Go here to download two free holiday downloads, courtesy of Oprah. Enjoy!

Happy Sunday!

It's time for another Submit it Sunday!

Please when you put your links in, please put the contest end date because when I go in to put a new weekly list up, I have to click the links the find out the end date.



Hope you had a great weekend!

Stride Rite is celebrating Cyber Monday, this Monday the 30th, by holding a Fan Celebration Day on www.facebook.com/striderite.

Stride Rite Facebook fans are invited to log on Monday, November 30th from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST for hourly giveaways with amazing prizes including gift cards and gift bags from Stride Rite Children's Group brands including Saucony Kids, Sperry Top-Sider Kids, and more. There will also be a fan-only coupon for Cyber Monday shopping on www.striderite.com and a mystery prize valued at over $600 that fans can enter to win throughout the day!

To kick-off the Cyber Monday celebration, Global Influence is hosting a Twitter Pre-Party Sunday, November 29th from 9 to 10 p.m. EST with our community manager, Shannan Powell (@slpowell) at the healm! For an hour tweeps will chat about Cyber Monday shopping tips and preparing for the holidays in general using the #srCyberMon hashtag. There will be seven Stride Rite gift card winners and participants will be among the first to learn about the Fan Celebration Day on Facebook.

To learn more and RSVP, please go here: http://tinyurl.com/yfjucsj


Tweet you then!

I just added a poll to my blog - Are you participating in a Christmas Cookie Swap this year?

Please take a moment and provide some input - just for fun.

There's an option you can select saying you need more recipes - if enough people select that option - I'll share some scrumptious recipes for you!

Sometimes I'm a little blonde... and I screw up. I realized like two days after I posted the Giveaway for the Sunsweet Ones, that there is actually going to be FIVE winners - not one! (Sorry about that!) So please, if you're interested in trying these great (and healthy!) snacks, or you would like to give them as a gift for Christmas, go enter my Sunsweet Ones giveaway! It ends on 12/5 so hurry!

Don't forget the rest of my giveaways going on right now:

First 50 readers win a 4 pack of Fiber One 50 cal yogurt - (odd end - see post)

Win Fresh Organic Baby Products (Organic Babee Lotion and Hair and Body Wash) - ends 12/5

Golden Moon Tea Giveaway - ends 12/9

Holey Donuts $150 CASH and donuts holiday giveaway - ends 12/15


Also remember to get your entries in for all of the Santa's Picks giveaways - most are ending soon!

And remember, my Holiday Gift Guide - Holiday Hoopla - begins on December 1st! Grab the button and comment on this post that you did so and get FIVE Extra entries in each Holiday Hoopla Giveaway!


Just added!

Blog about Holiday Hoopla at A Simple Kinda Life and include the holiday button (code in the left sidebar) between now and December 1st and you can get THREE more extra entries! You can post a comment on this post here after you blogged to get those extra entries! Just be sure to leave the link where you blogged!

Thanks for stopping by!

Are you planning on shopping for Black Friday? I'm unsure if I will, since it's 1 am right now and I'm dead tired from lack of sleep last night. Plus I'm not sure if I feel like fighting people to get some deals in a store when there's so many deals that are going to be going on on the internet!

One such example is the Black Friday Deals at AllAmericanDirect.com.

Here's just a few that are going on that you might be interested in:

·Get a Samsung 26” 720p LCD HDTV for $399.99 + free shipping. (Original price - $418.99)



·Get a Ginsu 14 Piece Stainless Steel Knife and Block Set for $24.99. (Original price - $44.99)



·Get an HP Mini 5101 Netbook for $349.99 + free shipping. (original price - $409.99)

Visit AllAmericanDirect.com for the rest of their Black Friday deals!

If you are braving the crowds, and score something great, come back and share what great deals you got!

Who doesn't need some extra cash for the holidays?! I'm sure you do, because I do! We all do!

Holey Donuts wants to help! They are going to give away the following to one lucky winner:

1- Full box of Jumbo Low Fat Cinnamon Buns (4)
1- Full box of Our Awesome Jumbo Low Fat Blueberry Vanilla Buns (4)
1- Full box of Holey Donuts! Low Fat Cinnamon Bun Middles (16)

AND $150 Holiday spending cash!

Enter to win by emailing: info@holeydonuts.net. You will need to put the name of my blog (A Simple Kinda Life) in the subject line in order to enter. Please only enter once.

You can also tweet using the following tweet daily:

If you really want to try to win one of the HP Touchsmart 600s (like I do!) go enter this giveaway for the HP Touchsmart 600 at Scribbit!

Good luck!

Remember that Jolly Mom's contest for the HP Touchsmart 600 began on the 23rd - there's already tons of comments (over 1000!!!) so make sure if you want to win, that you get over there and start entering!

Contest ends on December 7th, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST.

Good luck!

Golden Moon Tea offers all types of tea, from the yummy-sounding Coconut tea pictured above to oolong tea.

There are so many types of teas at Golden Moon Tea that you're going to have a hard time picking the item if you win this giveaway!

GIVEAWAY

One of you will win a tin of your choice of tea (except Jasmine Pearls).

What do you have to do to win?

Go to Golden Moon Tea and have a look around - then come back here and tell me which type of tea you'd like to win! (Required entry)

Extra entries:
1. Blog about the contest with the following text:

A Simple Kind of Life (link to giveaway: http://angiemarion.blogspot.com/2009/11/giveaway-golden-moon-tea.html) is hosting a free tea giveaway! Check out Golden Moon Tea to find your perfect cup, from oolong tea (link to http://www.goldenmoontea.com/Oolong_Tea_C15.cfm) to black tea! Giveaway ends 12/9.

2. Follow my blog using Google/Blogger.

3. Follow me on Twitter (>@pricousins)

4. Tweet this giveaway (can be done once a day)

5. Subscribe to this blog.


Giveaway ends at midnight EST on December 9th. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email or they will forfeit their prize.

Thanks for entering, and good luck!



Disclaimer: I received a sample to review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products.

Featured Reviews

Pouchees -

Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.

Duck Hunter -

Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.

CardStore cards

-Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone's to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas

Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry

Just Elfin' Around

Card Cubby

Harumika By Bandai

Harumika Runway Showstopper

Harumika Style Starter

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo

Strawberry Shortcake Playset

Kota Monty Rex

Wall to Wall Basketball

Nerf Pocket Vortex

Busy Ball Popper

Talking Chuck Truck

Leapfrog My Pal Scout

Leapfrog Tag Jr

Leapfrog Scribble and Write

Animal Planet Polar Land Playset

Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat

Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack

OnionHead Children's Feelings Pack

Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set

FotoboxPlus

MeTime Tees

Fun Holiday Giveaway!

For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here: http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw

Prizes include:

Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry

Pouchee

Elfing Around

Harumika Onionhead Feelings Pack

Nerf Wall to Wall Basketball

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo

MeTime T-shirt

Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.

Global Influence Member Guides

Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites! Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys

All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.

Disclaimer: I am a member of Global Influence and am sharing this post and have the opportunity to win a prize for spreading the word. I was given no monetary compensation for posting about this Gift Guide.

My son has never been into building. I was hoping that when Team Mom sent me the invite to participate in this review, that since he is older now, he would be interested in building with K'NEX. I had bought them for him years ago but they were a little hard to him to build anything tangible, and I guess he just gave up.

My daughter, on the other hand, was thrilled when she saw this box show up. She immediately started building. Now, I won't lie to you and say it was a masterpiece or anything, but she's sure done her share of practicing! (This is why I have no personal pictures for this post!)

This K'NEX 400-piece set has so many different pieces that you can make just about anything that your imagination can think of! There's even a little booklet that shows how to make certain things. Like Ferris Wheels and cars. Super fun, huh!?

Isn't it beautiful?! Granted, we're not on that level yet, but I hope that we will be there soon! This bucket of toys has been entertaining my daughter for the past couple of weeks, and I'm sure they'll be a toy that she'll keep coming back to! (I'm still holding out hope that my son will show some interest, before it's all said and done!)

Here's some more information that I'd like to share with you:

*During the months of November and December K'NEX is donating 10% of online sales on knex.com to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. You can read more info here: http://www.knex.com/Shop/home.php?s=CHOP

*K’NEX is also holding a Make a K’NEXion contest. Now you have the chance to win over $1,000 worth of K’NEX Toys and be featured on the KNEX.com web site. How? Make a video and include select K’NEX products. The possibilities are endless. Construct your own story or showcase your child’s K’NEX building skills - use your imagination!

The 10 best videos will be featured on KNEX.com and the winning video will receive $1,000 worth of K’NEX Toys. View Official rules here.

If you enter, good luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the product named above on behalf of Team Mom to review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.

This is a card I made last year around this time.

Hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow! I won't be spending it with family but I'll be thinking of them all!

Wow! is all I can say! 5 Minutes for Mom is giving away an HP Touchsmart 600 Computer! I think this is GREAT! Especially since my pc is dying! I totally need this!!!

And, that's not all!

There are 9 blogs who are giving these away (hey - know the other 7 - besides 5M4M and JollyMom?! Let me know in the comments please!) and they're in a sort of competition - the blog that generates the most buzz about these giveaways will win TWO of these PCs!



Head over and check it out!

This contest ends on Dec. 1st!!!

TwitterMoms asked us, "What is your Black Friday plan of attack this year?"

Here's my answer:

I've only gone shopping on Black Friday one time before in my life. But, this year, it's all about to change. There's so many deals this year, how can I pass it up?!

This year, I'm heading to Best Buy, Target, Ross, and Walmart for Black Friday shopping. I may even hit some more stores, depending on how I feel. Home Depot, TJMaxx, Lowe's, Kohl's - I think they're calling my name too!



I've already scoped out what's going to be on sale, and I know what I want to buy. I've got a list and I've checked it twice. I've got coupons ready for the few things that have coupons for it. I've got my Best Buy Reward Zone card!

I'm not a shopper as it is - shocking I know! But I hate shopping - literally hate it! That's why I've never gone Black Friday shopping before! But this year I'm going to do it so I can get the most bang for my buck! First I'll stop at Best Buy because I'm trying to get a laptop, then I'm heading down the road to Target, because my daughter wants a DSi and some games, and my son wants some games for his PlayStation, then I'll head over to Ross, then down to Walmart, and if I'm not too pooped (or didn't get the things I wanted) then I'll head to the others stores I mentioned above!

I'll stay up all night and go out early in the morning to shop, then afterwards I'll come home and nap!

If I don't get to get what I want, there's always Cyber Monday - and that's my favorite!


What is YOUR Black Friday plan of attack?

We're still working on becoming a greener family. This includes recycling everything, taking reusable bags to the stores we shop at, and conserving energy.

My top 3 tips for Green-Living are as follows:

1. Recycle as much as possible.

We currently recycle aluminum cans at the local metal recycling center, and plastics we take out to the corner of our street for the County to pick up. You wouldn't believe how much of a difference recycling makes to the environment, but it really does!

2. Use reusable bags.

Those plastic bags that you get at the store are bad news for everyone. They end up in trees, littered everywhere, and even end up in our oceans. I've been using my Joey Totes and other canvas bags that I've rounded up to use to carry groceries, items from the drugstore, and more. They're economical and easy to use! Leave some in your trunk so you won't forget them! I'm lucky that my Joey Totes fold up really small and I'm able to carry them in my purse so that I have them wherever I go!

3. Reduce your electricity consumption.

In my house, all of our heating and cooking is electric. This drains my pocket as well as resources. To combat this, I've put plastic on my windows to keep some of the cold air out and the heat in. I also turn off surge protectors when the items attached to them are not in use.

These changes may seem small to you, but to us, they're making a world of difference. It's also making a difference in our world, one that we can't see right now, but hopefully we will see in the years to come.

Learn more tips for green-living at Lighter. Safer. Greener.

This is a contest shared at TwitterMoms - to read more and enter, please see this post.

I was asked by TwitterMoms the following question, If you could define yourself with a scent, what scent would represent you and why?

Here's what I would define as the scent of myself.

A rose.

Why?, you ask. Because a rose smells ladylike and is a classic scent. It's sensuous, timeless, and classy.

And that's me.

I'm classy, ladylike, sensuous, definitely timeless, and more. Of course I'm a bit biased. That's why I'd say the rose is a scent that would define me. And it's one of my favorite scents.

:-)

Head on over to TwitterMoms and answer this question too, for a chance to win a free bottle of Downy Orchid Allure.

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
I really want a laptop, the Paper Doll cartridge for my Cricut, a Flip camera, a Wii, and an iPod Nano.

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
A good friend of mine made me a really cute altered book when I was leaving the job we all worked at together. I love it!

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
As a papercrafter, I see all of these great gifts that people make, especially over at Papertrey Ink. I'd really like to make an altered 3D item and give it as a gift. Maybe something like a box filled with homemade treats.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
The best gift I ever received was a Cabbage Patch Doll the year they came out. I wanted one so bad!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
My daughter wants a DSi and some games and my son wants a cell phone and some games to play on his PlayStation.

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
For Christmas, I love having Ham and baked mac-n-cheese.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
I'll be making my Christmas cards for all of my loved ones!

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
I love the movie "A Christmas Story". It's my fave!

9. Favorite holiday song?
I love the song, "The Little Drummer Boy." It's such a great song!

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Being with family and friends and enjoying each other while enjoying great food! Oh and the football! Love it!!!

If you're interested in winning an HP Touchsmart Printer, Jolly Mom will be giving one away starting tomorrow.

Enter to win an HP Touchsmart Printer at Jolly Mom!

There's some giveaways that are going on that you might be interested in -

Frosty the Snowman from Build-A-Bear from Here and There - ends 12/5/09

Hoover T-Series Rewind Vacuum at For the Love of Baby - ends 12/20/09

Oreck Halo at The Divine Miss Mommy - ends 12/18

It's another Sunday so it's time to list your giveaways!



Don't forget to stop by Santa's Picks and enter the awesome giveaways over there!

You all are probably going to say that I'm crazy. I'm currently involved in the Holiday Gift Guide at Santa's Picks, I work full time, I'm a single mom, and now I'm telling you about Holiday Hoopla.

Yup, I'm crazy - but I had an overwhelming response for sponsors this year so I'm doing my own event here at A Simple Kinda Life.

The beautiful button is below (thanks Angie!) and the code to put it on your blog is there also - if you grab this button now and post in the comments that you've got it, you'll get 5 extra entries into every Holiday Hoopla giveaway that is posted between December 1st & the 15th. (Remember this only counts as Holiday Hoopla giveaways since I am involved with other companies that sometimes provide products to me - Holiday Hoopla items with clearly be marked.)

Remember to comment here if you've grabbed the button and put it on your blog!

*Updated to five winners, not one!*

Sunsweet Ones:

We’ve all heard about Super Fruits and it seems as though there are new functional fruit trends popping up every day: but what really makes a fruit SUPER? And, what Super Fruits are kid-friendly and don’t cost a fortune? What surprises most people is that some of the most nutritionally dense foods are ones they might already have in their cupboard or fruit bowl, such as prunes. Prunes, or dried plums as they are also known, are truly a SUPER fruit.

The best part? Kids love them! Sunsweet Ones are individually wrapped prunes that are easy to throw in your purse or a lunch box, and kids like the individually wrapped packaging – it’s a sweet treat that’s packed with nutrition. Below is more information on why prunes are so super and you can find information at http://www.pop-a-prune.com.

Sunsweet also partnered with Cheryl Forberg, registered dietitian and nutritionist for "The Biggest Loser" to create an online video on Super Fruit, which can be found on YouTube here.

What makes a Prune SUPER:

* Antioxidant rich. Prunes have a high antioxidant (ORAC) score. Antioxidants help to slow the oxidative damage to our bodies, and many researchers believe that antioxidants slow the aging process.
* Potassium punch. Move over bananas! Ounce for ounce, prunes have more potassium than bananas. Studies have shown potassium helps prevent hypertension and stroke.
* Bone health. A handful of nutrient-rich prunes a day may help bone metabolism and the reversal of bone loss for people with osteoporosis. They may also lead to improved bone formation.
* Low Glycemic Index (GI). Prunes are a low GI food, and therefore help to contribute to a low Glycemic Load diet and can aid in preventing and managing conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and obesity.
* Heart health. Prunes can help play a role in preventing heart disease and chronic diseases because they’re rich in antioxidants, which slow the chemical process of oxidation and protect key cell components from damage.
* Prebiotic power. Prunes naturally contain prebiotics, which stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine. This helps dietary fiber perform well and promotes immune system and digestive health.
* Weight loss. Prunes are a good source of fiber, and this can help keep hunger pangs at bay. As a food component, fiber isn’t absorbed, so it doesn’t contribute calories that’s why high-fiber foods are included in weight loss diets. Plus, four prunes have just 100 calories!

Our Thoughts:

I kept seeing the commercial for Sunsweet Ones and I thought, I wonder if the kids would like those? I hadn't bought them because I thought they would complain. But, when the package arrived for this review, my kids and I both were trying them, and we all love them! They're individually wrapped, so they're easy to take on the go, and they're juicy and sweet! I really enjoy them and so do my kids! Plus they're beyond good for you!

GIVEAWAY

FIVE lucky winners will get the items in the photo above, which includes a coupon for some Sunsweet Ones!

To enter, tell me what benefit of this SUPER fruit you like the most!

Extra entries:
1. Subscribe to this blog.
2. Grab my button (left sidebar)
3. Follow my blog using Google/Blogger.
4. Follow me on Twitter (@pricousins).
5. Tweet about this giveaway, then come back here and leave me the DIRECT URL to your tweet.
6. Blog about this giveaway, then come back here and tell me the link where you did so.

Giveaway is open to US residents and will end at midnight on December 5th.



Disclaimer: This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Sunsweet Ones, who provided the product for review and giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.

Fresh Organic Baby was born in 2008 after the owner's son was born, and he began developing allergies, rashes, and colds. Jeff and Michelle Wilkinson began cutting various products out of their lives, and switched to mostly organic foods. The couple soon realized that many baby products had synthetic perfumes and other allergenics or potentially toxic chemicals.

The parents began realizing, by process of elimination, that their son was allergic to dairy, soy, most synthetic fragrances, petroleum products and sodium laureth sulfate. By this point, Jeff had realized that his desire to protect his own child had become a passion to protect all children from a world of deceptive advertising and toxic chemicals.

Now Fresh Organic Baby is here, for everyone who wants an organic baby product for their loved one.



I say loved one because when I was given the opportunity to review products from Fresh Organic Baby, I decided to review the Velvety Soft Babee Lotion and the Conditioning Shampoo and Wash. Even though my youngest child is 10 and I'm over 30, I've always loved using Baby Lotion and I have been known to buy Baby Shampoo on occasion, because it gets the knots out of your hair more easily, and leaves your hair super soft!

So, for the past few weeks or so, my daughter and I both have been using the Babee Lotion and the Conditioning Shampoo and Wash from Fresh Organic Baby. The lotion is creamy and leaves our skin well hydrated, without any added chemicals! It's made with organic aloe vera, shea butter, avocado and jojoba oils, which work to deeply nourish and shield young, sensitive skin, and Organic white tea and vitamin E, which defend against free radical damage and help keep young skin velvety soft. The Shampoo and Wash leaves my daughter's hair (and mine!) nice and soft and it's easy to brush! The all-in-one formula is made from a special blend of organic oils, soothing emollients and mild cleansers to thoroughly clean and condition.

We both love both of these products and I hope that you'll consider Fresh Organic Baby if you're looking for organic baby products.

GIVEAWAY

A lucky winner will get to try out the two items that we tried out above!

To enter, head to Fresh Organic Baby and check out their products. Then come back here and tell me another product that you'd like to try. (Required entry)

For extra entries:
1. Subscribe to A Simple Kinda Life via email.
2. Follow my blog using Google/Blogger. (bottom of page)
3. Follow me on Twitter (@pricousins).
4. Tweet about this giveaway, then come back here and leave me the DIRECT URL to your Tweet.
5. Blog about this giveaway and come back here and leave a comment with the URL of your Blog Post.
6. Grab my button (left sidebar) and let me know where you put it at.

Giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents and ends on December 5th, 2009, at midnight EST.


Thanks for reading my review and for entering! Good luck!


Disclaimer: This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Fresh Organic Baby, who provided the products for review & giveaway. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.

This post is meant for "Anonymous", who came from Google.com/au to visit me last night and who must have been Googling "Page Rank" and who just happened to come across my post saying that I had lost my Page Rank.

Dear Anonymous,

I'm so sorry to inconvenience you with the time that it took for my blog to load for you. In the amount of time that it took to load my blog, you should have scrolled down and saw my Page Rank had appeared again because I contacted the kind folks at Google. And, after your comment, a reader of mine came by and happened upon the post and told you (which you will probably never see) in response to your statement that Google uses page load time for Page Rank, that Google won't starting doing that until 2010. So you were misinformed, dear Anonymous.

My comments for you, dear anonymous, are very inquisitive. First, how old is the computer you were on? Second - What OS are you using? Third - what browser are you using? My final question is - did you really have to wait ALL That time it took my page to load for you, just to leave a semi-rude comment? If you didn't like how long it took to load, you could have kept it moving!

At the top of my blog it reads that I recommend Firefox while browsing my blog. I personally use both Firefox and Chrome and yes, my blog loads slowly but it's nothing I can't handle. It is definitely much faster than using Internet Explorer!

I'm aware that my blog has issues, and am taking steps to be self-hosted and I will switch to Wordpress soon too. If you kindly comment here, I'll send you an email when I've moved.

Just a tip, dear anonymous - if you don't like how long it takes to load a page, it takes a second only to click on that little "X" in the right hand corner.

I also suggest that if you are still using Internet Explorer (or whatever it is that you use in Australia!) that you jump off of that bandwagon and come back and visit A Simple Kinda Life afterwards!

I blog hop regularly and some blogs load slower than others. It's the luck of the draw. I don't write them a comment and inform them of that - I'm sure they probably already know since we all have THOUSANDS of photos on our blogs! But since I stopped patronizing Microsoft by using their crappy browser, I have barely any problems while blog hopping!

Sincerely,
Angie


P.S. Rude much!?

This post is so overdue I'm almost embarrassed, but I have committments and I must share this review with my readers and anyone else looking for a smartphone.

I've mentioned here in the past that I had gotten a Blackberry Tour 9630 to review. I even shared some photos taken from it in a Wordless Wednesday post or two. (Speaking of, my profile pic to the left was taken with the Tour!)

I'm IN LOVE with this phone and have been for a few months now. No matter what's going on, there is a use for this phone! Email, texting, sending videos and photos, web browsing, using Twitter, updating my Facebook or MySpace status - even getting directions - it can all be done easily from this phone!

I now understand the term "Crackberry". This phone is like my crack! I can't go anywhere without it!

Let's also talk about hands-free use - it's easy to do since there's a neat little button on the side that you push and the lady's voice says "Say a command". You can then tell her to call someone in your contacts or say a number. Be sure to speak clearly, though, because I've had "her" think I was calling a number way different than the one I originally said!

Let me also touch on the photos - I am truely impressed with the quality and clarity of the photos that the Tour takes! I've taken photos while at football practice, trick-or-treating, and all over the place, and they turned out beautiful! And, the only editing I needed to do was to crop the photo, if I so chose to do so.

The Blackberry Tour 9630 is a 3G phone with many capabilities that will have you admitting that you are a Crackberry user!

Earlier this year, I purchased a T-Mobile Sidekick and although at first I loved that phone, I started noticing more and more issues with it, and I am especially glad that I don't use that phone anymore since the "great Sidekick data loss of 2009" - I personally would have been hopping mad! Now I have a better smartphone and it's way cuter too!



In conjuction with this review, I'd like to share with you BlackberryDiaries.net. Kathy Buckworth wrote this HILARIOUS book
titled "The BlackBerry Diaries: Adventures in Modern Motherhood," a year-long blog account of Kathy’s life with her new BlackBerry phone and how, as a mother of four, her two worlds — technology and children — collide. This book is hilarious and I'd love for you to read it - so head over to Santa's Picks to win one of three copies of this book! I literally just finished this book a few weeks back, due to multiple projects, but it was so funny and there were so many things that Kathy wrote about that I could relate to!

I'm a tech junkie - although I can't afford all of the latest and greatest gadgets, I love every single one of them. My wish list is HUGE! I personally can't live without my gadgets! In my purse, you'll find my Creative Vado video camera, my digital camera, as well as my Blackberry! Not one of them will you ever find me without! There's too many opportunities for photos out there and God forbid that I miss one! All of my gadgets enable me to be able to chronicle our lives, in digital form!


Disclaimer: Research in Motion provided me with the books and the Blackberry Tour in the review above. I also received a month of free Verizon cellular phone service in conjunction with this review. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.

I'm a few days late on posting this but it's hectic since I'm back to working 10 hour days again, plus the holidays are coming up and it's a busy time of year for everyone.

New Cellfire coupons were released on 11/17. (Don't know about Cellfire? Read my Cellfire posts and catch up!) Cellfire coupons are most convenient because there's no clipping - you just load them to your Grocery club savings card to stores like ShopRite and Safeway! Pair those with clipped (or printed!) coupons and/or Upromise deals and you can save loads of money!



Pillsbury® Crescents Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Crescent Dinner Rolls.

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any flavor 17.5 OZ. OR LARGER Betty Crocker® Cookie Mix.

Betty Crocker Frosting Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE TUB any flavor/variety Betty Crocker® Frosting.

Betty Crocker Potatoes Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any flavor Box or Pouch Betty Crocker® Potatoes (Except Potato Buds®).

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Save $.50 Save $0.50 when you buy ONE any flavor Betty Crocker® Warm Delights® Bowls OR Betty Crocker® Warm Delights® Minis Bowls.

Bisquick® Save $.60
Save $0.60 when you buy 40 OZ. OR LARGER Original Bisquick® OR Bisquick Heart Smart® Baking Mix.

Chex Mix Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy any flavor 4.5 OZ. OR LARGER Chex Mix® OR Chex® 100 Calorie Snack.

Chex® Cereals Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy any TWO Chex® cereals.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy Cinnamon Toast Crunch® cereal.

Green Giant® Vege's Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO any variety Green Giant® Frozen Boxed Vegetables.

Pillsbury Cookie Dough Save $1
Save $1.00 when you buy TWO PACKAGES any variety Pillsbury® Refrigerated Cookie Dough.

Pillsbury Pie Crusts Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO packages of Pillsbury® Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts .

Pillsbury Refrigerated Grands! Save $.30
Save $0.30 when you buy TWO any size/variety Refrigerated Pillsbury® Grands!® Biscuits.

Pillsbury Savorings® Save $.55
Save $0.55 when you buy any flavor/variety Pillsbury® Savorings® products.

Pillsbury Sweet Rolls Save $.40
Save $0.40 when you buy any TWO Pillsbury® Sweet Rolls OR Grands!® Sweet Rolls.

Progresso® Broth Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy ONE any variety Progresso® Broth.

Progresso® Soups Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy TWO any flavor Progresso® Soups.

Yoplait® Cups Save $.50
Save $0.50 when you buy SIX any variety Yoplait® Yogurt cups (Original, Light, Thick & Creamy, OR Whips!®) OR any flavor Yoplait® Original OR Light Smoothie.

Huggies® Diapers Save $3
Save $3.00 on any two packages of Huggies® Diapers.

Cottonelle® Save $.25
Save $.25 on any ONE (1) 4-pack or Larger COTTONELLE® Toilet Paper.

HOT POCKETS Save $.55
Save $.55 when purchasing 1 box of HOT POCKETS® brand BREAKFAST sandwiches.

Scotch Fur Fighter Save $4 (At Kroger and ShopRite)
Save $4 on a Scotch(tm) Fur Fighter(tm) Hair Remover Starter Kit.

Purina® Dry Cat Food Save $1
Save $1.00 on any one (1) package of Purina® brand Dry Cat Food, any size, any variety.

Purina® Dry Dog Food Save $1
Save $1.00 on any one (1) package of Purina® brand Dry Dog Food, any size, any variety.

Purina® Dog/Cat Treats Save $1
Save $1.00 on two (2) packages of Purina® brand Dog Snacks and/or Cat Treats, any size, any variety.

Nature's Pride Bread Save $.75
Save $0.75 on any one loaf of Nature's Pride® bread.

SELECT 55 6-pack Save $1 (Only available at Vons in the San Diego area)
Save $1.00 when you purchase any one (1) SELECT 55 6-pack.

All coupons are available at Kroger and Safeway (and more - check the site) stores (unless otherwise noted) and will be available until Monday, 11/30 to save to your club card. The expiration for redemption is 12/14.