Review: Hex Bug Nano Special Edition Set – Great Holiday Gift!

Need a fun and very entertaining gift for a kiddo on your shopping list? You might want to consider the Hex Bug Nano Special Edition Set. The folks at BJ’s sent a set to my guys to try out and it has been such a hit. All of us love to play with the bugs. You can’t help but watch them…they are so cool!

My oldest is now such a fan that I got him additional habitats and I have a feeling Santa is bringing some Hexbug Spiders for the boys’ stockings.

I had seen the boxes of Hex Bugs at the store but never seen them in action. They are just too cool.  The Hex Bug Nano Special Edition Set contains 5 micro robots that act like real bugs — 2 nanos, 2 rare mutations and 1 glow-in-the-dark bug. You also get  10 easy-connect pieces that create a little habitat where the bugs move around.

What is so cool is that the micro-robotic technology allows Nanos to behave like real insects and flip over by themselves–my guys bust a gut whenever a bug hops out of the habitat. For about $20 this is a can’t miss toy that will be great entertainment for the whole family!

Plus a nice little perk for the older kids is that you can track your Nano collection, play games and learn real science facts by registering online. Fun and educational- sounds like a winning holiday gift if you ask me.

Need more holiday gift ideas? Check out the BJ’s Toys and More 2011 Digital Catalog. You are sure to find a great gift for everyone on your holiday list!

Disclosure: The folks at BJ’s sent me a free product assist my review. All comments and opinions are my own.

Get Ready For Halloween – My Guys Are Ready!

I have told you guys before that both of my boys love to dress up. In one week, my guys might be 10 different characters. I don’t mind that they dress up, I am glad they like to pretend play and use their imagination. Just a few weeks ago we decided to go out to lunch and called for the boys, the came in dressed as Mario and Luigi. They were having so much fun,they asked to go eat while dressed up. I let them as I thought it would be fun! Everybody was tickled and the boys thought it was just too much fun.

Needless to say, we have a fair amount of costumes at my house. When the folks over at the CostumeSuperCenter gave me the opportunity to get a new costume for the boys, I was thrilled.

Jake is all into the game Plants vs Zombies game at the moment, so I found a super cool punk zombie costume and surprised him with it. He was so excited…he does his little zombie walk all over the house. Of course it seems I had lost my mind for a moment as my little one got very upset that there was no cool mohawk mask for him too (when am I going to learn that boys 18 months apart will ALWAYS want the same things!)

I was very pleased with the costume. The mask material is very thick and strong. There is no doubt that it will stand up to being worn repeatedly. The material stretches enough so that it is easy to put on but not so much it doesn’t stay snug. The costume itself is also very nicely made. This is not a flimsy costume that will only make it through one wear. We got the costume over a week ago and it has been put on and taken off at least 20 times.

I have learned to stick with quality costumes so I don’t end up having to buy the same costume multiple times!

With Halloween just around the corner, I would highly recommend checking out the CostumeSuperCenter  for your girls & boys Halloween costumes needs. They have a ton to choose from. Whether you need cute princess costumes for your daughter, superhero costumes for your son, or even something for yourself, you are sure to find what you need at a great price.

Disclosure: I received a costume to facilitate my review, but all comments and opinions are my own!

Family Gourmet Taste Test Results

A week or so ago, I told you guys about the great new line of products from Family Dollar called Family Gourmet.

The new products in Family Gourmet line were specifically developed to help folks save money without having to lower standards! I was given the opportunity to taste test a bunch of these products over the past few weeks and wanted to share with you guys what my family thought about the Family Gourmet products.

Family Dollar sent me the following products as part of my test testing fun ( I also listed the savings you will get with the Family Gourmet brand choices over the national brand)

• Family Gourmet Ground Roast Coffee 35 oz vs Maxwell House Original 35 oz ($2.50 savings )
• Family Gourmet Apple Juice 64 oz vs Motts Apple Juice 64 oz (60¢ savings)
• Family Gourmet Non Dairy Creamer 16 oz vs Coffee Mate Creamer 16 oz ($1.25 savings)
• Family Gourmet Berry Crunch Cereal 15 oz vs Quaker Cap’n Berry Crunch 15 oz (75¢ savings)
• Family Gourmet Buttermilk Pancake Mix 32 oz vs Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Pancake Mix 32 oz (85¢ savings)
• Family gourmet Pancake Syrup 24 oz vs Aunt Jemima Country Rich Syrup 24 oz (50¢ savings)

My husband is the coffee fanatic so I let him handle the coffee and creamer comparison.  His initial comment was that it was not as good as his preferred brand – Starbucks.  I reminded him that he needed to compare it to the Maxwell House.  I made him two cups of coffee one with Maxwell House and Coffee Mate and one with the Family Gourmet coffee and creamer.  He said that he could not tell any difference at all with the addition of his sweetener!

The next tasting was done with the apple juices.  I had a group of kiddos over for a playgroup.  The kids drank both juices and requested more of both! When I tasted the juices back to back I could tell a slight difference in flavor but I am not sure I can say which one was better…they were just slightly different.

When it was time to taste the cereal my oldest declared that he preferred the Quaker brand.  Being the tricky mom that I am, I gave him a bowl of the Family Gourmet Berry Crunch cereal on another day and told him it was the Quaker cereal.  He ate it up and as he jumped up to play I told him that I had really given him the Family Gourmet cereal.  He laughed and said it was “still good.”  While the back to back taste test revealed the national brand to be preferred, without a direct comparison the cereal is very good and would be enjoyed by anyone!

I made pancakes last weekend for our final taste test. Absolutely no one could tell the difference between the pancakes and my boys actually preferred the Family Gourmet syrup as it was a slight bit sweeter tasting!

I actually had a lot of fun doing this taste test. Overall, I think the Family Gourmet brand is a great option over paying full price for the national brands.  You get the same quality as the national brand at a lower price.  The best part is that Family Dollar is so confident that we will like the Family Gourmet products that they offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.  Like the product or get your money back (refund or exchange) within 30 days of purchase!

Next time you are shopping you might consider checking out the Family Gourmet line of foods. I think you will be pleased with the quality and taste.  Be sure and check out their coupon page to save even more money!

Disclosure: Family Dollar provided me with the products for my review. All comments and opinions are my own!

Review: Bobbie Brooks Jeans From Dollar General

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

You know I used to love to buy clothes for myself.  Since having the boys, my weight has been my nemesis…so shopping has lost some of the appeal   Buying jeans might be one of the most frustrating things that I can think of!  I dread having to go out looking for jeans that not only fit me correctly but also allow me to stay within budget.  Last year, I tried on at least 20 different pairs and ended up spending almost $65 for a pair of jeans–CRAZY!!

Dollar General now carries a new brand of jeans from Bobbie Brooks.  I got the opportunity to try the jeans by bobbie brooks at Dollar General and I have to admit they were better than I expected.  I have worn them out to dinner and to a friend’s house (to get another gal’s opinion). My friend gave them a thumbs up as far as looks.  I also give them an overall thumbs up too!

I liked the dark wash and the fit was comfortable.  I would have preferred a slightly lower rise but given the fact that some jeans now are just too low–these were totally acceptable!!  I love the slight stretch in the jeans but I have to admit that the material is a bit thin.  Overall the jeans felt good and based on comments from my friends and my husband they looked good. 

Guess what …the jeans cost $12 – $14 depending on size!!  For a pretty decent pair of basic jeans, I think they are definitely worth buying at that price!!  If I am running my kids to soccer practice or doing carpool these will totally work just fine!  Next time you are at Dollar General  you should check them out yourself.  You guys will have to let me know what you think!!

Caress Whipped Soufflé Body Wash Review

 

When Caress asked if I’d be interested in trying and reviewing their new Whipped Soufflé Body Wash I agreed without really thinking much of it – a body wash is a body wash, right? Well, I was proven wrong when I actually tried the body wash they sent me. It smells FANTASTIC, is really light, and leaves my skin nice and moisturized. You know I don’t have a ton of time to get ready in the morning with the boys running around, so I like the fact that this one body wash does it all! Plus, have I mentioned that it smells GREAT?

The new Caress Whipped Soufflé Body Washes are different than other body washes because the fragrance and the moisturizers are whipped together with intense pressure at sonic speeds – I guess that’s why it feels so silky!  The body wash comes in two fragrances: Blackberry Cream Soufflé (whipped with Blackberry and vanilla) and White Peach Cream Soufflé (whipped with White Peach and a blend of Silk Blossom – this is the one that is currently parked in my shower ).

You may notice that most of the Caress bottles now also feature the NEW Silky Fragrance Infusion Icon, which shows women they can have it all (great fragrance & moisturization for silky skin) in one body wash/bar without compromising!!!  The beautiful Julianne Hough from Dancing With The Stars has given the body wash her seal of approval.  You can head over and check out her Steps For A Great Night Out.  While you are checking out the video you can also enter for a chance to win a girl’s getaway to New York City, Las Vegas or Miami!

Next time you are in the aisle wondering what body wash to purchase…I highly recommend you give the new Caress Whipped Soufflé Body Wash a try.  You will not be disappointed!  If you have tried it leave a comment and let me know what you think!!

I received products to facilitate my review.  All comments and opinions are my own!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition Review

I was SO thrilled that the One2One Network gave me the opportunity to get a sneak peek of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition!  I had not seen the movie since I was a little girl. I will not give away my age…but, let’s just say it was several decades ago–tee hee!!  While I was excited to watch the movie I think I was more excited to be able to share this movie with my children. 

I arranged a movie night so that my entire family could sit and watch it at the same time.  I was completely shocked to find out that my husband had never seen the movie!!  He is a big electronics buff–so he was thrilled that the combo pack includes a Blu-ray! Did you know that Blu-ray has up to 6X better sound quality than DVD and is more scratch resistant than DVD’s??  That is a GREAT benefit in my house with two little ones!  My husband like Blu-ray discs because they offer 7.1 surround sound and has a much better picture than standard DVD’s…did I mention he is a AV geek!   We have a Blu-ray player in our family room but we have DVD players in other parts of the house and in the car…so the combo pack allows me the option to play it in our family room or use the DVD when we travel in the car!  I am a huge fan that the combo packs have become more mainstream…frugally it is a better spend of my money!  I can’t justify buying two separate movies but when they are packaged together at a discounted rate my frugal heart is happy!!

The movie was just spectacular–my oldest son loved it and immediately asked to watch it again!  For me it brought back memories of the first time I saw it.  Even my husband enjoyed it–he was shocked when I told him that it was the first full-length animated film ever made (1937)!  It is a timeless movie and just wonderful to watch! 

 

There are some pretty great features to the combo pack as well–there is the Disney Family Play with some really cute games that are great for the whole family and several awesome bonus features too! You should go check out the Snow White Diamond Edition Website HERE.  You can learn about the story, see video clips and play some fun games!  I HIGHLY recommend the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition –it is a must have for everyone!  It is available now and there are TONS of deals…so grab your copy before it goes back into the vault!!

I have posted several great deals using the $10 coupon you can find HERE

There are several deals and MIR’s that go along with this movie!!

• -Toys R Us is offering a FREE Snow White Royal Baking Set with ANY $25 Disney Princess Purchase!  DVD & BluRay Combo Pack $19.99 ($9.99 with coupon)
• -Target: DVD & BluRay Combo Pack $24.99 ($14.99 with coupon)
• -Kmart: $27.99 – $10 coupons = $17.99 and you get a Disney Princess Doll FREE (details HERE)
• -Walmart: $19.96 – $10 = $9.96
• -BiLo Ad has a save $6.00 instantly on Snow White Sparkling Princess Barbie Doll When You Buy Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Disney DVD/Blu-Ray Combo pack” coupon in their flyer this week.

 MIR’s available

• -Buy any Hefty Plate, Easy Grip Cup or Baggies product. Print and Submit THIS $5 Hefty/Snow White Rebate.
• -If  you buy 2 Kernels Seasons Products and one of the following: Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, Santa Buddies or UP DVD or Blu-ray you can submit for a $5 rebate!! Go HERE for more information and to print the rebate form.