eFoodsDirect- Dehydrated Food is Good!

I was recently contacted to do a review for eFoodsDirect dehydrated meals. I took a look at their website and was perplexed by their products.

You see, eFoodsDirect believes in three principles; Serve, Save and Share- Serve great food and one another, Save for unforeseen circumstances that lie ahead, and Share the message of gaining control of your food supply and be less dependent on others. I honestly have never even though about stockpiling dehydrated food, heck- I never even knew that dehydrated food was something a regular person could buy!

I know you are probably thinking, how healthy can dehydrated food be? We are all programmed to think that fresh food is healthy and anything else is processed and bad but eFoodsDirect's dehydrated food is high quality and full of nutrients. Dehydrating food removes moisture from the food and preserves it without any added chemicals while preserving 92% of the nutritional value. All meals at E-Foods are dehydrated from premium-grade fresh foods, have no genetically altered ingredients, no added msg, no hydrogenated oil, no trans fats and no irradiated ingredients. All meals are vegetarian and they offer gluten, dairy and soy free options.

After all of my reading I was impressed but then came the taste test. Would all of the good things I read matter if the food tasted bad?

This particular day I had a hankering for something spicy so I decided to make the Tortilla Soup. Normally for lunch I grab whatever I can, usually some crackers or a yogurt, while I am trying to wrangle the kids and do housewife stuff. I don't have time to make time intensive food so this seemed to fit the bill for simplicity.

The preparation was so easy- I just added the contents of the package into boiling water and simmered for fifteen minutes. I want to warn you that when you look into the package at the dry ingredients it doesn't look like much but believe me, it turns into something that looks and smells good- my whole house smelled delicious and my five year old son asked if I was making tacos. I told him I was making soup and that it was mine- sometimes a mom has to be a little selfish.

So how did it taste? Really good- I scarfed it down, though next time I will simmer it a bit longer because some of the beans were a little chewy (that was my fault because I forgot to set the timer on the stove). I honestly would have never known that I was eating dehydrated food if I hadn't prepared it myself. All of my misconceptions about dehydrated food are now out the window.

I encourage you to check out eFoodsDirect to see all of their food options and read up on food preparedness; they really give you a lot to think about when it comes to feeding your family and protecting them in the event of a disaster.

 



this picture is from the eFoodsDirect website- I was far too hungry to stop and take a picture of the soup I made.

Disclaimer: I was provided with food to review but did not receive any other compensation. All opinions are mine and are 100% honest.

Upcoming Review- eFoodsDirect

Recently I was contacted by eFoodsDirect to do a review of their products. I had never heard of them before so I checked out their website and became very intrigued by their offering of dehydrated food and also the many reasons why you would want to have these foods in your pantry.

I am very excited to try out their food and to share my findings with you. It should be interesting because I have never had dehydrated food before but after reading through their website it looks like their food is tasty and nutritious; who can argue with tasty and nutritious food that the only prep needed to make it is just add water?

Stay tuned!

Charlie's Soap is My Number One!

I am not one to push products on other people but I was reminded of how much I love my laundry detergent the other day when I had to reorder some.

I use Charlie's Soap and have been for awhile. I started using this way back when I was cloth diapering my son and had a ton left over when I ditched cloth for disposables. Fast forward to more recently and my son had a weird rash on his skin. I wasn't sure what exactly it was from but I had been detergent hopping and using whatever I could get for a good deal so I thought maybe he was having a reaction. I saw my Charlie's Soap sitting on the shelf in the laundry room and decided to rewash all of my son's clothing in it because it was all natural and didn't have any weird chemicals.

My son's rash went away (who knows if it was the detergent or not- sometimes kids just get weird rashes) but I decided to stick with the Charlie's Soap for all of our laundry. It works so well and leaves the clothes so soft that I actually stopped using fabric softener and dryer sheets. It also keeps the inside of my front loading washer extremely clean and keeps the awful front loading washer smell away. The clothing comes out of the dryer smelling like clothing- not flowers or morning rain, just clothing. It is amazing how much chemical crap and fragrance that traditional detergents have in them. What is also nice is that when I have the baby I can just wash her clothing in with all of ours instead of having to separate it and wash it in special detergent because this has no harsh ingredients.

I started out using the liquid detergent but when the price went up a bit on Amazon I decided to go with the powder. I am not sure how much everyone else pays for their detergent but on Amazon Charlie's Soap is $11.99 for 80 large loads and with Subscribe and Save it goes down to $10.19 for 80 large loads
(shipping is free with Subscribe and Save). This all equates to paying about .13 cents a load. Maybe not as good as buying the cheap stuff at the store on sale with a coupon but if you want detergent that has no weirdo chemicals or fragrances because someone in your family has sensitive skin or allergies this seems like a winner to me.

Plus, I am lazy and the thought of having to go to the store to buy laundry detergent makes me shudder.

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate link. Charlie's Soap has no idea who I am- I wrote this post because I simply love their product and use it every day.

CampusBookRentals.com- Save Money on Textbooks!

If you ever attended college or know someone who has then you know that one large cost for students is textbooks. I fondly remember back when I attended college and the sticker shock I had when purchasing textbooks from the campus bookstore- good thing my parents were bankrolling my education because I would have probably had to sell a kidney to afford the books I needed. Once the semester was over and I went to sell my books back to the campus bookstore I went through some more sticker shock when they were only offering to buy my books back for literally pennies on the dollar.

That is why I really wished that there was a site like CampusBookRentals.com around back then (okay, so it was 2002 but it really does seem like forever ago). At CampusBookRentals.com you rent your textbooks saving up to 90% of what you would have paid at the campus bookstore and shipping is free both ways. One thing that really stood out to me was their 30 day risk free return policy- if you drop your class and no longer need the book within the 30 day period you send it back and CampusBookRentals.com will refund your money! This means you are not stuck with a book that you don't need and you are definitely not out the money.

The site is really easy to navigate- to find the book you need just type in the name, isbn, etc. in the search box. Once you find your book you can choose the rental time period of semester, quarter or summer session and add it to your cart. Pretty simple. After your textbooks arrive they will send you a return envelope so that when your rental term is over you can ship the books back for free. 

On top of the awesome value that CampusBookRentals.com offers when it comes to the textbook business they also support Operation Smile. Operation Smile is a wonderful organization that provide cleft lip surgeries to children whose parents cannot afford the procedure. Every book that gets rented brings CampusBookRentals.com that much closer to reaching and exceeding their goal of providing 1000 surgeries to change the lives of 1000 children. Not only are you getting a great deal on your college textbooks so that you may achieve your goals in life but you are helping children get surgeries that they need so that they may achieve goals in their lives.

As I said earlier, I really wish CampusBookRentals.com were around when I was in college as it would have saved me (or should I say my parents) a lot of money and frustration. Even though my kids are still very young, renting textbooks is something I am going to keep in my mind for the day that they go to college. Make sure you check out CampusBookRentals.com and let anyone in our life who is attending or planning to attend college know about this innovative and compassionate company.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine. In exchange for an honest review, CampusBookRentals.com provided me with a promotional item.

The Hour That Matters Most- A Book Review

I was recently given the opportunity to do a book review on The Hour That Matters Most by Les and Leslie Parrot with Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna.

The concept of the book sounded interesting to me- that family meals are a simple way to make your family closer. My family and I already eat together almost every night so I went into reading this book thinking that there was not much more it could teach me about the time honored family dinner. I was wrong.

My family eats dinner together because I like us to all sit down together- it just feels right to me. The Hour That Matters Most showed me that what we are doing is good for us as a family not only because it make us closer now but because it will help us continue to be close even as the children grow into teenagers and beyond. What better time to talk about how our days went and to tune into each other- in my family it seems as if dinnertime is the only time we all just get to sit and be with each other without any outside distractions.

Another great point that The Hour That Matters Most brought up was that what is most important about the family meal is that the family is together, not necessarily what is being served for that meal. Don't feel bad if you don't whip up a gourmet meal every night, just do your best to make a meal that your family will enjoy and know that what your kids take away from the act of sitting down around the table together far outweighs what you serve on it.

Though The Hour That Matters Most seemed like it is more targeted towards the working moms I did take a lot of great information away from it as a stay at home mom. I especially liked the chapters that focused on family dinners and teenagers. My children are still very young but the tips on asking open ended questions and conversation starters seem like priceless nuggets of wisdom that I will use in the future. If you think that you don't have enough time to sit down as a family, there are many tips on how to accomplish this including on how to start your own fix it and freeze it club.

Whether you are a stay at home mom or you work outside of the home, The Hour That Matters Most is a must read to show you that such a simple thing as eating together as a family can have such a wonderful impact on the health of you family's relationships (and your physical health as well). Being too busy is no excuse anymore!

The Hour That Matters Most was launched on September 6, 2011 and is available for purchase through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble for $15.99.

For more information, visit www.thehourthatmattersmost.com

Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated for this review but was given a complimentary copy of the book to read. All opinions are 100% mine.

My Survey- A Survey Company That Doesn't Suck

I want to admit something to everyone here and now- I am a total flake when it comes to taking surveys. I cannot tell you how many survey sites I have signed up for over the years and I pretty much do not participate in any of them anymore.

The one exception is My Survey. You see, in order for a survey company to keep me interested they have to have somewhat interesting surveys for me to complete and they have to give me the opportunity to earn rewards in a decent amount of time. Both of these things are true of My Survey.

I have earned a lot of gift cards through them and really love the fact that they have added Amazon gift cards to their arsenal (because what is the point in taking surveys if the rewards are awful).

So try them out and see if you like them as much as my lazy butt does... and if you don't like them, no harm no foul- just ignore their invitations like I do with all of the other survey sites.

Disclaimer: The links provided are affiliate links.

No More Lugging Bottled Water for Me...

My tap water tastes awful and on top of tasting awful, when I first turn the faucet on it smells like chlorine. I am really picky about how my water tastes and refuse to buy any bottled water other than Poland Springs. If you haven't noticed, the store brand water comes from municipal water sources and it tastes like it. This is also why I do not use Brita filters- because the water still tastes awful. So, bottled water was my only option.

That is until my husband looked into the Zero Water filtration system. After much research and reading of tons of reviews we decided to plop down $39.99 to buy to large 23 cup Water Dispenser and Filtration System from Amazon (there is a $15 rebate on it making it $24.99). Once I finished up the bottled water I already had on hand we set up the Zero Water system and I do have to say that I am very happy with it. The horrid tasting tap water has been transformed into clean and refreshing tasting water.

The replacement filters cost a little over $10 each ($89.99 at Target.com) and depending where you live you could average around 40 gallons of water for each filter. What I really love about the frigde unit is that it comes with a water testing meter that lets you know how well your filter is doing. Right now my meter is reading 0 but when it reads 6 it is time to change to filter- it really takes the guesswork out of if your filter is working or not (when I tested my tap water it was around 200- that means the filter is taking a lot of nasty tasting crap out of my water).

In the long run the Zero Water system will save my family money, especially considering that I was paying around $1 a gallon for Poland Springs water and more than that for flouridated water for the kids (the flouride is one thing that is not removed with a filtration system). And, I guess maybe I am helping the environment but that was an unintentional side effect of me wanting non-horrid water to drink and wanting to save some money.

This review was written by me because I really like the Zero Water filtration systme. Zero Water has no idea who I am and did not provide me with any free stuff (though wouldn't it be cool if the did?) The link provided to Amazon is my affiliate link.

Covergirl NatureLuxe Review

Recently BzzAgent sent me Covergirl NatureLuxe Gloss Balm and Silk Foundation. I really love getting free stuff to try out but even better is when I actually love the product.

I am not someone who wears foundation, the farthest I usually go is tinted moisturizer so I was a little apprehensive at using the NatureLuxe Silk Foundation. Well, I was really blown away at what great coverage it had while still feeling as light as the tinted moisturizer I normally use. I will continue to use my tinted moisturizer but the Silk Foundation is definitely something I will be buying for times when I want a bit more coverage (which right now is everyday because along with the beautiful baby growing in my stomach came yucky pimples).

As for the NatureLuxe Gloss Balm, it is something that I would buy to use every day. It goes on like lip gloss and gives enough color to brighten up my face without looking like I am trying too hard. The only bad part is that it wears off quicker than I would like but it really is no big deal in my book because it makes my lips feel soft when I put it on.

So, next time CVS or Rite Aid has a deal running on Covergirl products, make sure you check out the NatureLuxe line, especially if you are someone like me who is a makeup minimalist.

Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent and was sent these products to try out. All opinions are mine.

Thank God for Bella Bands!

I got my Bella Band yesterday and am in love! My pants fit so well now and my pants are digging into my growing stomach anymore.

Well worth the $26 I paid especially considering I don't have to buy any new pants for a long while. The downside is now you can tell my stomach is bigger- hopefully people realize I'm pregnant and haven't been eating too many Cheetos (mmmm, Cheetos).

No one at Bella Band even knows who I am- I wrote this because I am really in love with their product!

BuildASign.com Review

I love to decorate my kids rooms with an eclectic mix of stuff- no cookie cutter bedrooms from me. Nothing is matchy matchy but I think it's great because I'm not a matchy matchy person. When I was contacted by BuildASign.com to do a review of one of their products I immediately knew what I wanted- parking signs for my kids' rooms!

I was a little nervous that it would take me forever to come up with ideas for the designs but BuildASign has so many great templates that I didn't even have to put much thought into it. I chose the basic designs I wanted and was able to very easily change colors, text and pictures. They even have the option to upload your own photos to your project- pretty neat if you ask me (maybe I could make myself an employee of the month sign with my picture on it to remind my family how much I do for them)!

Here are the signs I designed- so cute and they will look awesome on my kids' walls. These are made like real parking signs so I know they will last a long time- now to just get my husband to hang them for me.

My 20 month old daughter really liked her sign and I could tell this because she grabbed it when I wasn't looking and tried running around the house with it- I had to take it away because metal and toddlers don't mix well and I had a feeling she was going to use it as a weapon against her brother. My almost four year old son loved his sign and keeps asking when daddy is going to hang it up- the only problem is that he thinks he now needs a dirt bike to park under it.

Not only does BuildASign have parking signs but they also have yard signs, banners, license plates, street signs and much more (wouldn't a street sign look cool on a kid's bedroom wall?). And like the parking signs I made, they are all easily customizable to meet your needs. So go ahead- check out BuildASign.com and see what you can come up with. You won't be disappointed!

Disclaimer: BuildASign provided me with two free signs to review- all opinions are mine and are very truthful.

Barely There No Slip Fit Bra Review

BzzAgent recently sent me a Barely There No Slip Fit Bra to review and share my honest opinions about.

Getting a free bra in the mail is great. Getting a free bra in the mail that is comfortable is wonderful.

So, as I just said, this bra is very comfortable- comfortable to the point that I forgot I was even wearing it. Another plus is that there are no bra lines because seeing the lines of a bra through a shirt is just awful. One thing that I would change though is the adjustment ability of the straps- even after adjusting them to the smallest setting they were still a tad long (I am five feet tall and have a petite frame).

As much as this bra is comfortable it is not something that I would consider hot and steamy. It is a full coverage comfortable bra that is great to wear everyday. If you want to feel uber sexy all day then this isn't your cup of tea. I don't have the need to feel sexy when I am dealing with monster children all day but at the same time I don't want to be wearing something so modest that my grandmother would wear it.

All in all the Barely There No Slip Bra lived up to its name- it stayed in place and was very comfortable. Will I be switching my undergarments from Victoria's Secret to Barely There- not in the near future. I like the no slip feature and how comfortable it was but I am just not ready to wear something so modest, plus the straps were a little too long for my frame. Maybe when I decide to give up my lower rise jeans for mom jeans I'll switch my bra too.

Disclaimer: BzzAgent sent me a bra to review. All opinions are mine and are very honest.

Table for Three...

We recently bought a pub style table for my kitchen that came with two chairs. We eat breakfast and lunch in the kitchen and then for dinner we eat in the dining room as a family. This arrangement works out great during the week when my husband is working but on the weekend when there are two adults and a toddler (she sits in one of those portable seats that attaches to a regular chair) who need chairs to sit in when in the kitchen (my preschooler son has his own little table that he sits at) either my husband or I end up standing up to eat breakfast/lunch.

We could just buy another chair but unfortunately we bought our set at the clearance center at a local furniture store so finding the same chair again is very unlikely. My husband and I decided that buying a bar stool would be perfect- it would be the same height as the chairs we already have and it would match in a non-matchy way. I feel like if we bought the same style of chair we have now but not the same exact one it would look tacky- like we just collected random furniture that we found on the side of the road on trash day.

Knowing that CSN Stores sells tons of furniture, including adjustable bar stools, I decided to take a look at what they had to offer. I never realized that there were so my options for bar stools- now I just have to decide what kind would look best in my kitchen. Wish me luck.

Disclaimer:CSN Stores will be providing me a gift certificate in return for doing a review of their site. All opinions are mine.

Just Call Me Lazy (Smart?)- Killing Three Birds With One Stone!

Christmas is fast approaching and while I am winding down from hosting Thanksgiving at my home I am getting wound back up (in a good way) thinking about Christmas Cards and gifts.

Every year, since my son was born, we have ditched the generic boxed cards from the store to send photo cards so that all of our family and close friends can share in how much our children have grown each year. Also since having children I have found out how much grandparents love pictures of their grand kids and that they really love photo gifts.

This year I checked out Shutterfly to see what they have to offer. I have never purchased Christmas cards from them but I have purchased beautiful photo calenders for gifts and was very pleased with their choice of graphics and the quality.

Something I seem to have less and less of each year is time so I did not want to be searching through tons of photo sights to find designs that fit my style (which is what I have done in the past and what has caused me lots of self imposed stress). This is why Shutterfly came to mind- when I was making my photo calenders there were so many graphics to choose from that were "me" that I didn't feel like I was missing something by not checking somewhere else.

In all honesty, after only a couple of minutes in the Christmas card section of their site I found a bunch of cards that I really like and one that is be perfect for Christmas this year.

I am in love with this card. I am going to have the pictures be in black and white (I have an obsession with black and white photos). I like that there are three spots so I can have two individual shots of the kids and then of one of them together. If the cooperation level of the kids is low I can go to plan B and take three "candid" shots of them not sitting still for their Christmas photos (I did this last year and it was actually very cute).

While on their site, I also found a calender that I want to make for my mom and mother in law.

I really like this design- I may even make one for myself. I love making calenders for gifts because it is something useful, every month there is another cute picture to look at and and it is a great keepsake once the year is over. I would even suggest framing the photos once you take the calender down because the quality of it is so nice and the pictures come out so good that it would be a shame to put it away to not be enjoyed anymore.

I also found their birthday card section.

This is such a cute card to give a daddy, grandpa or uncle with a picture of your child on it. I really feel like I should sit down right now and order birthday cards for everyone in my family so when their birthdays come I will be prepared ahead of time. Giving a birthday card with a photo in it makes it so much more special than giving one that you pick up at the local drug store- and these actually cost less than what I would normally spend on a birthday card!

So, from one site I have solved my Christmas card issue, my what to get my mom and mother in law issue and my running out last minute to get a birthday card issue. Like I said, I have been a fan of Shutterfly for awhile and now like them even more for helping me streamline my life a bit more.

Now if only someone could help me find a gift for my tween little brother...


Disclaimer: Shutterfly, in exchange for writing about their site, has given me free cards. All opinions are mine- I really do love their site and have bought from them before and been very impressed with their selection and quality. And yes, I am really going to pre-buy birthday cards because it will make life just that much easier for me!

Making Money as a Mommy- Inbox Dollars

I am a mom and that is my primary job right now. I take care of the kids, the household chores and the bills. I don't have much time leftover after doing all of that but I still like to make a little extra money on the side.

Once the kids are in bed I like to relax (preferably with a humongous glass of wine) so I am not someone who takes tons of surveys to make money. I do surveys through one company and also read emails through Inbox Dollars.

It really is such a simple way to earn a little extra money. They send me emails and I quickly read them. I get paid a bit of money for each one and after awhile it all adds up and I get a check in the mail. They also have offers that you can sign up for (some free offers and some paid offers) to earn more money. One one the really great features is tat you can print coupons through them (usually the exact same ones offered on coupons.com) and when you redeem the coupons you printed you get a credit in your account!

This won't make me rich, but it takes minimal effort to read to emails so it really is worth it to me. When you sign up for the first time they give you a $5 credit in your account as a bonus- who doesn't love a bonus?

So, little effort and earning money equals a good deal in my book!

Disclaimer: If you sign up for Inbox Dollars through my link I will receive a referral credit. I really do like this company and if you don't want to sign up through my link that is fine- sign up without my referral link because I want everyone to get in on this deal!

Charlie's Soap- Best Laundry Detergent Ever!

    

My son was getting hives last week and we weren't sure why. I decided that it could be the laundry detergent I was using (the free Xtra detergent I got awhile ago) so I wanted to rewash all of his clothes in something else. The only thing that I had on hand without fragrance in it was my Charlie's Soap Laundry Liquid that I bought a few years ago when I was cloth diapering my son.

After rewashing all of his clothes I noticed something amazing- my front loader washing machine no longer smelled! The Charlie's Soap removed the moldy smell (a common problem in front loaders) and it also removed all of the residue from the inside of the machine. There used to be mold around the rubber gasket that would appear after I ran a wash but that was gone too! I swear, the inside of the machine is gleaming new.

The clothing also came out way clean too. It is more fluffy than it was with regular detergent and it smells clean- just clean and not like any perfumes. I have been washing all of our clothing in Charlie's Soap and a pair of pants of mine that smelled musty now smell clean. I washed these pants in our old detergent at least ten times in hot water and could not get the smell out and after only one wash with the Charlie's Soap they smelled  like clean pants.

I am not a "green" person but this stuff is also good for the environment.

I am so annoyed with myself because the bottle of Charlie's Soap has been sitting on a shelf for years while I continued to use other detergents that were leaving residue all over my clothing and washing machine.

The best price I could find for the one gallon jug was on Amazon for $20 with free shipping. Each jug cleans 128 loads (you only use 1/4 cup per load) so this comes out to about .15 cents a load. Not the best price for us couponers but the performance is so much better than what I can get cheap that I am willing to shell out a bit more. If you use Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks you can make it an even better deal. They also have 5 gallon buckets of the liquid and a powder version available.

Disclaimer: I was in no way compensated for this review or even asked to do it by Charlie's Soap. I really do love this product and wanted to share it with everyone. The links provided are affiliate links to Amazon.com and if a purchase is made through them I will get a small kick back. If you are not comfortable with this you can go to Amazon directly and search for Charlie's Soap.

My Review of 9" Square Baking Dish with Bonus 5" Baking Dish in Dijon

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

Le Creuset's Square Dish is truly an all-in-one dish that you can use for baking, slicing, serving, and storage. Poterie Stoneware can be used in the oven, broiler, or microwave and will not absorb odors or flavors. The durable finish resists chipping, scratching and st...

9" Square Baking Dish with Bonus 5" Baking Dish in Dijon

Perfect Cookware!

By Erica @ Just Call Me Cheap from Massachusetts on 10/30/2010

5out of 5

Pros: Distributes Heat Evenly, Easy To Clean, Durable, Retains Heat

Cons: Handle Gets Hot

Best Uses: Elaborate Meals, Large Kitchens, Small Kitchens, Simple Meals

Describe Yourself: Casual Cook

This dish is great- it cleans up so easily. I own many other Le Creuset dishes and I still can't believe how easily baked on food comes off with just dish rag and soap. I have never has to soak these dishes- amazing! We have replaced all of our Pyrex dishes with this line!

(legalese)

Disclaimer: I was provided with a CSN Stores gift certificate in return for doing a review of their site/products. All opinions are mine.

My Review of Stainless Steel Meat Thermometer

Originally submitted at CSN Stores

The Stainless Steel Meat Thermometer from Polder reflects a classic look and provides pinpoint accuracy for your cooking needs.Its heat resistant silicon safety grip keeps your fingers safe from hot metal. Properly cook your food in style with this dishwasher safe universal...

Stainless Steel Meat Thermometer

Very Accurate

By Erica @ Just Call Me Cheap from Massachusetts on 10/30/2010

5out of 5

Pros: Durable, Easy To Clean, Handle Stays Cool
Best Uses: Elaborate Meals, Simple Meals
Describe Yourself: Casual Cook

I love this thermometer because you cna leave it in the food while it is cooking. This means that you don't have to keep opening the oven to check and see what temperature your food is at- your food cooks quicker because the heat doen't get let out of the oven door and your food is cooked to teh perfect (and safe) temperature. It is very easy to clean and can even be put into the dishwasher.

(legalese)

Disclaimer: I was provided with a CSN Stores gift certificate in return for doing a review of their site/products. All opinions are mine.

Winner CSN Stores Giveaway!

The winner of the $35 CSN Stores Gift Certificate giveaway is Tabathia (comment #58). Congratulations Tabathia and thank you to everyone for entering!

CSN Stores graciously provided me with a gift certificate for my personal use as well as long as I would write a little review about my experience using it (all opinions expressed are mine and are truthful). I bought this Le Creuset 12 by 9 1/2 inch baking dish on Friday night and it was delivered to me on Tuesday. Shipping was free which is awesome but fast shipping makes it super awesome.

I really like CSN Stores but my one complaint is that I wish there were a way to search for products that have free shipping- I hate paying for shipping and avoid it like the plague when possible. Other than that they are a great site and are now up there with Amazon as a place that I look to compare prices for housewares.

Oh yeah- the dish is marvelous! I love Le Creuset and as I (slowly) build up my collection (can you call three pieces a collection?) I am getting rid of my Pyrex dishes. Le Creuset is way more expensive than Pyrex but it will last forever and baked on food just wipes right off. Every time I wash one of these dishes I talk my poor husband's ear off about how I can't believe how easy it is to clean them and where have they been all of my life. After reading what I just wrote I really do feel like a housewife (not that there is anything wrong with that...).

Online Shopping Is My Friend

My son is almost 3 1/2 years old and has suddenly decided that he no longer likes his Lightening McQueen bed set that his grandparents got him for Christmas last year. He was obsessed with the movie Cars and now has no interest in it. This means that we are in the market for some more "grown up" and modern bedding. I have learned from this incident that buying kids character bedding is a big no no unless you feel like switching it out every six months so this time my son will be getting something more generic but still cool looking, like the set pictured above which is from one of CSN Stores 200 plus sites.

If you have been reading my blog for a bit you know that I love to shop online. It's not that I hate leaving my house, I hate leaving my house lugging two grumpy kids. I try to buy everything I can online as long as I can get a great deal on it. This is why I am excited that I will be doing another CSN Stores review- their site has some pretty great deals and shopping there for stuff I need means one less trip to the store with grumpy kids.

Stay tuned!

Review- Coupon Chief

If you have been following my blog for awhile (or even for just the past week) you know that I love online shopping. It is very convenient, which is worth its weight in gold when you have a three and a one year old. Just because I am not going into a store doesn't meant that I am not using coupons, I always check to see if the site I am purchasing from has a coupon code that I can use to score me the best deal.

A site that I have recently become aware of that has online coupon codes is Coupon Chief. Coupon Chief is a site that has a comprehensive database of working (yes, working!) online coupon codes, many of which are user submitted. I really like the fact that when I go to use a coupon it works because who really likes to get super excited about an awesome online coupon code and then have your hopes dashed because it's expired or just plain doesn't work?

Because I am such and advocate of shopping online there are a few stores that I frequent on a regular basis, two of which are the Gap and Shoes.com. Can I just tell you that I thought I knew about all of the current Gap coupons and Shoes.com coupons offered by these stores and I saw that I was way wrong- I saw a few codes that I could have used that were better than the ones I did use (can you say 15% off of all shoes at Shoes.com- not just sale ones).

Something else I really like about Coupon Chief is that you can create an account and sign up to alerted when your favorite retailers have new coupons posted. I can be pretty busy (lazy...) sometimes so how cool is it that when the Gap has a new coupon I will know about it and will be able to buy my kids more cute clothes with out leaving the house? 

Coupon Chief is going to be added to my arsenal of money saving sites and I am sure that I will be visiting their site the next time I make an online purchase (which shouldn't be too far in the future).

(Disclaimer: Coupon Chief reimbursed me for my honest review of their site. All opinions are mine and are unbiased.)