Happy 4th of July!

Thank you doesn't begin to show the appreciation for those who have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for our freedom.  God Bless.

Great Deals at Totsy!

What is Totsy?  Totsy is a savings site that is accessible by invitation only and offers amazing discounts on clothing and products for children and adults.  Products are available while quantities last and only for a short period of time meaning if you find something you better jump on it.  That's exactly what I just did.  I was looking for a great quality lunch box for my daughter and found the MatSack on sale for $11.90 (regular retail $19.95)  Shipping was $7.95.  What made this deal even sweeter was that there is a one time use coupon code valid for $15 off purchases of $16 or more (not incl. tax or shipping).  I was able to order 2 MatSacks for $15.95 using this coupon code instead of $19.45 for one without the code. 

If you aren't in the market for a lunchbox they also have several great children's clothing deals that would be great to pair with this offer. Don't forget to check out the Paul Frank PJ pants for women that are on sale for $12 each!

For those of you not members you may use my invitation link to join.  Happy Shopping!  Most of today's deals exp in 11hrs.
Invitation:  Totsy Invitation
Discount Code: vipmom

Fun Smart Reviews: Kingdom Tales Book One: Tales of the Kingdom

Fun Smart Reviews: Kingdom Tales Book One: Tales of the Kingdom: "If you love Christian books that the whole family will enjoy, be sure to read The Kingdom Tales series, by David and Karen Mains. These are..."

My Kind of Tea Party

This tea party has nothing to do with any political movements. This tea party involves two of my favorite things, tea and a good sale. I absolutely love sitting down with a nice cup of tea. I love experimenting with different flavors and learning the benefits of various blends. The upside is that tea is also good for you. It is filled with antioxidants that are beneficial for your health. I like to try different brands, flavors and styles of tea. I use loose teas and bagged teas.

I first discovered Stash Tea when the Target SuperStore opened in our area. I was checking out the tea isle and of course the sale signs drew my attention to a tea brand that I wasn't familiar with. I picked out a couple of flavors and as the saying goes, the rest is history. Stash Tea comes in a variety of flavors and is available in regular and decaf in most of their blends. One of my favorite blends from Stash is their Chocolate Hazelnut Tea. I add a touch of sugar and creamer to the Chocolate Hazelnut Tea and it is absolutely delicious. It is like dessert in a cup.

The Tea Party going on now is on Amazon.com. The currently have their Stash Tea on sale. You may place a one time order at the sale price or you can choose the subscribe and save option and save an additional 15%. For those you who are not familiar with Amazon's subscribe and save program you may sign up for deliveries every 1,2,3 or 6 months shipping to your home automatically. Shipping is free and the 15% discount continues to be applied. Please note though that the base price of the item may go up or down so you may want to check it before your scheduled shipment. If you change your mind about subscribe and save you may cancel at any time. To manage your subscribe and save account, go to my account. Then click on subscribe and save and you can change the frequency of shipments or cancel all together. That's not all, this offer is even better since you until June 30, 2011 use coupon code STASHT97.  There are several blends available and several flavors.  Currently the Chocolate Hazelnut Decaf is on sale for $15.63 for 6- 18ct boxes (total of 108 tea bags).  If you choose subscribe and save the price is $13.29 (.12 per tea bag).  You may then use the coupon code above for an additional discount increasing your savings.  The Stash Tea site's price on this tea is approx. .18 a bag before shipping and tax.  So overall Amazon is offering a great deal.  Stop by and treat yourself to some tea.  I'd love to hear your feedback on how you like your tea, flavors you recommend etc.


~Enjoy

StuffSmart's Stash Tea on Amazon Link

 * This post is my own.  I have not been compensated in any way.  This post was to share my experience with Stash Tea and a current sale that I became aware of as an Amazon.com affiliate. 
**Ordering through the links above help support this blog.

Here, Home, Hope by author Kaira Rouda ~ Book Review

I enjoy reading but rarely allow myself enough time to enjoy a good book.  I am so glad that I participated in the One 2 One network book review of Kaira Rouda's book Here, Home, Hope.   I really had trouble putting this book down.  The main character Kelly was so easy to relate too.  Kelly lives in "Grandville" which ironically we find is not always grand.  We are taken on Kelly's midlife journey to change the direction of her life now that her children are getting older and that she is facing her 40th birthday.  Kelly introduces us to several of her friends and through her journey she gains insight that things aren't always what they seem.  Those she has been envious of are actually envying her life.  This book is a quick read.  I would say it is a must read for this summer.  I was also very excited to see that this is only the first of several novels Kaira Rouda has planned taking place in Grandville.  I've included the book's video trailer but honestly it doesn't do the book justice.




Visit Kaira Rouda's official website here.  Check out the book tour here: http://www.kairarouda.com/events/ .   Follow Kaira Rouda on Twitter and Facebook.

If you are an Amazon shopper Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda is currently available for $10.20 (List $15).  This would make a great book for a book club or for you to read and share with your friends.  I'd love to hear your feedback after you've read Kaira Rouda's book Here, Home, Hope.  Please stop by and let us know what you think about this book.

*Disclosure:  As a member of One 2 One Network I received a copy of Kaira Rouda's Here, Home, Hope for review.  The review is my own work and honest opinion.
 

Let's Move! May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month ~ GNC $100 Gift Card Giveaway~ Giveaway Winner

The winner has been chosen and emailed.  The winner's name will be posted as soon as I get a reply.  If  I do not receive a reply within 48hrs a new winner will be chosen. 

Check your emails!  Good Luck!

And the winner is.......

Congratulations to janetfaye!

Memorial Day 2011

Country Dance for Nintendo Wii ~ Review

I was given the opportunity to review the new Country Dance game for Nintendo Wii by Gamemill.  I live very close to the country music capital however am only slightly familiar with country hits.  That being said, I knew almost all of the songs included on this game.  Do you want to have some fun and burn some calories?  This game will help you do just that.  The rating is E 10+ I'm sure for the lyrics of some of the songs.  My daughter and I enjoyed battling it out against each other with the various dances.  I actually found myself wanting more song choices and dances.  I hope they release a second version with a longer play list. 

If you like to dance this game is worth a try.  If you like country music try Country Dance for some dancing fun.



The tracklist includes 25 country music songs:
Alan Jackson - Chattahoochee
Miley Cyrus - Hoedown Throwdown
Brooks & Dunn - Boot Scootin’ Boogie
Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky
Toby Keith - A Little Less Talk
Dierks Bentley - What Was I Thinking
Darius Rucker - Alright
Gretchen Wilson - Redneck Woman
Laura Bell Bundy - Giddy On Up
Randy Travis - Forever and Ever Amen
Tracy Byrd - Watermelon Crawl
Josh Turner - Why Don’t We Just Dance
Luke Brian - Ran is A Good Thing
Mary Chapin Carpenter - I Feel Lucky
Jerrod Niemann - Lover Lover
Josh Thompson - Beer on the Table
Easton Corbin - A Little More Country Than That
Carrie Underwood - Cowboy Casanova
Brad Paisley - Water
Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue
Trace Adkins - Honky Tonk Badonkadonk
Tim McGraw - Just to See You Smile
Zac Brown Band - Chicken Fried
Rascal Flatts - Life is A Highway
Blake Shelton - All About Tonight
Miranda Lambert - White Liar
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire

*Disclosure:  I was provided a copy of Country Dance for Nintendo Wii for review.  The review and opinions are my own.  I have not received any monetary compensation for this post.

Let's Move! May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month ~ GNC $100 Gift Card Giveaway~ Giveaway Closed

Let's Move is the challenge started by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to help combat obesity.
Let's Move focuses on four key components:

1. Making Healthy Choices
2. Healthier Foods in Schools
3. Access to Healthy Affordable Food
4. Increase Physical Activity

I find it sad that obesity has become a national epidemic.  Obesity can lead to so many other health problems yet it is preventable and curable.  Small steps to change our lifestyles can literally save our lives and the lives of our children.  Here are a few things that have worked for my family.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a gourmet chef nor do I particularly enjoy cooking but I do love to eat.  Throughout my pregnancy and when I became a parent were the real eye openers for me to look at my eating habits more closely.  Today's family has so much packed in their schedule that they often overlook healthy eating habits by sliding through the drive through or ordering pizza.  I can admit that this has been the case with my own family especially when I held a job outside of the home.  How do we work nutritious meal choices into our schedules?  One of my best friends in the kitchen is my Crock Pot/Slow Cooker.  I love being able to toss ingredients into my crock pot in the morning then presto! I have a fast and nutritious option for dinner.  I've also avoided heating my house with the oven which is an added bonus.  I am fortunate in my home as that we all love vegetables.  I keep a freezer full of them.  Look out though be sure to read the packaging and go for the no salt added versions.  Most frozen veggies can go from microwave or stove to the table in less than 15 minutes.  We really can eat fast food at home with a little planning and discipline.  This will leave our families healthier and our wallets too!  For the ultra organized family plan your meals and put them on your calendar along with soccer practice, ballet, football, school functions etc.  Doing this you can adjust your meals to fit with the activity.  Just remember small changes over time can make a big difference.

Snacking is also something we do a lot of.  I too am guilty of grabbing prepackaged snacks for on the go.  We have recently cut way down on the number of prepackaged snacks and started buying fruit to take for snacks.  One of my favorite snacks has become nuts.  They are delicious and often give you the pick me up that you need.  (here too look for low or no salt added)  Wash fruits and go ahead and prepackage them in snack sizes for easy grab and go accessibility.

Staying active is also a part of fighting obesity.  I know by now this probably sounds like a confessional but, I have a motto that I am allergic to exercise.  My husband and daughter are both avid runners but that is not my thing whatsoever.  I do however enjoy aerobics, walking, swimming and love the new active fitness options for the wii.  Did you know that it is recommended that children get 1hr of physical activity a day and  30 minutes per day for adults?  Here again think small steps.  When I was working outside of the home I had a 3rd floor office conveniently located across from the elevator.  I made the decision to use the stairs instead and it was a change that was easy to do and I didn't miss the elevator at all!  I was reading today a study on colon cancer, the study looked at physical activity and the incidence of colon cancer and found that those who exercised an hour a week were at lower risk of developing colon cancer.  Wow!  That really opened my eyes especially since my father has colon cancer.

Water, Water, Water.  Yes, water can help in the fight against obesity.  I am NOT talking about bottled water.  Please invest in eco-friendly reusable containers.  Did you know that most Americans do not get the recommended amount of water per day?  When you don't have enough water your body may tell you that you are hungry.  Think about that before you hit the snacks between meals.  Keeping water at your desk or with you can help curb hunger, stay hydrated and fight obesity.

There are many resources for the Let's Move initiative:
http://www.fitness.gov/
http://www.letsmove.gov/
http://www.smallstep.gov/kids/flash/index.html
http://www.smallstep.gov/get_the_facts.html
http://www.healthfinder.gov/

GNC http://www.gnc.com is sponsoring this post by providing a $100 GNC giftcard to one lucky StuffSmart reader.

Rules:
Contest begins Monday, May 16, 2011 at 1:00pm EST.  Contest ends Monday May 30, 2011  at 10pm EST.  Contest open worldwide.  Winner will be chosen using random.org.  Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48hrs to reply.  If no reply is received a new winner will be chosen.  Limit entrants to one person per household.   Entrants are subject to disqualification if rules are violated.

Mandatory entry(must be completed before any bonus entries to count):  Like GNC on facebook, follow @GNCLiveWell on twitter and follow @jeffhennion  returning to leave a comment saying that you have done so.
Bonus Entries:  Please make a comment for each entry.  ie: If a bonus entry=3 Make 3 comments adding entry #1,#2,#3.

• Please share whether or not you/your family have made any changes in your diet and/or activities. If so please share the changes you've made. 3 extra entries
• Visit StuffSmart Blog's facebook page
• Follow @StuffSmart on twitter.
• Tweet : Sample tweets; "Let's Move! May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month ~ GNC $100 Gift Card Giveaway http://bit.ly/iNEtDk #gnc #letsmove #fitness"    "@StuffSmart say's join National Physical Fitness & Sports Month & enter to win a $100 GNC gc http://bit.ly/iNEtDk #letsmove #fitness #GNC.  (May tweet up to 2x's per day at least 2 hours apart and leave tweet link.)
• Follow StuffSmart using Google Friend Connect.  3 extra entries
• Tell a friend!  Tell someone about this post.  If they enter and say that you referred them you will get an additional entry. unlimited
• Blog about this giveaway including a link back.  Post must be at least 75 words and blog must have at least 20 followers. 5 extra entries

Happy Mother's Day 2011