website.

Want to win?

One winner will receive one of the Artisan Multi-colored Necklaces, pictured above. To enter, click here and fill out the Rafflecopter form.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Get Holiday Sparkle With Reija Eden Jewelry - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; ends 12/23)

2011-12-16T23:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Are you looking for just the right piece of jewelry for that special someone? Or maybe to finish off your own holiday "look"? Reija Eden Jewelry offers unique gemstone jewelry, fashion jewelry, and hand-picked exquisite diamond jewelry pieces

The Reija Eden Jewelry Signature Collection features designs carefully crafted by jewelry designer Reija Eden in Huntington Beach, California. The jewelry is made using genuine gemstones, freshwater pearls, argentium silver, sterling silver, recycled sterling silver and 14K gold-filled components. The designs are runway- and red carpet-worthy, following the most current jewelry and fashion trends - yet being equally classy and timeless.

Reija has so many unique and beautiful pieces that it's hard to pick out just a few pieces to share with you. I like these Peruvian Chalcedony Silver Earrings, this fashion Long Rhinestone Ring, and this 14K White Gold Diamond Heart Bracelet.

One of my most favorite items - and the one you can win! - is the Sterling Silver Flat Faceted Chalcedony Gemstone Necklace. I love the color, the shape - everything! It's a really beautiful necklace that will go with so many things. It's casual enough that it can be worn during the day (it would look especially nice with a suit at work) but classy enough that it dresses up with you when you're ready to go out for a special occasion.

Where to Buy:

Visit Reija Eden Jewelry's website to purchase any of these pieces or dozens of others!

Want to Win?

One winner will receive the Sterling Silver Flat Faceted Chalcedony Gemstone Necklace, pictured above. To enter click here and fill out the Rafflecopter form.

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Deck Your Nails With Julep Polishes - Review & Giveaway (US; ends 12/23)

2011-12-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Her
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

You may already have your outfits selected for all the holiday parties this season, but have you thought about your accessories yet? One item I consider an accessory - and that I love to shop for - is nail polish. Nail polish to me is really quite awesome; it finishes off any look, is easy to change and allows you to keep up with seasonal trends without breaking the bank.

If you're like me in your love of polish - or you have someone on your shopping list that is - you will love Julep's holiday sets. Whether as a gift or stocking stuffer any of their polishes would be sure to please.

Julep is a boutique nail salon that is also a place where girlfriends can go to take a moment for fun and style. They want to be a space where women can gather and find themselves, to connect and celebrate as part of a community. They are very focused on their message and they put their money where their mouth is; $1 of every nail color sold goes to organizations that support women. Check out the below pilot clip of the PBS show "Trendspotting" to see more.

I love burgundys and other shades along those lines so I'm really enjoying the Demi polish in the Julep Holiday Reds set (see below). The Brooklyn shade is my next favorite of the three; I enjoy the touch of sparkle that really steps it up for the holidays. The third shade is called January and it's a real, tomato-red with a bit of shine to it. I've never tried wearing true reds but I'm looking forward giving it a try at one of my upcoming parties. I love the quality of the polishes and how easy they are to apply. They also wear nicely; a lot of polishes chip I use chip after the first day or two because of the amount of time I spend at the keyboard and these did not. I'm totally in love.

I also really like the Silver Belle's Holiday Polish Collection (I'm a sucker for silver and slate gray).

And if you'd like to make an entire group of friends smile for the holidays, consider purchasing the Julep Spa Pedicure At-Home Party for 6. It comes with four polish colors, topcoat, basecoat, Pomegranate Body Creme, Cosmopolitan Mix and 6 each of the following: orange sticks, nail brushes, toe separators, nail files, and pedi slippers. (If Santa's elves are reading I want this please.)

Where to Buy:

All of the holiday collections - and much more - can be found on Julep's site. Both the Holiday Reds and Silver Belles collections retail for $42 and the Pedicutre Kit for 6 retails for $84 (a $145 value). As a special for you all Julep has given us promo code SHOPPINGFORSAVINGS - use it to take 15% off your purchase!

Want to Win?

One winner will receive the Holiday Reds Collection! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Amusing Treats Custom Brownies & Cookies - Review & Giveaway (US; Ends 12/22)

2011-12-15T23:34:00.001-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Your Holiday Table
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

If you're looking for a tasty snack for your holiday party or dessert table, or if you'd like to give the gift of food but want something just a little bit different and more personalized, then amusing treats is a place from which to consider ordering.

amusing treats - owned by Sharon Muse - bakes up homemade (yummy!) custom brownies and sugar cookies from scratch in small batches; they would be perfect for anyone on your holiday shopping list - or birthdays, weddings, showers, graduation or just because. Their brownies are made with two kinds of chocolate, are individually hand-cut, dipped in white chocolate and then topped with the image of your choice on edible icing paper. The sugar cookies are hand-rolled and covered with a homemade fondant, then topped with the edible icing paper. Sharon has been baking for over 20 years to get her confections just right.

We recently had the opportunity to sample some of her brownies and cookies and I have to say they were yummy. The brownies especially were excellent. At first I thought they were going to be a little bit hard because when I picked them up they didn't really have much "give", but that didn't actually end up being the case. As soon as I bit into it, it was soft, chewy and fudgey. I can definitely see myself ordering a batch of these with a custom design for a company function or for a baby or bridal shower. You can even have your brownies or cookies cut into a custom shape for a small extra fee.

Where to Buy:

You can order directly from the amusing treats website; cookies and brownies start at $2.50 each.

Want to Win?

One winner will receive their choice of one dozen brownies or one dozen cookies with your own design! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Little Toader Appeteethers - Review & Giveaway (Us/Can; ends 12/22)

2011-12-15T22:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Stocking Stuffer Suggestions

(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

In addition to the cute Storybook PJs I shared with you earlier, Little Toader also produces the Appeteether. These "Appetizer Teethers" are a fun and unique choice of teether for your little one.

The Appeteethers currently come in two varieties (though a little birdie tells me additional selections may soon be on the way): Chompin' Chicken Wing and Baby-Q Ribs. It's kind of funny to watch your little one chomping away on their own BBQ rib.

The teethers were designed to me more than humorous - they're made to reduce teething discomfort. All Little Toader teething toys are nontoxic, BPA-free, lead free, PVC free, and Phthalate free. Each batch of Appeteethers is tested by an independent third party organization to ensure the highest level of safety and comply with all Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements. They also have varying colors and textures to stimulate baby's senses.

Baby C. loves hers; she chews on it all day. It's held up excellently, even now that she is sporting one very sharp little tooth!

Where to Buy:

You can purchase Appeteethers from the Little Toader website. Regular retail is $14.99, but until December 31, 2011 everything is at least 30% off, so they are $9.99. They also come in a sampler pack with one of each for $18.89 (reg. $26.99).

Want to Win?

One reader will win their choice of a Chicken Wing or Rib teether. To enter click here and fill out the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of the post.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Little Toader Storybook PJs - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; ends 12/22)

2011-12-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Babies/Toddlers
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

There's a unique concept in the world of pajamas and it comes courtesy of a company called Little Toader. They have created Storybook PJs - a book and pajamas that are designed to be used together.

Little Toader is owned run by husband and wife team Lori and Michael and is located in Florida. With three children of their own (and one on the way) they often found themselves saying "they should make..." And so they decided to do just that. They've created a line of safe, unique and fun items for babies and kids.

I had the pleasure of meeting the Little Toader folks at the ABC Kids Expo this year and they were such a sweet couple. You can tell they have passion around their products and their work and it was infectious. They also produce the Appeteether which will make your little one giggle.

The Storybook PJs come with a book - Adventures in Dreams - that is meant to be read while the pajamas are worn. The images used in the book correspond to the images printed on the PJs. So as you read the book they can search for the images on their jammies to make it more interactive.

The PJs are unisex and are 100% cotton with a snug-fit design for safety. They're really cute and the water color effect gives them kind of a soft, brushed look. I would encourage you to order the next size up, though. We have the 6-12 month size and Baby C. fell in the weight and height range indicated on the size chart, but they were a little small for her.

Where to Buy:

You can purchase Storybook PJs from the Little Toader website. Regular retail is $29.99, but until December 31, 2011 everything is at least 30% off, so they are $19.99.

Want to Win?

One reader will win a set of Storybook PJs in size 12-18 months or 18 months. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Howard B. Wigglebottom Christmas Book - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; ends 12/22)

2011-12-15T18:43:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Toddlers/Kids
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

I love books and I'm excited that Baby C. loves them, too. One type of book that has always had a special place in my heart is Christmas books. I remember my Dad reading The Night Before Christmas to me during every Christmas season as a child, and since then, I've collected Christmas books of any kind.

Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Power of Giving: A Christmas Story was a very sweet. Howard B. Wigglebotttom is a bunny that learns that giving is better than getting. At the start of the story, he's not very good about sharing, he doesn't listen very well to his parents, and all he can think about is himself. But when he gets separated from his family and finds himself scared and alone, a set of new friends with less fortunate circumstances helps show him just how lucky he has been all along.

The Wigglebottom books are published by the We Do Listen Foundation. The We Do Listen Foundation is a non-profit that aims to help children communicate in more effective ways. In order to achieve this goal, they create media that helps children learn how to listen, learn important life lessons, and feel good about themselves.

Where to Buy:

All ten Wigglebottom books can be purchased from the We Do Listen website. The books retail for $15 but are currently on sale for $6! They are also available from Amazon (free shipping with Prime).

Want to Win?

One winner will win an autographed copy of their choice of any Howard B. Wilgglebottom book! To win, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Gyro Bowl - Review & Giveaway (US; ends 12/22)

2011-12-15T17:47:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Babies/Toddlers
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

I think pretty much everyone has caught a commercial for the Gyro Bowl at one point or another. We've seen it dozens of times and have sometimes wondered - with a hefty dose of skepticism - whether the bowl actually works. Well, it does.

We received a Gyro bowl recently and so far everything we've put in it has stayed put while we've twirled it around. Granted, we haven't tried liquids yet (that particular experiment is an "outdoor fun" kind of thing and needs to wait until warmer weather), but everything else has been fine. Baby C. loves playing with it, too; she turns it around and around, and tries to spin the inner portion.

If you're looking for a stocking stuffer for the tot set, this could be a good choice. In addition to the fact that it will keep their snacks from spilling all over the car on trips to Grandma's, it also doubles as a bit of a toy and will give them a little distraction.

The Gyro Bowl is BPA-free and top-rack dishwasher safe.

Where to Buy:

You can find them in most stores that sell "As Seen On TV" items or you can purchase two bowls for $14.99 (B1G1F) plus shipping online.

Want to Win?

One winner will receive a Gyro Bowl of their own. To win, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

Looking For a Last Minute Gift That Gives Back? Adopt a Serta Sheep!

2011-12-14T23:51:00.001-05:00

If you're still doing your Christmas shopping, consider making a purchase that not only will bring a smile to your recipient's face, but will also raise money to fight cancer.

Serta, the mattress company that runs the commercials featuring those cute counting sheep, has partnered with City of Hope - a top center in cancer research, treatment and education - for the “Adopt-a-Sheep for the Fight Against Cancer Event.” Serta has created a limited edition #60 Counting Sheep plush toy that you can officially “adopt.” All profits from the #60 Counting Sheep will be donated to City of Hope.

Sheep can be adopted on the Serta website for $16.99. This Counting Sheep is a limited edition and carries the special Adopt-a-Sheep for the Fight Against Cancer seal. It's the first and only Counting Sheep with lavender eyes. Every #60 Counting Sheep comes with an enclosure card with instructions on how you can register your Counting Sheep online, select a unique name for it, download a keepsake Adoption Certificate customized with your Sheep's name and dedicate your adoption to a loved one.

These sheep are really very cute. If you know anyone that's been touched by cancer, someone who loves gifts that are philanthropic in nature, or that person that "has it all", this would make a great gift for them. I also think they could be a great teaching tool for little ones; you could discuss the importance of doing things for others, fund-raising, charity, etc.

If you were given one of these sweet friends, what would you name it?

Make at Home Monday - Christmas Clothesline Decoration

2011-12-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

Make at Home Monday is also late this week, but I wanted to share with you a quick and easy Christmas decoration that you can make.

I first saw this sold by AVON like a decade ago and I thought it was so cute. It's really easy to duplicate and customize to your tastes, though. All you need, is...

Clothesline (or cording)

Mini clothespins (I've seen them at Walmart, Michael's, etc.)

Miniature or doll-sized winter or Santa clothes

Cut a length of cording about 6" longer than you want your finished swag to be. Tie off a small loop at both ends (for hanging). Along the length of the cord, evenly space out and attach the mini clothespins.

Use each clothespin to attach an article of clothing. You could do an all-winter theme with mittens, scarves, knitted hats, socks, thermal jammies, etc. Or you could do a Santa theme with red pants/overalls, red jacket, Santa hat - even his sack for toys. Or combine the themes - make new ones! Whatever you'd like, that's one of the best parts of the craft.

I found a cute pair of mittens at Hallmark to use (they were a package tie-on, less than $1). I'd also recommend checking the newborn section for socks and maybe even hats and mittens. You could always make a few items from felt, too.

Tasty Tuesday - Christmas Baking Part 1

2011-12-14T23:00:00.000-05:00

Tasty Tuesday is a day late this week, so I guess technically this is technically Tasty Wednesday. I think that no matter what the day is, you'll find these are pretty tasty.

Every year I do an assortment of Christmas baking for our family and friends. I try to bake different things each year to mix it up a little. This year Pinterest was a great source for inspiration. I'm still elbow-deep in melted chocolate, so this will be Part One; next week I'll share the rest of my confections and creations.

So far I have made...

Christmas Tree Brownies

Toffee-Pretzel Bark (from the Brown Eyed Baker)

Chocolate-Dipped Pretzel Rods

...and Chex Mix.

Are you doing any baking this year? If so, what are you making?

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Skylar Luna PJs - Review & Giveaway (US; 12/22)

2011-12-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Babies/Toddlers/Kids

(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Pajamas - or "jammies" as we refer to them as around here - are a fairly common Christmas present, especially for the tot set. A lot of families I know make it a Christmas eve tradition to give a new set of PJs and then cuddle up for a cocoa and Christmas story before setting out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer.

If you're considering new jammies as a gift this year then I think you will love Skylar Luna. Their two-piece pajama sets are absoluetly adorable and any child would love to snuggle down in them and dream up some visions of sugarplums. They would also make for a super-cute Christmas picture of the kiddos.

Skylar Luna is a new organic cotton pajama line designed by a mom who wanted something soft, safe and stylish for her boys. She also wanted something that more closely resembled the way they dress during the day. Out of that desire the Skylar Luna collection - which is offered in 8 colorways - was born. The line is just hitting stores and will be sold at boutiques as well as Barneys and Nordstrom.

The collection runs from 12-18 months to size 8 for boys and girls, and meets the CPSC guidelines for children’s sleepwear. It features snug-fitting, two-piece bodies constructed of yarn-dyed, 100-percent organic cotton. Flat seams contribute to the pajamas’ supple, cuddly feel.

These PJs are seriously some of the cutest I've ever seen. They are also incredibly soft. Baby C. is pretty tall right now (95th percentile) and so we specifically look for jammies that don't have feet and these fit the bill perfectly. We've washed the pair we received a few times now and they look exactly the same as the day they arrived - no fading, pulling, stretching. Even my hubby said how great these PJs were.

Where to Buy:

You can purchase Skylar Luna pajamas directly from their site or a number of retail locations around the country. The pajamas retail for $42 and right now you receive free shipping on all online orders.

Want to Win?

One winner will receive a set of pajamas in their choice of size and color! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Note: The Rafflecopter form has undergone some changes. If you have any problems filling out any entries, please leave me a comment so I can investigate.

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Cahootie - Review & Giveaway (US; 12/22)

2011-12-14T02:32:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Stocking Stuffer Suggestions
(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Do you remember "cootie catchers" from when you were a kid? They were those folded paper "fortune tellers" that told you if Billy liked you, or if Sally was going to own a mansion when she grew up. They were the perfect decision-maker because they were readily available and easy to customize to the situation.

Cootie catchers have been reinvented; the new Cahooties have been developed to enhance the iconic game to deliver fun, learning and connection among tweens and their friends & families.

Cahooties come in nearly two dozen themes, including Birthday Diva, Slumber Party, My Fab Family and Dogs Rule (in partnership with Animal Planet). Each Cahootie comes with one durable, pre-folded laminated paper game printed with colorful graphics that match the theme, plus 40 removable stickers to help keep the game fresh. Just open the flaps on the Cahootie and place the stickers under each one - eight total. You then play the game, choosing flaps as you go, until the final flap is lifted to reveal a coordinating sticker and either trivia, a fortune, or a challenge.

We had fun playing with our Cahootie - it definitely brought back memories! This would make a cute stocking stuffer for a tween on your list.

Where to Buy:

Cahooties can be purchased from retailers like Amazon or Toys R Us.

Want to Win?

One winner will receive a Cahootie of their own! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

ENTER HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received product in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.

2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Dave Ramesy's Financial Peace for Kids - Review & Giveaway (US/Can; 12/22)

2011-12-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Holiday Gift Guide - Suggestions For Kids/Tweens

(Be sure to check out all the other great Gift Guide items and giveaways here.)

Are your kids interested in finances? Do they wonder how money is earned - and how to spend it? Would you like to give a gift that's not only fun, but educational, too?

If the answers to those questions are yes, then you may be interested in the products that make up the Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace for Kids line. The products - which include books, a bank, and a kit full of items - help kids develop financial expertise in fun, easy-to-learn manner.

The book series is based on Junior, a young boy who learns the valuable lessons of giving, sharing, and spending. There are six illustrated books in the series that cover lessons like “Junior Discovers Spending,” “Junior Discovers Work,” and “Junior Discovers Integrity.” The books are also available in an audio format and come in an aluminum lunchbox with Junior and his friends on the front.

The Financial Peace Jr. kit comes with wet-erase boards to keep track of savings and commission; an activity book with stories and games; magnets for giving, saving, and spending; a kid’s sized calculator; envelope system; and an instruction manual for parents. The kit helps parents teach kids how to implement the principles they read about in the book series.

Junior also has a bank, divided up into sections for Giving, Spending and Saving, which lets kids apply in real life what they are learning. The bank features the characters from the Junior book series and is clear plastic so that kids are able to see their money grow. The kit is great, too; the activities

I think these products would be great for any kid who is starting to be curious about how money works. I especially like the bank with it's separate sections. Teaching kids from a young age to set aside money for both savings and charity is an important lesson, in my opinion. I also enjoyed that everything was approached in a fun way, and not "oh-my-goodness-if-you-don't-save-now-you'll-wind-up-living-in-a-box-during-your-retirement" kind of way. Honestly, I would have loved to have had this set when I was a kid.

Where to Buy:

All items are available from Dave Ramesy's website. The set of 6 Junior books is available for $59.99; the audiobooks are available in a collectible lunchbox for $39.95; Financial Peace, Junior retails for $19.95; and the bank is available for $19.95. You can purchase all three as one set if you purchase the Kid's Monster Pack which is on sale for $49.95 (save 58%!).

Want to Win?

One winner will receive the Kid's Monster Pack! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. You will notice something new with the Rafflecopter form. You can either log in with your Facebook account OR enter your name and email (the link to click is just under the Facebook log in). Once you log in, you will see the mandatory entry/entries. After completing the mandatory piece, the optional entries will show. You can complete as many or as few as you'd like. When you come back each day, the items you've already completed will be grayed out and only the ones still available for completion or the daily options will show. Logging in just allows the Rafflecopter form to be record for you what you've already done - so that you don't see a giveaway two weeks later and say "Did I do that already?" or if you have to leave the page and finish entering later, you can pick up where you left off.

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received the Kid's Monster Pack in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% mine and my family's.