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This Giveaway is now Closed. And the Winner Is…#7! The Freebie Junkie! Please reply to the email you have been sent within 48 hours in order to claim your prize. Congratulations! We recently had the opportunity to try P.F Chang’s Home Menu Frozen Entrees. There are eight yummy varieties to choose from. I tried the [...]
This Giveaway is now Closed.
And the Winner Is…#7! The Freebie Junkie! Please reply to the email you have been sent within 48 hours in order to claim your prize. Congratulations!
P.F. Chang’s provided a “Try One Free” coupon, through Mom Spark Media, in order for me to conduct this review. They will also provide the same coupon to the winning Busy-at-Home reader.
And the Winner Is…#7! The Freebie Junkie! Please reply to the email you have been sent within 48 hours in order to claim your prize. Congratulations!
We recently had the opportunity to try P.F Chang’s Home Menu Frozen Entrees. There are eight yummy varieties to choose from. I tried the General Chang’s Chicken, the Orange Chicken and the Shanghai Beef. We received a coupon for one free frozen entree, from P.F. Changs, and I purchased the other two on my own, so we could try different flavors and have enough to feed our entire family.
The first thought I had about the entrees when picking them up out of the freezer case, at our local Wal-Mart, was, “Wow! They only serve two.” Normally, I would never even consider something like that for our family, because so many would have to be purchased to make a whole meal. After some further consideration, though, I realized that $6.75 for a “date night” dinner with my husband, would definitely be doable and much less expensive than dinner out. So in their place, the P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Frozen Entrees could be an economical choice.
The meals were simple to prepare. Just pour into a skillet and heat according to the package instructions. They contained the precooked meat, vegetables and sauce — everything needed to prepare the dish.
When it came to flavor, the meals were spot-on, boasting absolutely delicious sauces and veggies. The texture of the meat was not what we had expected. I love Chinese food and I prefer the chicken to be crispy. For both the General Chang’s and the Orange Chicken, the meat was not. It was just cubed, cooked chicken. For my taste, this added a less pleasing texture to the otherwise delicious dishes. Our experience with the Shanghai Beef was identical. We loved the sauce and the string beans and yet, the texture of the meat was somewhat soft. Of the three flavors we tried, we definitely preferred the General Chang’s Chicken.
One lucky Busy-at-Home reader will have the opportunity to try P.F. Chang’s Home Menu Frozen Entrees for themselves. The winner will receive a “Try One Free” coupon that can be used for their own “date night” dinner.
Giveaway Rules:
- You must be 18 or older and a US resident to enter and win.
- Deadline for entry is midnight (CST) Sunday, October 10, 2010.
- Required entry MUST be completed for any bonus entries to count.
Required Entry:
Visit the P.F. Chang’s website and select the flavor you would most like to try. Come back and tell me which you picked, in a comment, below.
Optional Bonus Entry:
Become a Busy-at-Home Facebook Fan by selecting the Like button on our Facebook page. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know you are a fan. (If you are already a fan, just say so in your comment.)
P.F. Chang’s provided a “Try One Free” coupon, through Mom Spark Media, in order for me to conduct this review. They will also provide the same coupon to the winning Busy-at-Home reader.
My sister and her twenty-one-year-old daughter have taken off on an enviable mom/daughter weekend. First of all, they get to spend some great time, together; but secondly, they are off on the great Nebraska Junk Jaunt. The website describes it as “a 300 mile continuous Yard Sale in central Nebraska. Each of 35-40 towns organizes [...]
My sister and her twenty-one-year-old daughter have taken off on an enviable mom/daughter weekend. First of all, they get to spend some great time, together; but secondly, they are off on the great Nebraska Junk Jaunt. The website describes it as “a 300 mile continuous Yard Sale in central Nebraska. Each of 35-40 towns organizes a 3-day yard sale. Most towns will have at least one “Central Set-Up” location for vendors. Last year, this fun event drew 20,000 people from 32 states and 70 of 93 Nebraska counties.” This is a garage sale queen’s dream! - lol - Imagine the miles and miles of “stuff” and the bargains! Oh my!
The event has even been organized, so that if there are any historical or “touristy” stops along the way, you will know about them. They actually print up a shopper’s guide and have local hotels and motels that are offering specials for the “jaunters” staying over. Too fun! I can’t wait to hear how this trip turns out. Hmmm…maybe I should set up a garage sale on the route, next year. Bet we could do a whopping business!
Last month, I introduced you to a new blog challenge I have enjoyed participating in, Taste and Create. Each month, two blogs are paired and then they each spend a little time exploring the recipes on the other’s blog. Then they make the recipe and blog about it on their own site and then post [...]
Last month, I introduced you to a new blog challenge I have enjoyed participating in, Taste and Create. Each month, two blogs are paired and then they each spend a little time exploring the recipes on the other’s blog. Then they make the recipe and blog about it on their own site and then post it to Taste and Create. Not only do I get to try new recipes, I find other excellent food blogs. For September, I was paired with The Cupcake Project. Well, you can obviously guess from her blog name that I had a very difficult time selecting only one recipe from Stef’s The Cupcake Project. And actually, you may be very surprised at what I finally landed on.
I bake bread all year round, but when the cooler weather of fall rolls in, it ushers in an uncontrollable urge to try new flavors, shapes, and textures in my bread baking. I am much more likely to experiment and test ideas when the warmth of the oven and the intoxicating aroma of fresh bread can fill our home and draw everyone into the cheeriness of the kitchen. Relenting to an urge just like that, yesterday, I chose Dinner Rolls over at Taste and Create. We love bread, with a meal, as a meal, in between meals, as a midnight snack… 
You get the idea. I didn’t make just 12 little dinner rolls.
- Steph’s yummy roll, shaped to fit her cupcake-themed blog.
The recipe tripled easily, for feeding our voracious crew and of course, I was out of yogurt, as well as honey, so I did a little “tweaking” of the recipe. I know that doesn’t surprise any of you, by now. I have to tell you that Stef’s recipe is superb! And though I did change it up, you would be proud to serve it at any dinner party, or in any of the many different forms I am going to suggest. This bread is soft and tender and has a slightly tangy flavor. It is still soft and tender after being stored in zip-top bags on the counter. It will freeze well, and thus the reason for adding it to our freezer-cooking category, too. I made sandwich rolls, this time, but this recipe will lend itself easily to small, delicate dinner rolls, hamburger and hotdog buns, cinnamon rolls and though they wouldn’t be so flaky as “canned”, they would be gorgeous and delicious baked up as crescents. I may even try it as a pig-in-the-blanket roll or “runza/bierock” roll and of course, I think it would be a wonderfully soft and tender sliced bread. Absolutely delicious and a simple go-to bread recipe, with a lot of versatility!
Here is Steph’s original recipe (which she tweaked from Allrecipes.com — lol, bakers seem to just be a tweaking kind of crowd.). What follows, below, will be the way I baked it up, here at home.
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Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls/Sandwich Rolls/Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: 24 Large Sandwich Rolls
Ingredients:
- 4 cups warm water (not hot, you don’t want to kill your yeast, but it does have to be warm enough to activate it)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbls. yeast
- 1 cup wheat gluten (sometimes called vital wheat gluten or gluten flour)
- 1/3 cup granular lecithin (can substitute liquid.) (You could also omit this soybean-derived ingredient, but it will change the texture and shelf-life of your bread, if you do.)
- 1 Tbls. sea salt (you can use table salt)
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 cups white flour
- 5-6 cups whole wheat flour
Directions:
- Stir together warm water, yeast, brown sugar, 1 cup of white flour, wheat gluten, lecithin and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer or large bowl if mixing by hand.
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First ingredients in mixing bowl. (Remember you can right-click your mouse on any picture and select View Image, to see the picture full-size.) Yeast and brown sugar have already dissolved in the warm water and are happily getting to know one another.
- Mix until all ingredients are dissolving and incorporated. You will still see a few yellow pearls of lecithin, but it will be dissolving. Now, it’s time to have a glass of iced tea or a Coke and just let this mixture hang out for about 10 minutes. It will just look like a yellowish, tan smooth liquid, right now.
First ingredients, mixed, and ready to party! You can still see the specks of lecithin. I promise, it will dissolve and you'll never see it in your bread.
- After 10 minutes, the yeast will have become very active, feeding on the sugar and causing your mixture to bubble and expand. That’s when you will add the softened butter and sour cream. Mix it thoroughly.
See all the bubbling and growing action!!?!! The butter and sour cream are sinking into the "soup".
- Add the remaining 3 cups of white flour and start mixing. While the mixer is still going, begin adding wheat flour ½ – 1 cup at a time. In yesterday’s humidity, I used just a little over 5 cups of wheat flour to reach the correct consistency for my dough. You’ll know you have it right, when the dough pulls together in one clump and cleans the sides of your mixing bowl.
The dough has completely cleaned the sides of my mixing bowl.
- Once I get to this stage, I let my mixer do the real work of bread-making for me. I put the lid on the bowl, set the speed to medium and allow the mixer to knead the dough for 5-7 minutes. Once the kneading is complete, place the dough into an oiled bowl and set in a warm spot, to rise.
Dough in bowl ready for rising.
- At this point, I always cover my bread dough with a clean, damp (from warm water) tea towel. The warmth and moisture continue to encourage the yeast and help to achieve a good rise. Let the dough rest there, until it’s doubled in size.
- Covered and ready to rise until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and shape into the particular type of rolls (or loaves) you want to make. I did sandwich rolls and they were pretty “free form”. Place your rolls on a greased baking sheet, again covering to rise until they have doubled.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes, until the rolls are beautifully, golden brown and your tummy is rumbling from the amazing smell wafting through your house. At this point, (immediately after removing from the oven), I rub a stick of butter over the top of each roll to butter the tops (not a whole stick for each roll -lol- just one stick for all of them. It will only use about 1/3 of the stick.)
Piping hot bread rolls with buttered tops! Yum!
Now, when you’re as obsessed with enthusiastic about homemade bread, as we are, you aren’t always as delicate and refined as you could be about eating it. As a matter of fact, you might not believe this, but some people in our household have been known to pull piping hot, buttered rolls straight from the baking sheet and tear, rather than slice, them open. They then proceed to eat that deliciously soft, tender, warm, comforting bread without taking the time to put ANYTHING on it! Can you imagine!!?!!
Torn open with freshly burned fingers!
Once the initial excited frenzy is over, allow the rolls to cool and then store them in airtight containers. I use gallon-size zip-top bags. At this point, they will keep about a week in your pantry or you can freeze them for several months. We used them to make shredded beef sandwiches, with the chuck roast I had cooking away in the crockpot all afternoon. Delicious!
Shredded beef sandwiches on freshly made rolls. Yum!
Printable Version of Easy Homemade Dinner Rolls
This post is linked to Grocery Cart Challenge.
If you already like Gain, you’re about to become one of their number one fans! They have partnered with HGTV’s Sabrina Soto to spread the news about their new Fresh and Clean Collection products. Normally, when I think of Gain, I think of laundry detergent, but now, these fabulous new scents can fill your home [...]
The Gain products I recceived to conduct this review.
If you already like Gain, you’re about to become one of their number one fans! They have partnered with HGTV’s Sabrina Soto to spread the news about their new Fresh and Clean Collection products. Normally, when I think of Gain, I think of laundry detergent, but now, these fabulous new scents can fill your home from the laundry room to the kitchen. The new Fresh and Clean Collection, featured at www.ilovegain.com, has something for everyone and three scents with an H.E. option for your high efficiency washing machines.
Original Fresh Liquid Laundry Detergent
In order to conduct this review, I received a package with four products from the Fresh and Clean Collection, the new Original Fresh Laundry Detergent, Original Fresh Liquid Fabric Softener, Original Fresh Dryer Sheets and the Original Fresh Dishwashing Liquid. Opening that box was a scent sensation! The fragrances surrounded me as soon as I had opened it. I knew I was going to enjoy having those fragrances fill my home. They smelled wonderful! So, now I just needed to determine if they cleaned as well as they created an aromatherapy experience.
Original Fresh Liquid Fabric Softener
The first products I tried, from the quartet, were the detergent and liquid fabric softener. We all know that laundry rooms can be one of the funkiest rooms in the house when it comes to smell. Obviously, these Gain products solved that issue. As the washer dashed and scrubbed and rinsed and spun, the whole room was filled with freshness. I couldn’t nail down one specific scent to describe it to you, so I checked the www.ilovegain.com site and discovered why. It’s created with a combination of scents that they describe as “Orange, lemon and blossoms with a modern fruity, green twist” and undertones of “White floral jasmine with a hint of woody amber”. So, while I didn’t pick up on any of the individual scents, the combination was a knock-out! I loved it!
Original Fresh Dryer Sheets
The laundry detergent did exactly what I had anticipated — cleaned our clothes. It did a fine job ,which I had never doubted, from the beginning. The liquid fabric softener was easy to use, just pouring it into the dispenser in my washing machine. It did leave some residue in the dispenser cup of my machine and even after several loads of laundry, not using the liquid fabric softener, the residue remained and had to be scrubbed out. The clothes rinsed in the liquid fabric softener were soft and static free. It left the damp clothes smelling fresh and amazing. Once the clothes had been through the dryer, however, the fragrance was essentially gone. I really did not notice even the slightest hint of that great fragrance in my dried clothes.
For the next laundry load, I used the detergent, again, without the liquid fabric softener and switched to the Original Fresh Dryer sheets. I got the same excellent results — squeaky clean clothes and soft, static-free fabrics. The scent from the dryer sheets was powerful as I put it in and I got to enjoy the fragrance as the warm dryer heated it and let it “freshen” my laundry room, however there was no lingering fragrance in the dried clothes as I pulled them from the dryer.
So, my final determination about the laundry products was that I was not going to have fragrance-infused clothing, however these products met every expectation we have of detergent and fabric softener. I had clean clothes, that dried up soft and static-free, and as an added bonus, my laundry room smelled amazing during the process! That’s a huge appeal and the aromatherapy during cleaning, made me feel a lot more motivated and enthusiastic about doing it.
Original Fresh Dishwashing Soap
I wasn’t aware, before this review, that Gain made dishwashing soap. It arrived in the same Original Fresh fragrance as the laundry products, so you can imagine the delightful smell as we cleaned up the kitchen and dishes. It made lots and lots of suds and I believe they lasted as long as any other dishwashing soap I have tried. I had no problem cleaning anything from glassware to a cast iron skillet used to fry hamburgers. Casserole dishes with baked on food, required only a brief soak and then came beautifully clean. I really enjoyed using Gain’s dishwashing soap. Again, I think the great scent that lingers in the kitchen as you are cleaning, really does something to inspire you to keep at the job.
Another fun feature of this campaign is the chance to ask questions for Sabrina Soto to answer on Gain’s Facebook page. Do you have a difficult “aroma” problem in your home that you’d like some help with? Post your question and you may get an answer from Sabrina, herself. Also, you will be able to pick up lots of great tips for freshening your home, like tucking those amazing-scented dryer sheets into dresser drawers, sofa and chair cushions and under pet beds.
Check your local stores for the new Gain Fresh and Clean collection. I think you’ll like them, too! In the meantime, Gain is offering one lucky Busy-at-Home reader an opportunity to experience the same package I received. If you would like to win a box containing Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent, Gain Liquid Fabric Softener and Gain Dryer Sheets, as well as a sample of the new Gain Dishwashing Liquid, you can enter below. The process is super-simple!
REQUIRED ENTRIES
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you follow and your Twitter ID
(For those of you non-tweeters, you may Follow on Google Friend Connect, instead. Just leave a comment letting me know that’s what you did.)- Visit www.ilovegain.com and pick the new Fresh and Clean Fragrance you would love to try. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know which fragrance you picked.
That’s it! You’ll be entered twice for a chance to win the drawing that will be held on Sunday, October 3 at midnight (CST). You must be 18 years or older and a U.S. resident to enter.
Optional Bonus Entries:
For you die-hard contest enterers, I have some bonus entry options if you want to increase your chances. These are purely optional.
- “Like” Gain on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it along with your Facebook username.
- Once a day, between now and the contest deadline, midnight (CST) October 3, 2010, you may tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the link to your tweet. I’m entered to win @Gain Fresh & Clean Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener and Dishwashing Liquid @busyathome. http://ow.ly/2GYWH #giveaway
- Leave a message on Gain’s Facebook wall and then leave a message letting me know you’ve done it. I’m visiting from Busy-at-Home. I can’t wait to try the new Gain Fresh & Clean Collection!
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I received the four products mentioned, in order to conduct this review. No payment was received and a positive review was not required. The vies and opinions expressed are wholly my own. Gain will also provide a package of Gain Fresh and Clean Products to the drawing winner.
The emails have all been sent and the confirmations received. Our Blogmania winners list is official! Thank you to everyone who visited and supported our fabulous sponsors during this event. We received 2050 entries! Seriously! I was totally blown away by you all. If you didn’t win, take heart. There will be more fabulous sponsors [...]
The emails have all been sent and the confirmations received. Our Blogmania winners list is official! Thank you to everyone who visited and supported our fabulous sponsors during this event. We received 2050 entries! Seriously! I was totally blown away by you all. If you didn’t win, take heart. There will be more fabulous sponsors in the future. I appreciate you all so much and you have made this an absolute blast for me! When else would I be able to give such awesome gifts!!??!! Okay, enough chatter… on to the winners:
Prize Package 1 Winner: #1946 Dana Valle
- Aunt Joy’s………………………………..Handmade Personalized Christmas Stocking in the Tall Tree Design (app. value $30)
- Gimmee Jimmy’s Cookies……………20 cookie assortment box (app. value $25)
Prize Package 2 Winner: #1291 Kathy Swenson
- Aunt Joy’s……………………………….A second Handmade Personalized Christmas Stocking in the Tall Tree Design (app. value $30)
- The Two Savvy Sisters……………….Printable Party Collection of your Choice from their Etsy shop (app. value $25)
Prize Package 3 Winner: #628 Jeane
- Balsam Hill……………………………………….36″ lighted Noble Fir Christmas Wreath (app. value $130)
Prize Package 4 Winner: #1384 Rachel Smith
- Bodycology………………………………………Brown Sugar Vanilla Christmas Gift Basket Set. (app. value $50)..
Prize Package 5 Winner: #96 Sarah B
- busy.b{custom}designs………………………Blogger blog theme package (app. value $98)
Prize Package 6 Winner: #1329 Melanie Dauterive
- Cake Pan Lady…………………………………..Custom engraved 9×13 Cake Pan in your choice of colors & design (app. value $33)
Prize Package 7 Winner: #1731 Kay Ficken
- Hard Candy………………………………………Fabulous makeup gift basket & makeup bag (app. value $50)
Prize Package 8 Winner: #769 Marie Sierra
- Keurig……………………………………………..Keurig Special Edition Brewer & 4 Assorted Boxes of K-Cups (app. value $200)
Prize Package 9 Winner: #286 Chelsey Hall
- Lenox……………………………………………..8 Place Settings of “Winter Song”, their 2010 Christmas china pattern (app. value $688)
Prize Package 10 Winner: #234 Liz
- Lil’s Garden Shop……………………..Stick Horse Head of your Choice from Lil’s Etsy shop (app. value $24)
- Lollipop Patch Kids…………………..His & Hers Christmas-themed Shirt Saver Bibs from their Etsy shop (app. value $12)
- Poppin’ Dot’s Boutique………………Pillowcase Dress of your choice from their Etsy shop (app. value $9)
Prize Package 11 Winner: #624 Michele Pineda
- Scentsy…………………………………………..$50 gift certificate
Prize Package 12 Winner: #1842 Talisha
- stella & dot………………………………………$100 gift certificate
Thank you to all our AMAZING sponsors!!
This would never have been possible without you.
Congratulations to all the Winners! Send me pictures!
I can’t wait to see how you use these wonderful prizes!
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It’s time! It’s here! At midnight on September 16 (CST), it will all be over and some of you will be the winners of the over $1500 in prizes being sponsored here at Busy-at-Home for our Christmas at Home: A Celebration event!!!! That means today, September 14, is the last day to complete any Bonus [...]
It's arrived! The Winter Song china from Lenox is here!
It’s time! It’s here! At midnight on September 16 (CST), it will all be over and some of you will be the winners of the over $1500 in prizes being sponsored here at Busy-at-Home for our Christmas at Home: A Celebration event!!!! That means today, September 14, is the last day to complete any Bonus entries. At midnight tonight, those are all going away and being replaced by the official Blogmania entry page, which can only be submitted one time on the 15th and one time on the 16th.
Dinner plate detail.
Salad plate detail. Aren't they gorgeous!!???!!!
To inspire you to catch up on your bonuses and remind you how awesome our Busy at Home sponsors are, I want to share the pictures of the new Winter Song china from Lenox that arrived here, a couple of days ago. It is even more beautiful than the stock pictures I shared with you in my earlier Lenox review. The place setting includes a dinner plate, salad plate, mug and and a bowl. It will make a gorgeous Christmas table, but I also love the idea that this pattern translates to use all winter long with its lovely winter scenes. The branches, berries, greenery and pinecones twining around and across the pieces are perfect table complements throughout the whole season and you will fall in love with the hand-painted birds perched delicately on the salad plate. I know I have. You are going to get to see it many times, in pictures of delicious food, for my upcoming recipe posts!
Attention to the most beautiful detail - even INSIDE the bowl!
Beautiful bowl!
I have one last Blogmania Bonus Entry for you, in honor of receiving this beautiful place setting to review.
2. Paste this message on the Lenox Facebook wall. “The new Winter Song holiday pattern is absolutely gorgeous! I’m entered to win it at Busy-at-Home http://busy-at-home.com/blog/blogmania-2010-begins-at-1201-am-sept-15-final-bonus/. Thanks for being a Blogmania 2010 sponsor!
3. BONUS ENTRIES HAVE NOW EXPIRED. Don’t miss the main event! Enter now at our main Blogmania entry page!
INSIDE the mug! I love the attention to detail!
Tall, gorgeous mug! (Very weird lighting on my counter in this one, but the mug looks great!)
Remember, you only have until midnight, tonight, September 14 to complete your Bonuses. You must be 18 or older and a resident of the United States to win. Winners will be selected by random drawing from all qualified entries, using random.org and will be notified on September 17, 2010.
Trading Cradles is a new resource for saving money on everything we all need for raising children — from used strollers and cribs to gently used clothes and toys. I have been all through the site and while I haven’t personally sold any items through there, yet, it is stated several times throughout the site [...]
Trading Cradles is a new resource for saving money on everything we all need for raising children — from used strollers and cribs to gently used clothes and toys. I have been all through the site and while I haven’t personally sold any items through there, yet, it is stated several times throughout the site that posting ads are free. I LOVE that concept! This is a great way to promote your used baby items to a specifically targeted audience, without incurring all the fees of internet auction sites. It reminds me of Craigslist for children’s items.
Trading Cradles has specific guidelines for what can be listed and how long the ads can be. For instance, you cannot list an item for sale that is listed on the National Recall List. They do state that buyers and sellers will have to do their own research and make sure that the item is safe, since they are not able to see each item being sold and verify it’s safety, personally. They DO have a Parental Team that reviews each ad that has been submitted and either approves or rejects it for publication. For sale ads can currently remain posted for 15 days and be up to 250 characters in length.
Ads provide basic information for potential buyers and a “masked” email address for sellers that potential buyers can use to make the first contact and inquire for more information — again, a lot like Craiglist. Buyer and seller negotiate their terms and complete the transaction. It is recommended that you make purchases in your local area and as a seller, accept only cash. As in my case, there is not always a local listing area available, so, you may be able to negotiate a shipping transaction with a seller from another area, if you can agree on shipping and payment terms. Currently, Trading Cradles has 53 major city locations around the country. You can find a list of all of them on their website and select the one nearest you to see what items have been listed. There aren’t any in Nebraska, yet, but I think that will probably come over time, as the website grows and becomes more known.
I’m always in favor of new frugal options that allow us to buy quality, used items at prices far less than retail. I also really like the idea of being able to place free ads that are for a specifically targeted audience. The premise behind Trading Cradles is a great one and I hope you will check them out, spread the word and help them to grow while you save money and positively impact your family’s budget!
This is an unpaid, non-sponsored review. The views and opinions expressed are wholly my own. By writing it I have been entered in a drawing for a gift certificate from Mom Spark Media and Trading Cradles.
The Two Savvy Sisters is actually one very talented and crafty mom, who creates great items to make your next party a smashing success! Nicole makes and sells customizable Party Collections that help you plan all the details of decorating for a party around one specific design theme. Her pre-made collections are beautiful and an [...]
The Two Savvy Sisters is actually one very talented and crafty mom, who creates great items to make your next party a smashing success! Nicole makes and sells customizable Party Collections that help you plan all the details of decorating for a party around one specific design theme. Her pre-made collections are beautiful and an amazing value, but as a mom who understands frugal living and budget-wise needs, she also offers DIY party collections that come to you as printable files. You can save a substantial amount of money and still enjoy the creative talents of a professional party decor creator, while printing just what you need for your own party.
I had an opportunity to review Party Circles and Labels from her printable Christmas collection. Files were sent in pdf format and so were easy to download and open. As with all printable Party Collections from Two Savvy Sisters, all that is necessary is to print and cut out my own decorations using the creative designs that have already been put together by the talented Nicole.
Currently Two Savvy Sisters offers 14 different printable Party Collection Themes. They vary in price depending on all that is included. If you don’t see a collection that matches your needs exactly, simply contacting Nicole is all that is necessary to get a collection customized for your own personal party. Collections can include intricately detailed banners, 2 1/2 inch party circles to be used as cupcake toppers or favor tags, 5 inch party circles for cake toppers or signs, notecards, thank you notes, signs, labels for water bottles or cups, and party invitations. The Two Savvy Sisters can design a collection that is perfect for you or you can select from the themes already available on her site. Currently, you can order items for a Halloween bash, a variety of princess themed packs, a sweet pink & brown Sweet Shop collection, a set of ladybug themed party decor items, or even owls, trains, and baseball collections. The variety is superb and really only limited by your imagination.
The Two Savvy Sisters is one of our excellent Blogmania 2010 sponsors and will graciously provide one of our lucky Busy-at-Home readers with a Printable Party Collection of their choice. As with all our fabulous Blogmania prizes, the winner must be 18 and reside in the U.S. The drawing will be conducted at random.org at midnight on Sept. 16. For a Bonus Entry that registers you for this great prize and all the other prizes in our Blogmania Giveaway Event, complete the following simple task.
- Visit the Two Savvy Sisters Etsy Shop and pick your favorite printable Party Collection.
- “Like” The Two Savvy Sisters on Facebook and post this note on their wall. I’m visiting from Busy-at-Home http://busy-at-home.com/blog/printable-party-collection-review-giveaway-from-two-savvy-sisters/. My favorite Printable Party Collection is <— fill in your favorite here —> Thanks for being a Blogmania 2010 sponsor!
- BONUS ENTRIES HAVE NOW EXPIRED. Don’t miss the main event! Enter now at our main Blogmania entry page!
I received a downladable file of Christmas 2 1/2 inch circles and labels. The Two Savvy Sisters will provide a printable Party Collection of their choice to one lucky Busy-at-Home reader. The views and opinions expressed, here, are wholly my own. No payment was received to write this review.
It’s no secret that I LOVE Bodycology products. Bodycology is one of the most generous sponsors we’ve had here at Busy-at-Home. This is their second giveaway with us and for Blogmania they are pulling out all the stops! I received a gorgeous Christmas Gift basket filled with Brown Sugar Vanilla products in order to complete [...]
My girls and I couldn't wait to open this beautiful Bodycology Gift Basket.
It’s no secret that I LOVE Bodycology products. Bodycology is one of the most generous sponsors we’ve had here at Busy-at-Home. This is their second giveaway with us and for Blogmania they are pulling out all the stops! I received a gorgeous Christmas Gift basket filled with Brown Sugar Vanilla products in order to complete this review. A lucky Busy-at-Home reader will win the same gift basket in our Blogmania event, September 15 & 16.
Close-up of the Brown Sugar Vanilla products in the basket.
Brown Sugar Vanilla products from Bodycology are my most favorite. The fragrance is sweet, homey and comfortable. It’s like being wrapped in your grandma’s favorite quilt and eating her fresh sugar cookies. The luxurious, creamy smooth products and the delicious aroma are the prefect package for a pampering, relaxing spa experience at home. There is no better way to blend comfort and luxury in one product! You won’t believe everything that is included in this beautiful Bodycology gift basket! I won’t re-review the products we have talked about in previous reviews, however I’m excited to tell you about a few new ones.
- full-size Bath and Shower Gel
- full-size Body Lotion
Creamy, luxurious Brown Sugar Vanilla Body Cream from Bodycology.
- full-size Body Cream – Bodycology’s Body Creams are a deep, rich moisturizing experience. The thick, smooth body cream leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed without a heavy greasy feel. Body creams are enriched with Vitamins E & C, shea butter and aloe vera. I’m a bare-foot girl, most of the time, regardless of the season or the weather and my feet take a LOT of abuse. Bodycology body cream smooths away all the roughness and is the cool, refreshing finish to a perfect pedicure. Also, as I have gotten older, I notice my skin being much more dry in the winter months. The perfect solution for smooth, moisture-rich skin in the cold, dry seasons of the year, has been daily use of Bodycology Body Cream.
- full-size Body Spray
Brown Sugar Vanilla Antibacterial Scrubbing Hand Soap
- full-size Antibacterial Scrubbing Hand Soap – Bodycology’s antibacterial scrubbing handsoaps contain Vitamin E, shea butter and aloe vera. They kill germs while cleaning your hands and like the foaming hand wash, leave skin smooth and moisturized. The major difference with this effective handsoap is the tiny scrubbing beads that are distributed throughout the gel. The sink in our laundry/utility room is the PERFECT spot for the scrubbing variety of Bodycology soaps. When I come in from working in the garden or flowerbeds, it provides a serious and thorough cleaning experience without drying out my skin.
Brown Sugar Vanilla Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer
- full-size Moisturizing Hand Sanitizer – Bodycology’s hand sanitizers are great to just toss in your purse and have with you wherever you go. They kill up to 99% of germs without water. There is no alcohol smell when it is applied and it allows you to moisturize your skin at the same time as sanitizing them, as it contains aloe vera. Immediately after application, I did note a slight tacky/sticky feeling. Once the hand sanitizer had completely dried there was no residue and my skin was moisturized.
Pink Slipper Socks and Sample Size Gift Set
- Gift Set with Sampler Sizes of Bath and Shower Gel, Body Cream and Body Mist plus a pair of warm, fuzzy, pink slipper-socks. This sampler gift set is just one example of the many different gift set packages you will be able to find from Bodycology throughout the Christmas holiday season. I look forward to picking up several every year, for gifts and some just for me.
I know you’ll all want to win this fabulous gift basket and to help increase your chances for this and every prize drawing in our Blogmania Giveaway event, I am providing one more Bonus Entry as part of this Bodycology Review.
- “Like” Bodycology on Facebook and post this note on their wall. I’m visiting from Busy-at-Home http://busy-at-home.com/blog/bodycology-brown-sugar-vanilla-gift-basket-review-giveaway/. I can’t wait for Blogmania 2010! Thanks for being a sponsor!
- BONUS ENTRIES HAVE NOW EXPIRED. Don’t miss the main event! Enter now at our main Blogmania entry page!
I received the Bodycology Christmas gift basket in order to conduct this review of the products and Bodycology will provide the same gift basket to one Blogmania winner. The views and opinions expressed are wholly my own. No payment was received to write this review.
