CSN Stores Review Preview

CSN Stores has once again contacted me to host a review for them. I’m so excited and love working with them.

I haven’t quite made up my mind on which product will be featured but with the holiday season upon us, I might consider a new suitcase for some holiday travel (or at least for trucker hubby to take on the road). I was pleased to find a variety of styles and sizes under $100. With airlines charging for the first checked bag (disgusting isn’t it), it’s so important to have a good carry on that will hold as much as possible so you don’t have to check so many bags. I’m so glad we don’t travel very often! lol

Then again, I may just buckle and get the kiddos an early Christmas gift! What would you like to review from CSN Stores?

Mobile Phone Refund from Radio Shack

This weekend hubby surprised me with a new cell phone!

I haven’t had a cell in 3 years when we moved to our little corner of nowhere Minnesota where all cell providers were roaming!

We hit the mall Saturday with the intention of just having a fun leisurely family day, strolling the mall, checking out the pet shop and maybe enjoying some lunch in a nice restaurant.

Get Rid of SMELLY Towels (& other stuff)! Giveaway Alert

I am notorious for forgetting the laundry in the washing machine!

I am so bad about it, there’s been many tee shirts relegated to rag status from the black mold stains I couldn’t get out because I forgot. For all my frugal-ness, this is something I need to improve on because ruined clothes means either we go nekid’ or we buy replacements.

Trust me, you don’t want to see me naked!

Pillsbury Sweet Moments Review & Giveaway

 

Pillsbury has come out with a new decadent treat.

Imagine miniature bite-sized soft chewy brownies with a layer of creamy caramel in the middle coated in hardened chocolate you could enjoy ANYTIME!
This is exactly what Pillsbury did! Pillsbury Sweet Moments mini morsels are big enough to satisfy my chocoholic cravings without an investment in time and energy to make them from scratch. I also don’t have to worry about fighting the urge to eat the entire pan (ya’ know, because they’ll go bad and I don’t want to waste food! *wink* *wink*)

Terralina Ultimate Beauty Collection Review & Giveaway ($138 value)

Normally I don’t review skincare products.
It’s hard to predict how my skin will react with one product or another so I tend to shy away from these types of product reviews for the blog. Even though I don’t consider my skin sensitive, there are times throughout the month and seasons where I am prone to breakouts or my skin gets really dry or it gets really oily or…well, you get the idea; I have unpredictable combination skin!

I decided to try Terralina skincare collection after discovering a few things about their products. 

Dryel: On the Go & 3-in-1 Refresher Spray

In addition to the fabulous Starter Kit I received for review and giveaway, I also received a separate product of 3-in-1 Refresher Spray and an On the Go Stain Pen for an independent review.

Let me say this is a very clever product! This product is specially designed to extend the time between laundering of most of your clothes. We have lots of winter gear, shoes, sweaters and other types of items I’m starting to pull out from storage. Of course I wash away a season of snow, salt and sweat before I put all our gear up for the summer but after four months of storage in the basement, they’re smellin a little musty.

Dryel Starter Kit Giveaway + Wal-Mart Freebie

I have to say Dryel has got to be one of my top laundry discoveries…ever!
Dryel revolutionized how we clean our dry-clean only clothing. Way back before I had husbands or kids, I worked in the “corporate” environment and I wore a lot of “dry-clean only” clothing. I was young. I never thought to read the cleaning label before I bought anything. I just bought what I liked, wore it and tossed it in the washing machine with everything else.
After a few ruined suits, I quickly learned to read those labels before I bought…or at least before I tossed it in the washing machine! sheeesh! Talk about a lesson learned the hard way!
With Dryel, I can launder my dry-clean only clothes from the comfort of my own home. This is great considering the dry cleaner is 70 miles away! Finally, clean clothes without the hassle of the dry cleaner! Thank You Dryel!!!

Re-Boost Your Cell Phone!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have trouble qualifying for a long term cell phone contract without paying lots of monthly or upfront fees? Simply don’t want a long term cell phone contract? Then Boost Mobile may be the cell phone provider you are looking for. As part of the Sprint Prepaid Group, Boost Mobile offers economical cell phone service exclusively utilizing the prepaid option.

Stepping Stones Together – Teaching Kids to Read

Trying to teach my kids to read has always been a tough and intimidating challenge. I try, but I guess my mind doesn’t work in a way that allows me to teach someone so small the daunting task of reading…especially when you get past the three letter words. My kids get frustrated. I get frustrated. Pretty soon we’re all throwing up our hands and ditching the book for playtime and a snack.

Stepping Stones Together is here to help parents tackle this daunting and often intimidating task of teaching kids to reach. This personalized online reading program will help kick start the learning process for kids ages around 4 to 7 years old. The program is recommended for children who can:

Our Mini Vacay @ Metropolis Resort

Located in Eau Claire, WI, about an hour east of the Twin Cities, we took a mini vacay at the Metropolis hotel and resort earlier this week. Looking for a family friendly get away before school started, the hotel portion of the resort is pretty deceptive when you first enter the lobby. You walk into a sleek lobby with gorgeous metallic blue-grey walls, white modern leather furniture, sleek glass table tops, a fireplace to left, wide stair case to the middle, a full bar and lounge area to the right. The light fixtures, floor tiles, counter tops, everything is very sleek and modern! I didn’t know how family friendly the hotel part of the resort would actually be.

Is Anything TRULY “Made in America” Anymore???

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

“Made in America" is a phrase you don’t hear much anymore!

It seems our glorious nation, built on the backs of Americans creating a never ending variety of products and goods is rapidly loosing the “American Made” battle. More and more businesses are closing their doors, partly due to the global economy struggles but largely because companies are outsourcing production jobs for cheaper parts and labor. With no jobs to support these communities, buildings are vacated, homes sold, or worse - foreclosed. Small towns are drying up at an alarming rate. My town is a prime example!

Bark Off & Crazy Critters for Your Furry Friend plus Giveaway

Ruby, our furry four-legged friend, has a problem.

A barking problem!

She’s an outside dog and every time one of the neighbors or their kids walk by, she barks…non stop until well after they’ve passed by. She also has a HUGE fit every time we go on a bike ride or walk without her. To resolve the barking problem at night, we used a low voltage shock collar. It wasn’t my first choice but it was the only thing we could find to alleviate the barking problem - especially at night!

On Demand – It’s More than Movies!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

When we lived in the city in Tennessee we were fortunate to have a selection of cable and satellite providers at our fingertips. I was a cable gal! I grew up with cable in our home. Oddly enough, Charter Cable was the primary cable provider in my hometown. Cable was VERY different back in the day. We actually had to call the cable company to order pay-per-view events. Then swing by the cable company the day before the big event to pick up the little gizmo that gave us access to the program! I remember cable when we had the bulky black cable box sitting on top of the television with the oversized dial for the channels. I think we got 100 channels, at most!

Snikiddy~A Healthier Tastier Snack

I had never heard of Snikiddy Baked Fries when I was first asked to review this product. I had no idea what a “Snikiddy” was but when they told me it was a snack food, I jumped on it! I mean, I was REALLY all over this review opportunity! lol

I’m a snacker by nature. In my mind “snack food = junk food”. This is why I don’t normally buy chips, snack cakes, or other “snack” items. (Yes, my kids HATE my shopping strategy!) I was really happy to learn Snikiddy is a healthier baked alternative to fried potato chips. Some other Snikiddy features include:

Studio C – HOT Accessories for Back 2 School (& Giveaway)

I remember back to school supplies were usually pretty boring when it came to style and design. Actually other than major cartoon characters or current movie scenes, graphics were pretty limited. In high school, I stuck with plain colors and added my own pizzazz with some creative use of markers and pencil erasers. Not very sophisticated or chic but I made do with what I had at the time!

I had the privilege of receiving some products from Carolina Pad’s Studio C collection for review. These products are gorgeous! Each of the seven collections is unique and distinctive style: Rock-On, Graffiti, Rising Sun, Peace Out, Free Spirit, Eye Candy, Mo’ Rockin’.

Back to School Savings w/MyCoupons.com

It’s never too early to start thinking about back to school shopping. MyCoupons.com has got you covered with a special Back to School category devoted to everything from text books to back packs to clothing to laptops to a variety of other supplies to have your kids ready for their first day of school. You can find printable and online coupons for just about anything you need to get your school year off to a great start.

Ebeanstalk.com – Mom-Tested Kid-Approved Toys

Sometimes itÕs hard to pick out the best toys for your children. Ebeanstalk helps you find the perfect one. You can search for baby toys and kids toys for all ages. You can go to toys by age and sort by the specific age of your child. You can even arrange their toys by gender or category to make sure you find just what you are looking for! They have a team of moms around the country that test out all the toys with their kids, so you will always know you are getting the very best. Check it out for yourself!

They have fantastic resources for grandparents, aunts, uncles, or anyone not use to shopping for the tiny people in our lives. Some of Ebeanstalk.com’s site’s benefits include offering special discounts, expert advice and the latest in toy related news. You can even sign up to receive birthday reminders for all the little people in your life so you don’t forget another special day!!!

Their prices are comparable to other online retailers but with the extra mom-testing kid approved screening process, their toys are a great value.

Disclosure: I will receive a free toy in exchange for this site review but all opinions expressed on this blog are mine and not influenced by any free product or other compensation I may receive!

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Online Education ~ The Future is Here

Most of you know I’m planning on starting school next month to earn my Associates (and eventually Bachelor’s) in Web Design. Online school was the best option for me and my family. Did you know online school is an option for kids in elementary, middle and high school too?

I didn’t know this until I discovered OnlineSchoolSolutions.com. Private online schools you must pay for, much like college, are widely available across the country but there is also growing number of online public schools popping up in many states. It seems there is an online K-12 school available in every state. I have three options available to me in Minnesota!

Perfectly Weightless Sunblock (PLUS Get a $2 Coupon)

I have extremely fair skin. I burn pretty easily and NEVER tan so sunscreen is a MUST.

I also have combination skin.  In the summertime, my face is pretty oily while in the winter it's dry and flaky. Finding a great sunblock I can use year round is difficult to say the least!

After using Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock for a few days, I am quite happy with the way it makes my skin feel.

Radio Flyer 93 Years Later!!!

Can you believe the classic little red wagon has been around since 1917? I remember having one of those little red metal wagons as a kid. We hauled rocks, grass, Barbies, stuffed animals, Hot Wheels and a wild assortment of other things - even a few four legged - around the neighborhood! We hooked it to our bikes as a make shift trailer, took turns riding in it, left it out in the rain - boy did it take a whoopin. I can honestly say, our Radio Flyer wagon received A LOT of abuse. Amazingly enough, it’s still in pretty good shape, especially considering how long ago all that was! lol