30 December 2013

Airborne Provides Immune System Support - Product Review

Disclosure: I was provided sample products in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and are not a result of any outside influence.


Airborne was created by a teacher who had an idea to formulate a product with immune support in mind.  Working closely with nutrition experts and herbalists her vision became what we now know as Airborne and the wonderful line of immune support products for both children and adults alike!  Speaking of the different varieties of Airborne products for children and adults, did you know that the Effervescent Tablets that many of you may have tried in the past in the Zesty Orange flavor also come in Very Berry, Lemon Lime, and Pink Grapefruit flavor varieties?  Drinking to your immune support has never tasted so good!


Airborne also has other great products in their lineup for adults, such as their Chewable Tablets which I recently have become a fan of.  I had the chance to review their Berry flavor Chewables, although they also come in the Citrus flavor variety.  These are great to pop one in on the go and you can rest assured knowing that you are doing good for your immune system support.  You can take up to three of these chewables a day and they are gluten free with no preservatives.


Let's not forget about the kids though because Airborne has a great product I have to share for providing immune system support for them as well.  Airborne Kids Gummies not only provide immune system support, they also give a boost of Vitamin C, as well as 9 other vitamins, minerals, and herbs.  They are designed for ages 4 and up, comes in a variety of fun fruit flavors, and are shaped in fun fruit wedges!  My kids have been taking one of these a day for the past week and they just love the flavors of these and I feel good about giving this product to them because of all the vitamins and immune system support I know they are getting!  Airborne even offers an adult gummies version as well so check your local store locations for those, or you can buy them from Airborne's website here!


 Click here for a $1.00 off coupon for Airborne!

Be sure to follow Airborne on Twitter and visit them on Facebook



27 December 2013

Using a Profile Builder to Launch Your Career


Finding the right way to start off one’s career is never easy. Even after an individual has graduated with a degree, many employers require work experience before they will consider a candidate for hire. Fortunately, there is a way for students and recent graduates to begin to build their experience and their resume, internships can provide this value. Participating in an internship is a great way to show prospective employers that you have the drive and focus to learn and grow in a fast paced, career oriented environment. However, finding the right internship can be a bit of a challenge. After school has ended, many wonder how they can find a relevant, interesting program to help them follow their passion.

The answer may be simpler than you think. Online, there are many websites that can help students and graduated attain the experience they need to find the jobs they want. These programs operate as basic profile builders, but the advantages they provide are anything but basic. These organizations create networks between talented, knowledgeable individuals and employers looking for qualified applicants. This means that by participating in such programs, you will be able to showcase your specific talents in order to gain the recognition you deserve, from the people that matter. 

How it Works

While each career building website has its own system, advantages, and disadvantages, there are several commonalities that exist across the board. The first step for most of these sites is to build your profile. This is done by inserting your personal info—name, contact info, background, etc. Next, you will want to list your qualifications and work experience. This includes things such as your schooling history, previous experience in your field, and past work you have completed. This information will help employers understand your current level of expertise in your personal area of study. 

The next step is to seek out the companies that are interested in prospective interns and employees. These websites make it easy for applicants to find companies they want to work with. Because the general paths of inquiry (i.e. Newspaper ads, craigslist, etc.) are so flooded with applicants, many employers choose to find talent through these profile building websites. The nature of these sites allows them to streamline their search and find engaged, empowered individuals who can benefit their enterprise.

Many of these career building organizations will offer further advantages to those who seek work internships. Some include tests and challenges that can allow people to stand out from the crowd. These challenges are designed specifically to test an individual’s knowledge and provide suggestions on which internships to apply for. Showcasing this knowledge is another important factor in finding the right design, industry, or fashion internships for you.

Where to Look

So now that you are aware of the many advantages of participating in a career path program, you may be wondering, how can one find such programs and which program is the right one to go with? Finding such organizations is simple. A quick online search will provide you with many different options to choose from. As far as choosing the most beneficial program, simply look into the history of a website. Reviews and written experience from past participants can help you to decide which program is right for you and your career.


Ella Gray is a former administrator for a college career center, and now a happy home maker.  Please feel free to email her with any questions at ella.l.gray@gmail.com.

23 December 2013

The Value of Giving Gifts


The best way to put a smile on someone's face is to present him or her with a gift.  Gift giving is just as important for the giver as it is for the receiver.  It is a way that people can give back to the world a little piece of what they have acquired from its many resources.  It is also a means of showing gratitude and appreciation to others in the world.  Giving gifts can even be a way to break the ice with strangers who people wish to make friends.

Special Occasions to Give Gifts

No one really needs a special occasion to give gifts.  Many people decide to do it just because.  Nevertheless, there are many worthy occasion to share a gift with someone else.  Some common occasions for gifts are birthdays, graduations, weddings, or anniversaries.  Other special days are baby showers, bridal showers, or housewarmings.  Hospitals have gift shops for visitors to give gifts to new mothers, or to shower the sick with flowers, balloons, and cards to lift their spirits so that they can get well soon.

New neighbors feel more confident in taking the big step to move when they receive welcome gifts.  Adding a special gift to a thank you card will make someone's day, and show how much the gesture meant.  Aside from general special occasion, gift giving is huge part of holidays.

Holiday Gift Giving

On Halloween, some give gift or party bags to guests and trick or treaters.  Christmas is another popular time for gifts.  Parties, Secret Santa games, and Christmas day include several exchanges of gifts.  Loved ones give flowers, candy, and much more on Valentine's Day.  Gift givers also come up with many unique ideas for Easter.

Great Gifts for Children, Family, and Friends

Even in the age of electronics and gadgets, most children are still not hard to please.  Great gifts for children could be fruit snacks, candy, teddy bears or plush animals, toys, puzzles, board games, or handheld games.  Small children are constantly growing and can always use clothing.

On any occasion, friends and loved ones appreciate both large and small gifts.  Some good small gifts are chocolate, mints or gum, figurines, mugs or cups, candles, and stationary.  These are useful to combine and make gift baskets.  Some larger gift ideas are clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes, handbags, scarves, and watches.

Wholesale Gifts for Gift Stores

Gift shops and flower shops always need to find ways to differentiate from others in the market.  It is important to keep merchandise attractive and up to date.  Having connections with a good supply store to purchase wholesale gifts will help to diversify merchandise and drive sales.  A good gift supply store offers unique products in large quantities at reasonable prices.

Kelli's Gift Shop Suppliers

Gift shops from all areas rely on Kelli's Gift Shop Suppliers when they need help expanding their product selection.  The store is fully stocked with gifts appropriate for all ages and occasions.  Representatives at Kelli's Gifts are available to assist with getting customers the gifts they need.


Article written by Marianne Senters.

19 December 2013

Limited Edition Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balms Review and Giveaway

Disclosure: I received sample products in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions contained in this review are 100% mine and are not a result of any outside influence.  Textbook Mommy is not responsible for prize fulfillment.
 Moisture Plus - Fab

Carmex has a fabulous line of lip balms out in four different limited edition graphic prints to match your personality perfectly while at the same time keeping your lips moisturized and SPF protected with their Limited Edition Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balms!  The four fun graphic prints available are Chic, Fab, Adventurous, and Whimsical.  Pictured above is the Fab Moisture Plus Lip Balm.  The Fab stick is inspired by the 1960s and the girl who loves anything new and buzz worthy!  Check out the other graphic printed Moisture Plus sticks below:

 Moisture Plus - Chic

The Moisture Plus Chic stick was created with the modern girl in mind.  This stick is for the girl that loves art and theater and is styled with an elegant black and white pattern.

Moisture Plus - Adventurous

The Moisture Plus Adventurous stick is for the girl who loves to get up and go!  The Adventurous girl enjoys a good concert, is passionate about fashion, and always has a great story to tell.

Moisture Plus - Whimsical

The Moisture Plus Whimsical stick was designed for the free spirited woman.  The Whimsical woman enjoys nature, enjoys expressing her creativity, and loves going to outdoor activities such as camping or outdoor concerts!


You can find which Limited Edition Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balm is perfect for you by taking the Uniquely You Personality Quiz.  I decided to take the quiz myself to see which lip balm print matched my personality and I was surprised to find out that I was matched up with Adventurous!  I thought I would be more of a Whimsical girl myself, but I was actually okay with the results because secretly my favorite print stick is the Adventurous and is the one I have in my purse right now so maybe the quiz wasn't so far off!  If you decide to take the quiz I would love to hear your results, so leave me a comment below and let me know what you were matched up with!


Giveaway Time!

Prize: (1) Reader of Textbook Mommy will win the entire set of four Limited Edition Carmex Moisture Plus Lip Balms!
Details: Open to U.S. Residents, 18 years of age and older.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.  Entry is via Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway Ends:  December 30, 2013 at Midnight EST

18 December 2013

Six Simple Homemade Christmas Decorations That the Whole Family Can Partake In



Making Christmas decorations can be a great way to bring the family together during the hectic holiday season. Working together may not create fine art, but the treasures you make will be meaningful mementos that you may cherish for years to come. Here are six simple projects that anyone can make.

Personalized Christmas Baubles

 

Little kids love sparkles, right? Who doesn't? A family favourite, this customized craft involves using white glue to write the name of each family member on a fabric coated Christmas ball. Little ones love to gently sprinkle gold or silver sparkles onto the wet glue and, presto—a personalized ornament! Making one for each member of the family will probably take about an hour.

Loopy Paper Chains

 

Homemade decorations aren't just about saving cash. Paper chains are made entirely from recycled materials, but lend color and festivity to the home. To make these easy Christmas decorations, cut up a series of strips of paper from magazines or out of coloured construction paper. Make each strip an inch and a half wide by eight inches long. Start by looping one into a ring and gluing it together. Holding the joint firm is a perfect job for tiny kids who can't yet use scissors. Next, loop the second strip of paper through the first and glue it in a loop…and so on, and so on. The house can be quickly covered in long, loopy paper chains to festoon the mantelpiece or dangle from the rafters.

Art You Can Eat

 

Got older kids? How about taking on a cookie madness party? Choose a recipe that calls for rolled cookies—gingersnaps are great, as is the type of buttery, rolled shortbread suitable for cutting out with cookie cutters. You can develop quite an assembly line in the kitchen if you break up the tasks, and before you know it the family will have come up with enough batter for dozens of cookies. The fun part is rolling them out, and cutting them into shapes. Then, before baking, take a skewer and poke a hole in each cookie about the diameter of a pencil. Be careful to allow at least a quarter inch of dough between your hole and the edge of the cookie. Then bake, and hang from colored thread on your Christmas tree.

Get Ready to Fold: Mandala Snowflakes

 

A simple but artistic way to create snowflakes! Start with a square piece of white paper and fold it diagonally. Continue to fold along the diagonal until you have a thin wedge. Now, snip away little triangular shapes from the multiply-folded paper. When you unfold the paper, you'll see a beautiful design that looks like a snowflake. Tape your family's homemade snowflakes to a window for that wintry effect.

More Fun With Food: Popcorn Chains

 

A great way to engage kids and parents alike on movie night is to pop a bucket load of popcorn. Grab a seat on the couch, and hand everyone in the family a threaded needle with about three feet worth thread. Then, as you sit and munch on the couch, pass the needle through one white kernel after another until you have used up all of your thread. Now, take all of your popcorn chains and tie them together into a continuous garland to wrap around the tree or hang from the ceiling fan.

The Snow Globe

 

What to do with all of those tiny little plastic toys that seem to accumulate underfoot? Save them in a box, and come Christmas, use them for customized snow globes! Gather some glass jars with lids, and then use epoxy to glue your plastic figures onto the inside of the jar lid. Fill the glass portion of the jar with distilled water, add a pinch of glitter, and finish it off with a thimbleful of glycerine. Carefully screw on the lid of the jar, upend it, and give it a shake. Nothing says Santa like a miniature snowy scene.
The joy of these simple family crafts is that they allow for some quality family time. The charm of the wobbly and off-kilter things you make with your kids can outweigh anything store-bought. They might not be art, but these family heirlooms are worth much more for the memories they bring.



15 December 2013

A Cheaper Way for a Home Makeover


Giving a new breath of life to your home is surely satisfying. One can look forward to see his or her home alive once again. Constructions and home renovations always produce high satisfaction rates and it also increases homes’ market values.

Home improvement always requires money. Adding features and incorporating new interior designs will warrant spending. However, there are also budget-friendly home makeover ideas to choose from. These may be cheap, but they require a little more effort to implement.

Usually in the case of room renovations, some people discard all of their stuff consigning many reusable things to the skip.  Everything from old kitchen appliances to beds and wardrobes are simply discarded. A budget-friendly tip: there are things in your room that also deserve a makeover. Your out-of-style wooden cabinet can be repainted with white for a more sophisticated look. For the rusty knobs, one can apply either solid black or silver spray paint on it to accentuate the overall look. Old chandeliers could also be made to look new again by painting the steel cuts with gold spray paint. The worn-out lights can be replaced with cheap light bulbs sold in DIY retail stores. On the other hand, you can create new sets of pillows out of the old ones you had.

To enhance details on dull rooms, one can either repaint the walls or add complementing fixtures. Painting the wall seems to fascinate most people. Different wall designs, like stripes or monochromatic color patterns, could make the room spacious and classy. Also, increasing the illumination in gloomy rooms would produce a bright and positive aura. For rooms that are too plain, the addition of portraits and oil canvasses are perfect as these add more life. 

For kitchens, one cheaper renovation is to include shelves on an unclaimed wall. These cabinets can increase the kitchen’s storage as it keeps the dishes and condiments away from the tabletops. For a more satisfying upgrade, one can also invest in installing rollouts on kitchen cabinets. These are able to handle a lot of kitchen tools without exacerbating storage concerns. For bigger cabinets, one can put compartments in order to maximize the cabinets’ storage capacities.

For offices and libraries, one can install book shelves without buying new ones. One only needs to prepare a 2-inch thick wood with flat sides, some screws and nails, a hand drill and other basic hand tools, and of course, spray paint. Before doing it, you are encouraged to create the plan and develop the working design. Assemble the materials one by one. When done, you can paint the shelves in your preferred colors. It is recommended not too stray too far from the wood’s natural color to make it more authentic. One can provide a rack to organize newspapers and magazines. Setting up plants and paintings adds a fresh vibe to the room. 

These cheap home improvement ideas are all easy to follow. Creating a new style for a home does not require you to spend a lot. With creativity and resourcefulness, you can surely make these things work perfectly.


We are Homejoy and we make happy homes. We are located at more than 30 locations across North America and quickly expanding. Our house cleaning service has been rated as one of the best in America.

12 December 2013

Get the Holidays Done Right with Help From the Yellow Pages - Plus a Giveaway!

Disclosure: This post was done on behalf of Yellow Pages.  I was not provided any form of compensation for this post.  Textbook Mommy is not responsible for prize fulfillment.



YP (Yellow Pages) is the one site and app that helps busy people everyday locate business listings as quick as they can tap!  Search millions of business listings such as hardware stores, gardeners, physicians, and more with YP.com and through the YP mobile app.  Yellow Pages wants to know how you get the holidays done right with the help of YP?  Is it by using YP to look up car rentals for your upcoming winter road trip or do you possibly use YP to locate the best spots for picking up holiday gifts?

If you haven't yet utilized YP.com or the YP mobile app to help you tackle the holidays you might want to head over to either one to see how they might be able to offer some assistance!  Right now the YP mobile app offers some great additional assistance with ratings, reviews, and photos of businesses.  You can also access local coupons and which locations in your area is offering the cheapest gas.  You can even search local menus for restaurants in your area!    

Use the above YP blog app to take the "Do You Do The Holidays Right?" quiz.  Whether you're roasting chestnuts, drinking eggnog, or decorating for the holiday season - take the quiz and see if you are doing the holiday season right!  Be sure to also enter the great giveaway below!


Giveaway Time!

Note from Sponsor:

Each household is only eligible to win ONE YP Prize Pack via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Prize: (1) Reader of Textbook Mommy will receive a YP Prize pack!
Prize pack includes:
• Black Cinch Bag
• Flashlight
• Tape Measure
• Notepads
• Pencils
• USB Car Charger
• Gum
Details: Open to U.S. residents, ages 18 years and older. No P.O. Boxes. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.  Entry is via Rafflecopter form.  
Giveaway Ends: December 17, 2013 at Midnight EST

11 December 2013

Pop Up Some Magic This Holiday Season With JOLLY TIME Popcorn - Plus a Giveaway!

Disclosure: I was provided products in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions contained in this review are 100% mine and are not a result of any outside influence.


Make some magic this holiday season with JOLLY TIME Popcorn!  JOLLY TIME Popcorn makes the perfect choice for snacking between meals during the holiday season with their heart healthy line of Smart Balance popcorn varieties.  Made with a unique blend of oils and zero grams of trans fat, you can enjoy snacking completely guilt free!  JOLLY TIME Smart Balance Popcorn comes in either Butter or their Butter Light variety.  JOLLY TIME Popcorn is proud to bring you popcorn that is also whole grain, gluten-free, and non-GMO.  For a great holiday recipe be sure to check out JOLLY TIME'S Sweet Heat Spiced Corn Crispettes!



Thanks to the wonderful folks at JOLLY TIME I recently had the wonderful opportunity to once again try their wonderful line of Smart Balance Popcorn varieties in my home with my family.  Some of you may remember reading my post a few months back where I reviewed JOLLY TIME titled "Celebrate National Popcorn Month with JOLLY TIME!".  My family and I had enjoyed trying out the Smart Balance varieties over a movie night together.  This time around already familiar with JOLLY TIME and the Smart Balance line we opted for another movie night since we have been staying inside to keep warm with the chilly temperatures and snow outside.  JOLLY TIME was gracious enough to send along a family friendly DVD for us to watch with our popcorn so we popped up both varieties since half of us prefer Butter and the other half of us prefer Butter Light.  One thing I love about JOLLY TIME Smart Balance Popcorn is that you get a healthier version of popcorn without skimping on the flavor!  Even the Butter Light variety has enough butter to taste flavorful and satisfying, and I love my buttered popcorn!  Below is a picture of the yummy popcorn varieties we were graciously provided!

Follow JOLLY TIME on Twitter and like them on Facebook!


  Giveaway Time!

Prize: (1) Winner will receive 2 free product coupons for JOLLY TIME Popcorn - Each coupon good for any 4.8-10.5 oz. package!
Details: Open to U.S. Residents, ages 18 years and over.  Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.  Entry is via Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway Ends:  December 21, 2013 at Midnight EST


10 December 2013

Discover Blu-ray #MovieMagic

Disclosure: I received no form of compensation for this post. Textbook Mommy is not responsible for prize fulfillment.



This holiday season rediscover the #MovieMagic behind your favorite movies in Blu-ray format!  Blu-ray offers you special features like behind the scenes access including interviews with all the talent, alternative endings, unreleased scenes, hilarious bloopers, and so much more!  With Blu-ray combo packs you can enjoy your favorite movies in high-definition whenever, wherever!  You can keep your Blu-ray disc in the living room, your DVD disc in the car, and your digital copy on your phone for on the go!  Blu-ray discs also allow you to watch movies at six times the quality of DVDs with premium unmatched sound and video.  With Blu-ray, you never have to worry about the buffering that you get when you view streaming videos.


Pick up a Blu-ray movie for the film lover in your family this holiday season!



Use the blog app above to check out the Behind-The-Scenes #MovieMagic Gif Grid!  You can mouse over each of the GIF squares and click to view behind the scenes footage and features.  You can also use the blog app to check out The Next Generation of Blu-ray.  Check out what's coming up in 2014 and beyond in technology for Blu-ray!



Giveaway Time!

Note from Sponsor:
  Each household is only eligible to win ONE #MovieMagic Title via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Prize: One of the following Blu-ray titles below, randomly selected by sponsor:
• The Little Mermaid - Diamond Edition
• The Lone Ranger
• Monsters University
• Angels Rising
• Rise of The Guardians
• Despicable Me 2
• Turbo
• Grown Ups 2
• Wizard of Oz 3D
• The Wolverine
• Star Trek: Into Darkness
• White House Down
• Fast 6
• Pacific Rim
• After Earth
• Man of Steel
• Red 2
• World War Z
• 2 Guns
• Weeds: The Complete Collection
• Predator 3D

 Details: Open to U.S. Residents, 18 years of age and older. No P.O. Boxes. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email or an alternate winner will be selected.  Entry is via Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway Ends: December 13, 2013 at Midnight EST






  

ShareThis