A Blinding Situation ~ Next Day Blinds to the Rescue

I know few if any of you have ever been to our house, so let me tell you a bit about the 112 year old house I live in. The house has 5 bedrooms. Yep 5 and for the 6 years I have lived in the house I have been trying to figure out how to make each have its own personality! Four of the bedrooms are amazing ~ our bedroom has the feel of a beach resort and reminds us of our wedding and honeymoon, the twins room is bright and cheery without going over board and fits them so well, the sewing/crafting room is perfect in that it is my haven and is all about me and decorated completely with the panda's I collect, finally the playroom is all Mickey all the time and a great place for the two little ones to play and make a mess! That leaves this ONE room that started out as our library (yes we do have more than enough books in the house to have a library) but will soon become our guest bedroom complete with two beds, a few extra book shelfs and a cleaned out closet! There is only one window in this room and then this door that leads to a completely unusable sun porch. The door is full of glass panels and in the winter can lead to a draft getting in. We are going to put some plexiglass over the whole door on both sides but then I need to make the door look presentable and not be an eye sore in the room, and if possible make what I put there help keep the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter out.

I heard about Next Day Blinds from a friend so I started looking at their website! Next Day Blinds is the leading source for premium quality, custom-made window blinds, shades and shutters.  For nearly twenty years, a stellar customer service program has made Next Day Blinds an industry leader.  From design consultation to installation, Next Day Blinds is there every step of the way to ensure that every customer’s experience is enjoyable and rewarding.  Next Day Blinds is available in 34 retail locations throughout the Washington Baltimore area, online and through Shop-at-Home design consultations from the comfort of the customer’s home.  All Next Day Blinds materials are custom-designed and manufactured in Maryland to ensure the highest level of quality and craftsmanship.

Look at these 1/2" double honeycomb blinds I have been eyeing! Or the Milano Crinkle Pleated Shades that I have also fallen in love with Or even the wood shutters that I am considering as well:
 

I have been looking at their website for days trying to make a decision and hopefully my husband and I can make a decision soon as Next Day Blinds is offering me and my readers (that is you) a Memorial Day promo code, BY610, giving the opportunity to take $100 off $1000 or more, $250 off $2500 or more and $500 off $5000 or more.  So join me and hurry up and get a great deal!

This is an FTC Compliant post and my Disclosure Policy applies.  I received no compensation in exchange for this post, just the same promo code mentioned in the article.  Please contact Next Day Blinds directly if you have any specific questions or concerns about this product.

Victory Project

Special K Cereal and MSN.com’s, “Victory Project” is headed to Chicago to find personable, compelling, and inspiring women who want to get fit, receive a stylish makeover, and have fun while doing it! We are searching for women who want to set an example and be an inspiration to other women throughout the country.

We are looking to cast Chicago women who would like to participate in MSN.com’s “Victory Project”- a 6 week, on-camera challenge to help shed some pounds and start feeling great! We have a team of experts who want to help women to eat better, get fit, and start feeling fabulous! All during this time, we will ask the chosen women to share their experiences with us on-camera, as well as use social networking sites (i.e. Twitter and Facebook") in order to keep fans and other women up-to-date with their progress.

Please check out our latest four fabulous ladies from Atlanta at the link below: http://www.thevictoryproject.msn.com

We are looking for all types of women; stay-at-home moms, working moms, single women, professional women, and everyone in between. We are looking for fun, personable, and unique personalities who want to share their stories and experiences with a larger audience of women. We are looking for strong and dynamic women who want to inspire others. Is this you?!

- Do you dream about dropping a jean size in time for fall?

-Are you gearing up to attend a major reunion (high school or family) and want to wow your family and friends?!

-Have you been putting yourself on hold due to the daily intensity of being a busy mom? Do you find being a busy mom has made it harder for you to find time to work out and eat healthy?

-Have you been through a tough life change (divorce, breakup) and ready to get your kick start you energy and get that confidence back?

IS THIS YOU? WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ASAP!

Now tell us YOUR story! Please send an e-mail to VictoryProjectCasting@gmail.com describing a little about yourself, as well as a picture of yourself, and we will get a questionnaire back to you right away! We cannot wait to hear from you! We are headed to Chicago on the weekend of May 21st, so make sure to get back to us right away!

Any woman knows that when it comes to achieving weight loss goals, sometimes all we need is a little extra motivation. That motivation can come from a variety places - the ticking clock of an upcoming event, the excitement and companionship of doing it with a friend, or the overpowering inspiration of watching someone else’s victories and then setting off to do it yourself.  With realistic and attainable goals, paired with a little help (either from experts, friends or community), we can all be empowered to get out there and start changing ourselves for the better!

We look forward to hearing from you!

This is an FTC Compliant post and my Disclosure Policy applies.  I received no compensation in exchange for this post, I just firmly believe this important for all women (and men).  Please contact Victory Project directly if you have any specific questions or concerns about this product.

Friendgiftr

Friendgiftr Launches Mobile Store With World’s Largest Selection Of Gift Cards

Groundbreaking full-featured mobile store application enables gift giving on the go  for busy people everywhere from the convenience of their mobile devices

E-commerce 2.0 pioneer and rising star Friendgiftr opens a new era of gift-giving convenience with the launch of the Friendgiftr mobile gift card store, giving busy consumers and business professionals the ability to choose from the world’s largest selection of popular gift cards to buy gifts anytime, anywhere from their smartphones and mobile devices. Friendgiftr’s mobile-optimized gift store works with a wide array of mobile platforms, including iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Palm, Nokia, iTouch and other mobile wireless devices.

Friendgiftr is the first and only full-featured mobile storefront to offer over 140 leading brand name gift cards to the mobile marketplace. Friendgiftr makes it fast, simple and convenient for mobile consumers on the go to buy and send the perfect gift from merchants like Gap, Dominos Pizza, Pottery Barn, Chili’s, Red Lobster, Barnes & Noble, Applebee’s, Crate & Barrel, Marriott, P.F. Chang’s, Macy’s, Sephora, Banana Republic and Overstock.com among others.

“Gift cards are the ultimate convenience gift purchase for busy mobile shoppers on the go, especially for last minute and spur-of-the-moment gift giving. They’re fast, flexible and easy to buy because you don’t have to view lots of detailed images to make a choice - you know exactly what you’re getting,” observed Rob Carpenter, Friendgiftr CEO. “We bring together the broadest selection of gift card options from the world’s in-demand brands in one place so you can always find the ideal gift to please anyone you shop for. We’re proud that our many merchant partners trust us to bring their brands to the mobile market place.”

Friendgiftr not only makes gift giving easy and convenient, it also makes sending gift cards environmentally responsible. Eco-conscious customers no longer have to travel to and from physical stores and restaurants to buy gift cards, lowering fuel consumption and reducing the carbon footprint. The cards are electronically delivered, requiring no packaging or printed paper receipts. 

Simple, Fun and Flexible

The Friendgiftr.com storefront now automatically detects if a user is accessing from a mobile device and displays the mobile-optimized version, which provides all of the robust features of the web-based store customized for mobile-sized screens. Friendgiftr mobile storefront also presents a clickable gift card list to facilitate gift selection.

With the simplest user interface of any gift card source, Friendgiftr lets mobile consumers purchase gift cards in just three simple steps:  select the card and amount from $10 to $100, enter your recipient’s information, then pay via Friendgiftr’s secure payment platform. Busy mobile shoppers can buy and send a gift in under 90 seconds – far faster than going to a physical store or even buying online.

Shoppers can opt for immediate delivery or specify a gift delivery date timed for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or other special events. Friendgiftr sends the recipient an email with a link to an online redemption site for convenient gift pick-up. Friendgiftr is unique in allowing recipients to swap gift cards they receive for another card they’d prefer, or split the gift card amount across multiple merchants’ cards, to make sure recipients always get the gifts they really want.

About Friendgiftr, Inc.

Friendgiftr is the premier digital storefront company currently offering over 140 of America's favorite retail and restaurant gift cards through its website, social media sites, mobile phones and other innovative shopping platforms. Friendgiftr won the grand prize prestigious Henry Kravis Award in venture capital and entrepreneurship, and placed first in a VentureBeat.com technology trends competition held at the prestigious DEMO Conference for the concept of merging social networking and e-commerce. Friendgiftr partners with iCard Systems, a leading supplier of electronic and physical gift cards. Headquartered in Hollywood, CA, Friendgiftr is a Rob Carpenter Enterprise. 

This is an FTC Compliant post and my Disclosure Policy applies.  I received no compensation in exchange for this post.  Please contact Friendgiftr directly if you have any specific questions or concerns about this product.

Toddler Keyboard - myPC Stage 1 Toddler Keyboard Review

Do your kids love to play on the computer? Do they try to type on your keyboard with their sticky fingers or bring their supposedly leak proof sippy cups over and bang them against your keyboard? They do at my house - my two years olds are already computer obsessed and have their favorite websites that they love to see pop up on the monitor. We tried to get them their own "laptops" but that did absolutely no good - they were smarter than we thought and realized it was nothing like mommy and daddy's computer. We were at our wits end when I was offered the chance to review the myPC Stage 1 Toddler Keyboard from Targeted Technology Solutions, LLC.

This keyboard came in a few weeks before the twins second birthday and so I held it to give it to them for their birthday! The morning of their birthday the first thing they went after was their father's computer and I headed upstairs to get the keyboard. While I was getting ready to go out for the day, Aaron plugged the keyboard in and said it worked immediately! The kids were able to push a few of the buttons and they had their own things open! They typed and were able to see the letters on the screen! We no longer had to worry about them with our keyboard! The remains of breakfast washed off easily and the keyboard was big enough they were both using it! I wish I had some video or pictures of them using the keyboard but the one thing they love more than the computer is the camera and they immediately move when either come out!

This keyboard is a must for all parents of toddlers who want to start early with the computer learning or just protect your own keyboard from the wear and tear of your kids! So here are

some of the things that the myPC Stage 1 Toddler Keyboard offers:

• Ages 1 to 4
• Spill Proof Design
• Washable/Removable Cover
• Oversize Keys for Kid Friendly Computing
• Vowel, Consonant and Number Color Key Distinction
• Ergonomic Mouse Compliments Toddler Usability
• No Period Key Promotes Safe Computing
• Mac & PC Compatible
• Plug and Play "No Software Required"
• SMR $69.99

So you want one -- I have an amazing deal for you a 20% off coupon code 20PERCENT to be used on this website! So go and get yours today!

Fast Fixin -- Chicken Breast Patties

When I was at BlogHer back in July I somehow got a Fast Fixin Bag and coupons while I was in line waiting to see Tim Gunn. I had never heard of Fast Fixin but with a coupon to try the product for free I was on a mission to find them! I soon found them at our local grocery store and there were so many choices! Everything from chicken to pork to beef - you can see many of my choices on the Fast Fixin website under Our Food! I soon made my choice based on a quick easy meal, the chicken breast patties!

I love how the website has many different recipes to prepare the chicken breast patties and many other of their items even though I chose to prepare them the traditional way! While I cooked mine in the oven, I could have just as easily done it in the microwave! I should note before I tell you about how my family loved these patties that I would only use the Tyson Chicken Breast Patties (yes I am that mom - the one who only uses certain kinds of foods). My family loved these chicken patties, even my picky two year olds! My kids ate them cut up into little pieces, my husband ate his like a sandwich and I ate mine with cheese and pickles...no one was disappointed! Preparation was quick and easy, clean up was painless and the whole family was happy with how they tasted!

Sign up to get some coupons from Fast Fixin' and give them a try for your family! Let me know what you think if you give them a try!

PUR Flavor Options Review and Giveaway

Those of you who know me know that I have been trying to cut soda (or at least the ones with corn syrup) out of my life and that I love anything with a fruit flavor, so when I was given the opportunity to review the Pur Flavor Options Water Filtration Pitcher I didn't hesitate to say YES (and yes I was that excited then as well!)! After I got my Pur Pitcher I learned that Pur Flavor Options was recognized as Consumer's Choice for Household Product of the Year in January of this year! After that I had to see more!

Just by using PUR you can reduce, up to 96% for the pitcher and 99% for the faucet, the pharmaceuticals identified in U.S. tap water. PUR also removes 99.9% of microbial cysts which can lead to intestinal illness as well as many other water contaminants, but leave the fluoride (a move which gives PUR the American Dental Association Seal of Approval)! if you go to PUR's website you will see that they not only make a great product the help our planet. sustain health and improve life around the world!

PUR Flavor Options is the FIRST AND ONLY water filtration system to date that allows consumers to choose unflavored or flavored filtered water by the glass (and my family learned we can all choose different flavors even!) The Flavor Options pitcher or faucet mount uses the exact same technology as found in the regular PUR pitcher and faucet mount! The flavor cartridges which provide up to 75 servings of flavored water come in peach, grape, lemon, strawberry and raspberry!

So what do I think of PUR Flavor Options? Not only was it easy to use but my family LOVED it! My kids go absolutely nuts when they see me get the pitcher out and hear the click that adds the flavor to the water! My husband loves it as well gives water a whole new taste! And finally I have been using it to replace soda and it has been working as I LOVE my fruity flavored drinks and with this pitcher I can control how much or how little fruit flavor I get to add! This pitcher will be part of our family for some time to come!

So would you like your own PUR Flavor Options Pitcher? Well get ready because I am giving one away! Yep...one of you can win one but how...well just comment on this post including an e-mail address where I can contact you by midnight September 17, 2009 to complete or after completing the following items! (Unless otherwise noted each item is worth one comment and each comment must be left separately)

1. Comment on this post with the flavor you would most like to try (this is the only mandatory one)
2. Go to the PUR website and tell me how PUR helps save lives
3. Become a Fan of PUR Water Support (for clean water for the world) on Facebook and let me know
4. Tweet about this giveaway and come back and leave me a link to the tweet! Example tweet: I want to win PUR water - don't you? Check out this giveaway:
5. Become a follower of Things Our Mama Loves (in the sidebar on the right) and let me know
6. Subscribe to the Things Our Mama Loves feed and then let me know
7. Blog about this Giveaway (5 additional comments)

Good Luck!

Wordful Wednesday - Sleepless Nights by Sarah Bilston

Wednesday has rolled around again so it is time for Wordful Wednesday Book Reviews again and I will again be reviewing another Harper Collins book! Have I mentioned that that I love HarperCollins - they sent me four books and I have other books from other companies as well! Ok so on to the Sleepless Nights by Sarah Bilston, another that I choose because of the description on the HarperCollins website! This is Ms. Bilston's second book and I realized halfway through this book that the first book Bed Rest is about all of the same characters and wished I had read it first.

If you are a new mother or are a mother period then you will love this book about a lawyer named Q and her experiences as a new mother to her son Samuel! Once again Q is a lawyer and her son (who shares my son's name) acted just like my son when we brought him home! I was with her the whole time she was trying to decide how to handle going back to work (I choose not to) and juggling my children. It took me a few days to read this book but once again yet another great read! I would love to give you my own words of what the book is about but my friends will tell you that I give way too much away about books and movies if I use my own words right now so I am going to quote from HarperCollins Press just so that I give nothing away (I promise to try to start writing this part myself in the future but really it is something I need to get right before I put it out here for everyone!) So here it is:

After the pregnancy from hell, motherhood has to be plain sailing, right? Quinn "Q" Boothroyd is in for a shock.

And baby Samuel isn't the only thing on Q's mind—she and her husband, Tom, have some difficult decisions to make in a sinking economy. Do they still want to be big-firm lawyers, or is it time to scrap their former careers and try something new? When a chance opportunity introduces them to an eccentric small-town lawyer, the couple's integrity—and marriage—is tested to the limit.

Meanwhile, Jeanie, Q's younger sister, is having problems of her own. Boyfriend Dave seems dangerously close to popping the question, but is she ready to settle down?

There are sleepless nights all around this summer: one woman will wake up to motherhood, the other to becoming an adult. Both must dare to make their beds—and lie in them.

You can actually read an excerpt of the book here! Sarah's most recent post on her blog is Reading Group Questions so that if this book is your reading club book you can have a list of ready made questions to keep you on track! I love that and I would love to have a Mary Kay Andrews Reading Group!

So how do you get your copy of this book? Well there are MANY ways (1) order it from HarperCollins Press (2) on Amazon (3) Barnes and Nobles (4) Borders (5) many other online retails (6) your local bookstore and the last way you can get a copy is WIN one from me! I am giving away the hardback copy I received to review because well if I keep reviewing books we will not be able to walk through what we lovingly call our library, so I am going to pay it forward!

So how can you possibly win this copy? Follow the following rules about commenting on this post by midnight September 16, 2009, including leaving your e-mail address in the comment:

1. Comment on this post about why you want to read this book (this is the only mandatory one)
2. Follow HarperCollins Press (@harpercollins) on twitter and let me know
3. Become a Fan of HarperCollins on Facebook and let me know
4. Tweet about this giveaway and come back and leave me a link to the tweet! Example tweet: I want to read Sleepless Nights by Sarah Bilson. Have you read it yet? http://bit.ly/12fSKC
5. Be or become a follower of Things Our Mama Loves (in the sidebar on the right) and let me know
6. Subscribe to or have subscribed to the Things Our Mama Loves feed and then let me know
7. Blog about this Giveaway and the launch of this blog (5 additional comments)

Good Luck! And thanks for reading!