Thursday, February 25, 2010

Happy Birthday Swag Bucks

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Today is Swag Bucks birthday. Happy Birthday Swag Bucks! Have you discovered Swag Bucks yet? Swag Bucks has been one of my favorite discoveries in the last year. You just sign up for an account and then use the search engine on the website. During your searching, you win Swag Bucks. When you collect enough of them, you can win great prizes. The most popular one and the one I save my gift cards for are the Amazon gift cards. You can save them up to buy anything. Right now I'm trying to save my Swag Bucks up to buy a pair of Dansko clogs.

You can win Swag Bucks for other things too like shopping through the Swag Bucks website and completing special offers. And sometimes they'll hide swag codes on the website and you'll have to hunt for them and you can win swag bucks that way too.

I've really enjoyed being part of the swag bucks community. In the past I've used my Amazon gift cards I won with my swag bucks to buy things like Vera Bradley bags and books for my kids.

The referral system is another way you can win Swag Bucks, so if you are interested please follow the link below and sign up under my referral. I'd appreciate it.
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/chiccraftychick And if you need any help or have any questions, please feel free to shoot me an email scbshell@ yahoo.com or send me a message on Twitter @chiccraftychick I'm happy to help. I think you'll find the Swag Bucks search and win site a fun experience. I've referred two friends and they love getting free stuff too.

So, I hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Posting Later

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Gotta run to preschool this morning, but I'll be posting later. Hope you are having a great day.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Lysol No Touch Hand Soap System

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Have you seen this new Lysol No Touch Hand Soap System automatic soap dispenser? I picked one up at Wal Mart last week when I saw they were selling them. I was so excited because my sister has had an automatic soap dispenser from Williams and Sonoma. She was given one as a gift a few years ago for Christmas. I believe the one she has runs between $30 and 40 dollars. She has always had a really hard time with refilling it. So, knowing that has kept me from putting out the money for one. So when I saw this one by Lysol, I decided that for ten dollars I'd give it a try.
I have a love hate relationship with this. First, when I went to put the soap into the dispenser it didn't click so it didn't work right away. But, I read the directions and once I did what it said it worked like a champ and has been ever since. Two things I don't like is that I don't like the smell of the soap. It isn't terrible, I just don't love it. And the other thing is that I feel like the dispenser puts out more soap than you need. I'd estimate it puts out about a teaspoons worth. It seems like a lot.
The dispenser comes with batteries, the dispenser, and one soap cartridge. The scent that I got is something with a leaf on it. They have another scent that is cucumber which is ok. The boxes have a scratch and sniff, but when I scratched mine in the store I couldn't smell anything so that wasn't any help. But, for the convenience of having the automatic dispenser I guess I'll get over it. I think Lysol should team up with Bath & Body Works. Those folks know how to make great smelling soaps. :)
I have my dispenser in my kitchen. The main reason I wanted this was so that when I cut up meat, I didn't have to touch the soap dispenser. I'm always worried about salmonella. So that has made me happy.
Bottom line, I do like this system and I would recommend it.
So, that is one new thing in my neck of the woods. Hope you are having a great day!

Monday, February 22, 2010

Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast

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On a day like today, I'm always looking for a short cut. And one I wanted to share today is one I pickup at the grocery store a lot, Perdue Carved Chicken Breast Short Cuts. I've been trying to incorporate more salads into our diet and I like grilled chicken. So these are a easy thing for me to do on a night where I need to make a quick meal, but I want it to be healthy. If I remember correctly, these come in a marinated version too, but I like the original roasted flavor best. When I make a salad, I've been buying good lettuce, cucumbers, whatever I can find in the way of a decent tomato, and strawberries since they've had some great ones recently. In just a few minutes I can make a dinner that is quick and easy, but is something good for us.

The other great thing about making a salad is that it is a job my three year old enjoys doing with me. He loves to place the sliced pieces into the bowl. I think I may have a budding chef on my hands.
I had hoped to post sooner today, but my youngest guy needed some extra cuddle time today. I think he still isn't feeling 100%. I think it may be the 6 teeth he has coming in all at once. Poor little guy.
So that is what is going on in my neck of the woods. Hope you are having a great day in yours!

Catch ya soon

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Gotta run out this morning, but plan to post later today.

Happy Monday!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Tulip Time

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It's tulip time. A sign of spring. At least indoors. I got these for Valentine's Day and they have been brightening my kitchen. And I've certainly needed something to brighten things up in the last day. Wednesday night the kids and I all came down with a 24-48 hour virus and we've all been really sick. It was just awful. DH was sweet and stayed home yesterday to take care of us. My stomach has been so upset In knots. I couldn't eat anything until this morning. I'm taking it slowly. It is nice to be able to even drink a cup of tea.

I do have a tip. Make sure you have Immodium in your medicine cabinet in case this makes its way to your home. Pepto didn't do a thing. I'm feeling tired, but better this morning. I hope that continues. This was a nasty virus/bug to get. I hope you don't get it.

We have no big weekend plans, just hoping to continue to get well.

I hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Spring Ritz

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Apparently spring has sprung for Ritz crackers. I discovered this the other day when I went to Wal Mart to pick up groceries. I love how they keep coming out with different shapes for different seasons. My little guy Sawyer eats tons of peanut butter and crackers, so it is nice to have fun prints to change things up a bit. It is the little things in life that can make you happy, right? LOL
So if you are having any parties or get togethers anytime soon, be sure to check out these fun Ritz.
Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Progresso Panko Bread Crumbs

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Panko bread crumbs. Oh how I love these. I always try to have them in my pantry. I discovered them years ago while watching Martha Steward prepare some dish using them. She mentioned that they always make whatever you are breading crispy and I loved that idea. So I started using them and they did not disappoint.
Pictured above are some chicken tenders I made recently. I just coat them in some egg yolk and then dip them in the Panko bread crumbs and fry them. I feel very honored because my three year old will eat these. He will only eat Tyson's chicken nuggets and that is it. So for me to be able to make something home made he will eat is a small victory.
Recently I've been buying chicken tenders as opposed to chicken breasts. A lot of the recipes I make call for cutting up a chicken breast and I find these are cheaper and part of the cutting work is already finished. So, I keep these in the freezer.
If you want to try Panko bread crumbs, Wal Mart sells the Progresso brand. I find them on the aisle where the flour and other baking items are located.
What are you making for dinner? Let me know if you are a fan of Panko bread crumbs.
Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Girl Scout Tagalongs Ice Cream

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How did this Edy's Girl Scouts Tagalongs ice cream end up in my cart? Did you know that these special edition ice creams are out. I bought the Samoa one about a week and a half ago. Needless to say it did not last long. They also come in Thin Mints. I personally do not like thin mints, but I may have to break down and bring some home for dh.

I got some other cool stuff that I'll share more with you later in the week. I'll have to keep in in suspense. LOL

Hope you are having a great day (and some ice cream) in your neck of the woods. :)

Monday, February 15, 2010

Soft Scrub Total

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Happy Monday everyone. I hope you had a great weekend and Happy Valentine's Day. Now that everyone in the house is well and we are getting a little bit more rest, things are looking up around here.

You may have noticed that I've added a button to my blog, down on the right that says, "I'm a Soft Scrub Captain". I'm excited to be participating in a great program where I get to try new products by Soft Scrub, sometimes before they even hit the stores.

A few weeks ago Soft Scrub sent me a bottle of their new Soft Scrub's Total cleaner. The one I was sent is the total cleaner for the bathroom. They have one for the kitchen too. I wasn't sure what to think, so I was interested to give it a try. The thing that was really interesting to me was that the bottle has two ways you can use the spout on the front. You can either spray the bottle, which is great for cleaning the bathroom sink, or it will foam. The foam is great because you can use that to spray your toilet.

The other thing I was interested to see is if the bottle would work when you turn it upside down. I was wondering how the trigger would work with using this product to clean the toilet, but lo and behold that bad boy worked great. This specially made trigger on the bottle has never gotten stuck and I've used it more than once to clean. I think that is such a cool idea.

The other thing I've discovered is that this cleaner is coming in handy since I'm potty training my oldest son. Being able to spray the cleaner into the training potty has made it easier to handle that cleaning job.

And finally, the thing I'm really loving about this is the scent. I can't stand the smell of most cleaning products and this has a very light, fresh scent. It will definitely deodorize your bathroom. If you want people to know you cleaned your bathroom, this leaves a clean smell behind.

softscrub_total



If you watch the Bachelor on ABC, they will be airing a tv spot during this show. So, keep an eye out for it. It is a cute spot.

I've spotted this great product at Target and Wal Mart if you are interested in giving it a try yourself. Also, you can follow the great folks at Soft Scrub on Twitter. I'd recommend it because it looks like they give away free product to folks. You'll definitely want to win a bottle.

Hope you are having a great Monday in your neck of the woods!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Turn on your heart lights

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As I've mentioned in the past, I always find it so sad when it is time to take down the Christmas lights. A few years ago, I was excited to see that you could buy heart lights for Valentine's Day. Something about seeing lights in the dark just makes winter so much cheerier. Today I thought I'd share pictures of my heart lights I have in my four front windows. The first picture is of a heart light I got a Wal Mart a few years ago. I bought two of them and I put two of these in two of the four windows. I love how these show up outside. You can really see them well from the street.

The second picture is of a string of ten heart lights. I have a string of these in the remaining two of the four windows I decorate. These lights I bought this year at Target. They were $2.50 a string. They are ok, but I don't think they show up as well from the street. They would be better for decorating inside where you could just enjoy them and see them up close. Wal Mart doesn't seem to be selling the lights like I have in the first picture, but I have seen some like them at Walgreens. And they are a pretty good price. Ben Franklin is another place to check out Valentine's lights. Walgreen's price was better than Ben Franklin.

So, these are just some of the Valentine's decorations I have up. Are you getting ready for Valentine's Day? What do you have planned? Do you like to decorate?

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!



Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Snowy Books

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Happy Wednesday everyone. The snow is falling here yet again this morning. I guess we will be staying put. The poor school systems in our area have had a time. Some of them got kids to school when the weather started getting worse. So they are trying to get the kids home safe. The weather man just said some folks are experiencing thunder snow. I've never seen that before, so I can't imagine. He said it is just like a thunder storm except you have snow instead of rain. He said that you can have 2 inches of snow dumped really quickly. I can't imagine.

Today I thought I'd share two books we've been reading since we've had so much snow lately. The first book is my favorite. It is called "Snowmen at Night". I love this book because it is such a clever story. A little boy comes out to find his snowman disheveled and then the story proceeds to tell the adventures of what snowmen do at night that gets them so disheveled. The story is just so cute with all of the things that snowmen do while we are all sleeping. I highly recommend this story.


The second story we've been reading is "The Snowy Day". This is the story of a little boy named Peter and it tells about all the things he does while going out to play in the snow. This story provides a good science opportunity to talk to kids about how the snow can change from a solid to a liquid when it melts.


Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Target Scores!

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Happy Tuesday everyone. Hope you are having a great day.

I had a great shopping day yesterday and I am excited to share this deal I found at Target. I did a quick glance through the Sunday paper and found some great coupons on things I use all the time. My Target has been selling the Venus Embrace razors for $4.99. They don't have them on the razor aisle, but they have them in the health & beauty section hanging on an end cap. You may have to hunt to see if you can find them. It is easy to walk by them. The paper had a coupon to get $2.00 off a Venus Embrace razor. So, I was excited about that. Then came the big score. There was another coupon that said if you bought a Venus Embrace razor you got an Olay Body wash for free! When I went up to pay at the register they had to call over a manager, but he was super nice and could see that I had the product (the computer said I didn't have the item for some reason) and he did an over ride. The girl checking me out said someone else had the same problem earlier.
My other deal is that I use Pantene mousse and was almost out. The Sunday paper had get $1 off Pantene styling products. I was happy to find on an end cap that they had marked down the Pantene mousse to $3.22. So I ended up getting that for $2.22.
So, those are my great Target finds I thought I'd share. Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Later Gator

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Gotta run to preschool this a.m., but will be updating later today with a great deal I found at Target yesterday. Have a great day!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Playing hooky

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I'm playing hooky today on my blog. I hope to be back tomorrow. Just need to catch up on some rest. Sawyer is better, no more fevers. Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Birthday Preparations

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Well the world is looking a lot different today since I got a good nights sleep last night. I pray that this continues. I've been so exhausted.

It is snowing to beat the band here and we are expected to get between 4-8 inches. Tomorrow is dh's birthday and I have a feeling we won't get out to do anything. So, I'm baking him a birthday cake and I've got the ingredients for lasagna since he loves that. Of course he will say it isn't as good as his mom's, but it is the thought that counts, right? And last night I went on a top secret mission to get his birthday present. I have to say it was wonderful to get away for a little bit since I've been stuck in the house all week.

My little patient has been fever free during the last few days, but gets one by the late afternoon. So, I hope that he is getting well. I'm ready for all this to be over with.

So, here is to hoping everyone has a great weekend and is safe and warm. Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

PSA - The face of mono

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This is the face of mono in America. My poor little guy is still fighting this yucky thing. Fortunately the high fevers are gone, but he is still so tired as you can see. This morning he fell asleep on the couch like this. He had a slight fever yesterday. We've been getting through the day with no fever and then by late afternoon it comes back. And unfortunately none of us are sleeping at night. I've had one full night of sleep since last Thursday.

I got to the store last night which was nice. I ran into Target. It was like catching up with an old friend. I love Target. I ran through the clothes and the accessories. You can always find something cute. I was so tired that it was hard to enjoy myself, but I haven't been in Target without having to push a stroller or cart through the clothes, so it was nice to actually walk through without fighting the racks. I can't wait to see what new spring fashions come out.

We were out of everything and it was good to get to the grocery store. They are calling for more bad weather here tomorrow, so I was trying to get ahead of the crowds. I discovered a new snack that I'm loving called Stacy's Pita Chips. Oh my heaven, you can't eat just one. I had gotten a free sample a few weeks ago by signing up through All You magazine. I had a coupon and decided to buy a big bag. I'll be lucky if they make it two days in the house. They come in original and I think it was whole grain. I got the original flavor. They are thicker than normal potato chips which I like. I think they could be really great with a good dip.

So, that is the update here. Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The next big country hit...

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Ramblings & Deep Thoughts
When I have times of stress and especially no sleep, I find that I get silly and usually I try to find humor in situations. Right now my grandparents are ill, my child has mono, my sister's dog has/had cancer. I was thinking that has all the parts of country song. Now all I need to do is get a pickup and I'm good to go. Watch out Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood. I may be accepting my award at the CMAs next year for my one hit wonder, "Momma's not crazy, she's just coping". Hey, if "Pants on the Ground" can take off, why not my hit? Stay tuned.

We are still in quarantine here. We've made some progress with the mono. We went all day without a fever until about 6 p.m. and then it came back. But the good news his fevers are staying lower so that is great. I just wish he would be able to sleep at night. Because none of us got any sleep last night. So this should be another long day.

Recommendation
Since we got snow last weekend, our heat has been on full blast. I think I need to drink more water because I've become quite parched. And I've also had a time with my lips drying out. I pulled out a tube of the C.O. Bigelow Lip Balm I got for free from Bath and Body Works in December. I used that stuff before going to bed and woke up with soft lips. That stuff really works well. I just got a plain tube, but I believe they come in flavors too. So, if you are looking for some new lip balm I'd recommend this. It is always great to sign up for emails from Bath & Body Works because they send great coupons. I always give my email address and phone number when they ask because you'll get better coupons that way. That is how I got a coupon to get the lip balm free. It was a wonderful coupon because the lip balm was free with any purchase. I purchased some $1 lotion they had and got the lip balm. Those small travel size lotions make great inexpensive gifts. And I believe the lip balm may be $7.50. They run sales on the lip balm too. So I'd keep an eye out for it.

Well, gotta go get the kiddies down for a nap. Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

And the diagnosis is...

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Well we went to the doctor again yesterday with poor little Sawyer to find out he has mono. I was floored because I have no idea how he would have gotten this. I've never even known a kid this small to get it. So, we are dealing with this and trying to get him better. This morning he is looking better, so that is encouraging. Now I have to worry about the rest of us possibly catching it. Oh joy.

So we are cooped up in the house while all this is going on. And after hearing that the ground hog saw his shadow, I think I'm ready to go ground hog hunting. I'm so ready for winter to be over with. I've been dreaming of warm sunshine and gardening and the beach.

I've decided that this year we are going to plant birdhouse gourds and dry them. I think will be a really fun project because I'm hoping that after we dry them I can get the kids to paint them. Not only can we learn about things growing, but make it an art project as well. I think I'll look at getting the seeds in the next few weeks. We've got a great garden center near us and as of last week they hadn't gotten in their gourd seeds. I'm hoping they will have them soon so we can start the plants inside. It will be a great way to spend the rest of our winter days watching the little shoots come up.

I just saw some god news this morning. I recently posted about Yo Baby Yogurt having a great rewards program when you enter codes off the lids of their yogurt and yogurt drinks. Well, I just saw that they've extended the program until June. So if you haven't done this yet there is still time to get in on it. I have been getting a ton of rewards because my kids eat so much yogurt. I love it that I can give them some healthy and we get a reward in return. Here is a link to my previous post about it. http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/2010/01/yo-baby.htmlf

So, that is what is going on here on our little snowy part of the world. Hope you are warm and having a great day in your neck of the woods.

Monday, February 1, 2010

A month of love - and we love Cheerios!

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Update...
Wow, I can't believe it is February 1st. Since Valentine's Day is in February, I always think of February as the month of love. I've already put up Valentine's decorations which has helped brighten things with all the winter weather we've had.

My little guy, Sawyer, has been sick all weekend so it has been a rough weekend. We've dealt with scary high fevers. We are hopeful he is on the upswing. We didn't even get to play in the snow. :(

One of the things we love...

I was excited recently when the good folks at MyBlogSpark contacted me and asked me if I'd like to participate in a program they had with General Mills regarding kids cereals. I said, "Heck yeah, I'd love to!" So General Mills & MyBlogSpark sent me some coupons to get some free cereal. This was right up my alley because I always buy General Mills cereal. So, who doesn't love to get some for free?

The General Mills cereal I buy the most are Cheerios. Sawyer loves the plain Cheerios and I like the Frosted and the Cinnamon Apple Cheerios. This weekend I was so glad we had Cheerios because with this illness Sawyer had, he had been sick on his stomach. When he started to feel better, I was able to give him Cheerios because they weren't harsh on his tummy. The poor child was gobbling Cheerios as fast as he could.

Another reason I love Cheerios is they have been a great first snack as my kids have started eating solid foods. I remember when Sawyer was a baby I was nervous about giving him solid foods as his teeth were coming in and I remember asking my pediatrician about giving Cheerios. His comment to me was, "Well, I've never known a child yet to get choked on a Cheerio. They have the hole in the middle." So, I had to admit that made me feel a little bit better. LOL

A while ago I was watching The Today Show and saw a segment that their nutritionist, Joy Bauer, presented on healthy foods. One of the cereals that she recommended was Cheerios. They are a great source of whole grains which are supposed to be a part of your daily diet. Hearing that made me feel good that I'm giving my two little guys and myself a good cereal to start our day, and of course it also makes a great snack.

This was some other interesting information that I was sent about General Mill's efforts regarding kids cereals: "General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain."





I also wanted to show y'all this really cute book that my mom got for Sawyer. On the different pages you place the Cheerios. It is a great way to help kids with their fine motor skills because they place the Cheerios on different parts of the book. The Cheerios are also great to work with them on counting. Isn't it cute that you can put the Cheerios in the spots where the wheels go for the little cars? This book would make a great gift along with one of those small containers of Cheerios. This would be a good thing to pack in your bag to occupy your little ones when you go out to eat at a restaurant.

Here is a link where you can go and print off coupons for General Mills cereals. The folks at MyBlogSpark & General Mills sent me this link to share with you. Using these coupons paired with store sales can be a great way to pick up some cereal inexpensively. http://bricks.coupons.com/Start.asp?tqnm=qljheit24889505&bt=wi&o=60627&ci=1&c=GM&p=NY8LmWB2

Hope you are having a great day in your neck of the woods!

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