Rite Aid Shopping Trip 11/25 OOP $.32

4 Boxes Honey Nut Cheerios @ 2/$5.00 = 4/$10.00 - 2/$.60 MFR printables (unavailable) - 2/$.50 MFR printables (unavailable) = 4/$7.40  Received 2 $2.00 UP Reward

2 Christmas Minatures Chocolate 2/$6.00 - 2/$1.50 MFR printable (unavailable, this was during Halloween) = 2/$3.00  Received $1.00 UP Reward

I had $11.00 UP Rewards from previous which I used

Total OOP = $.32  and received $5.00 UP Rewards

Thai Braclet Giveaway

image courtesy of Making Time For Mommy Blog

Over at Making Time For Mommy Blog she has a wonderful giveaway for a handcrafted Thai Bracelet sponsored by the World Vision Catalog.  Go over to her blog to learn about the wonderful organization of World Vision and enter to win!! Giveaway ENDS December 20th @ 11:59pm Central Time.

Pumpkin Donut Holes Recipe

Today while going through my email I found this fun recipe courtesy of Mr. Food for pumpkin donut holes.  I'm not usually fond of frying my food, but I said "what the heck" one day won't kill me. My kids wanted a special treat and so did I.

Yields: 2 dozen

Cooking Time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• ³/4 cup canned pumpkin
• ¹/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¹/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¹/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Instructions

1. In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat until hot.
    
2. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients except confectioners' sugar; mix well.
    
3. Drop pumpkin batter by level tablespoonfuls into hot oil and fry 2 minutes or until golden, turning at least once. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Roll doughnut holes in confectioners' sugar; serve warm.

I didn't have self rising flour, and made my own by adding 1 cup of flour with 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt.  I also was nervous after reading the reviews of these which stated they were bland, and not too sweet.  I went a little heavy on the pumpkin, adding a few tablespoons more and also with the sugar as well.  We (well lets says my daughter) also rolled the donut holes greatly in the confectioners' sugar as you can see.

This is after they came out of the oil

These turned out great, the recipe was super simple,  the kids loved 'em and I was pleased that I didn't waste my time, tee-hee!

**disclosure:  recipe courtesy of MrFood.com, photos courtsey of ME!!

Are You A Member of Pssst.....

I've been member of Psst...  for some time and have received some great sampling opportunities.  Recently Psst... sent me TWO FULL SIZE boxes of Golden Graham, and Lucky Charms Milk & Cereal Bars.  Of course, the kids gobbled them up before I even had a chance.  Back in January, I received my first "My GetTogether" Kit to host a party.  This was a lot of fun!!

So if you enjoy grabbing deals, sneak peaks, or the opportunity to host in-home parties and aren't a member yet click HERE

Black Friday Sale-20% Off At Hartstrings

image courtesy of Hartstrings.com

Black Friday is only a week away, and that means SALES, SHOPPING, and MORE SALES!!  Black Friday also means the biggest holiday of the season is upon us.  When you need that special outfit for your children for those precious family photos, special school activities, family functions or any time you can find the perfect coordinates at Hartstrings.

image courtesy of Hartstrings.com

 

For over 30 years, Hartstrings has been providing children with classic, American styles with a modern flare

 

 

Hartstrings, this Black Friday, is offering an additional 20% off the entire website even sale items. From dresses, cardigans, rain boots, to even pajamas Hartstrings has it! 


So add Hartstrings to your Black Friday list and enjoy the added savings!!!


**disclosure:  along with sharing the savings, by making this post I'm also entered to win holiday outfits for up to 3 of my children (valued at $100 each)

Torani Flavored Syrup Review and Twitter #HolidayFlavors Party

How about shakin' up your mornings, or anytime of the day with a little  Torani Flavored Syrups.  I have never heard of these until being a part of Shespeaks.com, and having the opportunity to sample 2 of their over 100 different flavors. I'm not a coffee drinker, nor do I care for espressos, or lattes, but these Torani flavors go well beyond the regular coffee cup.

Since 1925, family-owned Torani has been crafting great tasting flavored syrups that coffeehouses use to make their flavored drinks taste so delicious. With over 120 flavors in regular and sugar free varieties, Torani flavored syrups are perfect for flavored lattes, mochas, coffees, cocoas, Italian sodas, teas, lemonades, cocktails and smoothies.

Torani is the #1 brand of flavored syrups in America made with pure cane sugar and natural flavors.  With so many flavors, it makes it simple to create fantastic drinks anytime. 

The flavors I had the pleasure of receiving were Hazelnut, and Gingerbread.  After opening up the box and checking them out, it was now time to get creative.   I thought about adding Gingerbread to cookie dough batter or adding Hazelnut to my smoothie.  The possibilities are endless.  Last night I made a cup of green tea for my son and we added about a tablespoon, maybe a tad bit more to the tea and he loved it.  I sampled a taste of it, and it gave it just the right spice to make the tea unique.  It wasn't an overpowering taste either it was just a hint of spice like you were eating the cookie along side your tea.

This morning I decided to taste the Hazelnut, I really wasn't too sure about this because when I opened the bottle it really does have a powering smell.  But I decided anyway to give it a try and make a breakfast drink.

1 Carnation Vanilla Instant Breakfast (powder)

1 banana

Approximately 1 cup milk (I eyeballed it)

1 Tbsp of Torani Hazelnut (or more)

Mix in blender and enjoy!!

Again, I wasn't too sure because of the Hazelnut scent but I'm glad I did.  The taste wasn't  overwhelming, and just had that "dash" it needed to flavor it up to make it different. Now tonight, I might add some to my hot chocolate, it's a perfect chilly night to enjoy a special treat!

TONIGHT at 9pm (EST) is the SheSpeaks #HolidayFlavors Twitter Party, come join in the fun!!! There will be discussions of holiday drinks, desserts, and of course Torani.  Also, $500 in prizes will be given away which include a Keurig Coffee Brewer, Chocolate Shoppe Holiday Flavors package, Icecreamsource.com Cherry Pie with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, or be 1 of 5 people to win a years supply of Torani Flavored Syrup...woo-hoo!!!

You must  RSVP to win.  Visit SheSpeaks.com to get all the party details!

Be on the lookout for a great giveaway here on my blog.  I was graciously given FREE coupons to share, so within the next week I'll be posting it live!!

For more information on flavors visit www.Torani.com

Torani Flavored Syrups are available at WalMart, Amazon.com (wide assortment of flavors), Torani.com, Shop.Torani.com (wide assortment of flavors), and most major grocery stores. 

  

**disclosure:  I am a member of SheSpeaks.com and was given two 750ml bottles of Torani Syrup for my review along with 5 free coupons.  Opinions are my own and yours may differ.  

Win 1 of 5 $50 Amazon Giftcards

Christmas is coming and my list to Santa is getting longer and longer.  So far  I want,

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

I'm not asking for much, am I??  Well, if Santa can't provide,  over at FrugalDad.com there is a giveaway going on to win 1 of 5 $50 Amazon.com giftcards.  This would definitely help offset any present on my list that Santa forgets!!

Giveaway ends November 22 @ 11:59 PT .  Enter today, good luck!!!

Burt's Bees® Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin Review

 

Do you have sensitive skin?  Does washing with harsh soaps leave your face irritated and dry?  

I had the great opportunity to try the Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solution for Sensitive Skin Facial Cleanser and Moisturizer.  I always love trying new beauty item and excitedly couldn't wait to wash my face. 

The Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin line:

• Is naturally gentle and skin-friendly for daily use
• Contains Cotton Extract to soften and shield from potential irritants such as harsh soaps or cleansers
• Is Fragrance-Free and Hypo-Allergenic
• Is Dermatologist-Tested and Allergy-Tested
• Can be found in mass retailers (like Target or Walmart), drug stores, grocery stores, and natural health food stores nationwide
• Is 99% natural

 

The facial cleanser is soap free.  It states it contains "Soapbark tree" for a natural foaming lather, but I didn't notice any lather, maybe my hands weren't wet enough.   I did like how smoothly it went on and  I could feel the softness in the cleanser while applying.  It contains Cotton Extract to soften, Rice Extract to moisturize and Aloe to soothe.  Normally after drying my face, I get that immediate tightening feeling but I noticed with the Sensitive Facial Cleanser I didn't feel this at all.  I even noticed how smooth my face felt, like I already moisturized it with a lotion.  

Sensitive Facial Cleanser
 

This soap-free facial cleaner is clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin while gently cleansing away dirt, oil and makeup without over drying or causing redness or irritation. Also, it:

• Contains Quillaja, which is extracted from the bark of the Soapbark tree and provides a natural foaming lather
• Contains Yucca, a desert plant high in saponins, which have traditionally been used in cleansing
• Costs $9.99

 

 The Daily Moisturizer is a great addition to the cleanser adding extra moisture.  It feels very light, and doesn't leave your face with an oily shine or feel.  It contains no parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals.  Also it's fragrance free and with my sensitive skin, this is a plus!  

 

 

Sensitive Daily Moisturizer

This all day, nourishing moisturizer is clinically proven to moisturize sensitive skin without causing redness or irritation. Also, it:

• Contains Rice Extract to moisturize
• Contains Aloe to soothe
• Is Non-Comedogenic (it won't clog pores)
• Costs $14.99

Visit burtsbees.com/sensitive to learn more

 

**disclosure: I'm a member of bzzagent.com and was given a full size sample of the above products for my honest review.  Opinions are my own and yours may differ

New & Improved Pam Cooking Spray Review

I've always used  PAM^® Cooking Spray to keep all my foods from sticking.  I recently had the opportunity to try the "new and improved" formula.

The new and improved PAM^® formula has been shown to be 70% better at attacking baked on food vs. bargain cooking sprays.

I decided to try it on homemade brownies.  I found this recipe posted by a member of CafeMom.com (long ago) so I cannot take credit for it but they are so much better than the boxed brownie!  So a quick shout out to the member who posted, a HUGE THANK YOU!!  We've been using this recipe for a couple of years now, and it is the best!

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9 inch pan


1.  Stir together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs, beat well.  (hand mix)


2.  In separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.


3.  Gradually add to egg mixture.  Stirring until well blended


4.  Spread batter evenly into prepared pan


5.  Bake 20-25 minutes or brownies pull away from side of pan



When the brownies come out of the oven and are cooled they have a gooey texture.  The perfect texture to stick to your pan if you don't have the right cooking spray.

<sup>As you can see, the brownies came up very cleanly from the pan.  Of course, these brownies didn't last long so I immediately washed the pan.  Clean up was a breeze, there was little to no scrubbing involved! 


Overall, the new and improved Pam worked great, and I'll definitely continue to use it to keep those baked on foods from sticking and less time scrubbing!</sup>

No matter what meal you’re cooking, PAM^® helps you pull it off. Even better.

<sup>For more information visit the Pam website or "Like" them on Facebook

**disclosure:  I was given a product sample for my honest review from smiley360.com opinions are my own, and yours may differ</sup>
 

Swagbucks PAYS For Your Holidays

Swagbucks big holiday promotion is LIVE right now!

Complete a wishlist on Swagbucks.com, it is completely free to participate in, and will conclude with one lucky user winning $2500 in Amazon Gift Cards on Cyber Monday (11/28). This contest is open to all of the countries we serve (US, UK, CA and Australia). The full details of the promotion can be found here, but here are the ways you can earn entries to win the grand prize:

- Complete your Wishlist (1 Entry) - Wishlist can be found here.

- Share your Wishlist on either Facebook or Twitter using our Share buttons (1 entry per day you share). These shares act as a special referral link.

- Have a new user register for Swagbucks through your Wishlist share (1 entry)

- Have that user complete and share their own Wishlist (4 additional entries)

In addition to the grand prize, they're giving away prizes every week day on their Facebook wall, Twitter account, and in the Blog.

If you are a new user to Swagbucks, you can use this code to help you get started,  SBPAYSFORME .

It's active from right now until 9:00am PT on Friday, November 18th, and is worth a bonus 80 Swag Bucks ONLY when applied during the registration process, this means you'll have 110 swagbucks to start rather than the typical 30.

Best of luck!

Cinnabon Random Acts Of Kindness Contest

photo courtesy of myblogspark.com


From November 6th through January 7th,, share any act of kindness to qualify for a chance to win prizes! Simply photograph or video the reaction to a random act of kindness and submit it to the Cinnabon Facebook page for a chance to win free weekly Cinnapacks or a cash prize of $2,500 and a $2,500 donation to the charity of your choice. 

 Photo courtesy of myblogspark.com



For more contest rules and information on how you can help Spread the Warmth visit the Cinnabon Facebook page. 

**disclosure: above information was provided by Cinnabon and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

Small Business Saturday Nov 26th, AND A Chance to Win $25 GC

Show your local pride and help fuel the economy when you support the businesses that mean the most this holiday season. Pledge to Shop Small on Small Business Saturday, Nov. 26 you'll also  have the chance to win one of 100 $25 American Express^® Shop Small  Gift Cards.* 

vocalpoint.com/SmallBizSat



*No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & DC, 18 years of age or older as of the last day of the month prior to the date of entry. Void where prohibited. Ends 11:59:59 PM ET on 11/14/11.

Smiley360 Be heard, Be happy

 Photo courtesy of smily360.com


Have you heard of Smiley360.com ?  Do you love trying new products? This is a great site to be the first to sample new products, review and be heard!!! 

I have received Pam cooking spray (and received a pyrex dish, and spatula too), Mickey Mouse Band-Aid Limited Edition Tin, Country Crock Butter and soon some Snuggle Fabric Softner. 


**disclosure:  I'm a member of the above site, and have received products for my review opinions are my own

Diamond Candles (5 set) Giveaway - Ends 11/17

Courtesy of Rats and More Blog


Go over to My Life With Rats and More Blog to enter into a chance to win a 5 candle set (valued at $100+).  Inside each soy wax candle is a ring, valued at either $10 or possibly $5,000.  They have some great scents, I chose the Vanilla Creme if I win. 

So go enter today, giveaway ends 11/17

Gold Bond: Sheer Ribbons Giveaway

Over at the Dirty t Shirt Blog she has a giveaway for a 6 month supply of Gold Bond Sheer Ribbons Lotion.....6 months, how awesome is that??!!!  Giveaway ends November 18th, enter today!!

Real Moms Love to Eat and Food Affairiates #RMLTE

 I love food, who doesn't?!  But often get bored with the same ol', same ol' in the pursuit of being healthy and  thin often restricting myself at the same time.  When you restrict yourself you tend to fall off the "diet wagon" and eat the wrong things. When you eat the wrong things, you tend to not feel energized and in this hurried world of "mommyhood", you definitely need the energy!  Well, here comes a book called Real Moms Love to Eat   By Beth Aldrich.  This book includes an easy-to-follow 10-part plan for moms to implement to make gradual, life-long changes in their approach to food and 21 days of meal suggestions, tips, recipes and lifestyle exercises. 
 

Real Moms Love to Eat was created with you in mind. It will lead you on a food journey of excitement, fun and new surprises, without pigeon-holing you into one eating style or another. Instead, you are free to experiment, get crazy and become more open-minded about the food you will soon discover. It’s a love affair like no other–with huge rewards of looking fabulous. 

This book is written simply and realistically for us busy moms to understand to help apply these changes into our daily lives.  Real Moms Love To Eat includes food facts, tasty and creative recipes, lifestyle exercises and lots of friendly advice and recommendations to help you look fabulous while maintaining your love of food!
  

For more information:
To help spread the word about this book and possibly win prizes click below for the affairiate program
http://www.realmomslovetoeat.com/food-affairiate-tool-kit/

Follow @realmomsluv2eat on Twitter
Real Moms Love to Eat on Facebook

Pre-Order Beth's Book

Disclosure:  “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Beth Aldrich - Real Moms Love to Eat blogging program, for a chance to get 3,000 My SocialMoms Rewards points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.