Energizer Change Your Clock Change Your Battery Reminder & Giveaway

It’s hard to believe that in just a few days we will be changing our clocks back from Daylight Saving Time.  This year the time change is on November 4 and it also marks the 25^th anniversary of the annual Change Your Clock Change Your Battery^® program.  Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) are once again working with local fire departments nationwide to raise awareness on the importance of working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in helping to keep families safe in their homes. 

Thirty-eight percent of fatal fire injuries occur in homes with no smoke alarms, while 24 percent occur in homes in which at least one smoke alarm is present but fails to operate, frequently due to dead or missing batteries.* 

In my house we also know that it means to change the batteries in our smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector. Its a simple important life-saving reminder to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when you set your clocks back – it could help save a life. If you have family members that are elderly or in need of help changing the batteries its a great way to help out and save lives.

Even my son knows we need to change our batteries! He helps out by handing me the package then later placing our old battery in the recycling bin at the store.

Win Prizes from Energizer:

Now until  November 4, visit the Energizer Bunny^® Facebook page and click on the Fire Safety Info Tab.  Here you will have the chance to enter a sweepstakes to win an additional Family Safety Kit.  Energizer will be giving away one Family Safety Kit per day for 25 days.  
Contained in the kit, valued at more than $150 is:

·         One reusable grocery tote

·         Two Kidde Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarms

·         One package of Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries

·         One package of Energizer® MAX® Batteries with Power Seal Technology

·         Two Energizer flashlights

·         Two Energizer Flameless Wax Candles

·         One Energizer Bunny Plush Bunny

In addition you can find fire safety tips, a home escape plan that you can download and draw your family’s home escape plan, as well as a coloring and activity sheet.

The Change Your Clock Change Your Battery^® program is just one of the ways Energizer brings to life the company’s commitment to making a positive impact in communities across the country. that’s positivenergy_™   For more information, please visit energizer.com and facebook.com/energizerbunny.

Family Safety Kit

Having a reliable flash light is a must for your home, plus it can make for fun shadow puppet times! Just be sure to have back up Energizer batteries in your home.

Since having my son I have wanted to find a good smoke and carbon monoxide detector that talks. The alarm sound scares my son so a talking one might be something that he will be able to follow the directions from. This time of year with more candles lit and holiday lights up is also great to talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency with your kids. 

Giveaway

Family Safety Kit complete with a reusable grocery tote containing:

·         One two-pack of 9volt Energizer_® MAX_® Batteries with Power Seal Technology – Dependable, powerful performance for the devices that help keep your family safe; now hold their charge when stored for up to five years
·         One Energizer_® Flameless Wax Candle – Enjoy the realistic flicker of a scented wax candle without the worry of open flame or hassle of soot and dripping wax
·         One Energizer_® Weatheready^® Safety Light – Waterproof flashlight powered by AA, AAA or C cell batteries; includes safety whistle and imprinted preparedness checklist
·         One Kidde Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm

The total value of the Family Safety Kit is approximately $78 per kit.


Enter the Giveaway in the Rafflecopter giveaway below:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

* Fire statistics were obtained from reports by the Fire Analysis and Research Division of the National Fire Protection Association. 

*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Nov. 1 2012 and ends on Nov 15, 2012 at midnight EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a Energizer Family Safety Kit for my review.

Zuvo Water Review and Giveaway

                                                





I love feeling like I am giving my family a healthy start with everything from the food we eat to the water we drink. Zuvo Water is helping me do that with clean healthy water and it's five step process using nature's own cleaning process right in my kitchen. A Zuvo Water Filtration system can easily be installed above the counter right to your faucet or under the counter for a space saving idea. It treats non-pathogenic organisms, taste and odor contaminants, reduces aesthetic chlorine, lead, and tiny particulates that can be in your tap water using a UV light.







                                      


What I like about Zuvo Water is how easy it is to install, we installed it under the counter, we have limited counter space in our kitchen so it was great to have that option. Our water tastes crisp and clean with just the run of the filtration system. The boys are trying to sneak under the sink to watch the bubbles as the water filters through!

There are two models to choose from, the Zuvo Water Filtration System - 300 and 100 Series, here is some information about the Series and differences-

There are two different series of the Zuvo Water Filtration System including the 100 and 300 Series.

There are a number of key differences between the two series. The 300 Series systems include both a filter indicator light and buzzer to tell you when to change your filter. This takes the guesswork out of knowing when to change your filter.

Another key difference is that the 300 Series systems come with a high-capacity filter (400 gallon filter life) and the 100 Series systems come with a standard-capacity filter (250 gallon filter life).

The 300 Series systems include a charcoal-colored reservoir, and the 100 Series systems include a clear-colored reservoir.

All Zuvo replacement filters including the standard-capacity, high-capacity and VOC filters are compatible with all Zuvo systems. A standard- or high-capacity filter combined with any Zuvo system reduces the following water contaminants: chlorine taste and odor, lead, cysts (Cryptosporidium and Giardia), tiny particulates and non-pathogenic microorganisms.

Any Zuvo system combined with a VOC (volatile organic compounds) filter reduces all water contaminants that the standard- and high-capacity filters do plus VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The VOC filter has a filter life of 250 gallons.

An added bonus, if you often buy water bottles this is also a money saving and better for the planet solution. Nice!

GIVEAWAY:
Enter to win a Zuvo Water Filter System for your kitchen sink

 a Rafflecopter giveaway






 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Oct. 30,  2012 and ends on Nov. 14, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

San Fransisco Bath Salt Company Review & Giveaway

                                                              



As the weather changes and the temperature drops and there is a chill in the air the idea of a nice warm bath comes to mind. To make your bath even nicer, there are so many beautiful colored and scented bath salts to chose from. I like to turn to the San Fransisco Bath Salt Company when looking for a new scent for myself or for a gift to a friend. Their variety of bath salts is amazing with everything from colored and scented bath salts, scented only bath salts, foaming bath salts, luxurious milk baths, non scented bath salts, to customer favorites. And for the cold and flu season they carry a cold and flu vitamin soak packed with Vitamin C, Lemon Essential Oil, Eucalyptus Essential Oil, Tea Tree Essential Oil, Rosehips, Hibiscus flower, Echinacea Root and Ginseng Root.




 



For an even more inviting bath they also have a variety of Body Scrubs, Salt Scrubs and Sugar Scrubs.  If you are looking for a gentle exfoliation pamper yourself with a sugar scrub, for deeper exfoliation use a salt scrub. Both seem heavenly!


                                                                                                                      

Here is some information about San Fransisco Bath Salt Company from their site-

About Us

Salt is both a necessity and a luxury. We need it in appropriate quantities to survive, but we can also use it to soften skin, soothe muscles, and relax our bodies (to name just a few benefits).

Our mission is to raise your awareness of the amazing benefits of natural sea salts - to harness the power of the ocean to enhance your well-being, from the inside out.

We offer an extensive line of bath and shower salts to soothe, cure, and promote relaxation, as well as a line of gourmet chef salts to guarantee just the right flavors for your dishes. We design, develop, and package all of our own products in our two San Francisco bay area facilities.


After a luxurious bath a delicious meal is perfect! I found on the San Fransisco Bath Salt Company website that they also have Sea Salt. They have gourmet varieties like Pacific Ocean Pristine Sea Salt. Their Pacific Ocean Gourmet Salts are made through the ancient and natural process of slowly evaporating Pacific Sea water to collect its salt. This all-natural sea salt is Kosher and contains no additives. This would be a great gift for any cook in your life.

GIVEAWAY:
Enter to win a bag of Cold & Flu Soak or Sleep Lavender Bath Salt  (Winner Choice)


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 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Oct. 30,  2012 and ends on Nov. 14, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Not On The High Street Sarah Hickey Bracelet Review

I love going to a website that lets me shop for everything I want and things that I didn't know I wanted, all in one place. Not On The High Street is just such a place, and it offers charming and reasonably priced gift items that you will love having for yourself, and giving to family and friends.

From jewelry to housewares, lovely wedding gifts to sweet clothing for kids, you will find something you love at Not On The High Street. Started as a small venture in England in 2006, the company now offers over 50,000 products., from carefully curated British artisans. When you order a product, you are placed in the hands of the small business that has created your item and ships it right to your doorstep. Products can be shipped to many different countries, in a safe and timely manner.

I spent a long time on their website looking for jewelry that I would love for years to come. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, so each piece I own has to be special and unique. There is a very large and beautiful selection of necklaces, bracelets, rings and more to choose from. Many can be personalized for special meaning with engraving.

I chose The Pearl and Crystal Bracelet from Sarah Hickey Jewellery.  It is made with sterling silver woven with fresh water pearls, and double wrapped with shimmering crystal quartz and moonstone.

I love that it is casual enough for day wear, and dresses up a sweater and jeans beautifully. Worn at night, it can easily be the the only piece of jewelry you need to shine. Needless to say, I am very happy with my choice of bracelet, and am interested in finding more of Sarah's pieces that she makes by hand in her studio.

As we start thinking about holiday shopping, I recommend you go to Not On The High Street and see all the wonderful products that are available.
I would love to order some personalized jewelry for my daughters for Christmas. The selection is wonderful, and comes in all price ranges. There are also beautiful gifts for weddings, new babies, birthdays and more, many that can be personalized to your choosing.

To read more about Not On The High Street, and to see their complete collection of products go to notonthehighstreet.com. You can also visit them on their facebook page.

By Patricia


I was compensated with a gift certificate to Not On The High Street, and all opinions are my own.

Thompson's WaterSeal Review and Giveaway

                                          


Living in Washington we have beautiful summers and cold and rainy winters. In the summer we love to hang out on our deck and enjoy the warm temps and frequent BBQ's. In the winter we hunker down inside and dream of the days when we can use our deck again. With all of the rain, and sometimes snow we have here, protecting our deck is important for the longevity of it. Thompson's WaterSeal has great weather proofing products like Watersealing, Cleaners, and Exterior Wood Stains for your deck and house. Thompson's WaterSeal products are a user-friendly, high-performance waterproofing product we are excited to use on our deck asap!

As you can see we have a big project ahead of us with our deck. It is a great time to winterize the deck, right as summer ends and fall has started. Before we know it winter will be here and we will be watching all of the rain pour over our lovely deck.  I am so glad that we know it will be protected all winter with Thompson's WaterSeal!

We have a great before and after pictures of deck redo by a Thompson's WaterSeal customer to share.

Before

After!

 We are eager to see how beautiful our deck will look after we protect ours with Thompson's WaterSeal.

You can win a Deck Care Package to protect your deck from the damage of fall!

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Oct. 12,  2012 and ends on Oct. 21, 2012 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was provided a Deck Care Package for my review.

Vtech Two Handset Cordless Headset Push-To-Talk & HD Audio Phone Review

Having a reliable home phone is important to me. Many people have their cell phone as the go to phone but for me I like to have my cell as for emergencies or to talk to family. For work, blogging and things for my son I like to have the home for that. Its always on ready to answer a message and it cant get lost or broken like my cell phone, which it does often lol. When I wanted to get a new phone for the house I went with a brand I have had since my first duplex I moved into when I moved out on my own, Vtech. I had a super cool purple one that worked for many years. But now I need an adult phone that is super functional and sleek looking.

I selected the Vtech Two Handset DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone with One DECT 6.0 Cordless Headset, Push-To-Talk & HD Audio for my home phone. Its perfect to be able to conduct business on for my family and blog. It has an awesome headset so I can type and talk (multi tasking is a must!) and it has HD audio so I can hear people clearly. Very unprofessional to say "huh or what" on a business call since people often have cell phones that can be unclear, this phone makes it much clearer to hear. The answering machine is great and easy to turn off the ringer like when my son is napping.

I think this would also make a great gift for family members. I know my mother in law could use one of these. So many people have out dated phones. Having two handsets makes it easier for my to answer the phone from my office rather than having to go to the kitchen.

My two favorite functions are Voice Announce® Caller ID Audibly announces the name of the caller on all handsets and the base unit. No need to find the handset to see who's calling—making screening calls that much easier. Push-to-Talk No more shouting through the house—this system doubles as a multiple-handset walkie-talkie to instantly communicate with any or all of the units in your home. I can see these coming in handy to tell my husband dinner is ready from the other room. Plus its an Energy Star labeled phone!

• Backlit keypad and display
• Expandable up to 12 devices (2 devices can be cordless headsets) with only one phone jack
• DECT 6.0 Digital technology
• Digital answering system
• Remote access
• 50 name and number phonebook directory
• Voicemail Waiting Indicator**
• Up to 14 minutes of digital recording time
• Call Screening
• Call Intercept
• Message Retrieval from handset
• Message time and date stamp
• Intercom between handsets
• Conference between an outside line and up to 4 cordless handsets
• Last 10 number redial
• Mute
• Any Key Answer
• Volume Control
• Trilingual prompts allow you to choose between English, Spanish or French.

If you want another great reason to select Vtech as your phone of choice other than the great features they have a great program right now to help the kids of Make A Wish Foundation.

Make A Wish Foundation and Vtech Phone Donation Terms & Conditions:

From July 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012, VTech will donate $2.00 per Qualifying Product sold on www.vtechphones.com and www.babymonitors.vtech.com to Make-A-Wish®, with a minimum guaranteed contribution of $50,000. For more information visit wish.org

“Qualifying Product” shall mean cordless telephones, corded telephones, cordless headsets, or baby monitors, and specifically excludes batteries and parts. VTech offers customers the opportunity to match VTech’s $2.00 donation for each Qualifying Product, at the time of purchase on VTech’s website.

 * I was not paid or compensated for this post. I was sent the Vtech phone pictured  for my review. The opinions are 100% mine and may vary from others.

National Clean Out Your Garage Day Kit Review and Giveaway

My cleaning helper! He is always willing to help out.

Have a clean and organized home is something that makes my life easier. Being a mom I need to know where things are at in my home to make the most of my time. Nothing is a time taker than looking for lost items in a messy room. Having the right products makes cleaning and organizing your home much easier.

One room in your home that most people neglect is the garage. You garage can be a great place to use for more than a place to park the car or store boxes in. So many people use their garage as a work space, work shop, work out area and so much more. Keeping the garage clean and organized will help you utilize the full potential of your space.

Clean Out Your Garage Kit

This month on September 8th was National Clean Out Your Garage Day. This day reminds us to clean up the garage and make it a more functional space. The garage is one of those spaces on my to do list but I always seem to just stick stuff out there and not organize it. What can be more of a motivator than having the right items to do so.

I am embarrassed how disorganized my own garage is! I think by posting this picture and seeing how truly messy it is will be my reminder that even though National Clean Out Your Garage Day has passed its never too late to clean up and get organized.

To celebrate Clean Out Your Garage Day I will be hosting a giveaway for a Clean Out Your Garage Kit.

This kit includes:

• Crawford 16” Adjustable Storage Organizer: Designed for use anywhere in your home, garage, workshop, tool shed or basement, this system is great for hanging brooms, rakes and other lawn supplies.
• Crawford Sliding Spring Grip Organizer: Grips slide into position anywhere along the bar for maximum use. Guaranteed to never lose tension, the grips can hold hardware, garden tools, shovels and more.
• Quickie 2-in-1 Squeegee Pushbroom: This 2-in-1 pushbroom is designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Effortlessly sweep away dirt and debris or use the built-in professional-grade squeegee to push away excess water.
• ACE Multi-surface Pushbroom: This durable pushbroom is perfect for sweeping heavy debris, including caked-on dirt, gravel and construction materials.
• Lysol Sponges: Super absorbent and safe on most surfaces, these sponges can help tackle any tough mess. 

I like the red bristles on this brush.  It works great on tough messes in the garage.

Enter to Win a Clean Out Your Garage Day Kit for your Home


Enter in the Rafflecopter Giveaway Below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Sept. 23 2012 and ends on Oct. 07, 2012 at midnight EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a National Clean Out Your Garage Kit.

Bona Mop Review and Giveaway - Fall Home Event

Over the summer we had our kitchen floors redone. We had a leaky roof ruin the floors! We wanted to make sure that we kept the new floors clean as can be. I love cooking in a kitchen that has sparkling clean floors! We wanted to find a cleaner that had two things, a washable cleaning cloth and be non toxic cleaning formula. My son is always wanting to help me clean. I have to explain to him its for grown ups and he gets sad, the poor kid oddly loves to clean. He likes to feel like he is helping out his mom, so sweet! With mopping its normally a smelly and toxic mess! No good for kids to be around during that. My search begun for a floor mop that I could easily use in my home and not have to worry as much about my little guy wanting to be my helper. We decided on Bona and have been thrilled with the results.

Great info about Bona. These fact are the reason we selected a Bona Floor Cleaner for our home:

Bona reuses materials within their own production, and also design their products to reduce landfill clutter. The Bona Microfiber Cleaning Pads are machine washable up to 300 times, saving you money and protecting our shared environment.

Bona waterborne floor cleaners are safe for floors, families, and the environment. Bona's specially-developed non-toxic and biodegradeable formula also limits the harmful effects of downstream pollution.
Bona waterborne finishes have no toxic fumes and low VOC's so they are healthier for your family, pets, and the environment. In addition, there is no need to vacate your home during the finishing process due to fast dry times and easy water clean-up

 I liked how easy the floor mop is to use. Its light weight and the cleaning solution snaps right in and is ready to use by the pull of a trigger. Even my little guy was having fun cleaning the floor. I told my husband its so easy to use our toddler could do it! I know my mother in law could use one of these in her home too!

Plus you can tell people that your floor cleaner is Bona just like one NBA uses since Bona is the Official Hard Floor Care Partner of the NBA. How cool is that! Cleans you house and the courts of famous basketball players.

I really love that the pad is washable!

Enter to Win a Bona Mop for your Home. The Hardwood Mop or Stone, Tile, Laminate Mop.

Enter in the Rafflecopter Giveaway Below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway   





*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Sept. 14 2012 and ends on Oct. 1, 2012 at midnight EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I received a free Bona Mop for my review.

Indoor Fall Fun: Crazy Forts Review

As Fall approaches and the weather starts to turn here in Washington we start looking for more and more things to do indoor to keep the kids busy. My boys love to build and play in tents so when I heard about Crazy Forts , I knew that we had to get one! We have built many forts at our house with blankets and sheets but they were lacking the structure to keep it up properly.

Crazy Forts gives you easy instructions and some pretty cool design ideas that take 5 minutes to put together.

Liam is so excited about the new Crazy Fort they will build :)

The boys "helping" Dad.

Ready to go!

The finished product! Can you see Liam poking out of the blankets? That was our first attempt, next time we will use lighter bed linens like the sheets they suggest.

My boys have enjoyed building and rebuilding their forts, it has been great. It is cool to see what JJ will create next, maybe I have a little engineer on my hands? If you are looking for a cool way to make a tent or a fort when the rainy weather hits Crazy Forts is the way to go!

You can learn more about Crazy Forts on Facebook.  You can join the facebook page and upload your photos of new and creative Crazy Forts designs. You can look at their website to see who carries Crazy Forts in your area. You can also shop at home online at Shop In Bliss for a Crazy Fort. It would make a great gift.




*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a Crazy Fort  for my review.

Fall Event Launch: $50 Shabby Apple Giveaway

 We are so excited to be hosting a giveaway of a $50 gift card from

Shabby Apple!! 

That's right $50 from Shabby Apple so you can browse, shop and choose what ever you want from their site!

What we love about Shabby Apple is their ability to make women feel feminine and beautiful. They have beautiful dresses, blouses, jewelry and accessories, maternity and kids and more.

We have been checking out the New Arrivals in Jewelry and Accessories and came across The Charleston, a vintage marquis rhinestone necklace. Love it and it's only $50!

Oh and how about this Navy Circle Skirt they call the Curiouser and Curiouser? This would be a great addition to your wardrobe!

How about the Oscar Shirt? On sale now for only $37!!



The list of things we love goes on and on.....

Enter to win the $50 Gift Certificate in the Rafflecopter Giveaway Below: 

 You can enter on either of the sites hosting this giveaway.
Popcorn and Pearls or Frugal Family Tree

a Rafflecopter giveaway





 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Sept. 1 2012 and ends on Oct. 1, 2012 at midnight EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize