Fashion Playtes Needs YOUR Help: Project Warmth & 25% Discount

With your help, Fashion Playtes® will donate 100 quilted vests to a local shelter this winter.

Here's their special offer: For every 10 new fans who join their Facebook page between now and January 31, 2010, Fashion Playtes will donate a warm quilted vest to HAWC, a shelter for women and children in Massachusetts. (Up to 100 vests)

Become a fan today!

The promotion will end at midnight EST on January 31, 2010 – join us TODAY!

HAWC's mission is to create social change by taking action against personal and societal patterns of violence and oppression. To learn more about HAWC, visit their Facebook page – www.facebook.com/hawc

Get 25% off through Friday with discount code SUB25!

Don't forget to click the link on the left side of my blog for $10 off a $25 gift certificate!

Any Los Angeles Based Bloggers? Free Skin Deal to Blog About

Any blogger in the L.A. area and interested in a free skin treatment from an office of two dermatologist just for blogging?

I wished I lived there to try this out!   Contact me!

Fashion Playtes $10 Off

If you haven't had a chance to sample Fashion Playtes, now is a good time to do so!  If you click on the link below or on the right side of my blog, you can get $10 off the purchase of a $25 gift certificate.  

Enter the $25 giveaway where two winners will win!  Go here to enter or to read all about Fashion Playtes a great new site for girls to create their own wonderful, creative fashions: 

http://youthfultips.blogspot.com/2010/01/fashion-playtes-two-25-gift-certificate.html

eShakti Customized Women's Clothing Review

"We Design, You Customize" is the motto of eShakti the Dress Shop.  I love how more and more businesses are allowing the consumer to personalize their products and eShakti is one of them.  Another unique feature of eShakti is the fact that they offer a complete range of sizes from size 0 to size 26W on EVERY style as well as custom sizes.

At eShakti, the choices include every type of fashion need or desire along with jewelry and accessories.  Whether you are looking for resort wear, jackets, dresses, lounge wear or more, they have it. For this review, I'm choosing the infamous, little black dress to show how easy it is to customize.

There are multiple options to select from when choosing which dress to customize.  I chose the Crystal Trim Jersey and Crepe Party Maxi.

Details:

Sheer mesh with crystal highlights trims a solid matte jersey bodice topping a fan-pleated skirt of an Empire-seamed dress cut with a double square neckline and wide straps.

• Slips on over head.
• Side zip.
• Floor length.
• Lined at the skirt.
• Polyester/cotton spandex; hand wash.

eShakti gives you options categorized by "non-mandatory details" and "mandatory details."  "Non-mandatory details", for this dress, is your bra cup size.  For me, this is a big deal as I can't tell you how many times I had to choose a larger dress to fit the top half.  This is a very welcome feature!

The "mandatory detail" for this dress is your height.  Again, another great feature as when you are short, it's hard to find a dress that fits the top and fits the length where you don't have to buy really high shoes or get it altered.  Your dress should arrive ready to wear!

The "custom detail" is next.  For his particular dress, I can choose the type of neckline I want.  I can go with "as shown" (look at the picture above), or wide straps or halter.  Once you make your selection, a pop up window will show an illustration at what each type of strap looks like.  If you choose to customize this, a small fee ($10) does apply.  I'm choosing the halter neckline.

The next choice is the "tunic length."  I can choose from "above the knee," "knee length," or "below the knee."  A pop up window will show the difference in lengths.

That was it!  All I had to do was add it to my cart!  eShakti will accept returns but if you customize, they will refund the full amount minus the costs for customization.  That is another great feature as many places will not accept returns on customized products.  For the price of $69.95, I was able to create a dress to my exact measurements which will be ready to wear.

If you are looking for a bargain, check out the "overstocked" area.

eShakti also ships in THREE days!  That's unbelievable given that each garment is customized.

The Review:

I received my complimentary sample dress yesterday and I love it!  It's absolutely beautiful, made of high quality material and fits perfectly!  It is so hard finding a dress to fit a short person with a large chest without having to compromise and have one portion either too big or too small but with this dress, it fits me like it was tailored made which if you think about it, it was!

I'm still on the road of losing weight so I made my daughter pose for the picture. By the way, I loved eShakti so much, I ordered one for her.  I'll add more pictures of the style she chose. 

The ordering process was so easy, as I noted above, and the customer service is equally impressive.  I forgot the special offer listed below until 1/31st so after I placed the order, I e-mailed eShakti and they graciouslly took care of it for me.  Another thing to note as some might feel because I was provided a complimentary sample for this post that I might have been treated special.  The customer service representative had no idea that I was receiving a sample for a post when I contacted them about my paid order.  This to me, is testimony as the level of customer service they provide.

Overall, I would recommend eShakti to any woman who likes to take a part in the design of her own clothing.  This is truly a unique experience in that you can get clothing made that is tailored to your body.  The prices are reasonable when you consider the costs of custom made clothing and the high quality in fabrics and workmanship put into the final product.  The dress I received was flawless, beautiful and perfect.


Good news:

eShakti is presently running a special promotion for all their new and first time customers. 'Get $20 OFF $30'

All you have to do is add items worth $30 to your cart and use coupon code 7W3FKE at checkout, to have this fabulous discount applied to their order. This code is valid till 01/31/10 so hurry!


* Disclaimer:  I did not receive any compensation for this post.

Pom Wonderful IS Wonderful Review: Great for Your Health

Getting healthier and getting in shape started being my focus last year and as usual, I decided to make it my resolution for 2010.  So far, it's started out good and I'm sticking to it even though it's only January 10th.  Last year, I lost 25 pounds and I'm still on the road of getting the rest off to ensure I'll be around a long time to see my children and grandchildren (when it's time) grow. 

Drinking juice is not a regular routine of mine given all the hype over unnecessary calories and high sugar content.  I've heard bits and pieces on the benefit of pomegranate juice and never really thought much of it until my oldest, who works at Publix, bought a couple of pomegranates as she does like them.  She also told me how many people buy Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice.  When Pom Wonderful offered the chance to review their 100% pure pomegranate juice, I definitely wanted to try it.

Pom Wonderful contains no added sugars, preservatives, colors or other filler juices.  This fact is very important to me as I'm trying to eliminate refined sugards, preservatives and articifial coloring from our diets.  I've been reading too much literature on the pitfalls of those products.  Having the choice to drink a juice that truly is good for me and is not overshadowed by cosmetic ingredients is crucial.

Another factor that draws me to Pom Wonderful is the they grow and hand pick their own pomegranates.  They also squeeze it by their own proprietary presses and manufacture it themselves.  Independent lab results revealed other pomegranate juices imported contained added sugars, colorants and other low grade juice filler in spite of label claims of being 100% pomegranate juice.

I had no idea that there are a variety of pomegranate varieties but with Pom Wonderful, they make their pomegranate juice out of a variety of pomegranates that offers a combination of antioxidants, a deep crimson color and delicious taste.

I wasn't sure I would like it and feared an after taste but much to my surprise, it tasted sweet, had a pleasant taste initially and afterwards.  The complimentary Pom Wonderful arrived cold which is how you should store it after it has been purchased.  I couldn't get my six year old to try it as she is not into trying new things due to being a kid and her hypersensitivity.  My oldest also enjoyed the taste, the smell and agreed that there was no after taste.  It reminded me a little of cranberry juice but was smoother and tasted much better. 

Facts About Pom Wonderful:

• Pom Wonderful products are backed by $32 million in medical research that were primarily conducted in areas of prostate, cardiovascular and erectile function.
• There have been published clinical trials documenting the health benefits of consuming eight ounces of Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice daily.
• Pom Wonderful is the only brand guaranteed to contain 100% authentic pomegranate juice.

History of Pomegranates:

• Pomegranates are one of mankind's earliest cultivated fruits.
• Man first began planting pomegranate trees sometime between 4000 B.C. and 3000 B.C.
• The pomegranate has been revered as a symbol of health, fertility and rebirth.

To read more about the clinical benefits of pomegranates, go to http://www.pomwonderful.com/.
To read more about the actual clinical trials, go to http://www.pomwonderful.com/thescience.com

Overall, I would highly recommend Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice due to the documented health claims.  To be able to not only note the clinical trials that backs the claims but to actually read them, is critical to me when laying my trust in a product.  Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice tastes great, smells delicious and has no after taste. 

Don't forget to check out all the great recipes on the Pom Wonderful site such as this one:

POM Velvet Cupcakes with POM Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
POM Cream Cheese Frosting

• juice from 3-4 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or 1-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 1 cup arils from 1-2 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates
• 4 oz. soft unsalted butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 14 oz. powdered sugar

POM Velvet Cupcakes

• juice from 6-9 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates,* or 2-1/2 cups POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice
• 16 oz. granulated sugar
• 14 oz. soft unsalted butter
• 4 ea large eggs
• 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 15 oz. all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 oz. cocoa powder
• 3/4 oz. baking soda
• pinch salt 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

POM Cream Cheese Frosting: Prepare fresh pomegranate juice*, score 1-2 fresh pomegranates and place in a bowl of water, break open the pomegranates under water to free the arils (seed sacs), the arils will sink to the bottom of the bowl and the membrane will float to the top, sieve and put the arils in a separate bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the arils from fruit and set aside, (refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use), reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 3 fl. oz., Allow to cool, place butter into electric mixer bowl with paddle attachment and cream on medium-high speed for 1 minute, add the cream cheese and continue to mix for 2 more minutes, turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar and the pomegranate juice reduction, mix until the sugar is fully combined, remove icing from the mixer and place into a piping bag with a round or star tip.

POM Velvet Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350F, reduce the pomegranate juice, over low heat, down to 1/2 cup, place sugar and soft butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream on medium-high speed, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, turn the speed down to low and add the eggs in one at a time, in a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, pomegranate juice reduction, white vinegar and vanilla extract, and then slowly add half of this to the mixer, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and then sift at least two times until well mixed, add half of this to the mixer, add the remaining half of the liquids to the mixer, and then the remaining dry ingredients, finish off with the heavy cream, beat just until combined, place cupcake liners into cupcake pan, and using a spoon, fill with cake batter until it is just about 3/4 full, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, allow the pan to cool slightly, and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool fully, once the cupcakes are cooled completely, they can be iced with the pomegranate cream cheese frosting and topped with fresh pomegranate arils.

Nutrients per Serving:

Nutrients per Serving (1 cupcake without frosting): 161 calories (75 calories from fat), 2g protein, 9g total fat (6g saturated), 20g carbohydrates, <1g dietary fiber, 40mg cholesterol, 13g total sugars, 5mcg vitamin A RE, 157mg sodium, 15mg potassium, <1mg vitamin C.

Nutrients per Serving (1 cupcake with frosting): 240 calories (109 calories from fat), 3g protein, 13g total fat (8g saturated), 31g carbohydrates, <1g dietary fiber, 51mg cholesterol, 23g total sugars, 23mcg vitamin A RE, 175mg sodium, 37mg potassium, 1mg vitamin C.

Note:

* For 4 cups of juice, cut 8-12 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.


* Disclaimer:  I received complimentary Pom Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice for this review.  I received no financial compensation.

Valentine's Day Gift Idea: Wine, Chocolate & Cards

This idea is a little on the high end of the spectrum for the average person.
RedEnvelope.com has this great leather wine carrying case for $89.95 but it has received 30 reviews and is rated top stars.  You can even personalize the carrier and gift wrap it.  If you have never purchased from Red Envelope, their gift wrapping service is about as wonderful as the gift itself.  It comes in a nice, high-quality red gift box.

To top of the elegance, you can either order your own labels and bottles since there are many businesses that provide that service, buy your own labels (see below) or make your own label.  This is an inexpensive way to add that special, one of a kind look as well as an ability to express yourself.

Valentine's Day Personalized Wine Label by jbranam
Get your stickers made at zazzle

Valentine's Day Customized Wine Label by jbranam
More Valentines Stickers

If you don't want to go with the carrier, you can choose a personalized wine box. Walmart carries a nice one for $21.96.

I personally prefer the one at Personal Creations at $24.95:

Top it off with some customized chocolate from Chocomize and you are set with only finding the perfect card.  There is a giveaway ending 1/25 for Chocomize customized chocolate bars here.

Thanks to Etsy, you can find some really unique cards that have that extra homemade touch to them.

Card Example 1:

This one is from SweetHarvey's shop and is a 10 pack of letterpress mini cards.  Granted you don't need 10 cards specifically but think of the creative ways you can express your love with 10 cards!  Be creative and get romantic with an array of ideas such as using the cards to place strategically for hints at what the night holds.  There are many possibilities.

Card Example 2:

Michellenstamps has cute handmade choices if you prefer a cute way to show your love.  Each one of the textured circles on the card background has been hand applied. The framed words say "love, be mine, hugs and kisses," with a fun assortment of ribbon highlighting them.

Card size is 4 1/4" square. Because the post office will charge you extra to mail a square envelope, I am sending you a 4 1/2 x 5 3/4" envelope. That way if you mail it, you won't need to attach extra postage. The inside of the card is blank, for you to write your own message.

Happy Valentine's Day Planning!

Pure & True Glow Intensive C Rejuvenating Serum (organic) Review

L.M. was the lucky reviewer of this great serum from a company straight out of Hawaii which is where my youngest was born.  Pure and True offers many products but for this review, she is focusing on the Pure & True Glow Intensive C Rejuvenating Serum (organic). 

The Glow Serum is in a sophisticated bottle with an allure of Hawaii right on the side.  Glow revitalizes the skin with vitamin C and E and age-defying ingredients that have been shown to promote collagen synthesis and lighten hyperpigmentation.  Even the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry and Sienna Miller are just a few of the fans of Pure and True products.  Give me, give me if I could look like those women!  If only ... but it's not a genie in a bottle but it is a great moisturizer and leaves your skin radiant and glowing.

Since this is an organic product, Pure and True utilizes nature's best to promote the healing properties that will leave your skin feeling moisturized, well replenished and rejuvenated.  The rosehip works with the vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to help the signs of aging.

The beauty of Glow is it's a one step age defying treatment and a moisturizer.  It can also be used all over the face as well as the eyes, chest or other areas that you want to treat or slow down the signs of aging.  It's for all skin types but specially recommended for dry, pigmented, mature and sensitive skin.

I applied it twice a day after cleansing my face per the instructions.  It was smooth and had a pleasant smell.  The light yellow serum went on very smooth and didn't leave a greasy feel or any other residue.  I definitely felt my feel feeling more moisturized and radiant.  There were subtle changes to my crows feet.  Overall, I definitely recommend Glow as a moisturizer as it worked wonders of my sensitive, fair skin.  I think I have to use it longer to see the impact longterm on wrinkles or as a preventive treatment.  Unfortunately, there is no clear way to knowing how much of a difference it made on the aging areas.

About Pure and True Organic Beauty:

HIGH-PERFORMANCE, AGE-DEFYING, ORGANIC BEAUTY

Infuse you skin with the finest ingredients found in nature, combined with proven cosmeceutical ingredients. Free from parabens, artificial fragrances, artificial colors, sulphates, phthalates, and petroleum-derived ingredients. A pure and true experience that restores and rejuvenates the skin.

Products:

• Cleansers
• Toners
• Serums/Moisturizers
• Scrubs
• Masques

The Language of Love and Respect: Cracking the Communication Code with Your Mate Book Review

The Language of Love and Respect: Cracking the Communication Code with Your Mate by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is another great book for anyone to read that is in a relationship.

Product Details:

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Reprint edition (October 13, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 084994807X
• ISBN-13: 978-0849948077

All relationships suffer from communication issues but marriages, in particular, appear to suffer greatly from this.  Dr. Eggerich's book, Love and Respect, was the first book I read from him.  For me, it was a real eye opener on explaining the different communication styles between men and women.  What women say and men hear and vice versa was true to form but being able to read about the oppositve sex really allowed me a different perspective on my own marriage.

The  basic rules still apply that husband's view their wive's actions as being disrespectful while women react to not getting the love they want.  It's a vicious cycle that has to be broken in order to enjoy the fruits of marriage.  Real life excerpts also helps to show how practicing to avoid the "crazy cycle" also adds credibility to the ideas touted in this book.  Where the books makes complete logical sense, it also shows how hard it is to break that cycle which is why I think the book is good because it's not one of those, 'read me, follow it and all is perfect.' 

It's a very practical book that needs to be reread frequently to reinforce the teachings.  I would recommend it to anyone in a relationship as it really does provide helpful insight in understanding the rational behind the actions of the opposite sex.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for my review.

The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans and Rachel Hauck Book Review

Product Details:

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544895
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544896
  

The Sweet By and By is about a woman, Jade, who is still reliving events of her past.  After being away from her childhood life for a decade, she's about to marry Max Benson.  Her experiences past college has led to a successful career and a new life.

In spite of trying to rise above and move forward especially with her upcoming marriage, she finds it's not as easy to do when her hippie mother, Beryl, and wild-child younger sister arrives for the wedding.  Throughout the story, the reader catches glimpses of the life she's trying to forget which allows a basis for the story.  This Christian fictional novel touches on the need to forgive which is always a message anyone can use.  Even though Jade vows to leave the past in the past with her Fiance, she struggles throughout the story with fullfilling that promise.

The chapters flowed well and were not too long.  It was an easy to read book with great descriptive characters.  I particularly enjoyed reading how Sara and Rachel made God a character in the book.  The book is laced with possible lessons to learn and most likely, the reader will be able to relate to portions of the story with dysfunctional families.  I also liked the section Reading Group Guide that allows you  to explore the book's message in greater depth from certain chapter experiences.

Overall, I would recommend this heart warming book especially for women and more particularly, women who can relate to a troubled upbringing with less than stellar parents.

*Disclaimer:  I was provided this complimentary book by the Thomas Nelson Publishing Group in exchange for my review.

Staples and Retweet to Win a Netbook!

Wouldn't a nice, brand new and FREE netbook sound good?  Imagine all the things you could do with a netbook like entering giveaways, blogging, researching the latest diet tips on how to get in shape or order office supplies or print cartridges for all those pictures you want to print from Christmas.

 

RIGHT NOW and over the entire month of January, Staples is hosting the “Tweet and You Could Win a Netbook” contest.

• Just follow @StaplesTweets
• Tweet the @StaplesTweets contest link http://bit.ly/4Pe3gm
• Tweet them your #worstgift and you’re automatically entered to win a FREE netbook.

What's more, the MORE followers @StaplesTweets gets, the MORE netbooks they will give away!

Tweet!  Tweet!  Tweet!

Organic Pharmacy Green Coffee Proprietary Massage Treatment

If you read my blog, you might have seen that I post frequently about the Organic Pharmacy because I truly like their products.   Based out of London, the Organic Pharmacy is the most respected and trusted organic personal care company in the UK.  They have an almost endless supply of organic products to keep you healthy, keep you looking good and beautiful.


The latest product they are offering is green coffee, not in a cup but in a new proprietary massage treatment focused on firming, draining and breaking down fat cells to reduce the appearance of cellulite -- The Green Coffee Body Sculpting Treatment.

Here’s how it works:

• Lower half of body is dry brushed to stimulate circulation and allow the oils, with their active ingredients to be absorbed.
• The body is then massaged with Green Coffee and Chili Oil. In addition to green coffee, key ingredients include:
• Chili, to increase the flow of blood by “heating” the skin. The extra heat enhances the effects of the stimulating green coffee for better circulation and eliminate of fats, excess fluids and toxins.
• Juniper, for its decongestant, diuretic and detoxifying properties.
• Grapefruit, an excellent lymph stimulant that helps eliminate waste by removing excess water from the body and the skin.
• Next, the body is massaged with Body Sculpting Gel. Key ingredients include:
• Mountain Ash, to improve the tone of veins and help flush out excess water around the cells.
• Linseed Polyholosides, to redefine, lift, firm and plump skin from within by stimulating collagen.
• Fig, with lipolytic action to reduce the size of fatty cells.
• Horse Chestnut, to improve circulation and Menthol from mint leaves to constrict the blood vessels and drain. These botanicals continue to work even after they have been applied.
• At the end of the treatment, the client, now relaxed and feeling lighter, is offered a drink of water with an all-natural anti-cellulite tincture (garcinia, gurana, horsechestnut, gotu kola, dandelion and bladderwrack).
• Products contain no artificial preservatives, fragrances, colorants, petrochemicals or animal ingredients and are never tested on animals.

Watch a real treatment:




The treatment, recommended at least 5-6 times for the best results, is priced at $100 (per treatment) and is available at The Organic Pharmacy, 453 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA and soon to be available in New York.

I wished they had one closer to me or I lived in California.

Anyone try it yet?

Click HERE to see my review of the Organic Pharmacy's Rose Plus Marine Collagen Complex.

Click HERE to see my review on the Organic Pharmacy's Carrot Butter.

Click HERE to see April's review on the Organic Pharmacy's Glam Cosmetics.

*Disclaimer:  I have not reviewed the Organic Pharmacy Green Coffee Proprietary Massage Treatment nor was I compensated in any way for this post.

Beiz Lola Panda App for iPhone and iPod Teaches World Flags

If you would have told me a few months ago that young kids can learn on Ipods or phones, I would have doubted that.  As always, kids never cease to amaze me.  My two kids, two and six, love the Ipod even though much to the chagrin of my 21 year old, the two year old deletes her apps.  Those apps are great things pending on your interests and as some are free, others cost.  One day back in December, I watched my two year laying on the floor with her sister's Ipod Touch and she was shaking it.  I asked my oldest what she was doing and she told me she was clearing the screen.  I was amazed that she knew to do that and when Beiz Ltd had an offer to review their new game Lola's Flag Adventure, I thought this would be a great opportunity to try another educational game venue with them.

If you don't know who Beiz Ltd is, they are Beijing-based game design studio.  Lola's Flag Adventure 1.0, is their first children's flag game for iPhone and iPod Touch. Lola's Flag Adventure features voice guidance, an easy-to-use interface and wonderfully designed panda graphics and world flags.  Lola's Flag Adventure has two games for children to choose from:

1. A memory game for children who cannot read.  This is a fun game as it has three difficulty levels of easy, medium or hard.  My six year old really enjoys playing the game and is challenged by it with the three levels of difficulty.  In order for her to move to the second game, I need to teach her the country's name associated with the flag.  I think the two year old could play this game with some help and guidance but it would take a little effort.
2. The flag trivia is for older children or even adults if they want to learn the flags. The game provides fun and challenge both for preschoolers and junior school children.  We haven't moved up to that game yet but I can see my six year old eventually playing it and liking it.  The flags included are of the biggest countries from Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

There will be more games in the series with Lola and what kid doesn't love panda bears?  This is a good educational opportunity if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch.  Can you imagine how it would make waiting at the doctor's office or other places easier by having this game on your iPhone or iPod? 

I would recommend this game as a good venue in teaching about world flags and countries.  Lola is a cute panda that will entice the little one's and the easy to follow games are a fun way to teach while having fun.  At only $1.99, you can't go wrong.

From Beiz:

"We believe in educational games that can be fun to play as well. We don't want the children to be game addicts, but provide fun and educational moments as part of the other activities in children's lives" says Head of BeiZ gaming Studio, Minna Heikinheimo.

Language Support:

• US English and Chinese (simplified) 
• More will be added in future

Device Requirements:

• iPhone or iPod Touch 2.2.1 or later

Pricing and Availability:

• Lola’s Flag Adventure 1.0 is only $1.99 (USD) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Games category.
• Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=346750175&mt=8  

Beiz Ltd is a mobile game studio that concentrates on providing enjoyable edutainment solutions for children and adults. Beiz also assists its partners in publishing their games and mobile content. Beiz has headquarters in Hong Kong and operations in China and in Finland. Please visit Beiz online for more information.

*Disclaimer:  I received a complimentary download of Lola's Flag Adventure and no other compensation.  The opinions written in this post are mine and were not influenced by the opportunity to receive the complimentary download.

TrimBack.com: New Community for Online Couons, Deals & Discounts - Including Grocery Coupons Update

I just woke up this morning and found out I won the Trimback & MomFuse blogging contest!  Yeah!!!

If you haven't had a chance to check out Trimback, you really should as it's an excellent source to save money with coupons and discounts to a huge selection of stores.  There is even a Shopping Forum coming soon to help share more great deals!

Want to know more about Trimback?  Please read my post below.

I'm an above-novice coupon clipper and semi-expert for online sales but with the need to cut spending and realize better budgeting skills, finding a bargain or a discount has become somewhat a hobby for me.  I also spend a lot of my time shopping on the internet as it's easier and you really can pick up some great deals if you use coupon codes.  Before I buy anything online, I always search for coupons. 

One of my favorite stores to shop online is Macy's.  I will never buy anything unless I search for Macy's coupon codes to ensure I get the best deal.  What I like the best about this site, it has all the stores that you can think of and all you do is enter the store you are interested in, click on search and all the offers pop up.  If you don't know what you want to search for, all the stores are available in alphabetical order.

This relatively new site, TrimBack.com is a community offering great coupon codes, deals and more.  They even have a blog that provides informative details on other codes, special deals and bargains.  You can search over 30,000+ coupons, deals and discounts!

Remember whenever you want to buy something online, check for codes, discounts and deals with four easy steps:

1. Go to TrimBack.com
2. Enter the store you are interested in the search box and press search
3. Select from all the available deals, discounts and coupons
4. Click the coupon code or click the click to use link next to the code and enter the code when instructed to.

Don't forget there is a handy tab for grocery store coupon clipping too!

*Disclaimer:  I was not compensated for this review.  I am entering a MomFuse and TrimBack.com contest for a giftcard giveaway.  I did register and use the site so my review is an honest review of the site and abilities.

Subway & Biggest Loser: Great Deals & Inspiration

I posted what is below earlier in the week and wanted to update it as with my latest weight loss challenge, I'm fully committed after reading a few books, continuing my addiction to Biggest Loser and just wanting to have more energy and feel good.

Yesterday for lunch, my daughter told me about the 280 calorie turkey 6" sub.  Given that I'm counting calories and wanting something with a multi-grain or whole wheat bread, this was the perfect choice for me.  What's great about the 6" subs is you can cut them in half and graze on them for a few hours.  Grazing is the name of the game from what I'm reading in several books.

What I found while reviewing the Subway site is that they actually do compliment their products with the advice of a dietitian and a nutrition specialist.  There is a page dedicated to nutrition, advice and videos: http://www.subway.com/subwayroot/MenuNutrition/index.aspx.

I was insprired by Jared but never really jumped on the bandwagon as I'm a yo-yo Atkins girl which would leave Subway out most of the time but I am a carb craver so having the 9 grain bread is excellent for my tastes.

If you are like me, you need inspiration and motivation.  I prefer getting my motivation from watching the Biggest Loser who is always touting the benefits of Subway.  This diet, I'm giving Subway a chance.

My biggest TV vice is The Biggest Loser and I'm addicted!  If you watch the show, you know that they team up with Subway for their meals at times.  Subway has a deal right now where you can download a free Biggest Loser workout mix.

You can even join the Pound for Pound Challenge and raise money for charity by going here: http://www.pfpchallenge.com/

Last season's winner, Shay, is the big challenger with Subway to lose the rest of her weight.  Shay had a sad story growing up with an addicted mother who later died prematurely.  Shay turned to food and was the largest woman in Biggest Loser history. For every pound Shay loses, Subway will give her $1,000!

As part of Subway's path to helping more lose weight, their site is full of inspirational zones to get you off to the right start:  http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/biggestloser/shay_press_release.asp

Become a fan of Subway on Facebook and enter their sweepstakes to win a $50 gift card.

Kindergarten Fast Tracked to College

I know I'm older now, 41 to be exact, and I'm restarting this whole kid thing with having my oldest at 21 but I had no idea how much changed in school from 15 year's ago.  Before she started, I taught her how to write her name, tie her shoes, count to 100 and many other things and she was considered advanced.  I neglected (for many reasons) doing the same with my now six year old thinking it would all be taught when she got to school.  I had no idea!

Due to her epilepsy that started right before she started school last year, trying to get the medication adjusted and sorting out issues with her then father as my husband adopted her in October, she ended up repeating kindergarten this year.  I didn't have to make her do that but thought it was in her best interest in doing so.  The teacher she has this year has her students writing journals in full sentences, reading books and so much more!  I can't imagine being in kindergarten and being able to read and write by Christmas.  Times have changed so much!

I've written past posts about tips I use to help her learn and I'll repeat a couple of those tips:

1. Post It Notes has the Sight Words available which are a blessing.  I stick them up on the windows we have dividing our kitchen and sunroom and they are always there as constant reminders to study and practice.
2. Magnetic boards are great to track bonus calendar days.  Every night she does "extra" homework or practice, she gets a smily face.  At the end of the week, she can trade those in for a little surprise.  It's motivational for her and fun.
3. LoveTwoTeach has a great blog of resources that I use to print off activities and fun projects.
4. KinderTeacher is another site I utilize for extra work.
5. She was needing help in math so I found this site that has great practice activities online which she loves: http://www.aaastudy.com/addk7ax1.htm
6. Wii has a game called Big Brain Academy that I might try out since she's into our Wii console.  You can see a clip here: http://www.amazon.com/Big-Brain-Academy-Wii-Degree-Nintendo/dp/B000OAO188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1262811867&sr=8-1-spell

She's also into drawing and is very creative so I had her write her own book that was published (widget on left side of blog).  She told me the story, I modified to make it run together smoothly and she drew the pictures.  She took so much pride in it that she wrote several more but I haven't put them together to publish it yet. 

There are so many creative ways to help your child learn and encourage creativity.  I only hope the schools don't push too hard, too fast and take the fun out of being a child.  I always tease my oldest that I had no idea that I had to prep her for med school.

Any other tips out there for creativity?