Save money shopping online with CouponCodes4U
May 16, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
[The following is a sponsored post, commissioned by CouponCodes4u.]
I do pretty much all of my shopping online – I have for years. Everything from clothes and shoes to jewelry to groceries. I love the convenience. I love being able to shop in my pajamas (why should I dress for shopping if I don’t dress for work?) and have my purchases brought right to my door. This works especially well for the big stuff, since shopping with a car isn’t the easiest thing where I live.
But I also love to get a deal, so I always check for coupons before I shop. Not looking first to see if there’s a coupon is like leaving your wallet on the counter after you pay. Finding coupons, free shipping deals, and more is as easy as going to CouponCodes4u. The best part for you, of course, is that the site is free to use.
Using the site couldn’t be easier. If you already know which store you want to buy from, just search for it in the big box at the top of the site. If I want to shop at Kohls, for example, I can search and easily find all sorts of Kohls coupons. To use them all I have to do is copy and paste the code and use it at the store’s checkout – no logging in, no membership, nothing complicated.
If you don’t have a particular store in mind, you can browse through the categories. A quick look through the Book & Magazine section and I found Barnes & Noble coupon codes for everything from books to Nooks to DVDs.
Remember back a couple months ago when a lot of us shopped at JCP on the same day to support their support of Ellen as spokeswoman? I was excited and on a mission and forgot to check that day for JC Penney Coupon Codes. I spent so much money that day, I shudder to think about the savings I missed out on! It would have been so easy!
Another great way to save is to sign up for their newsletter, which contains special deals not available on their site. You’ll get the biggest discounts to the best brands right in your inbox.
So do yourself a favor, don’t leave money on the table when you shop online – check in with CouponCodes4u first, and save yourself some cash!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 13. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Fresh Direct–actually making this mom’s life easier!
May 7, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
This giveaway has closed. Congratulations to the winner, Eve L.!
I can’t tell you how often I get pitches from PR people for things they claim will make my life easier. Usually it’s something that would make no discernable difference at all in the level of ease in my life. But when the folks behind Listen To Your Mother asked if I would give away a Fresh Direct gift certificate in conjunction with their show, I said of course! Fresh Direct has been making my life easier since 2003, and I support them wholeheartedly.
My life has been unusually busy lately. I was away for a week, and then I only had two days to catch up on a week’s worth of emails, clean my entire house, work a big fundraiser at the kids’ school, bake a birthday cake, and get ready for Fiona’s birthday party. And of course, having been out of town, we didn’t have the basics when we got home – no milk, eggs, etc. Thank goodness I was able to put in a quick Fresh Direct order for the very next morning, and get not only the groceries we needed, but the bulk of the food and drinks for the party, too. It saved me at least two hours at a time when I didn’t have two hours to spare.
I’m so thrilled that Fresh Direct was a major sponsor of Listen To Your Mother, because I know some of the people involved with the show (which was performed Sunday afternoon) and I know how hard they worked on it. I hope Fresh Direct was able to make their lives a little easier, too.
As a long-time Fresh Direct customer, I can personally attest to the quality of their food. And if something isn’t perfect, their excellent ratings system tells you, so that you can decide whether to buy it or not. Their customer service team is outstanding, taking care of any problems that may arise, usually within hours.
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Tags: Fresh Direct, NYC, Shopping
Pledge to get off of your butt and play (it’s just that easy)
Apr 26, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
[The following post was written as part of my paid ambassadorship with Let’s Play, a part of the Dr Pepper/Snapple Group]
I had such a great time last year writing for Let’s Play, a fantastic initiative by Dr Pepper/Snapple to get families moving. I’m back again as an ambassador, and my job today – the one-year anniversary of Let’s Play – is to get you to take the Let’s Play Pledge over on their facebook page. Why? Because moving more is healthy. And burns calories. And is fun. And you signing the pledge can help me look better to my bosses. And, sometimes getting something down on paper (OK, it’s not paper, but you know what I mean) makes it more real.
So all you have to do is pledge to participate in an extra hour of active play each week with your kids. That’s it, sixty minutes! That’s just ten minutes a day, with a day off! Or, you could do it all in one big, fun, hour-long chunk. Here are some of my favorite ideas to get moving with your kids:
continue reading: Pledge to get off of your... Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Kids, Let's Play
Ranch Dressing With Lasagna? Yes Please!
Apr 16, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
[The following post was written as part of my paid ambassadorship with Hidden Valley.]
I have to admit, when I first saw this recipe for Bloomin’ Lasagna on the Hidden Valley website (a version of spinach lasagna with ranch dressing in it), I was skeptical. Actually, I think I wrinkled my nose and said “gross!”
I love ranch dressing. I’ve always loved it on salads, or as a veggie dip, and I add Hidden Valley Ranch mix to mashed potatoes – it’s amazing. But my initial reaction to the very idea of mixing tomato sauce with ranch was not good.
However, curiosity got the best of me. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to see what they tasted like together. Plus, the recipe looked fun – I’d only made lasagna the traditional way, with the noodles layered and the filling in between. I really wanted to try this.
I made this recipe on Saturday for dinner, and it was ridiculously easy. While the lasagna was cooking I mixed the filling ingredients together. I used pre-washed baby spinach since I can’t stand washing greens of any kind. Instead of the Hidden Valley Original Ranch the recipe called for, I used the light version since that’s what I already had open in the fridge. And a great tip for shredding mozzarella: put the block of cheese in the freezer for about 20 minutes first. You don’t want it to freeze, just harden up a bit.
continue reading: Ranch Dressing With Lasagna? Yes Please! Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Food, Hidden Valley Ranch
Win a huge Valentine’s baking and serving set from SweetyHigh.com
Feb 5, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
UPDATE: Comments on this post are closed and the giveaway is over. Thank you to all who entered, and congratulations to Sleepyheadedmom!
[The following post was commissioned by SweetyHigh.com]
My daughter is at that age where she wants to be so many things when she grows up: dancer, singer, fashion designer, doctor (OK, I threw that last one in, she really just wants to be a performer or a famous person of some kind). And since she is all of seven, she feels that time’s a wastin’ – tick tock, tick tock!
I am a little heartbroken that she’s still a few months too young for an innovative website called Sweety High, but the moment she turns eight I’m getting her an account. Sweety High is for girls ages eight to sixteen, and I guarantee my daughter will be all over this.
At its core, Sweety High is a social gaming site for tween and teen girls, where they have the opportunity to socialize, earn virtual currency, take quizzes, participate in discussions, and create content. But what sets it apart is its real world connections. The creators of the site have a massive amount of experience in the entertainment industry, so they are able to hook Sweety High up with singers, actors, athletes, basically the cream of the crop in a bunch of categories important to the site’s users.
So far, real life users of the site have gotten to dance with the stars of So You Think You Can Dance, be in a Cody Simpson video, attend a Make-A-Wish Foundation event hosted by Miley Cyrus, and many more. Many of these opportunities came from the site’s Be A Star program, where users can submit entries, which are voted on. The next Be A Star opportunity centers around fashion, with one talented designer getting to see her creations on sale at BeBop.com.
Sweety High produces a lot of original content, from interviews to web series to behind-the-scenes videos and documentaries – you can take a look on the Sweety High YouTube page. From “Food Star” to “Just Dance” to “Glam Squad” and many educational PSAs, the original content is engaging. And naturally, they have facebook and twitter accounts.
All of the actual site-moderated play and socializing, however, takes place on SweetyHigh.com. Sweety High is a COPPA-compliant site, using the latest technology to help ensure that private information is not being shared on the site and nothing is going on that would put children in danger. One of my favorite groups, Common Sense Media, gives it a four-star rating and says that the site is strong concerning privacy.
Joining Sweety High is free, although there are opportunities to access certain content through subscriptions.
Valentine’s Baking Set Giveaway
To help celebrate the launch of SweetyHigh.com, one of my readers will receive a deluxe Valentine’s baking set worth approximately $80, including everything you see here:
The heart-shaped confections that could be made and served with this set are almost endless, from heart cookies and mini-pies to heart jello treats. The set also includes a tablecloth, apron, oven mitts, towels, placemat, plates, and measuring cups.
To enter, please answer this question in the comments section of this post: When you were a tween or teen, what real-life experience would you have wished for the most? To sing with your favorite band? Guest-star on a TV show?
I think I would have chosen to be in a Broadway show, even if just for one night. And at that point in my melodramatic teenagerhood, I probably would’ve chosen Phantom of the Opera.
For a second chance to win, you may tweet about the giveaway, using the hashtag #SweetyHigh, with a link back to this post. Or, you can just copy and paste this tweet:
Come check out #SweetyHigh, a social gaming site for tween & teen girls. You may win a baking set from @SelfishMom! http://slf.sh/Az6ZqL
Make sure to leave a second comment with a link to your tweet, or it won’t count (instructions on how to find and post the url of your tweet can be found here).
So, that’s a maximum of two entries per household please! This contest will close at noon-ish on Friday, February 10th. The winner will be chosen by random.org. You must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Prize may be shipped within the United States only. See my complete Giveaway Rules page for more information.
Good luck!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 10, 11, and 13. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
“Touch Downy”–a new spin on an old Super Bowl commercial
Feb 3, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
[The following post was commissioned by Downy]
When I was little I spent most weekends at my grandmother’s house. The differences between her house and mine were many: My parents shopped at a co-op, while Grums filled her house with sugary cereal and frozen pizzas. My parents made me go to bed at a reasonable hour, while my grandmother let me stay up and watch The Tonight Show with her. And while the laundry at our house was so rough it could cut you, my grandmother’s towels were all fluffy soft and smelled like Downy. I used to bury my face in them.
I still love that smell, so I love the idea of these new Downy Unstopables. They’re little scent beads that you throw into the washing machine (front loader, top loader, whatever) and they give your clothes an extra boost of luscious smell. In fact, according to Downy the smell will not only stay on your clothes all day, but will even last twelve weeks in your closet until you wear your clothes. I can’t wait to test this out myself.
Downy is using one of my favorite actresses, Amy Sedaris, to spread the word about Unstopables (incidentally, anyone see her scenes with Alan Cumming on last week’s The Good Wife? Freaking brilliant!), including this Super Bowl ad which will air on Sunday between 5:30 and 6. It’s a new take on one of the most classic commercials of all time, the Coca-Cola ad where the little boy gives the big football player his Coke. Amy Sedaris as the little boy? Hilarious.
Downy is also running a fun contest during the Super Bowl, and they’ll be giving away prizes like Unstopables samples and $100 NFL Store gift cards.
How to enter:
To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, follow @Downy on twitter (and allow @Downy to follow you), and live in the U.S.
After each touchdown, @Downy will tweet the following: "TOUCHDOWN! #TouchDowny" If you are one of the first ninety-two entrants after @Downy’s Tweet to Tweet or re-Tweet a message containing both @Downy and the hashtag #TouchDowny, you will win a prize! (You can see the full giveaway rules here.)
Good luck!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 2. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Downy, laundry, Super Bowl
Hidden Valley and my big salads
Jan 25, 2012 Paid/Sponsored Post
[The following post was written as part of my paid ambassadorship with Hidden Valley.]
I’ve been on a weight-loss kick lately. I started out by losing ten pounds with Slim Fast, then moved to a diet that I devised myself, and I’ve lost an additional twelve pounds in the last six weeks, for a total of twenty-two since October. I’m now officially one-third of the way to my goal of weighing 140 by the time I turn 40! More importantly, I’m still going strong. There were a couple of days last week when I really wanted to quit, but I didn’t.
One of the keys to my success has been eating salad. I eat salads whether I’m trying to lose weight or not because I love them, but they’re totally different salads. Before, the lettuce was only an excuse for hardboiled eggs, cheese, croutons, and half a cup of dressing. Now, I make absolutely delicious and filling salads for around 100 calories each.
Today is going to be a two-salad day. Why? Because I had a salad for lunch, and while making that I packed another one to eat at tonight’s PTA meeting. I will not be tempted by the pizza they serve at PTA meetings!
I’m really excited to be working with Hidden Valley again this year as part of their Love Your Veggies program. They recently sent me a couple of their new Farmhouse Originals dressings to try, so today I cracked open the Italian with Herbs. Despite only using a tablespoon, it made my salad taste fantastic!
So besides great dressing, what’s my secret to a delicious salad that doesn’t bust my calorie bank? I make it a chopped salad. I don’t know what it is about chopped salads, but they taste totally different than the same ingredients in big pieces. And because it’s easier to distribute the dressing in a chopped salad, I can use less while still getting lots of flavor. I use one of these to chop most of the ingredients.
The salad that I packed for tonight has Hidden Valley Light Ranch Dressing in this very cool Glad-To-Go container that I found in a gift bag at some point, I don’t even know when. I love these containers – your dressing is right there, without having to take a separate container, because the little dressing bowl fits right into the big lid. And since you don’t have to mix the salad ahead of time, it won’t get soggy!
Amy’s 100 Calorie Chopped Salad
- 3 1/2 ounces green leaf lettuce
- 1/2 ounce shredded carrot
- 1/2 ounce onion
- 1 ounce tomato
- 1/8 cup chick peas
- 1 TBSP Hidden Valley Ranch Farmhouse Originals Italian with Herbs Dressing
Chop all of the veggies into tiny pieces, then toss well with the dressing. The flavors will all mix together so well in every bite, you won’t believe that this big salad is only 100 calories!
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has Compensation Levels of 1 (Glad containers) and 14 (Hidden Valley). Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: Hidden Valley, Recipes, Weight Loss
Dessert with Friends, or how I get people to like me
Dec 15, 2011 Paid/Sponsored Post
Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.
***
My mom is a baker. She never goes anywhere without bringing bread, cookies, a cake, something. I’m so glad I inherited this habit from her. I love showing up at gatherings with baked goods!
I have nothing against anyone who doesn’t bake. In fact, the fewer people who like baking, the better, because that makes me look good by comparison. But I really do like being the one who can make people happy with something I made. I went to a recording session yesterday for the Blogging Angels, and I brought my latest obsession, cake pops (a really fun treat to make with kids, by the way). Nancy gave hers to her kids and they looked so good, her daughter didn’t believe I’d baked them!
After my friend Jennifer’s husband died, I asked her what I could do. And she told me to make her some brownies. I was so touched, especially because she’s a food writer! She can bake circles around me. But she wanted my brownies to help her feel better. Actually, it was on a Blogging Angels podcast, where Jennifer was the guest, that I revealed to our listeners that my famous brownies, the ones I bring to every bake sale, the ones my kids beg me for, the very ones that Jennifer requested, were from a Duncan Hines brownie mix.
That’s why I wanted to be part of this campaign, to spread the word that homemade does not have to equal difficult, or time consuming, or expensive. I’m busy, and knowing that I can get a pan of brownies into the oven in five minutes, with just one bowl to clean up, means that more of my friends get to enjoy my baked goods.
Around the holidays I have even more fun because Christmas is a great excuse to experiment with packaging – pretty boxes and bags, or mason jars filled with sweets and decorated with a bow.
And no, I don’t bake so that I can get people to like me. But I hope it makes the people who already like me, like me even more. :-)
Want to make those chewy, fudgy brownies I mentioned? They’re really easy. Bring these the next time you’re meeting friends and there won’t be a crumb left.
I want to stress that this isn’t my recipe. I’m almost positive I got it off of the back of a Duncan Hines box about a decade ago.
Thick and Fudgy Duncan Hines Brownies
Ingredients:
- 2 family-sized Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie mixes
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a 13”x9” metal pan by greasing the bottom only
- With a spoon (not an electric mixer) mix together all of the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips
- When the batter is well mixed, add the chocolate chips and blend
- Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly
- Bake for 55 minutes, or until center is set but not dry (if you jiggle the pan, nothing should move)
- Cool completely before cutting
Or, if you like to watch me stir things, you can watch a video I made of how to make these brownies. It’s not rocket science – you don’t need video instruction to make these – but I like pretending that I have my own cooking show.
Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.
Originally posted on Selfish Mom. All opinions expressed on this website come straight from Amy unless otherwise noted. This post has a Compensation Level of 13. Please visit Amy’s Full Disclosure page for more information.
Tags: baking, brownies, Cake Pops, Duncan Hines
