Win A $500 Apple Gift Card!

I’m posting this to enter a contest offered by Cashier Live, a point of sale software company, at Indie Biz Chicks. Enter to win here!

20 Best Ways To Save Money By NOT Being Normal

Interesting article on Christian Personal Finance about different ways to save money. Many of them I already knew and practiced but I dunno about number 19! LOL

AMERICAN EXPRESS BLUE CARD DINNER AT 6 GIVEAWAY

I submitted a recipe to be entered into this great contest :)

Summertime Block Party

GoMattresses.com Review

As part of my overall wellness initative for this year, I've been been shopping for a new mattress for bedroom. Studies have shown that getting quality, restful sleep is important for physical and mental well-being, and getting adequate sleep can impact your weight as well! Lack of restful sleep can affect your body in a variety of ways, so if your mattress is old or uncomfortable, you should think about replacing it.

While I was shopping for mattresses I came across GoMattresses.com. Not only do they have a wide array of mattresses to choose from in all the names you know and love (Enso, Lady Americana, Primo International, and Simmons) but they also offer free shipping on EVERYTHING, as well as no sales tax! This, combined with their already low prices means on average I can save a lot of money vs. shopping at my local store.

Their site is well laid out and organized by the type of mattress you like (Plush, Pillow Top, Firm, Euro Top, Memory Foam, or All Mattresses if you want to see everything). They even offer bed frames and futons!

The mattress I'm interested in is Beautyrest Exceptionale Whitecliff Extra Firm Mattress by Simmons Beautyrest® which right now is an AMAZING deal! The retail is $2,179, their regular price is $1,559 (a 38% savings) but right now it's on sale for $1,299 which is 40% off retail! Plus no sales tax means I save another 8%, and free delivery (most stores in my area charge a delivery fee).

*sigh* Isn't it gorgeous! I love that it's an extra-firm mattress which for me provides the most restful sleep (although if I wanted to, I could easily add a topper to soften it up). Plus, Simmons Beautyrest is one of the premiere brands in mattresses so I know I'm buying a quality product.

Product descriptions are very detailed - here is the one for my mattress:

The Beautyrest Exceptionale Whitecliff Extra Firm Mattress by Simmons is constructed from thicker wire gauge springs, and is best suited to those who prefer a very firm and supported mattress. Beautyrest Exceptionale collection mattresses feature two story coil on coil construction; a complete layer of plush Pocketed Coil springs that provide a comfortable sleeping surface, and a bottom layer of firm Pocketed Coil springs that provide the ultimate in support. The 1960 Density Pocketed Coil Unit provides the highest level of motion separation and conform-ability that is offered by Simmons. Ultra 360 Foam Encasement features 3 inches of high density foam edge support.

GoMattresses.com also offers foundations (boxsprings) if you need them, as well as bed frames and pillows so you can take care of all your bedding needs at once!

Shipping time is very reasonable (2-4 weeks, according to their site) and comparable to my local stores.

If you're in the market for a new bed I highly recommend this site. After all, if you're spending about one-third of your life in bed, shouldn't you be comfortable??

Pampers Little Miracle Mission

Pampers has partnered with several bloggers to promote their Little Miracle Mission campaign. They've even launched an app on their Facebook page.

From their website:

ABOUT LITTLE MIRACLE MISSIONS

Pampers is working hard to make this world a better place for every little miracle.

Little Miracle Missions is a program that encourages people to help one another in fun, unexpected ways. From time to time we'll suggest a way for you to support a little miracle. Gather some friends to join the cause and Pampers will complete their own larger mission reaching families across the country. Think of it as a chain of good started by you.

Every time you do some good you can enter The Little Miracles sweepstakes for a chance to win free diapers and wipes for a year*. *Limit one entry per person per day.

To that end, each blogger is offering 1 of their readers the chance to win a FABULOUS prize! Each lucky winner will receive a $300 AMEX Gift Card to help host a baby shower for someone special in their life. Please see each participating blog for their entry requirements and bonus opportunities - they're blog-specific and not campaign-specific.

A Happy Hippy Mom - ends 7/2

A Mom's Balancing Act - ends 7/1

An Island Life - ends 7/9

Baba's Farm Life - ends 7/1

Baby Loving Mama - ends 6/30

Cocktails with Mom - ends 6/25

Drug Store Divas - ends 6/15

Health, Beauty, Children and Family - ends 6/28

icefairy's Treasure Chest - ends 7/5

Latina on a Mission - ends 7/2

Mom Start - ends 7/11

My Four Monkeys - ends 7/11

Our Ordinary Life - ends 7/15

Outnumbered 3 to 1 - ends 7/4

Rockin' Mama - ends 6/28

Susan Heim on Parenting - ends 6/26

The Dirty t Shirt - ends 7/28

The Divine Miss Mommy - ends 6/25

The Not-So-Blog - ends 7/14

To Be Thode - ends 6/30

What Mommies Need - ends 8/2

Kelly Moore Bag and Sharper Image Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Speaker Pair & Dock from Mom Spotted

Mom Spotted has 2 great giveaways ending next week that I've entered.

The first giveaway is for the winner's choice of a gorgeous bag from Kelly Moore Bag. My favorite from their collection is the JuJu Bag in Walnut (pictured here) - it's timeless, classic, beautiful.

Although I'm thinking I might step out of my comfort zone and go for something else with some color - maybe the B-Hobo Bag in Coral, the Libby in a gorgeous Sapphire Blue or the Posey Bag in Orange Sherbert. Decisions, decisions.....

The second giveaway is for a Wireless Indoor / Outdoor Speaker Pair and Dock from The Shaper Image. I never really considered getting speakers for the outdoors, until I got a one for my front deck - and now I wonder how I ever lived without it! I thought it would only be great when entertaining, but I find myself enjoying it all the time - especially when outside working in the flower beds, or sitting on the deck with a cup of coffee.

Unfortunately it's built into a planter, so it's not very portable - it's too heavy for me to lift and move around. My back deck is the one I spend more time on now that my son is home for the summer (more seating, the grill is there, as well as my deck garden) so I'd love to have one for the back deck as well.

I love that the dock can be indoors (since the transmission range is 150 feet), so I can leave the dock (and my iPod!) indoors away from the elements, dust, pollen, etc. The speakers are weather resistant, so I won't worry if they get rained on. Plus, unlike my speaker in the front, this is designed to be portable, so I can bring it with me to the beach, on vacation, or to a friend's house. Crossing my fingers on this one :)

Electrolux Nimble Vacuum and $75 Naturalizer GC Giveaways at The Fashionable Housewife

The Fashionable Housewife has 2 giveaways ending on May 29th that I've entered.

The first is for a Electrolux Nimble Upright Bagless Vacuum.

The second is for a $75 gift card to Naturalizer Shoes, so you can pick up a great new pair of shoes or sandals for the summer!

Even if you enter late in the game your chances are good, because there are tons of extra entries.

Country Crock - Spread the Love of Vegetables

Country Crock has partnered with several bloggers to promote their Spread the Love of Vegetables campaign. They've even launched an app on their Facebook page.

To that end, each blogger is offering 3 of their readers the chance to win a FABULOUS prize! Two winners will each receive a Veggie Party Kit of their own (estimated value $100 per kit) and one Grand Prize winner will receive a $200 AMEX Gift Card to help buy healthy groceries for their family.

Please see each participating blog for their entry requirements and bonus opportunities - they're blog-specific and not campaign-specific.

Being Alison - ending 5-25

Christian Clippers - ending 6-9

Head over to Eighty MPH Mom where you can win a $200 American Express gift card or 1 of 2 Country Crock Prize Packs! ending 5-25

Mom Start - ending 5-30

Mommies with Cents - ending 5-31

Mommy Enterprises - ending 5-27

My SLC Mommy - ending 5-29

Nicole's Nickels - ending 5-30

Our Ordinary Life - ending 5-26

She Scribes - ending 5-25

Simply Stacie - ending 5-31

Two of a Kind - ending 5-23

Win an iPad 2 from The Centsible Life & CheckNGo

I’m posting this to enter a contest offered by CheckNGo at The Centsible Life! I want to win the iPad 2! Enter to win here: http://bit.ly/TCLiPad

Win a Year Supply of Michael Angelo’s Meals for Mother’s Day!

Five bloggers offering their readers a chance to win a year's worth of Michael Angelo's meals, just in time for Mother's Day! The prize will be awarded as 52 free product coupons, so you can use them for your family, or share them with family, friends or your even your favorite charity!

The giveaway ends on the 15th and there are TONS of ways to earn extra entries, including blogging about it (worth 10 entries) and recording a video of your tip (worth 25 entries!).

I recorded my tip, you can see it here. Now that I'm really watching how/what I eat, I try to get rid of any excess fat I can, so I use this tpip quite often.

The participating bloggers are:

Dear Crissy

The Divine Miss Mommy

Jolly Mom

MomSpark

thislittlekitchen.net

Hayneedle Twitter Party

Hayneedle is throwing a Twitter Party on Thrusday, May 5th beginning at 8pm ET. All you have to do to participate is use #hayneedle in your tweets and participate in the conversation!

Follow the host, @hayneedle on Twitter

Prizes (copied directly from their post):
Cedar Cabana 5 x 5-ft. Sandbox with Side Screens
Storkcraft Tuscany Convertible Crib and Changer Combo - Espresso
Great American Woodies Red Cedar Classic Porch Swing
Weber Q 100 Gas Grill
Ravenscroft Beveled Orbital Magnum Decanter
Espresso Classic Jewelry Armoire
Cabos Collection Patio Dining Set - Seats 4
Coral Coast 9 ft. Push Button Tilt Patio Umbrella

SALONPAS review

I was sent a sample SALONPAS patch from a twitter party a few months ago. I recently had a reason to use it, and I was surprised at how well it worked! I have degenerative arthritis in my knees and there are times when the pain is debilitating. The SALONPAS patch helped relieve the pain - while it wasn't gone completely, it was significantly better and I was able to resume my normal activities. The patch stayed on well, yet was easy to remove. There was a faint medicinal odor but it wasn't overwhelming.

I had never heard of this product before the last Twitter party, but now I'm a believer. I've already made a note to pick some up when I go shopping this weekend.

SALONPAS is sponsoring another Twitter party tonight, and there's a link where you can sign up for a free sample to try it for yourself!

SALONPAS Twitter Party tonight 8-9:230pm ET #salonpas

SALONPAS Twitter Party this Monday 3/28 from 8-9:30pm EST with $2000 in Prizes! Hosted by Stacie @ The Divine Miss Mommy. The hashtag to follow for the party is #salonpas

According to Stacie's post, these are the prizes that will be awarded during the party. Please refer to her post to get all the details.

PARTY PRIZES
Continental US Winners Only

The Family Traveler Package – 3 Winners (approximate value $350)

• $250 Amex Gift Card to help you buy gas, snacks, and souvenirs
• Flip Video Camera
• SALONPAS samples

The Relax and Unwind Package – 4 Winners (approximate value $115)

• Beach Chair
• Beach Bag
• Beach Towel
• SALONPAS samples

The Are We There Yet? Package – 5 Winners (approximate value $75)

• Travel Games for the car
• Travel Mugs for Mom and Dad
• SALONPAS samples

HP TouchSmart 310 giveaway at Dear Crissy

Dear Crissy is giving away an HP TouchSmart 310. I would love to win this for my mom - she still doesn't have a computer, I've tried to give her ones in the past but she's not very tech savvy (luckily for me, I didn't inherit that trait. HA!)

With it's design, the HP TouchSmart 310 would be perfect for her as a media center, and she'll be seduced into using it as a computer :) Touch-screen technology will mean it'll be easy for her to use and the design means she won't have to sacrifice a lot of space, or deal with a lot of cords. This will fit perfectly at the end of her breakfast bar, so she can use it to match movies or TV shows, watch videos, browse recipes (she'll finally have access to all the recipes she could ever want!), print coupons, etc.

The thing I think I'll enjoy the most though is the ability to Skype with her - so often when I call her she says she's fine, but I have a feeling she's not well. Being able to actually see her would

make it harder for her to lie to me :)

Here are the specs:

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• AMD Athlon II X2 240e Dual-Core Processor (2.80GHz)
• ATI Radeon HD 4270 integrated graphics
• 640GB 7200RPM Serial ATA hard drive
• 2GB DDR3 memory
• Slim-tray DVD burner with LightScribe
• Wireless-N LAN card
• HP Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Optical Mouse

The giveaway ends on the 13th and there lots of entry opportunities available!

So Delicious® Coconut Milk on BlogHer

BlogHer has partnered with So Delicious® Dairy Free to promote their Original Coconut Milk Beverage. Ten bloggers committed to using So Delicious® coconut milk 7 ways in 7 days and report their findings.

I've not tried coconut milk before, so I was interested in what they had to say. I've tried different milk alternatives (soy, almond) as part of my diet and I've not found anything I really like yet. I'm not a fan of coconut so I wouldn't have considered this before reading about it on BlogHer, but I'll definitely give coconut milk a try. I think I would use it in cereal, coffee, in instant pudding (sugar-free of course) and I might even get adventurous and try it out of the carton!

As part of the promotion, these 10 bloggers are giving away $100 on each of their blogs. Stop by, see what they have to say and share your own tips for your chance to win!

1. A Lovely Thing
2. Burgh Baby
3. Geek Turned Athlete
4. It's Twinsanity!
5. Jenny on the Spot
6. Kirida
7. Lauren's Latest
8. Novel Eats
9. Raising Colorado
10. Twinfinite Chaos

This sweepstakes runs from February 23, 2011 to March 20, 2011 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click here for official rules. Good luck!

Copper Llama - Allsop Home & Garden Solar Garden Art and Himalayan Salt Lamp giveaways

People tease me for entering so many giveaways, but one of the things they don't understand is that I actually follow most of the blogs I enter giveaways on, and I love finding new blogs to read. I got lucky about a week or so ago, and saw a tweet for a contest that caught my eye, which introduced me to a new blog, Copper Llama. Their tagline is: Just a bit of this and a bit of that. Eco Friendly, Re-Usable, Recycled, Organic and Interesting Product Reviews and Giveaways.

I read a few of their old reviews and I like their writing style, and the types of products they review. I'm looking forward to reading more postings from Jamie :)

The tweet that caught my eye is for a Firefly™ Originals piece of garden art from Allsop Home & Garden. I love that it's not only beautiful, but has a solar cell and LED light so you can enjoy it at night as well :) The one I picked (if I'm lucky enough to win) is the Blue Poppy. I love the color :) There are lots of others to choose from, in several colors and styles. This giveaway ends on the 6th and there are lots of ways to gain entry (plus, unlimited tweets!)

Another giveaway on Copper Llama that I saw was for a Salt Lamp from the Himalayan Salt Shop. I've been wanting one of these for my bedroom forever, not only for their cleansing properties, but I think it would be an awesome night light (yes, I sleep with a night light) and my friends wouldn't tease me about having this in my bedroom :) This giveaway ends on the 14th and like the garden art, there are lots of entry options along with unlimited tweets!

3 Pink Dandy Chatter giveaways ending tonight - BHCosmetics, EatSmart and Nutra Luxe MD

Pink Dandy Chatter is a blog I've discovered recently that I love. From their "About Me" page:

Pink Dandy is a spin off company of Raw Beauty that was created by Janae Chang in 2004. What really sets Pink Dandy apart from other bath and beauty products is that we maintain consistent quality in each and every product, ensure that our products are made with rich, natural ingredients and are knowledgeable about our customers wants and needs in skincare and candle products.

Pink Dandy not only enriches ones skin and soul, but, is also created in fun and playfully designed packaging. Pink Dandy’s promise is to always provide you with Vegan Friendly products that are Cruelty Free and contain No Phthalates. Enjoy and embrace the skin you’re born with and pamper it to the fullest with Pink Dandy’s gourmet bath and beauty products.

Their blog is a mix of reviews, recipes and giveaways that I really enjoy. They have 3 giveaways ending tonight that I've entered:

Third Edition 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette from BHCosmetics. Priced at under $35, this is an AMAZING value. so even if I don't win one I think I'll buy one to treat myself :)

Infusor Sonic Wrinkle Remover System from Nutra Luxe MD. As much as I hate to admit it, I AM aging and I've had puffiness around my eyes for longer than I care to admit, so this would be an amazing win :)

Digital Bathroom Scale from EatSmart. I'd love to win this, so I could track my weight loss progress at home, instead of waiting for my monthly weigh-ins at the nutritionist's office.

Red Envelope

I love Red Envelope at all times of the year, but they're really going all-out this year for Valentine's Day. They've teamed up with a ton of different bloggers to host giveaways all over the blogosphere! They've created a catalog of their suggested Valentine's Day gifts, if you're not sure what to get that special someone. Me personally, I've picked out a couple of things that I liked:

• All-In-One Valentine's Special with FREE $50 Restaurant.com Gift Code - this is a great value for only $59.97

• eternity hearts necklace - needs no explanation :)

• murano heart bracelet - at less than $50 each, I could get these in both silver AND gold! :)

• strands of diamond accent earrings - these would be classy with jeans and a sweater/top, or perfect for an evening out. Classic, timeless, beautiful.

• semiprecious bracelet - I love the colors in this.

• forever hearts bracelet - simple, yet elegant.

• 30 purple tulips - add the cherry red vase for maximum impact!

• mr. beer premium home brewery - changing gears a bit, my son would love this as a gift anytime of the year!

• year of seeds - this is a lovely gift and a great value!

• hall gallery frame set - pictures are always a great gift IMHO, and this a gorgeous way to display them.

Here's a listing of the giveaways I've found so far - I've noted what the giveaway is for, but please refer to each specific blog for their entry requirements. Each blogger handles their giveaways differently :)

• A Happy Hippy Mom - $100 gift card, ends 2-9
• A Mom's Impression - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• A Nut in a Nutshell - $100 gift card, ends 2-27
• Arms of a Sister - $50 gift card, ends 2-8
• Ascending Butterfly - one item of winner's choice valued at $70 or less, ends 2-28
• Baby Loving Mama - $100 gift card, ends 2-17
• Being Alison - $50 gift card, ends 2-10
• Blessings Abound Mommy - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• Blogfully - $100 gift card, ends 2-5
• Champagne Living - $100 gift card, ends 2-11
• Cocktails with Mom - $50 gift card, ends 2-10
• Confessions of an Overworked Mom - $100 gift card, ends 2-11
• "Deal"icious Mom - $100 gift card, ends 2-9
• Eighty MPH Mom - Head over to Eighty MPH Mom where you can win a $100 Red Envelope Gift Code! ends 2-11
• Empowering Mommy - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• Energizer Bunny's Mommy Report - $100 gift card, ends 2-9
• Fun Saving Money - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• Girl Gone Mom - Wall Gallery Frame ($70 value), ends 2-15
• Health, Beauty, Children and Family - $100 gift card, ends 2-11
• Icefairy's Treasure Chest - $100 gift card, ends 2-11
• Kiddies Corner Deals - $100 gift card, ends 2-7
• Laughing Lindsay - $100 gift card, ends 2-7
• Melinda Joy - $100 gift card, ends 2-25
• Minnesota Mama's Must Haves - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• Mom Start - $100 gift card, ends 2-21
• MomSpotted - $100 gift card, ends 2-27
• My Silly Monkeys - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• Nicole's Nickels - $100 gift card, ends 2-7
• No Time Mommy - $100 gift card, ends 2-12
• One Savvy Mom! - one item of winner's choice from the Valentines Day Selection valued at $70 or less, ends 2-14
• Outnumbered Mama - one item of winner's choice valued at $70 or less, ends 2-21
• Our Kids Mom - $100 gift card, ends 2-9
• Rockin' Mama - $100 gift card, ends 2-10
• The Bragging Mommy - $50 gift card, ends 3-3
• The Divine Miss Mommy - $100 gift card, ends 2-14
• The Not-So-Blog's Experimental Mommy - $100 gift card, ends 2-9
• Thrifty Mama B - $100 gift card, ends 2-4

I've finally made the commitment to lose weight

I've finally decided it's time to actively work at losing weight. To that end, I'm now seeing a nutrionist monthly who has given me diet and exercise goals - I met her for the first time today. I also have to keep a food journal (UGH!) detailing everything I eat, along with calorie counts, fat and sugar grams, and how I was feeling. It's a total PITA (did you know a Dot has 12 calories? Or that a slice of pepperoni has 10 calories?) but it has been enlightening.

The hardest part is that I LOVE to cook, so it's tough figuring out calorie counts when I make a pot of spaghetti and meat sauce for example (whole wheat pasta, and 3/4 ground turkey to 1/4 ground beef, with tons of veggies in the sauce, so don't start with me!).

I've thought about doing something easier like NutriSystem for a loooong time now, but I just don't know. I'm not a terribly picky eater but I do have several foods I hate (any type of pea or bean for example), so I wonder how it'll work for me. Since I can't pick up their food at the local store I've never tried it, so I wonder about the taste.

One Savvy Mom! is trying NutriSystem for the next 16 weeks and blogging about it, and in conjunction with that she's offering one lucky reader a full MONTH of NutriSystem food! I envy her that she only needs to lose 25-30 pounds. She'll be blogging about her progress weekly, and then selecting a winner on Friday February 25, 2011. Entries will be combined from all her weekly posts.

If I lost half my body weight, I'd still be technically overweight. It's sobering. I just have to keep in mind that it went on 1 pound at a time, so it has to come off that way, too. I'd love to drop 50 (or 100!!) pounds overnight but that won't happen.

Update 11/30 - I got weighed, and I've lost 3.84% of my body weight since I started on 10/25. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest thing for me is eating breakfast every day - I generally don't. I've been cheating a bit by drinking a Boost on the mornings where I'm rushed (which is most weekday mornings) which the nutritionist is OK with. Plus it boosts my fiber intake for the day (which I don't really have a problem with, but it doesn't hurt).

I actually think I lost more than that before Thanksgiving, but that weekend I indulged a little (ham, mashed potatoes, red velvet cake). No where near as much as I used to eat, but I definitely exceeded my 1600 calories/day for that 4-day weekend.

Update 2/1 - I got weighed again today, and I'm down almost 10% from when I started. I still really struggle with portion control and meal composition though - which is why I'm REALLY hoping I win One Savvy Mom's giveaway!

You can read her updates over the last 4 months and find out more about Nutrisystem and their food/plan by checking out the posts below:

Getting Started *squee*

Week 1 - she's down 1.5 pounds!

Week 5 - another 11 pounds gone (and this was over Thanksgiving!)

Week 8 - a New Year, another pound gone

Week 10 - another pound gone... but more importantly she's learning healthy eating habits!

Week 12 - yet another pound gone!

Week 13 - buttered popcorn? Sign me up!

Week 15 - another 3 pounds gone!

Update 2/27 - YAYAY I won, I won, I won! I'm so excited I can't even tell you. I can't wait to try this for myself :)