Peak Peeks

Creative Cooking , Kicking the Frugal Living up to Affrugal Living

2011-04-05T16:08:00.000-04:00

Creative Cooking , Kicking the Frugal Living up to Affrugal Living

I am the "Frugal Freelancer" and prior to that was "Freelance Anjie" and before that was the "Starving Student," I have come through the ranks and have now been self promoted to AFFRUGAL ANJIE......... if you used to be a FREELANCER now you are hereby promoted ! Affluent and Frugal . I like to LIVE LAVISHLY (by my own set of standards, not anyone elses) for LESS and I like the GOOD THINGS IN LIFE, I like for my food to taste good, very good. I like the best wines and I like to savor my meals. I also don't like to pay full price for anything. So I take the sale, coupons, review products, rebates, AFM, and many other creative saving techniques and combine them to give you the ANTI - EXTREME techniques...... the ROAD LESS TRAVELED BY, the one in which you have time to "smell the coffee" and enjoy your savings.......
here is a prime example.

FRUGAL , FABULOUS AND AFFLUENT CAN ALL FIT TOGETHER FOLKS AND I AM HERE TO PROVE IT!

TOKIES DELICIOUS BROWNIES........ I got them from my dear friend and creator of TOKIES
Deb. to try and share and play with the recipes. I am doing just that. The first item was the MAPLE JACKS........ I gave a box to my daughter AND shared the finished product with a friend of the families last weekend in the form of Chocolate Chip, Blueberry and Honey Pecan. YUMMMMMM

This week I made my own dessert and sharing with you the results for XANDERS BROWNIES...... they are the BOMB and can be found in Whole Food Grocery store of you can order online.
Here are the results........

OK the first step is get a box of XANDERS BELGIUM CHOCOLATE BROWNIE MIX (whole foods has it) I followed the directions but decided to make "in between" the directions for brownies and cake by adding just a bit (about 1/8 of a cup of milk , I actually used evaporated because that is what I had handy) and then added a Cup of Chopped Nuts. I am going to say you can use your FAVORITE NUT here I actually used a combination of them that I had in the freezer :) This is of course optional. I also lined my pan with wax paper and cut to size to save me on clean up later. I don't like using cooking sprays and avoid when I can.

Cook as directed otherwise. ^^^

I made a "frosting" or creamy layer by using the Kitchen Aid and miding together 1 stick of real butter (creamed) with about 3 tblespoons of Almond Butter....... I added this mixture to the powdered sugar (1 lb) a bit at a time into the mixer. once that was mixed together I added the condensed milk (entire can) to the mixer and then ............ added Ameretta D'Sorono to this (I did not measure and would assume that any amount or Almond Extract would do the same....... to give this an ALMOND CREAM taste. AFter all of the lumps were gone I decided to add a bit more butter to mine..... to make it creamier (about 2 TBL) and then blended again. I added 3/4 cup of sweetened shredded coconut to the finished product and mixed in.
These were all items I had "on hand" and did not buy "extra" at the store. I encourage you to make your own flavors! :)

I layered the mixture on the COOLED brownies I made above. I spread evenly (almost) and then used a mexican caramel (dolce) that I had in the fridge to decorate the top.

Serve a WARM piece with ice cream (we tried the new LACTOSE FREE BRYERS AND IT WAS DELISH!) for a delicious start and then when entirely cooled (refridgerate to hasten this process) cut into squares and put on a plate in the fridge there will be no need to cover them because the top will not stay on and everytime you open the door it will be mandatory to have just "one" . So forget to cover it and put in the dishwasher in about 24 hours. AFTER LICKING THE PLATE :)

I enjoyed some of the WINE I added to the Pot Roast below ........ and in a nice chilled glass........ and then I used my beautiful new wine stopper from my BF, SUSAN........ I will think of her often as I will use this often . I luv my Fleur D' Lis. The wine I bought from one of the designer sample sites with a promo discount code and a referral credit. No it wasn't free but it wasn't the $80 a bottle it cost in the Wine Stores either. It was the price people pay for the "ok" wines, I got the AFFRUGAL way..... top shelf for mid/ bottom shelf price!

Pot Roast.......seared roast cooked in a wine/worchester sauce filled with fresh veggies and fresh herbs and plenty of black pepper. YUM! Ok used up the veggies from the pasta salad I made the other day that I brought to my neices cookout and a 75% off roast at Food Lion on managers mark down special. YEA I paid about $5 for this AWESOME AFFRUGAL ROAST!

Its a TREAT! CONTEST to win bag of snickers and more

2010-11-02T13:05:00.001-04:00

We were selected to be one of the "coolest houses on the block" this year by snickers and shespeaks.com.
What a TREAT this was! In addition to the cool Fog Machine, Spider Webbing, Strobe Light , Crime Scene tape and sign we also got to eat and share SNICKERS BARS and the NEW SNICKERS PEANUT SQUARES with our neighborhood and friends.

The Decorations looked fabulous but the guests and trick or treaters looked even better! (note: all of the table decor you see above came from GDA and After Holiday Sales)

Everyone ...........From the Oldest to the Youngest and all of them in between enjoyed the new SNICKERS TREATS!

Wouldn't you like to reach in and Grab one? I am going to give away a bag of these treats that you CANNOT buy in the store until Jan 11, 2011! :) What do you have to do?

FOLLOW "THE FRUGAL FREELANCER" on FACEBOOK by clicking "LIKE"
HERE

NO FACEBOOK? make sure you follow THE FRUGAL FREELANCER blog by signing up for the newsletter (left side of page) YOU CAN do BOTH for two entries into the contest if you like. Winner will have 48 hours to claim the prize ...........DRAWING FRIDAY November 5th . Winner will have until Nov. 8th to claim!

GOOD LUCK! its not a trick its a real TREAT!

SPLENDA , Tropical Traditions and CAJUN NANA PUDDING

2010-04-07T11:08:00.000-04:00

SPLENDA ®......... I am an AVID Splenda user , and often carry it in my purse and pockets when traveling or going out because I love to have it in my coffee. I don't use Splenda for baking but otherwise use it to cook with and in my beverages. I have a cookbook now thanks to momscentral.com its called the "TASTEBOOK" I found a recipe that appealed to me being from N'awlins called BANANA FOSTER SMOOTHIE!

2 packets SPLENDA^® Flavors for Coffee, Caramel
¾ cup reduced fat milk
1 tablespoon orange juice
¼ teaspoon banana extract
1 (2 inch)slice of banana

Mix all ingredients, except banana, in a microwaveable bowl or cup. Heat in microwave 50 to 60 seconds or until hot. Pour into a blender and add banana. Cover tightly and blend 15 to 20 seconds or until banana is pureed. Pour into serving glass and serve immediately.

Note

Serving Size: 1 (7 fl oz) drink.

It was GREAT and was perfect for a quick healthy snack in the a.m. and had the extra "punch" I needed to get kickstarted for the day but it also get me "CRAVING" that sinful dish I call CAJUN NANA PUDDING............. a recipe that many of you have requested.......

While I loved the tastebook and also would love to read the SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener Recipe Collection book that you can get free when purchasing the BROWN SUGAR blend on the Splenda site.... HERE

My daughters will tell you that they learned to cook the HARD WAY because "mama" never had a recipe for much of anything , she just made it and couldn't tell ya how she did! Most of my recipes are "in my head" and I am going to try and give you the best ones , one by one! I am taking pictures to remind me of "steps" to write down LOL and I hope I don't miss something by doing it this way. Hopefully , I will have printable versions of the recipes I am sharing with you in the near future.

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL PIE RECIPE that uses splenda? if so GO HERE and enter it and you may just win yourself a new oven!

Anjie's Cajun Banana Pudding®
Please feel free to "pass along" but remember these are my PERSONAL recipes and I would only like you to share them by providing a LINK to this blog ! I have all kinds of requests for my recipes and am trying to accomodate :) Hope you enjoy and would love feedback!

this is in no way considered a "diet" food just because I am using some "sugarless" or "fat free" products! This is highly addicting and should not be eaten by anyone that is prone to addiction. I do use alcohol in this recipe and while it is "cooked out" should not be eaten or cooked by anyone who is prone to .......... just pouring me a little cup.. on the side, as cooking this dish involves dealing with knives and hot liquids and combining the two may be hazardous to your health! This recipe is the perfect example of how one can do "creative" cooking with products they have on hand/on sale/ substitutions due to health reasons etc. You do NOT have to do everything EXACTLY the way I am going to write it down here, because the "truth be known" I make it different EVERYTIME I make it, depending on what I have.

This may seem like a daunting recipe........ or a difficult one and you may be thinking , why don't I just do like SUZY said and buy some instant pudding and cut up some bananas in it , wouldn't that be much easier and taste the same? HECK NO IT WONT you will never be the same after tasting this!

You may be saying " I never eat banana budding without the meringue, TRUST ME you will not miss it with this recipe, its RICH RICH RICH with flavor and texture.

PREP WORK:
Prep ingredients:
*1 box of Mini Nila® Wafers
*5 ripened bananas (small to med. if they are larger only use 4)
*2-3 oz of pecan pieces

place layer of mini wafers in bottom of 8x11 dish, add a layer of sliced bananas, sprinkle with pecans and then make another layer of remaining banana and sprinkle more wafers in pan until reaches the top of the dish. I had about 1/3 of a box of wafers left when I was finished to give you a frame of reference.

CUSTARD ......Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of Sugar or Splenda®
1/3 Cup of Mills® Coconut flour
3 egg yolks *reserve whites for later use (no need to waste them)
2 Cups of Blue Diamond ® Almond Milk
1/4 cup of all purpose white or rice flour
1/8 of cup of Sugar Free French Vanilla Creamer (I used International® today)
1/2 teaspoon of 99bananas® (banana schnapps or banana liquer)

CUSTARD INSTRUCTIONS
Measure out and put into a double boiler (I used a saucepan with metal bowl on top) the first 6 ingredients. Stir constantly with a wire wisk over high heat , reducing to medium heat once mixture begins to warm up. continue to stir this with wisk making sure not to "scorch" the bottom of the pudding after about 12 minutes (it will be starting to thicken) you can then Add in the 99 Bananas and stir all the way through (about another minute or 2) ,over medium heat. Take from pan with a potholder of course and immediately pour over your prepped items and let sit for about 5-10 minute. You will want to make sure ALL of the vanilla wafers have had time to soak in the pudding.

LAYER #2 INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup of TROPICAL TRADITIONS® GOLD virgin Coconut Oil
1/4 cup of pure butter
1 Cup of brown sugar or Splenda® brown sugar mix
1/2 teas. Cinnamon
1/8 cup of water ***if needed, I used granulated brown sugar this time and had to use the water ?
1/4 cup of 99bananas®
1/4 cup of Malibu® coconut rum

Top of double boiler and/or metal pan over saucepan add the first 4 ingredients and cook over med/ med-high heat until sugar is dissolved .......you MAY have to use 1/8 c. of water to make the liquid "bubbly" and dissolve all of the sugar if you use granulated brown sugar
otherwise you probably will not, you will want a consistancy that is similar to corn or rice syrup. Once you have all sugars dissolved and right consistency , add in the alcohol and cook on high heat, stirring constantly with wire wisk until mixture is near boiling point (HOT) remove from heat and pour directly over your banana pudding mixture you should have completed above ^^^^

Let this cool down a bit............ then you can top with home made whipped cream (the best) or use what you have on hand (I had Cool Whip® non-fat that I bought on closeout for pennies)
before serving. You can add a PRALINE to this dessert to make it even more sinful if you want to , have time or have on hand........
if not you can use nuts, cherry or even a drizzle of the 2nd layer. I'm having mine "PLAIN" cuz I just can't wait!

Serve this with a fresh cup of Hot Java and fall in LOVE with this dish! :)
remember you were WARNED about the addiction factor!
<3 style="" size="3" face="Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial">“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Splenda and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review. In addition, a donation was made in my name to the Meals on Wheel organization to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Frugal & Hot Lips in 3 days..............muahhhhhhhhhh

2010-01-29T12:47:00.001-05:00

Winter is here and Valentines Day is coming............you know what that means don't you?
Dry skin, dry chapped lips and .............wait a minute, we want HOT LIPS for HEART DAY don't we? Dry chapped lips are unacceptable! What do we do?

Face it, Lips are sexy...........Lips are Lucious and we want our Lips to be HOT for Valentines day!

Photo Credits: Instyle: ChildrensMuseum .org
www.art.com

EveryOne

All of the Stars from HOT LIPS herself to JULIA ROBERTS have the perfect kissable lips ! YEAR ROUND? How can that be?

Photo Credits: instyle.com & facebook.com/juliaroberts

UNHEALTHY LIPS .............

Dehydration: Feel dry and tight
Rough Texture: Rough and scale easily
Diminished Tone: Natural hue appears faded

UNHEALTHY LIPS

Hydration: Feel moisturized and supple
Even Texture: Feel soft and smooth
Healthy Tone: Natural hue

ENTER NESOPORIN.............. and the 3 day challenge!

#1 Get your SavingsCoupon HERE
we don't want to pay full price, you don't have to wait for your coupon, you just make sure your printer is turned on. You can use the back button and "refresh" and print 2 - which is the limit per computer / person. These are HIGH VALUE $3 off any Neosporin product coupon!

#2 LOCATE YOUR LOCAL STORE THAT CARRIES THE PRODUCTS
HERE
RIGHT NOW thru 1/31 WALGREENS has them 2/$8
use the coupons and get back $3 in Register Rewards
for your purchase, yep thats right.......... :)

#3 TAKE THE CHALLENGE..............

THEY ARE NOT JUST GIVING US "LIP SERVICE" THEY ARE DELIVERING CLINICAL RESULTS!

This is just one of the results photos you can find on their website

My experience, (check out those lips...........um yea I have some lips, no botox for me) ............ I have lips that "stick out" pouty full sized lips that are like magnets to the wind and cold. They chap, peel, flake, etc probably easier than the "average lips!"
I NEED the "good stuff!" Lipstick furthers my problems (usually) so I tend to stay away from it , except on special occasions. But I love a gloss, a medication or a tingly experience and I especially need them "in shape" for Valentines day. Its a kissability factor! who wants to kiss a "snake?"

Mom Central and Neoporin asked me to take the 3 day challenge! I used the day and night formula as needed during the day and one last time before going to sleep. I don't know about how they LOOKED after day one, but they felt like a MILLION BUCKS! Sparkly, full moist and soft. OH YEA BABE and it didn't cost a MILLION BUCKS as a matter of fact RIGHT NOW you can get a deal (see step 2) and have some GREAT LIPS in time for HEART DAY!

Photo Credit: http://salvadordalimuseum.org/

After 3 Days of using the NEOSPORIN DAY AND NIGHT FORMULAS I have to say .......... I went and bought MORE to make sure I had enough to at least last me through the WINTER SEASON! NO MORE SNAKE LIKE LIPS FOR ME! ...........

Thanks Mom Central and Neosporin! I have the Kissability factor down pat for this HEART DAY!
MUAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Photo Credit: impressionableyouth.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Neosporin and received a sample of the Lip Health Overnight Renewal Therapy and the Lip Health Daily Hydration Therapy to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

Nature's Peak Fresh Frozen Fruit

2010-01-09T17:39:00.001-05:00

Nature's Peak is a premium frozen fruit that is picked and packed at its peak of freshness (say that 5 times in a row quickly!)

This product was introduced last April and is only available in select regions in the US......... see if you can locate a store near you.........

I have two coupons to give away to 2 lucky readers of this blog! To be entered to win
post a comment by the end of the night 1/13/10. I will use a random generator to choose the winners. Make sure you leave your mailing address in the comment (will not be released for public viewing) so that I can mail them out to you ASAP!

Natures Peak Products : click here to locate a store near you
if you live in the following areas:

Florida (All Regions)
New England (All Regions)
New Jersey (All Regions)
Maryland (All Regions)
Virginia (All Regions)
Washington (Seattle Area)
Oregon (Portland Area)
California (Los Angeles, San Jose Areas)
Arizona (Phoenix Area)
North Carolina (South West Area)
South Carolina (North West Area)
Georgia (South East and North East Areas)
Missouri (Northern Area)
Louisiana (New Orleans Area)
Arkansas (Little Rock Area)

I was sent 2 bags of fresh frozen fruit
Sunburst Mango and Sunripened Trio
***nutritional information HERE

I decided that my family would like to try a recipe on the back of the bag for the Sunburst Mango and I would try the Sunripened Trio by adding it to my favorite plain yogurt for a smoothie. Both of the bags of fruit were WONDERFUL and easy to use. You thaw out the fruit in the refrigerator and they tast as fresh as if you just cut the fruit yourself from the tree!

The smoothie was easy, thaw the fruit............ add to blender and add your yogurt
thats it....nothing to it and it is a SPLENDID breakfast and according the website and EXCELLENT source of Vitamin C! How about that for a quick and easy NO GUILT breakfast?

The Salsa recipe entailed a few more ingredients (most of which I had on hand) and a few minutes to prepare, but the results are FRESH and most excellent........ I made a few adjustments to the recipe but not by much and I was in heaven!

Click here to view the Mango Black Bean Salsa recipe
that is on the back of the package of the Mango........
my adjustments:
I used LOW sugar marmelade
Cherry Red Sweet Peppers for the red pepper
White onion instead of red onion and
Jalapeno instead of the recommended fresh pepper

I added a spoon full of chile sauce to "spice" mine up a bit, but that is a personal preference and I don't recommend doing that unless you are like me and enjoy a "kick" to your salsa.

I measured out ALL of the diced mango in the bag and I had 3 cups. The recipe only calls for 2 cups. I used the remaining mango to add to some tequila and a mango soda for a cocktail to go with my Mexican dinner ........but you may choose to do something else with your leftover Mango.

When you open the bag of Mango (after thawing) you will notice the fresh aroma of the Mango immediately! Watch out that made me hungry! I used the salsa with tortillia chips at first but then got the idea that this would also make a wonderful filling for Quesadillias!
and RIGHT I WAS! Take 2 Tortillias and a some cooked chicken, add some of this salsa and heat in the microwave for a unique southwestern style dish, oh and don't forget the cheddar cheese and sour cream!

There are many possibilities for the fresh frozen fruit and there are many ways to use the salsa as well!

Two that sound particularly good that I have not tried are:

Paradise Fruit Medley
Fiesta Tropical Blend

the website has some wonderful recipe suggestions for them as well as a complete list of products.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Nature’s Peak and received a sample to facilitate my candid review as well as two coupons to giveaway. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate."

The BOXMAN cometh and goeseth

2009-12-21T14:38:00.000-05:00

FEDEX ROCKS! they are the ones that deliver for and to me with the best results HANDS DOWN! not only are they often the most reasonable, but they tend to deliver more quickly
and also give you insurance INCLUDED in the cost, not in addition to.......... up to $100 dollars!

I go to a "multi" postal office which offers almost every service, but 99% of the time the best service for my needs is FEDEX! have you seen the youtube video of my pile of boxes ? OMG, my stepdaughter (excuse her non-lady-like manners) filmed this without me knowing a few years ago...........ugh ugh ugh .............but anyway you get the idea of just how many boxes my household rec'ves during the holidays , right?

JUST YESTERDAY my daughter shipped out an overnight package to her BFF , Fedex
YEP they can do that, so if you are running behind on your shipping of packages and goodies
do not fear, RUN TO FED EX and ship overnight!

If you go to the FEX OFFICE their professionals can pack and ship your holiday packages for you or give you tips on how to minimize the size and weight of a package to reduce shipping costs at any of the locations nationwide. If you let them pack it you can be assured that it is TOP RATE.

You can also sign up online to save up to 16% on FedEx Express services and 8% on FedEx Ground and Home Delivery!
HERES THE EXCITING PART................if you sign up for FEDEX.COM's SERVICES (free)
you can go here and record your confirmation/account # this will enter you in a contest to win one of 5 IPOD TOUCHES! :)

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Trick em into Eating Healthy!

2009-12-11T17:30:00.003-05:00

Do you have issues getting your kids to eat healthy? if so you will LOVE LOVE LOVE this video

I didn't have "too much" of a problem with my kids, as a matter of fact Kelly was on TV when she was little because she said her favorite foods were chicken and green beans! LOL Now my step-daughter and grandkids are a different story......... PICKY PICKY PICKY! It appears there are lots of parents who are trying EVERYTHING to get their kids to eat healthy!

I was lucky enough to be selected to review SMART TASTE PASTA........ SPAGHETTI .....
I was shocked that my family did NOT notice a difference between the reg. "white" pasta and SMART TASTE..........I always thought they would turn up their nose because my step daughter doesn't even like it when I change from reg. spaghetti noodles and other "like" pasta , just a different shape.........ie: ziti etc......... cuz "it tastes funny" so when I made this I was totally prepared to offer up some other less healthy option but .............I hid the box
and EVERYONE came back for 2nds, WOWWWWWWWWWWWWW ...........
after everyone was done munching and was kicking back, I told them about the ole switch-a-roo that I pulled........and had to prove it by retrieving the box! :)
I am a believer in RONZONI and you can be too!
try it out soon!

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni Pasta and received a sample of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."

Hickory Farms : A taste of home for deployed FREE S&H

2009-12-11T16:22:00.000-05:00

My Son-in-law went to IRAQ last January. He is a Gunny in the Marines and went over there for a year (11 months) tour of duty. Fortunately, he is now safe and sound and back home with his family. There are many service members still in Iraq and Afghanistan and many troops continue to be readying for deployment. (son in law pictured to left ,before going to Iraq)

Shortly after (a month or so) my son-in-law deployed, I learned that Hickory Farms online gift store shipped for FREE to those that are deployed with an APO or FPO address. I was thrilled! Hickory Farms' products are TOP RATE , stay fresh and I knew deployed troops would appreciate a "taste from home." The items are good, the prices are good and you cannot beat FREE S&H over to the middle east! :) There was no minimum purchase and still isn't to qualify for the FREE S&H. Just click the TAB that says MILITARY GIFTS on the site to find out which items qualify.

GO HERE

I received a "basket" of goodies from Hickory Farms to review and write about on my blog. It isn't an actual basket but rather a box filled with many fine items including : sausages, cheeses, candies etc. As I taste tested the products, images from the past arose in my mind. Isn't it funny how certain "tastes" and "smells" can transport you to a different place and time? Anyway, as I tasted each item I savored each bite. I thought about how the deployed soldiers would have fond memories of home and the holidays with them as they opened their boxes of goodies!

I sent out a box of goodies to my son-in-law last January and then got the idea to spread the word to others, letting them know about the great offer to ship without paying shipping and participating in RAOK, by sending to my Son-in-law to distribute! The boxes started to roll in and the excitement began! My son-in-law was quickly becoming a popular guy in the middle east as people were sharing a "bite of home" and sending to them! My son-in-law wrote a letter of thanks that I shared with my online friends that participated. It wasn't me, or my friends that were responsible for such a chain reaction of kindness, it was HICKORY FARMS! They made us an offer we could not refuse!

If you have a friend or relative with an APO/FPO address you may want to do the same this holiday season........... Hook up with Hickory Farms to share with those that could use some cheer , and would appreciate a bite of home!

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a Hickory Farms gift basket to facilitate my review."

ENDORSEMENTS / REVIEWS disclosures

2009-11-29T19:35:00.001-05:00

RAOK! Teach them to Fish!

2009-11-20T16:39:00.001-05:00

I am often contacted about charities and organizations looking for donations of gifts or gifts in kind. I think this is due to my own efforts with Operation Santa in the past and my RAOK that I do on a regular basis. I am contacted by those looking for help as well as by organizations looking to help others. I was asked recently by Mom Central to blog about Oxfam America Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site. I was so excited to do this to be able to have a gift to help others thru this site and went straight over to find out what it is all about.

While I appreciate organizations that help out third world countries and those that are less fortunate abroad, it is my personal opinion that help should start at home.
I know a bit about charities and non-profits and how they work. I am a cynic by nature and have read all of the "horror" stories about how people donate $10 and $1 actually goes to the cause.

With my "expectations" for what a charity should be or shouldn't it would be hard for an online company to "impress" me or get me to promote , endorse or donate in anyway. A perfect example of this is a popular online "click to donate" type site that makes a lot of money and actually donates very little to the actual charities. A lot of unknowing sites promote these thinking that it doesn't cost anything to help out. Little do they know that they are sending people to a BUSINESS that actually donates very little of the proceeds.

This is why I stay mainly with the donations of ITEMS that will actually go directly to the cause. I am also a person that believes "if you teach a person how to fish they will have food for a lifetime" and that this is much more effective than giving a person a fish.

I was so happy to read........

Oxfam America is one of the top charities rated by leading charitable watchdog organizations, including the American Institute of Philanthropy. Charity Navigator gives us 4 out of 4 stars. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability." immediately upon arriving to the site, but even more happy to read this story......

With a little training, village women in Mali lead a community finance revolution, helping others start their own savings and loan groups.

Minata Coulibaly takes a straightforward approach to her business raising chickens in the village where she lives in Mali: "I sell the largest ones for the most money."

Coulibaly got the capital to start her business from her Saving for Change group. Since she joined the group, she has been impressed with the way it has helped women earn money and improve their lives. "If you need money, you can ask for a loan," she explains outside her mud-and-thatch home. "When you earn some income, you can buy clothes for your children, buy food, and solve a lot of problems."

Married, with a six year-old daughter, Coulibaly, age 30, launched her business with a $14 loan and four chickens. Now she has 23 chickens and has earned enough money to set up her newly wed goddaughter with a new bed and a well-equipped kitchen.

With her business flourishing, Coulibaly wanted to help other women. "I decided to create another group in this village so more would benefit," she says—as if starting a group is like filling a bucket of water at the well: when you see a need, you fill it. To date, she has helped form four new groups. Thanks to Oxfam and the efforts of women like Coulibaly, there are now more than 11,000 Saving for Change groups globally with 223,000 individual members. Participants—mostly women—have collectively saved more than $2.7 million.

I LOVE THIS COMPANY! I can't wait to find out more of what it is doing, especially locally. S please take a second, and check them out. HERE I expect to read and hear GREAT THINGS about them now and in the future. If you are looking for a charity or organization to help over the holidays and are like me and would rather "teach them to fish" rather than give them a fish, then don't overlook this great opportunity.

SMUCKERS JUST GOT SMARTER!

2009-09-27T16:51:00.001-04:00

SMUCKERS JUST GOT SMARTER!

Breakfast .......... in the a.m. is a battle at my house, my 13 year old step daughter doesn't want to eat anything in the a.m. but is starving before lunch and then would rather socialize than eat. She doesn't really ENJOY eating if that makes any sense to you (doesn't to me!) ..... she says "EATING IS BORING" whoever heard of such a thing? Truly she doesn't care to eat .........just anything to make her stomach stop worrying her is her style........... ***note this is very unlike all of the other members in the house........ :)

NOW you know as a parent we worry when we have a picky eater and a NON EATER too......
we want our kids to have something in their bellies that actually has some nutritional value
and SMUCKERS just got SMARTER with WHOLE WHEAT crust! My daughter actually LIKES PB&J but in the a.m. who feels like MAKING IT ? NOT ME! so the convenience factor is here (check) and now the UNCRUSTABLES are a bit more healthy!

We tried them out over the weekend (I let her have 1 of the 4 in the box) and she has been bugging me to eat MORE............. well NO WAY JOSE you can have them for BREAKFAST on the school days.......!!!!!!!!!!! Don't forget I wear the title of PREZ of the MEAN MOMS CLUB PROUDLY and I love to use bribery to get my way!

GO HERE to find out how you can WIN A BOX (they are giving TONS of them away starting TOMORROW!)

LOVING ME SOME SMUCKERS AND SOME MOM CENTRAL TOO! :)

nutrition chart:

BREAD: UNBLEACHED WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, WATER, WHEAT GLUTEN, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, YEAST, DOUGH CONDITIONERS (DISTILLED MONOGLYCERIDES, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, DATEM, ENZYMES [WITH AMYLASE, LIPASE, ASCORBIC ACID, CALCIUM PEROXIDE, AZODICARBONAMIDE, WHEAT STARCH]).
PEANUT BUTTER: Peanuts, Dextrose, Sugar, Contains 2% or less of: Partially AND FULLY Hydrogenated VEGETABLE OILS (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED AND/OR RAPESEED), SALT, MOLASSES, MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES (PALM AND/OR SOYBEAN OILS).
GRAPE JELLY: GRAPE JUICE, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PECTIN, CITRIC ACID, POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVE), SODIUM CITRATE.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Smucker’s Uncrustables and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central will send me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

ATKINS RECIPE CONTEST AND MORE!

2009-09-11T13:27:00.000-04:00

Do you have a great new way to use the new Atkins Cuisine™ Penne Pasta or All Purpose Baking Mix? Share it with the Atkins Community for an opportunity to win great prizes and get your name in lights! The "Win with Atkins Cuisine" Recipe Contest runs from September 1, 2009 to September 30, 2009 so get started today!

GO HERE to register and enter the contest!

I have already used the PENNE PASTA and made a wonderful dish to share over labor day! the only problem is I FORGOT to take a picture of the completed dish before it was DEVOURED and I mean DEVOURED! :) sooooooooooooooooooo I will have to remake it before 9/30! NO ONE EVEN KNEW IT WAS "DIET FOOD!" LOL

Here is a pic of the two little men enjoying their picnic lunch........ with the pasta salad and BBQ
they were happy campers! :)
I was a happy camper because everyone loved the food and I was able to eat GUILT FREE due to the PASTA secretly being LOW CARB! :)
shhhhhhhhhhh dont' tell the men............

HERE IS WHAT MOM CENTRAL has to say about the products:
ATKINS has come to our rescue with their Cuisine line, launching two new staples to help us eat a greater variety of our favorite foods. Atkins' new All Purpose Baking Mix and Penne Pasta come packed with fiber, are low in sugar, and, of course, fit perfectly into a low-carb lifestyle. Plus, they make cooking and baking easy. And, when you try them with one of Atkins' cool recipes like Penne with Fresh Tomatoes, Lemon and Feta or Rich Chocolate Brownies, you won't feel the slightest bit guilty about indulging.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????? GET TO THE STORE AND GRAB SOME ATKINS PRODUCTS and GET COOKING ! checking out the prizes?

Limit two (2) entries per person, one in any category 1-3, and one in any category 4-6. You may enter the contest under one name, one e-mail address and in one pasta and one baking mix recipe category only

VOID IN VT & MD
PRIZES:
Pasta Grand Prizes (3): Regalware eight-piece professional grade cookware set, Calphalon stainless steel six-piece utensil set, box of every Atkins product in an Atkins branded grocery bag, Calphalon Contemporary twenty-one piece knife block set, Atkins recipe book, recipe featured in Atkins newsletter, web site and community (ARV $1,500).
Baking Mix Grand Prizes (3): KitchenAid six-quart stand mixer, professional grade four-piece stainless steel mixing bowl set, Calphalon Classic five-piece bakeware set, box of every Atkins product in an Atkins branded grocery bag, Atkins recipe book, Calphalon Contemporary twenty-one piece knife block set, recipe featured in Atkins newsletter, web site and community (ARV $1,500).
Baking Mix Finalist Prizes (6): Three cases of Atkins Cuisine All Purpose Baking Mix, Atkins recipe book, set of three All-Clad stainless steel mixing bowls, silicone rolling pin, non-stick rolling mat ( ARV $500).
Pasta Finalist Prizes (6): All-Clad stainless steel seven-quart Pasta Pentola, three cases of Atkins Cuisine penne pasta, Atkins recipe book and a Prago Trade Roma La Petite sauce maker and food strainer (ARV $475).
Semi-Finalists Prizes (24): Assortment of Atkins products in Atkins branded tote (ARV $100).

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Atkins and received samples to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

NOURISH YOUR BRAIN !

2009-09-10T00:22:00.001-04:00

GO HERE to learn out BRAIN FUEL FOR KIDS
there is a lot of GREAT information and links about the brain, what it takes to have a healthy brain and how to nourish the brain as well. there is even a forum to discuss BRAIN issues , not to mention a contest to win $30k!

There are many many article links about the brain, myths and facts too........ check out a few here

ON THE SITE there is also an entry form to win a FREE year of LUMOSITY (site for brain games) which costs $79.99 for the year otherwise.
you can also buy as little as a 3 month membership for under $25
small price to pay if it helps build your kids' brain (about $8 per month)

Now take it to the next level and challenge them with games from the leading online brain fitness and cognitive training provider, Lumosity.com. Developed and tested by some of the leading scientists in neuroscience, cognitive psychology and bioinformatics, Lumosity games promote:
- Quicker thinking
- Improved memory
- Increased alertness
- Elevated mood
- Better concentration

there is also an ASSESSMENT section that allows you to track your progress as you play to gain better health!
I let my 13 year old try it , she grumbled a bit at first but then found the site to be FUN and ENTERTAINING and didn't want to QUIT! :) she hates it when mom is RIGHT about something! :) She especially enjoyed the MEMORY type games and the LOGICAL REASONING (she tried to do this one too quickly at first but learned from that mistake!)

I would recommend LUMOSITY and BRAIN FUEL to anyone of any age, not just children. SCIENCE says that the more you use your brain the less likely you are to loose its functions. all of the games are user friendly and it does not take any advanced computer skills to play! START THEM YOUNG and OLD alike! HAVE FUN with it and challenge yourself to improve your personal best! :)

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of BrainFuel and received an insulated lunch bag from California Innovations to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Make a Dash for the New "Mrs. Dash"

2009-08-14T14:27:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows (and if they don't they should) that I LOVE LIME!
I was fortunate enough to have Mrs. Dash send me a bottle of the new
Mrs. Dash New Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend. Whats especially great about Mrs. Dash products is they are ALL - All natural, NO MSG and SALT FREE products. So now that you know that it is GOOD for you, let me also tell you this new variety TASTES GREAT TOO!

The very first thing that I made was home made salsa! My friend (thank you Dennis) gave me a sink full of some great ripe red tomatoes, I put them in the food processor with onions, bell peppers, a small hot pepper, garlic, fresh cilantro and MRS DASH! I made several jars of it and it is SOOOOOOOOOO Delicious!

The next item of interest was Home-Made Chicken Salad! People always love my chicken salad and often ask me for the recipe! Whats funny is that I never make it the same way twice. This time I made my classic chicken salad and added the secret ingredient of MRS DASH FIESTA LIME to my "usual" basic ingredients and also added some Olive Salad. OMG! This wasn't just DELISH , but it was GONE very quickly! My DH said this was "the best yet!" WOW! what an easy addition and WHO KNEW? It is also GOOD FOR YOU! shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh don't tell the DH! :) (he thinks things that are good for you don't taste as good! LOL!)

sign up for the MRS DASH newsletter and watch it for more recipes and sometimes they even share some coupons in there!

DONT LET THE TITLE FOOL YA! GREAT COOKBOOK

2009-08-11T16:11:00.002-04:00

DONT LET THE TITLE FOOL YOU!

Easy Entertaining for Beginners: You Can Throw a Fabulous Party, from Holiday Fiesta to a Romantic Evening for Two
by Patricia Mendez

$14.21 with free S&H if you buy $25+

This is a jewel of a book and its not just for beginners, as the title implies! The step-by-step processes outlined at the end of each chapter are invaluable! I am a seasoned cook that makes everything basically by "eye." I have had many of dinner parties, cook outs, holiday gathering meals etc and would have LOVED to have this type of instruction to go by! The instructions start days BEFORE and continue in increments until AFTER the party or dinner!
How many parties would I have enjoyed MORE if I would have been more prepared? ALL OF THEM!

There are 12 great chapters and 166 pages of great information! The suggestions start for a romantic dinner for two and builds up to a full blown celebration. There are classic recipes like mashed potatoes or pumpkin pie given in the book along side of some NEW recipes such as kahlua chocolate pie and Cosmopolatins . Each chapter is complete with instructions, recipes, suggestions, beverage recommendations as well as a "time line." There is even a CRAFT including in the little girls tea! How very appropriate and creative Ms. Mendez is!

Patricia Mendez has successfully filled a missing link in my cook book collection. Her outlook and odeas are fresh and unique. After thumbing through the book and marking several recipes it inspired me to plan a fall cookout!

This book has a "Moms Choice Award for Excellence" on the front cover. I am not sure what the criteria is for that award but I am sure Ms. Mendez didn't only meet them but surpassed them! This book is truly outstanding and an inspiration for all cooks, both young and old, novice and expert!

In the middle of the book is where you find the photographs that she has taken of some of the food in the recipes of the book. The photographs are great and present the food well. The lighting and the presentation are top rate. If I had any complaints about the book at all, it would be that I would prefer for the pictures to be with the recipes rather than in the center of the book.

The end of the book is a delight: closing thoughts, kitchen basics, conversion chart, substitutes and an index that makes everything easy to find. These rereference pages (in my humble opinion) should be readily available in all recipe books, rather than a chosen few. They are not only helpful but handy when included in the book I think Ms. Mendez
thought of everything but the preverbial kitchen sink when she wrote this book! :)

So like I said , don't let the title hold you back from purchasing this book! It would be a great gift or addition to your cookbook collections! Happy Entertaining Ya'll!

Across the Pond by Storyheart : book review

2009-08-11T12:22:00.002-04:00

ACROSS THE POND by STORYHEART
GO HERE to get for $17.99 shipped

Thanks to Harry Potter and other popular books, there appears to be much interest in England these days. This is book is targeted towards a young adult or teen, but as a 47 year old adult I appreciated the Light & Easy read. This is a romance and travel adventure of a teen boy that comes "across the pond" from England to America for an eye opening adventure.

His parents have won a trip to Australia and send their son to stay with their American friends. As luck would have it the main character of this story, Fred, meets a young lady, a bully and an all American baseball hero on his short visit. It is a feel good story where everyone that is good makes out well and the bad guys lose!

This is a book that I would readily recommend for all tweens, preteens and early teens. I believe that it will appeal equally to boys as it would girls, even though it is labeled "romance" it is a well rounded story complete with school yard brawls and sports too!

One of the best features of the book , that was of most interest to me was the cultural comparisons. The main character wants a video game console and in order to get that he has to complete a notebook with words that are different or objects that have different titles in each of the countries. This is humorous and informative and the main reason my own 13 year old step-daughter wants to read it!

I am sure there will be a sequel to this story as the ending had a few possibilities, that hinted at "more to come." The main character, Fred, is a great guy for young ones to relate too, he has a lot of fortitude and great character for a young man which is rare in today's society. An example is set in this story for other youngsters without being "preachy."

Story Heart spins a good yarn and this book is no exception. I believe that everyone will enjoy it and it could quite possibly be made into a movie or TV special! Disney or Hallmark either one would like the components of it! Remember you read it here first!

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@-->>--

Bible Belt CD free download & more!

2009-07-21T14:26:00.002-04:00

Bible Belt CD, Free Download and more!

if you missed it last time, click here to download bittersweet ‘Fire Escape’, the dramatic album opener from Diane Birch’s debut record Bible Belt.

If you would like to "listen first" just scroll down to my playlist below and choose the fire escape by diane birch

My favorite song is actually "RISE UP" &"REWIND" on the album but the ENTIRE THING is great! I plan on taking it with me to listen on our travels next week in the car, PERFECT CD for heading to the Beach!

NOT A CD FAN? get it from itunes and load up that IPOD!

I am so loving this CD! this cd was recorded in NEW YORK AND N'AWLINS with the help of some grammy award winners.............. so ya know it has to be good!

Bluesy and catchy tunes fill the air with my AUDIO THERAPY this a.m.! Her voice is clear and unique. The piano is predominate but the percussion influence gets your body moving!

“Letting Go” A Journey from Bitter to Better

2009-05-31T14:16:00.001-04:00

4 STARS

There are few "religious" books that I truly enjoy reading. Many are laden with so many scriptures that I often think, "Why don't I just pick up the Bible and read that?" I find them to be somewhat choppy and the flow of the story is interrupted by the authors attempt to mold scripture around the points and events in the story. Although there were parts of this book that seemed "forced," on the whole "Letting Go, Pathway to an Amazing Life" was an exception to this rule. I was able to focus on the uplifting story of the author, Sandy Hancock, who wrote this book with passion and conviction. The book held my attention throughout.

This book is the telling of the migration of a life. The journey from being unfulfilled and hungry to one of being satisfied and having a purpose is chronicled and shared with the reader in an interesting and entertaining voice. The author tells of a life that was not necessarily bad but one in which no matter how many worldly successes the author achieved she remained unhappy. The migration to fulfillment is spelled out with the simple resolutions of being submissive to God and repulsion of Satan. Rather than just recite this simple notion, the concept is painted and illustrated with many different instances and examples from the author’s life.

There are many memorable moments in the author’s words and journey. There are many references to situations that most women will be able to relate to. The scriptural use compliments and illustrates her points without distraction and often is enlightening to the reader. I recommend this book to all women who seek to better themselves or simply reaffirm their spiritual journey. Although the author’s life and experiences are unique and even charmed in comparison to most, Sandy's search for love and acceptance is one that is universal in its rawest form.

Very often I will put a book down and all that remains with me is the plot or the story or the moral but this is not the case with "Letting Go, Pathway to an Amazing Life." After reading the book and reflecting back on the most memorable points, one particular reference remains implanted in my thoughts. "The only difference between BITTER and BETTER is "I." This poignant and truthful statement will remain with me forever.

AN IRISHWOMAN'S TALE

2009-05-25T14:14:00.002-04:00

"An Irishwoman's Tale" is based on a woman's (MARY'S) quest to find her "truths." Mary is a woman caught between generations. She is the bitter caretaker of her "mother" and her daughter as well. She outwardly appears to have a good life dispite the fact that she has a mother/non mother which was quite confusing at first It took me a while to "get into" the book as I was having trouble relating to the blatent "off standishness" of Mary. That was very short lived as Mary opened up to her new friend and was able to confide through her vivid story telling and trave

This is a novel of fiction but based on a true story. This made the book intriguing yet I found to also be very distracting at times. In the of the book Mary seeminlg has a great life but has twinges of bitter resentment from her childhood. She prays for a friend and this prayer is answered when Southern Sally appears in her life, relatively early in the story. Sally is the opposite of Mary in that she interacts well with others, makes friends easily and encourages others to do the same. Mary is quickly able to disclose her feelings and thoughts through stories of her past to this new found friend. Beginning when she is moved from her Irish home to America.

This book follows Sally & Mary to Ireland and back to the states to investigate, learn and put the puzzle pieces of Mary's life back together. Mary finds closure and learns that God was with her all along through her many triumphs and tragedies. This book takes you from a troubled childhood , through coming of age issues and finally into a grown woman with a daughter of her own. The reader retraces her roots along with Mary and Sally in order for Mary to gain trust in others, herself and God.

I gave this novel 3 stars as it is worth the read but it is Not a "can't put down page-turner." I found myself drifting off in the beginning of the story and having to reread some of the pages for the words to "soak in." It does have some good twists and turns which makes it not as "predictable" as some other novels that attempt to cross generational lines and countries. I also found the writing "choppy" in some areas. I am guessing that is in the parts where fictional and historical imagry was added to the non fiction parts of the story to add color. I found the descriptiveness took away from the story rather than made it more relistic.

A PERFECT "10-10-10 " Formula for Success!

2009-04-16T11:08:00.003-04:00

This book was just released on 4/14/09 , I Have it and can't wait to finish it.............

This book is about teaching you how to make hard decisions in life.
Many people will tell you , "write down the pros and cons" and then talk about these with someone whose advice you trust others will say "pray about it" and others will say "use the power of positive thought to get the outcome you want" there are many people with many ideas about how one should make decisions in their life.

Suzy Welch has written a book with a FRESH new approach, 10 - 10 - 10......... or analyzing the effects of your decision on your life in the next 10 minutes, 10 months and then 10 years. I haven't finished the book but I am working on it! To get an idea about the book.......... check out the following:

HERE is the SITE REVIEW / PREVIEW..............HERE

From columnist and bestselling author Suzy Welch comes a powerful, proven strategy for making difficult decisions and clarifying life choices. Doris Kearns Goodwin calls 10-10-10 "A triumph."

We all want to lead a life of our own choosing. But in today’s accelerated world, with its competing priorities, information overload, and confounding options, we can easily find ourselves steered by impulse, stress, or expedience. Are our decisions the right ones? Or are we being governed, time and time again, and against our best intentions, by the demands of the moment? With 10-10-10, Welch proposes a transformative solution to deal with this pressure, as she shares her own life-tested strategy to help us regain control of our choices - and reclaim our lives.

WATCH THIS AWESOME TODAY SHOW INTERVIEW

Going GREEN + Saving GREEN = WINNING combination!

2009-04-16T10:48:00.002-04:00

Ok I know Saint Paddy's day is over, but Kelly Green is "in"!
Check out Kelly Ripa and Electrolux who have captured my heart (and the rest of America's) with their commitment to whats GOOD!

Great for the Environment and great on the eyes too , this set of appliances are TO DIE FOR! OMG! I would love to have them , wouldn't you? RIGHT NOW if you plant a VIRTUAL FLOWER on the website $1 donation will be made Global Green USA to support their healthy green schools initiatives across America. Its VERY EASY, FUN and best of all, enters you TO WIN THIS SET!

I would be so thrilled if a Freelancer Won this! SAVING GREEN and GOING GREEN are the WINNING COMBINATION! Mom Central has asked me to spread the word about this great contest and in addition, they too are giving away a set of these wonderful energy saving appliances! Beautifully designed - front loading - saves energy & water too! I dunno about you but I would love a discount on both of those bills! WOW WOW WOW!

Go plant your virtual flower HERE at Electrolux , then head on over to Mom Central and tell them which flower you planted HERE and share your laundry tips for saving time & energy............
you will then have two chances at the WINNING COMBINATION! GO GET UM FREELANCERS!

Making Life Better with Unilever !

2009-04-07T11:40:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter Recipes offers and more

Making Life Better with Recipes, ideas, tips, promotions and more!
check it out HERE
find your favorite brands :) sign up for the newsletter and get busy , make sure you have your printer on, as there are some great recipes, Free Turkey or Ham offer for Easter and more!

Look under NEWS AND OFFERS and enter some contests too!
there is a VIDEO of Paula Dean's sons with some Great Chocolate Chip Cookies made in ONE BOWL that are better for you than normal (less fat) and look GREAT TOO!

When I signed up I took a quick survey and it offered me a COZI ORGANIZER for my family.
MY favorite recipes were found HERE
this menu was particularly pleasing to me! the double berry salad
and blueberry bundt cake sound DELISH! but I am a big BERRY FAN ..........so you may find something else you like

I posted previously about the FREE TURKEY / HAM offer on the site HERE
if you missed clipping the form , there are a couple available on EBAY
GO HERE and sign up / sign in ......... then choose EBAY .......search for "turkey ham rebate"
and purchase + get rebate on your ebay purchase

I am a HUGE UNILEVER FAN .............. so it is easy for me to find many recipes, coupons and offers that I like on this site and I am sure you will too! ENJOY!

CONTEST TO WIN Palmolive or Amazon!

2009-04-03T13:04:00.003-04:00

Palmolive - You're Soaking in It! CONTEST 5 winners!

Ok I guess I am "showing my age" with the title here, does anyone remember MARGE? Soaking the woman's hand in Palmolive? I neva really "got it" until now!

PALM + OLIVE
Olive in color (?) or using olive ingredients and good for your "palms" is that it?

NOW we have EVOLVED and have Palmolive^® Pure + Clear^™
it is CLEAR in color and ALL NATURAL so good for you + good for the environment too!

I have always been a FAN of Palmolive because it and only one other un-named here brand actually WORKS on my dishes. I just started using a dishwasher a couple of years ago. Previous to that I hand washed ALL of my dishes. It is very important to me that no matter what brand I buy it CLEANS the grease off of my dishes AND rinses off easily. Palmolive has never let me down! This still holds true, even with the NEW FORMULA!

This unique powerful cleaner doesn’t contain any unnecessary chemicals and is made from biodegradable cleaning ingredients. It easily rinses off dishes and smells great and YEP you got it, CUTS THE GREASE TOO~! for those that are leary or weary all that I have to say is watch our "you're Soaking in it" :)

NOW if you would like to SAMPLE this product I will be giving out an envie that includes sample sized product to 5 lucky freelancers who
log into http://chatthreads.com use coversation ID: 101-256-297614
type in something about the NEW PALMOLIVE and this "blog conversation" Chat threads will donate up to $5 to charity or enter to win $100 AMAZON GC and grand prize of $1000

GO BACK to httP://www.thefrugalfreelancer and comment on the post letting me know you went to the chat threads site and of course if you won $100 AMAZON OR NOT! (make sure I have your EMAIL ADDRESS AS WELL to get your mailing addy)............ I will be drawing the winners on TUESDAY APRIL 7. GOOD LUCK!

Kelloggs Pop Tarts MULTIPLE PROMOS

2009-03-29T16:46:00.003-04:00

FREE MOVIE ! up to 5 per Household if you buy POPTARTS

I don't know about you but I like going to the movie theater esp. when its free, and if there is nothing in the theaters that I like usually I give to my daughters or brother to use and they LOVE IT......... who wouldn't? FREE DATE NIGHT or GIRLS NIGHT or KIDS DAY etc etc........... NOTE THE PART THAT SAYS OR ANY OTHER MOVIE? you don't have to be a star trek fan to enjoy this offer. you can do 5 per household which means 25 total boxes of the ~~healthy~~ yummy processed breakfast product.

25 boxes w/o coupons can cost anywhere between $37 - $55
using coupons and shopping sales can reduce this amount drastically
but don't let them disappear off the shelves waiting for the "right" coupon
either. the most I would pay for 5 movie tickets is $8 each or $40 for 5 of them
so that would be like getting 25 boxes of free pop tarts. Doubling coupons are
great opportunities for those that have in your area. Here is a 55cents internet coupon
good on 2 different varieties (printable) that you can actually print 2x. Our local Kroger
only doubles up to 50cents. If Kmart does another double this would work here for $1.10 a piece savings on each of two boxes.

THE FREELANCER WAY:
#1 GO HERE and sign up / sign in
#2 FIND EBAY IN YOUR LIST OF STORES (sign up or sign in there)
#3 SEARCH for "Pop Tarts Coupon" you should find plenty of the $1.00 off 2 that don't expire until April 19
#4 Sort by "Buy it Now"
#5 Check out and try to pay 10 cents or under each........( 10 for $1.89 shipped etc etc are .18 cents each and save you 50 cents a box at coupon face value on 20 boxes)
#6 Get the best deal you can on your poptarts and vouchers......... to get total of 5 free movie passes.... plus enough pop tarts for an "army"
#7 DONT FORGET TO ENTER THE CONTEST ON THE KELLOGGS POP TART PAGE HERE to try and win ITUNES GIFT CARDS too, while we are in the "pop tart" mode! :) I didn't win today but I can try again tomorrow and everyday until 4/12

If you donate any of the pop tarts
to local food banks and / or shelters etc then you deduct at the retail cost.

Recently as a Freelancebyu Mods group project a few of us got together and mailed a toaster oven and case of pop tarts overseas to our group of soldiers. If you know of anyone overseas
you may want to know that the toaster oven was requested because although they have lots of food they had no appropriate plugged toaster oven to heat things up in. One of our ex-forum moderators passed away and we did this as a donation in her name in lieu of flowers. Maybe you have a troop that you know of that could use / want some pop tarts?

Poptarts FREEZE well too and can be used as snacks, or in lunch boxes for Dessert too. Nope they are not the most nutritious snack in the world, but they aren't the worst either!

ANOTHER WAY TO GET VOUCHERS for FREE POP TARTS:
Ok you NEED a form and they can be found inside the SMP of poptarts. If you know any friends that buy Pop Tarts tell them about this offer too. You may be surprised at how many people will either A) thank you for the info B) already know about the offer C) will say something like "I never send in for that stuff." If they answer with the LATTER answer "C" - you then say "can I have yours, here lemmee get that off the box for you?" :)

Requirements

To receive your Kellogg's™ STAR TREK Free Movie Ticket (good at participating theaters) you need:

Completed Official Order Form

STAR TREK Official Movie Pass vouchers from specially-marked packages of Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Toaster Pastries - all 8 ct, 12 ct, and 16 ct varieties.

Movie Ticket good for one admission (adult or child up to $12.00) to STAR TREK or any other movie at participating theaters.
http://moviecash.com/locatorUS.php
Offer available while supplies last. Limit 5 movie passes per household.

NEOSPORIN to the rescue!

2009-03-10T17:12:00.000-04:00

PHOTO CREDIT:
neosporin.com

I can remember a couple of things from childhood that my children never had to endure, that I dreaded with every ounce of my being and were thought to be "the only way" to do things.
These things included:
mecurachrome (photo credit: amazon.com)
&
cod liver oil
among others...........UGH

I was happy that I didn't have to use the same remedies that were used on me..... my children NEVER MINDED my rescue remedy, NEOSPORIN- I love(d) it because it has anti-biotics in it and works to heal, my children love(d) it because it didn't hurt! It is a TRUSTED name in my household! Now everyone knows that I use coupons and look for the "deals" but when it comes to certain items, I will buy it if I need it, no matter if I have a coupon or not. (I prefer to NOT do this and stockpile when there are deals to avoid this at most every cost but...............)

Just recently my grandson had an "accident" which sent him to the emergency room for possible stitches. Well, he didn't get them because of the placement of the wound, but he did get butterfly bandages and strict orders "to clean and nuture" the wound "watching for infection."
WELL, LA-LA (thats me) quickly suggested to my DD "Neosporin" as it has anti-biotics and pain relief! That was the ticket for my DD who had to FIGHT with her son to get ANYTHING , even water on the "boo-boo's!" So Neosporin to the RESCUE! I am happy to say that he is healing quite nicely............ without infection! Picture taken just before the accident (left)

My other daughter, Kelly, doesn't have children yet, but is a hair dresser and gets knicks and cuts all of the time. She recently visited and was taking the kiddo-s (her sister, friend and nephew to the park) and saw my neosporin on the counter. She asked if she could take one home because she didn't have any. A house without Neosporin just isn't acceptable because anything can happen and you know WE LOVE IT! And she was now READY just in case there were any boo-boo's on the horizon! Luckily there were none, but she was ready to rescue if needed!

Neoporin just came out with a new product....... NEO TO GO
I love it! it slips into your purse, glove compartment, pocket etc and you are ARMED AND READY , if something is to happen. This product is not the cream or ointment that we are used to in our house, but yet a spray on product. I quickly added this product to my TRAVEL BAG
as we like to go on trips and vacations "prepared" and you guessed it, we were out of Neoporin! This particular product is GREAT because it is in a hard plastic / crush resistant container which is a definite improvement over the tubes that I used to carry!

THANK YOU NEOSPORIN! I am NEO TO GO ! perfect-o! Thank you MOM CENTRAL for the opportunity to share this great product! :)

Clorox gets and gives GREEN! :)

2009-02-02T13:28:00.005-05:00

GREENWORKS INTRODUCES THEIR NEWEST PRODUCT : CLEANING WIPES

GREEN is the new black and everything that is green is "good" right? Wrong......
Green can be expensive, not live up to expectations, and/or just plain NOT WORK as well as the other products on the market.............

So with trepidation I wander into the GREEN market.......... I want to do what is good and LEAST COSTLY to the u ENVIRONMENT and at the same time not too harsh on my wallet. I have tried some products that are GREEN that you need to use TWICE AS MUCH to get the same results..................so with all of that in mind

READ ON..............

This is what MOM CENTRAL had to say " Green Works™ Natural Biodegradable Cleaning Wipes, a quick and simple way to clean naturally with the cleaning power of Clorox. The new Wipes are made from 100% cellulose fibers and derived from renewable farm grown trees. Like all Green Works products, they are formulated using biodegradable ingredients, are packaged in recyclable canisters and not tested on animals. "

ok...............I love the way this all sounds but.......... I needed to try it
the first thing I noticed was my product was delivered to me with 30 COUNT wipes included in the plastic container. I am thinking "it looks like a lot more could fit in this container OR the container could be smaller" that would make the product even GREENER........... but because it is RECYCLABLE as per the clorox site............that makes this a bit more

I have used some "wipes" before that were pretreated that I have used to clean. These are a bit different......... a little thicker than the other brand(s) I have tried.and guess what......... worked BETTER TOO! the CLOROX company has always been one that I have used, appreciated and raved over, as they make many products that I love (OUTDOOR BLEACH ROCKS for MOSS & MILDEW) and "CLOROX ANYWHERE" is a favorite around my house and now I love these new wipes! Now these wipes will be a mainstay for me (I will be actively looking for coupons for them) as I only needed 1 wipe vs. 3 of the "other brand" to clean up a similar area! FRUGAL CHOICE IS TO USE LESS!

They are competitively priced and REALLY WORK , smell good and are "GREEN" what could be better? ....................WELL , I have an answer for that too......... they are GIVING THE GREEN in a contest that you can read about on my other blog ........ $10,000! GO GET UM!

EDUCATION with BABY EINSTEIN.............

2008-12-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

OK so when I first viewed a BABY EINSTEIN VIDEO I didn't "get it." I couldn't get how this could possibly be good for a BABY to be viewing a SCREEN that we sometimes affectionately refer to as the BOOB TUBE, ya know? Some even call it the IDIOT BOX............... so since when was and is the TV or VIDEOS considered EDUCATIONAL much less referring to watching it ............ making you SMART (inference to EINSTEIN!)????

The video that I saw seemed BORING really with a bunch of photos and no words when I watched it by myself. BUT then I saw a babies actual REACTION to the way it was presented and I was IMPRESSED! This is actually what they WANT TO SEE and ARE ABLE TO SEE (designed for each age group) There was a LOT of smiling, cooing and actual excitement as a variety of photos were shown and the music, well, HEY HOW MANY OF YOU introduced your child to CLASSICAL MUSIC as an infant? (not me, this is GREAT!)

EVERY PARENT will love the gifts because they are EDUCATIONAL and EVERY CHILD will love them because they are AGE appropriate and as I said before the are EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT, not what adults want! :) surprisingly enough!

NOW back to the DVD / TV issue............. if you are concerned READ ON..........
the company gives us some EXCELLENT tips on how to enhance the BABY EINSTEIN EXPERIENCE and help the children learn as the parent learns how to teach as well............
it is SO REFRESHING to see this is a TRUE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE .............

DVD Viewing Tips

Without exception, one of the most significant moments of discovery for any mom, is the day she realizes her baby truly recognizes her and wants her above all others. That bond, the super-glue of parent child attachment, is the foundation for baby’s healthy development.

At Baby Einstein, each DVD is designed to reinforce parent-child interaction by providing visually interesting, entertaining content that you and your baby can watch together. Whether the theme is art, music, or barnyard animals, each DVD offers an opportunity to cuddle, share, talk, or sing along with your baby. The DVD can also be a jumping off point for more parent child interaction during your everyday routine.

Talk! Talk! Talk!

From the moment we say that first hello to our new baby, we begin developing our little one’s language. So, when you’re watching a Baby Einstein DVD, you don’t have to be quiet. This is a chance to create little stories.

For example, if you see mechanical toys on the DVD, describe the action to your baby—“see the seals go UP the ladder. Now they’re sliding DOWN and around-- very fast.” If your baby starts “talking” back to your sounds, praise, cuddle, and imitate your baby to keep the conversation going. Even if you feel self-conscious about talking to a 6 month old, just stay the course. Your baby is probably listening and may show you with a smile, nod, or squeal, the many different ways they understand your language.

From the Video Theme to the Real World Scene

Whenever there is an opportunity to link what you have seen on the DVD to other experiences in baby’s life, make that connection. For example, if you watched a DVD about animals, you might say, “Oh, look. There’s a BIG fish on the screen. Do we have another fish in our house?” And off you go to look at your gold fish. This kind of activity shows baby that something we see in one place can be seen in other places too.

Bring it to Life

If children or puppets on the DVD are jumping or dancing, you can hold your little one and dance along to show baby how it feels. You can also play infant sized musical instruments to accompany the DVD Orchestra. Or, try using puppets or baby’s favorite stuffed animals to mimic the action in the DVD. You may get giggles from your little one. Babies usually want to do what they see and you can make that happen.

Make it Personal

Try making connections between what happens on screen with what happens in baby’s life. If you have a DVD that contains sign language, try some of the simpler signs with your baby. If you see how the puppets always do silly stuff, bring a puppet to mealtime to help you serve the food or provide additional encouragement to complete the meal.

Make it a Family Affair

Consider using DVD time as a way to interact with the whole family. If baby has an older sibling(s) around you can invite them watch the DVD with you. Encourage your older child to point out the names of the animals, say the colors, or even make animal sounds. They will probably love playing with baby and will be excited about showing off how much they know!

NOW what parent doesn't want to give their child EVERY advantage and opportunity to be SMART? NONE! NOW Baby Einstein isn't just WATCHING it actually interactive toys too!
check out the shopping site SECTIONS / CATEGORIES they have EVERYTHING and everything is made with a specific purpose: MAKING YOUR CHILD SMARTER!

RIGHT NOW you can save up to an additional 25% on some COOL STUFF TOO!check out this REMOTE CONTROL
or this
press & play duck

THEY HAVE ALL KINDS OF GREAT TOYS ALL DESIGNED for PARENT / CHILD INTERACTION AND of course to make your child SMARTER while "playing!" HOW COOL IS THAT?

YOYO LIP GLOSS!

2008-12-04T17:53:00.002-05:00

BUY 2 LIP GLOSS get 2 FREE PROMO HERE

We don't have any yo yo stores here in va, but you can check the store locater to see what is near you! this appears to be a HOT TEEN / TWEEN ITEM and I can't wait to get some and let my girls try it out!

They have a myspace page already up and lots of contests on the web! CHECK ITOUT by doing a search.

ALSO if you have a blog you can qualify by making a post about it like this one! DETAILS HERE

YOYO Lip Gloss strives to create the most innovative products that reinvent modern day ideas and change traditional concepts; YOYO Lip Gloss is that product. We bring a whole new meaning to the word lip gloss! If you are looking for a store near you that sells YOYO Lip Gloss, take a look at our Store Locations. Want to know more about YOYO Lip Gloss? Visit the about us page of our web site. Got something to say to YOYO Lip Gloss? Let us know, we would love to hear from you, visit our contact page of yoyolipgloss.com.

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE CONTEST

2008-12-03T20:23:00.000-05:00

go HERE everyday everyday everyday and follow the directions to WIN WIN WIN some GREAT GREAT GREAT gifts from an AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME company (sung to the tune of miss suzy hand game)

There is something for EVERYONE! HERE IS THE SCHEDULE!
you can earn bonus entries too!

REMEMBER YOU CANNOT WIN IF YOU DO NOT ENTER so what are you waiting for?

Day 1, December 3rd: Deck the Halls and 'Tis the Season Gift Packages
Day 2, December 4th: We're Expecting Gift Package
Day 3, December 5th: Green and Global Gift Package
Day 4, December 6th: Family of Photogs Gift Package
Day 5, December 7th: For Grandparents Gift Package
Day 6, December 8th: Baby on Board Gift Package
Day 7, December 9th: Toys for Toddlers Gift Package
Day 8, December 10th: Little Book Lovers Giveaway
Day 9, December 11th: Being a Kid - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages
Day 10, December 12th: Furry Friends Gift Package
Day 11, December 13th: For Tweens - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages
Day 12, December 14th: Teenage Fun Gift Package
Day 13, December 15th: Health and Wellbeing Gift Package
Day 14, December 16th: For Him Gift Package
Day 15, December 17th: For Her Gift Package
Day 16, December 18th: Family Night Gift Package

I really would like the packages on the LATTER stages of the contest from the 13th on
so I am holding out and letting others win (without my interference) on the first 10 days! GOOD LUCK I HOPE YOU WIN!

EASILY Visioning a Better Year, life, relationship etc

2008-11-22T15:01:00.004-05:00

How to Make a Vision Board: Goal Setting Lesson Plan for Kids via kwout

What is a Vision Board?

Vision board is created by an individual to illustrate what he wants in this life. A vision board is a personal collection of an individual desires and no restrictions are placed on the images or words displayed on the board.

A vision board may be a combination of life areas such as career, finances, family, and health or it may only highlight one life area such as finances. A student vision board will differ from an adult's vision board. For example, a student will not be focused on her career but rather on her education.

A vision board is created by pasting images and words on a poster board to display the individuals goals. The images can be magazine photos, personal photos, or hand drawn pictures and sketches. As well, the words can be cut from media formats or be handwritten.

DO YOU "SEE" what you need to do now? ARE YOU READY TO GET SOME INSPIRATION ....................

IF YOU LOVED "THE SECRET" or even LIKED "THE SECRET" you will ADORE the VISION BOARD BOOK! I have it and am GLUED to it..........every night I read it and every night I am inspired by this author.

If you believe in the "laws of attraction" and want to succeed in love or life this is the book for you! It is a GOAL SETTERS DREAM ............ inspiration and step by step instructions on pulling out your creative side and making your hopes come true!

GO HERE
to purchase the book and you can start a new journey, instead of waiting for good things to happen to you, you can initiate the process by making a vision board with the help of Joyce, auther of "THE VISION BOARD"
5 STARS out of 5 STARS review .......... 14 reviews total

WHAT THE AUTHOR SAID & DID............ WHAT GREAT KARMA!
Every morning and every evening I surf around the net looking for mentions of The Vision Board: The Secret to an Extraordinary Life and when I find them I usually make a helpful comment or two if I can. In this case early this morning I saw that a blogger's holiday vision was to get a copy of my book. SO, I fulfilled that vision and she was stunned. You attract what you vision -- this is a simple example. She wanted my book -- so why not give her one for reviewing and one for her to give away in a contest on her blog. VISION FULFILLED !

EVEN THE AUTHOR OF THE MILLIONAIRE MIND agrees with the thought process of the VISION BOARD

ANJIES THOUGHTS AND MUSINGS ON THE VISION BOARD AND THE BOOK

I have added this book to the MUST READ list on the left of this page. I have been actually reading this one in conjunction with a few other creative /scrapbooking/art books in order to get "pumped up" for the holiday season! I am ready to jump in with both feet create a Vision Board(s) and share them too!

I used to HATE the skit on SNL with the positive affirmations "I am beautiful" " I am loved"

etc etc in front of the mirror, telling yourself positive things about yourself and being your own cheerleader just turned me off................... THEN I BECAME A SOCIAL WORKER. As a Social Worker I saw how many people had to do this (self affirmation process) just to make it a day in life without self medicating to the point of atrophy and/or teens that were morbidly self destructive due to lack of self esteem. These vision boards are not only a great tool for the "average" joe but also appears to be a great tool for the field of social work.

The author of this book not only makes the process a simple one (step by step instructions) but also is a source of beauty and inspiration. I recommend the hard cover edition of this book as it is sure to get lots of use and is definitely a book you will either want to keep for years or pass along to others after the "process" is perfected!

I am going to VISION a wonderful 2009 via the VISION BOARD with my family. What a great family project for New Years Eve........... make a vision board together for 2009 wow , a REVELATION that is much better than a "resolution" Have fun!

Laundry Savings + CLOROX 2

2008-11-22T14:08:00.004-05:00

I am all about FRUGAL and saving money on things. One of the biggest savings that I have in my household (besides groceries) is Laundry Detergent. I hate the hiked up laundry product prices and have been disgruntled about the "cease in making the small box" that I used to get for pennies after coupon usage (doubled) in the grocery store. I live for laundry product free samples and would otherwise buy the $2.99 laundry detergent at food lion, if I didn't MYO (make your own) laundry soap. This saves me an incredible about of money and my clothes smell good for pennies.

PREVIOUS POST ON MYO LAUNDRY SOAP AND DRYER SHEETS
MYO............ Powdered Laundry Detergent
1 cup grated Fels Naptha Soap (I use 1/2 a bar for each batch and make 2 batches at a time)
1/2 cup washing soda
1/2 cup 20 mule team borax
Mix and store in airtight container or bag. For light loads, use 2 tablespoon. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons.
ANJIE NOTE: THIS RECIPE SAVES YOUR TONS OF MONEY! if you cannot find the ingredients locally you can purchase them here

MYO DRYER SHEETS : use a matchless sock and liquid fabric softener. Put a quarter size dab on the sock of the liquid softener. Rub the sock together until the sock is not wet but rather damp and throw in the dryer with a load of clothes. CHEAP softener is AOK, I love using free product samples to do this!

Now one of the draw backs of MYO laundry detergent is that the colors and whites are not as deeply colored or bright white if you do not use BLEACH of some sort. So then we start talking about the added expense of doing laundry one more time. I like for my clothes to last a long time. I am not a slave to fashion and tend to buy more of "what i like" than what is "in style." This drives my daughters crazy, and they threaten me with "what not to wear" from time to time! :) I tend to wear 70's style , gypsy-ish long dresses A LOT! :)

USING CLOROX 2 stain fighter and color booster is a savings in the long run........... your clothes last longer and look "newer" too! The cost of a bottle for 33 loads is about $7 -$8 at our local food lion or .25 cents a load. I have found that I can stretch a 33 load bottle into 40 loads further reducing the cost to 20cents per load. This is a small price to pay for the RESULTS in SAVING YOUR CLOTHING from the TRASH BIN due to stains and/or dulling color, dingy whites. Not only is it effective in treating stains it is also easy to use. It doesn't add but a couple of seconds to the time it takes to do your laundry and works most of the time! :)

WIN 1 of 4 CLOROX 2 coupons for a FREE PRODUCT up to $6.00
HERE
GREAT ODDS! THANK YOU CLOROX for letting us try your product! YOU ROCK! I will be drawing a winner for the Clorox2 on DECEMBER 1st! make sure you are in it to win it!

Seat Snug Child Auto Safety Device

2008-11-22T13:48:00.003-05:00

After watching the video above , there is NO WAY you wouldn't want to get the "seat snug" product. It is easy to use and easy to install. For my Granddaughter (age 6) this is a terrific product, keeping her seat from slipping in case of a sharp turn or accident - it is priceless!

Why Do We Need SeatSnug®?

Children in booster seats are at risk of injury and death due to seatbelt slack (looseness). The three-point seatbelt commonly used in motor vehicles, represents a compromise between safety and comfort. A three-point seatbelt allows slack to develop in the lap belt portion while children (or adults!) are riding in a vehicle. Seatbelt slack is acknowledged in the auto industry as a major contributor to injuries and deaths in vehicular accidents.

A loose seatbelt allows a child in a booster seat to bounce around, rock, tip, slide, and even fall over during normal vehicle maneuvering, which can result in injuries, such as a child’s head being thrown against the side of the vehicle, as well as leading to child discomfort, including motion sickness. In frontal impact accidents or during panic stops, a loose seatbelt can further lead to a child submarining under the lap belt. Loose lap belts are also contributors to children, whether in a booster seat or riding without a booster seat, ejecting out of the seatbelt in rollover accidents, allowing children to “fly around” the vehicle, resulting in the potential for severe injuries and even death—even though the seatbelt was buckled!

What’s the Solution?

The brand new SeatSnug® allows the lap belt to be lightly tightened around a child’s hips while riding in a vehicle, preventing seatbelt slack or looseness from developing.

By gently securing a child while riding in a booster seat, SeatSnug® substantially eliminates bouncing, rocking, tipping, falling over, submarining, and ejection, thus reducing the potential for injuries and death in vehicular accidents. At the same time, SeatSnug® improves child stability and comfort.

How Does SeatSnug® Work?

SeatSnug® can be easily and quickly clipped onto a vehicle’s existing factory installed seatbelt. Once a child in a booster seat is buckled up, the lap belt may be lightly tightened around the child’s hips by pulling up on the shoulder strap to more safely secure the child, without affecting the normal operation of the shoulder strap. The child continues to have the comfort of free upper body movement. Thus, SeatSnug® enhances child safety while maintaining and enhancing comfort.

SeatSnug® incorporates the unique race track proven, crash tested, and patented CG-Lock® Technology (visit www.CG-Lock.com for more insights about the CG-Lock).

The CG-Lock technology received The National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval as a unique car safety device that stabilizes children in booster seats to increase child safety and comfort. SeatSnug® is a CG-Lock technology product designed specifically for children, to provide peace of mind to Moms and Grandmoms, while they drive children around.

CONTEST TO WIN A SEATSNUG can be found on my other blog

The FRUGAL FREELANCER http://www.flbyu.blogspot.com

ME FILE - GET PAID TO SURF ADS AND GET FREEBIES TOO!

2008-11-19T13:58:00.004-05:00

WOW! I just made 7 cents checking out an ad for Dunkin donuts and then OMG I also qualified for a FREE SAMPLE of their DARK ROAST COFFEE (older offer, still valid, one per person) for my DD! GO to my main blog (frugal freelancer) scroll down to the bottom of page and sign up for a ME FILE .............. you too can earn some nickels surfing some ads! GO GET UM!

Pillsbury STUFF!

2008-11-19T05:48:00.003-05:00

PILLSBURY IS HOT! CHECK OUT THE GIVEAWAYS they have going! if you know of others
please feel free to comment with that info!

GO HERE and get $10.60 in Coupons

Frugal Freelancer via kwout

Pillsbury Giveaway at A BOOK WORMS DIARY GO HERE to enter! via kwout

GET A PILLSBURY CALENDAR FOR FREE HERE

Free Pillsbury Calendar! via kwout

NEW SEAL CD IS OUT! GO GET UM!

2008-11-17T17:42:00.001-05:00

WOW! SEAL IS GREAT ! GOOD STOCKING STUFFER

SAY WHAT? finally new options for women in medicine!

2008-11-05T06:52:00.002-05:00

WOW! I am so happy to blog about this from MOMS CENTRAL new medical techniques for women! I had "ortho" surgery on my knee years ago, instead of the ZIPPER surgery, and we have had advances in other surgeries and now FINALLY we have similar options for FEMALE surgeries, diagnosis etc....... MAJOR SURGERY reduced to outpatient may be on the horizon!

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING ANY TYPE OF FEMALE SURGERY ASK YOUR DR ABOUT AAGL it may be an option for you.

Not only does it reduce the time missed from work & families but also check out what the website has to say:

AAGL | Patient & Healthcare Consumer via kwout

REVIEW: Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

2008-10-26T19:03:00.004-04:00

=I have been reading ( a long time btw, I don't get much reading time in these days) this book EAT PRAY LOVE by elizabeth gilbert since august. I really have enjoyed this book, although I started it after the KITE RUNNER (which was the best book I have read in years) and didn't think it would even compare. Well it doesn't compare because it would be "apples to oranges" but each book in its own right is FANTASTIC! I am now in the last 1/4 of this book (finally) and have to say that I got curious about the author's other books and her personal life outside of what was revealed in this book so I checked out her website here and read the FAQ which were fascinating and well worth the read.

One thing that I did stumble on this webpage she has is that she and her DH have opened up a shop called two buttons..............check it out here

I am loving the book and hate for it to end but I have been collecting some FREE books on THE SWAP so I have plenty to choose from for my next read.

If you are interested in READING THIS FANTASTIC BOOK I would first recommend looking at the swap. Even if you don't have a book to trade in, you can buy credits and the cost of the book would be minimal, but if you list 10 books you get a few credits FREE that you can immediately work with getting a freebie. If you prefer a new book check the sidebar on the left of this page, I have it and it updates with the most recent price.

GOOD LUCK I hope you like the book, I personally LOVED IT , and want to buy it in HARDCOVER to keep and read and highlight with all of the GOOD STUFF in it that is food for the soul! ENJOY

OPTIONS FOR LIFE KITCHEN & BATH CLEANER

2008-09-16T07:40:00.003-04:00

OPTIONS FOR LIFE KITCHEN & BATHROOM CLEANER
$5.95 for 16 oz bottle and PAYPAL IS ACCEPTED!

I used this up VERY QUICKLY cleaning my Fridge and then EVERYTHING ELSE!
I rec'vd this product to TEST and REPORT on via snail mail! I was very happy first of all to get a full sized product, thinking "this will last a long time." NOT! I cleaned so much and then left it on the counter for any quick clean ups that needed to be done!

I loved the product so much that I used it on my counters, stove top and then tackled the FRIDGE! I took everything out and started cleaning, not only does it work but it also is SAFE so I wasn't very concerned about "cleaning the cleaner out" if you know what I mean.

Now I have a reusable container that I plan to mix up some concoction of my own to try next.........

I loved this product and cannot wait to try more! YOU CAN GET THE PRODUCT HERE
and get a FREE BOTTLE OF HAND CLEANER with purchase RIGHT NOW!

now we just have to encourage them to offer us some coupons and we will be ALL SET!

here are all of the technical details and specifics as advertised on the site.........

A non-toxic, multi-purpose cleaner, degreaser and deodorizer. Contains hydrogen peroxide to safely oxidize soils and stains and kill most odor causing bacteria.

USES
* kitchens, bathrooms, showers
*exercise and locker rooms
*child playrooms
*pet care stations
*counter tops, tbale tops
*food processing equipment
*shower stalls, hard floor surfaces, tile, grout, glass, mirrors

INGREDIENTS
Non-toxic, renewable, bio-degradable and naturally-derived cleaning agents. Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes soils and stains and kills most odor causing bacteria. Natural orange oil penetrates and emulsifies oil and grease and leaves a pleasant orange scent

BENEFITS
Formulated to perform well and be much safer to use around children, pets and plants than conventional cleaners with chlorine bleach.

FASHION ROCKS 5 & A FREE WAY YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

2008-09-10T10:21:00.005-04:00

Stand Up To Cancer has kicked off with an incredible start. With the generous help of Fashion Rocks (Tuesday, September 9th, 9pm ET/PT) we are hoping to continue the historic week that you're making possible.

A limited version of our site will remain available through the afternoon of September 10th, at which time all features will be available. We appreciate your patience and your participation in this community and this cause.

Continue to make your voice heard here.

Sign up for a free subscription to Women & Cancer Magazine and Cancer Treatment Centers of America will donate $5.00 to SU2C.
+ Sign Up Here

FASHION ROCKS 5 was AWESOME! I even stayed up late to watch it!
HERE is a "clip" of not to miss footage from the show............ ENJOY
I would definately do a SEARCH on YOU TUBE for FASHION ROCKS 2008 to watch some of
the videos uploaded by CHRIS BROWN, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, FERGIE, etc....... this one video is just the START! OMG what a great show and great cause too!
I would definitely watch this one again! OH YEA, did I mention KID ROCK was on TWICE? :)

AND HERE IS A CHRIS BROWN SNEAK PEAK! WOW!

CANNOT LEAVE OUT THE MOTOWN MIX FEATURING KID ROCK, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, MARY BLIGE AND BEYONCE ! WOW! STAR STUDDED!

FREE POM COFFEE TO TEST!

2008-09-03T11:06:00.002-04:00

free iced coffee from POM
http://tinyurl.com/6p6pez

I answered 5 cups of coffee per day

iced coffee and hot

they are sending a week's supply

you also get free gifts

hugs from FREELANCER, Jane Rose

The Green Guide MAGAZINE review

2008-08-31T13:24:00.002-04:00

THIS FREE OFFER WAS IN THIS EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER..........
offer is now expired, so I hope you too got "in" on this awesome magazine
The offer was for a FREE one year of the GREEN GUIDE by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

my first issue ROCKED it was the BTS edition.........
I loved the stories, not too many ads (what a switch) and very informative articles......

I loved the SECOND CHANCES section on how to reuse some items including how to use broken/chipped goblets upside down to make CANDLE HOLDERS
very very pretty , could be done in an arrangement to make a FANTASTIC center piece

also in this issue was how to save $50 a year with basic fridge maintainence
#1 clean your coils
#2 check the temp (appliance thermometer)
#3 test the seal, cose a dollar bill in the door frame and tug gently to see if held firmly in place, if it slides right out , you may need a new seal......... move the dollar bill down a foot and repeat until you have tested the entire door seal

There were many other great articles and info in this magazine if you missed the FREE offer
stay tuned as I will be posting when there is a GDA on it, I will be looking for it cuz I know that I will want to renew (NOT AT FULL PRICE) :)

EBAY tool for sellers PHOTO BOX guest review...

2008-08-29T09:37:00.003-04:00

This review was written by AUDREY AT MOMS GENERATIONS .............. AWESEOME REVIEW~!

IF YOU ARE A WORK AT HOME / EBAY SELLER this is for you!

My husband is obsessed with eBay. (OK, I am too.)

He loves the finding items he's been looking for and just bidding away on them.

And when he wins? Well, it's a whole new level of excitement. (Even though in this case, "winning" means having to spend money.)

We have also done very well selling our own stuff on eBay.

So I was surprised a few months ago when I asked him to list some things for me and he wasn't too excited about it.

He said that he wanted to make sure the stuff he put on for me looked professional. You know, so people would actually bid.

He then started looking for something to solve our unprofessional-looking-eBay-photos problem. And he found it in Photo Lighting Studio.
HERE
sku # 595983

It's a tabletop photo studio that is perfect for taking pictures of the eBay items we list.

There are 2 backdrops, a compact light box with an integrated diffuser screen and 2 high output lights.

It's our very own photo studio. So if we need good photos of jewelry? Baseball cards? Collectibles? Clothing? Accessories? (All things we sell on eBay...)

Done. Done. Done. Done. And done.

And we get to use our own little digital camera. There isn't any special camera required. But the photos still looks great.

Fantastic, really... if I do say so myself.

- Audrey

A NEW PRODUCT TESTING SITE

2008-07-07T14:20:00.004-04:00

Welcome to our on-line consumer research website. It’s new in your country, unique, fun and easy to use!

We supply research information to manufacturers of new products all over the world! We are extremely proud of our reputation and can only maintain it by using reliable volunteers who are keen and interested in Consumer Research.

AOR Volunteers help to develop products and contribute to advertising standards. By joining our team of Volunteers you too can try the world's newest products free of charge. Your opinion matters!

You and your family will have the opportunity to test many new products in the comfort of your own home. We hand-pick new products that you like to use! All you need is your own email address, and a long-term home address and a telephone number.

All trial products have already been tested for safety but we want to know whether they work or not or whether you think they could be improved. No products have been tested on animals.

There's no catch! Just free products for quality evaluations for as long as you remain interested!

If you would like to sign up please click here.
this is a Site in the UK but it appears international sign up is allowed!
This site does specifically ask where you heard about them feel free to say
FREELNCEBYU.COM

JOES BAR & GRILL A MYRTLE BEACH TREASURE

2008-07-07T10:34:00.013-04:00

WE FOUND A TREASURE IN MYRTLE BEACH.............

810 Conway St
North Myrtle Bch, SC 29582
(843) 272-4666

Frugal Freelancer: Search results for myrtle beach via kwout

Dine Joes - Welcome to Joe's Bar & Grill via kwout

The DH came into the hotel room after his meeting and said "we are going to dinner with the guys tonight to a place called JOES BAR & GRILL. It sounded casual and it was as far as atmosphere but the FOOD was anything BUT "casual" it was spectacular!

THE STAFF there is FRIENDLY, HELPFUL and most of all EFFICIENT......

In addition they have an outside BAR & GRILL complete with a fireplace and an ambiance that is out of this world! It overlooks a MARSHLAND! this is where my picture of the cattails was taken ...... right from this outside grill........

FROM THE OUTSIDE BAR there is a MARSH

behind the marsh were beautiful White Herons grazing

the DH is sitting at the bar ordering a margarita........

NOW..................... HERE IS THE BEST PART! Behind the PORCH and BAR there was a RAMP

AS YOU CAN SEE THE RAMP WAS QUITE LARGE......... the bartender threw out pieces of bread to the top of the ramp and the birds would swoop in to eat. People could watch the action from their tables (they have a screened in section right in front of this)

This is a little cutie pie that we met, she was on vacation and had just gotten back from the water park, her parent brought her and her brother to this restaurant EVERY YEAR..................... to see............

THE RACCOONS that live in the marsh and use the ramp to play on and come FEED at the restaurant daily! HOW COOL IS THAT? I loved watching them and got lucky enough to get this picture!

THE MENU IS DIVERSE and there is something to please EVERYONE

NOW I have to tell you I got the SHRIMP AND GRITS which was out of this WORLD GOOD!
if you have never had this dish , you have to try it, USING STONE GROUND GRITS ONLY with large shrimp and a cajun sauce! I know it doesn't SOUND GOOD but 2 people that tried it that night (including the DH who swears he "hates" grits) LOVED IT!

if you are searching for a recipe to make it yourself, here are some important parts of the recipe
ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE
STONE GROUND GRITS (not instant, it isn't the same)
MEDIUM to LARGE BAR-B-QUED (not texas or NC, bbq but cajun bbq - big difference)
GRAVY should have gravy over it (bbq gravy) for dipping!

I recommend JOES BAR & GRILL FOR A GREAT TIME, GREAT FOOD, and GREAT EYE CANDY if you are in MYRTLE BEACH it is on 17 behind the OLIVE GARDEN!

ANGEL FOOD MINISTRIES

2008-06-30T13:54:00.003-04:00

ANGEL FOOD MINISTRIES
HERE
Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to providing food relief and contributing to benevolent outreaches in communities throughout the United States.
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, KY, LA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NM, OH, OK, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, SOUTH PA (South of Interstate 80)

I participated for the very first time in Angel Food Ministries program for JUNE it wasn't that I wasn't interested in participating , it just never was offered close to my home. It is only in limited areas of the country. I have "watched" it grow over the years
and much to my delight it is now being offered in AMELIA which is a neighboring county to my hometown of Powhatan. I happen to have a close friend in Amelia and I decided that participating in AFM would be a good excuse to visit with her 1x a month if she were interested. When I called her she said, I was just getting ready to call you and tell you about this program that started 2 blocks away from my house, and wanted to know IF I WAS INTERESTED! tooo funny, exactly the reason I had called. We did it! We each got a UNIT and no extras for the first month to "try it out." This past Saturday was the pick up day and I had every intention of bringing my camera, but I accidentally left it at home............ so there are no pics, next time will SHOW you the goods, sorry guys! :(

POWHATAN NOW HAS ITS OWN HOST SITE!
New Harvest church! SEE THE MAIN SITE FOR DETAILS put in your zipcode
and it will show the closest one!

The menu for JUNE

ALL THIS FOR $30

1.5 lb.	Rib EyeSteaks (4 x 6 oz)
	1.5 lb.	Hamburger Patties (4 x 6 oz)
	2 lb.	Pork Riblets
	4 lb.	Individually Quick Frozen Chicken Leg Quarters
	2 lb.	Breaded Chicken Tenders
	20 oz.	Supreme Pizza
	1 lb.	Mild Italian Sausage
	2 lb.	French Fries

	16 oz.	Sliced Carrots
	16 oz.	Mixed Vegetables
	32 oz.	Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk
	6 oz.	Pancake Mix
	15 oz.	Pork and Beans
	14 oz.	Ketchup
	7.5 oz.	Macaroni & Cheese
		Dozen Eggs
		Dessert Item

The menu for JULY

	40 oz.	Marie Callender’s® Family Crock Pot Dinner (Meat Included)
	1.5 lb.	Boneless Pork Filet
	5 lb.	Breaded Chicken Chunks
	1.5 lb.	Meaty Beef Ribs
	28 oz.	Meatloaf and Gravy
	1 lb.	Beef Fajitas
	1 lb.	Fully Cooked Meatballs
	1 lb.	All Meat Hot Dogs

	1 lb.	Broccoli
	1 lb.	Peas and Carrots
	28 oz.	Pasta Sauce
	1 lb.	Pasta
	32 oz.	Borden 2% Reduced Fat Shelf Stable Milk
	32 oz.	Hawaiian Punch
	12 ct.	Corn Tortillas
	7 oz.	Blueberry Muffin Mix
		Dozen Eggs
		Dessert Item

MY 2 CENTS........... on the JUNE BOX
The box of food was "worth it" meaning the Retail Value of the food was OVER the $30 that we paid for it. (Without coupons and rebate use) I have NOT gone item by item and compared in store cost to Angel Food Cost but I am sure someone has :)

Almost all of the items are "commercially" wrapped and not "named brand." The box of hamburgers were "off brand" and my GF thought they may have even been "soy" burgers, they are NOT when checking the ingredients it listed BEEF, SPICES, WATER

The Pork Riblets were unidentifiable as such as the wording was erased from the label. They were very Fatty, and to me usable only as a SOUP or BEAN ingredient, not something I would want to eat alone.

The "Dessert Item" wasn't what I imagined (pie, cake etc) but rather a large bag of Teddy Grahams, off brand.

I have a side by side refrigerator and frozen pizzas just don't fit, so I cooked mine right away. This I have to tell you was a "supreme" pizza and very tasty! I was SHOCKED , I usually am not a frozen pizza fan but this was very good and had a thin crust (not the mostly bread pizza) but rather a good combination of toppings, cheese and sauce!

The veggies were all FROZEN no fresh veggies to be had.

The French Fries were substituted with TATOR TOTS a large bag.

DOZEN eggs were MEDIUM in size

I was happy as I did get my monies worth PLUS SOME but I think the JULY box sounds better!

We took Boxes to the Pick Up but we were the last ones to arrive, they were waiting on us, and they had already boxed it up ready to go....... they graciously did take our empty boxes for their own supply. Everyone was VERY NICE and it was an EASY transaction.

I think the JULY box sounds even better than JUNE and I did order an "extra" special for $16 more you get
6 ears of corn
2 lb carrots
2 lb yellow onions
1 cello wrapped lettuce
1 pineapple
4 california oranges
1 seedless watermelon
6 russet potatoes

STAY TUNED FOR NEXT MONTH for an update on what I did with the JUNE BOX plus
pics of the journey for JULY!

HERE is another GREAT ARTICLE ABOUT ANGEL FOOD MINISTRIES
HERE

BRUT DEODORANT the RIGHT combination!

2008-06-16T11:30:00.002-04:00

RECENTLY, ALL YOU MAGAZINE sent me a sample of BRUT DEODORANT to pass along to my DH to sample. I decided to BLOG about it as well

My DH loved it! He liked everything about it but the thing he liked the most was the EASE in which the deod. WASHED OFF! Being a "guy" he said lots of the deod. that he uses sticks to the underarm hair and pulls when he goes to wash it off. He said BRUT WAS DIFFERENT! IT WORKS AND WASHES OFF EASILY! The combination of BOTH is RARE according to my DH!

I liked the SMELL of Brut on my DH and of course the sample was FREE so the price was right too!

FLBYU ROYALTY: American Express

2008-06-08T17:33:00.004-04:00

AMERICAN EXPRESS
everyone knows that meeting the FLBYU RR criteria is hard
but AMEX does it with EASE!

FLBYU reward Criteria.......
The criteria for this honor includes very strict guidelines:

GREAT PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
POSITIVE FEEDBACK from members (FREELANCERS our members) to "owner"
SOMTHING GAINED FROM SITE OR COMPANY that is FREE : Knowledge/Reward/Sample/ or other For Customer LOYALTY AND /OR PROMOTION by members (FREELANCERS)

I don't have to say tons about the reputation of American Express. I have never heard any major complaints other than "the fee" and the "have to pay it ALL , no rotating balances" in the past. Both of those options and they are OPTIONS can be eliminated these days! You can be a card carrying AMERICAN EXPRESS holder without those 2 "drawbacks" if you get the right card!

Customer Service: EXCELLENT
Product: EXCELLENT
Feedback from my site / newsletter members: EXCELLENT
OFFERS: EXCELLENT

here are just a FEW of the offers I have enjoyed from being an AMEX member

won $50 amex card for doing consumer survey for them
earned many gift certificates to QUALITY places for using the card
have a BLUE card with NO FEES, ROTATING that allows me to participate for NADDA
earned a $10 movie reward card for buying a $25 Subway Card
Got a "gadget" that I didn't need for $75 on the wish list offer they do time to time, sold on ebay for $125 made about $40 profit after fees
Got a SPA KIT for $100 retails $250 wish list offer........... DONATED for full tax deduction to Christmas program
Got a $25 FREE lands end GC that I have just recently spent , participating in "special offer" on site
Bought my Cirque Du Soleil Tickets thru AMEX , got Free program and coupons for using, saving me $30+
Got a Business AMEX that gave me enough points after "registration" and 2 billing cycles to cash in for $250 in GC (melting pot, home depot etc) NO FEE 1 year etc etc

GO HERE and get BLUE and get READY for the next great offer they have if you are "american expressless"

0.00% intro APR for up to 12 months.
5.99% fixed APR on balance transfers.
Automatic Rewards.
Flexibility to pay over time.
User-friendly credit report and score.
American Express World-Class Customer Service.
Earn automatic rewards faster with fee-free Additional Cards.

and get AMEX BUSINESS ***NOTE: you are in business for yourself if you mystery shop, write, do online surveys, merchandise etc to make money! you are considered an independent contractor or a FREELANCER!

HERSHEY IS BLISS

2008-06-08T17:03:00.003-04:00

HERSHEY Has CURRENT PROMOS check them out.............

Click the links to find the details............

HERSHEY mail in offer for rubber bracelets

Collect points from HERSHEY products GET FREE MOVIE CASH Collect and send in 15 Mega Movie Bonus Points from specially marked packages of TWIZZLERS, HERSHEY MINIATURES, HERSHEY NUGGETS, KISSES, REESES and YORK products to receive one FREE movie admission valued up to $8.50. Mega Movie 10% bonus bags of TWIZZLERS candies are worth 3 points each. Mega Movie 10% bonus bags of various Hershey candies are worth 5 points each. Combine point values for a total of 15 points for redemption. All admission requests must be postmarked by 3/1/09 and received by 3/15/09. Offer valid only while supplies last for use at participating movie theatres only. Please allow 6-8 weeks for shipment of movie admission gift certificate. Limit 4 movie admissions per household. Void where prohibited. See website for full offer terms and conditions.Cut out the point decals from specially marked packages (must total at least 15 points)

Hershey Company: 1992 used one of my advertising submissions to their company the very next year in a MAJOR nationwide campaign. I did not make a copy of my submission and I did not send registered mail.............. but I did send and they did DO IT! :) I wrote them a letter and asked the head CEO of the company to "look into this." He never did tell me that they did this intentionally so I have no reason to think otherwise. But what he did was........
send me a letter promising me "if I were ever in Hershey' to stop by the park and they would make me feel welcome" along with a crystal hershey kiss & a sterling hershey necklace and lots of candy. That was enough for me , just to be recognized, as I had worked hard on the submission, that was NOT solicited by them. The campaign is not "famous" and you may not even remember it but it was called "kiss and tell." A couple of summers ago, I called Hershey, told them of my letter, faxed it in and asked them if I came by, 14 years later with the letter, would they "still make me feel welcome?" as you can see (picture) they DID!

we had a ball, we played and played for FREE, ate & ate, and enjoyed the noteriety / novelty of being called "Mrs. 1992" they were more than generous and I bought stock in their company HERE that I know why is doing WELL! :)

HERSHEY HOUSE PARTY ......more links

YEAAAAAAAA I am a Hershey Host!

PREPARING FOR THE HERSHEY PARTY

SHARING BLISS! WE LOVED IT!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED EVERYONE WAS BLISSFUL
WE LIKED THEM ALL but the FAVORITE was the Milk chocolate MELTAWAY!

ACCUCLEAN : Allergies & Energy Reduction

2008-05-29T11:49:00.004-04:00

We are a family that has several members WITH ALLERGIES to something!
Most members have "seasonal" allergies like pollen, mold etc but my Granddaughter even has an allergy to GRASS! I am in the "bunch" that does have allergies:
Bee Stings
Marine Animal stings/bites
Mold
&
WATER (only some water mind you, it is something (not identified) only in some water, I know weird..........

BUT some families also have INDOOR ALLERGIES..........and they suffer year round. I have a GF whose son cannot have ANYTHING in it but bare necessities and it has to be vaccuumed and sheets changed daily, can you imagine?

ANYWAY I have posted about some products that you INGEST to help with the symptoms of your allergies but what if you could eliminate the problem to begin with? This FULL HOME SYSTEM seems to be a GREAT SOLUTION eliminated OVER 99% of the problem..............AND IT ALSO CLAIMS
that it "is also proven to remove more than 99% of the common flu, or influenza A virus, from the filtered air in your home" WOW! TALK ABOUT A BENEFIT especially to those that the FLU is most life threatening to. I know my MIL would appreciate this added protection!'

This is not a product to order over the internet, it has to be installed professionally in your home. If you are in the market to UPGRADE your house with a HEATING/COOLING system, this may just be the product you are looking for. If you are just curious about this
you can ORDER your FREE BOOKLET "Comfort is in the Air guide" HERE

IF YOU ARE HAVING A NEW HOME BUILT BY A BUILDER please give him this information and maybe he/she will consider using this ALTERNATIVE HEATING/COOLING device to help him qualify for a $2000 from the IRS!
more info HERE
Updated Feb. 4, 2008 — Recent legislative changes have extended this credit to apply to new homes located in the United States whose construction is substantially completed after August 8, 2005, and which are purchased after December 31, 2005, and prior to January 1, 2009, for use as a residence. Under the new provision, an eligible contractor who constructs a qualified new energy efficient home may qualify for a credit of up to $2,000. The credit is available for all new homes, including manufactured homes constructed in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Homes Construction and Safety Standards. Site-built homes qualify for a $2,000 credit if they reduce energy consumption by 50 percent relative to the International Energy Conservation Code standard.

HANNAH KEELLEY, a local Richmond author of WEBMASTER of TOTAL MOM........

has this to say on the subject of NATURAL and MONEY SAVING home cleaning.....Health and safety come first. Prioritize spring cleaning projects that will make your family and home more comfortable and healthier. For instance, consider replacing any chemical-filled household cleaners with natural, multipurpose cleaners. This could include using half vinegar and half water for cleaning glass or using baking soda and water for an inexpensive and chemical-free way to scrub bathtubs and sinks. It’s also important to protect against the dust, pollen and dander that can cause poor indoor air quality and aggravate allergies or asthma. Installing a whole-home air filtration system, such as the American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning AccuClean, will eliminate up to 99.98 percent of these airborne particles from the filtered air in your house. It will also help you spend less time cleaning this spring and throughout the year so you can spend more time enjoying your family!

NIC'S STICKS by OPI - GREAT STUFF!

2008-05-26T13:04:00.003-04:00

WHAT A GREAT PRODUCT! NIC'S STICKS BY OPI

There are 24 colors to choose from I have the "text me" color to try out!
I LOVE IT! Not only do I love it but so does , Faith, my 12 year old. There are many great things about this product! We both liked the color, shine and ease of use.

"Nic's Sticks Paint and Go Nail Lacquer is an innovative brush-on nail lacquer pen - available in 24 shades, plus a top coat for any-time, any-place application.

Just shake the pen, holding it with the pen pointing down, and pump until you see the color halfway down the brush. Then paint your nails, and go! The Nic's Sticks formula is long wearing and fast drying, and the convenient pen fits in your pocket or purse for easy, on the go Nail Lacquer changes!"

HERE ARE THE PRO's.......

it is very easy to use, pump a bit of color onto the brush and you are ready to go!
easy to grip and hold (not hard to do your right hand)
dries quickly, less chance of messing up your nail art
goes on very evenly
no bottle to accidentally "tip over" when you are trying to get more polish
fits easily inside your purse for quick touch ups
lots of colors to choose from
readily available in many stores and online

HERE ARE THE CONS:

doesn't seem to be as "much" polish in it as a regular sized bottle but cost is comparable to full sized bottles

SUGGESTIONS:

double sided? with another color on the other end or even polish remover so that you could touch up any mistakes you may make
make it a bit larger - more polish in it

I FOUND THIS ONLINE SURVEY RESULT ON ULTA AND THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE

OPI Nic's Sticks are the go-anywhere nail polish pen! Better in every way over conventional nail polishes. Easiest application ever. Quick-drying. One coat coverage. Leak resistant packaging. Gently Shake the Nic's Sticks Pen, pump pen by clicking the color button, then paint onto nails. DBP-Free. Toluene-Free. Formaldehyde-free. And best of all - it's from OPI!

90% of all women said Nic's Sticks had equal or better shine!

78% of all women said Nic's Sticks was easier to apply!

77% of all women said Nic's Sticks was equal to or less likely to chip and peel versus their current brand!

76% of all women said Nic's Sticks dried faster!

4 out out of 5 women thought Nic's Sticks was a reasonable or very good value.

15,000 free Nic's Sticks from Nicole by OPI exclusively available to Seventeen readers!
Print the coupon and bring it to any ULTA store to receive one Nic's Sticks in "I'm Outa Here" from Nicole by OPI. Starts May 6, 2008, and goes through June 3, 2008. Click here for official rules. One per person. No purchase necessary. While supplies last.

AEROGARDEN

2008-05-26T10:35:00.005-04:00

Here is a picture of what the AEROGARDEN LOOKS LIKE IN FULL BLOOM! I have the WHITE one that I bought on GDA, they sold out very quickly! My cost was $85 after the $20 rebate**needs adobe to view / print

They are currently on sale HERE for $144 (or $124 after rebate) which is still a great deal considering the retail is usually $199

I took mine out of the box yesterday and started assembling it, it was VERY EASY to put together. The instructions were clear and the assembly time was minimal. I did have one issue and that was the plastic "U" shaped piece on top of the arm must have broken off during shipping. We used super glue and put it back together rather than wait to have this set up (customer service closed on weekend). This seemed to "do the trick" for now but the CLICK noise was missing.

The kit came with 7 different herbs
Purple Basil
Dill
Parsley
Cilantro
Italian Basil
Mint
Chives

HERE IS MY AEROGARDEN JUST SET UP

I filled the bottom with water, added the food, turned the lights on and we were in business! There is a tiny pump that turns on and waters the bottom of the little cups that hold the seedlings. At about 9 p.m. I followed the directions to SET THE TIME (the time to turn "off" the unit) which should have meant that is 8 hours it would automatically turn on. IT DIDN'T, when i got up this a.m. it was still off. I called CS but it is a holiday and they were not open, so I will try again to set it tonight, it is probably "just me" but we will see.

I rec'vd an email that I would like to share with you from another Freelancer LAURIE, who just happens to be an AEROGARDEN Fan............. this is actually two emails I asked her a few questions in between, I hope it pieced together well................

Hi Anjie! I wanted to tell you that I have 3 Aero Gardens and I love them! Right now I have cherry tomatoes, salad greens, and snap peas growing in mine. I absolutely love them! If I had the room for more of these, I'd get more. Actually, because I'm such a great customer, Aero Garden sent me a free shelving unit that holds all 3 of my Aero Gardens on it. The shelving unit is brushed stainless steel and has plugs on it so I can plug all 3 of them into it and the shelf just plugs into the wall with one plug. I haven't unboxed it yet though because I plan on moving and I'll set it up once I move. Then I will have more room for more Aero Gardens and hopefully another FREE shelf!

The free shelf is usually $129. so I really got a bargain!!! Plus they sent me a ton of free kits too!

I just know that you'll love your Aero Garden as much as I love mine! They're so simple to use! Be careful though, they're addicting!!I bought the kits but you can buy the Master Gardener kit where you can use your own seeds. I absolutely love this.One of the best things for me is that I have parrots and I try to feed them organic only veggies. This way I am! I know exactly what is on my veggies that I'm feeding them! The cherry tomato kit has both red and yellow tomatoes. If you've never tried yellow cherry tomatoes, oh man, they're delicious! There's nothing like being able to pick salad greens, and cherry tomatoes just before dinner time and I don't even have to go outside to do it. Oh and I've been picking cherry tomatoes for 4 months and I still have more coming!!

After my second purchase from them, they called ME!! They asked me if what could they do to improve their service and jokingly I told them that if they sent me a free shelf that I would buy a third Aero garden.Two weeks later, I had a free shelf show up by Fed Ex. Well I just had to hold up my end of the bargain and bought a 3rd one!! After I bought the 3rd one, they shipped me 3 free kits. I think one was a herb kit, one was another cherry tomato and one was a hot pepper kit, which I wanted to get anyway because I wanted it for my parrots! Lets just say, I'm a VERY happy Aero garden customer!

I am thrilled to get this and REALLY want to try some other things with it! I am starting with the herbs and then will go from there. Will update with "lighting problem" results and more info as I go along, learning and growing with this NEW WAY to grow stuff indoors! I will use , harvest and dry my herbs as they grow (hopefully) and then go from there!

HERE is the Main Website for Aerogarden if you want to read more on it.

WISH ME LUCK!

JEWELRY GIVEAWAY - Simply Unique

2008-05-25T11:56:00.004-04:00

CHECK THIS BLOG GIVAWAY OUT!
over at "Simple Mom's" blog.........

talks on her blog about being a girl who love jewelery but not the "girly stuff" she prefers casual and is excited about getting and giving away the necklace shown to left..........

"LISA" the designer is truly inspiring! She supports many causes with her "pieces" including breast cancer and CF. She is a mother of a challenged child and is a brilliant artist. I love her photos and her jewelry. Her site hi-lights her many talents and her writing is poignant. CHECK IT OUT.

ANJIE REVIEW............
OH-LA LA this is some great stuff, I like it ALL! I wear eclectic jewelry that would make my mother's skin crawl if she saw me in person, she would definately pull out her fashion police badge and say something about my "mixing" silver & styles! I love love love my froo-froo gold shiney stuff AND I also love silver hoops, and tourquoise /copper brancelet! LOL ......... so I would love take this piece (cuz I think its cool) and wear it proudly with my husbands name and my name (cuz he thinks I'm cool) even though I am 46 years young and STILL like to make great mixtures!

You can enter to win on her blog here

DINNER IN A POUCH

2008-05-22T22:57:00.001-04:00

Ragu is a Great Company. I have used Ragu for as long as I can remember to put together a "quick" & delicious dinner. I have used it by itself with pasta and I have added ingredients to it to make a number of meals. It has always come in a JAR and now it also comes in a pouch!

I have 6 people in the house and sometimes I have to be very creative on what to fix for dinner a meal that everyone will eat at least part of, is economical, nutritious and tastes good too! I am sure many of you run into the same problem.

Ragu new FRESH & SIMPLE POUCHES are great!
They are using all-natural ingredients, plus Vitamin C, calcium, fiber and protein, putting them in a pouch so all you have to do is put in the microwave (upright) heat and serve!

I used both pouches to feed my family + a guest! I put out a variety of cooked ahead ingredients in bowls (onions, peppers, mushrooms, meatballs cheeses etc), cooked a big pot of NOODLES (I used no yolk noodles free after doubling 50c coupon at kroger) and heated a loaf of Italian bread.
It was kind of like an assembly line.

The sauce was quick and simple! You should have seen the kids faces when I had a BAG of sauce rather than a POT of sauce to ladle from! I have never used the microwave to cook sauce before so I was unsure if this was going to taste like "microwaved" sauce or not. Nope, it rivaled any other spaghetti that I have ever made and because my ingredients were not cooked into the sauce as usual, there was no "picking out" and "throwing away" perfectly good food!

This was SOOOOOOOOOO easy and everyone was happy, healthy and had exactly what they wanted to eat!. The entire process took about 15-20 minutes using the microwave for everything but the noodles! I did this on AMERICAN IDOL NIGHT so I could actually sit down and enjoy the show............ Everything went smoothly!

OK how does it compare in cost? At Kroger the pouch is $2.59 in my area while the Jar is $1.59. Why would you pay an extra dollar for this? You don't have to! Load the $1 coupon HERE on to your Kroger card and this cost exactly the same! Be watching the newspaper too, Ragu is good about offering sales and coupons. NO KROGER? Amazon has a deal for these $14.24 for a pack of 6 which works out to $2.37 a bag & it gets better, RIGHT NOW if you purchase $75
worth of products on any combination of eligible Lipton, Wish-Bone, Ragu, Knorr, All, Dove, and more popular brands offered by Amazon, including this item. HERE &Use the following code when you check out: MAY8UNIL & you will save $25 this would ship for FREE too! CAN YOU SAY "FREE GROCERIES?"

UPDATE:
GET A NO COST FANDANGO MOVIE TICKET (1 per household) with purchase of this product RIGHT NOW! GO HERE and scroll down to read the details on the REEL REWARDS section of this site!

For more information on Ragu’s new Fresh & Simple Pouches. And for those of us who love to cook, Ragu also has a downloadable cookbook! This free The booklet includes recipes and tips from the Food Network’s Robin Miller, celebrity fitness trainer Kathy Kaehler, and Mom Central’s Stacy DeBroff. You can download the booklet from http://www.feedourkidswell.com/.

BUZZ ABOUT CLARITIN REDITABS

2008-05-14T18:52:00.000-04:00

3YEP we have allergies here at ANJIE'S HOUSE
I am allergic to mold, the DH and 3 of the DD are allergic to pollen among other
seasonal things..........
I am also a BUZZ AGENT and review products from time to time, this is one of those times
I rec'vd CLARITIN REDI TABS for doing one of the "quick surveys" on their site
I also got several money saving coupons from this offer too!

FIRST OF ALL let me preface this by saying that one of my daughters (lives in new hampshire)
visited me recently , shortly after getting the REDITABS in the mail
EVERYONE was either sneezing, coughing or scratching their eyes *BUT NOT ME
so it was something besides MOLD making this occur!

I started handing out CLARITIN they work for 24 hours, you only need to take 1
and they DISSOLVE in your mouth rather than swallowing a pill (this eliminated the dramatic scene that occurs when my 12 year old has to swallow a pill YEAAAAAAAAAAAAA)

ANYWAY ....................... we quickly ran thru the box that was sent to me
these are the results
My 28 daughter felt almost immediate relief as did my 22 year old!
My 20 year old daughter felt relief in about 30 minutes
My 12 year old continued to "hack" and "scratch her eyes"

We went on a trip to GREAT WOLF LODGE along with 2 grandkids
we went thru the box of Claritin and THEY INSISTED we stop at WALMART for more
We used our cents off coupons at the register buying both the ADULT VERSION AND THE CHILD VERSION this time!
RESULTS for the two kids ..............GREAT! relief the entire trip

THE BOTTOM LINE is that ALL of the kids (adult and younger) with only 1 exception was able to over come their allergy symptoms with the Clairitin WITHOUT being drowsey
so we were able to enjoy our time away without being tired!

With so many people using a box they didn't last long................ and we used all of the coupons ourselves except 2. We gave those to a person in the store that looked like they were UNSURE of what to choose at CVS. There are many allergy choices and this person was reading boxes and comparing. I offered the coupons to her and explained that worked for ALL of my kids, except one and my husband and that the childrens Clairitin worked WELL with no pill or yucky liquid.
THIS MADE UP HER MIND! SAVING MONEY THESE DAYS AND TIMES is hard to argue with and my "testimony" didn't hurt either!

SOOOOOOOOOOO if you are in the market for some ALLERGY meds........ over the counter
I recommend trying CLAIRITIN and the best part is YOU DONT HAVE TO WAIT for someone to give you a coupon in the store............... YOU CAN GO HERE and get your own!

HERSHEY HOUSE PARTY

2008-04-27T18:51:00.000-04:00

OUR PARTY THEME: SHARING CHOCOLATE IS BLISS

DECORATING BAGS AT RESTAURANT
we had the back room to ourselves and brought
markers to decorate while we waited for our dinner

DECORATED BAGS
ALL KINDS OF GREAT IDEAS AND ART WORK

TRUE BLISS

READY TO ROCK
getting ready to fill up the bags with goodies
*****KELLY SPOTTING******* from left to right,
Kelly, Rachel & Faith

CRAZY FOR BLISS

FILLING THE BAGS
****KELLY SPOTTING******** far left

ARMED AND READY TO SHARE BLISS
with the customers located in the front main dining room

SHARING THE "BLISS"

2008-04-27T18:50:00.002-04:00

THE TASTE TEST! ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS LOVED LOVED LOVED THE GOODIES
they were surprised and happy! THIS WAS TRUE BLISS from HERSHEY through us
to them......

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED EVERYONE WAS BLISSFUL
WE LIKED THEM ALL but the FAVORITE was the Milk chocolate MELTAWAY!
************KELLY SPOTTING! this is Kelly & Faith!

FLAMING HOT BUZZ ON GLADE WISP

2008-04-12T18:48:00.000-04:00

MY 12 YEAR OLD has been bugging me for a long time to get a candle for her room. My 20 year old has them in her room and we burn them daily around the house. My 12 year old isn't the most mature for her age and sometimes "rough houses" in her room and all I could imagine was a candle being turned over catching something on fire and wax pouring on the carpet. so my answer has always been NO NO NO!

WELL, GLADE CHANGED THIS FOR US! my 12 year old has a FLAMELESS CANDLE that actually does help with the GERBIL smell in her room. When we close the door and turn the candle on it smells so good in her room and gives off the soft glow of a candle , NOW SHE FEELS "grown up" with a candle in her room, WITHOUT the panic or fear that I had before.

I AM SOLD! Glade also puts out coupons for their products on a regular basis in the sunday paper and online. I will be watching for new ones to come out so I can catch a sale use a coupon and stockpile these! I JUST LOVE THEM! you can get a $5 coupon NOW HERE I have already redeemed mine.

We tried them thanks to BZZAGENT this is a site that allows you to try products in exchange for you telling others about your experience! WHAT A GREAT SITE!

BUZZ ON HORIZON ORGANIC MILK

2008-04-12T18:47:00.000-04:00

I am not a huge "milk fan" I don't enjoy sitting down and drinking a glass of milk and dunking something in milk is even less appealing.............but I like CEREAL & MILK and I also cook with milk. I also like making MALTS for my family. (see recipe below)

When I was selected as a BZZ AGENT to test out HORIZON ORGANIC MILK (love to give my family organic products) I agreed!
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HORIZON MILK AND GET A COUPON GO HERE

As everyone knows the price of groceries is rising along with the gas price hikes. Organic foods have always cost more than "regular" foods, but now the prices are closer than ever. Milk Coupons are SCARCE for regular milk, but you can get coupons for HORIZON ORGANIC milk making the price difference very little.

Now, the real test, the FAMILY! My family thinks if something is HEALTHY it usually doesn't taste good. When the Horizons Milk showed up in the fridge, my youngest daughter said "where is the milk?" Not recognizing the carton as what she is used to seeing (the familiar milky colored gallon jug).
When I pointed to the red carton and said there it is, her reply was COOL, until she saw the ORGANIC on the label. The next reply was is this that "good for you stuff?" Her friend was over spending the night and her friend said lets get some cereal. THEY LOVED IT, and said this is pretty good!!!! The first thing the friend said to her mom when she picked her up was "can we get some milk like they have?" this gave me the opportunity to tell her about the BZZ PROGRAM and the MILK!

One of the first things that I noticed in the store when picking up the milk was the expiration date. I always look for a long term expiration. The milk didn't expire for an entire month, which means for me............ I won't be throwing out wasted milk! WOOOO HOOOOOOOOO
almost every container of milk that I buy has a bit of milk that gets thrown down the drain due to the expiration date. Even if milk isn't bad, if it reaches the printed date, my family takes ZERO CHANCES of ingesting any sour milk! :(

I was right, not only did my family LOVE the milk there was NO WASTE! The container was completely emptied and thrown in the trash can rather than down the sink.

I made malts with the milk and they were delicious! Creamy and fresh tasting and knowing that the milk was better for you even seemed to make the milk taste better!

I bought my milk at food lion for $3.99 1/2 gallon.
Food Lion isn't known for carrying a broad line of organic foods but they had this product so was EASY TO FIND, GOOD FOR YOU, NO WASTE & GREAT TASTE TOO!

I didn't sit down and drink a glass of milk , but I did have a malt and a bowl of cereal with it and it tastes ALMOST good enough to take an actual SIP! :)

MARCH 9 - SCRUBBING BUBBLES

2008-03-09T18:40:00.001-04:00

NO NOT THE CHAMPAGNE!

AS many of you know, I am a BUZZ AGENT you can be one too! JUST SIGN UP HERE
with this program you get to TEST out products as long as you PROMISE to "Buzz" about them!
its really great because you can try some GREAT new products out and spread the word to help others.

Today I am buzzing about SCRUBBING BUBBLES AUTOMATIC SHOWER CLEANER.....
it retails for about $25 but you can get a $7 off coupon HERE and then watch for the SALES
so you can get a really great price. This week WALMART has a sale on this product in our area
for $19.99 after coupon $12.99! Then you would only need to watch for coupons on the refills.

The kit comes with One power sprayer, Two 34 oz. refill bottles, Four AA batteries & One hanger for your shower head
My husband took one look at this and said, WHAT DOES THAT THING DO? when I told him it would automatically clean our tub and shower curtain, his reply was "this was made for those showers that have WALLS," not our antique tub with surround clear shower curtains! :) I said, thats not what it SAYS, lets give it a try! You see we have a unique tub that requires me to put the clear shower curtains in the Washing Machine OFTEN to get off the soap scum and mildew that grows around the bottom. Its a beautiful tub but not when the curtains are dirty!

OK, here is the DH with the system, checking out "just how much work is involved here" :) He is reading the instructions and grumbling something about how in the world this will work , and what will they come up with next............ I am taking the pictures knowing I am going to blog about this, giggling.........

WELL GUESS WHAT? it was EASY to set up! Pop some batteries in, put the cleaner in and HANG IT ON THE SHOWER HEAD. NOW this was also a skeptical point for the DH , he thought it HAD to go against a wall! NOPE it worked perfectly! EASY and done in just a few minutes!

NOW I couldn't film the results or the machine in action, but SC JOHNSON made a VIDEO you can watch HERE

I am going to tell you that we have now used this product for a WEEK and NO MILDEW OR SOAP SCUM has accumulated on the shower curtain. IT IS A BREEZE to use, you just push a button, close the curtains and it works for 12 seconds spraying your curtain and tub after you shower. THATS IT! The next time I turned the shower on I loved the FRESH CLEAN SCENT in my tub! Everything is CLEAN and I didn't do a thing!

This is a FRUGAL product cuz saving time is saving money to me! ALSO I wash the curtains about 1x per week-2 weeks normally in HOT water to get them clear.............. maybe I won't have to do this any longer with this product? If all goes well I will be printing a coupon and buying a 2nd system for the kids bathroom! :) and of course I will be watching for sales & coupons on the refills!

WHEW what a great idea, LESS WORK in the bathroom means more ONLINE TIME FOR ME!
THANK YOU BUZZ AGENT & SCRUBBING BUBBLES!

BE the BUZZ - HILLSHIRE FARMS

2008-02-12T18:44:00.002-05:00

logging into my BUZZ AGENT account today to report some "BUZZ" or word of mouth advertising about
HILLSHIRE FARMS DELI WRAPS
here is the SCOOP (what the company says)
"Looking for something convenient to eat that doesn't taste convenient? Each Hillshire Farm Deli Wraps kit — complete with quality Hillshire Farm meat — makes two tasty deli-style wrap sandwiches that both kids and adults will like. They're quick and easy to make and eat."

HERE is the LINK to the Site that Hillshire farm made to explain the product and give you aall of the SPECIFICS (types, ingredients etc) (there is also a place for promotions, coupons etc but none are listed at the moment, keep checking back) You may want to register w/ the site to get information and be in the know when promos do start!

NOW , just so you know my DH tried the turkey & bacon today for lunch (he is home recooping from the hospital stay) and he LOVES THEM! they are really good, easy and quick! I plan on buying more in the future! I heated his sandwich wrap but they can also be eaten cold!

"Our new Turkey & Bacon Club Deli Wrap Kit comes with everything you need to make two deli-style wraps. You get delicious turkey and bacon, zesty cheese, two soft tortillas, and flavorful dressing." SO EASY to put these together, you could even send them in a childs lunch! The dressing is GREAT and the ZESTY CHEESE isn't too zesty, but just right!

We had friends stop by at lunch time and we felt badly there was no extra to share! remember this is individual portion for lunch or snack for 2. We did share $1 off coupons and are sure they will use them!

EBOOK "Save Thousands Grocery Shopping"

2005-11-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

hello freelancers, welcome to the byu times special edition REVIEW ........

this a.m. my internet server was down so I took advantage of my "extra" time to work on the upcoming MAKEN BAKEN site & review one of the several products I have on my desk for review.

for the newbies: all items that I review for website owners, store owners, writers, merchandisers etc........ are done with the understanding that my review will be honest and thoughtful and thorough. I make no promises to the company or person that submits a product that the review I submit will be complimentary or "good" only that I will do the review and submit the results to the members of my website, thats you "the freelancers!"

Neva Neva Neva will I compromise the trust of my website members to appease or please the submitter of the products.......... so with that in mind here is my latest review! enjoy

"SAVE THOUSANDS GROCERY SHOPPING" by Lana & Vincent Dorazieo
THIS IS AN "EBOOK" which means you download it from the internet, using your ADOBE READER and WORD programs in this case.

HERE
$19.00 is the price for all 3 ebooks to download
This price includes all 3 ebooks
#1 being the "main course" Grocery Book (adobe) 79 pages
#2 being the Recipe Book (word file) 34 pages
#3 being the Price Book (adobe) 29 pages

I downloaded them in the order I have listed above and read them in that same order.

I personally prefer a "hard copy" book so I printed out the pages to read rather than reading on a screen, this way I could take to my kitchen table and read without distraction. These books are NOT available in hard copy to purchase anywhere, so if you want to read this , you must download to read and/or print.

I have NEVA used a PRICE BOOK so I read these books with GREAT INTEREST, to see if using a price book would save me time or money in the long run. I have read other "price book" suggestions, ebooks and references, but this one seemed "different" so I was VERY INTERESTED to see what i could learn.

#1 GROCERY BOOK
79 pages of larger font, this makes it easy for most to read, but 79 pages to print is a LOT, so adjust your font size to cut down on the amount of paper if that is feasible to you. Alternately you can just READ this online and not print a thing (most frugal way).
#2 RECIPE BOOK 34 pages reg. size font, in word format which I prefer over adobe because it uses less computer resources / ram.
#3 PRICE BOOK 29 pages, small font downloadable to pocket pc, MAYBE? this has to be in adobe to put on your pocket pc? I am not sure about that, but I love the idea that this can be done! I don't have a pocket pc, but may get one for all of the great stuff, including this that can be downloaded to!

CONTENT of all books:
THE GROCERY Book is the INFORMATION and BULK of the writing by Lana. It is very easy to read, understand and follow. Lana starts with the "basics" and explains her background, her resources and her thoughts and success with her strategies for shopping. She does use COUPONS but this is not her best strategy or something that she does on a regular basis. This is a quote directly from her
"Don’t get me wrong, I like coupons. I’m actually a member of a coupon website that helps me to match up my coupons with the best sales of the week! It’s a wonderful saving device. However, there are pitfalls to coupon shopping that people fall into. If you are a diehard couponer, you might want to rethink your strategies for a more relaxed and timesaving alternative to couponing."
Being that I don't "like" coupons but LOVE THEM, this automatically is alarming to me , LOL but I read on with interest and OPEN MIND to "other strategies" that may work for people that don't have the passion for coupons that I do, or strategies that you can combine with coupons for more effective shopping plans.

Lana describes, outlines and attacks her grocery shopping with vigor! She has a great plan and does very well, with the "tools" that she introduces the reader to, she estimates her grocery shopping bill INCLUDING cleaners to be about $53 a week. I am on the $30 a week plan myself, with coupons or bare minimum shopping strategies, so this is a bit more than I spend, but LESS than many spend weekly and HER PLAN may be better for some shoppers than mine! AGAIN I am always open to suggestions and tips , so onward bound........

Lana is a "teacher" by degree and that is evident to me while reading her book, she is a GREAT TEACHER and can teach even the "old dogs new tricks" including moi! She includes many marketing strategy exposes in her book, dispells a myth or two (one that was very surprising to me)
and employs many resources. She compares and uses warehouse shopping, dented can stores, discount stores, and interviews a grocery store manager!

THINGS I LIKE ABOUT THESE BOOKS

easy to read
easy to learn from
great tips to use with what you already know
her obvious luv for EMERIL (uses his phrases like I do!)
her obvious passion for "bargain highs" and saving money
her love of creative cooking and use of ethnic type recipes
MYTH BUSTING EXPOSE with resources!
THIS BOOK HELPS THOSE that want to save money, create GOOD meals and don't have time to properly use coupons
One of Lana's mentor's is AMY , "tightwad gazette" who I also luv
DOWNLOADABLE to pocket PC / PRICEBOOK great technology use and convenient!

THINGS I QUESTION / DISAGREE WITH

lana, is not coupon savvy, or has not fully realized the value of coupons
she lives in a big city and is fortunate to have lots of stores close by, this is not the case for everyone. She addresses this in the book, but doesn't fully realize this advantage
Frequent shopper cards, lana complains this is her pet peeve and uses these card with FAKE information because of fear that she will get sales calls, I have neva neva neva gotten a sales call from use of these cards and have reaped BENEFITS of using them frequently
Lana mentions using her BREAD MACHINE many times in her book but there are no recipes that I found in her recipe section for these recipes, I have a bread machine that I neva use because I find the "mixes" taste YEASTY and I have found no simple recipes to use for GOOD TASTING BREAD, I feel her endorsement for the bread machine and home made bread should be backed up by at least 1 or 2 recipes for you to try I think I am going to shoot her an email when I send this review to her suggesting that her bread recipes be added! wish me luck!
SPICES: lana uses tons of spices and gives many suggestions for using them , but doesn't use the most frugal way I have found to use them GROWING THEM
OZ use. the most common way people use pricebooks is by unit comparison or OUNCES, I find that many times this is a "pain" for me when I can compare "lbs" much easier for meat, or CAN PRICE (most cans standard size) better and more quickly, I guess that is just a matter of what you get used to and really her way makes sense, just for my personal preference per lb works betta for me, this can be adjusted in the price book I am sure.

VALUE FOR THE MONEY
this book is overall a GOOD value for the money! Just about everyone can learn something from this book. I think this book would be particularly useful for those that are looking for some strategies to use in addition to or in place of coupon shopping.

I enjoyed the reading, will be trying some of her recipes, will someday have a pocket pc and will try the pricebook in that regard (downloading and adjusting the ouce issue), and enjoyed reading about a kindred "emeril fan" that gets "bargain highs" like I do. We do things differently , that is for sure but the end result is the same, GOOD FOOD AT A GOOD PRICE!

I think that a good strategy for buying this book would be if you have a local coupon club or group who like to save money all chip in to get this book and share the information. PAYPAL is accepted along with credit cards. LANA is also available for speaking engagements. Website owners can sign up for an affiliate program to promote her ebook.

Lana is a young ( compared to me) shopper with 4 years of experience and research (at the time she wrote her ebook) that has been VERY SUCCESSFUL and has many great reviews by readers. I think that supporting her efforts, and using some or all of her shopping strategies would benefit those that feel they can learn new strategies and new tricks to further enhance their own shopping. I think that if you have an extra $19 to spend on "learning" this would be a great buy, newbies will more than make their money back in no time and have an "edge" to learning some strategies that may not otherwise be available . FOR ME, if I were interested in having a PRICE BOOK that $19 would be a GREAT BARGAIN to not have to do myself, I would say this $19 would easily be worth $50 for just this part! this BY ITSELF is the BEST BARGAIN HERE, and consider the other information a BONUS! :)

ENJOY ! I will be posting this review on my online frugal diary , if you have your own review, or comments to add there is a place to do so on the site!

HUGS & LUV
anjie @-->>--

FLBYU RETAIL ROYALTY AWARD

2005-07-06T16:29:00.000-04:00

This is our Retail Royalty Award we share or pass this along to companies, websites, blogs etc on the internet that we think are great! We share our thoughts on why they are so great, meeting certain criteria........

The criteria for this honor includes very strict guidelines:

GREAT PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
POSITIVE FEEDBACK from members (FREELANCERS our members) to "owner"
SOMTHING GAINED FROM SITE OR COMPANY that is FREE : Knowledge/Reward/Sample/ or other For Customer LOYALTY AND /OR PROMOTION by members (FREELANCERS)

I have sent this reward to display on site and/or pass along to another site that deserves the "honor" of this BADGE! :) because it is so "exclusive" and not given to a million sites or "pass to 10 other sites" to get your link posted somewhere It is only sent to "the CREAM OF THE CROP! "

RECIPIENT #1 of this award was TRUE LEMON JUNE 2005 they are still doing GREAT and making great offers
CURRENT OFFER HERE
GET A FREE SAMPLE AND DO A RAOK AT THE SAME TIME!
For every new person that registers for free samples on our website we will donate 10 packets to Operation Gratitude. Our goal is to donate 1,000,000 packets for the 50,000 care packages they are going to send to our troops in May and June. (That's 20 packets of True Lemon per care package.) We've done pretty well ourselves promoting this and right now we have donated about 700,000 packets in the last six weeks but I would like to get the last 300,000 packets donated in the next two weeks (or 30,000 people)!

I am including the NOTE I sent to our 2nd recipient who has since "gone" or "went defunct" from the internet :( this saddens me but is the ONLY company that is no longer in existence that we have given this exclusive award.

I will post other "recipients" as I catch up this blog I no longer have the letters to the older companies except this one that I published in the newsletter, many of them were posted on an older forum that I lost information from.

***INSIDER PAGES!***

we started out LUVING this site with their FREE starbucks gc offer.... "gift card reward 5 reviews for $5 starbucks" and we grew to luv them even more......and now they are back to offer us........ the offer AGAIN! woohooo! here are the details.... and how you can earn them too! *there is no monetary reward for anjie for this nomination and opinion, so there is no bias in any opinions expressed in this review and interview

ANJIE'S LETTER TO INSIDER PAGES ABOUT THEIR NOMINATION AFTER they sent FREELANCERS THE NEW OFFER, I HAD TO DO IT THEY WERE THE OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR OUR 2nd RETAIL ROYALTY NOMINATION! :) CONGRATS INSIDERPAGES.COM

What a Great Site "INSIDER PAGES" is! I love it! I stumbled upon it quite by accident while surfing for some things of interest for our newsletter at Freelancebyu.com. What first caught my attention is your generous offer for a FREE STARBUCKS GC for writing reviews about local businesses and services. Immediately I decided to participate, write some reviews and get qualified for the $5 GC! After seeing how easy it was I shared this with my newsletter group of 10,000+ people with similar interests to me. I didn't realize that there was a reward available for doing so at the time, but was THRILLED to learn through your friendly and informative staff that there was! :) I jumped on the opportunity to join in on more fun and asked my readers (that had not previously signed up) if they would mind if I referred them as well. I ended up sending out over 400 requests for referrals, some of which named me as a referral and sadly some of which signed up without. INSIDER was GOOD ENOUGH to tell others about even without the reward and then even better with! :)

I learned even more about the site and the advantages of using INSIDER PAGES as I explored more carefully! I was able to help out friends who started new businesses that needed an extra boost in spreading the word. (of course I did this only for those that I know to be trust worthy and have good business ethics) and they too quickly came to the site to check out the action! All were most thankful that I wrote them a review! :) nothing like making your friends happy, huh? NEXT I was able to share your site with businesses that offered a little something extra! I visited a campground and was so happy with what they offered and their great customer service that I shared with them that I would write them a REVIEW on this GREAT SITE CALLED "INSIDERPAGES.COM" they wrote it down with great interest and was THRILLED that I would do so! (more friends here!) Another example is my daughters dance studio, that is in TOUGH competition locally with several studios in our area, well this particular studio offers much more than DANCE and I wrote a very positive review about them and their mission to be mentor's in the personal lives and dance as well, I told the studio director about insiderpages and they were very thankful for the Positive review! I have also used the insider pages to read reviews about places I intend on visiting! I have several out of town trips planned this year and what a great experience it is to read reviews about a place, before I go to know what more to expect! :)

Insider pages made some changes to help us in our efforts to be even better reviewers and community leaders very soon after I joined the program! they included some YELLOW PAGES look up features that enabled the reviews and leaders to complete their reviews in a much shorter time than when I orig. started! WOW how impressive for a staff and company to continue to look for ways to improve and help out its customers even before they asked! I continued to promote and encourage my members to try it out! within 2 weeks of writing my first reviews I rec'd my starbucks card! WOW again this company is on the ball! I again wrote to my members telling them about the promptness of their rewards! YOU JUST CANT GET BETTER THAN THIS!

THE STAFF: quickly answered questions, let us know about other features of the site and always was so complimentary of our efforts at Freelancebyu! They even offered extensions to a few Freelancers that had issues beyond their control that prevented them from meeting original deadlines!

INSIDER PAGES has so impressed me that FREELANCEBYU has decided to honor them with a RETAIL ROYALTY DISTINCTION ! We have only given this to one other company and INSIDER PAGES is our 2nd company to earn this at FLBYU! We will be adding INSIDER PAGES to our Forum under RETAIL ROYALTY next week!

The criteria for this honor includes very strict guidelines

GREAT PRODUCT OR SERVICE
EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE
POSITIVE FEEDBACK from FREELANCERS (our members)
REWARD For Customer LOYALTY AND /OR PROMOTION by FREELANCERS

As you can see this criteria is a TOUGH one to fill! and INSIDER PAGES HAS DONE IT!
congratulations on being a FLBYU RETAIL ROYALTY CHOICE!

Smart Spending Coupon Organizer

2005-07-06T16:17:00.001-04:00

FLBYU PRODUCT REVIEW
"SMART SPENDING COUPON ORGANIZER"

This is the BINDER that I took on a test drive (monthy shopping run last week) here is the REVIEW by the Creator, freelancer, FAYE...........
The Smart Spending Coupon Organizer is exactly the tool you need to get all of your coupons under control so you can spend more time saving and less time searching. I have been couponing and teaching others how to coupon for over 4 years and I now save 50 - 95% off my grocery bill every time I shop! One of the keys to that kind of savings is an excellent system for organizing my coupons. I was stopped so many times in the grocery store by people wanting an organizer like mine that I finally decided to start selling them. This high quality, 3 ring zipper binder organizer holds thousands of coupons that are easy to find and easy to file! Whether you are a serious couponer or just getting started, this organizer will get your coupons in order so you save more money than you ever have at the grocery store. You will more than likely save the cost of this organizer in just the FIRST trip you make to the store using this system! The easy to flip through and easy to see pages allow you to take better advantage of unadvertised sales because you don't have to waste time searching endlessly for the coupon you want. It is right there at your fingertips - no more searching! The organizers fit perfectly in the baby seat of your grocery cart, which makes it easy to flip to the coupons you need. Each organizer has room for your sales flyers, calculator, store rewards cards, grocery list and pen as well. Each organizer comes with a three ring zipper binder (choose from a variety of styles), 24 tabbed, pre-labeled product section dividers (divided by product group such as Baking, Bread, Dairy.), 24 coupon pages with 9 pockets in each page, a one page Guide to Using the Smart Spending Organizer and a pen! The organizers cost $17.99 , BUT if you say you saw them through FLBYU, your organizer is only $16.99 plus shipping! Simply let me know you were referred by Anjie at FLBYU to receive your discount. For more information including pictures of the organizer styles, visit the Smart Spending website at www.smartspendingandcouponing.com . Click on Products and Services for all the organizer details. And Anjie, you are AWESOME!! Thank you for all the amazing deals you offer us in every newsletter! I tell all my students about FLBYU in EVERY Smart Spending class I teach! Oh FYI - went to Harris Teeter grocery store last weekend. They were tripling coupons up to 99 cents and will triple 20 per visit. On one visit, my subtotal was $105.23 before sales and coupons. After coupons were tendered, I ended up paying them $12.30! That's a savings of 88% - Whoooo Hooooo! And some of the coupons I used came from Dabs Forms (who you recommended to us) and some of them were from the Frusion contest you clued us into!
Freelancer, FAYE

****FAYE WILL ALSO SEND YOU A PACKET OF COUPONS TO GET YA STARTED! WITH YOUR ORDER**********

ANJIE REVIEW:

The first thing that I noticed about the binder is the quality! it is BUILT TOUGH for long time usage and to use often! IT IS MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL than the pictures show, they just don't do it justice!

The pockets are GREAT and I fit into them, scissors, calculator, pen, pad of paper and more! I love the size (fits in a grocery cart perfectly) and the ability to SEE my coupons more easily.

I started transferring coupons from my "old" file into the new one and noticed a few things.

#1 no meat category, not a problem, made my own! the tabs are easily changed to fit your personal needs. I added MEAT, FREE, B1G1F categories

#2 the pockets are SMALL (baseball card size) and many of my coupons are large, so I quickly learned that I could take a utility knife and separate the glued dividers to make them larger (wider) now this fits my personal needs better but doesn't allow as many spaces to fit as many, faye recommends folding your coupons, I personally prefer the larger size pockets I can fit multiples in there much better, see front and back and the exp. date too. This was easy to do and HANDY DANDY too!

#3 LOVE THE DENIM and love the butterflies, GREAT QUALITY & no spilling coupons EVA EVA EVA again with the full zipper!

#4 USING THE BINDER was a great experience, easy to carry, easy to see, easy to organize

#5 EASILY ADAPTS to your own needs! while shopping I am constantly looking for unadvertised savings and SMP to add to the newsletter, I keep a pad and pen with me, usually this is in ADDITION to my coupon box, with this organizer It is ALL IN ONE! LOVE THIS! my scissors, for the deal where you buy a product get a product on package to REDO in one trip , another purchase, how many times have I wished that i had scissors? 10000's of times, with this organizer it is ALL IN ONE right there with me! Added ADDY LABELS to the binder too, just in case there was a coupon doubling as a contest, easily slap on a label from your organizer!

#6 ON THE GO.......... easy to transport, fits anywhere in your car without intrusion or worry! EASY to grab and go, and LARGE ENUFF to not forget in the store! I go to several stores on my monthly run and keeping the rec'ts is imperative, I put all of my rec'ts in the back pocket and they were easy to retrieve when filling out my rebates when I got home!

#7 IDEA for the binder: I think I am going to look for those bookbag tags to hook one on my zipper that I can add my NAME AND ADDY to ....... I also needed to have some business cards with me, I think they sell those business card, 3 ring binder inserts so that would be a welcome addition for me

#8 AT THE STORE, easy to see, plan & use this system, I moved my "using" coupons to front pocket so when I was at checkout everything was "neat" and organized, usually I hand them a giant stack, lol that isn't exactly "neat" I am sure they appreciated at check out!

#9 COST....... Faye is selling these binders at a $1.00 discount to freelancers! The $16.99 plus S&H cost is well worth it , based on the savings I encountered from ONE TRIP and the TIME SAVING it is priceless! Of course if you cannot afford the price of this binder you could always make your own
but this one is a VERY GOOD PRICE for the quality of the binder, pages, pockets etc. SHE DOES TAKE PAYPAL and also checks, MAKE SURE YOU LET HER KNOW YOU ARE A FREELANCER if you are going to order to get your discount. I am NOT making money from the sales, so I there is no reason for me to promote for financial gain here, just a great product by a freelancer and for freelancers! :)

UPDATE:
I JUST SPOKE WITH FAYE WHO WANTED ME TO PASS ALONG IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC CATEGORY NEEDS REQUEST THEM and SHE WILL TAILOR TO THAT! ALSO IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC COUPON WANTS FOR YOUR PACKET BY BRAND OR PRODUCT NAME SHE WILL DO HER BEST TO FILL THOSE REQUESTS AS WELL IF YOU LET HER KNOW YOU ARE A FREELANCER!

FAYES BOOK IS SLATED TO BE PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER! STAY TUNED FOR A GOOD READ! :)

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