Visit Your Local IHOP for Free Pancake Day!!!

Purex Insiders Product Review- Dial Vitamin Boost Body Wash

As a Purex Insider, I was chosen to review this product and give my opinion. I received a full sized bottle of Dial Vitamin Boost Body Wash and coupons to host a giveaway to my blog readers. These opinions are my own.

I have used Dial body wash products in the past, and I have always enjoyed their products. In my opinion, Dial has some of the best smelling body washes, and they do not tend to dry out my skin like a lot of body washes do. I had high expectations of Dial Vitamin Boost Body Wash since I know what to expect of Dial products. Needless to say, I was NOT disappointed!

Dial Vitamin Boosts Body Wash claims to "give your skin a daily boost of vitamins" and that the "advanced formula, with a moisturizing Vitamin Complex, helps draw vitamins and moisture directly to your skin." In my opinion, these claims are accurate. My skin felt so soft after using the body wash. Most body washes make my skin feel tight and dry, but after using this product for a week so far, each and every shower has ended with softer skin.

Dial Vitamin Boosts Body Wash has a wonderful tropical fruity scent to it. It makes me feel like I'm on a tropical vacation...in my own shower! The scent does not linger, so if the men in your household are afraid of smelling fruity, no need to worry! The scent pretty much lasts just long enough to enjoy it in the shower. My husband has said that the after-shower smell of my skin does smell good but not fruity or overpowering.

Dial states that this product has Vitamin B, which is "a natural humectant that helps draws in moisture and keeps skin hydrated." In my experience with this product, all claims have been true.

I can't say enough great stuff about this new product! Dial Vitamin Boost Body Wash is a wonderful body wash...in my opinion! :)

If you would like to keep up to date with new products and information from Purex, please don't hesitate to "like" their Facebook page!

I have 2 coupons to give away to 2 lucky readers! All you have to do is share this blog post on any social media site, and then post the link in the comments section so that I can verify the posting! Good luck!

Happy Valentine's Day to Our Kiddos!

Valentine's Day has always been a fun holiday for our kids. Like I've mentioned before, it's never really been a holiday I have ever gone ga-ga over. It's fun for our kids though! Tonight, we celebrated Valentine's Day with our children. Yes, it was a day early, but tomorrow we have a lot going on, so we figured it would be more fun to do it tonight. Our kids didn't mind. :)

This evening, our daughter got to attend her first Valentine's Day dance. She's a member of the Middle School & Teen Center at the military base where my husband is stationed. They hosted a fun party for the kids tonight. She wasn't too ecstatic over it. My daughter is so much like me when I was younger. I never got into the whole dressing up and going crazy over boys, nor did I care about dances. This was not a lovey-dovey couples type dance, but there were some couples there. It was mostly loud music, snacks, games, and a lot of military kids just having fun. Once we got home, we surprised our kids with their gifts.

Our kids don't get a whole lot of junk food and candy throughout the year, so when the holidays come around, we give them some treats. :) We don't go crazy though. Each of our kids got a cute mug with a stuffed animal, a chocolate candy that spelled out I (heart) U, a card, and a box of Milano chocolate covered cookies (I scored a great deal on them! $5 boxes of cookies marked down to only 47 cents!!! Sometimes I can find some great deals on post!). Our daughter also got a jewelry set with her initial and a Monster High makeup set. Our son got a block car to build, a bath tub basketball set, and a Mickey Mouse tamborine.

Tomorrow our son's preschool will be hosting a family Valentine's Day workshop. I am going to be collaborating with them during that workshop, and I will be hosting the #DisneySide party that I was selected for.

So now that we are done playing Cupid, it is time for bed! I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day and that each of you gets to spend it with whomever your heart desires.

My Valentine's Surpise! :)

I just wanted to share the beautiful and very thoughtful gift that my husband planned out and got for me for Valentine's Day. My husband asked me, last month, what did I want for Valentine's Day. I told him that I did not want candy nor flowers, just simply something that he put his heart and thought into. He said I was giving him a tough job. I didn't know what to expect...lol.

This evening, after I had major dental work done and was in pain, he and our kids came home. Our daughter handed me a bouquet of pretty flowers. Inside the bouquet was a card and then a rainbow marshmellow candy pop (the swirly kind). Now, my family knows I HATE marshmellow candy, so I had no clue what this was about. Plus, I had said no candy and flowers. My husband and daughter encouraged me to just open the card and it would all make sense.

As I opened the card, I see a beautiful card with a beautiful verse, then I read the message my husband wrote. He told me that I had requested that he do something from the heart that he had to come up with, and that this was what he came up with. He said that he wanted to go back to our first 3 dates (when we were dating), and he wanted to bring back a reminder of those dates. Our first date was to Coldstone Creamery, so he gave me a gift card to Marble Slab Creamery (since we don't have Coldstone here). Our second date was to the movie theater, so he gave me a gift card for us to see a movie together. Our third date was to an amusement park, and while we were at the amusement park, he took my daughter to the candy store and lavished her with all kinds of crazy candy...including one of those big swirly lollipops! The flowers were just a side note. :) ***Oh, and I'm letting my daughter have the lollipop! lol***

I'm not big on Valentine's Day. I like doing fun things for our kids and my husband, but Valentine's Day has never really been my favorite holiday. However, my husband made this one extremely special for me. Not to mention, this is the first Valentine's Day we have spent together in 2 years due to his deployment to Afghanistan and then another military-related separation (not deployment). 

Here are some pictures of the beautiful gifts I was surprised with!

Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze- Purex Insiders Product Review & Contest

As a Purex Insider, I was provided a full-sized bottle of Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze to review, and I was also provided 3 coupons for a free full size bottle for some of my readers! How cool is that?! The opinions set forth are my own.

Purex Crystals advertise that this product will "infuse your laundry with long-lasting freshness." I would definitely have to agree! Anytime that I have used Purex Crystals in my laundry, my laundry comes out smelling sooooo good! It is stated that Purex Crystals will keep "clothes smelling fresh for weeks, not days." In my experience, my clothes continue to smell fresh for a few days. Now, I'm not sure if this statement reflects continued usage of Purex Crystals, or if it just means each time you use it. However, I have no complaints with this product. I love this stuff! Another statement is that Purex Crystals "Does not reduce the absorbency of towels." I completely agree with this statement. I love using Purex Crystals on my towels especially. It makes them so soft and fluffy and not to mention, they smell soooo good! It is also stated that this "Natural formula is safe for your family and the environment." This is always a plus for me! Anytime that I can reduce the chemicals and toxins that my family and the environment are exposed to makes me happy!

This new scent, Fresh Mountain Breeze, is one of my favorite Purex Crystals scents so far! I have been lucky enough to review every scent so far (I believe!). This scent is a fresh smelling scent. It's not too flowery scented, so the men and boys will love it too!

All in all, Purex Crystals ROCK!

I will be giving away 3 coupons, each good for one free bottle of Purex Crystals Fresh Mountain Breeze scent. To enter this contest, all you have to do is simply comment below with your answer to this question: WHY DO YOU LOVE PUREX BRAND PRODUCTS? 3 winners will be randomly selected. PLEASE include your email address so that I can contact you if you win.

How to Become a Product Reviewer

Another thing I always get asked about is how to become a product reviewer, so I will explain how I got started. It may be different for each person, but this is what I did!

Back in 2006, I came across a website for a company called Houseparty.com. Their company was looking for people to agree to have products sent to their home, then they had to agree to host a party at their house, with their friends and family, and let everyone try out the products. We had to take pictures and videos, and then we had to blog about it. I signed up for a free blog, and then I signed up for Houseparty.com. I got chosen! :) I started applying to host parties for different product companies, and then I started getting chosen for parties. I hosted parties for Mattel Barbie, Green Works cleaning products, Green Works laundry detergent, Febreze, Revlon, and many others.

Once I got the hang of this, I started looking for other companies like Houseparty.com and found a few more. I applied. I got chosen. I started requesting products to review, then I started getting mail and packages every month!

Since 2006, I have increased the amount of companies that I do product reviewing for. I am now a product review blogger for Houseparty.com, Bzz Agent, SheSpeaks, MomSelect, Vocalpoint, Purex Insiders, and a few others.

The most important thing about product reviewing is to remember: 1) More than likely, you will NOT receive monetary payments. You do receive FREE products though! 2) You WILL have deadlines that you will have to stick to. This is just like a job, but you don't get a paycheck...you get FREE products! 3) Your blog has to remain searchable and active. 4) You have to maintain your integrity as a product reviewer and blogger. If you start slacking off or don't report your blogging efforts, then it is just like you dishonored an agreement (and yes, you do electronically "sign" agreements vowing to do the blogging part and the reviewing part). If you dishonor your agreement, then you will be looked down upon and you will eventually lose the trust of companies. If an emergency arises for some reason (like an illness, computer breakdown, etc), sometimes they will work with you if you know you can't meet the deadline. Just please contact the company you are reviewing for.

It's pretty simple. You just have to make sure that you stick to everything you agree to do, and you have to follow the rules. Some things will not be able to be shared with others. Some things will not be able to be used until a certain time. Just read the fine print and stick with the rules.

Good luck!

New Year, New You Purex Sweepstakes- Purex Insiders

Purex Crystals has released a new sweepstakes! What better way to start off the New Year right than to start changing the way you stay active & the way you wash your clothes? A New Year and a New You sounds great, right?

Enter to WIN a Basis Fitness Tracker & a year’s supply of Purex Crystals! 

Purex Crystals do not interfere with moisture wicking fabric, so they will work great with all your fitness wear!

Enter for your chance to win here.

In exchange for my helping to promote this sweepstakes, Purex Insiders offers a chance for all reporting bloggers to be put in a drawing for a $25 giftcard. I received no other compensation.

Couponing Tips!

Hello everyone!

As everyone knows I'm all about coupons. People ask me all the time, "How do you coupon? How can I save the money that you save?" So, after being asked so many times, I decided to create a tips sheet and explain exactly how I do it. There are many people out there, who will teach the simple basics, and then they will charge for their "class." To me, that is unethical! If you have a gift that you can share with others to help them save money, then by all means, help them for FREE! After all, at one point, someone helped you!

I hope this will help you. If you have any other tips that could help someone, please post them in the comments section!

Have a great day!

First of all....you need to figure out what stores you will typically shop at, to include retail, grocery, pharmacies, etc. One very important thing that you have to understand very well BEFORE couponing is EACH store's coupon policy. Each store has a different policy. Some store chains even have different policies for each store. For example, some Winn-Dixie's in Florida will do double and triple coupons, but most stores in AL and GA do not do either of those. They will only do face value. So, take this time to write down the stores you will be shopping at on a regular basis. Visit each store's site or do a Google search for "(store name)'s coupon policy", then print the WHOLE POLICY for each store.

Next, get a 3 ring binder and put ALL OF THOSE COUPON POLICIES in the binder, and use dividers to separate each store from the other. Use the divided sections to put your store ads that you print or pick up, your grocery lists, and you can also buy vinyl sleeves and stick your coupons for those specific stores in there.

Once you have your system together, then you can move on to the next steps. Finding your coupons! If you don't have a newspaper with coupons, there are many other options to get them from. First, you can print them off the internet. You can visit the company's website and print coupons; you can do a Google search of a coupon for that item or brand; you can join their Facebook pages and look for coupons; you can join coupon exchange groups in the community (libraries and military bases usually have these); you can join groups online (try Yahoo Groups and Facebook). You can also use a coupon clipping service. These are wonderful! If you are like me, you don't want a ton of coupons for items that you won't use. I'd rather just pay a little bit and get coupons that I WILL use! Coupon clipping services are super cheap. I typically use www.thecouponclippers.com. They are trust-worthy and reliable. The way this works is you pick the coupons you want, how many of each you want, and then you pay pennies on the dollar for each coupon and then a very small handling fee, which is usually no more than the cost of a stamp.

Get together store ads. You can get these from the store or print them from the internet. TAKE THESE WITH YOU! Figure out what items you wand then compare them to the items that Walmart and Target carry, if you shop at these stores. BOTH of these stores will MATCH competitor ads, as long as they are the same item listed, the ad is current, and it's a local competitor. You must bring the ad, so keep it in your binder! Find the items you want, make a list, take it to Walmart, get the items, show your ad, save money!

On top of competitor matching, you can also use coupons! Walmart, Target, Publix and Winn-Dixie will allow ONE store coupon PLUS ONE manufacturer coupon to be used for the same item, so that is double the savings. Now, if you just ad-matched an item, plus you had 1 or 2 coupons for that item, then you just saved even more!

Not coupon stacking!!! Coupon stacking is when you use more than one coupon for one single or a couple of items as a group, and you maximize your savings. You have to be very careful with this. Coupon stacking is very legal to do, but you have to be careful to make sure it works for you. First thing you want to do is take all your coupons that are for free items and put them at the back of the stack; take all your dollar or cent off coupons for single items and put them in the front; put all your dollar or cent off coupons for more than one item as a whole (like $1 off 2, etc) and put them in the middle of the stack between the single coupons and the free coupons.  Now you want to run all single item coupons first. DO NOT RUN ANY COUPONS FOR 2 ITEMS OR MORE UNTIL THE END. If you have a coupon that says, "$1 off 3" and then you have 3 separate coupons that say "40 cents off one", and they are for the same 3 items in the first coupon, then you can use a total of 4 coupons for that set of items (the $1 off 3 and the individual coupons for cents off one), but make sure you use the single coupons first. If you run a multiple item coupon (like the $1 off 3) first, then you will combine those items as a combined unit and the registers will not allow cents off single items because they are no longer 3 separate units, they are a combined one unit.

You can also get money off your FREE items, so run the coupons for the cents/dollars off your free items, but DON'T run the free coupons until the end!

Also, sign up for rewards cards! All pharmacy store retail chains like Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, lots of restaurants, some stores have rewards cards. They are totally worth the few minutes you use to sign up for them. You get free items and discounts every time you use it. CVS and Wal-greens prints out special coupons just for the card holders, so it's definitely worth it.

You can use coupons WITH the rewards you rack up on rewards cards!!!

Also, sign up for emails from all the stores with rewards cards. They will sometimes send out special deals that are only available through email.

Maximize your savings by comparing namebrand products to off-brand products. Sometimes using a coupon won't give you the better deal. Sometimes buying off-brand or items that are like it that are on sale will be the best deal.

Also, MEAL PLAN!!! Can't say this enough! Make a grocery list and stick with it. Plan meals for the week. Studies show if you plan meals, you are less likely to eat out, which saves money. Also, make homemade food when possible. Stick to your grocery list. Eat a full meal before grocery shopping. You are less likely to stray from your shopping list if you shop on a full stomach.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it's really not. The savings make it worth your time. My average grocery shopping savings are anywhere from $50-$100 per trip. What you see on TV is FAKE. Those stores are set up for that show, and your actual stores do NOT allow coupon usage like they do on the show, so keep that in mind. You aren't going to get several baskets of food or products for free or pay only 80 cents for a whole basket of groceries. In fact, since that show came out on TLC, all the major grocery stores and retail chains have now changed their coupon policies to prevent abuse from happening. Be realistic. The average beginning couponer will typically save $5-$50 per shopping trip. The more you learn, the more practice you get, and the more time you put into your shopping trips, the more money you will save.

I highly suggest using the website www.thecouponmom.com. She's amazing! She has an awesome book for beginners that you can get on half.com and Amazon for just a few books. It's called "The Coupon Mom." You can also find her on Facebook. She's world-known! :)

If you have anymore questions, just shoot me an email.

Some examples of shopping trips I've saved on: (we lived in Wisconsin at the time)- Walmart: $300 worth of groceries for $90 (used ad matching, shopping list, and coupons); Target: $300 worth of Leap Frog learning toys for $30 (used ad matching, store coupons, plus manufacturer coupons).

Home-made Sushi Rolls!

My husband and daughter decided to attempt to follow a tutorial on Youtube to make home-made sushi rolls. I was somewhat hesitant of how well these would taste, but I had nothing to worry about! These turned out delicious...totally better than most restaurants! They did a great job! The total cost for the materials to make this= approximately $6. That is cheaper than the sushi rolls you buy at most restaurants and even the ones you can buy at grocery stores. On top of that, we STILL have plenty of materials left to make more! We topped it off with some soy sauce and Asian sweet chili sauce. We served them along with the hand-crafted dipping bowls that came from a family member's trip to Vietnam.

The Get a Clean Start Sweepstakes has launched!- Purex Insiders

What better way to get a shopping spree than for FREE?????

                  Purex has launched a new sweepstakes! 

The Get a Clean Start Sweepstakes has launched!

You have a chance to win a $1,000 for a new wardrobe and a year's supply of Purex detergent! Now who would not LOVE that?

To enter this amazing sweepstakes, simply click on the link below! That's it!

http://insiders.purex.com/GetACleanStart?id=197

To stay current on up-to-date information on products and giveaways by Purex, please "Like" them on Facebook.

#DisneySide @ Home Celebrations Hostess Selection!!!

 

I was recently selected to be one of the hostesses for the amazing upcoming #DisneySide @Home Celebrations party! I'm beyond excited. What better way to show love for Mickey than to celebrate the magic that he and his friends bring to the young and old alike!

Waiting for my package was like waiting for a gift to arrive before Christmas. I was so antsy. I was so excited when it was finally delivered. The curiosity of what the package entailed was a mystery, as we were not told what was in the hostess package. What an amazing surprise it was though!

 Hewlett-Packard sent us several packs of photo card paper to create beautiful photo cards for our guests.

 Complete Mickey Mouse party supplies...galore! Craisins. Even some measuring cups from "The Chew."

 I absolutely LOVE the traveling luggage piece that they sent to us as a thank you for hosting the party!

 Pack of white plain t-shirts and fabric markers for our guests to make their own decorated t-shirts.

 I loved all the goodies that this package included! My guests are going to love them too!

 The cute thing about the party supplies is that this was the same set of Mickey party supplies (design) that we used for our son's 4th birthday party last summer. :)

 Over-sized team cards for our guests to decorate.

 My hostess gift! I love this suitcase.

We are going to have a blast at this party!!!

I am going to be teaming up with our son's preschool to host this party during a parent-child event that his preschool already had planned. I think the parents and kids are going to be ecstatic when they get to experience their #DisneySide while having fun together!

I will post pics from the party once I host it. So keep your eyes peeled!

Valentine's Day is coming soon!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner...in fact, it is just 9-1/2 days away! In case you ever wondered why we celebrate Valentine's Day or what it is all about, I thought I'd share some details about it. I know, I know, you thought it was just a day to get some yummy chocolates and flowers. No, it does actually have a history behind it.

The following copied information was obtained from Wikipedia:

Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine,^[1] is observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it remains a working day in most of them.
St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14, and added to later martyrologies.^[2] A popular hagiographical account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire. According to legend, during his imprisonment, he healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. An embellishment to this story states that before his execution he wrote her a letter signed "Your Valentine" as a farewell.^[3] Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion,^[4] as well as in the Lutheran Church.^[5] The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni). In Brazil, the Dia de São Valentim is recognized on June 12.
The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. In 18th-century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.^[6]

Google Plus- Follow Me for Google Plus Private Giveaways!!!!

Hello everyone!

I wanted to invite each of you to follow me on Google+ for PRIVATE, Google+-only giveaways! I will not announce when I will have a giveaway, so if you are interested, please follow me and add me to your circle on Google+! I look forward to seeing you there! Have a great day!

Jami/Mom's Little Secrets on Google+