Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Sale, Sale, Sale

HOLIDAY SALE AT SEW FIERCE!!!



If your like me the economy hit you hard, and for this holiday season we are having to really budget our money. That's why starting Nov 27th until Dec 18th all in stock items and clothing will be marked down 20-40% off!!

Had your eye on a cute outfit or a bib & burp set from Sew Fierce? Now is the time to buy! Not only will you save money, but you will be buying handmade items made by a stay at home mom. Buy handmade this holiday season and help support all the wonderful crafters, artists and more.

Offer only valid at our dot com site...www.sewfierce.com, not at the Etsy Site.
Offer not valid on custom items.






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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Trying To Find My Way Back

It has been a long road for me the last several months and unfortunately it is not yet over. I am truly sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. I have neglected my blog and my business and I am trying to find my way back.

As you may or may not know I have a gastric ulcer with a hiatal hernia. Usually no big whop. I have bad days and good days. Days where the pain is manageable and days where it destroys me from the inside out. Lately due to on and off stress in my life my ulcer has been in full blown mode. I have had many trips to the ER and many tests ran. Every 6 months I have a scope done (endoscopy) and more tests. What fun. All of this on top of my normal motherly and wifely duties. I have put up a good front for everyone elses sake, but it's waring me thin.

Along with dealing with my ulcer, some other "illnesses" (for lack of a better word) have crept up and kept me prisoner to a daily routine I can not brake. I have become solitary. It has effected my work, my blog and probably to some point my family. My daughters are not privy to what is going on, they just know when I do not feel good. I am glad they are so young to not understand. My husband is very supportive and tries so hard to get close to me and make me smile again. Because of my ulcer and "illness" I have had to create a very strict diet for myself and has dropped me from 175 lbs in July to 139 as of today, and I do not know when it will stop. I guess some of that is up to me.

I have to thank the companies I have been working with on my reviews. You may have noticed I have posted several reviews all at once recently. These are reviews I have had for some time but have not been able to finish and the companies have been amazingly understanding of my situation.

I also have to apologize to you my readers. Since I opened this blog over a year ago you have been awesome. I have made so many bloggy friends and I am sorry for the abrupt manner in which I left my blog the last several months. I am trying to get my mind and my body healthy again. While this will take some time my goal is to get my drive back. Back for my family, back for my buisness and blog and back for my life.

Thank you to a special friend (you know who you are) for listening, caring and being their for me with no judgements when I needed someone last week. It means more than I can express.




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IBW Winner





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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Wizz-e Review and Giveaway



I am amazed at what we can do online now. Growing up we did not own a computer. If we were lucky we got to us one once we got to High School. Now this generation has everything they want at their finger tips. Pretty cool and yet also scary as a parent.

One of the definite "cool" things my girls can do online is visit a new site called Wizz-e. Wizz-e is a site for electronic books. I was given the opportunity to have C play around with the site and give her opinion as well as mine. She really loved it. In a short amount of time she learned how to read a clock and was doing math addition problems.

Wizz-e books are very stimulating with bright colors, excellent illustrations and great animation. You see a book right in front of you. You can turn the pages, read at your own pace or click a button and the book will not only read for you, but highlights each word as it is read. Perfect for the beginner reader.




C's favorites are "What Time Is It", and "Simple Math - addition to 10". There is a simplicity to the books while still being forward thinking and complicated enough for kids to actually learn. Along with these books they also have games, wonderful story & nursery rhyme books, phonics and more. With 30 books in it's library there is something for everyone and every age. Another key aspect are the little quizzes at the end of each book. Your child needs to use his/her recall from the story to answer the questions correctly. Perfect for memory learning.

Pricing for the books run from 1.99-8.99. You can use them through their website or download them straight to your PC. They also offer a few free books for you to try. One of their books Hoop-la the Hippo just won the iParenting Outstanding Product Award for 2009! Congrats Wizz-e!






Now for the fun part...GIVEAWAY Time!

Wizz-e is offering 1 winner 5 books of your choosing!! That is a great prize!


How To Enter:

Visit Wizz-e website and leave a comment telling me what books you might pick. Please leave your email address if it is not available on your blog or profile.


Giveaway closes November 27th @ 11:59pm (PST) Winners will be picked November 28st by Random.org and notified by email, a post will follow. Winners have 48 hours to reply to email otherwise a new winners will be picked.



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Friday, November 13, 2009

JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island Review & Contest

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As many of you know I did a review several months back for JumpStart's online educational game (if not click here). Well JumpStart is no longer just online, they have branched out to the Wii. I was lucky enough that Jumpstart provided me with a copy for a review.

Escape From Adventure Island is a fun game for kids ages 5-9 and is rated E for Everyone. In the game you crash land your blimp on Adventure Island...ooh no! You now need to navigate your way through the Island completing missions to earn sand dollars that will trade for helium tanks that in turn will fix your blimp.

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Just like in the online JumpStart game you get to choose a Jumpee character, this is always C's favorite part. You also get a tree house to decorate. There are several different areas you can visit on the Island or go down into the deep water in The Scuba Hub and play underwater games.


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As always this JumpStart game is packed with over 150 learning skills from math and reading to critical thinking skills. How can you not love that!

Want one...for FREE? You know you do!

Jumpstart is holding a HUGE contest on their blog. Contest will end on November 16th so you want to enter to win today!

The Prizes:

50 winners will be randomly chosen to receive a copy of JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island, a brand new Wii™ learning adventure for ages 5-9. Plus, 3 lucky winners will be chosen to receive the Ultimate Escape Prize Pack including:

  • 1 copy of JumpStart Escape from Adventure Island (rated E by the ESRB)
  • 1 Nintendo Wii console – to escape boredom
  • $250 in SpaFinder® gift certificates – to escape stress
  • 1 Flip™ Mino HD video camera – to record your adventures
  • 3 lifetime JumpStart memberships – 1 for you, 2 to share with friends
  • 500 JumpStart.com virtual coins – to keep your kids’ online adventure exciting
  • JumpStart gear – to dress for adventure

How to Enter:

Leave a comment here with a story of your family’s favorite imagination adventure before November 16, 2009 (limit one story entry per person). For a bonus entry, send a tweet including ”I just entered to win the Ultimate Escape Prize Pack at http://blog.jumpstart.com/win/escape! #jumpstart.com” before November 16, 2009 (limit one Twitter entry per person). We’ll be tracking the Twitter entries, but if your tweets are private, make sure to report back here with a link to your tweet. Good luck! (Prize information was taken from Jumpstart blog)






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IBW Book Review & Giveaway




I had the opportunity to review IBW Books and they were gracious enough to send me 2 books. IBW is a new interactive way of reading with 2D and 3D animations you look up on the computer as your reading. Since C is very computer savvy already, I knew this is something she would be interested in. While she is only 4 and not yet reading, it was no problem for me to read it for her and she worked the computer.

The 2 books I received for review were they're KA Reader 3 " A Day At The Zoo" and Busy Preschoolers " Celebration of Letters G & H".

The KA Reader book helps develop vocabulary. The words were very simple to read. Nice big lettering and at the end of each story was a "webscene" web address that corresponds with the story. The webscene is an animated short "clips" that plays along as you read page by page. C very much enjoyed watching the clips, and seeing the pop-up words as I read. In “A Day at the Zoo,” a family of dogs has a silly day together visiting the zoo. You can see the same webscene C viewed online after we read chapter one in the book here www.KA-Reader.com/3-1

The Busy Preschoolers book was all about the letter G & H. Each letter had it's own poem on one page and instructions on the other on how to do a craft or game with the poem you just read. Just like the KA Reader, there are web addresses for the webscences. Just another way to keep your child engaged and interested. C's favorite part of this book as the puzzle she did online for the letter H.

I really liked how the IBW books engaged C in several different ways from word recognition, to puzzles and shape finding. They also have a hand writing program called ABC-TRACE-123. Your child uses the mouse to click and drag cute animal icons in a specific order to create a letter. Not only is it fun but it aids in developing the motor skills needed for hand writing. This is not just another book that I read and she gets squirmy half way through. She stayed interested the whole time.

All of “The Busy Preschooler’s Guide to Learning” online activities include drop-down menus with suggestions to help further your child’s learning. You can check out the Letter H puzzle and try the ABC-TRACE-123 activity that C had so much fun with here. www.BusyPreschoolers.com/h

" IBW titles use a new storytelling process that combines an actual print book with interactivity of online animations. There are six or more webscences included in every IBW book.

To learn more about IBW books, find other titles and how to order your own, visit their website at www.IBW-Books.com



Win It Here!!

IBW is giving one winner the choice of great 2 prizes!


* The Busy Preschooler's Guide to Learning - fun activities built around the 26 letters of the alphabet, with step-by-step help to guide parents in how to use everyday situations to teach 105 skills their kids need before they walk in the kindergarten door. (Retail value $60)

* THREE (3) KA Readers - beginning readers that use a new kind of storytelling where kids see an animation unfold at the close of every chapter! Dr. Seuss-like rhyming hooks kids on the fun of words. Online activities help parents asses a child's reading and comprehension. (Retail value $60)


How To Enter:

Visit IBW Books website and leave a comment telling me what you think you would like most about the IBW Books. Please leave your email address if it is not available on your blog or profile.


Giveaway closes November 20th @ 11:59pm (PST) Winners will be picked November 21st by Random.org and notified by email, a post will follow. Winners have 48 hours to reply to email otherwise a new winners will be picked.



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Smelly Washer Review



Do you get that mildew/mold smell from your washer when you open the lid? After you wash your clothes does it smell like it needs to be ran again? Then it's time you tired Smelly Washer. I have been fighting with this mildew smell for several months. I tried running my washer with vinegar and water, but it just didn't work. I thought if I used a smellier detergent maybe that would help..nope.

Thanks to Smelly Washer.com they sent my a bottle to try myself and review. I have to say all in all it was very easy to use and it worked!! I could not believe it. Months of this awful smell was gone and all I had to do was follow the easy instructions to clean my washer. Smelly Washer doesn't just clean the washer, you can also use it to get ride of the musty smells from your bath or kitchen towels and any clothes that seem to hold on to odors.

Smelly Washer has up to 24 treatments in one bottle and is all natural! Smelly washer is made from 100% all natural citrus based ingredients and is safe for top and front load washers.

What causes machine odor?

"There are a number of things that can lead to front load washer smell and washing machine odor, and yes, one of them is stinky gym socks. Over time, dirt, grease and grime from clothes can build up on the inside of your washing machine. Detergent and fabric softener reside also accumulates, as does lint, skin and other organic matter. The combination leads to funky odor washing machine and often even mildew." Information taken from Smelly Washer Blog.

To find out more about Smelly Washer and to read testimonials visit SmellyWasher.com or their blog.





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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Trident Layers Review








When you think of gum what is the first name that comes to mind? I'm guessing one of your top two would be Trident am I right? And why shouldn't it be? Trident has been a leader in this industry for years and with all the yummy flavors available there is not one person that can tell me they have never, in their life, had a piece of Trident gum in their mouths.

Well here is another reason to run out and get your chew on. " Introducing new Trident Layers. It's much more than a gum, it's a gumwich! Try citrus sandwiched between two layers of strawberry or find out how apple stacked on pineapple on apple tastes like". Two great new yummy flavors packed into one tiny piece of gum.

While both are delicious, if I had to pick my favorite I guess I would say the Strawberry Citrus is it. As with the other Trident varieties the flavor lasts a long time, but this new gum is explosive with the two different flavors and as always is sugar free!

Go to Trident.com and get your coupn for 0.75 cents off your purchase of the New Trident Layers and try it for yourself today!




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Tropical Traditions Moisturizing Lotion Review

So if you are one of my regular followers you have already seen my past review for Tropical Traditions (if not click here). At that time I was reviewing their Virgin Coconut Oil, this time they are letting me try the Moisturizing Lotion, yay me!! So in my last review I told you all about the company and the benefits I saw from using their coconut oil, which I still use and love! I really believe this has to be one of the best companies out there. Not only are their employees sweet and lovely to work with, shipping is extremely fast and the products are simply amazing.





Deciding on which scent to try was tough, they all sounded wonderful. Unscented, Baby Silk, Lavender, Citrus, Peppermint and Arnica...how could I choose? Finally I did, decided on the Baby Silk although Peppermint was a very close second.


Ingredients: purified water, organic virgin coconut oil, organic jojoba, emulsifying wax (plant based, no soy), grapefruit seed extract, virgin palm oil, and organic essential oils of rosewood, lavender, ylang ylang, roman chamomile, geranium, and rose.


Look at that ingredient list. Pure. No fillers, no additives that I can not pronounce, but honest to goodness products. What does it feel like? Silky heaven. I used this lotion for a week straight and my skin was amazingly soft and had a beautiful glow. I then became ill and for a week was not able to keep up with anything extra to include myself. At the end of the week not using the Baby Silk Moisturizing Lotion I noticed my skin was so dry, not smooth, and I just looked older I thought I should. As soon as I got my act together I went back on using my lotion and I am happy to report I am smooth and supple again. Once again I am imaged by the quality of the products from Tropical Traditions.

The smell? Delightful. My hubby who has only used Lubriderm Non Scented for years is very sensitive to lotion scent hence why he only the for mentioned. Even in the past when he has attempted another "non scented" brand he never likes them, says he can still smell "something". So one day after I lathered up with my Baby Silk Lotion I had him smell me...lol He really liked it for a "girl lotion". I then had him feel my skin, he liked the smooth, silky feeling. So I had him just try it for me and give me his honest opinion. He is now a Baby Silk user. He enjoys the very light smell, it's "natural" he says and the softness it gives his rough hands is an added bonus. Plus I caught him lathering up his feet one evening, what does that tell ya?

So am I still a Tropical Traditions fan? Hell yah! The products are amazing and you can not honestly get more natural I believe than what they have to offer. I have tried many "natural" products from so many different companies in my quest to find the best for me and my family. I was always disappointed by an odd smell, strange texture, or hidden "natural additives". We should not have to sacrifice what we want for the sake of trying to be organic or natural and now we do not have to.

Planning on ordering? Click here to see my post on how to get your free copy of their book "Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy."

DISCLAIMER:  Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product
to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose.
Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or
sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.





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Sunday, October 18, 2009

Giveaway


Sharon at Mama's A Mess is giving away the cutest dragon plush from All Children's Furniture.com

Ends 10/30





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