MOMMA MONEY!

Update on Resolutions and some other notes from my life.

2012-01-16T08:59:00.000-08:00

I made a few resolutions this year, unlike many years and so far they are going pretty well. I thought I would give an update. Not all of them have I been able to get started on, but here is the update on the ones I have.

Personal

I want to lose 20 lbs. I am not going to make this a resolution that needs to be done right away. I want the 20 lbs gone by 12/31/2012. That is a little over 1.5 lb per month, totally doable! As of this morning, I have lost 6.5 lbs. Not bad for two and a half weeks. I'm happy because I'm on target.
I want to meet my www.sparkpeople.com fitness minutes. Every year they set a goal of 1080 fitness minutes. Even though it doesn't seem like much I have yet to meet it! This one I'm proud of. I have 186 fitness minutes done already. That is 17% done!
Read at least 10 books. I have so many I want to read but don't get around to it often. Obviously haven't got all 10 done, but I am half way through one. Hopefully after Maddy's naptime, I will be almost finished.

I would love for this year to be the year that I get this all done!

Adult 18+ Post Eden Cooks Club

2012-01-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

    Eden Fantasy's has a great new Eden Cooks Club! I am loving all the different articles and recipe ideas on their website.

    While checking out the Cooks Club, I decided to try out their Homemade Hot Sauce! At our house, we love spicy food. My husband loves putting hot sauce on everything.
   In the recipe, it calls for white vinegar or you can substitute white wine. I've never had hot sauce with white wine, so I decided that I would try it with the wine! It didn't make a huge difference, but you could tell the subtle difference. I love this hot sauce. It tastes better than the stuff I buy at the store, and it is much cheaper! The spice is just perfect for someone who likes spicy but not over the top spicy. You can eat it and enjoy it! If you want to adjust the spiciness, you can either use less or more cayenne pepper or chili powder!
   There are other recipes on the site that look yummy. Apple Curry Recipe is one I am excited to try. I love curry but my husband is very particular about what he eats, so hopefully he will like it. I am putting this on our menu plan for next week! There are so many yummy looking recipes on their site. If you are in need of any type of recipes, check it out. They have dinners, desserts, appetizers, condiments, etc.
     Are you looking for something sweet? Try out their Whopper cookies. If you like Whooper candies, you will LOVE these cookies!
    Eden Fantasy's has all the adult toys and costumes you could imagine. Check them out!

I am being offered a gift card for my post. All reviews and opinions are 100% mine!

Tyler's Coffee Review and Giveaway

2012-01-02T05:01:00.000-08:00

I was recently offered the chance to try Tyler's Coffee. Their coffee is unique as it is Acid Free, which means it is great for people with sensitive stomachs.

I wasn't sure how I would like it, since I am a huge lover of regular coffee. I honestly could not tell the difference between coffee with the acid and without.

Another benefit they offer is the their decaf coffee is decaffeinated without any chemicals. I remember when I was pregnant being told no decaf because of the chemicals. At least I know for the next baby, I might be able to have coffee!!

And now for the giveaway!

Simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite coffee and I will use random.org to pick a winner on Jan. 16!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

My Resolutions.

2012-01-02T04:52:00.000-08:00

For the first time in many years, I am making resolutions. I started yesterday on most of them. I figured I would write them down so next year on Jan 1, 2013, I can see how I did.

Personal

I want to lose 20 lbs. I am not going to make this a resolution that needs to be done right away. I want the 20 lbs gone by 12/31/2012. That is a little over 1.5 lb per month, totally doable!
I want to meet my www.sparkpeople.com fitness minutes. Every year they set a goal of 1080 fitness minutes. Even though it doesn't seem like much I have yet to meet it!
Read at least 10 books. I have so many I want to read but don't get around to it often.

Financial

Take the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University. (Scheduled to start on Jan 22)
Start saving for a big disney trip in the beginning of 2013!
Pay off all debts besides my student loans.

Career

Bar exam
Find a job!

New Years Resolutions

2012-01-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

So here we are at the first day of 2012. What are you hoping to accomplish this year?

Parents.com has a great article on Real Resolutions for Moms. I am going to try to do a few of them.

Also, I am hoping to get more fitness time in, watch less tv, and set more reasonable goals!

Family Goals for the Christmas Season

2011-12-04T10:23:00.001-08:00

I saw this on Making Time for Mommy and I thought it was a great idea. Here is our Christmas "To-Do" list.

Eat the chocolate from our Advent Calendar
Make Christmas Cookies a few times
Visit Santa
Have family photos taken (check)
See the lights at Atlanta Botanical Gardens
See the lights at Calloway Gardens
Make our Gingerbread house
Send out Christmas Cards

This year the Holiday Season seems so festive. I think it is because Maddy is of an age now where she can enjoy so much more. I have managed to finish all of my Christmas before December even hit. I am ready for finals to be over and for Christmas to be here!

A chance to win $100 Target Gift Card

2011-12-02T04:35:00.001-08:00

Momma GaGa is giving away a $100 Target Gift Card. Click here to enter!

$2 Subs at Subway

2011-12-01T10:48:00.001-08:00

For the month of December, Subway, is selling 6 inch, Cold Cut Trio or Meatball Marinara sandwiches for only $2!!!!

Also, if you purchase a gift card, you will get a free 6 inch sub!

Weirder than Marshmallows review and giveaway!

2011-11-30T05:36:00.001-08:00

Weirder than Marshmallows was a great, funny, quick read. It is basically a collection of short essays about every day experiences with people. "Ignorance, lack of common sense, and downright inhuman stupidity run rampant in this country and around the world. I watch people, and I hear stories, and they beg, beg, beg to be mocked and ridiculed." is my favorite quote in the book.
It only took me about an hour to read, which is perfect for my busy schedule! Unfortunately, the author has since passed away so this will be the only book by him. That is sad because he is/was such a witty person! It is a great quick read.
If you would like a chance to read this book, simply leave a comment below and I will select a winner on 12/10!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Roots only Review!!

2011-11-30T05:28:00.001-08:00

I was recently offered the chance to review the Roots Only! product.
If you are someone who colors your hair at home, you know how difficult it is to just do the roots and not the rest of the head. You mix the hair color into the bottle and then just squirt on your roots. It takes only 5 minutes to apply and can be used on any type of hair. The best part is that you don't have to section your hair, the comb does it for you! This will save you so much money over going to the salon! I loved the results and so will you!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Slice Safety Cutter Review

2011-11-30T04:37:00.001-08:00

I was recently given the Slice Safety Cutter to review. It is meant to cut coupons and other items simpler with more safety. One key thing I liked it that it has a hole on it for you to put on your keychain, so you can cut coupons at the grocery store or on the go!

It is also magnetic, so you can put it on your fridge so it is easy to find. I loved how easy it was to cut out coupons or really anything with it! You should check out http://www.sliceproducts.com/ for tons of other wonderful products! I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Kroger's new Private Selection Line of Frozen Foods.

2011-11-29T18:44:00.001-08:00

I was provided three different products to try through BzzAgent, the chocolate lava cakes, vanilla cream puffs, and the BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Their pizza lines are flat bread pizza in an oblong shape. The crust was perfect. Loved it. The BBQ chicken was just ok. The chicken flavoring seemed a little weird and the sauce was too much. However, I would buy it again. I also bought the pepperoni and roasted garlic, but I haven't tried it yet.

My favorite item was the vanilla cream puffs. Ohmigoodness, these were yummy. I could have almost eaten the whole box myself. I served them for Thanksgiving and they went pretty quickly. They were super creamy and tasted amazing. I have no criticisms for these.

The chocolate lava cakes were good. I didn't think they were very lava-like, more like chocolate cake with some fudge in it. It did satisfy my chocolate craving. I would buy them again.

The Truly Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookie!

2011-11-29T18:27:00.001-08:00

I was recently given the chance through BzzAgent to try out Kroger's new The Truly Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookie. These cookies were so yummy! *I received the product for free but all opinions are 100% mine*
My daughter really enjoyed being able to eat these. She would even point to them to inform me she wanted another one! I loved them with milk. But they were also great to eat plain!
These were just as good if not better than the brand name cookies, but for a much better price. There was a perfect amount of chocolate chips in each cookie. I would have preferred for them to be softer, but that is just my preference. I am usually not a fan of store bought cookies, but I would totally buy these again.
The packaging was good, but I prefer the brand name packaging. This packaging will let the cookies go stale quicker. But that isn't a problem for families that will eat the cookies up quickly.
Overall, super super yummy!

Stupidity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T07:06:00.001-08:00

Don't get me wrong, I love black friday. I love the excitement of shopping in the middle of the night. But people are stupid.

Who pepper sprays other shoppers for an XBOX? Really? How much does that say about what your priorities in life are? Who runs over a child for shopping deals?

Also, the sales were not that good this year. There were some good deals, but actually we saw much better sales the week before thanksgiving!

Here in America, we really need a reality check sometimes!

Natural Selection Book Review & Giveaway

2011-11-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

Natural Selection ~ Forces of Nature ~ Book One

What do you do when you find out your family isn't your family, death is knocking at your door, and that guy you can't stop thinking about knows more about who you are than you do? Amelia Hoffman was just a normal 15 year old until she found out the truth. Now ancient myths, supernatural beings, and murder have changed everything. Tests and school dances are no longer the biggest worry in her life-- she has to figure out how to save everyone she loves and accept the future in front of her before its too late.

This is such a great book! I loved reading it. The book is designed for young adults, but it was good even for adults!

Now to the good part:

GIVEAWAY: I am giving away a copy of Natural Selections to one lucky reader! You can choose from a print version or electronic version.

ENTRIES:

MANDATORY: You must be a GFC follower.

Extra Entries:

1. Follow me on twitter

2. Like me on facebook

3. Leave a comment on any other post (and then comment on this post)

Free Chips and Queso from Chili's!

2011-10-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

Chili's is offering free chips and queso when you sign up for their email newsletter through this link.

Free L'Occitane Hand Cream!

2011-10-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

L'Occitane is giving away vouchers for free hand creme. They will mail the voucher to you and you have to pick it up in store. We have one in my local mall, so I will just pick it up next time I am there.

Therabreath Review and Giveaway

2011-10-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

I was given the opportunity to review some of TheraBreath's toothpaste, mouthwash, and lozenges! All of them are designed to prevent and treat bad breath. I was not familiar with TheraBreath prior to this review. But I am very thankful I was given the chance to review these wonderful products!

Fresh Breath Toothpaste

I really liked their toothpaste. First, let me state that I am a toothpaste snob. I really usually only use one brand because I don't like the taste of others. However with TheraBreath that is not an issue. I liked the taste or rather lack of a taste. This product really does not have much taste to it, which I liked. Another plus is that it does not contain any sodium lauryl sulfate. I have been trying to cut out sulfates, so this was a great product for us.

I also liked their Fresh Breath Oral Rinse. This product also contains no sodium lauryl sulfate, saccharin, aspartame, or artificial colors or flavors. I love the fact that it was natural. It is a rinse that is watery, but in a good way. There was no bite, which I hate in most rinses!

While the other two products did not have too much taste. the fresh breath lozenges had a ton of taste! They are minty fresh and yummy. Great for getting rid of bad breath.

TheraBreath is also has products for the prevention of canker sores. Check them out when you get a chance.

GIVEAWAY: ThereBreath is giving one lucky reader a tube of Toothpaste and a bottle of their oral rinse.

MANDATORY ENTRY: You must be a GFC or email subscriber. Leave a comment below letting me know!

EXTRA Entries: After doing the mandatory entry you may leave a comment for each of the extra.

- Follow me on twitter

- Follow TheraBreath on Twitter

- Like me on Facebook

- Like TheraBreath on Facebook

Giveaway will end on November 5 at 11:59 PM.

40% off all Photo Books at Shutterfly

2011-10-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Shutterfly is having a great sale right now! They are offering 40% off photo books with the code BOOK40.

I love their photo books. They are great and look awesome. It is a great way to save memories!

100% free Credit Scores!!!! Check this out!

2011-10-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Credit Sesame is a 100% free personal finance credit and debt management tool with no credit card required or trial period. Credit Sesame makes managing personal credit online, owing less in interest and saving on mortgage, loan & credit card payments easy! Credit Sesame makes managing personal credit online, owing less in interest and saving on mortgage, loan & credit card payments easy! It gives an instant view of consumer's credit, including Experian credit score, refreshed monthly & for free, & debt analysis with personalized offers tailored to consumer’s credit profile.

CreditSesame – The best way to manage your credit, loans and debt – and it’s free
CreditSesame is a free online personal finance tool that provides the best way for consumers to securely monitor their credit and save money on debt.
Credit Sesame’s patent pending analytics engine, developed by scientists at Stanford University, automatically and securely reviews consumers’ debt, home loans, credit score and credit profile. Then, it analyzes their current debts and looks for alternative mortgages and loans which will help consumers save money.

Credit Sesame is only compensated when you close a loan using them! Click here to check them out!!!

Weekly Menu Plan

2011-10-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

Monday- Poppyseed Chicken
Tuesday- Going out for my birthday with friends
Wednesday- Crockpot Stuffed Peppers
Thursday- French Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Friday- Slow Cooker Taco Chicken

Do you need help organizing your bills? $500 giveaway

2011-10-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

Manila is an online service that is completely free! It keeps your bills organized. Manilla is a free web based service that helps consumers better manage all of their household accounts, including financial, utilities, subscriptions and travel rewards programs, in one secure place online. Under a single password, Manilla provides customers with an automated, organized view of all of their account information, text and/or email reminders to pay bills and unlimited storage of account documents that Manilla has seamlessly retrieved for the consumer.

Why is Manilla necessary
Most people have more than 20 different household accounts, including three to four credit cards, several travel and hotel rewards accounts, multiple magazine and newspaper subscriptions, plus cable, phone, and other assorted utility bills. In order to stay on top of all this, people have to manage daily incoming paper mail, an array of online usernames and passwords, and websites in order to access important account information and take action. Manilla seamlessly retrieves all your account information & current balances, previous payments, upcoming bills due and stores it for you in one secure place. Most importantly, you need only one password to view, manage and organize it all.

Want to win $500 to pay your bills? Click here to tell us you signed up for Manilla and answered the hub page question to be entered to win. Official Rules (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KlCwG17ZyTv5WonKW5Nr2oBfuLOOMIz-8Ej2hQsdKw8/edit?hl=en_US&ndplr=1&pli=1)

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Manilla.

Review and GIVEAWAY: Prefense Hand Sanitizer

2011-10-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

I was super excited to get a chance to review Prefense Non-Alcohol Hand Sanitizer. Can you believe one squirt will work for the entire day! But the thing I love the best about Prefense is the fact that it is nontoxic, which is perfect for my daughter's daycare. After sampling the sanitizer for a few days, I gave it to my daughter's teacher. They are constantly in need of hand sanitizer. Anyways, back to the pluses!!! Prefense is made from silica, which is a natural compound already found in our bodies. This keep our skin smooth and soft while protecting us from germs.

One thing I am not a fan of regular sanitizer is the fact that it dries out my hands! But Prefense does not do that! It also feels as if it is a moisturizer! Prefense kills 99.9% of bacteria, which is much needed in cold and flu season!

GIVEAWAY:
Please place a comment for each entry on this post.

Mandatory:
You must be a GFC or email subscriber of my blog.

Extra Entries:

Tell me why you would like to try this!
Follow me on Twitter
Like my page on facebook

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Free 1 year subscription to Redbook

2011-10-08T14:25:00.001-07:00

Click here to get a free 1 year subscription to Redbook magazine!

Burt's Bee's Natural Skin Solutions Review! Free Samples Possible

2011-10-08T13:46:00.000-07:00

I was recently given the chance through BzzAgent to try out Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions. First let me disclaim that I received the product for free but all opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine! I was provided with the face wash and moisturizer.

I am totally in love with the face wash. Not only does it not break my skin out AT ALL, even after two weeks of use, but it smells so good. The level of foaming is just about perfect. The first time I washed with it, I noted that my skin did not feel dried out at all afterwards.

The moisturizer was just the right amount of moisture. It did feel a bit heavy to me going on, but that helped it last all day. There was no need to reapply at all. Plus, when I put on makeup it helped to smooth it out. There was no oiliness at all, not when I first put it on and not hours later!

If you would like a free sample of the moisturizer and a coupon, please leave a comment with your email and I will get the sample out to you! Please note: I have a limited number of samples available so it will be on a first come first serve basis.