Archives for May 2012

#Lenovo speaker M0520 (sponsored post)

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Lenovo. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you are looking for a convenient, easy to attach speaker at a great price, check out the Lenovo M0520.  This Lenovo speaker is a 2.0 speaker system and contains built-in amplifiers.  Looking for a good deal, too? From 5/15 to 5/21, the Lenovo speaker will be on sale for $11.99.  Pretty decent price, considering that it can be attached to your laptop or desktop computer. You can also use it with a smartphone and MP3 player.  It’s so easy to buy online and have it shipped directly to your front door.  Don’t be fooled by the small size, either.  These speakers promise a bold high-quality sound.  Our desktop is always cluttered with papers, toys, and the like.  Compact speakers like the Levono would be a welcome change from the bulky ones that now sit here!  One thing I’d love to see would be a way to wall-mount these.  I wonder if you could put those white velcro mounting strips on the back of these to stick them to the desk hutch or the wall?   Hmmmm, I think I might try! [Read more…]

On My Bookshelf: The Take-Charge Patient by Martine Ehrenclou

Recently I found out that I have a health condition that has few symptoms or warning signs.  My family doctor caught the clues in the results of a blood sample, and referred me to a specialist.  I feel a bit like a pinball being bounced around from doctors to labs to hospital.  In the end, who is really concerned about MY health?  ME!   I am still unsure about the decisions being made and the recommendations from my doctor.   In a society that tends to cater to the victim, The Take-Charge Patient empowers ME to be proactive in finding the best medical care I can get. I received this book to review.  The Take-Charge Patient provides insider information that is a powerful resource for patients and caregivers alike.  This book was really inspiring for me.  It encouraged me to take the initiative and not to be afraid to be my own advocate.  I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to take charge of his/her medical care, whether by necessity or as a preventative measure.

Reading The Take-Charge Patient is like being an observer at dozens of doctor’s visits or conversations.  The margins and footers are filled with quotes and tips from health professionals and patients.  The table of contents is a great way to get started—find a chapter that applies to you and be ready with a highlighter, because there will definitely be some information you’ll want to remember.  You can download the first chapter to see  just what I mean! [Read more…]

Friday Freebie: Lots of new and repeat freebies for your Nook!

As always, I love to post free NookBook downloads on Friday.  This week there are several that I haven’t seen for free lately, so I hope you’ll find at least one that you like!
Please be sure to check that the book is still free before you click “download.”  The prices change so quickly!  Enjoy these new and repeat freebies.

Thrifty Thursday: My husband saved money on fixing the mower!

It must be a guy thing.  My husband is always looking at lawnmowers and tractors even though he has a perfectly good riding mower AND a pushmower in the garage.  Maybe it’s a little like me going shoe shopping?

Anyway.  We were at a yard sale this weekend and my husband got all giddy about a dirty old pushmower he found.  Apparently it was a gold mine.  I couldn’t see what he possibly had in store with this thing.  Once we got in the car, he explained how valuable it was for its parts.  He was planning to install the bagger on his current mower, and save the wheels in case his ever needed to be replaced.  He also salvaged the blade which was in excellent shape.  Overall, he said it was worth almost $200 in replacement parts.  WOW.  I so did not see that coming.  When we got home he showed me how the bagger fits perfectly on his current mower, and now all he has to do is buy the bag.  I am SO impressed.  Not only did he save the mower from being put in a landfill or junk yard, he was saving money on repairing his current mower.  So proud of him!

So if you have trouble getting your guy to go to yard sales with you on the weekends, give him an epiphany.  Just be prepared to have an old lawnmower riding home with you!

CLOSED #SavorySummer Giveaway: PaperChef and Urban Accents (ends 5/30)

I’m so glad you’re hear for the 2012 Savory Summer blog-hopping giveaway event! This event is hosted by the Measuring Flower, Graphoniac, and many other blogs to bring you food-related giveaways (each worth at least $25).  In addition,Nostalgia Electrics and Ella’s Kitchen, our grand-prize sponsors, are offering prizes worth over $100 each! You can enter to win one or both grand prizes HERE.

 Savings in Seconds is proud to partner with PaperChef to bring you an amazing way to save calories, time, and effort in the kitchen!  PaperChef parchment products are an amazing culinary secret that I recently read about and HAD to try. They sent me an assortment of items to review. Basically, you can use parchment for your cooking and baking and minimize the amounts of butter and oils that you need for the dish.  Initially, I wanted to try the cooking bags because they reminded me of the foil-dinners that were so popular a few years ago.  What I liked even more about PaperChef was that I didn’t have scorched food stuck to the packet when we were ready to eat.  Plus, it just looked more gourmet.  And the price!!  So reasonable that you just don’t even have to justify buying it. I don’t know if I’m just crazy or what, but the food even seemed to taste better after cooking it in the parchment. It will save you time on clean-up too.    I also found that PaperChef has different sized muffin cups.  They are so great for baking cupcakes and muffins—-again, no-stick and they peel off the muffins so easily.  I feel like I’ve entered a whole new world!   Check the store locator to see where PaperChef is available in your area.  I love the recipes that are on the PaperChef site. They are so simple yet beautiful.  Plus when you bake it in a PaperChef parchment product, it looks rustic and so homey.  As I said, it just made my food taste better! 

We are also thrilled to be working with Urban Accents to bring you the best in Dryglazes for your grilling pleasure this summer. I reviewed the Athenian Herb and Santa Fe BBQ Dryglazes.


Each of these recipes had a different flavor that was just delicious.  I’m not good at picking out which flavors work together, so it was really helpful to have the ingredients already blended for me.  The Dryglaze is super easy to use.  Basically, you just coat your meat with a bit of oil and shake it in a bag with the packet of Dryglaze.  You do need to allow it to sit for about half an hour (which I neglected on the first try….I figured it out the second time ’round and it worked much better!)  You can then grill the meat or roast it.  Either way your taste buds will thank you.    My favorite was the Santa Fe BBQ.  I’ve already got my eye on a few other flavors and looking forward to trying something new.  Urban Accents made me look like a good cook, so I can’t blow my cover now!! 



For this giveaway, the winner will receive the entire line of PaperChef products and one of each Urban Accents Dryglaze flavors. The prize package retails for approximately $51.50.  The giveaway ends May 30, so don’t delay!  It’s open to US readers of Savings in Seconds who are ages 18+.  Good luck! 

Disclosure: Facebook is in no way affiliated with the Savory Summer event, its hosts, its sponsors, or its participating bloggers. The hosts (Measuring Flower and Graphoniac) are not responsible for event sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. I received product samples from PaperChef and Urban Accents for review purposes. No other compensation was provided. The opinions stated are 100% my own.

Summer Camps in and around Asheville, NC

This post is brought to you by Carolina Summer Camps.
If you have an active child, chances are you’re scrambling to figure out what to do this summer to keep your busy one….well, busy!   Have you considered a summer camp?   It can be surprisingly affordable and so rewarding.  I remember going to summer camp nearly every summer when I was a child, and those are some of the best memories of my childhood.  I made lifelong friends there, and the impact on my life was extraordinary. What an amazing gift to give your child! 

Local camps and activities can sometimes be hard to find.  If you’re in the North Carolina areas of Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem, you are in luck because the camp sites have been compiled for you!  Visit Carolina Summer Camps for a wealth of information including website links and contact numbers.   The site is very easy to navigate, so you can easily find whatever you’re looking for. [Read more…]

Going camping? Check out this NookBook download.

This NookBook is a free download, great for those who are going RVing or camping this summer!

I added lots of new NookBook freebies to my Pinterest page. You can follow by clicking over there ——>

Be sure to check that it’s still free before you download!

CLOSED #EclosBeauty review and giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Recently I received a sample kit of éclos Skin Care   to try for a week.  These products feature apple stem cells to help aging skin behave like younger skin.  This technology can help to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and tired skin.  The products are based on plant resources.  These ingredients (such as green tea, chamomile, and willow bark) have anti-inflammatory properties, hydrate skin, firm the skin and encourage cell turnover, and boost collagen.  I always like to use products that are plant-based because my sensitive skin seems to work better with those.
In my sample kit there was one sample size of each of the following:

  • Facial Cleanser Skin Prep
  • Cellular Activator Face Serum
  • Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream
  • Restorative Eye Cream
  • Instant Radiance Facial Scrub
  • Skin Renewal Clay Mask
  • eclos Terry Cloth Head Band
  • Coupon for $3 off Eclos skin care purchase [Read more…]

On My Bookshelf: Sleeping Naked After 40

For the record, I’m not quite 40.

But I’m close enough to already need this book.

I’ve told you before about the author of this great series, Rosie Battista.  She also wrote Cooking Naked After 40, which I thought was fabulous!!   Well, Rosie sent me a copy of Sleeping Naked After 40 and I think it’s just as amazing.   You know your skinny friend who always looks fantastic, seemingly without effort?  Imagine if she wrote a book telling you how to do the same thing.  That’s what Sleeping Naked After 40 is like.  It’s kind of a mix between a journal, cookbook, and pep talk sprinkled with some fun anecdotes.  I love it. You start by making a commitment to your body….to yourself.  The book helps you to hold to that commitment.  You DESERVE to feel and look great. Let Rosie help you get there! [Read more…]

$15 Plum District dollars when you try Netflix!

If you haven’t yet subscribed to Netflix, this is a good time to give it a try.
You can get $15 in Plum District dollars for starting your free 30-day trial. This is by far the best incentive I’ve seen (even through Swagbucks and similar sites!)  Even if you cancel your subscription, this is still a money maker.

Just click here to sign up or sign in with Plum District, then you’ll see the Netflix deal on the national scrollbar.   Read the fine print to make sure you’re okay with it.

We use Netflix ALL THE TIME.  We rarely watch regular TV anymore, we just use the Instant Streaming option to watch on our tv.  I love the convenience of watching an entire season of a show at once.  Netflix even keeps track of which episode you’re ready for!  My husband and I have date-night-in all the time, we just keep movies and shows in our instant queue to watch on the weekends.  There are so many kids shows and movies available that we don’t buy DVDs very often anymore, so it’s really a big savings for us.  We subscribe to the one DVD at a time plan, although honestly I could probably change to streaming only.

(Disclosure:  The link above is my referral link.  The opinions shared here are 100% mine.)

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