Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Fireplaces

When we built our home (a long time ago) our plans called for a fireplace.  I love fireplaces!  I've always wanted one.  Then we found out that because of county regulations we couldn't have a fireplace unless it was the primary source of heat in our home, plus we would have to pay an outrageous permit fee just for the fireplace.  Needless to say, we don't have a fireplace in our home.

I still want a fireplace!  I've been looking at electric fireplaces.  Not that I can afford one yet, but I'm doing all the research I can.  I found this great website called www.become.com  You can do searches on just about any product you can think of.  For instance, I did a search on used fireplace and found a wealth of sites that are helpful to me.  What are used fireplace inserts you ask?  They are fireplaces that you can insert into an existing space or you can just put against your wall. 
Isn't this gorgeous!   So, there might be hope after all for me to have my fireplace!  Some day....

In the mean time I'll keep checking out used fireplace inserts for sale, and I'll keep dreaming... because some day I'll have my fireplace, one way or another!

Disclosure:  I received compensation for this post.  The opinions expressed are all my own and free of charge.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

I Caught Santa!

I found the neatest website!  It's called iCaughtSanta.com.  You can make a very fun photo to surprise everyone with!

In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don't have kids yourself.

It really is simple, all I did was take a picture of our living room, insert Santa, and voila!  Very cool picture!  My kids are going to love this!  I'm going to show them on Christmas morning!

You can download the finished picture, or send it to a place like Walgreens where they will print it for you.  I also received an email with a video attached showing Santa in your home.  Very fun!

Go on, try it!  The price is reasonable and it's so much fun!  Check it out at iCaughtSanta.com

Disclosure:  I received a code to use for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Blue Sky Scrubs

I love Scrubs!  I loved them when I worked in the medical field and I love them now just to wear around the house!  They are so comfy!

I found a great site that has scrubs, lots and lots of scrubs!  Check out http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women


What I really like about these scrubs are they aren't your typical square-shaped scrubs!  The tops are tapered at the waist, and the bottoms have between a flare leg and a boot-cut look to them.  Plus they come in a rainbow of colors!


Check out the cool design on the pocket of the scrub pants!

They even have scrub sets for kids and toddlers!  How fun is that?!  It would be a great gift for dress-up, pretend play, or just a comfy durable outfit for the kiddos!

Whether you work in the medical field or not, everyone needs a great pair of scrubs!  Go check out Blue Sky Scrubs

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Pennysaver Contest!

Hi all!

I just found out about another contest and thought I'd pass it along to all you crafters!

PennysaverUSA and MOGASA are asking you to send in a picture of a holiday craft you've made.  Submit it by 12/29/11 and if your craft is selected will win $250 or $300! Who couldn't use a little extra cash right now!?

You can find the details and entry form here!

Now, get busy and send in those pictures!  Good luck!

Friday, December 16, 2011

ABBA You Can Dance - Oh, yes I can!

ABBA, Did someone say ABBA?  I admit it freely, I am a huge ABBA fan, was then, still am!  So when I was offered the opportunity to host an ABBA You Can Dance Houseparty... I jumped at the chance!

Over the years I have been carefully crafting my children into ABBA fans too (insert evil laugh here) and they can sing along to almost every ABBA song.  So, I carefully sat them down, told them we got to review ABBA You Can Dance and have a party at the same time... well... did you hear the joyous screaming and whooping all the way to your home?

To add to the building excitement, we received a Disco Ball in the mail.  Yes, I did say Disco Ball!  How fun is that!  We turned it on to get a preview of it, and wow!  Our home seemed like a Disco Palace!  Bring on ABBA!

The night of the party arrived and what fun we had!  The kids were greeted with a Disco Ball and groovy lighting, lots of yummy fondue (yes, every 70's party has to have fondue!) and ABBA playing in the background!  Then it was time to let the fun begin!

We had a wonderful time dancing to the music of ABBA!  You can follow the dance moves on the screen and dance along with the Wii remote tracking your movement and scoring your dance.  If you pull off a "Gold move" you get even more points!  You can play alone or dance (compete) with others.

Let me take a moment to tell you about the game.  ABBA You Can Dance included 26 ABBA hits that have been digitally remastered for the Wii.  You can play with up to four friends.  It has a mini-musical section where you actually can put on a mini musical with ABBA songs.  You KNOW I loved this part since I'm involved in theater!

There is a karaoke option with the the lyrics appearing at the bottom of the screen.  You can also plug in a USB microphone and your voice can be heard through the TV singing along.  Please note, the microphone is not included in the video game.  I still had great fun singing along!

In the "Extras" section there are ABBA music videos, photos, and concert footage!  Very fun!

We had an absolute blast playing this game!  For you readers who have been following along for awhile, you know that my son always, always, always whomps me when it comes to video games.  Well, I can triumphantly state that, "Not this time, boy"!  I was truly a Dancing Queen!  (You know I had to go there!)  Speaking of which, that was probably the favorite song of the night among everyone!

I also feel like I have added to the kids' cultural richness by introducing some of them to ABBA (my kids already knew them!), fondue, disco balls, and the 70's!  I'm sure they're better because of it! Ü

I highly recommend ABBA You Can Dance!  It is available at Amazon.com and ToysRus.com, or other stores where Wii games are sold.  This is now my kid's after-school go-to game!  What a proud moment for me!  It really is a lot of fun!

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Monday, December 12, 2011

DaGeDar!

I'm sure some of you have heard of the fun Racing Balls called DaGeDar.  You may even have some at your house along with the race tracks!  Every time we pass them in the store, my son drools over them!

Well, now the fun continues with DaGeDar for Nintendo DS!  It is based on the DaGeDar racing balls and toys! 

 
"Battle it out with your friends or race evil spirits alone; DaGeDar’s virtual raceway will keep you playing for hours. With more than 30 fast and furious raceways, you’ll be looping, dropping, climbing, and banking your way to the end with fury, but watch out for the blocks and gaps in the raceway! Featuring 100 collectable balls with unique abilities, as well as special, limited edition characters, you’ll have a blast collecting and trading your favorite DaGeDar items. Whether playing alone or sharing with a friend using the game’s multiplayer download options, the action-packed world of DaGeDar will keep you hungry for more racing, collecting and conquering of evil spirits in a unique 33rd dimension world."



You can imagine how my son feels about this!  He absolutely loves this game!  I have to pry it out of his hands!  I try to play it with him, but first, he beats the pants off me, and second, I get a little motion sick playing it (though almost all video games do that to me, weird huh?)  I love the graphics and the fact that it's rated E for everyone.  There are different levels and games to keep you challenged.  My son and I loved racing against each other.  Though again, I was publicly humiliated every time!  Boy, that kid is good!

This would make a wonderful Christmas gift!  My son and I definitely give it a "thumbs up"!

Disclosure:  The product was provided to me for the purpose of a review.  The opinions are all my own and free of charge!

Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers

Now, don't faint, but my kids actually had veggies for an after-school snack!  I know, I was shocked too!  Now don't get me wrong, I try to get my kids to eat healthy, I really do, but veggies are not on their list of yummy after-school snacks.  So when I came home to find them eating veggies.... well, you can imagine my shock!

What precipitated this miraculous event, you ask?  Let me tell you about Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers.  I had the opportunity to review this product, so I had the Macaroni and Cheese sauce with Broccoli in my freezer.  I dropped the kids off after school to finish the car-pool run and when I came back they were munching them down!  I asked the kids if the Steamers were good.  I got, "Mmph, mmph, mmmm", which in 'kid speak with their mouth full talk' means, "Yes, Mom, these are delicious!"

Let me tell you about Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers. Green Giant has introduced vegetables with pasta and savory sauces to their already convenient and tasty line-up of Valley Fresh Steamers frozen mixes.  These include the Macaroni and Cheese Sauce with Broccoli (which my kids engulfed), and Pasta and Vegetables with Alfredo Sauce (I really want to try this one!)

My favorite feature, besides the fact that my kids are eating veggies, is the convenience of preparing them.  You just steam them in the bag they came in!

I definitely recommend Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers.  If they get MY kids to eat veggies, think what it will do for yours!

You can find out more at Green Giant or check out their Facebook page!

I received this very fun prize pack from the sponsor.  Would you like to win one for yourself?
Your prize pack will include 2 Green Giant Placemats, a Broccoli Stress Reliever, a 32 oz. Serving Bowl,and a Surprise Face Serving Spoon and a VIP coupon for the new Valley Fresh Steamers with Pasta.  How fun!





Mandatory Entry:
Please leave me a comment letting me know your favorite type of veggie! Please include your email in the comment if it's not visible in your profile (jane smith at yahoo dot com)

Extra Entries:
Leave a separate comment for each extra entry:
Follow my blog publicly on GFC
Follow me on
Twitter
"Like" me Facebook

Contest ends Monday, December 19, 2011. One winner will be randomly chosen from all correct entries. Winner will be notified by email and has 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This contest is open to residents of the US, ages 18 and over. Prize will be shipped directly from the sponsor.

 

Disclosure: Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers with Pasta, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.
Contest is closed and winner has been chosen.  Thanks to all you amazing readers!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Let's Zumba!

I have friends that Zumba!  I have friends that teach Zumba.  Have I ever Zumba-ed?  No way!  That would include shaking my bootie in public, and I don't think people would recover from that!


Now I have the perfect solution for me!  I can Zumba in my own home!  How cool is that?!

Let me introduce you to Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii.  There are different dance instructors that teach you the dance moves, and then lead you through the dances.  It's like one big party, but you sweat alot!  There is a belt included that you put theWii remote in and then attach it to your waist.  Now you have hands free to Zumba!


Some of the features that I loved are:


I love the progress tracker.  I can track my improvement, my weight, calories burned, and several other things. 

There are 32 new routines and dance tracks with 24 different dance styles across routines, from fan favorites like Merengue, Samba and Cumbia to new additions like Axe, Bollywood, Latin Pop, Ragga and Pasodoble. There's something for everyone!

I love that the routines are rated low, medium, or high intensity... so you know what you're getting into!

There are four different game modes:


      Single Song:  Dance a single routine of your choice. The new song preview feature gives you a feel for a track before you dive in and lose yourself in the music.


      Full Class:  A work-out block of routines in 20, 45 or 60 minute formats. You can now create your own custom routines by saving a playlist of your favorite songs.


      Multiplayer: Up to 4 players can join the party in your living room with cooperative gameplay.  (I love this!  It means my daughter and I can do this together!)


      Learn the Steps: Revamped tutorial mode lets you learn at your own pace by breaking down the core dance styles into the basics.  (Especially important for this newbie!)

I had a ball doing Zumba!  Though the first low intensity routine definitely had me breathing heavy. I didn't seem to mind though, because I was having so much fun!  And no one was permanently scarred by watching me shake my hips!  Okay, okay, my daughter did dissolve into hysterics at one point!


I've taken my pre-Zumba pictures and after about a month of Zumba Fitness 2, I will take some more pictures so you can track my progess and I can be accountable for sticking to an exercise routine (even a fun one like Zumba Fitness 2)!  I'll post the first series in about one month.

I highly recommend Zumba Fitness 2!  It is so much fun you almost forget you're working out! 


Disclosure:  I was offered this product for the purpose of a review.  The opinions expressed are all my own and free of charge!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The Comforts of the Season



This post is sponsored by Tempur-Pedic, the brand millions of owners trust to deliver their best night’s sleep every night. Enjoy our Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer now and give the gift of custom comfort to someone you love.


We did some traveling over the Thanksgiving Holiday. On the way home, in the car, the kids were complaining about being squished, and uncomfortable, or (gasp!) arguing about what to watch on the portable DVD player. My first reaction was to turn around and spread a little holiday cheer of my own, by scolding them. Thankfully, this time I had a better solution.
I started to tell them about how the pioneers crossed the plains. I told them about the conditions, and the cold, and the hardships they faced. The kiddies actually listened and figured out on their own (with a little prompting) that they had a very comfortable way to travel.

That moment in time has really stayed with me and I've spent a lot of time thinking what comforts I take for granted, especially around the Holiday season. Let me share some...

I love to climb into bed every night, snuggle under warm blankets, and lay my head on a comfy pillow. I do it every night, but do I stop to think about how lucky I am? I have a roof over my head, a wonderful bed to climb into, a heated home, warm blankets, etc. safe and secure in my home.

I love hot chocolate! It is one of my holiday comforts! When I want some, I grab a mug, warm the water in the microwave, stir in the hot chocolate mix, and then stir in the marshmallows (I MUST have marshmallows!) How easy, right? I have running water in my home, a microwave, can afford to buy my hot chocolate mix, and those little pillowy yummies called marshmallows. How lucky I am!

I find it very comforting to sit in front of the Christmas tree, with the Christmas lights on, the room lights off, and listening to Christmas music. It's a wonderful moment to really think about this season and everything it means to me. You know where I'm going with this... warm home, electricity, beautiful tree, the gift of music.

I love this season! I love the fun, and the sparkle, the shopping, the sharing. I love the baking and the eating! It is filled with so many wonderful moments, so much comfort. I love my family, my friends and all you friends I haven't met yet.

This season feels a little more special to me, even more comforting, because I'm starting to get it. How truly blessed I am, how wonderful life is, how special this season is. How comforting it really is to sit sipping my hot chocolate by the Christmas tree, and what a blessing this simple act is.

My wish this Holiday season is for your life to be filled with comfort, joy, and gratitude for the amazing blessings all around us.

Now, I'm going to go do some baking while listening to Christmas music, using my stove, food staples, electricity, my fridge, and marshmallows... yumm! Ain't life grand!


Comfort is the perfect gift for everyone on your holiday gift list, so be sure to take advantage of Tempur-Pedic's Buy 2, get 1 free pillow offer! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective

Monday, December 5, 2011

Grease Game Giveaway!


505 Games is returning to Rydell High!  They are offering a new game called Grease, for  Kinect™for Xbox 360® and Move™ for PlayStation®3. Grease utilizes both Kinect and Move’s enhanced motion sensor technologies to deliver the ultimate Grease experience! Sing, dance and party your way through the officially licensed music and all the memorable choreography from the movie along with Danny, Sandy and the rest of the Grease gang!   Intrigued?  Me too!

Key Features

·         Sing and dance to 21 tracks, featuring all the classic Rock and Roll from the original film, including “You’re the One that I Want”, “Greased Lightenin”, “Beauty School Dropout” and more

·         Several varied gameplay modes, including Dance Mode, Quickplay, Party Mode, Versus Mode (two player dance off)

·         15 choreographed, motion-captured dances to perform, including simultaneous multiplayer and freestyle sections where players can bust out their own moves for points!

·         Up to eight-player competition in Party Mode (two teams of four players passing the microphone)

Not only would this be completely fun to have for yourself, but what a wonderful gift idea!

Now, are you holding on to your seats?  Three, yes three of you lucky readers can each win your own copy!  Whoopie!

Mandatory Entry:
Please leave me a comment letting me know your favorite song from Grease!  Please include your email in the comment if it's not visible in your profile (jane smith at yahoo dot com)

Extra Entries:
Leave a separate comment for each extra entry:
Follow my blog publicly on GFC
Follow me on Twitter
"Like" me Facebook

Contest ends Monday, December 12, 2011. Three (3) winners will be randomly chosen from all correct entries. Winners will be notified by email and have 72 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This contest is open to residents of the US, ages 18 and over. Prize will be shipped directly from the sponsor.

Disclosure:  The prizes are generously provided from sponsor.  The opinions are all mine and free of charge!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Aeropostale - My Daughter's favorite... and then some!

My daughter loves Aeropostale clothes so of course, it's on her Christmas wish list.  Though, she always teases me because some times I say "Aeropostale" wrong (I like to pronounce the 'e' at the end even though that's incorrect).  I was checking things out there, and did a little exploring on their website.  Did you know they have clothes for people besides my daughter?  Who knew?

I popped over to the guy's section and found out these very cool long sleeve shirts! I love them! 

Hmmm... do you think my sweet hubby would like this for Christmas?  I know I'd like to see my handsome husband in it! Ü
They have a great sale on Jeans right now too!  Okay, attention dear husband, stop reading NOW!

I think Santa will be bringing some new, very cool clothes to my husband and of course, my daughter.  The have great gift ideas and even stocking stuffers!  Very fun!

Attention, attention dear husband, start reading again HERE!  May I just add that there are some thinkgs I would love at Aeropostale too!  They have darling hats, mittens, and scarves, plus great clothing.

Check out this coat!  Very masculine!

Aeropostale is a great place to do your Holiday shopping.  I can't believe how side-tracked I became checking everything out on their website.  They have some great sales going on right now, just in time for Christmas!

Now... back to shopping for my family, and adding to my Christmas wish list!  Did you check out those Fair Isle hats?  Too cute!

Disclosure:   The sponsor provided compensation. The opinions expressed are all my own and free of charge!