Splurge on Fun This Tax Refund Season + Amazing Samsung Deals at Walmart

February 21, 2017 by Jenni 1,206 Comments

This post was sponsored by Samsung as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Do you wait until tax refund season to make your big electronic purchases? We always have! It’s just the best time of year for us to splurge!

I know that most folks feel the same way.

Did you know that Samsung at Walmart has some incredible deals this tax season? Since Samsung is a brand that our family has used and trusted for YEARS….we’ll be making a couple of big purchases.

Here are some of the awesome deals that you can take advantage of (for the whole family!) this tax refund season, from Samsung at Walmart:

Samsung Mobile Devices:

Someone in the home needing a new cellphone? The Verizon J1 is a great option or the Straight Talk Galaxy S7 (priced at $599)!! Folks, if you’re looking for a great and affordable phone service, without any strings attached – Straight Talk is the way to go! We’ve used them for years! Find all of the awesome Samsung Mobile Devices deals here!

Samsung TVs and Home Audio Systems:

We usually always wait until tax refund time or Christmas time to purchase TVs. Only because those are the times when you can find the best deals!! Been dying to get a home audio system for your family room or gaming room!? They have those too! You can find the Samsung TVs here on Walmart!

Straight from the website:

Enjoy 4K Ultra HD resolution and High Dynamic Range (HDR) content that delivers greater clarity with UHD Dimming and a fuller spectrum of color with PurColor. Access your favorite content quicker and easier with the new Samsung Smart TV platform powered by a quad-core processor.

Samsung Tablets:

Tired of the kids fighting over the tablet? Tax refund time is the best time to grab another Samsung tablet! No more fighting between the kids!!

Samsung Galaxy Tab E Details:

The 7,300mAh battery keeps you powered up to watch, read and game at home or on the go. The Galaxy Tab E was made to go wherever you go and do whatever you want to do. From watching a movie with the family at home to reading a bestseller at the coffee shop, the big, bright screen keeps everyone entertained. Enjoy more of your favorite music, photos, movies and games on the go with a microSD card that expands your tablet’s memory from 16GB to up to an additional 128GB.Make shareable moments better with the Galaxy Tab E’s advanced camera features. Catch more in each photo with Panorama and Continuous Shot modes. Video chat from anywhere. And quickly toggle between camera and video modes. With the Galaxy Tab E, you won’t miss a thing.

Visit Samsung at the links below to keep up with the latest news and offers:

Samsung Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SamsungUS
Samsung Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/SamsungUS
Samsung Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/samsungusa/

I hope that you enjoy your splurge time with your tax refund this year!!

What splurges are you planning on making this Tax Refund Season?! We’d love to hear!!

Christmas Mobile Wish Lists Made EASY at Toys”R”Us!

December 1, 2016 by Jenni 1,697 Comments

This post brought to you by Toys“R“Us . The content and opinions expressed below are that of Sweet Pennies From Heaven.

I just cannot believe that Christmas is less than a month away! Are your kids making their Wish Lists already?! I remember when I was little and how giddy I felt, when it was time to make my Wish List!!

Our Great Big Toys”R”Us Book of Awesome arrived the other day and our kiddo found it before I did. Eeek! He already has “big” plans with his Wish List this year. It’s gettin’ real folks!!! Thankfully, the Toys”R”Us Big Book of AWWWESOME makes creating his Wish List super easy! Check it out…

Kids’ Wish List goes MOBILE!

I noticed on the front of the Toys”R”Us Big Book, this little green circle that says “new! Wish List goes mobile”. Well, in all honesty, mobile = EASY for me! We gave it a try and it’s super duper easy AND convenient! What an #AwesomeMoment!

The best part is that you can create a list for each kiddo and name them! No more confusion, and no more losing all those handwritten wish lists! Now, if your child still insists on writing their own wish list on paper – that’s perfectly fine! I recommend it! Then you can make a mobile version of their hand-written Wish List. Besides…Santa likes to receive both hand-written AND mobile Wish Lists!

All you need to do is go to Toysrus.com/WishList and create your Wish List – or many of them. Get signed in and simply tap the camera icon to start building the Wish List! You can take a picture of any item in the Big Book of Awwwesome and the items or similar items will appear! You can then go ahead and add that item to cart OR scroll on down to add to their wish list. Seeeee? How easy is that?!

As you can see from our own wish list making – I took a picture of the Bop It! Sonic game. It uploaded the image, and then gave me the options that I could click to add to his wish list. You can also use the bar code scanner option if you’re visiting in-store!

Since this week is Cyber Week at Toys”R”Us – now’s the time to get great deals on all of the items on your kid’s Wish Lists! My kiddo has tons of stuff on his Wish List. From Legos to Marvel Comic action figures. Star Wars toys, and many more fun things! If you need a little help, visit some of Toys”R”Us BFF’s and Get Inspired.

You better bet I’ll be shopping this Cyber Week to get the very BEST deals! Don’t you miss out on all of the savings this week at Toys”R”Us!

We do have a few big ticket items that we’d like to get for him from his Wish List. Some things may have to hold out till his birthday, but you never know. Santa may be extra awesome this year!

We will also be donating some toys through some local and national drives! If you donate as well, I suggest using the Cyber deals this week to score some awesome toys at pretty big discounted prices!

What big ticket item is on your kiddo’s wish list this year?

Repair Damaged Hair with L’Oreal Total Repair 5 (and get a Target Gift Card!)

October 29, 2016 by Jenni 1,792 Comments

This post is sponsored by Savings.com

Years ago, when I was a teenager – I had a bad “hair” experience. Being a teenager in the late 80’s/early 90’s was ALL about the HAIR! I went into the salon for a perm and apparently the rods were too tight which broke a ton of my hair off. I was devastated!

Back then, I would have loved to have had these L’Oreal Advanced Haircare products! I know that they would have saved me from all the turmoil of those days. Now that I color treat my hair and use a lot of heat from straighteners and irons – I have to do damage control. Thankfully, I have these products to keep my hair healthy and looking (and feeling!) awesome!

You can find out more about the L’Oreal Advanced Haircare products below – but make sure to head to Target right now and grab them! When you buy (3) you’ll receive a $5 Target gift card! Woot!!! Get the details for this Target deal here!

Total Repair 5 Shampoo & Conditioner
- Helps repair the five visible signs of damaged hair (split ends, weakness, roughness, dullness and dehydration).
- Results
  - Rebuilt fibers
  - Strength
  - Vitality
  - Silkiness
  - Shine

Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm
- Instantly melts into hair upon application and provides instant volume after blow-drying.
- Non-greasy.
- Doesn’t weigh hair down.

Get your 3 L’Oreal Advanced Haircare products at Target now, and get a $5 Target Gift Card!

Have you tried these products yet? Let us know what you think!

How You Can SAVE & GIVE with Coupons.com This Memorial Day #BeTheEnd

May 22, 2015 by Jenni 42 Comments

Disclosure: This conversation has been sponsored in partnership with Coupons.com. All opinions, including my love of saving money and giving back, are 100% my own.

Memorial Day is coming up and I always look forward to spending a long weekend with family, sort of kicking off summer. Memorial Day is also the perfect time to score some really great deals!

This past week, the moms at Moms Check In have been talking about simple ways to give back. We discussed toy drives, doing charity 5K’s with family, food pantries and other ideas. It just feels good to be able to give back when we can. The world offers us so much, so we should repay in kind anytime that we can!

This month, Coupons.com makes it even simpler to give back. And the best part? You can give back to a worthy cause and save some money shopping at your favorite stores. All you have to do is go to Coupons.com/BCRF and use any offer on the page. When you do, Coupons.com will give 10% of your purchase price to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The math is simple: let’s say you buy your family some new clothes at Kohl’s for the summer. You total pre-tax price is $100. Thanks to your purchase, Coupons.com will donate $10. You can now feel good knowing that your purchase is helping to find a cure for breast cancer.

I’ve been scoping out their sales and there are a few I’m taking advantage of, including the 50% off kids clearance at Target! There’s also a $5 off a $25 purchase at TOMS! Ummm, summer is here and I’m totally buying a new pair of TOMS!!

Coupons.com has cash back offers, coupon codes, and product deals for your favorite stores including Macy’s, Sephora, Gap, and more. With Memorial Day sales coming up, this is a great time to really save and give. The money from your purchase will go towards funding a year’s worth of breast cancer research hours, totaling at more than $104,000!

Throughout the month of May, shoppers will have access to qualified offers housed on a dedicated section of the Coupons.com site, www.coupons.com/BCRF. When shoppers use these offers to save, Coupons.com will donate 10% of the pre-tax transaction price to BCRF to help fund the critical breast cancer research needed to find a cure – totaling up to $104,350 (2,087 hours at $50/hour).

About Breast Cancer Research Foundation

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) advances the world’s most promising research to eradicate breast cancer. Founded by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, BCRF has raised more than $550 million to fuel discoveries in tumor biology, genetics, prevention, treatment, survivorship and metastasis, making it one of the largest non-governmental funders of breast cancer research in the world. This year, BCRF is investing $58.6 million in research, to support 226 researchers at leading medical institutions across six continents, including $11.6 million to the international Evelyn H. Lauder Founder’s Fund focused on metastasis. By spending 91 cents of every dollar on research and public awareness programs, BCRF remains one of the nation’s most fiscally responsible nonprofits. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization with an “A+” from CharityWatch, and has been awarded Charity Navigator’s highest rating of four stars 13 times since 2002. For more information, please visit: www.bcrfcure.org.

Get social with Coupons.com

Coupons.com on Facebook

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Fashion for Moms – Dress for Less with thredUP #SaveOnStyle #MomsCheckIn

February 11, 2015 by Jenni 425 Comments

This is a sponsored post in cooperation with thredUP. This post does contain affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own, and honest as always. #SaveOnStyle

My style is VERY casual. But folks, jeans and t-shirts are still pretty expensive especially for brand name quality clothing. That’s the reason that I really love thredUP. They have new and “like new” clothes, shoes and accessories from some of the big name brands like Coach, Banana Republic, J. Crew, Michael Kors and more at up to 90% off retail!

If you’re new to thredUP you can get $10 FREE right now!

Click HERE to get your free $10 credit!

Our Moms Check In crew and I are partnering with thredUP this week! We wanted to actually SHOW you how busy moms can save a huge amount of money on namebrand clothing and get YOUR fashion back! Check out this cute and casual outfit I picked out — all for under $108. Now, you might be thinking $108 is alot of money and you’re right – it IS…..but this includes the scarf, the COACH handbag and the boots!! It would cost me a whole heck of a lot more if I had bought all these pieces new!

This Bcb Generation Short Sleeve T Shirt is just $11.99 at thredUP. Originally $44 retail so that’s a whopping 73% off. The gray and white stripe is a classic look that I love.

I’m loving these Rock & Republic jeans. I love a great pair of blue jeans and these are only $20.99 at thredUP! Regular retail price is $88 so they’re about 76% off.

Oh my gosh, I just love these boots! These Gianni Bini ankle boots are $26.99 at thredUP. Regularly priced at $60 so they’re about 55% off. I love the color, the style and that they’re cute with just about anything.

This cute white COACH handbag is just $33.49 at thredUP. Regularly $158 retail price – it’s almost 80% off. I love these kinds of deals on handbags since they’re my FAVE accessory!!!! Who doesn’t love Coach at a huge discount?!

It’s still winter time so I’m still sporting warm and cute scarves! This red Pendleton scarf is just $14.99 (regularly $60 retail!) at thredUP. That’s a huge discount!! I’m crazy over the red color….just adds a nice pop of color!

Don’t forget to visit thredUP and snag your own free $10 credit!

You’re invited! #SaveOnStyle Twitter Party 2/19 1-2pm EST.

Next week on Thursday, Feb. 19th from 1-2pm EST we’ll be hosting a #SaveOnStyle Twitter party with thredUP. We will be giving out tons of awesome prizes and discussing fashion for moms on a budget!

Now, what’s your fashion style?

Plan Your Best Valentine’s Day Ever with this Exclusive Online Magazine

February 6, 2015 by Jenni 106 Comments

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Coupons.com. All lovey-dovey and sweet opinions are however, 100% my own and honest as always!

{Just click on the magazine above to view page by page}

Valentine’s Day is almost here and I’ve got this really fun Valentine’s Day Magazine on The Good Stuff by Coupons.com. Whether you’re making plans for your sweetheart, your kids or your girlfriends – you’ll find tons of great ideas! Fun recipes, ideas for date night, crafts and ideas for a full “Galentine’s Day” brunch with your besties.

You’ll even be able to save with these Coupons.com Valentine’s Day Deals including free shipping on some! A few of my favorite deals that I (ahem!) may have to accidentally hint around to my husband are Kay Jewelers, Shari’s Berries and The Popcorn Factory!

Here are some things you’ll find inside:

Aphrodisiac foods (hubba hubba)
Date Night ideas inspired by the movies (Pretty Woman, Chocolat, etc.)
Valentine’s Day coupon printables (i.e. this coupon is good for one morning of uninterrupted sleeping in)
VDay tote bag DIY you can do with your kids
How to throw a Galentine’s Day Brunch (who doesn’t love brunch!)
Recipes for heart waffle sandwiches, skinny champagne parfaits and more
Gift Guides
And a link (on pages 2-3) to enter the Coupons.com Share the Love Valentine’s Day Sweepstakes (Daily cash prizes of $100 for the winner and $100 for the winner’s friend – until 2/28)

What fun ideas do you have planned for Valentine’s Day?

5 Reasons to Choose MyRegistry.com As Your Baby Registry

July 10, 2014 by Jenni 245 Comments

Expecting mom and dads have many options when it comes to baby registries. You want goodies from this store, goodies from that store – and OHH, don’t forget the goodie goodies from that OTHER store! Now, instead of being registered at 2 or 3 different places, you can have just ONE universal baby registry at MyRegistry.com!

Let them be your one stop registry destination. Their service gives customers the flexibility to choose baby items like cribs, strollers and more from ANY store in the world!!! Whether it’s a local spot, a popular store online and even the national chain superstores!

5 reasons to choose MyRegistry.com as your baby registry:

1. Sync all of your registries
Instead of having friends and family run all over God’s green earth to find the things you have registered, they can just shop from ONE place for it all! You can go online and sync all of your registries (i.e. Giggle, The Land of Nod, diapers.com, Amazon, Target, etc.) and keep all of them in one neat and tidy spot! Organized in one list. The list is updated each time you login or when someone visits.

2. Cash Gift Fund options:
You can actually register for CASH. We all know we like the money too. Sometimes it’s awkward saying, “We just need money!”. MyRegistry.com makes that part tasteful and easy. This service allows members to customize their cash fund option for any use. Your friends and family will be able to give money toward baby’s college fund, building a nursery, diapers or other needs.

3. Get inspiration from other expecting parents:
MyRegistry.com features pages and pages of gifts chosen by other registrants in real time! How cool is that?! Sometimes new mom and dads often forget about certain things. Being able to see what other parents are registering for is a great way to register yourself for things you would have never thought of before! You can find inspiration boards with hundreds of ideas or products that can easily be added to your own registry!

4. Tools to help you announce and share your registry:
Instead of having to announce your registry by word of mouth, you can do it in other fun and social ways! Send beautiful eCards annoncing your registry or enable friends/family to send them on your behalf. That’s such an awesome option, especially if your baby shower hostess is taking care of that process for you! You can customize your registry’s URL, and share to all of your social networks! If you’re more traditional, you can even download and print your gorgeous registry announcements to add to your shower invitations!

5. Add items from stores without websites:
Thank goodness for smart phones! Now while you’re in any store without a website, you can scan ANY product’s barcode to add items to your registry list. The item instantly appears with the product photo and description on your registry. You can also add items from stores with a photo, description and notes on where to purchase the item! That’s perfect for local spots that you love.

Keep your registry open AFTER the baby has been born!! It’s perfect to keep in use for things like children’s birthdays, holiday wish lists and any other gift giving occasion. Parents can create their FREE registry at www.MyRegistry.com. Not only do they offer baby registries, but they also have great ideas for non-profit and fundraising!!

Disclosure: This is a collaboration on behalf of MyRegistry and myself. All opinions are 100% my own and honest, as always.

Swap or Sell Kids Clothes the Hassle-Free Way with Swap.com

May 16, 2014 by Jenni 441 Comments

This article was published for Swap.com Kids’ Consignment. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Each season, we go through the closets and get rid of things we don’t wear anymore. If you’re like me, you like to get a little bit of the money back that you paid for the clothes, especially the kids’ clothes! No use in keeping them stored in boxes out in the garage! That’s why I wanted to tell you about Swap.com — a great place to buy, swap or sell kids clothes!!

Swap.com started back in 2013 – and they have tons of baby and kid’s clothes, baby gear, toys and games, movies, video games and maternity clothing.

Swap.com is different from other consignment places. You can buy from there, or you can swap and sell kids clothes and other goodies. From the seller’s standpoint, the biggest difference is that you own the products and price them but then….

they inspect it
they grade it (like new, good condition, etc.)
they take photos of it
they store it
they SHIP it out
they SAVE you a TON of work

I’ve sold on eBay and Craigslist before — but never did someone else do all the hard work for me. I always had to do it all.

{{{Below are a couple of deals I found.}}}

From the buying standpoint – it’s alot like buying from Amazon. You add products to your cart from various sellers and then checkout. Badda bing. Swap.com ships the goodies to the buyers within one business day. You can expect to get massive discounts – anywhere from 50-95% off of retail prices.

FIRST TIME customers also get FREE shipping…

…and then for repeat customers, any order over $50 ships for free!

As far as the quality of the items, they’re all pre-screened by professional merchandisers at Swap.com. Each item is marked as fair condition, good condition, like new, or new with tags! Since the items are thoroughly checked out by the folks at Swap.com, there is no fear of being scammed by sellers. You always get the items you order and they have a 100% hassle-free refund policy. You can return an item for any reason and get your money back!

WIN WIN!

I know that it’s too early to be thinking “Back to School” but I always spend more than $50 so I’ll be using Swap.com to save a TONNNNN of cash and get FREE shipping too! I’ll be loading up now though, on some summer clothes.

What’s your favorite feature of the Swap.com site? Will you be using it to buy from or swap or sell kids clothes?

Rodan & Fields Skincare Produces Crazy Awesome Results

April 12, 2014 by Jenni 1,967 Comments

I was blessed with good skin as a teenager. I never had big issues with acne or major breakouts. Yes, I had the occasional “OH MY Gosh, look at the size of that crater!” moments but overall – I was lucky!

Until the mid-30’s hit.

Enter in dry patches, redness and oh dear….the fine lines. I don’t know what’s so “fine” about them. I think they SUCK!

One piece of beauty advice that your momma or grandma probably gave you – I know it’s the one mine gave me…

Take good care of your skin NOW. It’ll thank you later!

Brandi, one of my girlfriends that I graduated high school with was yammering on and on – on Facebook about how awesome this stuff was that she was using. She actually loved it so much that she decided to stop teaching so she could stay home with her son and start selling it! I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I had her send me some goodies to try out.

It’s called Rodan + Fields……and I {heart} it. Alot. Rodan + Fields are the names of these 2 rocking awesome dermatologists that created the line of products. Brilliant ladies, I tell you!

They have 4 different skin scare regimens along with some other really popular products that are fantastic (including this thing that sucks dead skin off your face…more about that in just a bit)!!! Below is a guide of sorts that shows you what each regimen does. There’s Redefine, Unblemish, Reverse, and Soothe. The regimen I’m on right now is Reverse.

Just after the first few uses, I could tell a drastic difference in my skin. The dry patches started going away and my face just felt good. Like, all I wanted to do was touch my face – good. Now that I’ve been using it for about a month, I can tell a HUGE difference. My redness is evening out and my complexion is more like it used to be when I was younger.

I’m really excited about that because by the time summer is in full swing, I won’t have to wear foundation!!! I’ve heard so many stories of women being able to go “foundation free” when using Rodan + Fields. I cannot wait for that!! Do you know how freeing that is?! I hate it when my face melts and foundation is pooled around me, when it’s 200 degrees outside. There’s nothing pretty about that!!!

Below is an awesome before and after photo of a gal named Laura! This is after 2 months of using the Reverse regimen, along with the eye cream and one use of the Macro Exfoliator from Rodan & Fields!

Ok. Let me tell you about this Macro Exfoliator! It’s this really fancy shmancy digital handheld exfoliator that literally SUCKS the dead skin off of your face and neck. It’s the bomb – dot com!!! I’ve used it twice and both times, crazy amounts of dead skin crud came off of my face.

This is the crud that came off. You see all that white stuff???? That’s DEAD SKIN! Gaaaa-rosssss!!!!

You can compare Rodan & Fields to other skin care brands. I’ve used other brands like Clinique and my most recent skin care routine was Clarins. Rodan + Fields products cost less than BOTH of those brands and the results were much better. You just get a lot more bang for your buck!!

Rodan + Fields is becoming more and more popular, even among the celebrity crowd. LeAnn Rimes and Brittany Spears use it, and Oprah featured it as one of her favorite things! LeAnn Rimes just hosted a business launch party for her friend this weekend and Brittany Spears’ mom is a consultant! The Macro Exfoliator has gotten so much free press from being featured in mags by editors choosing it as one of the best at-home beauty tools!

Turning Rodan & Fields into a career…

Brandi shared her story with me. I knew she was a school teacher before, but I had no idea at the time that she was able to replace her income with Rodan & Fields. Here’s her story…

“I was looking for something I could do in part-time hours that could give me and my family financial freedom! In the few short months since starting with Rodan & Fields I have replaced my teaching salary. I do not devote more than 10 hours a week to R&F, but the payout is so amazing! This business has been such a blessing to my family and I!”

If you want to learn more about the products OR the business aspect of Rodan & Fields, you can contact Brandi. Here is her business card.

Brandi is also offering an awesome promotional deal right now! Anyone that orders from this link and orders as a preferred customer will get a free lip Micro-Dermabrasion Stick (valued at $17). With becoming a preferred customer, you’ll also get 10% off any order and free shipping 12 times a year!!

The best part about Rodan & Fields, besides the awesome results, is that they have a 60 day money back gaurantee. If, for whatever reason, in the first 60 days you’re not seeing any results you can get your money back. I don’t know about you….but I just think that’s awesome! We all have that hundreds of dollars graveyard drawer full of skin care and cosmetics that we can’t use and couldn’t return!!!

Which regimen do you think would be for you? The Reverse, Soothe, Redefine or Unblemish?

If you’re unsure and you’re really interested in trying out Rodan + Fields, you can contact Brandi to ask questions and find out which regimen might be what you’d need. She knows her stuff!!!

Protect Your Mobile Devices with Otterbox

November 23, 2013 by Jenni 423 Comments

We pay a lot of money for our mobile devices so it only makes sense to keep them protected from drops, bumps, scratches and everything else under the sun. We have hardwood floors through our home and little man loves to play with our phones and tablets. I can’t let him carry them off unattended because if he drops them on the floor without a case on, it would be the death of my phone or iPad. I mean, I would cry and would hold a burial service and everything.

Otterbox is well known for their cases for mobile devices. They have several styles and lines of cases for many different brand phones/devices. Their prices are also very good when you consider the protection you get out of it. They’re almost bullet proof. Okay, not really…but you get the idea. Otterbox are a great type of “insurance” for your devices so I definitely recommend buying them as gifts this Christmas!! Especially for your kiddos who tend to drop things easily!

They recently sent me a case for my iPhone from their new Preserver line. I love the Primrose color it came in…I’m just a “pink” girl. One thing I really enjoy about the case is that there isn’t a flap over the camera lens like my other case had. I used to have to pull the plastic cover off the lens before I’d take a picture — now I don’t have to do that. The phone is completely covered…every square inch of it so it’s super duper protected! Love it.

They also sent me an iPad case from their Reflex series. This is a nice case for someone who likes the lighter weight cases. It’s not cumbersome to carry or use, and it’s really easy to install. Keep in mind, with this case, you might want to buy a screen protector because this one doesn’t have one installed with the case. It covers the backside of the iPad and has a front cover that you remove when you’re ready to use it. You can also use the front side when removed, as a stand to work upright.

Click here to shop Otterbox cases!

We’re excited to announce that we’ll be giving away (2) Otterbox cases for a lucky reader. One for their phone and one for their tablet. WhooHoo!!! Our Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway event will be going live on Black Friday so stay tuned!

Disclosure: Otterbox is paricipating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is a sponsored post on their behalf. All opinions are my own.

Keep Your Kids Safe with Britax Car Seats

November 22, 2013 by Jenni 612 Comments

I don’t think there is any cargo more precious than our kids! Don’t you agree? We’ve owned a few different car seats over the years and I really thought that many of the ones on the market were considered “safe”. They are for the most part, don’t get me wrong…but I really suggest doing your homework. I don’t know how many times I’ve read of certain models being recalled for one reason or another.

After doing a lot of research, we decided that the last seat we were going to buy was the Britax Pinnacle 90. There are many reasons why we chose this seat. I love that it can change from the harness to the “booster” type seat with the regular seat belt since our little man is getting bigger. It has the ClickTight installation system and I love love love the side impact cushion technology. None of the other car seats we had were built like that.

There are just so many different styles that Britax offers and there are so many features for each one. You can visit their site to find the seat that suits your needs best. They even tell you when your child is ready to transition to a booster seat. I have to admit that when I pick little man up from school, it makes me uncomfortable when I see kids much smaller than he is just jumping in the front seat and putting on a seatbelt. It’s just not as safe as it used to be years and years ago when I was smaller. There are just too many distractions for people driving now a’days. Cell phones for instance. Back when I was small there weren’t distractions like that. People just got in cars and drove!

You can find the Britax Pinnacle 90 Car Seat here on Amazon priced around $257 with free shipping. This seat will last a LONG time and will be the last one you’ll need to buy. There are a few different color/pattern choices too! We’re really excited to announce that we’ll be giving away a Britax Pinnacle 90 car seat (winner choose pattern) very soon! Stay tuned for more details about the giveaway and our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide!

Disclosure: Britax is participating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is a sponsored post on their behalf. All opinions are my own.

Hate to Mop? Check out the Shark Sonic Duo Hard Floor and Carpet Cleaner

November 22, 2013 by Jenni 209 Comments

We have hardwood floors in our whole house. There is only one room that is carpeted and that’s our son’s room, but there is hardwood under that so we can pull the carpet back up anytime. We only had the carpet laid for his safety and comfort when he was born (first time mommy, give me a break! haha).

Anyway, the household job I hate more than anything is mopping. I hate it. So when I was given the opportunity to try the new Shark Sonic Duo Hard Floor and Carpet cleaner, I was like HELLOOOO – uhh, YEAH!! Boy, am I in love with this machine. I have a Shark Navigator vacuum and I love it so I knew that I’d love this new machine too. I’ve owned Shark products for several years.

As soon as the box arrived, I put it to work. The Shark Sonic Duo has pads that attach to the bottom and when you turn it on, that baby vibrates so fast that it actually scrubs 1000 times per minute. Uhh, I’m pretty sure I physically can’t scrub back and forth 1000 times in one minute. That’s the beauty of this machine! That’s over 16 powerful scrubs every second!

The Sonic machine removes the stuck on dirt and grime on your floors and carpet BUT it requires almost zero effort on your part. The machine has Airglide Manueverability. That’s what makes it do all the hard work, so fast! So you can imagine why I love this thing! After just one use, my hardwood floors looked cleaner and brighter. It also does an excellent job on small area rugs.

Shark Sonic Duo Cleaners

Shark Sonic Duo Pads

The pads that come with the Shark Sonic Duo are machine washable so no more having to wring out those nasty mop heads and no more disposable pads to buy!! The cleaning solutions are very affordable and they last quite awhile. The one thing that I really like about it is that they’re non toxic and safe to use around kids and pets! You just take the old bottle out and replace it with the new one.

Using the Shark Sonic Duo is very comfortable. As mentioned, with the airglide technology, the machine really moves by itself. You just have to hold the handle. The handle does swivel so it reaches well under nooks and crannies. We are very excited because we’ll be giving one of these systems to one lucky reader! Stay tuned for our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide, more info. about that soon!

The Shark Sonic Duo is priced around $219 with Free Shipping here on Amazon right now! It’s totally worth the price tag to save your arms, shoulders and time mopping the floors and cleaning carpets the “old fashioned” way. 🙂

Disclosure: Shark is participating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is a sponsored post on their behalf. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful Baby Toys and Plush Animals from Steiff

November 22, 2013 by Jenni 845 Comments

Don’t forget about the babies this Christmas! Steiff is a German company that specializes in beautiful baby toys and plush animals. From gorgeous teddy bears to baby clothing and alot in between. The story behind the Steiff company is a sweet one. It all began with Margarete Steiff, a young woman whose dreams started with a pin cushion in the shape of an elephant and a lot of determination. Her company started in 1880 and has been going strong ever since. Now Steiff products are available in other countries, including the USA!

Steiff creates their beautiful baby toys and plush animals with the highest grade of materials and they follow strict guidelines and inspection. They have several different lines, some even including Mohair. They even have some cute character items like Wizard of Oz and Charlie Brown.

Click here for Little Circus Turtle products on Amazon

Click here for Little Circus Elephant items on Amazon.

They sent me a couple of their Little Circus items and they are super duper cute!! I got a Little Circus Turtle and a Little Circus Elephant! I’m really excited about the elephant because that was the animal that Margarete Steiff loved and held dear to her heart! These make perfect gifts for baby this Christmas or any time of year. Consider adding them to a baby shower basket, even! Momma will fall in love with them and so will baby. They’re so soft, plush and cuddly!

I know that the prices are a little higher for the Steiff baby toys and plush animals, compared to what you’d normally pay for a stuffed animal but you have to consider the craftmanship behind it. Some things, especially items that baby will be loving on, kissing and sleeping with, are priceless. These are the great ones that will become an heirloom. They last a lifetime and your kids can pass them on to their kids. Don’t worry…some of their products are machine washable, which is perfect for babies! Each item description on their site will tell you if they’re machine washable or not.

Click Here to shop Steiff baby toys on Amazon!

I am officially in love with Steiff and their products. I love their love of toys and plush animals!! I’m also very excited to announce that Steiff is participating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide and we’ll be giving away one Little Circus Turtle and Elephant!! Please stay tuned, we’ll be sharing more about that very soon!

Disclosure: Steiff is participating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is a sponsored post on their behalf. All opinion are my own.

Amazing Sound with Flips Audio Headphones

November 9, 2013 by Jenni 594 Comments

Finding a great set of headphones can be a difficult challenge. I have found a set that I love…called Flips Audio! These are not your ordinary set of headphones. The cool thing about these is that they’re headphones and speakers all in one. Turn them in for regular headphones and turn them out for rocking speakers!

I love the style of these. I don’t do well with ear buds. I never could find a set that fit in my ears good so I really REALLY like these Flips Adio headphones. You can choose from either white ones or black ones. They fold up and fit in a sweet little case too. These are USB chargeable headphones and the charge lasts for quite some time. I use them everyday while I work online because I love to listen to music while I work…helps keep me focused. 🙂

The headphone sound quality is amazing!! When they’re in speaker mode, the sound quality is just as awesome! I turn on my favorite playlist and turn them on to speaker mode when I clean. I can hear the music all over the house when it’s playing. These are a great gift idea for anyone on your list who loves music!! You can find these here on Amazon for $119 and FREE shipping!! Keep an eye out…we’ll be giving a set of these away for our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway event!!

Disclosure: Flips Audio is participating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is a sponsored post on their behalf. All opinions are 100% my own.

Tech Geek Gift Idea – Logitech Keyboard Folio for iPads

November 9, 2013 by Jenni 135 Comments

I spend a lot of time online from both my laptop and my mobile devices. I really enjoy working from my iPad because it’s not as restrictive as my laptop is but I really wanted to find a nice wireless keyboard. Logitech offers a really cool Keyboard Folio for iPads that fits the bill, plus it’s in it’s own case.

The Logitech Keyboard Folio is perfect for anyone. It’s also a great option for kids and teens who use iPads to do their homework. The keyboard helps them be more efficient. It’s easy to use straight out of the box. You just put the iPad into the folio and turn it on, using the Bluetooth Logitech keyboard on your device.

The keyboard features EasyType keys for comfortable typing plus iPad shortcut keys. You just open it to wake it up and close it for sleep mode. Magnets hold the iPad in typing mode and keeps the folio closed…or use it in the browsing mode. I love the functionality of it. It’s very easy to use and the keyboard is the perfect size. I’ve had some others that were super small and I was always making mistakes. Here are some other great points about the Logitech Keyboard Folio:

Protective Keyboard Folio for iPad 2, 3rd and 4th generation: Full wraparound protection for both the front and back of your iPad
Integrated EasyType Bluetooth keyboard: Full-size keys give you the feel and comfort of a traditional typing experience for your iPad
Striking style: Designed to perfectly complement iPad with a choice of rich colors and fabrics to match your personal style
Convenient magnetic stand and closure: Holds your iPad at the ideal angle for typing; keeps the Folio closed when you are on the go; auto wakes/sleeps your iPad when opened/closed
Long-lasting rechargeable power: Get up to three months of power on a full charge. Includes USB charging cable for easy recharging while you type (*Based on average use of two hours per day)

If your kids have been asking for a bluetooth keyboard for their iPads, this is one I’d highly recommend because it comes with the case too. You can find the Logitech Keyboard folio here on Amazon for around $99 with free shipping. The one I have is black but they have several other colors as well. They have lots of great reviews! Stay tuned — we’re promoting this item in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide! We’ll be giving one away around Black Friday so keep a look out!!

Disclosure: Logitech is participating in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide. This is a sponsored post on behalf of them. All opinions are 100% my own.

Shop Costume Express for the Best Halloween Costumes

September 27, 2013 by Jenni 749 Comments

Shop Costume Express for the Best Halloween Costumes! Offering 15% off right now plus FREE Shipping with a $75 order!

I cannot believe that October is almost here! Fall is my favorite time of the year. Around late September, we start thinking about Halloween costumes. I always like to get a jump on it early, otherwise I worry about shipping deadlines if I wait too long. My little guy is all about Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and then of course…Toy Story 3. He decided that this year he wanted to be Sheriff Woody. No, thankfully, he does NOT have a snake in his boot! 🙂

The last few years, we’ve got our Halloween costumes from Costume Express. We’ve always been very happy and that’s where we’ll continue to shop from. They have great prices (this costume was just $34) and the costumes are always very well made. We got this Sheriff Woody costume in the mail a few days ago and I thought little man was going to come UNGLUED! He couldn’t wait – so we went ahead and let him put it on. I wanted to make sure it would fit anyway.

How stinking cute is HE?! He loves, loves, LOVES his costume. I knew he would. The only thing I can say about this Sheriff Woody costume is that the hat is a bit difficult to keep on his head. It would have been a great addition to have a string that goes under the chin to keep it attached, but all is well. It doesn’t bother him at all.

When shopping at Costume Express, I feel like the measurements are right on. My little guy is small for his age, so I went with the size 4/6. It fits perfectly. But I would double check the measuring guide just to be safe. It may also depend on the individual costume. I highly recommend checking Costume Express out for all of your costume needs. They offer all sorts of deals and free shipping offers. Make sure to check those out!

You can also follow CostumeExpress on their social media links below.

What are your kids going to be for Halloween this year? Leave us a comment below and let us know! We’d love to hear!!

Disclosure: CostumeExpress sent us a costume for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own, and honest as always.

How To Save the Most When Shopping Back to School Sales

July 17, 2013 by Jenni 1,210 Comments

How to Save for Back to School

Yep. It’s that time of year again! Back to School time can cost a fortune, especially if you have more than 1 child. Between pencils and paper, shoes and clothes it can cost hundreds of dollars per kid! There are many very simple things that you can do to save a lot of money! It just takes thinking outside the box and a little elbow grease. Okay – maybe not elbow grease, but you get my drift. 😉

Set a Budget for Back to School and stick to it:

Creating a Back to School budget is a really important factor in saving the most money. You don’t want to overspend, but you still want to be able to get everything needed. With each child being in different levels of school, their needs will be different. Don’t forget to budget for the teenager’s track shoes or calculator! Keep those kinds of things in mind.

How to Save on School Supplies:

School supplies vary upon the age of your kids, but they all need them. The best ways that I’ve found to save on school supplies are to watch sale fliers for sales and use coupons at places like Staples or Office Max. Buy bigger bulk packs of some supplies that get used a lot. Yes, you may be spending more up front but it proves to save quite a bit overall. This works great, especially if you have 3 or 4 kids in school at the same time.

Use printable coupons on supplies at stores like Walmart too or other big retail stores. If you’re shopping online for supplies, I highly recommend Amazon or Discount School Supply for your items. Both are great places to find great deals. If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get fast FREE 2 day shipping. If you don’t have it, you can get a FREE Trial of Amazon Prime now!!

Stick to practical and not CUTE. Cute can cost a fortune when it comes to pens, folders, notebooks, backpacks, and the like. Give the kids a limit on the cutesie things they are allowed to buy and then the rest…stick to practical. Check this blog post out too for lots of other great ideas for saving on school supplies!

How to Save on Back to School Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories:

Clothing and shoes are your biggest chunk for back to school spending! Especially if you have teenagers! They want what their friends have so it’s always a battle. I know…I used to be a teen.

Rule # 1 is to never pay full price and always watch for sales! Keep an eye out for coupon mailers to help save a few extra dollars here and there.

Thrift Shop. Most of the time you can find really nice namebrand clothing in thrift shops that even still have the tags on them. You’ll get those goodies at huge discounted prices than you will off the retail store rack!

Shop Year Round. Every couple of months, head out and grab a few sales. Scope online deals out throughout the year and when you find a nice deal, snag it. It’s smarter than paying full price WHEN you need the actual item!

Shop clearance. That’s a no-brainer, I know….but sometimes people just need to be reminded. Most of the time you can still even use coupons or coupon codes on clearanced items. Think outside the box too. Don’t just look for clothes that are on clearance. Look for shoes, jewelry, accessories and other things that are generally clearanced too.

Think outside of the season. While you’re doing back to school shopping now, you’re looking for fall outfits. Hit the sale racks for the summer things that are on sale or clearance and buy the next size up. The kiddos can wear those things NEXT year and you won’t be paying full price next year for summer clothes.

Shop Online. I get my biggest discounts most of the time from shopping online, especially when I can score free shipping. I do the majority of my shopping at these spots, and often through Ebates for Cashback!

Amazon

Payless Shoes

Crocs.com

Walmart

What are your best tips for saving on back to school supplies and clothes? We all love to learn from others, so leave your best tips below in a comment! Can’t wait to hear them.

HOT!! Little Girls Leg Warmers in Chevron & Dot Patterns – Just $2.50 Each!!

April 22, 2013 by Jenni 276 Comments

Oh.My.Word! Today’s Pick your Plum deal is a cute and a fun one!! They have these cute little girls Leg Warmers for just $4.99 for a set of 2. Each set comes with a chevron pattern and a dot pattern. You pick your colors! BUT HURRY! This deal could sell out fast….a lot of times these kinds of deals do. Otherwise, the sale ends at 9am EST tomorrow!! Sizing fits 6 Month all the way up to 8 years!!

Put a Spring in Your Step – Spring Leg Warmers for 75% Off!

2 pair of spring leg warmers for $4.99…that’s under $2.50 per pair. Hello GOOD deal.

The warm up. It’s the most important part of your work out. And you know what? It’s also the most important part of an outfit. That’s why we give you (well…maybe not you so much as your daughter/lil’ sis/friend’s daughter) the leg warmer. Hooray! Nothing is quite so easy on the eyes as a bold-patterned spring leg warmer, know what we mean? It’s cute. It’s functional. And it’s around for that part of the springtime when you still need an extra layer or two. Pair them with a foofy skirt for an eclectic look. Throw them on over leggings for something a mini ballerina would love. Layer them under boots and let everyone oooh and aaah over how cute she is. Give them to the little princess in your house, the little princess next door, or the little princess that is currently taking up residence in your best friend’s tummy! (Hello, can you say greatest baby shower gift ever?) You can’t go wrong with these things.

Pick a pear (er…we mean pair):

Spring Fever, Gray (2 pairs: 1 Chevron Pair/1 Dot pair) – $4.99
Bees are Humming, Mustard (2 pairs: 1 Chevron Pair/1 Dot Pair) – $4.99
Giggle Blossoms, Pink (2 pairs: 1 Chevron Pair/1 Dot Pair) – $4.99
Seeds of Hope, Turquoise (2 pairs: 1 Chevron Pair/1 Dot Pair) – $4.99
One of Each – $19.96

The “Juicy” Details: Each color option contains 2 pairs of leg warmers: 1 Chevron and 1 Polka Dot. Approximate measurements: 12 1/2″ (l) x 3 1/2″ (w). Warmers are great for legs and arms! They fit 6 month to 8 years. Warmers are made of 100% soft acrylic.

Fine Print: Leg warmers ship for just $3.99 for one or fourteen and only $8.99 for our Canadian friends. Packages will be on their way on or before May 1, 2013.

Seche Vite Top Coat Is the BEST I’ve Ever Used – Deal on Amazon

April 17, 2013 by Jenni 1,330 Comments

My personal favorite Top Coat…Seche Vite

Ladies…don’t you just hate when you polish your nails then have it start to peel the next day?! I know I do. You spend time making sure they look perfect and then within a day or 2, the polish or top coat starts peeling right at the tip. The only time I’ve ever had any luck getting my polish to stay on is when I’ve had acrylic nails. The biggest reason that nail polish comes off of our real nails is because of natural oil.

Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different brands of clear top coat. I tried one called Seche Vite and I’ve fallen in love with it! I found this brand back years and years ago when my sister Mikki and I took a course at the local cosmetology and manicurist school. Seche Vite Top Coat dries SUPER DUPER fast…like fully dry within just a few minutes. It makes your manicure look really slick and shiny too!!

Seche Vite Top Coat

If you have trouble getting your nail polish to stay on, there isn’t too much that you can do to keep it from doing that. Some people have more trouble than others. Just a couple of suggestions…try slightly buffing your nails with a buffer before polishing. This will take the “shine” off, removing the oil on your nails which will help the polish stay on longer. Also, wear gloves when doing dishes by hand or when using a cleaner around the house. That can help too.

As far as the Seche Vite Top Coat is concerned, it is again, the best one I’ve ever used. That’s just a personal opinion but if you have trouble with other brands then I suggest giving it a try. My local CVS used to sell it. The last time I went in to grab some, they didn’t have it on the shelf so I found it on Amazon! Yay!!! Plus, it’s cheaper on Amazon than it was at CVS, around $5 a bottle…double Yay!! When my bottle arrives, I’ll snap a picture of my nails and update this post with the pic.

Topic: Seche Vite Top Coat

Toddler Bedding Sets As Low As $30 Shipped – Disney Characters & More!

December 7, 2012 by Jenni 177 Comments

I’ve had a few readers request deals on toddler bedding sets, so I thought I’d make a little roundup of some Toddler Bedding Sets deals from Amazon! All of these will ship for FREE when you choose Super Saver Shipping at checkout!

Update: The Thomas bed set is currently out of stock. Keep checking back in case they get more in.
Ohhh….but first – if you’re wanting a Thomas & Friends Bed Set, it’s priced at just $30 on Walmart’s site vs. $46 on Amazon! Much better deal….plus you can get Free Ship to Store.