27 September 2011

Natural House Review And Giveaway

Natural House Review And Giveaway


Natural House is a revolutionary company started by the Powers family!  This company puts the power of probiotics into your everyday household cleaners.  As new parents of twins, the Powers family wanted to be sure their little ones weren't coming into contact with any harsh chemical residues left over from your everyday household cleaning.  Knowing the amazing power of probiotics, it only seemed natural to incorporate them into cleaning products!

Natural House products are all phosphate/EPA free, eco-friendly, non toxic, and biodegradable.  Natural House products are strong enough for commercial clean up, but safe and gentle enough to use comfortably around your family.




The Natural House Line Up:

"Trashy"
{ Trash Can Deodorizer And Scrubber }

"Sinky"
{ Disposal Scrubber And Drain Maintanence }
"Flushy"
 { Toilet Bowl Cleaner And Septic Treatment }


Thanks to Natural House, I had the wonderful opportunity to review a supply of their three amazing probiotic cleaners for myself.  I was intrigued from the beginning, being a huge fan myself of probiotics.  I was curious to see how they would work in your everyday household cleaning.  

What I will tell you is that these products are truly amazing!  I love that I can feel safe using these products around my four girls, and have them be non-toxic cleaning products to boot!  The "Sinky" and "Flushy" products go right to work before your eyes.  You can see the products fizzing up and getting the job done!  The "Trashy" spray has a nice light minty scent to it, and it really goes to work cleaning my trash cans around here, which are used by a family of six!  

{ Watch The Informational Natural House Video! }


I'm a fan of how these products work so well to digest odors in the home.  These products have also helped cut down on my cleaning time, as they do part of the work for you with the amazing fizzing probiotic mixture!  If you are looking for a line of green cleaners that do what they promise, this line is definitely worth trying.  I would recommend this product to any family that wants to try something new, safe, and effective.  Natural House has done a wonderful job of bringing a revolutionary product to the market!


Connect With Natural House:



Buy:  You can purchase Natural House products online at their website here!

Win:  Natural House has graciously offered to award (1) reader of Textbook Mommy a 30 day supply of their powerful 3 cleaner line up!

* Giveaway Ends October 11, 2011 at 12:01 AM EST *
{ Winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.  Giveaway open to U.S. residents, 18+ years of age}





* Disclosure:  I received samples from the above named company in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed in this review are mine and are not a result of any outside influence.

26 September 2011

Win A Premium Membership To DoozyCards.com!

Win A 1 Year Premium Membership To DoozyCards.com!


DoozyCards.com is a family owned company that produces and designs all their own cards!  With each unique card you find at DoozyCards.com, you will find original music, adorable characters, and loving sentiments to show your friends and family you care.  From piano playing lizards to dancing cakes, DoozyCards.com surely has something that fits the occasion!

How would you like to win a 1 year premium membership to DoozyCards.com?

The wonderful folks at DoozyCards.com are graciously awarding 2 readers of Textbook Mommy a 1 year premium membership subscription!  That's a value of $19.95.

So what does a premium membership get you?

The premium membership includes:
  • Unlimited access to 1,600+ cards
  • A birthday and holiday reminder system
  • Your very own online address book to stay organized
  • Original artwork and music
  • Access to brand new cards created throughout the year!


Does DoozyCards.com offer any FREE features?

Why yes they do!
Doozy recentally launched their completely free e-card option with over 400+ free e-cards!

Connect With DoozyCards.com
* Website *
* Twitter *
* Facebook *

{ Please use Rafflecopter form below to enter to win! }
* Giveaway Ends October 10, 2011 at 12:01 AM EST *
Winners will be chosen from a random draw through Rafflecopter and will have 48 hrs. to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected. 




22 September 2011

"My Monster Burrufu" Review And Giveaway!

"My Monster Burrufu" Review And Giveaway


From the mind of Alberto Corral, an animator at Dreamworks Animation, comes the delightful children's book "My Monster Burrufu".  This story is not only entertaining for young readers, it also comes with an important and positive message.  That message is not judge people before you get to know them and to focus on what's on the inside.  

"My Monster Burrufu" is a chapter book designed for boys and girls from the recommended ages of 9-12.  The book is a wonderful chapter book for this age group, and is 102 pages long.  Reading is a very important skill to practice and develop for any young child, and "My Monster Burrufu" aims to make it an enjoyable experience for children everywhere!


I had the exciting opportunity to review "My Monster Burrufu" with my own children and I couldn't wait to share with all of you!  I have a 9 year old that loves to read, so naturally she was happy to help me on this review.  

What I love about "My Monster Burrufu" is the reader friendly format for children.  Younger readers usually still like a lot of pictures to look at while they read, and this book does a wonderful job of incorporating enough pictures in with the chapter book.  I also like that its not a massive chapter book.  With 102 pages, and all the pictures included, it really makes for a nice easy read for this age group!

My daughter was first intrigued with the beautiful cover work art, which was done by Alessandra Sorrentino.  She also was happy that it had a nice beginning page designed for kids to write their name!  Since she has been reading this book, she updates me everyday on the latest adventures of Olivia, who is the seven year old girl in the story.  My other daughter who is 11 can hardly wait for her turn to get her hands on it!  As a mom, any book that can get my kids excited about reading, earns two thumbs up in my book!  I would recommend this book for any young reader!

Connect With "My Monster Burrufu":


Buy It: You can purchase "My Monster Burrufu" through Amazon.com here!

Win It:  Petite Grande Idee, the publisher of "My Monster Burrufu", has graciously offered to give (2) readers of Textbook Mommy a copy of this wonderful book!

Mandatory Entry:  Please leave a blog comment with who in your life you would like to win this book for!  This entry is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries will be counted.

Extra Entries: Please see the Rafflecopter form below for additional entries!

*Giveaway Ends: October 6, 2011 @12:01 A.M. EST*

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents, 18 years of age and older.

The winners will be randomly selected and contacted by email.  Winners will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner(s) will be selected.





*Disclosure: I was provided a sample book for review by Petite Grande Idee in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions mentioned in this review are mine and are not a result of any outside influence. 

19 September 2011

Join The Million Moms Challenge!



I would like to invite my readers to become part of the Million Moms Challenge on behalf of ABC News and the United Nations Foundation.  This challenge is all about helping moms and babies around the world!  The Million Moms Challenge aims to raise awareness and funds to help women and children everywhere survive and thrive. The slogan is simple, yet encouraging: "Remember, you don't need to be a mom to help a mom. You just need to be one in a million.".  

Being a mom is not an easy feat.  I believe in the Million Moms Challenge and the way it is joining moms from all over the world together to communicate, lend support, and focus on health for ourselves and our children.  This challenge focuses on the important issues on every mother's mind like access to proper nutrition for healthy pregnancies, access to quality trained midwives to assist in safe deliveries, and vaccines to keep our children healthy.






You can join in by signing up to be part of the challenge at the Million Moms Challenge website. Here you will find all sorts of ways you can help make a difference in another mom's life, as well as your own!

You can also come join in on some wonderful mommy related discussions at the Million Moms Challenge Blog Frog community.

You can also show your support by posting a picture of yourself with Million Moms written on the palm of your left hand, and your index finger up on your right!  Submit your photo to ABC News here and you could even have your photo featured on one of their shows!


Follow the Million Moms Challenge on Twitter!
"Like" the Million Moms Challenge on Facebook!

17 September 2011

Scentsy Review And Giveaway!

Scentsy Review And Giveaway!

For those of you who are new to Scentsy products as I was, Scentsy is a revolutionary direct selling company that offers safe and wickless alternatives to your traditional scented candles!  If you have ever tried Scentsy products, chances are you are definitely a fan, and probably have a favorite scent, or two!


I was contacted by a wonderful woman by the name of Jennifer Truppa, who is a Scentsy consultant with a passion for the products she sells!  What I first noticed about Jennifer, was her enthusiasm for Scentsy!  I had heard of Scentsy before, but didn't really know much beyond the fact you could buy or sell their wickless scented products.  


Once I took a look at a Scentsy catalog, I really was impressed!  For starters, there are so many varieties of scents to choose from, I couldn't even count them!  If you are like me, the kind of person who is really particular about the fragrances they like, you are sure to find something in this mass amount of choices available!  Scentsy even allows you to enjoy your favorite holiday inspired scents all year long!  


I also initially figured that Scentsy would offer a couple different warmers to choose from.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that not only do they offer your traditional table top warmer, they also offer plug in warmers!  There is also way more than just a couple different warmer varieties to choose from.  You can honestly find a warmer to fit anyone in your life!  There are sports themed warmers (including your favorite campus sports teams!), patriot themed warmers (navy, army, marines, coast guard, and air force), different shaped warmers, and plenty of different designed warmers to choose from!  There is even the option to buy and design your own Scentsy warmer!



Jennifer gave me the wonderful chance to review Scentsy for myself and share with my readers!  I received the above pictured items for review, which included a plug in warmer and Scentsy's Baked Apple Pie Scent Bars.  The plug in warmer was super easy to set up, and I was able to have my warmer up and running within minutes!

Jennifer had asked me what kinds of scents I enjoyed, and I told her I loved foodie scents such as pumpkin or apple pie.  I was so happy to see that she included the Baked Apple Pie scent bars.  I couldn't have picked a better scent myself!  This scent smells exactly liked warm oven fresh baked apple pie.  I also like the hint of cinnamon mixed in!

{ My plug in warmer in action!}

If you are interested in learning more about Scentsy, or if you are looking for a wonderful consultant for all your Scentsy needs, I would definitely recommend going through Jennifer Truppa.  She has made this review such a wonderful experience for me, and I will be returning to her for future Scentsy purchases because let's face it, I'm a Scentsy addict now!

As much as I could rave about Scentsy all day, you simply must try it for yourself to get how wonderful these products truly are.  I love the fact that I can have a safe alternative to traditional candles with little children running around.  It gives me a wonderful piece of mind!  I'm also loving the wonderful comments from friends and family on how wonderful Scentsy makes my house smell.  It's no aerosol air freshener, that's for sure!

Connect With Scentsy Consultant Jennifer Truppa:



Buy It: You can purchase Scentsy through Jennifer Truppa here!

Win It: Jennifer has generously offered to give one reader of Textbook Mommy their choice of plug in warmer and scent bars.  Thanks Jenn!

Mandatory Entry: Please leave a blog comment with which plug in warmer from the Groovy Collection (pictured above) you would like if you won, plus which fall/winter scent (detailed above) you would choose!  Pick carefully, as this is the scent you will receive if chosen as the winner!  This is a mandatory entry and must be completed before extra entries will be counted.

Extra entries are detailed in the Rafflecopter form below!

Giveaway Ends October 1, 2011 @ 12:01 A.M. EST






Upromise Celebrates 10 Years!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of UPromise for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

UPromise_Brand_300x250_static.jpg (3 documents)

 

Upromise is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with a bang!  Currently Upromise is giving away $20,000 to users that share a story describing how a parent has supported a child's dream.  Since its beginning, Upromise has helped members receive more than $600 million in college savings through their unique reward program!  Now its time to celebrate those shape and fuel those children into blossoming adults.

 

Want a chance to win?  To be qualified, users can participate by submitting their story at www.upromisetodream.com, along with voting for their fellow favorites!  Upromise will be giving away $1,000 to 10 winners, plus a grand prize winner will be awarded $10,000!

 

I shared my own story on the dream wall of how I fuel my own children by staying involved and active in my girls' education!  I think the little things like checking homework, practicing flash cards, checking in with your child's teacher, and providing ongoing encouragement help your children keep a positive and productive outlook on education. 

 

Make sure to submit your own story on the Upromise Dream Wall and get in on the anniversary fun!  For further details, you can check out the dream wall official rules.

Visit Sponsor's Site

16 September 2011

Storyland Yoga DVD For Kids Review And Giveaway!

Storyland Yoga DVD For Kids Review And Giveaway!
Keep your kids healthy and fit while having fun with the Storyland Yoga DVD!  Your child will get to go on different eco-conscious adventures while they interact through yoga.  This DVD features two fun filled interactive stories: "Save The Whale" and "Condor Trek".  Your children will have fun becoming part of the story while mimicking animals through various yoga poses!  


Yoga is a wonderful tool for helping your child calm down and unwind.  Yoga also gives your children a clearer focus and increased clarity.  Ahmed Fahmy, the instructor featured in Storyland Yoga, guides your child through easy to accomplish yoga poses, while inspiring your kids to think of how they can help out the planet.  This DVD can also be enjoyed as a family, with parents joining in on the fun! 

Karen and Bryan Duggan are the masterminds behind Storyland Yoga.  After meeting, this couple paired their passions and set out on a mission to create fun and positive media that would both entertain and empower people.  After their daughter Lily was born, they both realized they wanted to focus their mission on helping families raise healthy children, on a healthy planet.  In comes the creation of their company, Playful Planet, and that's where this wonderful DVD came to life!





I had the fantastic opportunity to review the Storyland Yoga DVD in my home with my own children.  What I love most as a mom, is that this DVD keeps kids healthy and active through yoga, and they don't even realizing they are getting exercise!  I also love the instructor Ahmed's soothing voice that seemed to really put my kids into a calm and relaxed state.  Ahmed does a wonderful job of storytelling and interacting with kids.  He truly seems to be in his element in this DVD.  

Another thing I really admired about Storyland Yoga, was its inspiring messages to get kids involved with ways they can help save the planet.  With our planet being a major concern for all of us, this DVD helps change the mind frame of how the next generation views the Earth's challenges ahead. 

I wasn't sure how my daughters would react to this DVD initially.  Yoga is something we have never participated in so far, so I didn't know if they would take to it or not.  I was surprised to see that all my girls stayed focused the entire time!  They were enjoying making animal-like poses, as well as enjoying the stories.  I would recommend this product to any parent with young children.  It's a great tool to keep your kids active and engaged in something positive!


Connect With Playful Planet:


Buy:  You can purchase Storyland Yoga here!

Win:  Playful Planet has graciously offered to award one reader of Textbook Mommy a copy of Storyland
         Yoga!

Mandatory Entry: Please leave a comment in Rafflecopter telling me a way your family stays active!

Extra Entries will be detailed in the Rafflecopter form below!

* Giveaway Ends September 30, 2011 @ 12:01 A.M. EST *
* Winner will have 48 hrs to respond to the winning email or an alternate winner will be selected * 


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

14 September 2011

Find The Perfect Halloween Costume For Your Child!





With Halloween quickly approaching, its time to find that perfect costume for your child!  JustKidsCostumes.com offers a wonderful large selection of costumes for your child at amazing prices!  Just how much of a selection am I talking about?  I'm referring to a selection of over 3,000 costumes and accessories to choose from!  

Looking for a popular character inspired costume?  Just Kids Costumes has them!  Whether its a Disney Princess or a Superhero you are looking for, JustKidsCostumes.com has what you need.  Another added bonus is that you don't have to worry about browsing through inappropriate adult themed costumes on the website.  This one is just for kids, so you can feel safe browsing the site with them!


JustKidsCostumes.com also features a fun and innovative "Dress-Up Room" app that allows you to upload your child's photo and try on as many of the costume selections you like!  What a wonderful way to ensure you and your child will be completely satisfied with your costume purchase.

Need another reason to check out Just Kids Costumes?  How about a coupon code to save you 10%?  Just use coupon code: BLOGGER10 and get your savings on!

Be sure to check out JustKidsCostumes.com and visit their Facebook page as well!



* This post was written on behalf of JustKidsCostumes.com and Mom Select. I only endorse companies and products that I truly love and believe in.  I have not received any compensation for this blog post. 

Where To Find Royalty Free Blog Images!

Where To Find Royalty Free Blog Images!


Wondering where you can find some great quality photos and images for your blog that are royalty free and 100% legal to use?  As a blog owner, I love finding photos that suit my posts perfectly!  While I don't mind having to credit and link another owner for use of their images, it can not only give your blog a cleaner look, but it can also save you the extra time by using royalty free images!  These are images that are free to use on your site, and usually come with no linking strings attached.  You just have to know where to find them!  I have provided a list of sites below that I personally use when looking for quality images for my blog.  I hope you find these resources useful!

MorgueFile - This website offers some wonderful royalty free quality photos you can use on your site.

EveryStockPhoto - This website offers a mix of photos and images. Some are royalty free and some require credit to the owner.  What's nice is that each photo details whether its royalty free or not, and if not, who to credit!

FreeRangeStock - This website has outstanding royalty free images.  Free membership is required to download all images.

FreePixles - Another website favorite of mine for downloading high quality and royalty free images.

PublicDomainPictures - This website offers a wide range of royalty free, public domain images.

HassleFreeClipArt - If you are looking for clip art with no strings attached, you should check out this website!

 

10 September 2011

Save Money With TracFone!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whether you're looking for an affordable cell phone plan for your kids or your entire family, TracFone makes saving money easy with their incredibly low and affordable cell phone plans.  Does the word "plan" scare you?  Don't worry!  TracFone doesn't require a contract, credit check, activation or cancelation fee.  It doesn't get more simple and hassle free than this!

With TracFone, you can pay as you go online or with cards available at thousands of retailers.  Buy a one year service card and get a bonus, double the minutes for the life of your TracFone and 800 minutes for only $119.00!  TracFone even features their low priced 50 minute card for only $9.99.

Love a cell phone with all the bells and whistles?  TracFone has name brand phones packed with all the great features you want such as video/camera recorder, web access, mp3 player, full QWERTY keyboard, and more!  So many features, you just have to check them out for yourself! Need to make international calls?  No problem!  With TracFone you can call over 60 international destinations directly from your phone for no extra cost.

Be sure to check out the video below featuring Real TracFone customers  sharing their personal stories on why they love and use TracFone!

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qDbhrCU19j0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Visit Sponsor's Site

Protect Your Computer Files With Carbonite

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carbonite for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Carbonite Online Backup

 

What if you never had to worry about losing your most important files, precious photos, music, and more on your computer?  What if you could have the convenience of being able to pull up your home computer's files from any computer, smartphone, or Ipad with a free app?

All of this is actually a reality with Carbonite!  What is Carbonite?  Carbonite uses unlimited online computer backup to automatically and continually back up the files in the background whenever your computer is connected to the internet.

For myself personally, I know that my school assignment files, treasured family photos, and downloaded music are things that I would be beyond devastated to lose.  I love the fact that Carbonite can give you a peace of mind when it comes to all of these things.  I also love the fact that with Carbonite I can access my computer's files from a computer away from home, or from my smartphone!  In fact, since its beginning in 2005, Carbonite has helped safely recover over 7 billion files that could have easily been lost forever!

Want to give Carbonite a try for yourself?  Right now you can get 2 free months with purchase when using coupon code: BLOGAD

 

Visit Sponsor's Site

09 September 2011

Mixbook Custom Invitations Review


Mixbook Custom Photo Invitations Review

 If you have never visited the Mixbook website, I highly recommend you check it out!  Mixbook offers a wide range of photo products including, custom photo books, photo invitations, photo cards, photo announcements, and many more personalized items that you can incorporate photos into!  

There is no download required to create and order you custom products through Mixbook.  Mixbook is free to create and share, and features an easy to use editor for all your customized items.  You can also order items in a variety of sizes to suit your needs!

You may wonder if customized photo items are too pricey for your budget.  Mixbook is surprisingly affordable on their pricing!  They are even offering a coupon for your next card or photo book order as a way to say thank you to all their wonderful customers.  Just use coupon code:  THANKU13 at checkout to receive a 15% savings off your order!  This coupon expires 1/1/2012.



I had the pleasure to review Mixbook for myself to share with my wonderful readers here on Textbook Mommy!  Since I have a daughter with a birthday coming up soon, I decided to order some customized photo birthday invitations.  


The first thing I noticed about Mixbook was the wonderful selection!  There are so many wonderful designs and layouts to choose from, my daughter and I had some trouble deciding which one.  If you would rather order custom invitations without a photo on them, Mixbook has those as well!

With the Mixbook easy to use editor, creating the perfect custom item is a breeze!  I was very impressed with how easy it was to upload my daughter's photo and party details onto the invitation template.  It was honestly a less than 10 minute process from start to finish.  That's how simple Mixbook makes it for their customers!


If you are looking for a wonderful gift idea that has a special personal touch, or if you want to bring your upcoming event to the next level, I highly recommend Mixbook!  At Mixbook, you will find so many different inspiring ideas to fuel your creativity.  You simply must try it for yourself!

 Visit Mixbook On Facebook!
Follow Mixbook On Twitter!



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Slushee Cup Cakes!



Slushee Cup Cakes Recipe!


Looking for a fun new twist to your average cupcake recipe?  Want to surprise your kids with a fun after school treat they are sure to love?  Betty Crocker has you covered with one of their latest recipes, Slushee Cup Cakes!

This recipe is just one of Betty Crocker's latest recipes designed for fall, and specifically, fall TV.  In addition to Slushee Cup Cakes, there are more wonderful new recipes such as Blood Red Sangria Cocktail, You Be The Judge Popcorn Mix, Cheesy Po-Tot-Chos, Solving For Pi Cheesecake, and more available here!


 Slushee Cup Cakes Recipe
{From The Betty Crocker Website}






* Disclosure: I received the following details regarding the above posted recipe, and others from Betty Crocker, through MyBlogSpark.

05 September 2011

Just Kids Gifts Review And Giveaway


Just Kids Gifts Review And Giveaway


Looking for the perfect gift for a child on a special occassion or perhaps the holidays?  JustKidsGifts.com has the perfect array of personalized gifts to surprise that special child in your life!  As parents of a 16 month old boy themselves, the creators behind Just Kids Gifts are parents too, so they can be trusted to know what children enjoy! 

JustKidsGifts.com offers personalized gifts such as storybooks, music C.D.'s, and photo DVD's.  You will also find these gifts in a range of wonderful themes such as holiday, birthday, baby, religious, and more!  Just Kids Gifts also has the option to include your child's favorite character in their personalized gift.  Choose from Mickey, Elmo, Dora, and many others!




I had the wonderful opportunity to review one of their personalized books "The Ballerina Princess" with my daughter.  I had my own personalized book as a young girl and I treasured that book very much, so I just knew that my daughter would love this book just as much!  With the ballerina theme, it was the perfect fit for her.

When we first received the book, the first thing I noticed was the wonderful quality put into it.  The illustrations and cover art are beautiful, and I especially liked the page in the front of the book mentioning that it was especially for my daughter.  The page also included her current age, which is nice for when she gets older and can look back at this book with that time frame in mind.





My daughter and I immediately sat down to read the book together after receiving it.  I had personalized the story to include her current school year teacher, some of her closest friends, and her grandmother.  She was so thrilled to have her own book that included all her favorite family and friends, including herself, all in one special story!  She's already planning on taking her book with her to school this week to share with her friends and teacher, who are featured in her book!

If you're looking for a unique gift that will be enjoyed over the years, I would definitely recommend you check out JustKidsGifts.com.  With holidays coming up fast, Just Kids Gifts offers a one stop shopping destination for all the little ones in your life!  Not only will the child who receives one of these gifts be delighted, its sure to impress the parents as well!


Connect With Just Kids Gifts:


Buy It: Search HERE for a wonderful array of personalized gifts from Just Kids Gifts!


Win It: Want a chance to win a personalized storybook for a special child in your life? The fine folks at Just Kids Gifts are offering one lucky reader of Textbook Mommy a personalized storybook of their choice!

Mandatory Entry: {This must be done or any subsequent entries will not count and will be deleted!}
* Leave a comment in Rafflecopter telling me who you want to win this storybook for! *

* Giveaway Ends September 19, 2011 @ 12:01 a.m. EST and is open to residents of the U.S., 18 years of age and over *

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