Monday Sweepstakes to Enter

I get so confused on what sweeps I have entered and what I haven't that I thought I would try a weekly post as a reminder. This will be posted every Monday with sweeps added or deleted as needed.

HeluvaGood Dip Contest- 3 weekly winners One(1) Heluva Good! Party Pack: An assortment of three (3) flavors of Heluva Good!Sour Cream Dip and three (3) flavors of Heluva Good! Naturally Aged Cheese (eachvalued at $3.99), Total Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) $23.94 · One (1)$25 American Express Gift Card, ARV $25.00  One grand prize winner  ends October 20, 2014 FACEBOOK Entry

Bailey's Coffee Creamers  - variety of weekly prizes Enter by 11:59 pm ET on October 23, 2014. You may enter once per week, each of which will run from 12:00 am ET Friday through 11:59 pm ET the following Thursday. Must be a legal U.S. resident, 21 years of age or older. Facebook entry

Team Marlboro - 25 weekly winners prize is check for $500 To participate in the Sweepstakes, you must be a registered user at www.marlboro.com. Once you have registered, log on to www.marlboro.com, click on the tile for the Team Marlboro Sweepstakes (Menu > Gold > Respect the Land > Team Marlboro/Take Action https://www.marlboro.com/marlboro...action-tm/) and follow the instructions to submit your idea for the theme, Habitat Restoration, to receive an entry into the Sweepstakes. Entries will not be judged but must comply with the Submission Guidelines; winners will be selected in a random drawing.  Ends Oct 26, 2014

Krusteaz Flatbread Instant Win- Grand prize is Weber Spirit Gas Grill, and a year supply of Krusteaz Flatbread Mix! Ends Nov 8th 2014

Musselman's Growing a Healthy family $100 Amazon gift card weekly on  October 2, October 9, October 16, October 23, October 20, November 6, and November 13, 2014. One entry per week. Ends November 10th 2014


Allstate College Football- various weekly prizes but the grand prize is $100000.00 and who can't use a hundred thousand lol Ends Dec 7th 2014

Rayovac Fan Friday- I have no clue what the weekly prizes are but there are 10 winners a week. You have to enter via Facebook and like the Rayovac page. Ends Dec 31, 2014

Sea Cuisine Upgrade your Taco-  10 weekly prizes are  two Sea Cuisine® VIP coupons, each redeemable for one High Liner® Sea Cuisine® frozen seafood product, up to $6.99; and a $25.00 Visa gift card. Ends January 5th 2015

Monday Weekly Sweeps to Enter

I get so confused on what sweeps I have entered and what I haven't that I thought I would try a weekly post as a reminder. This will be posted every Monday with sweeps added or deleted as needed.

Smucker's Spread the Sunshine- weekly prize is a Smucker's gift basket. This is a photo contest. Ends October 15, 2014

HeluvaGood Dip Contest- 3 weekly winners One(1) Heluva Good! Party Pack: An assortment of three (3) flavors of Heluva Good!Sour Cream Dip and three (3) flavors of Heluva Good! Naturally Aged Cheese (eachvalued at $3.99), Total Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) $23.94 · One (1)$25 American Express Gift Card, ARV $25.00  One grand prize winner  ends October 20, 2014 FACEBOOK Entry

Bailey's Coffee Creamers  - variety of weekly prizes Enter by 11:59 pm ET on October 23, 2014. You may enter once per week, each of which will run from 12:00 am ET Friday through 11:59 pm ET the following Thursday. Must be a legal U.S. resident, 21 years of age or older. Facebook entry

Team Marlboro - 25 weekly winners prize is check for $500 To participate in the Sweepstakes, you must be a registered user at www.marlboro.com. Once you have registered, log on to www.marlboro.com, click on the tile for the Team Marlboro Sweepstakes (Menu > Gold > Respect the Land > Team Marlboro/Take Action https://www.marlboro.com/marlboro...action-tm/) and follow the instructions to submit your idea for the theme, Habitat Restoration, to receive an entry into the Sweepstakes. Entries will not be judged but must comply with the Submission Guidelines; winners will be selected in a random drawing.  Ends Oct 26, 2014

Krusteaz Flatbread Instant Win- Grand prize is Weber Spirit Gas Grill, and a year supply of Krusteaz Flatbread Mix! Ends Nov 8th 2014

Musselman's Growing a Healthy family $100 Amazon gift card weekly on  October 2, October 9, October 16, October 23, October 20, November 6, and November 13, 2014. One entry per week. Ends November 10th 2014


Allstate College Football- various weekly prizes but the grand prize is $100000.00 and who can't use a hundred thousand lol Ends Dec 7th 2014

Rayovac Fan Friday- I have no clue what the weekly prizes are but there are 10 winners a week. You have to enter via Facebook and like the Rayovac page. Ends Dec 31, 2014

Sea Cuisine Upgrade your Taco-  10 weekly prizes are  two Sea Cuisine® VIP coupons, each redeemable for one High Liner® Sea Cuisine® frozen seafood product, up to $6.99; and a $25.00 Visa gift card. Ends January 5th 2015

A Robertson Family Christmas Book Review and Giveaway.

Title: A Robertson Family Christmas
Author: Miss Kay Robertson with Travis Thrasher
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-4143-9820-4

I don't really watch Duck Dynasty but I do catch it once in a while. I am not much of a tv sort of person.  I love this family and the foundation they have built their family on, faith, family and fun. I would love to have a family like theirs and I think this book appeals to that part of me. The story line is a a young boy who is a product of divorced parents and he mostly seems to feel lost and invisible to his family. His mother enters him in a contest to spend Christmas break with the Robertsons. He gets an up close and personal view of a whole new life style and what its like to be in a family that is centered around Christ. I liked how the book kept it real and you knew Hunter wasn't miraculously going to go home to a happy Christian home full of love. I liked the advice from Willie that basically Hunter needed to be the change he wanted to see in the world.

This book is a work of fiction but the writing is so on point that you can see how it would have played out in real life. To Hunter with his broken family, a mom who is too busy and a dad who has forgotten he has 2 sons, the Robertson's must seem like aliens. Nothing in his life has prepared him for such a radical switch of lifestyles. I think the book does a great job getting a message across without beating you in the face with it. I would love to spend some time with the Robertson's and see their life up close and in action.

 I liked the view into the Robertson family life and how someone from the outside might see them. I would have liked to see more of the family brought into the story line but it was still a good book. It took me about an hour to read it and I didn't want to stop during that time and resented interruptions.  It would have been nice if the recipes were in the back that were cooked in the book.  I think the audience for this book is probably intended to be teenagers but I honestly loved this book and would like to see a series of some sort.  I would recommend this book to others.


Now for the best part. I have a hardback copy of this book to share with one of you. If you want an opportunity to read this great book for yourself or to share with someone else just enter the giveaway below. The giveaway ends on October 31st 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. You must be in the US due to shipping costs. I will email you and you must respond with your mailing information within 48 hours.  ( I had so much trouble with my last giveaway, getting people to respond that I am adding another option in the giveaway for you to enter your mailing address if you want, that way I don't have to wait for you to respond.)

Entry-Form

*Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from the Tyndale Blog Network.

Madonna and her very horrible, terrible no good day.

Tonight is the opening for the new movie Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  I wanted to share my own version of my  terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I was headed to the pharmacy to get my prescriptions for my back problems when the car started acting badly. I pulled off the road and the car died. Naturally I had no phone numbers plugged into my cell phone for towing service. My daughter went into the hotel nearby to ask for their phone book. At this point I discover that my cell phone is dead. The first company we call that I had used before, no longer tows cars. Thankfully they gave me a referral number. After my car was loaded on the tow truck I saw a huge oil spill under it. So I am pretty certain it threw a rod and I can't afford another engine.  I get home and was going to call my supervisor about working today. My house phone is also dead :( For some reason the charger wasn't charging the phone. And finally my laptop died again. I am not going to lie, I had a meltdown and cried. Now, I am going to have to find a super cheap used car and see if my boss will loan me enough to get the car.

Monday Weekly Sweeps to Enter

I get so confused on what sweeps I have entered and what I haven't that I thought I would try a weekly post as a reminder. This will be posted every Monday with sweeps added or deleted as needed.

Smucker's Spread the Sunshine- weekly prize is a Smucker's gift basket. This is a photo contest. Ends October 15, 2014

HeluvaGood Dip Contest- 3 weekly winners One(1) Heluva Good! Party Pack: An assortment of three (3) flavors of Heluva Good!Sour Cream Dip and three (3) flavors of Heluva Good! Naturally Aged Cheese (eachvalued at $3.99), Total Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) $23.94 · One (1)$25 American Express Gift Card, ARV $25.00  One grand prize winner  ends October 20, 2014 FACEBOOK Entry

Team Marlboro - 25 weekly winners prize is check for $500 To participate in the Sweepstakes, you must be a registered user at www.marlboro.com. Once you have registered, log on to www.marlboro.com, click on the tile for the Team Marlboro Sweepstakes (Menu > Gold > Respect the Land > Team Marlboro/Take Action https://www.marlboro.com/marlboro...action-tm/) and follow the instructions to submit your idea for the theme, Habitat Restoration, to receive an entry into the Sweepstakes. Entries will not be judged but must comply with the Submission Guidelines; winners will be selected in a random drawing.  Ends Oct 26, 2014

Krusteaz Flatbread Instant Win- Grand prize is Weber Spirit Gas Grill, and a year supply of Krusteaz Flatbread Mix! Ends Nov 8th 2014

Musselman's Growing a Healthy family $100 Amazon gift card weekly on  October 2, October 9, October 16, October 23, October 20, November 6, and November 13, 2014. One entry per week. Ends November 10th 2014


Allstate College Football- various weekly prizes but the grand prize is $100000.00 and who can't use a hundred thousand lol Ends Dec 7th 2014

Rayovac Fan Friday- I have no clue what the weekly prizes are but there are 10 winners a week. You have to enter via Facebook and like the Rayovac page. Ends Dec 31, 2014

Sea Cuisine Upgrade your Taco-  10 weekly prizes are  two Sea Cuisine® VIP coupons, each redeemable for one High Liner® Sea Cuisine® frozen seafood product, up to $6.99; and a $25.00 Visa gift card. Ends January 5th 2015

Magnetic Screen Door by iGotTech Review.

I was so thrilled when I got picked to try out the magnetic screen door from IGotTech. I know a lot of women are very handy around the house but I am not that great with tools. I needed a screen door to keep bugs out but also to keep my cats inside when I want the door open. I love to open the door first thing in the morning when its sunny and warm but our cats try to run off.

This magnetic screen door couldn't have been easier to put up. It took less than 10 minutes from start to finish to get it up. There is a roll of velcro that comes with it. I measured the velcro along the top of the screen and cut it to fit. Next I peeled the backing and applied the velcro to the top of my door frame.  Same thing with the sides. There were small nails that came in the package and I used them to make sure the velcro on the top and upper sides stayed in place.  Put the screen up along the velcro. Done. It was super easy and quick. The only tools I used was a pair of scissors to cut the velcro tape and a hammer for the small nails. The middle sides have magnets in them to close the screen. The dogs love it. I love that its portable because I am planning to move and now I can take my new screen door with me. I just have to buy another roll of velcro tape.

Product Description

1) MAGNETIC SCREEN DOOR NIRVANA.
If you've tried other flimsy magnetic screen door before, you'll notice the difference right away. #1 Best Screen has toughest, heavy mesh construction. Mosquitos and biting bugs stand no chance.

2) PUTTING THE MAGNETIC MAGIC BACK INTO MAGIC MESH SCREEN DOORS.
#1 Best Screen has the full 83" height stacked with 26 powerful magnets - BURIED in the reinforced adjoining edges, so they'll never break or fall off. Install properly and you will have NO GAPS along the entire vertical closure. No bugs.

3) THE "VELCRO MILE".
The ENTIRE FRAME of iGotTech's #1 Best Screen is lined with reinforced velcro. NO OTHER screen door offers this. With super-duty velcro around EVERY inch along the top and both sides, and additional support nails included, there's NO chance of this screen falling down, and NO chance of bugs.

4) KILLER VIDEO TUTORIAL.
iGotTech's Creative Department fails us not. Use this Video to ensure you get your #1 Best Screen quickly installed right the first time, to maximize bug-free bliss.

5) OUR INFAMOUS "BUGS-NOT-INVITED" CONSTRUCTION GUARANTEE.
If our #1 Best Screen construction quality, or anything about our product is not up to par: WE WANT TO KNOW. Our Top Priority is your satisfaction, and stand behind our products 100%. That means if you don't like it, you can return it for a FULL refund, no questions asked. Simple as that! No Risk trying this Premium Product Today.

6) Cleaning Your #1 Best Screen Door.
You can clean your #1 Best Screen Door with a damp cloth and pat clean. Never put your #1 Best Screen Door in the washer machine or dryer.

7) Storage For The Off Seasons.
Your #1 Best Screen Door can be stored during the off season(s) when it is not in use. Just fold up the screen door & store in a 2+ Gallon zip bag or sealed plastic container.


Company Links
I GOT TECH 
I GOT TECH on Facebook
I GOT TECH on Twitter


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

National Frappe Day

This is one of my oldest's favorite days. She loves frappes. My biggest thing has always been how to pronounce it :)  Some folks say  “frap” while others say “frah-pay," I guess either is fine as long as you are paying.  Here are the top 5 recipes I have saved online over the years. Wikipedia has a page on frappes. It is actually interesting to read about. I had no idea that it was invented accidentally in Greece just over 50 years ago.

Starbucks Cotton Candy Frappuccino from the Budget Savvy Diva- I haven't made this yet but I so love cotton candy so can't wait to try it out.

CARAMEL MACCHIATO from Milo and Me- I love about anything that has caramel in it

McDonald's Caramel Frappe from McDonald's at Home- and on that note, this is my favorite Frappe drink.

Perfect Pumpkin Frappuccino from Pure Imagination- Everyone loves Pumpkin flavored in the fall

Pumpkin Spice Frappe from Peanut Butter and Peppers-  Since it is that time of year again here is pumpkin, this version is low calorie

What is your favorite flavor of frappe?

End of September Recap

September was a fairly good month for me. I got another part time job managing a small trailer park. My oldest turned 30 years old and we have a nice family gathering for that. I think I have finally found another church to go to. I am tired of church shopping trying to find a place where I fit in. I won't mark that as being completed on my 1001 list yet until I have been to more services to see how it goes. I spent all day Sunday entering all my genealogy data into a new program.

I ended winning 18 giveaways ranging from books to gift certificates. This makes me 12 posts for the month, yay me. My giveaway ended up having over 300 entries. Winner will be posted in a couple of days. That is the best I have had on a giveaway ever. I have another giveaway coming up in October for a wonderful book. I managed to semi repair my laptop so I can use it to do stuff. My pc is over 10 yrs old and it doesn't really handle the fancy web stuff anymore. I can't hardly enter giveaways or pin using it so I am real glad to have the laptop working. I attened my first twitter party. I spent some time working on blog earning potential stuff. I cashed out for a 5 amazon gift certificate from Swagbucks.

picture of Mandi's 30th birthday cake

all the grandbabies playing at the park

Monday Weekly Sweepstakes to Enter.

I get so confused on what sweeps I have entered and what I haven't that I thought I would try a weekly post as a reminder. This will be posted every Monday with sweeps added or deleted as needed.

Smucker's Spread the Sunshine- weekly prize is a Smucker's gift basket. This is a photo contest. Ends October 15, 2014

HeluvaGood Dip Contest- 3 weekly winners One(1) Heluva Good! Party Pack: An assortment of three (3) flavors of Heluva Good!Sour Cream Dip and three (3) flavors of Heluva Good! Naturally Aged Cheese (eachvalued at $3.99), Total Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) $23.94 · One (1)$25 American Express Gift Card, ARV $25.00  One grand prize winner  ends October 20, 2014 FACEBOOK Entry

Team Marlboro - 25 weekly winners prize is check for $500 To participate in the Sweepstakes, you must be a registered user at www.marlboro.com. Once you have registered, log on to www.marlboro.com, click on the tile for the Team Marlboro Sweepstakes (Menu > Gold > Respect the Land > Team Marlboro/Take Action https://www.marlboro.com/marlboro...action-tm/) and follow the instructions to submit your idea for the theme, Habitat Restoration, to receive an entry into the Sweepstakes. Entries will not be judged but must comply with the Submission Guidelines; winners will be selected in a random drawing.  Ends Oct 26, 2014

Krusteaz Flatbread Instant Win- Grand prize is Weber Spirit Gas Grill, and a year supply of Krusteaz Flatbread Mix! Ends Nov 8th 2014

Musselman's Growing a Healthy family $100 Amazon gift card weekly on  October 2, October 9, October 16, October 23, October 20, November 6, and November 13, 2014. One entry per week. Ends November 10th 2014

Allstate College Football- various weekly prizes but the grand prize is $100000.00 and who can't use a hundred thousand lol Ends Dec 7th 2014

Rayovac Fan Friday- I have no clue what the weekly prizes are but there are 10 winners a week. You have to enter via Facebook and like the Rayovac page. Ends Dec 31, 2014

Sea Cuisine Upgrade your Taco-  10 weekly prizes are  two Sea Cuisine® VIP coupons, each redeemable for one High Liner® Sea Cuisine® frozen seafood product, up to $6.99; and a $25.00 Visa gift card. Ends January 5th 2015

Free $3 Amazon Code

I saw on another site this offer and naturally I signed up since I am saving Amazon codes. I love them, they are one of my favorite rewards.  I didn't have a Microsoft Account so had to create one.

Amazon Code Offer from Freebie Shark

Fibromyalgia and Savella

My rheumatologist diagnosed me, two years ago with fibromyalgia. I have known others who had it but until you have it yourself you can't honestly understand what it is like. Everyone talks about the fatigue and the joint pain. For me it is a constant hurt everywhere. If there is the slightest wrinkle in the sheets, I can't sleep because it hurts me and feels like I am on a boulder. If someone pokes me, it feels as though you knifed me. The dr tried me on several medicines and they didn't help me at all so I quit taking them.
In May I was reading about a different medicine that I hadn't tried before and sure enough when I went to my doctor complaining about the fibro pain, she asked if I had ever tried Savella. I told her no but that I had just been reading about it. She gave me a sample pack of 25mg pills to take home and try.  I can't answer for how this might help others but for me, this drug was a miracle. By the second pill, I was so much better. The constant hurt everywhere was gone. I was able to do so much more than I have done in ages. We have went swimming this summer and I swam for hours. Prior to taking Savella, if I did any kind of exercise even light walking, I would hurt for 2 or 3 days afterwards. I have been able to do so many fun things with the grandbabies this summer.  I feel like someone had given me my life back. I tell everyone I know who isn't getting relief from the medicine they are on, to check into Savella. I still only take the 25 mgs a day unless its a bad muscle pain day and then I will take a second 25mg at night.
My insurance will not cover the cost of Savella (it was going to be around 200 a month with no insurance) but thankfully the company Forest Pharmaceuticals has a program to help cover the cost. I applied and was approved but there was still about 11 days I had to wait to get my pills. Those were the most awful days. I had forgotten how terrible the pain was all over. I was barely able to function. I just thank God daily for my doctor giving me a sample to try and for the company helping me get the medicine.
I wrote this so that someone else might possible get the same benefit I have from this medicine.

Do you or someone you know suffer from Fibromyalgia?

Integrity

Dictionary.com defines integrity as   adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

My reason for this post was some posts I saw on another blog. I know everyone likes to try products for review and wants to increase their numbers. I would like to see my blog grow to the point that I earned some money from it also. But I would never want to compromise standards to do so. I have made mistakes blogging as I stumbled along not always crediting where I should etc.. because of ignorance but I have never intentionally put something on here that wasn't truthful. I never posts reviews until I have tried the products and can give real feedback.  I purposely choose not to review similar products unless I have tried a second product and found it to be better than the first product. I realize that is my own personal choice though. 

You would think that companies would monitor what is being said and done. There is a certain company that lots of bloggers use for products to review. I have noticed that they will have the same product type available from several companies. We will use the example of shampoo (not the product that I am really talking about though) Now say I review shampoo A and shampoo B at the same time.  How honest is my review to start with because I am reviewing 2 of the same things to start with. They can't both be the best I have ever used. And how honest is it if you get to the part of the review that is supposed to be based on my experience and I have used the exact same paragraph and wording for both reviews.  1. I cheated the companies out of a fair trial  and 2. I have cheated my readers out of an honest review.

I have went to buy something specifically based on blog reviews I have read. I want to know the truth of what you think about a product. Example being flea control, I read a review of Pet Armor and tried it and it is honestly the best flea control I have ever used. I have used it for 2 years now with 4 dogs.  I have never been paid or even given any form of compensation for it but I frequently tell others how awesome it is because it has worked so well for me.  I have lost respect for that blogger I saw do this and I won't be following that blog anymore. 

Soapbox Issue: What are your thoughts on this?

NATIONAL ONE-HIT WONDER DAY

Who doesn't love listening to one hit wonders?  Apparently Sept 25th is devoted to being One Hit Wonder Day. It seems odd that someone could have a number 1 hit and then mostly fizzle out.

Here are my top 10 One hit wonder Favorites by order of year

Jeannie C. Riley — "Harper Valley PTA" (1968) This is my very favorite. I still sing this today. I loved the movie and the tv show that were based on the song.

Carl Douglas  —  "Kung Fu Fighting" (1974) My aunt and I used to sing this all the time.

C.W. McCall — "Convoy" (1975) My girls and I still sing this song.

Toni Basil — "Mickey" (1982) I was a teen when this came out and there was a guy who used to come to the local pool hall. I played this on the jukebox every time he came in because his name was Mickey and I thought he was hot.

Bobby McFerrin – “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (1988) My cousin loved this song and used to sing it all the time

Vanilla Ice — "Ice Ice Baby" (1990) Everyone I knew loved this song and we all thought we were such cool rappers.

Billy Ray Cyrus — "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992) This was the first concert I remember attending. Everyone could do this line dance and mullets were back in style.

Blind Melon "No Rain" (1992) This is one of those songs that I listen to when I am feeling down and wanting comfort.

Los del Río — "Macarena" (1996)  I totally loved this dance and can remember doing it while line dancing.

Baha Men — "Who Let the Dogs Out?" (2000)  Our favorite part would be to start barking haha

What is your favorite one hit wonder?

Collage.com One-Click Photo Book

Collage.com’s innovative auto-placement engine instantly suggests a perfect layout, placing photos of any size in chronological order over the desired number of pages. This puts your photos front and center – No more shoehorning them into prefab templates. Best of all, our aerial overview allows you to quickly swap and resize photos from any page instead of making you work one page at a time.

Create a professional photo book with a single click of your mouse using Collage.com’s One-Click Photo Book. Select photos of any size from Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, or your computer and they will instantly suggest a clean, professional layout that you can further customize.

Creating a photo book just got a lot easier. Try Collage.com’s 11.5×8.5 hardcover book for ONLY $25! That’s 51% off! http://bit.ly/collagepbdeal

 Use this link for 51% off a 20-page 11.5″x8″ Hardcover Photo Book From Collage.com

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post from USFamilyGuide.com and Collage.com. I have received product and/or compensation for this post.

I love that there is a holiday for celebrating our women friends. I can't imagine what my life would be like without mine. I have die hard friends that I know will be there in a minute if I needed them. I thank God for them daily and the joy they bring to my life. When life is hard and I need someone to listen to me, my friends are the first people I call. When life is great and I want to share news, again its my women friends I call.

When I was growing up, women friends were encouraged. You had Lucy and Ethel, Laverne and Shirley and Mary and Rhoda but then the media started encouraging dissention and people suddenly started talking about how hard it was to be friends with women because of all the petty backstabbing. I hear so many women and girls today talking about how they have more men friends because its so much easier to get along with men.  My grandmother had quite a number of women friends and that wasn't ever an issue. Take back your belief in the power of female friends and make some new friends today.

Origin of National Women's Friendship Day:

National Women's Friendship Day was created by women, and for women. The Kappa Delta Sorority created this very special day in 1999.  This sorority, founded in 1897 in Farmville, Va., has over 180,000 members.


Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate National Women's Friendship Day:

• Since it falls on a Sunday, go to church with your friends
• Make a day of it and go out to eat with your women friends
• Reconnect with an old friend by calling, emailing, or sending a card to a friend 
• Have a movie night with movies that feature women friends such as Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood (my all time favorite) or Home is Where the Heart Is. 
• Visit a shut in or a woman at the nursing home. They have great stories to share.

Do you have close female friends?

Children's Claritin and Kaboom

Parents! Vote Now to Help Kids Have More Fun - One Playspace at a Time

As parents, we spend a lot of time discovering creative ways to nurture our children's curiosity. Luckily, being outdoors provides the perfect landscape, fueling young imaginations and creating endless possibilities for exploration, discovery and creativity. Children's Claritin hopes to inspire parents to create innovative play spaces in their backyards, and communities.

Children's Claritin also believes in the benefits of outdoor activity for children, and wants to help children get the most out of every day! They're teaming up with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit, to help bring innovative playspaces to communities in need and you can help! By voting, you can help them pick the four community organizations that will receive Imagination Playground™. What's Imagination Playground™? See imagination at play - watch last year's winner enjoying Imagination Playground™.

Be sure to visit ClaritinVoteforPlayspaces.com where you can place your vote and gather playspace inspirations for creating your own backyard playspace.  

While visiting the Children's Claritin & KaBOOM! Facebook page, you can also:

• Learn more about the twelve organizations you can vote for receiving Imagination Playground™
• Download coupon offers
• Locate a playspace near you

Vote now and help us pick the four community organizations that will receive Imagination Playground™. You can vote one time per day through 9/26/14. Click here for voting rules.

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

A friend on Facebook sent me a recipe for a quick and easy no bake cheesecake recipe. I decided to make it for dinner last night. Here are my results after eating :)

This recipe is super easy and fast to make.
1 8oz brick of cream cheese
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tbsp of Jello ( I used strawberry) or you can use some kind of juice such as lemon
8oz of whipped topping

Mix everything together and put in a graham cracker crust.  It was ready to eat within 15 minutes. My family loved it and it didn't last the night.

Wearever Panties Plus a Giveaway

                   

Ever have embarrassing leakage moments or accidents? Do you leak a little when you laugh or sneeze? Stay comfortable and feel confident and protected with Wearever Women's and Men's Underwear solutions!
Wearever Women's and Men's Underwear: Choose Wearever Underwear for maximum protection and reusability. Our selection of absorbent male and female undergarments feature sewn-in Unique-Dri™ pads that trap liquid and are treated with odor reducing Agion™ antimicrobial fibers. Whether you have minor leaks or major ones, these underwear help you feel protected and comfortable. Most importantly, these underwear help maintain your dignity since they look and feel just like traditional underwear! Say goodbye to disposable adult diapers and pads once and for all. Wearever offers a variety of styles to meet every preference and come with light, moderate and heavy absorbency options depending on what you need. They are also more environmentally friendly contributing zero waste per year compared to more than 1,100 to 1,500 adult diapers sent to landfills per person. They're also less expensive, saving the average user about $500 a year over the cost for disposables since you can wash and re-use Wearever products hundreds of times. What are you waiting for? Make the switch today!

 Support Us TOO International with Wearever Purchases this September!

 A portion of proceeds from select sales of Wearever undergarments will benefit prostate cancer nonprofit Us TOO International this September. Wearever is partnering with Us TOO International to raise money in support of prostate cancer awareness, education and support networks for patients and their families. September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. 

Throughout the month of September, 10 percent of proceeds from the Wearever men's underwear line will be donated back to Us TOO International. This includes all sizes, styles, colors and purchases in singles, three-packs and six-packs from the Wearever Men's Incontinence Underwear line. To learn more and purchase products to support Us TOO International, visit www.WeareverUS.com. 
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I was amazed at how good these felt. The pair I choose was lace trimmed. They felt so good it was like wearing nothing. I honestly loved the fit and the feel of these. It was way better than wearing those ugly bulky pads that are so irritating. I am going to have to have more of these. I liked the not having to worry about minor accidents that happen when you sneeze or cough. Let's face it, for most women, as we age and have children, incontinence become a part of life. I have tried the pads but they are so bulky feeling :(. I tried the undergarments but it was like wearing a diaper. Even those ones that are supposed to look and feel like underwear don't. Those were so fragile that I ran my fingernail through them. Wearever really is underwear that fits great and helps with leaks.  I like that they are washable so you can use them over and over. They come in a wide variety of styles so you can choose whatever suits your personality. I am so glad someone came up with this idea. Best of all, the great people at Wearever.com want to give you a chance to find out for yourselves. Enter the giveaway below to win a pair of your choosing.  Ends September 30th at 11:59 pm. You will have 48 hours to answer my email or I will choose another winner. US only

Entry-Form

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

Peanut Day and the Elvis Sandwich

Peanut Day is celebrated each year on September 13 across the United States. I was born in Georgia so I take my peanuts seriously :) I remember once in the Plains area seeing just fields and fields of peanuts. Peanuts aren't really nuts but are legumes. They are also cholesterol free.  I love any sort of peanut butter flavored sweet and I am very fond of peanut noodles. Not long ago I was a Kroger and had a clearance on their brand of peanut butter. I bought 13 jars and we are down to about 4.  I love peanut butter sandwiches with either jelly or banana on them. I haven't tried the Elvis sandwich but I keep saying I am going to.  Here is the recipe for anyone who wants to try it out

Elvis Sandwich
2 slices bread
2 slices cooked bacon (cut in half)
2 tablespoon peanut butter
1 banana peeled and cut into slices
soft butter

take a slice of bread and spread the peanut butter on it add the banana slices. Top it with the cooked bacon. Put the other slice of bread on top. Coat the outside of both slices of bread with butter and fry in a skillet until the bread is toasted and the peanut butter melts. Its about 2 minutes a side. 

101 in 1001

A few years ago, it was all the rage for everyone to a have a 101 in 1001 list (2.75 years). I really enjoyed creating one and using it as a goal marker. I actually managed to complete a number of them but not all. Life was so erratic and I just couldn't keep up. I decided I would make another one since I enjoyed the first so much. Figure out your time here

Start Date is Friday, September 6th 2014

End Date is Saturday, June 3rd 2017
Green means its a work in progress
Red means it is completed

Personal

1.  Read all books from the BBC’s Top 100 Book List
2. Start dating again
3. Try writing a book
4. Have my hair streaked
5. Write out my will
6. Publish an e-book.
7. Get a concealed weapons permit and buy a gun
8. Watch 10 classic movies I’ve never seen 
9. Prepare an emergency kit
10. Volunteer in some charity form that I believe in (probably habitat for humanity or a woman’s shelter or both preferably)
11. Keep my car clean enough for one month that I could carry three other people in it without rearranging anything
12. Update my lifetime goals 
13. Complete at least 10 things from the list

Financial

1.  Work on stocking up.(Kroger had some awesome deals and I started a food stock pile at least. Got a years worth of a lot of items)
2. Save $1001
3. Get a better paying job
4. Get another car (bought a Dodge Grand Caravan November 12, 2014)
5. Move to a better home
6. Set up a coupon binder and use it (completed February 7th 2015)
7. Have an Avon booth at an event  no longer selling Avon so will have to replace. 
8. Keep a change jar and when its full put it in my savings account
9. Pay off the hospital
10. improve my credit score by at least 50-100 points
11. Go one month with buying nothing but gas and perishables such as milk
12. Get a storage shed so I can stop paying $35 a month for my unit

Health

1. Lose 101 lbs  (10/101)
2. Participate in a color run
3. Walk for cancer fundraiser
4. Go mountain climbing
5. Try a zumba class
6. Work out 3 days a week for a month
7. Get a massage
8. Get my triglycerides down
9. Get my iron levels up
10. Complete the 90 miles in 90 days challenge. #mileaday 
11. Drink 2 bottles of water a day for 30 days 
12.  Go to bed at 10:30 and get up at 7am every day for a week. I need better sleeping habits.
13. No fast food for a month

 Just for Fun 

1. Win 101 giveaways (60/101)
2. 101 outings
3. Take vacation to Pigeon Forge TN
4. Vacation at Williamburg VA
5. Take a photo a day for 101 days
6. Go ziplining 
7. Have my picture taken with someone famous
8. Watch a meteorite shower with someone I love
9. Go whitewater rafting
10. Go on a weekend murder mystery trip
11. Get an E-reader of some kind.  (got a Kindle Fire on December 1 2014)
12.  Go camping
13. Go paddle-boarding

Christianity

1. Memorize 101 Bible verses
2. Read 101 Bible chapters (101/101) Completed February 7th 2015
3. Attend 101 Church services (1/101)
4. Find a church where I feel that I fit in
5. Fulfill a child's Christmas list (from a family that is having a hard time)
6. Find a scripture specific for each grandchild and pray it for them daily.
7. Complete a Bible study
8. Witness to 30 people about salvation
9. Complete the Romans challenge
10. Go on a mission trip (doesn't have to be international)
11. Study Proverbs 31 and work on being that type of woman
12.  Go to a women's conference

 Blogging

1. Write 101 blog posts (49/101)
2. Write 101 reviews on the blog (27/101)
3. Attend a blogging conference
4. Have a giveaway event for my 10 yr blogiversary
5. Blog about my accomplishments for this list
6. Participate in a blog hop (not a group giveaway)
7. Get a Facebook page for my blog
8. Figure out how to make money from blogging
9. Make a new 101 in 1001 days list when this list completed
10.  Blog for 30 consecutive days
11. Get a personalized blog banner and button for my blog
12. Host 10 giveaways on my blog (4/10)

 Homemaking

1. Make 101 Pinterest Recipes
2. Make 101 Pinterest Crafts
3. Plant a vegetable garden
4. Create a menu plan and follow it for 2 weeks
5. Make a friendship cake
6. Create a photo wall for my living room
7. Learn cake decorating
8. Have a mini celebration every month for a year
9. Get back into the Flylady routine
10. Make a quilt
11. Make a Christmas present for everyone on my list
12. pick 5 different countries and spend a month learning about them and top it off with a dinner composed of native foods
13. Back up all my important computer files and pictures

Family and Friends

1. Have a family photo done 
2. Have a barbeque for family and friends
3. Go to the family reunion
4.  Send at least 10 surprise packages to friends or family "just because."
5. Keep one grandchild each weekend for a month.
6. Make 10 new friends
7. Send snail mail birthday cards to 10 family members
8. Get Mandi eye glasses  (12/23)
9. Get Mandi driver's license.
10. Finally make a trip to Alabama to visit family there
11. Take the grandbabies on a day trip somewhere
12.  Call Dad and Lisa at least once a month for 3 months
13. Get back to working on my family tree and start keeping a record of each family

 

Garcinia Cambogia Review #garciniacambogia

Thanks to Tomoson I was able to review Sonoma Nutrition's Garcinia Cambogia. I have heard about this product for years but haven't tried it. I know that as of yet, there still isn't that magic bullet that will just miraculously cause weight loss but for me, this product worked great. I would take 2 pills before breakfast, and 2 again in the afternoon and I wasn't constantly snacking. My appetite was down at meal time and I have been eating a lot less. I think as long of you combine this supplement with a sensible weight loss plan and moderate exercise that it can give you that little extra to help you out. When I am dieting my biggest issue has always been snacking too much.  I will keep using #garciniacambogia because it worked for me.


Clinically Proven To Work

Revolutionary research has shown that Garcinia Cambogia provides the following benefits:

- Increases weight loss by 2 to 3 times what a person would lose with just diet and exercise alone
- Blocks fat production and turns fat into glycogen, which helps burn fat
- Suppresses appetite and curbs cravings 
- Increase lean muscle mass
- Increases serotonin, leading to less emotional eating, improved mood, and better sleep
- Reduces cortisol, the stress hormone, leading to decreased belly fat
- Decreases bad cholesterol and promotes healthy cholesterol 
- No side effects

Formulated For Maximum Weight Loss

Doctor recommended guidelines specify that HCA is absorbed better with mineral salts such as Potassium, Calcium, and Chromium. 

Some manufacturers are saying that Calcium and Chromium prevent the absorption of Garcinia Cambogia, but it is actually the opposite that is true. Our formula is specifically designed to increase the bioavailability and efficacy of HCA. 

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

Review: Yakon Syrup #lifefoodyacon

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight, knows how it goes. You are always looking for something that helps you out even a bit. I started reading about yakon syrup online and heard about it from Dr Oz and then was given a chance to review the product from Life & Food,  I jumped at the opportunity.

Let's start with what Yakon Syrup is

LIFE & FOOD 100% PURE RAW ALL NATURAL YACON SYRUP
Our Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) Syrup is sourced from naturally grown organic Yacon fields in the country of Peru. We use the HIGHEST quality Yacon plant to make a premium pure syrup formula.
Yacon syrup has shown to remains low in calories and low on the glycemic index scale. This is due to the fact that the sugar contains high levels of oligofructose (inulin), a form of sugar that is not metabolized readily by the human body. For this reason, Yacon is ideal for diabetics and acts as a great alternative to conventional low calorie sweeteners.

PRODUCT DETAILS

• 100% pure Yacon syrup has shown to assist in weight management, increase fiber intake and promotes good bowel function.
• Other benefits include: Lowers blood sugar. Prevents and controls hyperglycemia (over activity).
•  Restores renal activity. 
• Is a powerful Antioxidant.
• High in prebiotics and probiotics, this syrup contains up to 50% of FOS (fructooligosacharides). 
• It has been found that consumption of FOS does not increase blood glucose, and helps boost your bodies metabolism.
• Naturally grown and sourced from the fields in Peru. 
• Organic certified by our manufacturing specialists.
• 100% pure raw organic syrup formula with no added preservatives.
•  Bottled and tested in a FDA certified GMP facility in the USA

Here is the morning spoonful. If you don't like the taste of molasses, then I recommend you mix it in with tea or something. I love molasses so it wasn't a problem for me.  I think this would be really good used as a baking substitute if the price ever comes down. Right now its a bit high for cooking purposes.

My experience with Yakon Syrup

I had read in a few places that yakon syrup could cause stomach upset so I was leery and only took 1 tsp a day in the beginning. I had no problems whatsoever taking that amount. I managed to end the month about 5 lbs less than I started and since I wasn't doing anything else to lose weight I am attributing it to using the yakon syrup. I am going to continue using this product.
Yes, I would recommend this product and plan to give it a real go myself. I will hopefully have a better more in depth answer at the end of August.

Links:

Life Food Pro

Purchase at Amazon
My Amazon Review
Like Life & Food's Facebook page

Disclaimer: I received one of the products mentioned above for free suing Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that I use personally and believe will benefit my readers. 

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