Archives for July 2014

Home Ownership for Military Families

This post is brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Go ahead, call me an Army Brat.  I’m proud of the time that my father and stepdad served in the armed forces.   My dad was in the army (that’s how he met my mom in Okinawa!) and my stepdad served, too.   During my childhood, we bought groceries at the commissary and shopped at the PX.  My mom set up a savings account for me at the Fort Knox Federal Credit Union, which is an account I still use today.  My stepfather arranged for us to have USAA membership as well.  We’re very grateful for the benefits we’ve enjoyed through my family’s military service.   The military insurance helped me get my wisdom teeth taken out and paid for my acne cream.  If you’re a military family, you might wonder what kind of programs are available to help you purchase a home.  I’m excited that Navy Federal Credit Union asked me to share this information with you today.  I hope it helps you to take advantage of the savings to which military families have access.

[Read more…]

Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne : Book tour and review

Wild Iris Ridge book tour and review at savingsinseconds.com

If you haven’t had enough book romance this summer, you’ve come to the right place.  Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne is an adult contemporary romance. I received the book to review.  Now, I wasn’t sure what “adult contemporary” was supposed to be, but I realized that these are the books I’ve been reading all along.  Think Jodi Picoult, Gillian Flynn, and Emily Giffin.  Wild Iris Ridge has the sweet down-home feel of a book like the Mitford series I loved 15 years ago.   When Lucy comes home to Hope’s Crossing, she has a bee in her bonnet about starting a bed & breakfast.  Right up my alley!  Her old flame Brendan is also going through a crossroads of sorts, having lost his wife and learning to raise his two kids on his own.  Both characters needed a little TLC to get them running smoothly again.  Oh, and I should mention that Brendan is the fire chief.  Always a good thing for a book boyfriend.

[Read more…]

Are You #Noseblind? See how Febreze products worked for me.

This review and giveaway was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Febreze. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions are 100% mine.

You’ve probably been in a house that had a certain “smell” (smoke, pet odor, or cooking smells) that the homeowner seemed not to notice.  You might have seen the Febreze Noseblind commercials on TV and wondered if they could really be true.  I’m here to tell you that they are!   Even when the smell is offensive to someone else, the homeowner may be completely oblivious.  This phenomenon is referred to as “noseblindness” and it can happen to the best of us!   Just as one might become accustomed to the sound of airplanes flying overhead, or the sight of a certain mailbox in the yard, the scent of our own natural habitat (our house) can become undetectable because we stop noticing it.    [Read more…]

You never know what you’re going to see in Tennessee

A few days ago, the Savings in Seconds fam was driving around trying to decide where to head for dinner.  We were all a little bit crabby and fussy from a long day together.  I got a call from my mother-in-law who wanted to tell me about the nephew who is headed off to college this fall. Hearing the phone ring is like the neighborhood all-dogs alert if a car alarm goes off.  My kids start clamoring for my attention as soon as they hear the ringtone.  This is my life on pretty much any occasion I need to be on the phone:




[Read more…]

Christmas Book

Enter the Christmas Book giveaway at Savingsinseconds.com

Welcome to the Christmas Book giveaway!  This event is hosted by I Am A Reader Not A  Writer.   For some reason, it was very difficult for me to choose a prize for this giveaway.  I just couldn’t decide which book to give away!  So I decided to self-sponsor a gift card for the winner to select a Christmas book.  This post contains my affiliate link.

Would you choose a children’s book like How The Grinch Stole Christmas? Or perhaps a Christmas romance? But if you wanted to purchase National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation DVD, I wouldn’t blame you. [Read more…]

When was the last time you got an outfit for $5 shipped?

This post contains my referral link.

I’m all about the subscription boxes.  Birchbox, BeautyBox5, and Orange Glad make my mailbox happy every month.  My biggest downfall, though, is boutique clothing.  I looooooovvvveee cute clothes for kids!  I was a fan of Mini Boden and Matilda Jane long before those brands were household words.  Now that it’s so affordable to shop online for kids’ clothing, I’m especially interested in trying something new.    Yesterday I clicked on another blogger’s link to check out FabKids and have been back to the site at least 3 times.  I just can’t get over the great deals!   Even if you don’t have kids, you need to bookmark this site — it would be great for gift-giving if you have little people in your life! 

Here’s the outfit I got for my son.  I had him pick out what he wanted.  I’m super excited to get him an outfit for fall for mere pocket change.  Less than $5 shipped for a cool tee and jeans?  Couldn’t believe it until I got the email confirmation!

Fab Kids outfit for $5 shipped.  Seriously great deal!  [Read more…]

Spicy Shelf helped me reclaim shelf space

I received product samples; the opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Now that it’s nearly the end of July, many of us have hosted family gatherings and enjoyed lots of summer barbecues.  It’s quite possible that your cabinets are as messy as mine are!

Enter to win a Spicy Shelf - savingsinseconds.com

Scary, right?!   To my dismay, I have several bottles of the “essentials” such as red pepper flakes, vanilla, and cornstarch because I couldn’t find my opened canister in this messy cabinet. So then I buy a new one, and another….until I have 3 of each. When Spicy Shelf contacted me about doing a review, I wondered if someone had reported my atrocious organizational skills.   Thankfully, the Spicy Shelf arrived fully assembled (remember, I’m not much of a DIY kind of gal).   All I had to do was decide how I wanted to use them, and add the legs if needed!  The set comes in a pack of 2 shelves, plus assorted props to help you stack the shelves or put them side by side.  At first, I didn’t think they would fit side-by-side but then I realized that the shelves were adjustable.  I was able to squeeze the sides together to make them fit next to each other. Bingo!

In the pretty website pictures, they leave the middle space open.  I wasn’t able to do that because I have jillions of  tiny bottles.  Instead, I filled up the middle space with the taller bottles.  Still, this is SO much better than what it looked like before!   I’ll save time (not searching for the garlic salt) and money (not buying more garlic salt because I couldn’t find the first one.)     There are so many uses for this handy tool.  You could use them for organizing nail polish, craft supplies, makeup, or even small accessories.   Would this help you save some time?   Be sure to use this $5.00 Off Promo Code on your order.   SPICE5  – that is a 5 not a S

Is your spice shelf organized, or total chaos? 
disclosure

Guard Your ID from identity thieves — plus DISCOUNT

At home, you’re vigilant about shredding bank statements and credit card offers.  At work, you tear papers in pieces so no one will be able to piece them together.  But what about other places?  Are you as careful when you’re on vacation?  This is the main area where I’m a bit lax on my identity protection.    When we purchased identity theft protection, we were told that children’s IDs are more often stolen because the data doesn’t get checked on a regular basis.  When a child applies for college or a first job, it can result in the discovery of a stolen ID that can take years to clean up.  What a headache!  There are simple fixes to help you avoid such disaster.  [Read more…]

Planning Your Disney Trip Makes It MORE Relaxing

 

Planning your Disney trip -- start here. savingsinseconds.com

You might not have realized that there are different types of vacations.  At least, I didn’t know this until I went to Disney.  Sure, you might check out TripAdvisor for some restaurant or hotel suggestions before you head to the beach.  You might even browse some apps to find local entertainment options.  Most people, though, don’t spend a lot of time planning the actual days of their trip.  If you’re headed to Disney *especially if it’s your first trip* let me implore you to take the time to plan.  Disney definitely has a learning curve; ask anyone who has been there and they’re likely to give you a bazillion tips and hints.  It really can be overwhelming.  Our family had a downright awful, exhausting first trip.  Yet we persevered and have visited several times since.  Each trip gets better than the last!  Let me share our mistakes and successes with you.

[Read more…]

Five FREE things to do for your kids today

5 free things to do for your kids today -- savingsinseconds.com

Several of my students have said, “My mom is too busy for me.”  That just breaks my heart.  I realize that kids don’t see the things that adults have to juggle, but it’s never okay for my kids to feel that I’m too busy to care about them. Think about it, would your child say that?  It also makes me wonder…..would MY child say that?  I hope not.  Here are some of the things I’m doing to make sure my child will never think I’m too busy for her.

I understand the struggles and challenges of keeping everyone happy.  Here are five FREE things to do for your kids today.  These are small things that don’t take a lot of time, require zero money, and they can  make a world of difference in your relationship with your child.  If you can’t do all five, try to do at least one.  Keep in mind that if you’ve put some distance between yourself and your child, it might take some effort to break down that barrier.  Keep trying.  I promise that your child is worth it. [Read more…]

badge