Disclosure: I received product samples. Opinions shared are mine.

At this giveaway, you can win a pack of custom stickers made by Sticker Hub.  We use these stickers on just about all of my daughter’s stuff, including her books.  She loves to share her books at school and using these stickers means that she’s more likely to get them back!   They also work on water bottles and other washable items (and actually stay on!)   Once we went through the design process, we had our stickers in just a few days.  One lucky reader will win a pack of stickers, too!  Just enter using the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

I received this cool tiger tee from Customizo. I didn’t know in advance what the graphics would be, so as I unfolded the tee, my kids were asking, “What is it? What is it?” And no, I didn’t say, “Go raise yourself. Mommy’s busy looking at clothes.” I let the kiddos oooh and aaahh at the tee, because they were completely fascinated by the tiger. And actually I was too. The design is so intricate that it almost looks like one of those complicated mazes that my teachers used to give us to keep us quiet for a long time. The graphic is also so finely screened on the tee that it has washed really well. My favorite part of the tee, though, is that it’s tagless and heavyweight. It’s super soft, though, and I find it comfortable enough to wear to bed. [Read more…]

Welcome to The Pin To Win It With Customizo Event!

I am so glad that my mothering skills were well honed before Pinterest was invented.  Otherwise I might be tempted to say to my children….”Honey, go raise yourself.  Mommy’s busy looking at Pinterest.”   Maybe that’s stretching it, but come on, you know that it would be glorious to sit and pin for hours!  Honestly if I didn’t have children before Pinterest, I don’t know that I would have ever stopped pinning in order to conceive.  It’s kind of mortifying how long I can sit looking at other people’s meals, clean houses, and funny quotes.   So now let’s put your REPIN button to good use in a Pinterest giveaway sponsored by Customizo!!

So what’s Customizo, you ask?   It’s is an innovative group of sites that specialize in apparel and product design, collaboration and purchasing. Using the Customizo design tools, group collaboration platform, mobile content integration and centralized hub of fully customizable artwork templates, it’s easy to create, design, and bring your designs to life.  Just a few clicks of your mouse and you’ll be amazed with the results!   Here’s the tee I received from Customizo.  It’s super soft and very high quality fabric.

Pin It To Win It Giveaway

For your chance to win, follow the simple steps below:

[Read more…]

Once upon a time, I had an online store.  It was run through eBay and I was paying hefty fees just to keep the store open.  I really enjoyed everything about running an online business, from “stocking” my online shelves to preparing the orders for shipment.  Unfortunately the store became really difficult to maintain due to the limited search features and other limitations of eBay.  For example, because I started selling children’s clothing items, I was forced to sort my items using the preset categories.  Many items didn’t sell because they were “hidden” from buyers due to the search terms.    It would have made more sense for me to run my business through an online storefront; however, at the time I just didn’t have a lot of options to make that possible.  Thankfully online sellers have more choices these days.  No matter what product you’re selling, from hairbows to forum subscriptions, you want your buyers to be able to find what they need with just a few clicks of the mouse.   You also want to keep your online catalog fresh without a lot of hassle.  Consider a service like 1ShoppingCart that offers so many options for your online business.  [Read more…]

I could definitely use a spring pick-me-up right around now. We spent the weekend planting seeds, strawberries, and potatoes. The weather was glorious and it was wonderful to have the sun shining on our faces! Tomorrow is bringing 30-degree temps again and frankly, I am over it. I had to go cover up my tender seedlings that are already sprouting and hope for the best. At least ModCloth has a contest that makes it worth staying indoors for! (This post was written for ModCloth. Note the affiliate link – opinions shared are mine.)

Many of you are sweepers, so I know you’ll be interested in this cool new contest!  Today (3/12) through 7 AM PST on 3/18, ModCloth is inviting community members to check out their brand new Style Gallery.  Be sure to upload a photo, love the images, and share the looks that inspire them throughout the week of 3/11-3/18.  The image that gains the highest community-generated loves will win the top prize of a $100 ModCloth gift card!  I can think of LOTS of ways to spend that gift card, can’t you?   [Read more…]

Welcome to the March Into Spring Giveaway Hop

This giveaway bonanza is hosted by The Review Wire. The participating blogs have prizes worth at least $25 and related to spring in some way. Make sure to stop by The Review Wire because they are sponsoring The Grand Prize, a $200 Objects With Purpose Candle Gift Basket! After you enter the giveaway here at Savings in Seconds, flutter by the other blogs to see what “Spring has in Store” for you in the giveaway department!

Springtime is supposed to be full of happiness and rainbows.  Love stories are the same way, I think.  When I read a book or see a movie, I don’t really want it to end badly.  After all, don’t we see enough of that in real life?  I like my stories to have the happily ever after, thank you very much.  Which brings me to the giveaway…….Savings in Seconds is excited to share a Tennessee author with you! Donna Wright’s Tennessee Love books are sweet reminders of how romance stories should be written — characters the reader can relate to, with situations that mimic real life.  These books are clean and family-friendly.  I wouldn’t blush if my daughter picked up one of these books. There are some unexpected tidbits thrown in of course.  After all, how often does a pig bring two people together?  But overall, these books are good Sunday reads that will put a smile on your face and some sunshine in your heart.  Perfect for springtime, I’d say!

One winner will receive the four books in Donna Wright’s series.  [Read more…]

First of all, isn’t “Bitesize Biographies” the cutest name ever? This series of books is exactly what it says—a small snippet of a book that contains the background you need without a lot of irrelevant details.  Don’t be misled, however.  These books are not children’s books.  In fact, Renee of France addressed some deep subjects including the Reformation and the dangers Renee faced.   I do have middle school students who can handle the maturity level of the book.  It wasn’t graphic or disturbing in any way; the writing was just a little advanced for most of my students.   Since my students learn about the Reformation and the division that people often faced even within their own households, this book would be an appropriate supplement to my teaching materials.  I enjoyed using this as background information and reference materials.  I had never heard of Renee before and was fascinated by the personal choice she made to go against her husband and community in pursuit of her faith.   Even in such a dangerous time, Renee had the strength to use her means to support others in the church.  Would I be willing to risk my family and myself for such a cause?  I hope so.  Reading Renee’s story certainly brought the Reformation to life for me.  Although short (less than 130 pages) Renee of France was engaging and interesting.  It’s perfect to keep in a church library or to take along when traveling.

Flexible Spending Accounts can save your family 40%!

Health care “shopping” can be great if you know your way around the drugstore deals and using coupons. It’s also easy to get overwhelmed by all the options available to you.  If your employer offers a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), consider signing up for one to get a bit of relief from increasing health care costs.  These benefit plans rely on pre-tax money for qualified health expenses, which means you save money on those health-care costs. Each FSA plan year, your employer will take money out of your paychecks based on how much you choose to set aside.   Typically the FSA sign-ups are open in the fall (my employer does open enrollment during October).   If you’ve already signed up for an FSA, don’t miss out on the savings that those funds are waiting to score for you.

Of course you can save money when purchasing FSA eligible products, but an FSA also gives you access to health care services and thousands of everyday products!  Many items such as sunscreen, contact lens solution, band-aids, heat wraps and baby care are eligible.  It’s best to check with your program’s fine print to make sure you’re within the guidelines. [Read more…]

I’m guilty of being the “I can make that” voice of reason when we’re out shopping. Not that I’m a die-hard DYIer…..I’m also a firm believer in the idea that just because you can make it yourself doesn’t mean that you should.  Normally fruit-flavored gummies would fall into that category, but when it’s in the name of science, how could I resist?!  Glee Gum has this really fun kit available that makes it so simple to make your own gummies.   The entire time we were making the recipe, I kept thinking how much my students would have loved doing this when I used to teach science.  Biodiversity, chemical reactions, states of matter….I can think of so many ways to incorporate this kit into a science lesson plan!

But enough banter.  Let me share our experience with you.   [Read more…]