Purell Jelly Wrap Carriers Review

I was so obsessed with Purell when it first came out! I had several of the on the go carriers and took them everywhere! Eventually I switched to a different brand because those sanitizers were scented. I did not like some of their features as much but the scent caused me to stay. I still use the Purell pump bottles, at work when I was working, and I bought several when Baby E. was born to help keep him healthy among all of his visitors!

So I was eager to try to the Purell Jelly Wrap Carriers to see if they were as good as I remembered. Sadly, I was disappointed. Previously, the carriers fitted over the top of the bottle so the bottle stayed upright. Now, the bottle faces down, so the caps come undone during your daily routine. The sanitizer also spurts out when it is used. Also, before, the carrier had a longer loop (you could choose from 3 positions) so it was easier to access and to share with others.

However, there are good things about Purell Jelly Wrap Carriers. The to go nature itself is wonderful. Very easy to take anywhere with you so you are always protected. The sanitizer is also very smooth and blends into your skin easily. It was not drying either, which is such a plus!

So, Purell itelf is great! I would say these carriers are just all right. For more information, visit purell.com.

 
I received the product from bzzagent  to review. No other compensation was received and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Black Friday 2011 - I Survived Unscathed!

Did any of you go shopping on Black Friday? This was the first time in awhile I did a store opening - in fact, due to the new midnight opening times, I pulled an all nighter!! and I had such a great time! The best part is that I paid cash for everything, except BRU and, of course, Kohls. Below is a long summary of my night that I posted on a message board (edited to remove items I bought since people I buy for read my blog). I'd love to hear your experiences.

Started at 8:30 p.m. at the outlets, for B&BW, which opened at 9:30 (the mall itself opened at 10). It WAS DEAD in the entire place. At 10 p.m., the mall was giving out $10 gcs to the first 100 in line... I was 4th. Pretty good but by 10 I was frozen and my legs hurt. Went to a few stores there then headed out at about 11. By then it was busy outside but the stores themselves were not too packed.

Kermit the Frog Cupcakes!

I have seen this on other blogs and thought it was so cute! Since J. and I are seeing an advance screening of The Muppets tomorrow (SO EXCITED!!!) I thought I would share it as well! We might do these for Thanksgiving or maybe for our Christmas Eve open house!

BOGO Free Hoilday Drinks at Starbucks

Starting TODAY! from 2 to 5 p.m. every day through Sunday the 20th, buy one holiday drink at Starbucks and get one FREE!! Woo hoo!!

The holiday drinks include:

• Peppermint Mocha
• Skinny Peppermint Mocha
• Caramel Brulée Latte
• Gingerbread Latte
• Eggnog Latte

I think I will try the new Skinny Peppermint Mocha - the regular ones are my  favorite, so I wonder how this differs!

Heelys Snekers Review

I will admit I have been kinda jealous of the people who wore Heelys. It is just so cool to have a sneaker that is also part roller skate! So I jumped at the chance to try them for myself!

I was sent a pair of the Heelys Wave sneakers to review. They are totally cute! The grey is muted, and that makes the pink pop! I also love their rounded look. They were a little tight on me - the bridge part rubs a little, but that is most likely because I have wide feet! I can still wear them just fine without major issue. I also like that the wheels are hidden when they are in.

Heelys Wave without the wheels in. Totally cute!

I was a little nervous to try them with wheels for the first time. I made sure Jeff was nearby to catch me if i fell! lol!! And it was a little scary to give your balance over to a pair of wheels. However, the directions are easy to follow, and it honestly didn't take long for me to find my balance. Actually going somewhere took a bit more time! I did do it, though, glided along a short distance without holding on. With more practice I might be brave enough to  use them outside. And, BTW,  Jeff was so excited for them that he had to try them on! Of course they didn't fit, but I am now thinking a possible Christmas present...

Heelys with the wheels in.

Heelys is throwing a Black Friday special! From Nov 25-Nov 28, buy any pair of Heelys, and get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and also get free ground shipping on all orders!

 
I was given a pair of Heelys to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I received no additional compensation.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 11/14/11

Yay, back to meal planning! After a few weeks of company, leftovers and freezer meals, I am back to meal planning this week!

 Monday: Pigs in blankets... by request ;)

Tuesday:   BBQ Beer Pork Chops - recipe by my friend Mere, will post after I make them!
 
Wednesday: Dinner out a Chili's!

Thursday:  Slow Cooker Chicken-n-Stuffing Pot Pie

Friday: leftovers!

For more information or to join the hop, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Bathroom Re-Organization

I have posted in the past about very slllloooow ongoing kitchen reorganization. We are now deciding if we are going to get cabinets or replace our mobile butchers block with a bigger one. Until then, I am once again slowly organizing other parts of the house.

Both of our upstairs bathrooms are small, very small. The toilet, pedestal type sink and bathtub run the length of the bathroom, with very little space in between.. The width is as long as the tub. Both bathroms are the same way. In the "before" picture below, you can maybe see how tight the bathroom is. The sink is just out of frame. Our best option to add storage was an open shelf structure above the toilet. It holds a lot of stuff, but it is an eyesore. Since it is the hall bath, that is the one company uses, and it was a little embarrassing!!

Before. I forgot to take a pic until after I had started!

The bathroom reorganization was prompted by my mom.  I think she got tired of looking at all our our junk while she was here lol! We went out and she bought some bins. I decided on the more eclectic but matching style. I am so not a mtachy-matchy person! I went through each shelf and ended up with a huge bag of items that weren't needed in the bathroom at all.

After. So neat!

I maximized space by putting a small bin inside a larger bin (seen on the top left). The small bin holds my free samples - shampoos, lotions and other sundries. The larger one keeps cups, cotton balls, and larger boxes of bandaids together. On the middle shelf, the left bin holds makeup that I actually use (aka a million lipglosses), and the one of the right holds all of my hair items. You can see what the bottom shelf holds.

This was soooo simple, inexpensive, and it didn't take very long to do. As a bonus, the bathroom looks a lot brighter! Major thanks to my mom for being the catalyst I needed to get this done.

Marzetti Dip Copuon WINNERS!!!

WINNERS are

MAXFATE 

and

JACKIE!!

You both have been e-mailed and have 48 hours to reply!
Thank you to all who entered.

Got Magazines?

I sure do!!!

12 Magazines!

12 magazines (11 subscriptions - there are 2 Entertainment Weekly's in there) arrived within a 2 week period. I have a rack full of them to still read too - even more subscriptions lol. I love magazines so much, and all of those were either free or less than $10 for a year (except Real Simple - i just renewed for $15) ! I just wish they were easier to read when you have a 6 month old on your lap!

Happy Halloween!!!!

wishing you a safe day and lots of candy!! :D

Hasbro and Fisher-Price Coupons

Just wanted to share some toy coupons with you guys!

I am not sure when these Hasbro coupons expire - I don't want to click through the landing page to the coupons until my laptop is hooked up to the printer.

Fisher-Price coupons expire on 12/31, so you have lots of time to use them toward Christmas gifts! Coupons listed on the landing page include $5 off Laugh and Learn Puppy, $5 off Magical Fairy Dora and $10 off Thomas and Friends TrackMaster Cranky & Flynn Save the Day.

CLOSED Marzetti Caramel Dip Review and Giveaway!

Caramel is one of my most favorite sweet things to eat. I love it on ice cream and in cookies and candy. But i usually don't use it as a dip. I am not sure why? So I was excited to get to try Marzetti Caramel Dips. It was the perfect addition to the appetizers for Baby E's baptism. (That post to come soon!!)

I tried the Sweet & Salty Caramel Dip. I was expecting it to taste somewhat salty, but it tasted more like toasted caramel. We used apples and unsalted pretzels to dip in it, and both were delicious. My husband had the idea to dunk chocolate bars and chocolate sandwich cookies in it. Um... they tasted heavenly!!  I think I might try making Caramel Cereal Crunch Bars next!

Marzetti dips are located in the produce section of your local supermarket. Suggested retail price is $3.99 for 16 ounces. You can view all of their dips at this link.

I have two coupons to give out to two lucky readers - each reader gets one ocpuon for a free Marzetti produce dip! Easy entry with this rafflcopter form. Please give it a few seconds to load. If you have any questions or issues, reply and let me know!








*I was sent three free product coupons, one to use for my review and 2 to give away. No other compensation was received. All opinions are mine*

The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat at Woot Kids

Today on Kids Woot, The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat is the deal of the day! Only $99.99. plus $5 shipping. This is $40 to $50 savings. AND if you use code "taxsucks" you get $5 off of your order.

The available colors are the ones shown - aurora black and pink butterfly. Remember - this is deal is only good today, and the daily deals can sell out quickly, so act fast!!!


Head on over to Kids Woot to check it out!



*this post contains affiliate links*

Downy Unstopables Review

I will admit that I usually don't use these type of items. No fabric softeners, no yummy smelling things. But I decided to give this product a chance - and I am glad I did! It is so easy to use - just pour it into the bottom of your washer drum and let it work its magic in the wash. I usually forget to add it and have to move my clothes around to pour it in. You don't have to use much to get a good scent, either.

I first used it on my clothes and as surprised at how long the scent lasted, a week when they weren't used. I then used it on my towels and wow, it got some stanks right out. I think this product would be great if you have really smelly items like uniforms.

I would definitely buy this product again! I received the blue "Fresh" scent - I can't really describe what it smells like - fresh is a good way to describe it! I would buy it, as well as the purple "Lush" scent to see how it compares.




*this product was provided to me free from vocalpoint. No other compensation was received. All thoughts are my own*

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10/10/11

  This week is going to be a busy week... getting everything ready for my parents' visit and Baby E's baptism, plus we are having game night on Saturday!!! And J will be working until 6 almost every night. Thursday is E's 6 month appointment, too. I will probably cut out a meal this week, but this what I have planned!



Monday: Pasta e Fagoli - modified to leave out the beans

Tuesday: Zesty Italian Crescent Casserole

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday:  Healthified Impossibly Easy Chicken-N-Broccoli Pie (this has been on and off the menu for weeks!)

Friday: My parents get here!!!! So I am doing easy homemade - Crock Pot Baked Potato Soup

Normally, I do not cook on the weekends :) But this is an exception weekend...

Saturday:  Game night via House Party!! MIL is bringing baked ziti, and we are having snacky items - cheese, crackers, chips, dip. Fun times!

Sunday: Lunch after baptism: ordering pizza and making Slow Cooker Lasagna with salad and garlic bread on the side. Cupcakes, pizza crumb and yet to be determined cookies for dessert1 YUM.


For more information or to join the hop, go to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Happy 6 Months!!!

I cannot believe Baby E is 6 months old today!! It seems like forever ago that he was born. And he  is changing right before my eyes!

the day after he was born

All of the sudden he is rolling over, both ways, all the time. He sits up on his own, unassisted and not bearing weight on his hands, for quite a few minutes. He always wants to sit up so he can see what is going on (just like his mom lol!) and still loves to stand. he is getting so tall, to me at least, he is almost a head taller than the bottom of the rocking chair.

being silly with his Mickey

He's in his crib for night and naps now - unswaddled totally! And he always ends up against the rails.

friends guardinh him while he sleeps

He hasn't started "army crawling" yet but I am sure that will be soon. He can turn himself around and around to get to where he wants to go. He can push himself up to standing and to sitting.

still loves eating his feet too

He LOVES eating, loves all of the fruit and veggies he has eaten except peas and squash.  He is also teething... lots of drool and some crankiness.

first food... bananas

And still always moving! So laid back in the womb... so active today!

I love this kid so much and can't really imagine life without him!  Happy 6 months sweet boy!

6 months!!!

Hanes launches comfort-sharing Facebook App for Breast Cancer Awareness

Hanes new Virtual Comfort application allows users to share comfort with those who need it most. Become a fan of Hanes on Facebook to personalize and send free virtual Comfort Packages to friends and family using their app. For each package sent, Hanes will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. to promote early cancer detection and provide mammograms for those in need! I love when companies make it simple to donate to wonderful causes.

The free virtual Comfort Package can be sent from the Pink tab on the Hanes page.  The Comfort Package is fully customizable with photos, videos, recipes, T-shirt designs, music and messages.The Pink tab also includes video of interviews featuring Hanes employees who have been affected by breast cancer and the Words of Comfort Wall where fans can leave thoughts of hope and encouragement to those touched by this terrible disease.

Please take a moment to send a virtual Comfort package.

As a longtime supporter of breast cancer awareness, Hanes has made cash and in-kind donations totaling $1 million since 2009 and is donating up to $125,000 to NBCF this year.  <
I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing.  All opinions stated in the post are my own.