Welcome to the Literary Love Giveaway Hop hosted by Views From the ‘Ville  and Money Saving Mindy.  This giveaway begins August 7 and ends August 21.

Savings in Seconds is sponsored by two authors.  Quest for Light – Adventure of the Magi by Byron Anderson is a beautiful story that gave me a whole new perspective on the birth of Christ. It’s a book that I’m excited to share with you.  I don’t want to give it away, but I think the title is self-explanatory.  Have you ever considered what it was like for the Magi to travel to the Christ-child?    In my sixth grade social studies class, we study the Silk Road and the early merchants who traveled this difficult path.  This book referenced these early days and was really interesting for me.

The second book is The Take-Charge Patient: How You Can Get the Best Medical Care by Martine Ehrenclou. It’s a must-read for anyone who is a
caregiver or facing medical problems.  So many issues are presented in the book that I never thought of before.  For example, how many of us have a copy of our complete medical records at home?  The book comes from the point of view and experiences of both patients and medical professionals.  I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to be an advocate for her own healthcare.

This giveaway is open to US readers of Savings in Seconds.  The giveaway ends 8/21/12.  Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter.   Good luck!

Charisma Media is offering a $15 Bath & Body Works Giftcard. Each of the blogs listed on the hop are also offering their own beauty-related prize. If you are a blogger looking for a place to share ideas, participate, and of course, have a little fun while getting support from other bloggers, we hope you’ll stop by the website & give us a chance.

Yes, you read that correctly.  Toe Juice.

And if you think the name is catchy, just wait until you try the Hog Wash!

My dry, sad feet are always worn completely out by the end of a teaching day.  Yes, I should be wearing some nice orthopedic shoes.  I can’t bring myself to do it just yet.  So I opt for the pretty sandals and ache later.  We all know that the real job starts when I get home from work…….I don’t have time to prop up my feet and let ‘em relax.  Squirting a bit of Toe Juice on my feet and wiping them just takes a few seconds but it’s really refreshing and helps to make them feel all perky again.  Toe Juice is natural and plant-derived, so I don’t worry about using scary chemicals to freshen up.

But enough about me.  I think Toe Juice is even better for the guys.  I wish I could convince my husband to use it!!  One thing that would make Toe Juice even better would be a spray bottle.  If my husband could just stand on a towel and spray his feet with Toe Juice (or the Hog Wash!) he might be willing to give it a try.  I think it could really help him to feel better at the end of the day, too.  Who knows, he might just want to go dancing or something!!

The Hog Wash is a really good alternative to hand sanitizer.  I liked the fact that it comes in two sizes; the smaller size is perfect for a diaper bag or backpack.  It was hard to open though, so I don’t think my 8 year old could use it by herself.   A pump would be a nice accessory for it!  A couple of days ago, I got so many bug bites while watering my garden that my ankle swelled up.  It was miserable. We were out of our normal Benadryl cream, so I grabbed the Toe Juice and squirted some on my bites.  It really helped to soothe the itch and redness!   I thought I had solved one of the world’s mysteries until I read the suggested uses on the Toe Juice site. Humph.  Someone already figured that one out.  Well, how would you use your Toe Juice?

You can buy Toe Juice online from many retailers.  Right now there’s a special deal…with this limited time offer you can receive a free bottle of Toe Juice just for the price of shipping.  What a great opportunity to try a fun new product!  Don’t forget to like Toe Juice on Facebook for updates on more great deals.

Enter for YOUR chance to win a Toe Juice package valued at $32.    Use the Rafflecopter form below.   The giveaway is open to US and Canada, and ends 8/18. Good luck!

Along with the beauty bag I posted about, I also received a bottle of Purell.  There are just some times when you can’t get to the sink to wash with soap and water.  Keeping a bottle of instant hand sanitizer is a good alternative in those moments.  I keep a bottle in my classroom right at the door so students can go anytime to keep their hands germ-free.  With school starting back, the germs are getting ready for the big back-to-school party!!  So stop them in their tracks with some hand sanitizer.

My daughter likes to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on her backpack. She uses it daily.  I really do think it helps to keep the germs at bay.  I keep a small bottle in my purse for the times when we are eating a snack after school or when we’re at the park and have to clean up on-the-go.  School started back for us three weeks ago and I’ve already seen several illnesses be passed around.  I’m glad my kids use hand sanitizers when it’s not convenient for them to wash their hands.  I’m not saying that we never catch a bug, but I do think that the hand sanitizer helps to keep us healthier during these immunity-trying times.

If you’re considering the purchase of a tablet for the back-to-school season, let me share my thoughts on the BlackBerry Playbook.  The PlayBook went with me on my Mommy Rounds for three solid days…..in the car, appointments, the bounce house, and to the playground at McD’s.   I played several more games of Solitaire than strictly necessary to formulate my thoughts on this product.  In fact, it was difficult to tear myself away in order to write a review.  The PlayBook I received to review was the 16 GB WiFi.  Now that I’ve visited the site and found the 4G that is being released on August 9, I’m already thinking about upgrading.  That’s how much I love this thing.

It took me a few minutes to get oriented with the PlayBook; for example, I had a hard time figuring out how to organize my icons on the homepage.  Once I solved that puzzle, I needed to set up the WiFi.  I took the PlayBook along with me to the bounce house to play on Pinterest while the kids bounded around.  My sister-in-law told me that her smart phone automatically connects to WiFi whenever she goes into a hot spot.  So I patiently waited.  The PlayBook didn’t automatically connect.  I needed to go into the set-up mode and get it all hooked up.  I actually really liked this feature because I like having that choice.  However, I noticed that when I re-visited a location, the PlayBook remembered the network and did connect automatically.  Smart tablet!  It also loaded up much quicker than said sister-in-law’s smartphone, so we were Pinning away on my tablet while still waiting for her phone to wake up.

The PlayBook was sometimes persnickety when loading.  Often a game would get snagged and need to be restarted.  The web browser would have a hard time getting started and might need to be closed out.  The model I received to review was a 16 and was a used model, so that might have been the issue.  I’m not sure.  It was kind of a pain when I was in the middle of a winning card game and had to restart.  For general use, it really wasn’t a big deal though.  My kids enjoyed playing the apps that I loaded.  There seemed to be very few free apps to choose from; I could only find five.  Still, my kids played the daylights out of those free apps.   The free apps have frequent prompting to buy the upgraded version, so I had to remind the kiddos to just say No.

There seems to be a good camaraderie between BlackBerry devices.  My husband has a BlackBerry smartphone and we could sync up the PlayBook to it if needed.  This would be a good option if you already have your info all set up on a BlackBerry phone.  Another feature that I liked was the price point. The PlayBook is reasonably priced for the convenience of a tablet.  I would definitely consider getting this for my school-aged children.  It’s a fun gaming device and is convenient to take along for browsing the web.  My daughter enjoys using the video and picture-taking features. I’d love to try the 4G to see how it compares.  You can follow BlackBerry on Facebook and on Twitter.

Now, let me get back to my solitaire game.

Allergies are no fun…..not only do I feel miserable when my allergies are acting up, but sometimes they can take their toll on my face, too.  My eyes look cloudy and tired, my skin  looks dry and patchy, and I just feel UGH.  When I rub my eyes, it makes the bags under them look worse.  And then my nose gets a little crease on it from being rubbed too often!   Not only do I have to defeat age and the sun, but now allergies, too?!    Zyrtec sent me a beauty bag to help with this dilemma.  In the bag there were several great products from leading cosmetics manufacturers.  There was also a sample of Zyrtec, which I already use for my allergies.  I’ve tried lots of allergy brands, but Zyrtec definitely is the non-herbal OTC med that helps me the most.   In my bag were items like this awesome brightening eye perfector,  a product that I just loved!  I also really liked this revitalizing lip balm which has the perfect amount of tint and really did make my lips feel better immediately.

You can view this video from beauty expert Rebekah George to get even more beauty tips.

To help you overcome “allergy face,”  Zyrtec offers the following suggestions:

• How to feel better: Take a Zyrtec as the first step to help you feel better –  it works at hour one on the first day you take it.  Once you feel better you can take the proper steps to look better too!
• How to be pretty not puffy: Layer on a copper bronzer and pink blush combination to really give skin oomph to help reduce redness and brighten up a puffy face.
• How to get rid of the red nose: Layer on a moisturizing lotion at night and a lighter weight oil in the morning, followed by a yellow-based concealer to reduce redness.
• How to brighten the eyes: Use a gold shimmer eye shadow or a white cream eyeliner pencil underneath your eyebrow arches to make a big difference without a ton of makeup.
• How to use your accessories: If you’re running late and don’t have time to cover up all your allergy symptoms, lipstick and a pair of sunglasses are your best accessories.

Welcome to the Back to School Giveaway Hop hosted by Sarah’s Blog of Fun!  Each participating blog has a back-to-school related prize worth at least $25.  Savings in Seconds is giving away a Gutzy Gear pack and All Terrain Sunscreen.

Gutzy Gear is such a cool idea.  It’s a collection of colorful patches that attach to a velcro strap.  The strap goes over your child’s backpack strap and can be easily removed and traded out. The patches are fun and trendy with lots of options for both boys and girls.  My kids immediately listed at least ten other patches that they wanted to try on their packs.   The great thing about Gutzy Gear is that these straps and even the patches can be shared and traded between siblings and with friends.  Your child can also put the straps on dance bag or athletic bags.  I’m always hesitant to put my kids’ names on their backpacks for safety reasons, so this is a great alternative for making the backpack easy to identify without putting a name on it.   Also, it seems like the straps would help to preserve the original backpack strap or at least make it a little softer on your little one’s shoulders.  You can find Gutzy Gear at lots of national stores like Target and Walmart.  They can also be purchased online on the Gutzy Gear website.  What designs do you think your kids would like?   One winner will receive 1 starter kit + 2 patch packs of the winner’s choice.

Even though school is starting back, that doesn’t mean the kids don’t need sunscreen.  In fact, here in Tennessee we seem to need it more than ever!  It’s been doggone hot this week!  So the winner of this giveaway will also receive a tube of AquaSport sunscreen.  You can read my review of AquaSport to find out how much we liked it.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway is open to US and Canada readers and will end August 20.  Good luck!

If you read my previous posts about earning free gift cards, you’ll know that I love Zoombucks.  It’s my favorite search-and-win site because the points add up so quickly and you can earn them in lots of ways such as doing surveys, watching videos, or just fulfilling easy offers.  They also don’t have the limits on redemption the way that Swagbucks does.  In the past I typically redeemed my points for Amazon gift cards, but I’m really excited that they are now offering the $25 VISA gift card as rewards!  It’s great to have prepaid credit cards on hand for getting freebie offers through Shop At Home and other sites where you don’t want to pay out of your regular budget.  It’s also nice to have these gift cards on hand to use as Christmas or birthday gifts and stocking stuffers.

If you’re not a member of Zoombucks, you can click here to register.  It’s free!  If you have questions, feel free to ask me and I’ll try to answer them.  I would LOVE to help you earn free gift cards! If you  need tips on how to built your point balance, read the posts I linked below about Zoombucks and similar sites.

I was skeptical about Zoombucks at first, but let me show you that it’s for real.  I joined on October 31, 2010.  Here’s a screenshot of my rewards cashed out from the first two months of my membership

With most rewards each point is worth 1-cent, so 2000 points cashed out is a $20 Amazon card.   So I had some unexpected Amazon gift cards to spend for Christmas that year. 🙂   So yes, it’s legit.   Here are the other new rewards they added:

Sony Station Game Card 30 Days – Worldwide
Facebook Credits – $15 – Worldwide
IMVU – 10000 Credits – Worldwide
Rixty – $10 – Worldwide
Runes of Magic -150 ROM Diamonds – Worldwide
Runescape – 30 Days – Worldwide
Ultimate Game Card – $5 – Worldwide
World of Warcraft – 60 Days – US
XBOX Live – 3 Months – Worldwide
XBOX Live – 12 Months – Worldwide
Zynga Game Card – $5 – Worldwide
Microsoft Points – 1600 Points – US
Canadian Tire – CA
Chapters.ca – CA

Those are in addition to the ones that are currently available, such as Paypal, Barnes and Noble, Gap, Best Buy, PetSmart, Walmart, Target, iTunes, Disney, Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, ShoeBuy, and more.  Pretty great, right?

Here are those Zoombucks posts I promised:

Earn Gift Cards easily and quickly…..totally free!

How to have a Low-Cost Christmas Without the Credit Card!

Survey Sites—are they legit?  (this one’s not about Zoombucks but shares how to earn gift cards)

This post contains my referral links.  If you don’t want to use it, feel free to go directly to the website!

Here’s another great back to school WILD deal from Shop At Home!   Log in or register and click on the “coupons” tab to see the daily deal.  Today’s deal is 12 highlighters from Quill with free shipping; after cashback you pay only 97 cents.  That makes each highlighter about 8 cents.  What a great deal for a college student, teacher, Bible study leader, or anyone who just likes to keep a stash of highlighters around.

Remember that if you are a new shopper with Shop At Home using this link will get you $5 in your account. When your account reaches $20, you get a check in the mail!  If you’ve been grabbing their recent deals (free Febreze, free crayons, free nail polish, free markers, and free dish soap)  you should be pretty close to cashing out now!

If you don’t like to use your own credit card to pay for online purchases like this, consider joining Zoombucks and redeeming your points for prepaid VISA gift cards. I posted about it here with links to help you maximize your points.

Note that this post contains my referral links.  I will benefit when you click through this link but it doesn’t cost you anything!

Here’s a cool perk of using your Discover card—for a limited time, you can get free one-day shipping on select Amazon items when you use code DSCVRFSP at checkout.  Wow, I thought free two-day shipping with Prime was good.  This is even better!  The details specify that you MUST click “one-day shipping” at checkout.   If you’re already using your Discover card to shop on Amazon, this is one extra way to save some time and money!

Click here to see the terms and conditions.

This post contains my affiliate links.  It doesn’t cost you anything to use the links, and it still helps to support Savings in Seconds.

It feels like it’s been a while since I put up Nookbook freebies!  NookBook and Kindle downloads are great to have for those days when you’re really needing a good book. Here’s one for today that has some promise.  I love historical fiction and this one has a really captivating cover.  That always influences me! Several of these titles are also free on Kindle, so I put the link to that in the caption if you have a Kindle instead.  The print edition of many of these books are $9.99 or more, so I was happy to grab them.  Be sure they are still offered at $0 before clicking submit.  Enjoy!

Last Romanov is also free on Kindle!

Here are a few more freebies that you might enjoy.

Heaven and Hell: a Novel: A Journey of Chris and Serena Davis (Tears of Heaven) is also free on Kindle.

Hearts That Survive: A Novel of the Titanic is free on Kindle.

Secrets is free on Kindle.

Curses and Blessings for All Occasions is free on Kindle.

Love Finds You in Amana, Iowa is free on Kindle.

Not sure about this one….looks really scary!
The Boy in the Lot is free on Kindle.

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