PackAways Review

PACKAWAYS Dorm Boxes are available in 4 colors and different sizes. The sizes include moving boxes and a large underbed storage size 36L x 24W x 6"H that would be ideal for extra clothes and neat storage where space is tight in dorm rooms. Moving boxes are engineered to erect and collapse instantaneously without tape, these are super for moving kids to and from school. Made from durable polypropylene, these boxes should last the 4 years of moving your children to and from school.

While ideal for this particular application, PACKAWAYS can be used for numerous organizational projects around the home.

Low cost and Proudly made in the U.S.A.

• Corrugated Plastic, Protects from Water & Humidity
• Instant Set-Up, No Tape Required
• Reuse Hundreds of Times
• Collapses Flat When Not in Use
• Unique Wipe Away End Panel

I was given the opportunity to review PackAways Reusable Dorm Boxes to help my brother in his move to University and received 2 boxes in the colors green and pink and classic size. I was impressed at how quick and easy they are to put together. It's as a simple as push the ends together to open it and push down the inner panel. The boxes are also very durable and lightweight which is always a plus when packing for a move. There are two labels that use dry erase markers allowing you to mark whats in each box and erase it later when the box is no longer in use for this purpose. Once packed, the top panels fold down and lock in place without the use of tape; I loved this aspect of them. The handle holes on either side make moving the boxes so convenient.

We opened the boxes up and prepared them for packing. It was super easy to manage and with the convenient size, we were able to pack all my brothers books and school supplies into one box. We used the other for his electronics, gaming systems, computers, etc. The boxes closed up tight and handled the weight with ease. We labeled the boxes and packed them into his car. We arranged them into his trunk and still had plenty of space for the other boxes we had packed with his clothing, toiletries and bedding. 

When it came time for the move, my brother's dorm was still under maintenance so he had to stay in another location. He got to this temporary residence and unpacked the things he needed or wanted to use. He commented many times about how the PackAways were his favorite boxes throughout the experience. A few weeks later when his dorm was ready to move into, he repacked the boxes and moved on in. He says he is now using the pink one as his laundry basket because when it's time to bring it out for a wash, he just has to push the top panels down and never have to worry. He gave me the green one to use myself and it has now been turned into a storage bin for my oldest sons school supplies and school work he brings home. We were able to erase the labels we had previously marked and relabel however we choose. 

I was very surprised by the durability and ease of assembling the PackAways. They were so convenient and to know that if its not in use by anything, it can be flattened just as easily and stored out of the way. If I move in the future, I'll be looking for more PackAways and definitely recommend them to anyone moving. The only precaution I could find with them, watch out for the edges when pushing in the top panels. I was careless and not watching properly and managed to cut my finger slightly on the opening when pushing in the flap. Other then that, I could find no issues with using these boxes. 

For More Information about PackAways and how you can purchase your own, visit their website:

www.PackAways.com

or visit/like them on Facebook

PackAways

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.

Noxicare Pain Relief Cream Review

 

 Noxicare™ Natural Pain Relief is a breakthrough natural, patented pain relief formula that is a proprietary combination of 7 of the world’s most potent natural pain relievers that quickly and effectively alleviate inflammation, muscle aches and nerve pain—with NO known side effects and without a prescription. Noxicare™ is available in tablets for all-over pain or in a topical cream for localized pain. 

I was given the opportunity to review this product a few weeks ago and I wanted to first apologize for the delay in my review.  My husband Justin was in a car accident on September 6th and with all the fuss over that, I have fallen behind on some things I needed to complete. I wouldn't normally mention personal matters in a post, especially a review but I feel it is relevant to have here because Noxicare really came to the rescue for the injuries Justin attained. 

We had received the product prior to the accident and were able to try it out on various areas. I have trouble with my knees including arthritis in one, not to mention with all my online hours (I swear it's all for work!.... well most) I find my wrists sore as well. I tried Noxicare on all these areas at various times and fell in love! Not only does it start working very quickly, but it is non-greasy and so smooth when rubbing in. I found it to actually rub into the skin unlike a lot of creams that the more you rub it in, it starts to ball up and roll off in quite an obviously useless and messy manner. The smoothness of rubbing it on was definitely very appealing and felt especially wonderful on areas like the back. I love how it also didn't take a whole lot to cover a wide area and the fact that it has virtually no scent.

Before his accident, I was rubbing Noxicare on Justin's shoulders and forearms most times after a long day at work. He loved it more then I did! He agreed that the smoothness was his favorite part as well and loved how quickly it started to work. He also mentioned the effectiveness gave him hours of relief from the pain, prompting him to come home from work after a hard day and go straight for the tube. He was taking a lot of pain medications and hated the idea of 'popping so many pills'. Noxicare gave him the opportunity to feel relief without the pain medications and he doesn't feel any remorse in using it too much. 

Now for the accident part. The car has been written off, it was the other drivers fault and Justin is fine, however he did attain soft tissue damage in his neck, shoulders and back(also known as whiplash). He had a lot of major swelling in his upper back and shoulder that he still suffers from currently. He had to take pain medications of course but he went for the Noxicare as well. From the day of the accident on I have been putting a little bit on his shoulders and neck at least once a day. I can actually see the improvement in his movements after I put it on him. It's not an immediate response but it certainly doesn't take long. 

Unfortunately we are getting close to the end of the tube but I would personally like to thank Noxicare for giving me the opportunity to review this product for them so that I was able to have it in the house when it was needed. We are very grateful for how well this product works and that it came to our rescue.

Further information about Noxicare

How is Noxicare™ different?

Noxicare™ is different than any other natural pain relief formula you may have tried. It’s not simply a mixture of natural painkillers, but a proprietary blend of proven painkillers in precise amounts that:

• enable each ingredient to effectively alleviate a specific type of pain on its own
  AND
  
• cause each ingredient to act as a catalyst to the others, actually BOOSTING the effectiveness of the ingredients as a whole.
  

  The result is an extraordinarily potent, natural pain relief formula that relieves all 3 common types of pain: inflammation, muscle aches and nerve pain.
  		See How Pain Works

While some other products might reduce inflammation, decrease muscle aches or increase blood flow to ease painful nerve endings, Noxicare™ treats all three types of pain—not by numbing the pain point—but by targeting the source of the pain with a natural formulation that deeply penetrates layers of skin to help promote the body’s own healing process.

Noxicare™ relaxes the muscle and reduces inflammation to alleviate pain, while working to increase blood flow to calm painful nerve endings.

Developed by Dr. Reza Ghorbani, a Harvard-trained physician board certified in pain management, Noxicare™ has proven to be a valuable, first line pain management tool that complements other medical treatments and therapies.

Uses

Available as a topical cream or tablets, Noxicare™ uses all natural ingredients to provide fast, effective, long-lasting pain relief for:

1. Acute and chronic inflammation: your body’s immune response to irritation or other injuries with features like redness, swelling, warmth and pain.
   
2. Muscle aches: Muscle aches can be acute (as a result of athletic injury) or chronic (experienced by fibromyalgia or cancer sufferers) and involve ligaments, tendons, bones and organs.
   
3. Nerve pain: Painful nerve endings in the layers of your skin can cause burning, throbbing and stinging.
   

Noxicare™ has been especially helpful for relieving pain of those suffering from arthritis, athletic injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, neuropathy pain associated with diabetes, side effects of chemotherapy, musculoskeletal disorders, fibromyalgia, tension headaches.

To read more visit: Noxicare Website

or visit them on Facebook: Noxicare Pain Relief

 

 

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.

Blueberry Muffins

• 1½ cups Flour
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• ⅓ cup Oil
• 1 Egg
• ⅓ cup Milk
• 1 cup Blueberries

Crumb Topping

• ½ cup Sugar
• ⅓ cup Flour
• ¼ cup Butter
• 1½ tsp Cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF
2. Combine Flour, Sugar, Salt & Baking Powder
3. Mix Oil, Egg & Milk then add to dry mixture
4. Fold in blueberries and Fill cups
5. Mix Crumb Topping with a fork and sprinkle over filled cups
6. Bake 20-25min or until done

Snowball Cookies

• ½ cup Butter
• ½ cup Milk
• 1½ cups Sugar
• 3 cups Rolled Oats
• 4 tbsp Cocoa
• ½ cup Coconut

Directions

1. Mix butter, milk & sugar. Boil.
2. Remove from heat, add oats and cocoa
3. Form balls and roll in coconut
4. Refrigerate

Modified BBQ Sauce Ribs

Sauce

• 1 bottle Kraft Hickory BBQ Sauce
• 1 ½ cups Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Garlic Pepper Salt
• 2 tbsp Onion Salt
• 2 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Chipotle Tobasco Sauce/Tobasco Sauce/Luisiana Sauce(optional but recommended)

Ribs

• Boil ribs minimum of 45min
• Cut ribs and put into slowcooker
• Pour rib sauce over turning to coat
• Use baster to draw sauce from bottom and pour over ribs every half hour from start time and right before serving
• Leave on 'High' for at least 2 hours
• Turn to 'Low' for minimum of 1 hour
• Turn to 'Keep Warm' until ready to eat

Free Blogger Opportunity: Kindle Fire and Diamond Candles Giveaway Event WW 7/25-8/15

Free blogger opportunity open worldwide for an Amazon Kindle Fire & Diamond Candles giveaway with 2 winners. Non-US winner will receive cash equivalent. Event runs July 25 to August 15, 2012.
Please tell them Lucky Spider Monkey sent you and sign up here.

Young Mom's Deals 11K Fan Bonanza 7/15-7/31

Welcome new and old fans alike! It's been almost two years but Young Mom's Deals has finally reached 11,000 Facebook fans! Thank you for all of your support and making this blog what it is today! I've teamed up with some GREAT sponsors and fellow bloggers to bring you this fantastic giveaway. Let's check out the prizes below and be sure to read the reviews of each product by clicking the links below their images:

Mohawk Rug

SodaStream Genesis Starter Kit

Toe Juice

Sound Beginnings

Waxelene (Petroleum Jelly Alternative)- 2 oz Jar

Picture Keeper P4

Pouchee Purse Organizer

Noxicare 3.5oz Cream + T-Shirt!

Contest is open to residents of US and Canada and runs from 12:01 AM EST July 15, 2012 through 12:01 AM EST July 31, 2012. Enter using the Rafflecopter below!

I have been asked a few times about Tips for using SuperPoints, Swagbucks and LikeNET. The best tips I have come across are by Canadian Money Makers and Savers. I have requested permission to share her tips with my readers. Don't forget to visit her blog and Like her page on Facebook for up to date info on all the money maker sites.


LikeNET Tips
Swagbucks Tips

SuperPoints Tips

Canadian Money Makers and Savers

SuperPoints Tips by CMM&S

*Borrowed with permission from Canadian Money Makers and Savers*

New to The SuperPoints Network or want to join SuperPoints? Some information for you to help you get started:

Make sure to click the SuperLucky button every day! You can get 1 - 300 points on the button and if you get 25, 50, 75, 100, 200 or 300 points on the button you get a bonus referral link.  When you get a bonus referral link they last for 2 days and you earn the bonus points + 25 for each referral that makes it to Basic member.  So don't forget to click the SuperLucky button every day!  Mouse over "Get Points" and then choose "SuperLucky button"

Refer other members with your regular link and you get 25 SP for each referral, and 25 + whatever the bonus invite is if you have a bonus. To get your referral link click "Friends" then "Special Link" and you can put it on your own Facebook page, here, other fansites like Share it With Erik and on the "Forum-Invites" of the SuperPoints Facebook page (not on their wall).  If you get a spin with 25 points or more your invite link will be on that bonus spin, copy and paste it.  These last for 2 days, so if you need to go back and get it click "Friends" at the top then "Check Invite Status".  If your link is still active you will see it at the top and how long it's active for.  To get credit from your referrals they must get to the "Basic Level" explain to them they need to click on the email from SuperPoints and then click "Settings" when logged in and fill out their name, address and phone number to confirm they're a real person.

Superpoints has tiered level memberships.  Must complete the first tier to advance to the next.

Basic Level Membership: 30 spins per day, cash out at 1000 points.  You must have a valid email registered and fill out your basic profile in Settings.  No referrals required.

Gold Level Membership:  50 spins per day, cash out at 750 points and earn what your referrals earn on the SuperLucky button up to 1000 points each.  Requires two referrals at Basic Level. Must add a valid picture to your profile and fill out your advanced profile.  SuperPoints uses the information in your advanced profile to send you surveys you may be eligible for.

Platinum Level Membership: 100 spins per day, cash out at 500 points and earn what your referrals earn on the SuperLucky button up to 1000 points each.  Requires five referrals at Basic Level.

Other ways to earn on SuperPoints.

Click "Get Points" and check out the various offer walls.  You can check the offer walls for surveys, or other offers to do, like signing up for a survey site, or downloading a game and trying it, etc.

They send "Lucky Emails" every day which can contain 1 - 450 free points.  To make sure that you get these emails every day click "Settings" when signed in and then "Communication Preferences" and make sure that "Send me Bonus Emails" has "Yes" checked.

(Canadians) - If you haven't tried Netflix before there is an offer on TrialPay for 1500 SP. You click on the link, sign up for the Trial and you should get your points instantly. You need a credit card or PayPal and you cannot cancel for at least 3 days. It's super easy to cancel, you just go into your Netflix account and there is a cancel option.

There are also tasks every day. "Casino Tasks" come out every day in the evening around 5:40pm CST - 6:10pm CST.  Click "Get Points" button and then the "Matomy" button and then "tasks". The easiest to do look like: Answer a few questions about a website (Canada - Wednesday task #5) and are commonly referred to as "Casino tasks". You just follow the instructions on the page and then submit. Sometimes these tasks work, sometimes they don't. If they say "Finished" or "Thanks you've done all you can do" just go to the next one. If you get one that allows you to do some work, then the best advice I can give you is find the page and click on it, remember where it was on the google list (1st page, 3rd on the list) then wait about 10 seconds, then click on the "Featured Games", wait about 10 seconds then click on the box at the bottom before you fill out any of the work. If it doesn't give you a red box with an error you can finish the work and submit it.

LikeNET Tips by CMM&S

*Borrowed with permission from Canadian Money Makers and Savers*

  LikeNET.ca was created by SoftCorp Software Ltd, a company located in Victoria, BC and is open to all Canadians and they looking to expand into the US in the future.

LikeNET uses a points system and each point equals one penny.  So 100 points = $1.00.  You can cash out and get paid at 3500 points or $35.00.  While this may seem high, I feel it is definitely worth my time.  By spending an average of less than 5 minutes every day, I earn from 1 point to sometimes more than a $1 a day.  I like to compare it to sites like SuperPoints where you can do 100 spins in a day and not earn any points at all.  If you look at it that way, even earning 1 point for 10 seconds of work every day it totally worth it.

If you sign up to LikeNET using a referral link from another member you start with 250 points automatically ($2.50).  LikeNET uses Facebook as their Login and you must allow LikeNET some basic permissions like being able to Post on your behalf and access your friend's list and contact information.  Because you must have a valid email to sign up with Facebook you won't get a confirmation email when you sign up.

When you log in you will see Tabs on the left that allow you to access the different sections of the LikeNET page:

• Opportunities
• Games
• Leader Board
• Contests
• My Account

How can you earn with LikeNET?

They have various ways of earning which they call "Opportunities".  Each Opportunity has budget that is set by the business, so Opportunities are on a first-come first-served basis.  The various Opportunities they offer are:

Facebook Likes: "Like" a Facebook Page.  You ~must~ continue to Like the page to get paid out.  If you Unlike the page, when it comes to cash out time those points will be deducted from your total.

Facebook Shares: "Share" a status from a company on Facebook

Google +1: +1 a company through Google, this is equivalent to a Facebook "Like"

Leads: These are where a company pitches a product or service and you choose if you would like the company to contact you.  If you want them to contact you, you provide either your phone number or email to the company and they will follow up with you.

Website Codes: There will be code hidden on a website in one of the many pages.  The code will often be in brackets like this [ ].

eSurveys: These are short surveys that ask you targeted questions.

Each Opportunity that you do can be ignored.  If you don't want to participate in any of the Opportunities, you're not required to, but you won't get paid for them.

They also have the "Bonus Button".  If there are no Opportunities available, you can click the "Games" button and then scroll down to the "Free Daily Bonus" button.  You get from 0-10 points from the button and you can click it every day.

LikeNET also has "Bonus Codes" at least once every week.  These codes can be found usually on Facebook, but also sometimes on Twitter or in their email Newsletter.  Codes are usually designated by being in brackets [CMMnS].  If there is a random post on the LikeNET Facebook page in brackets, better log in to LikeNET quick and put it in the "Bonus Code" spot located at the bottom of the "Games" section. Bonus Codes like Opportunities are limited and are on a first come first serve basis.  When entering the code, sometimes they do not copy and paste correctly and the code will say "Too Slow", in that case try typing it in.  Bonus Codes are always case sensitive and must be entered correctly.  Do not include the brackets, but do type in the code exactly as it appears.  If you have double-checked all of this and it still says "Too Slow" then the code has expired.

On the "My Account" section you will be able to change your settings.

You can choose to receive SMS Messages (text messages)

You will get both your LikeNET referral link and your LikeNET Business Portal Referral coupon code.

You can set your preferred payment method.  You can choose either having a cheque mailed to you, PayPal, or you can pick up your cheque if you're in Victoria.

Cash Outs:

When you reach 3500 points ($35.00) you will then be able to cash out.  LikeNET does their payouts on the 7th and the 21st of each month.  The $35.00 cash out and the twice monthly payout dates helps them reduce administration costs so they can provide you with more bang for buck aka "Opportunity".

Swagbucks Tips by CMM&S

  *Borrowed with permission from Canadian Money Makers and Savers*

How I make $25.00 in Amazon Gift Cards and more a month with Swagbucks.

My daily goal is 150SB and it can be tough to get. A more easily obtainable goal is 75-100SB per day, I like to try to get the 150 so I can have my 5 x $5.00 AGC for the month + have enough for the next months 5 x $5.00 AGC. Then what I make from there goes towards a $50.00 AGC

10 points for games
7 for "dailies" (Daily Poll (1), ToolBar (1), NOSO (2), Inbox Survey (3)**may not always come**
15-30 for search wins
Do as many videos as possible on Supersonic (may be different for you, Americans have Gambit)
Tasks
SBTV
If I get special offers, videos, or surveys then I don't need to work quite so hard on SBTV

Here is my day:

If I am sitting at the computer, I do SBTV on the toolbar while I'm browsing forums/pages/facebook, etc.

I use the Toolbar to watch and just click the next video as soon as the bar goes up. SBTV is SwagBucks TV. After 10 videos you will earn 3sb, normally up to a maximum of 25 rounds (75 SwagBucks), but it's been extended to 50 rounds (150 SB)  This may eventually go back down to 25 rounds. You do not have to watch the whole video, the progress bar will go up 10% when you've watched enough of the. It will go up approximately every 36 seconds. If you don't have the Toolbar, I recommend getting it. It gives you an extra SB (SwagBuck) daily as well. Great thing about SBTV on the toolbar is you can move it to where you want it by clicking it and moving it. I like to move it to the add space while browsing Facebook pages. To make it smaller, click in the box where the "Meter" is and hold down the CTRL button and use your mouse scroll wheel to make the picture smaller. Then go to the bottom right corner and drag the actual window to the size that you want. You can get it here

I also do games daily. I play a game, then when I'm done I go back to "Game Details". You should get 2 SB for every 2 games doing this up to a maximum of 10.

You also get 1 point for answering the daily poll, 2 for doing the NOSO. Just keep clicking the "skip to Next offer" button until it comes up as "proceed to next step" Then enter the text it tells you and you will get 2 points.

If you're going to visit a website like Facebook, Hotmail, Twitter, etc instead of going straight to the site, enter it into the SwagBucks search for more chances to get a search win. Usually you can get at least 2 search wins a day, which can net you 7+ SB each win.

If you're on Facebook, like SwagBucks and keep an eye on the wall for when codes are available. Also when a bunch of people there say they're getting search wins it's a good time to search. You can also like "Special Offers that Credit" as people post when they did a Special offer and got points.

Check your "Trusted Surveys" daily and check Special offers for easy videos on SuperSonic sometimes.

If you're Canadian you may receive an "inbox survey" daily for 3 SB. It's really easy, open the video and let them know if it had an Ad, click it and let them know if it goes to the right website (telus Ad goes to Telus website) or if it doesn't, choose no.

There are also tasks every day. "Casino Tasks" come out every day in the evening around 5:50pm CST - 6:10pm CST. Mouse over the "Earn" button at the top and click "Tasks". There are a lot of tasks available, however the easiest look like "Answer a few questions about a website (Canada - Wednesday task #5)" and are commonly referred to as "Casino tasks". You just follow the instructions on the page and then submit. Sometimes these tasks work, sometimes they don't. If they say "Finished" or "Thanks you've done all you can do" just go to the next one. Canadians can also do the ones that say "US" in them, and if they have "0" beside them, still click them to see if they're available! If you get one that allows you to do some work, then the best advice I can give you is find the page and click on it, remember where it was on the Google list (1st page, 3rd on the list) then wait about 10 seconds, then click on the "Featured Games", wait about 10 seconds then click on the box at the bottom before you fill out any of the work. If it doesn't give you a red box with an error you can finish the work and submit it. You can earn up to about 60SB per day from the Casino Tasks if you're fast and get them all!

Lucky Spider Monkey: Daily Contests

Lucky Spider Monkey: Daily Contests: Updated List! Good luck all contesters!

Winners!

The two giveaways I participated on sharing have both ended. Check your email to see if you're a lucky winner!!

Handmade Flower Power Baby Gift Set ($65 value) by Arcoiris by TSWL

Ends June 28, 2012 11:59pm EST. 

Open WorldWide!

Lucky Spider Monkey has teamed up with To Sew With Love and other fabulous bloggers to bring you this awesome giveaway featuring a handmade Flower Power Baby gift set by Arcoíris by TSWL. This gift set was handmade by Lelanie of To Sew With Love herself.

This handmade gift set consists of a dress with a fully-lined chest and has buttons on the back, a matching tote bag, a pair of cloth shoes and a matching hair clip, too! This is a size 6M - 8M. This handmade gift set is one-of-a-kind and valued at $65. Lelanie will not create a gift set with this fabric combination other than this one she is giving away. 
If you'd like a chance to win this gift set, you only have to enter through the Rafflecopter form below. Make sure to do the mandatory entries so your entries won't be considered void and come back for the daily entries! The drawn entry, via random.org will be verified and will be contacted through the email you have provided.
This giveaway is open worldwide with FREE SHIPPING and will end on June 28, 2012 11:59 PM EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!

DISCLAIMER: This giveaway is in NO way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. Information collected is NOT collected by Facebook. In signing up for this promotion, participants release and indemnify Facebook from all liability. By entering this contest, you may be choosing to opt in to newsletters and other emails from To Sew With Love, To Cook With Love, Lucky Spider Monkey and/or it’s sponsors, opting out of emails does not jeopardize your chances of winning. To Sew with Love and other participating blogs are not responsible of shipping the giveaway prize. 

The Great Canadian Coupon Giveaway Ends 07/01 Canada only

Presenting the Great Canadian Coupon Giveaway

 Brought to you by:

Share It With Erik, Canadian Money Makers and Savers,

 I Love LikeNET.ca and The Bargain Queen. 

We will be giving away $400 in coupons to three lucky winners and a 4th lucky winner will receive a shirt courtesy of 

Live Virtual Help Desk. 

We'd also like to thank the other pages and blogs that have joined us to help promote this Giveaway. 

Emily's Frugal Tips, SavingIn florida, Tianna's Coupon Cafe, A Rambling SAHM, Lucky Spider Monkey, 

There's a Contest for That, Da Freebies, My Money Sites
All Occasions Designs

 Please read the Terms and Conditions for more details. Terms and Conditions: This Giveaway is open to Canadian Residents only. Winners will be announced on CMM&S and Share it With Erik and contacted via email. Winners will be given 48 hours to respond so prizes can be sent out. Grand prize will be approximately $200 of miscellaneous coupons. 2nd and 3rd prize will be $100 of miscellaneous coupons each and 4th bonus prize is a shirt courtesy of Live VHD. 

 This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Share it With Erik and CMM&S reserve the right to obtain names and email addresses from this Rafflecopter form. Giveaway will end July 1 2012 12:01 AM EST

Budgeting

When it comes to budgeting...

First thing I'd recommend, write everything down! Start with your budget, how much you make in a month and where it needs to go (rent, bills, groceries, etc). 

Since rent is a set amount, just subtract that from your monthly total. Bills can be a bit tricky because of seasonal fluctuations and what not, so I looked at my bills from the previous year and made an average bill budget based on that. I rarely use the full budget during the summer months and during the winter, I'm grateful its there to use. Also, if pay day is bi-weekly, don't pay all your bills at once and then leave yourself stuck with nothing until the next pay day. Instead, figure out your monthly bills and half them between the pay weeks. Your bills will always be paid and you wont have to do without.

The grocery budget can also be tricky, so in this case I'll use my own budgeting for an example. I have 3 kids, one in diapers and one in pullups so their monthly cost is inevitable, but since I part time cloth diaper my daughter (highly recommend!) that cuts the monthly box of diapers to about one pack or a box lasting 2 months +. 

When it comes it the food budget, look through your flyers for specials and compare to other stores, plus add in if you have any useful coupons to save even more. I'm in Newfoundland and I shop at Dominion, Wal-Mart and Sobeys every week with the occasional visit to other shops when the budget allows or the deals are worth it. That is another thing to remember. Make sure the trip to a particular store is worth going there, especially if its out of the way. If you are going to spend more in gas then save by going there, it's not worth the trip. On the plus side, many stores offer Price Matching, keep this in mind especially for stores out of the way so you are not actually missing out on the deal. 

After making a list from the flyers, I then see what kind of meals I can make based on whats on sale, what coupons I can use and what I already have in the cupboards. It doesn't always work out, but if the possibilities are there, go with them. After making the list of meals, I then compile a list of what I will need to make these meals. An example of this might be: Spaghetti - Noodles, meat and mushrooms on sale - have onions - need sauce, green peppers. When you break down your grocery list this way, you will start to see savings popping up. 1 bag of onions can be used in a lot of meals for example. 

Based on everything I write down and after a few weeks of budgeting, I noticed I was spending an average of $50 per shop each week to cover everything I needed. This made my grocery budget $150 but since it's not going to be perfect every time, I adjusted my budget to $200 a week overall to include any $$ over I may spend. Sometimes I actually spend less (yay bring on the savings) and sometimes I went over the budget, but by following the list and not impulse buying, the savings will be larger then the occasional over spending. 

After a few weeks, you will start to notice a trend as well, or at least we did. I was buying all our meats at Dominion but our veggies were always bought at Sobeys. Bananas were from Sobeys and apples from Dominion, etc. If you start to notice these trends, go with them! You know if you need something and it's not on sale, you'll get the best price at these places or at least the best value for what you are buying.

All this being said, these budgets don't use up all of our monthly income so the money not included in budgeting, goes straight to savings. Yard sales, thrift shopping and second hand items can also really come in handy when trying to save, so make use of what's available to you!

This is an example of what my budget looks like so it's a little more visible. Note: I'm using approximates and round numbers.

Monthly income:

   $750 - bi-weekly - $1500 monthly

+$900 - CCTB

-------------

$2400 monthly

Paid out:

   $750 - rent

+$200 - bills per pay day - $400 monthly

+$200 - groceries weekly - $800 monthly

--------------

$1950 - monthly expenses

Savings:

  $2400 income

-$1950 paid out

--------------

$450 - monthly savings

$450 in monthly savings is our approximate amount, but sometimes it can be much more. That will add up very quick after a few months so if you have any debts to pay off, or that one special thing you've been wanting for a very long time, this would be an easy way of doing it. I've been budgeting like this for about 2 years and we've managed to get out of student loan debts, had great Christmas's/birthdays, and for Father's Day this year, I was able to get my hubby something he has been wanting for many years. The irony of it is I used money saved, a coupon, waited for a sale and got his PlayStation 3 plus 2 games for a fraction of the actual cost. He wanted it because it's a Blu-Ray player, computer, gaming console, has wifi, etc instead of getting a new computer or blu-ray player. I've rubbed off on him with my budgeting ways but I am so happy I was able to do this for him. 

Contesting and freebies are great ways to get things you really want and for free! It takes a bit of work and not everyone is lucky enough to win or catch the freebie before it runs out, but if you stick with it, you never know what you might get. I have my own list of daily contests I enter which I have listed on my Daily Contests page and also some Free Money Maker sites to make fast and easy online cash. The free money maker sites also offer gift cards which can be used on just about anything. Psst... Someone in your family got a birthday coming up and want a specific movie, for example, get it on amazon.ca with a gift card you earned for free. There are many ways to earn points for redemption and many various prizes to choose from. I personally like the PayPal cash to use on eBay.


Keeping up with some of the great pages on Facebook will keep you up to date on contests, freebies, coupons, samples, free points on the money maker sites and pretty much any hint or trick to help you save money. Join their wonderful communities and you wont believe how much you can save and what you can get just by following these awesome individuals!

Canadian Budget Binder

Kaley Davies

Canadian Money Makers and Savers

Share It With Erik

Canadian Coupons | Free Samples Canada

Extreme Canadian Coupons, Deals, Freebies

Save Big, Live Better

Freebies and Samples Canada

Extreme Couponing Canada

PottyCover - Disposable Toilet Seat Covers For Kids Review

I was very happy to have an opportunity to review these. I am one of those germ crazy moms and I don't know of a worse place then a public bathroom. I'm the type to lay down strips of toilet paper on the seats, using sanitizing wipes before sitting and bringing sanitizer in my purse to places I know do not have automatic taps for washing hands. Honestly, what's the point of washing your hands if you have to turn off the water taps you just touched before washing. Who knows how many people have touched that tap that day. *cringing at that thought* So, since I am one of those psycho moms who are even worse when it comes to my children, this product is well made for people like me. 

 

 I received a pack of 6 to try out and review, each individually packaged on their own. They are small enough to easily fit into my purse or the kids bags, making that a huge benefit when it comes to how much I have in either of those bags at any given time. No reason not to take one. It is completely disposable so no need to try to refold it after use and pack away, just ball up and throw away. At $5.99 a pack, I personally think it's worth the money.

I love the design of the PottyCover. It has a waterproof lining so it keeps all the germs and 'icky stuff' away from my children skin. It has a soft fabric that is comfortable to sit on and I also notice it stays put, it doesn't slide around or off the seat like some covers I have tried. The long sides are convenient and comforting since my little ones are on the smaller side, they tend to put their hands on the seat for support. The long front is perhaps my favorite part though. Children are not the most coordinated when it comes to the potty or redressing after, and their short legs dangling with their pants at their ankles, hitting the sides of the toilet boil is inevitable and hard to avoid. I don't even want to imagine what could be lurking their. By having the long front, the PottyCover protects against that as well, making it a wonderful product all around.

Interested in learning more? Visit PottyCover for more information!

Product Description from the website 
PottyCover is a disposable toilet seat cover for children that covers the sides and the front of the toilet, to keep away germs at public rest-rooms.  It is made of non-woven fabric coated with a layer of plastic, creating a waterproof barrier between the toilet and the child. This product has the largest coverage of all seat covers on the market and for added convenience, each seat cover is individually packaged in a small, easy to open bag that makes it super easy to always keep one or two in a purse or a back pocket. 

Using a public rest-room with a young child could be very stressful, but with PottyCovers the whole family can feel safe knowing that even at the filthiest bathrooms they will be protected from germs. We designed this product for kids, but it has become a must-have travel item for many of our adult customers.

A pack of PottyCover sells for $5.99 and it is available on Amazon, Ebay, all Buy Buy Baby stores around the country and at select Bed Bath & Beyond stores.

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.

Dads Deserve to be Healthy with @AdultEssentials #Giveaway (Canada only, Ends 06/17)

Adult Essentials along with Multi-Testing Mommy and a group of amazing and influential bloggers are co-hosting a Dads Deserve to be Healthy Giveaway. I am honored to be a part of this group and able to post this giveaway for my fellow Canadians to celebrate Dads in Canada being healthy.

What man doesn't love a good tasting gummy every once in a while, after all, many men are just kids at heart, right?!
The men in our lives truly deserve to be as healthy as they can be and Adult Essentials can help them do just that! Adult Essentials taste so yummy that they are hard to turn down, in fact, they are difficult to forget because they taste THAT good! Adult Essentials are pectin based gummy vitamins that are:

• gluten free, nut free, dairy free
• approved by Health Canada
• made with natural flavours and colours
• delicious

Would you like to enter to win a handsome monogrammed black gym bag FULL of Adult Essentials for that important Dad in your life? Enter the Rafflecopter Form below.  
Giveaway is open to Canadian Residents only and ends on June 17th 12:01AM.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Adult Essentials are available online at Well.ca and at most Rexall Pharma Plus, Metro, Sobeys, Lowblaws/Real Canadian Super Stores, London Drugs and now at Shoppers Drugmart. To learn more about Adult Essentials, feel free to visit them: Adult Essentials Website @AdultEssentials on Twitter Adult Essentials on Facebook

GreenVision Twitter Party! May 2 (9-10pm EST)

 

#GreenVision Twitter Party!

Hosted by: @_greenMandy & @MultiTestingMom

May 2, 2012
9-10pm EST
Fun, Information, Green Talk and Prizes!
While anyone is welcome to stop in for a chat, the prizes are available to Canadian and US Residents only who have filled out the RSVP form.

Learn how to attend and participate in a Twitter Party here.

To be eligible to win prizes at the party, you must fill out the Rafflecopter form on Multi-Testing Mommy's page and be in attendance and active at the party by answering the questions.

We have a winner!!

Congratulations Diane!! You are the winner of my $5 Amazon.com code!!

I have sent you an email. You have 48 hours to respond. Thanks everyone for participating in my giveaway!

Baby Brandon's Adventures - Funky Monkey Snacks review and giveaway

http://brandonyuen.blogspot.ca/2012/04/funky-monkey-snacks-review.html

Baby Brandon's Adventures - alternaVites Kids Multivitamins Review & Giveaway

http://brandonyuen.blogspot.ca/2012/04/alternavites-kids-multivitamins-review.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed: blogspot/FMEp (Baby Brandon's Adventures)

The Bewitchin' Kitchen: Zutano | Baby Gift Guide

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Ignite Your Child’s Imagination with Dino Dan and Stella and Sam-Giveaway

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The Bewitchin' Kitchen: Babybydanish | Baby Gift Guide

The Bewitchin' Kitchen: Babybydanish | Baby Gift Guide:   Cloth diapers are so much fun, not only because of how cute they are but because of all the fun accessories that come with it. One of ...

Pirate Party Games Review

    I was given the opportunity to review Pirate Party Games by Python Printable Games recently and have been using every excuse to try the different games. Since games by Python Printable Games don't come with restrictions or time limits. You can keep these games forever and reuse them on other occasions, so games that might not be useful now may come in handy later!

   

    The full pack retails for $19.95 and includes: 

• Balloon Pirate Craft For Kids
• Facebook Pirate Language Game
• Pirate Mad Libs
• Pirate Newlywed Questions Game
• Pirate Placemat for Kids
• Pirate Poster for Kids
• Pirate Party Icebreaker
• Printable Treasure Map Template Pirate Craft For Kids
• H-ARRR-ible Pirate Jokes Game
• Survival of the Fittest Party Game
• Pirate Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids
• Pin the Parrot on the Pirate game for Kids
• Shoot the Boot Drinking Card Game
• Pirate Trivi-ARRR

More about the Pirate Party Pack from Python Printable Games Website

Printable Pirate Games For Kids, Teens and Adults
Ahoy there matey! If you're looking for Pirate party games, then these printable Pirate games will be perfect! We've taken care of all the hard work. Just download, print and play these fun activities.

Our range includes Pirate games for kids, teens AND adults, so there's something for everybody at your pirate party. Each single game displays the age it's suitable for, so you'll know exactly what you're getting.

Every game has been lavishly illustrated: the games look so good, your guests will want to take them home with them!

Pirate Games For Kids
Our games for kids include Pin The Parrot on the Pirate, which is the Pirate version of the kids' birthday party classic, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. We've supplied eight lovely parrots, one jolly Pirate, and four ways to use this game: single size or double size; and full color for immediate use, or monochrome to double as a kids' pirate crafts activity.

Our pack of Pirate games also includes a free Pirate Party poster and placement for kids.

Pirate Nature Treasure Hunt: get your young mates running around the backyard looking for natural treasure: grass, sticks, leaves and more. Once they complete the fun clue hunt game, then you can give them their "loot" bags! The clues are in verse, and include anagram hints, in case any children have a hard time.

Pirate Games For Teens
Hosting a Pirate party where there are teens? It can be a whale of a time! Our Facebook Pirate Words Game is great for teens or adults who can't get enough of the world's biggest social network. Match the pirate jargon to the Facebook functions. It sounds weird, but it's a lot of fun, and it will hold down the mutiny for a while!

Pirate Printable Mad Libs: Everybody loves word substitution games. This printable mad libs game is just as much fun for adults as it is for teens. Fill in the blanks, and then take turns reading your silly version of the Pirate story we provide. Laughs are guaranteed!

Bad Pirate Jokes Game: match the silly Pirate one-liners with their punchlines. It's as easy as games get, and while none of the jokes will be laugh-out-loud funny, they'll all raise a groan or three! These are jokes that should stay in Davey Jones' Locker...

Pirate Games For Adults
We're adding more Pirate games all the time, and the parents are not left out of the fun.

Looking for laughs at an adult Pirate birthday party? Then check out the Pirate Newlywed Questions game. 20 hilarious questions to choose from, plus full instructions on how to host this classic gameshow format party game. The "audience" often enjoys this game as much, or more than, the competitors!

The following games also work for Adults: Pirate Jokes | Pirate Mad Libs
Beers of the World placemat trivia, Pirate Trivia, Tongue Twisters, Pirate paper dolls and many more Pirate party games to come!

Bargain Pack of Pirate Party Games

The best value for your entertainment dollar is our bundle of Pirate games. All of our titles for one irresistible price. You'll be keelhauled if you miss this deal!

Best Deals For Our "Mates"

We'll be offering deals you can 'treasure' on our Pirate games in the near future. To be kept part of our crew, please join our newsletter.

It's always got extra free stuff for our mateys, and plenty of booty in the form of coupons in every issue.

My thoughts on it...
    Since downloading this party pack, I have taken many opportunities to try out each game and printable to see what it's all about. My boys  LOVE the Treasure Maps and have a few now taped to their bedroom walls. They have insisted on using the place mats and they really are adorable for kids. I took a copy of each one and had them laminated by a friend but this is not a must, my kids love pirates and wanted to be able to reuse their 'special plate mats' as they call them without ruining them. They also loved the Balloon Pirate Crafts. It was a fun activity to do on a rainy afternoon and since there are blank pieces to print as well as colored, my kids were able to color their pirate parts whatever way they wanted, customizing their own pirate. I love activities that give kids the freedom to be independent and create their own art.

    Some of the joke games really are H-ARRR-ible and more appropriate for teens to adults, but they are so silly at the same time, you can't help but laugh together at them. One of our favorites was 'Why did the pirate bury his former wife above his treasure? Because ex marks the spot!'. The trivia game can be for all ages, however, I loved how the answer sheet had more then just the answer but also more information about the topic at hand, making it much more interesting. Shoot the Boot was a favorite amongst our friends and made for a great time with a lot of laughs. It is definitely best suited for adults since it is a drinking game and probably not recommended for the light weight sailors like myself. We had a great time with all of these games though and have a lot of high praise for the cleverness of the theme.

    If you would like to learn more about the Pirate Party Games Pack and other available party printables, you can visit Python Printable Games.
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/printable_games
Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Python-Printable-Games/134601866587139

If you're interested in what you see, Python Printable Games have allowed me to offer a 25% discount to my readers, valid until May 1st. Simply input LUCKYSPIDERMONKEY25 when checking out to take advantage of their generous offer.


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.

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$5 Amazon.com WW Ends 05/01

This is my first giveaway done by me. Hope everything goes smoothly and good luck to everyone who enters.
 Feel free to comment or email me .

Enter for $5 Amazon.com code. Fill out the Rafflecopter below. a Rafflecopter giveaway    Giveaway Rules
 *Amazon.com^® is not a sponsor of this promotion. Amazon.com^®, the Amazon.com logo, and 1-Click are registered trademarks of Amazon.com^®, Inc. or its affiliates. Amazon.com^® gift certificates are redeemable only at Amazon.com^®. See Amazon.com^® Terms and Conditions for use of Amazon.com^® gift certificates.