This post is brought to you by the author of The Monarch of Tall Pines Pool. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Welcome to the Super Dad Giveaway hosted by MamaNYC.

So do you know a super dad?  Honor him this Father’s Day with a prize from Savings in Seconds.  In this prize package, one lucky dad will win 2 copies of The Monarch of Tall Pines Pool. This way, the lucky dad can read the book with his children. When reading together, it’s always nice to have two copies so that each reader can see the words. In this book the illustrations are hand-drawn by the author so it’s also a treat to look at those.  Additionally, I found this book to be an exciting description of a fishing trip.  When Jeff and his grandfather go out in search of a legendary fish, it’s an amazing adventure.   The story is sure to be the inspiration for dad to share some stories from his childhood days.  [Read more…]

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/FastMetabolismDiet.  The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I haven’t really been a dieter in the past. I used to have a “normal” weight of 115. Regardless of what I ate, my weight stayed pretty constant. As life went on and I had more stress, the weight started to pad on my body little by little. Five pounds didn’t seem like a big deal until I had ignored the five pounds every year for five years. About ten years ago my husband and I decided to trim ourselves up. We exercised, ate right, and focused on living a healthier lifestyle. Around that time, I stopped at a small boutique that I hadn’t visited in a while. The owner, who I had known for years, was stunned when she saw me. She said, “you’ve lost a whole person!” Until then, I didn’t realize how much weight I had gained. I knew I was heavier than I needed to be, but the change didn’t seem drastic.

Fast forward ten years and two kids later. The weight is back on with a vengeance. I have been through rounds of steroids for medical conditions. My body is as stocky as a workhorse, with thick thighs and a couple of chins. My stomach hasn’t been tight since my c-sections. I get so exhausted during the day that I feel like I might fall asleep if I sit down. That’s why I was so interested in reading The Fast Metabolism Diet. The days of weighing 115 pounds and eating without guilt seem like another life. [Read more…]

This post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I’m excited to see a really good freebie today for Nook download.  The Lost Code is often mentioned along with Divergent and Percy Jackson series.  I loved both of those stories, so I know this will be a winner for me.   It’s still $8.02 on Kindle but I wouldn’t be surprised if the price goes down now that it’s free on Nook.  As always, please verify that any of the posted books are free before you click submit.  The prices change so frequently that I don’t always have them updated here! [Read more…]

This post contains an affiliate link. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

I don’t post very often about freebies but that doesn’t mean that I don’t scope them out.   I love me some freebies, especially on things that I already want!!

Here’s my first fave.  I recently heard about this new product that’s a timesaver and moneysaver in itself.  Have you seen the Voesh manicure hand mask and foot mask?  Check out their Facebook page; the first 500 people to like their page receive a free gift.  Be sure to email them (or message) with your mailing address and specify which kind of gift you want to try—for your hands or feet.   As of the time of this post, they were well under 200 likes, so you might have time to grab the deal.

Next, we have the Quiznos offer from Plink.  New Plink members get a free $10 gift card with a $10 purchase from Quiznos.  [Read more…]

This post is brought to you by Beauty Box 5. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.
I’m always happy to see that little blue box in the mail.  Getting these fun samples to try is a special treat each month.  For less than $12 shipped per month, I love getting to try some new brands and products that I might not have seen otherwise. [Read more…]

Are you an avid reader?  Check out the Tyndale Summer Reading program.  It’s free to join and there’s no commitment involved.  When you read books and review them (either on your blog, a retailer’s site, or on social media) you earn points.  After only 5 points, you earn a free book!! Plus participating in the program makes you eligible to win several giveaways.  I’d love to win the gift card toward free books!  I’d give it to my mother-in-law or sister-in-law, both of whom love to read as much as I do.   Consider sharing the information with your reader friends at work, church, or in your family so everyone can participate.  You could do this totally free, too.  Borrow the books from a friend or the library if you wish.  The only requirement is reading and reviewing the books, then submitting proof that you shared your review.  Easy as pie!

I noticed that several of the books on the summer reading list have been recent freebies on Nook and Kindle.  [Read more…]

Our town is filled with runners. It used to be unusual to see anyone out and about before 8:00 AM on the weekends. My kids never sleep in, especially not on weekends, so we are usually headed out well before 8:00 AM to get some breakfast or visit the Farmer’s Market. When I started seeing people running on the sidewalks a couple of years ago, I didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t common but yes, I had heard of runners. When a co-worker visited me while I was on maternity leave and she had shed tons of weight, she told me she had taken up running. Okay…..why? I just couldn’t fathom why anyone would run by choice. That was four years ago.   These days I can barely drive down the road without having to stop because a herd of runners is crossing the street. Seriously, it’s really getting out of hand. I am a self-proclaimed couch potato and realize that my lazy ways need to change. It’s just that those runners intimidate me. They’re all sleek, shiny, and much less jiggly than is healthy.   They wear shiny cool shoes like the Electricity Boost Running shoes from adidas.  I might just be inspired to run if I had some cool shoes like this.   And here is the best part, adidas is offering free shipping through 6/14/13.  Maybe if I get hubby a pair for Father’s Day he might avoid mowing the grass in these.  Running is starting to be on my radar now that my daughter is getting into it. [Read more…]

Welcome to the Green Your Summer Giveaway Event! Blogging Mamas Network along with many other bloggers worked together to make sure your grass isn’t all that is green this summer. Each blogger in this giveaway hop is bringing readers a great green prize to win. You have until June 13th to enter, so be sure to hop around to them all and find great eco-friendly products to help you go green! While you’re hopping, be sure to enter the TWO Grand Prizes for a chance to Green Your Summer for Mom and Baby! You’ll find prizes including a Lunette Menstrual Cup, Amber Necklace and Bracelet Set, a Merino Wool Sleepsack, re-usable Snack Pouches, and earth-friendly Vinyl Wall Decals from Walls Need Love. Sounds like a summer to remember, right?

[Read more…]

Special thanks to Publishers Clearing House for sponsoring today’s discussion. The opinions shared in this post are 100% mine.

I was 23 years old, newly married, and working my first “real” job when I first realized that it was possible for a “normal person” to be a millionaire. The commercials on TV where people won a million dollars didn’t seem like they could possibly be real. My husband and I met with a financial adviser who explained how we could save for retirement. By dedicating money to a certain account each month, investing wisely, and being frugal we could save a million dollars in 30 years.  At the time that sounded like such an unreal amount of money. Who would ever NEED one million dollars? We should be able to live on a fraction of that amount. We joked about saving our first million and then going on to many more.

Well, times have changed and I have learned a lot since that afternoon.

[Read more…]

This post was brought to you by the Hapimomi app.  I was compensated for my time; the opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Some things need to stay in the family.  You can fill in the blanks with your own personal experience, but there are some things that the rest of the world just doesn’t need to know about.    A good rule of thumb:  If the information isn’t good for all of your child’s teachers to know, it probably shouldn’t be featured on your status update either.   Once you post that questionable comment, the information will spread like wildfire to the ends of the earth.  You can delete it but who knows what nimrod took a screenshot?  Sure, you can send a “private” message, but it’s a real pain to try to message each person of your immediate family to tell them to be home by 6 since you’re making their favorite pot roast.   Facebook eats messages sometimes, plus your kids might not get the message.  At school the Facebook app might be blocked, or they might have unfriended you (sorry…..it happens.) [Read more…]