A Simple Kinda Life

I was recently sent the new set from Carolina Pad's new brand Studio C to review. It's called  Spring Break and I love it (so does my daughter)!

I used to be a VERY organized person, then a few years ago, I just stopped caring. Now that I've moved, my goal is to be more organized and maintain that level of organization. There were days that I couldn't find my own daughter's birth certificate, and from the day that I received the title to my car, until recently, I didn't know where it was!

Being organized is very important for both adults and children alike - it helps relieve stress because there's not a bunch of clutter around, and if you are looking for something, you are more likely to know where it is, therefore, saving time and energy!

I've actually won a Carolina Pad prize package from another blog a few months back and this is my first actual review. I've always loved Carolina Pad products and was so excited when I was contacted for this review!

The products I received for this review were as follows:

• 2 Road Trip sprial-less notebooks - MSRP $1.75 each
• 2 Road Trip personal notebooks - MSRP $1.99 each
• 2 Road Trip two-pocket folders - MSRP $.99 each

all of the above products are in the photo in the beginning of the post

Going along with the Road Trip theme, I've been asked to write about my favorite Road Trip or spring break memories.

Quite a few years ago, I went on a trip to Florida with my then-boyfriend. We drove from here (Maryland) all the way to Florida. We took about 4 days, I believe, because we kept stopping and seeing various sites. I really enjoyed visiting Myrtle Beach, Jacksonville, and Orlando. I also enjoyed Daytona Beach - we arrived there during Bike Week and there was so much activity! The beaches that we visited in Florida were beautiful and the water was warm! (and let's not forget the sights on the beach too!)

I've only flown once and I'd still choose driving over flying any day! There's so much more to see that way! In my opinion, road trips are the way to go!


GIVEAWAY


Carolina Pad wants to give one lucky reader the same set I received above! 


To enter, visit Carolina Pad, then come back here and share with us a memory you have of a spring break or of a road trip!


For extra entries, please view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.

*For this contest only, you can also gain extra entries by becoming a fan of Carolina Pad on Facebook, and by following Carolina Pad on Twitter. 

*Use this custom tweet to tweet out this giveaway: Review and Giveaway: Carolina Pad - Road Trip: http://bit.ly/92VmQK @carolinapad @pricousins


This giveaway will end at noon EST on April 12, 2010.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the product named above 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 probably the 5th review and/or giveaway I've done on yogurt here on my blog! All of you must think that's all I eat, but the truth is that I LOVE it and, YES, I do eat other things! 

MyBlogSpark recently sent me 4 cups of Yoplait Greek Yogurt and a $20 Gift Card to Giant. They sent me two cups of the strawberry flavor and two cups of the blueberry flavor. Both of them tasted good, but to be honest, I'll stick with my regular yogurt! I'm not exactly positive about what's the difference between "Greek" yogurt and other types of yogurt that I normally eat (is that known as "American" yogurt?) but I did notice a texture that I wasn't too sure if I was comfortable with...

I do know that Yoplait Greek Yogurt has 0 grams fat and 130 calories, along with 12 grams of protein. (The information I received said that the amount of protein in this yogurt is 2 times that of leading yogurt!)

Yoplait Greek Yogurt comes in four flavors: Strawberry, Blueberry, Honey, and Plain. You can save thirty cents on one cup of Yoplait Greek yogurt by printing this coupon right now!

Like I said above, I prefer regular yogurt to this yogurt, but if that's all there was in the house, I would still eat it. Plus, the amount of protein in this yogurt is quite high and may make me change my mind!

GIVEAWAY


One lucky winner will win a prize pack from MyBlogSpark that contains 4 coupons for FREE Yoplait Greek yogurt, along with a $20 Gift Card to your local Giant grocery store!


To enter, tell me which flavor of this yogurt you'd most like to try. 


For extra entries, please view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.

(You can use this custom tweet to tweet out this giveaway: "Review and Giveaway: Yoplait Greek Yogurt and $20 Gift Card to Giant: http://bit.ly/dcCchi @pricousins")

This giveaway will end on April 12th, 2010, at noon EST.

Disclaimer: Yoplait, Giant, and MyBlogSpark provided the product named above for me to review, as well as information for this post and an additional gift pack to give away to one of my readers.

Good evening! The latest winners have been drawn!

The winner of the mirra giveaway is:

Life Is A SandCastle
March 20, 2010 6:36 AM  
http://twitter.com/lifesandcastle/status/10767692743

The winner of the Betty Crocker fruit snacks giveaway is:

ANGELA
March 12, 2010 2:39 PM  
twitter follow alh1203

The winner of the Mind Over Money by Dr. Brad Klontz book Giveaway is:

Peggy
March 14, 2010 10:13 AM  
subscriber

The winner of the H&R Block Tax At Home Software giveway is:

catss99
March 19, 2010 1:54 AM  
folow on twitter under catss99

Congrats to all of you! I'm emailing you all now!



Thanks to everyone who entered and to the sponsors who provided review and giveaway items.

I love a good contest! I'm a big sweeper at heart, and that's why I want to share this contest with you today!

If there is anyone deserving of a pick-me-up, it's certainly Moms! With our demanding schedules and sometimes sleepless nights, it's no wonder that some Moms set their coffee makers to automatic brew. If you're one of the many Moms who rely on a caffeine boost to jumpstart your day, you might be familiar with an organization that consistently delivers quality java- 100% Colombian Coffee.
 
100% Colombian Coffee is found in numerous brands of coffee because demanding consumers the world over are aware of the importance of its origin. So next time you are shopping for coffee, look for the 100% Colombian Coffee logo - your guarantee to the "richest coffee in the world."
 
Coffee drinker or not, you definitely don't want to miss out on the 100% Colombian Coffee "See What's Behind the Best" sweepstakes. By visiting www.whatsbehindthebest.com, you'll have the opportunity to learn about the philosophy behind 100% Colombian Coffee and enter to win great prizes. The grand prize is $10,000!



There's more! You might have the chance to meet Juan Valdez and his mule, Conchita and taste 100% Colombian Coffee - the richest coffee in the world. They will be embarking on a tour across the United States starting March 2nd in New York City. Click here to see when he is coming to your city!


If you enter, Good Luck!

Disclaimer: I am sharing this contest with my readers on behalf of MomSelect. I was not paid in any manner for sharing this contest, but I was entered into a contest just by posting this information.

I'm pretty much what you would call a "Stickler", in all sense of the word, and one thing I am very picky about it how my toilet paper is on the roll. I know this sounds funny but it's true! I HAVE to have my toilet paper "over" - if it's "under", it drives me crazy! At home, if the kids or someone puts a new roll on and they put it "under", I HAVE to switch it! Of course I don't do this if I'm visiting someone's home but it really bothers me no matter where I am! It just seems like you can grasp and tear the paper better if it's over!


Cottonelle recently had a poll going on at www.RollPoll.com and over 70% of Americans said they "roll over"!



In response to the Roll Poll results, Cottonelle brand developed a new softer, stronger toilet paper, designed to roll with everyone's preferences. As a long time Cottonelle toilet paper user, I appreciate that they understand that quality, softness and durability all matter to many Moms like me. What better way to announce the results of this great debate than to make a product I love even better!


Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Cottonelle and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

It's March, but already, many of us have on our minds how our kids will spend their summers. While weekend trips and play-dates with friends can keep our children occupied for short periods of time, we often struggle to develop fun and engaging activities for younger kids or older children who haven't locked into a yearly tradition of sleep-away or sports camps.

Realizing how much kids crave summer adventures as it enables them to engage in a variety of activities, KinderCare Summer Camp surveyed nearly 3,000 kids to see how they would like to spend their summers. So what exactly did kids want? It turns out they had some strong ideas- they wanted adventures, arts and crafts, and trips- activities which often fall beyond the reach of busy Moms.

KinderCare responded by partnering with teachers to design a nationwide summer camp program to provide kids with new and interesting activities pertaining to their interests. They developed 12 unique week-long day camps with themes including Wild, Wild West, Wilderness 101, Dig Ancient Egypt, You've Got Talent!, Puppeteer Road Show, Gross & Gooey Science, Spectacular Sports, Animal Antics, Science Adventures, Art Expo, Kids' Kitchen, Splish Splash, Surfs Up!, and Everyday Heroes. Whether you have an avid athlete, a budding scientist, or both, they can find something cool within KinderCare's Summer Camps to engage their time. The weeklong timeframe of the camps also gives Moms the flexibility to sign their kids up for as few or many sessions as they'd like.


With approximately 1,700 centers located in 39 states and the District of Columbia, KinderCare Learning Centers, an accredited early childhood provider, offer a range of educational programs and after-school care for infants as young as six weeks old to school-aged children through age 12. Run by specially trained, passionate teachers who fully embrace a balanced approach to learning, KinderCare Learning Centers aim to educate and entertain children within nurturing environment, and encourage strong communication between families and teachers. 

When I was growing up, my mom stayed home and my dad worked. It went on like this until I was in my teens. Therefore, I didn't go to Summer Camp, and I don't recall many of the kids I grew up around going either. It didn't ever cross my mind! I wish I had now, though, because of all of the activities that are offered at Summer Camps, especially KinderCare's!

Now that I'm a single mom of 3, summer camps are an essential part of our lives. Summer camp keeps the kids busy and out of trouble. I was fortunate enough to work on our local Army base, so I was eligible to use their Summer Camp, which went by my income. The best part was that the kids had field trips each week, to places like HersheyPark, Six Flags, and Dutch Wonderland for the smaller kids. They also went swimming twice a week and did various other activities during the week. I've never sent them to a KinderCare Summer Camp, mainly because I can't afford most summer camps on one income, but with the weekly themes and activities, it would be great to be able to send them to one! I'm sure that my son would love the Spectacular Sports Camp, and my daughter would surely love the Art Expo, as well as many more of the programs that KinderCare offers!


Have you ever sent your kids to Summer Camp? Did they like it?



Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of KinderCare and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

As I mentioned in my last post, I LOVE holiday cartoons and movies! They're my 2nd favorite part of the holiday!  The video Here Comes Peter Cottontail is no exception! I remember watching this as a child and my daughter and I watched it yesterday! She loved it as much as I did and boy, did it bring back some memories for me!

About Here Comes Peter Cottontail:

Synopsis:
Peter Cottontail wants to be the #1 Chief Easter Bunny and everyone in April Valley agrees…except for his archrival, evil Irontail. Hop along with Peter and his friends as they race through time celebrating all of your favorite holidays to deliver the most eggs…and save Easter for children everywhere!

SRP: $9.93
iTunes: $7.99 

This is a great story with a great storyline! You and your children will enjoy this DVD as much as we did!

On behalf of the sponsor of this review & giveaway, we have three coloring sheets to share with you!


Sheet 1


Sheet 2


Sheet 3

*Please note: When you click on the above links, you can click on the photo itself and the sheet will open in another window as just the coloring sheet that you can print.



GIVEAWAY


One of you will win a copy of this DVD to add to your DVD collection!


To enter, tell me another favorite holiday cartoon or movie! 


For extra entries,  view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.


This giveaway will end on 4/10/10 at noon EST. Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Thanks for entering, and good luck!



Disclaimer: This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for The Morris + King Company for Classic Media, who supplied the DVD for review and giveaway.

I remember that when I was a kid, for every holiday that came along, I looked forward to the holiday-specific cartoons or movies that always came on. I actually still do (unless I forget)!

That's why I'm happy to present to you today a giveaway for the DVDs Bugs Bunny Easter Funnies



and The First Easter Bunny!



I've always loved Bugs Bunny (who doesn't?!)! I can't quite remember The First Easter Rabbit, but I'm sure when I receive the DVD, and watch it, I'll remember it!

About these DVDs:

Synopsis: Academy Award winner Burl Ives narrates this fanciful, tuneful and color-splashed animated tale of The First Easter Rabbit.  That Rabbit is Stuffy, a cuddly toy who magically comes to life.  Stuffy goes to Easter Valley - an enchanted place where it's always springtime - where he hopes to bring the first-ever basket of Easter goodies to children.  But a cold-hearted ice creature named Zero refuses to permit such happiness.  If he has his way, he'll freeze out Easter celebrations forever!

 First Easter Rabbit Deluxe Edition Video Clip Name: “The Situation”:



You can find both of these DVDs at  www.kidswb.com.

GIVEAWAY

There will be TWO winners for this giveaway! One winner will win the Bugs Bunny Easter Funnies DVD and another person will win the First Easter Rabbit DVD!

To enter to win, tell me another favorite holiday movie or cartoon! 

For extra entries, view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.

This giveaway will end on 4/8/10 at noon EST.  US Residents only, please.

Thanks for entering and Good luck!

Disclaimer: I will be sent the products named above 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.

One of my favorite places to shop is Rite Aid! So, I'm sharing this press release with you on behalf of Rite Aid!

Happy Easter!


Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any manner for sharing this information with my readers. The photo is linked to my Amazon.com affiliate account, and if someone to purchase this item, I would earn a commission.

I recently was sent a copy of Reach Out by Human Nature.  I'm a big R&B lover, and Human Nature has reprised many old Motown songs on Reach Out, so I knew I would enjoy this CD!

About Human Nature:


“Human Nature are amazing!" - Michael Jackson

“Wonderful vocalists who really know how to entertain a crowd.” - Celine Dion


Track Listing:
        
Reach Out I’ll be There         
You Keep Me Hangin’ On           
Baby I Need Your Loving          
I Heard It Through The Grapevine           
Get Ready w/Smokey Robinson           
The Way You Do The Things You Do w/The Temptations           
My Girl           
Stop! In The Name Of Love
ABC            
You Are The Everything           
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough           
Uptight (Everything’s Alright)          
Twenty-Five Miles           
Dancing In The Street         
Ooo Baby Baby           
            
Barnes & Noble Bonus Track:                       
River Deep Mountain High w/Mary Wilson of The Supremes 

I grew up on most of these songs and I was a HUGE Supremes fan so I've really enjoyed this CD! Human Nature is a great group and this is a feel-good CD that gets me jamming out! You gotta hear this for yourself! Check out their video of "Baby I Need Your Loving":



Connect with Human Nature on Facebook.

GIVEAWAY




To enter, tell me what song of the songs listed above in the track listing is your favorite and if it brings back any special memories for you! For me, these songs remind me of lazy, summer days spent with my grandparents! 


For extra entries, view my Giveaway Rules, updated 2/2/10.

Giveaway is open to US Residents only.

Thanks for entering, and good luck!

Disclaimer: I was sent the product named above 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.

• Brand’s first ever product line formulated specifically for men’s needs
• Provides the cleansing and refreshment that men want combined with Dove moisturizers to provide total skin comfort
• Built on the Dove brand’s heritage in cleansing, moisturizing and care
• Clinically proven to fight skin dryness
• No irritation or tightness
• Dermatologist recommended

• Official site www.Dovemencare.com

• Clean Comfort
• Extra Fresh
• Deep Clean

Thanks for entering and Good luck!

Disclaimer:This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Dove Men + Care , who supplied the Body Wash and Soap for 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.

Oh my... where do I start?! I had to start a new blog called I Attract Stalkers. See, I have this sister, who reads my tweets when they're unprotected and she goes to my blog. She's been blocked from seeing my Tweets and from my blog, so to see my blog she logs out of Twitter, and goes to my blog from the links there.

We don't speak - she doesn't like how I told her how she's selfish and uncaring because she never returns my phone calls (even when I was in the hospital). So we go at it every now and then.

(I guess I'm just supposed to accept how someone treats me instead of speaking my mind.)

Well, I got her IP from my statcounter software and saw that she visits my blog quite regularly. So after emailing her again yesterday to stay off of my blog, I decided the easiest way to keep her off of my blog is to create a private blog for my personal posts, until I can get my own domain and hosting.

If you want to be invited to read this other blog, shoot me an email.

Reviews and giveaways will remain on this blog. Wordless Wednesday and all personal posts will go to I Attract Stalkers.

As you may or may not know, I am a Purex Insider. This means I got to try the new  Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets when they came out, and I get various emails to share with my readers here on my blog.


I received this email today:

Purex® Complete 3-in-1™ Laundry Sheets have been chosen to receive the first-ever Circle of Excellence award from Family Circle magazine! Their editors and moms put this new laundry innovation to the test; and as a result, Purex was awarded the seal because of its quality, value, and overall performance – exceeding efficacy standards in the laundry room.


The full list of award winners will be announced in the April 17th issue of Family Circle – out on newsstands March 23rd - but we wanted to give the early scoop.

 You can still get a sample of the 3-in-1 sheets at trypurex.com.  Check out their new advertisment here.




Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any manner for sharing this information with my readers. 

With Blockbuster Express™, you can rent DVDs online for only $1 per night at blockbusterexpress.com and you don't even need a membership to do it.   Through the rent online feature at blockbusterexpress.com, you can create a favorites list, browse available movies at your preferred kiosk, complete the rental of up to three movies at once online and then pick up the DVDs from the kiosk at your convenience. Now you can spend less time renting and more time enjoying your DVDs with your family. Start planning your next movie night tonight! BLOCKBUSTER Express offered a special Rent One Get One Free coupon code for MomSelect members to use and share with all of your friends, family and followers. The coupon code is 555G13B.         When you rent a movie at the regular price using the code in the banner above*, you'll receive the first night's rental on the second movie FREE. This offer expires on 3/31 so make sure to take advantage of it soon and encourage your friends to do the same!   So what are you waiting for? Head on over to blockbusterexpress.com to check out their great new releases! From family friendly features like The Princess and The Frog and The Blind Side to date night picks like Twilight: New Moon and Did You Hear About the Morgans?, there's sure to be a title for even the pickiest movie watcher! For all of the latest news on BLOCKBUSTER Express you can follow them on Twitter and on Facebook.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for posting this, but by doing so, I have been entered into a contest to win a $250 Visa Gift Card. The opinions expressed above are solely my own and yours may differ. Receiving a product will NEVER influence what I write in any review.

UPDATED for 2nd McCormick winner - because - well, I'm kind of out of it as of late!

Because I love you all each as I love my family, and I know you are sitting with bated breath, waiting to find out if you won a giveaway, I'm taking time out of my hectic and busy life to post some winners today!

Congratulations to the following winners of the following items!

McCormick Spice Giveaway - Cindy, aka @getalonghome AND Peggy Gorman, who always wins here because she always enters!

LadybugsNButterflies Giveaway - Mframe

Congrats ladies! I'm busy today so I'm going to tweet you and let you know you've won!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

And don't forget - the mirra giveaway ends today and check out the other giveaways on my left sidebar!

Have a blessed day!

Today my youngest daughter is 11! Happy birthday baby girl!

The photo above is from a couple of weeks ago, when she was trying on my shades! Cool gal!

Birthday photos coming soon - the party is this weekend!

Good morning!

As you know from my recent posts, I have to move. I started moving on Friday and was hoping to be done yesterday. Due to lack of help (just my kids and I and a friend) and the use of a truck only one day, I wasn't able to get it all done. So... hopefully I'll be done today or tomorrow. When I can post some winners, I will, and I have some more giveaways to post!

Stay tuned...

Last night, I had two of my blogging friends contact me about a Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop. I'm totally into this because for every blog post, Hershey's is donating $10 to CMN. This starts on Thursday, March 18th and ends April 4th.

Here's the rules for the Hop:

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
* Create a blog post of giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger - you
can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them
a Basket.
* Leave your link at http://betterbasket.info/bloghop/ where you can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s.
* Hershey's is donating 10$ per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog
Hop to Children's Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written
by April 4th, 2010).
* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

Andrea at Moody Mama Says left me a virtual basket and I'm giving one to the following people:

Erin at Pyle of Love

Stacie at The Divine Miss Mommy

Leigh at C Cubed

and

Kayla at The Eclectic Element.

While you're here, please stop by and see Connie Roberts' story on what she did to Pay It Forward!


*Even if I didn't tag you, you are welcome to take the above graphic and post this post on your blog and tag whomever you'd like - we'd love to have you participate for a great cause!

In conjunction with a review I posted the other day on Scene It? 80s, you can win a copy of Scene It? 80s for yourself over at The Game Review Network! This giveaway will end on 3/27 so hurry! And Good luck!