Well State Power Pearl Probiotic-Review

   I received a free bottle of Well State Power Pearl Probiotic via Tomoson a few weeks back and it is great. I suffer from irregularity and I have noticed a definite positive change. Also, I have been on a few runs of antibiotics lately. Usually antibiotics cause me to have a yeast infection, especially having 2 powerful runs within weeks, but that has not been a problem. I am not going to say it will prevent it, but the probiotics help restore things that anti biotics destroy, so it definitely helps.

I love the pearl form too,

#wellstateprobiotic #gotitfree #tomoson I love the pearl form, and it came just in the nick of time as I've been on several strong antibiotics and all my flaura and fauna still are doing well.

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Oct 12, 2015 at 6:18pm PDT

Other probiotics I have taken in the past (along with most multivitamins and supplements) come in horse pill form, they tear my throat up and are sometimes hard to swallow. These are small and round and slide down so nice. I would love to see other supplements offered in this form.


You can get it on Amazon for $21.97 currently, for a 60 day supply, which, in my opinion, is a fairly good deal.
 http://amzn.to/1G2ouB7  (affiliate link)
I really enjoyed this product and will definitely be getting more in the future and keeping my eye on other Well State Products.


Boring legal gobbly gook, I recieved this product for free in exchange for my opinions on it. I swear I tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth..

Foxbrim Argon Oil Hair Repair Oil review.

#love it #review #foxbrim  #tomoson

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 11, 2015 at 6:34am PDT

I was sent this product to try out by Foxbrim via Tomoson. I was sent it for free in exchange for my honest opinions on the product. I was excited to try it out and I do like it quite a bit.  I don't really have damaged or dry hair, but it is very thick, and frizzy.

My hair before trying Foxbrim argan oil hair repair #gotitfree  #upcoming review #tomoson

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 12:32pm PST

That's my hair, towel dried and how it is, even when I simply brush it or put it up in a pony tail, it doesn't want to behave and flies away all day. Not quite thick and wavy enough to be pretty and curly, just enough to be annoying. I don't like to use too many products though and I even limit my washing of it to 2-3 times a week as it keeps your hair healthy and keeps the natural oils in place. Using traditional products, while they can be effective, also seem to mess with the balance of my hair and throws my scalp into a panic.

#foxbrim #tomoson #review #gotitfree

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 11, 2015 at 6:33am PDT

So I was excited to use this product, as it is all natural and it isn't just for conditioning and repairing your hair, but can also be used to style it. This was me the first time I used it for styling.

Fox Brim argan oil hair repair after, used to help style. Used a tad too much #lessismore #gotitfree #upcomingreview it really tamed my frizzy and poufy hair though.

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 5, 2015 at 4:42pm PST

A little greasy, there is a bit of a learning curve here, less is definitely more, I worked it into towel dried hair and didn't even use a brush, that's just working it through my fingers, it got a little better once brushed. The next day at work my boss complimented my hair and asked if I had straightened it or was using a new product, I told her I was trying out a new product called Foxbrim. Now I can't help but wonder if it wouldn't work on her hair too. Is it ideal for Caucasian and African hair?

The next time I washed my hair I just used shampoo and skipped the conditioner, and my hair was still so soft and silky. I skipped a use of Foxbrim and threw my hair into the usual messy bun and battled flyaways at work all day. I am now sold on it. I still haven't quite found the right amount to not look a bit greasy, but am getting better, I am bad at patience.

 The only complaint I have is the smell, it's kind of tea tree oil in nature, but it doesn't linger on the hair, so it is tolerable, you just smell it as you apply your hair. Seeing how well it worked on my hair from just having a little bit, I am sure it is very great for applying as a restorative also. My hair just doesn't have that need at this moment, but I will give it a go next time I dye my hair and give it a bit of damage.

And you can get it from Amazon, for at time of posting, $17.95 and free shipping with Prime, genuinely worth that, because just a few drops does amazing things

My #disneyside party

I was once again chosen by Mom Select to host a Disney Side party. I got picked to host a multi-generation theme, which was perfect, because I applied to host it to take place during FAST. FAST stands for families and schools together, it was put together by the literacy council and was previously held at the local elementary school. We moved it to take place at a church though, because due to bureaucracy one of the important elements of having a family bring a meal each week was no longer allowed. It is a variety of families, some which aren't even related by blood, but they take on children, and we sing songs, do activities and have speakers come and speak about a variety of topics. We end it with a traditional African rain dance, which is pretty cool, because it involves waiting for your turn and paying close attention, and it sounds amazing.

So, I applied, thinking the multi generation theme would be perfect. I only had about half an hour for activities though, so I spoke about Disney and families and how it crosses the generations, and gave them the family tree kit, and the word search to work on together. I also brought Disney items and let each child pick one and made a big basket to use as a part of the raffle. Every week they raffle off a basket of items for a family, with different items for the parents and children, this week they got two. I also brought my world's largest Hershey bar for dessert and it was quite a task to break apart, but we got it done, it was delicious too.

One of the girls there mentioned they advised against going to Disney World because of disease and I told them that there was a Measles outbreak that began at Disney Land, but Disney World hasn't had anything, but I think Disney should really do some PR on that, because it has tainted the brand.

Now some pictures, it went so fast, so I only got a few.
Here's the lovely ladies that run FAST

Lovely fast team #disneyside  #mydisneyside

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 5:00pm PST

Raffle winners #disneyside  #mydisneyside

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 5:01pm PST

Every year these lovely girls are a fast family #mydisneyside  #disneyside

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 5:02pm PST

Working on words finder #disneyside  #mydisneyside

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 5:03pm PST

Prizes #disneyside  #mydisneyside

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 5:04pm PST

World's largest chocolate bar #disneyside  #mydisneyside

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Mar 3, 2015 at 5:05pm PST

The families all enjoyed my speech and the activities and I will probably bring some more of the activities to a future FAST meeting. They seemed really interesting in the pin the smile on mickey game.   Thanks Mom Select for once again picking me, these families are very appreciative of any and everything, this is a very high poverty area, so any little bit and word of encouragement helps. I really believe in this program and have seen families learn and grow as families and become better.

Woot.

I got a free jar of Reeses Spread from Influenster recently and LOVE IT. This week if you buy a jar of that or the Hershey's chocolate spread from Dollar General you get a free bag of pretzels or pretzel sticks, pretty sweet deal!

Cat Brush Review and Discount Code.

Okay, to start with, I have 7 cats. So I was beyond pleased when I got picked. I keep saying I am done with cats and they keep showing up on my porch, or in gas station parking lots, looking all sad and pathetic. So I take another in and get it fixed and feed it and take care of it. It's rewarding, but a lot of work (and money). I love my kitties though, a few of them even cuddle with me (and my son) in bed.

A mom and her cats

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Jan 21, 2015 at 5:46am PST

A boy and his cat

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Jan 21, 2015 at 5:45am PST

So I was so excited when I was selected to review the deluxe dog and cat grooming brush.

So exciting #gotitfree

A photo posted by Sara (@shsc82) on Jan 21, 2015 at 6:00am PST

Which is just 9.99 and I have a coupon code where you can get $5 off if you purchase off of Amazon, and it is prime eligible!  Deluxe Grooming Brush Amazon PageRGOYKBT2 

It's a great brush and can be used for Cats and Dogs (and probably other furry animals too.) It has an ergonomic brush handle, so fits nicely in your hand, and removes excess fur without requiring a special deshedding tool. It also comes with 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you or your pet aren't pleased with it, send it back.

4/7 of my cats gave it 2 paws up. One of them that doesn't love it, is kind of special and only loves lamp, though judging my the brush after brushing her, she really needed it, it was full of fluff and fur. The other 2 just wouldn't sit still long enough to decide. The 4 cats that love it though come running when they see me pull the brush out, they love it. It works really well, and makes them happy, and helps keep shedding down and leaves me a little less vacuuming and dusting to do. I am pleased with it and thank Ramini Brands for this opportunity to review their product!

Oh my gosh! My first Amazon Echo review.

I got picked by Amazon to be able to purchase an Echo. (you have to request an invite to buy).

I am an Amazon Prime member, so I got a discount on it, it is the coolest toy ever. I will have to post an in depth review with videos of me playing with it when I have a bit more time.

It is basically a pretty decent speaker (has to be plugged into the wall though) that you talk to and it performs a variety of functions, it "learns" and will have more capabilities later on. I am hoping for different voices and wake words. It's wake word is Alexa, after the library of Alexandria. If you have Amazon prime you have access to millions of songs for free (and can play your playlists) if not, you can set up iheart radio to it, you can set iheart radio to it even if you do have Amazon prime though.

So far I have had it; play me music, tell me the news (from NPR!!), give me the weather, add items to my shopping list, spell words, do math problems, define words, tell me facts, set an alarm, and tell me jokes. Oh and I discovered if you say, "Alexa who let the dogs out?" it replies, "who who who who." cracked me up! It also responds when you ask it what the fox says!

Oh and if Echo can't answer a question it will send you a link to a bing search to your companion app. Evan asked it a lot of random things, so I have been getting quite a few links sent to me.

Low Entry Giveaways for December

Not seeing an end date on this one but comment here on your favorite holiday tradition for a chance to win a red velvet cake recipe book!

Prepping for the Holidays

I started working at my retail job right before Christmas last year, so I just caught the end of the nuthouse that working retail at the holidays is. It is helpful because having to work so much (and fill in at other stores) means more money for bills, presents, and increased power usage due to the cold weather. It unfortunately also means less time with your family, a messy house, and exhaustion.

I got promoted at work to part time lead sales associate and it will most likely be full time fairly soon. That will be good. My husband is probably going to get a new and better job soon, which is rather fortuitous as I will need to work more closing shifts and having him home at nights will be extremely helpful. My boss is understanding and works with my on my schedule, but it'd be nice for her not to have to make exceptions. More money will be great too.

Lavender essential oil Epsom salts have become my BFF.

What I am thankful for

With Thanksgiving coming up, it makes you begin to think of what you are thankful for. I think it is great Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season. I think it helps keeps things in perspective. It also gives another excuse to get together with family and friends, and eat too much.

What I am currently most thankful for is that I found a job and I am advancing in it. I am also thankful for my son, he is so great, I have even got calls from the school letting me know. He is smart, compassionate, and polite. I have heard he helps out the other kids and cheers up any one if they are feeling bad. So wonderful. He isn't quite as good at home, but it's great to hear that he uses his manners when he is out in the world.

What are you thankful for?

Stalking lightning deals.

Every year before Christmas, when I am not working, cleaning, or doing sweepstakes and hunting freebies, I stalk Amazon and their lightning deals. I have found that there is no need to kick myself if I miss one as they usually repeat, and sometimes and even better deal is to be had.




Shop Amazon - Countdown to Black Friday
(affiliate link)

My favorite amazon deal of the day, today.

On sale for $34.99, today only!

Later today a DC batman Vrum is unlocking. I love the amazon deals and lightning deals, it's one of my favorite parts of the holidays. Now to just have more money to BUY ALL THE THINGS.

If you love books (freebies/giveaways)

If you love books and reading, you should join good reads, they are a great site that you can link to your facebook account and see what books your friends have read and reviewed. The best feature though is their giveaways  they have lots of books that they giveaway everyday. There is an algorithm at play, so honestly rate lots of books, tell them what you read and want to read and do a few reviews and your odds will increase. I used to enter a bunch every day but won so many I stopped awhile, I went through the list the other day and already received 3 emails telling me I was chosen. I am super excited for the book about cats!  So if you love books and reading, this is a great way to get free ones and maybe discover some books you wouldn't have other wise.

Low entry giveaways for November ongoing

Cleaning





For The Kids


Frozen in Time DVD (2 winners) 108 entries as of 11/5/14 ends 11/19/14 Enter Here

Crayola Virtual Design Pro winner chooses fashion or car 5 entries as of 11/5/14 ends 11/18/14 

Enter Here

 Noah A wordless Picture Book 8 entries as of 11/12/14 ends 11/23/14 Enter Here 

 Begin again toy giveaway 62 entries as of 11/16/14 ends 11/28/14 Enter Here 

Misc.

Firmoo giveaway Eyeglasses of your choice. 48 entries as of 11/5/14 ends 11/17/14 Enter Here 

$25 Giftcard to Family Christian Stores 45 entries as of 11/12/14 ends 11/19/14 Enter Here

SOL REPUBLIC Relays (headphones) 9 entries as of 11/12/14 ends 11/21/14 Enter Here  

SOL Republic Punk Speaker 7 entries as of 11/12/14 ends 11/29/14 Enter Here

$75 giftcard to Minted 42 total entries as of 11/16/14 ends 12/14/14 Enter Here

Freebies and deals for Vets on Veteran's Day (11/11/14)

Every year we say thanks to our Vets for the sacrifices they have made for their country. There are multiple businesses that also give thanks. I am just posting some links here, this will be ongoing and updated as I find more.


First one is a list of Restaurants offering free meals, some are just for appetizers or specific items, but other's offer a lot more. Make sure you find your military I.D. ahead of time. My best friend's parents go for their date night every year for Veteran's Day as they are on a tight budget, I think it is lovely that they at least get some rewards for their service. 

My personal favorites are

Breakfast time; Perkin’s Restaurant & Bakery. Participating restaurants are offering current servicemembers and veterans a free Magnificent Seven meal which includes two eggs, three buttermilk pancakes, and a choice of two bacon strips or two sausage links. Beverage not included. Call ahead to verify participation. ID or proof of service required. Locations.

Lunch and Dinner times; Chili's-Chili’s is offering all military veterans past and present their choice of one of 7 meals during the dinner hour, or any lunch combo during lunch. Offer only available at participating Chili’s in the U.S. only. Dine-in from limited menu only; beverages and gratuity not included. Veterans and active duty military simply show proof of military service.

Friendly’s,. Free breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Breakfast offering is free a Big Two Do breakfast, which includes a coffee and the choice between French toast, buttermilk pancakes, or regular toast along with bacon or sausage links, and some eggs. Lunch or dinner includes an All-American Burger served with fries and a beverage. Offer available for active military and veterans with ID or discharge papers. Participating locations only.

Golden Corral – Free meal, Monday Nov. 17, 2014 (5pm – 9pm): The 14th annual Golden Corral Military Appreciation Monday dinner will is available to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to participate in Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Monday dinner. For more information visit http://www.goldencorral.com/military/.

Sizzler Restaurants, Nov. 11, 2014. Free lunch served until 4pm. Choice of 3 entrees, and a free coffee, tea, or fountain drink. Valid with proof of military service. Dine-in only, not valid for salad bar or gratuity.

Uno Chicago Grill, Nov. 11, 2014. Free individual pizza or entrée with the purchase of a pizza or entrée of equal or greater value. Available for all active duty and veterans. No coupon necessary; proof of service required. Don’t forget to tell the staff you are there that day to support Fisher House, and a portion of your party’s check will go to benefit the Fisher House Foundation, an awesome military charity.

Team Dole

Here is a super easy way to earn some neat goodies. I joined Team Dole  and connected my accounts (twitter,facebook,instagram0and shared a few items, I share 1 at the moment and then schedule a few and do it every other day or so, trying not to spam my friends and family too much. I put my contact information and address in and within a month I got a cool freezer tote bag, lidded cup with a straw, penguin magnet, 2 free product coupons (dole dippers and dole shakers) and $1 off coupons for the dippers and shakers, also a cute mini recipe booklet. My son spread all the items all over the place before I got a chance to take a picture, so I am using one my friend posted. You can earn other rewards and they regularly have contests too. Super easy and fun, also some of the articles are educational and inspiring.

Netflix users

I have basic cable and pay for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. We do most of our tv viewing through streaming sites. I love the convenience and variety it offers. It's also nice to be able to hit pause. The best way to watch a show is binge watch it too.

Awhile ago though I was thinking of getting rid of Netflix, it seemed like there was never anything new. I then discovered the site Instant Watcher it is brilliant. It shows you the newest shows added, what is currently new and trending. They also used to show what is upcoming and being pulled soon, but they removed those features. So when I get bored, I check instant watcher for what is new. I wouldn't have known Django Unchained was now on Netflix if it wasn't for Instant Watcher. I also wouldn't have discovered the very creepy show Dark Net last night if it wasn't for this site. So if you feel yourself bored by the options on Netflix, check out Instant Watcher and see what you are missing out on.

Evan's fantastic 8th Birthday at Omni Hilton Head

A few years ago I won two night's stay at any Omni Hotel or Resort. I chose the resort in Hilton Head SC as it is the closest to me and looked amazing. It is right on the beach. I took my son, and my best friend's mother and sister. My best friend had passed away before Christmas the previous year in a drunk driving accident. It was very cathartic. My friend's mom told me that before she felt like she was drowning, but the water had moved from her eyebrows to below her neck from our vacation. It was amazing and fun for everyone. It also made a fantastic 6th birthday present for Evan.

So when I received a $600 gift card from Omni as a part of another prize package, I knew exactly which chain I would be staying at. This time my husband was able to get off of work and come with. We rented a car and headed down. The first night we were there it was very nice and warm and the water was perfect. The next day it was chilly, but my son still had a blast in the pool and we all had fun in the ocean, which was 75 degrees. They have chalkboards leading up to the beach letting you know the sunset/sunrise low/high tide times and the high/low temps for the day and the temp of the water, which is pretty cool.

They had done quite a few renovations since my last visit too. The first time we came, it was nice. When we returned, it was fanfreakingtastic. They changed out the pool area, before there was a tiny kiddy pool, a family pool, and an adult's only pool (which I never checked out.) They upgraded to a zero-entry pool, a kiddy pool,  a splash zone, and still have an adult's only pool. One thing I loved is that all the pools and one of the hot tubs now have a special chair so that handicapped people can get in and out of the water. Having a father with MS that is wheelchair-bound it makes me feel good knowing that people like him can have fun with their families on vacation and not be stuck to the sidelines.  Also, before they had one firepit, that was ok, nothing special, just a big metal thing. They upgraded to 2 very nice gas firepits. Perfect for making s'mores, having a drink, listening to music by, or just enjoying some peace and warmth. I also loved the giant chess board they had put in. I loved the one at Dreams in the Dominican Republic, so it was good to see another one.

They also have a neat program called the Omni Kid's club, they don't seem to advertise it at the Hilton Head location, but if you ask you get a cool bag with some goodies for each kid with and they also get milk and cookies delivered the first night you stay.

Oh and make sure to remember to fill out your drink request for the next morning the night before and put the time, I got orange juice for Evan and coffee for us, delivered with cream. There is a nice coffee maker in the room, with wolfgang puck pods, but having a big pot and a big thing of cream delivered early in the morning is pretty nice, very luxurious.

As far as I can tell, the rooms were not upgraded, at least not the level rooms I got, but they are great. The smallest (and cheapest) are available in one King + pull out couch, or 2 Queen beds. They also come with a nice kitchenette with a mini fridge(with a tiny freezer), toaster, sink, coffee maker and microwave. They even give you dish soup and rags for washing and a few dishes and cutlery to use. I also discovered, rather guiltily, that if you leave your dirty dishes in the sink, housekeeping will wash and dry them, oops. You also get a table and chairs to sit at and eat. All rooms also include a balcony, which is very nice to sit on and enjoy the sites and smells. You can save quite a bit of money by doing grocery shopping and making your own meals. They have a Publix on the island, which is surprisingly very affordable. I highly reccomend buying some Pluff Mudd and Murphy's English Stout if you visit Publix. Shop the sales they have and you should come out ok.


If you stay at The Omni and are a member of AAA I highly recommend taking advantage of the special offers, you get a discounted rate, and this particular resort had a breakfast option. The 3 of us got a full breakfast buffet for an extra $30/night that would have cost us over $50 otherwise. It basically made our room cost the same as if we did not have AAA. I also recommend booking in advance as the rates do raise as you get closer. You can cancel as long as it is more than 2 days before your booking and rebook, so it's better to do it early on, if you see something lower before than, you can change it.

I was not asked to review this and did not receive any compensation, but I wanted to share the genuinely great time we had for Evan's birthday and hope to return for another, perhaps for his 10th!

Oh wow!

Life got so super busy. I have been working so much at my retail job. I recently got promoted, which is awesome. I was unemployed for such a long time, it is a blessing. It is not in my preferred field, but it helps create a work history and good recommendations. It is also nice that if I ever move I can transfer to another location.  Evan is now 8 and nearly 5 feet tall! Holy cow! I am only 5 feet tall, that is insane! I haven't been finding many freebies or deals lately, but have been posting quite a few of the low entry giveaways I have been finding on my facebook page. Yet another mommy savings blogger

We have been having some Halloween fun already at a church event and have a few more scheduled for this week. We are also now up to SEVEN inside cats! Wow!
We had to get creative with the Halloween costume as he is too big for traditional children's costume, so I got him some ninja weapons, put him in all black and slapped a bandana on him. I am not crafty and can't sew, so not anything too spectacular, but it made him happy, that is all that really matters.

My #disneyside party #1!!

I was so excited when I was picked to host the Disney Side party. I LOVE Disney and everything it stands for. The kit they sent me was so much more than I had ever expected too! So generous!! I shared it on my personal facebook page, but didn't really get a chance to do that here. Sorry, not sorry, my life is currently insanely busy.

So, I had originally planned on throwing my #disneyside party with my FAST (families and schools together) program, but it got cancelled because of a giant ice and snow storm we had. It was really bad, I live in the country, on the bottom of a big hill, I was literally trapped in my house for four days! The FAST program is currently on hiatus, so using my connections at the literacy council (I volunteer there, mainly doing taxes through the VITA program) I found another group of children. TWO actually. It was very quickly thrown together and as my work schedule is very random, kind of last minute. I did today's with an afterschool group ran by Ms. Barbara's church, next week I am doing another small one with another group of children.

The children came in, did their homework, ate a meal (with a few things added I provided, like salads). Then I handed out tickets and did a drawing for "big" prizes I had. One was a doc mcstuffins backpack I got half off from my work, the others were puzzles I got from Dollar Tree. I got tons of prizes and supplies from the Dollar Tree using a giftcard I won from another blogger.

Then we played a quick game of Bingo, using the bingo game and cut up construction paper, I let each child (that had not won a prize in the drawing) that won pick a prize out of the prize basket. It was very fun and kind of quick.

Then I pulled out my game of Eye Found it, which, again, I won from another blogger. The children had a TON of fun with that game. I cannot recommend it enough. You can see it here

I was super super busy, wrangling these children, my child, setting things up, even with help, so only got a few photos taken.

Oh! I also made strawberry and chocolate cupcakes and served them on the Mickey Mouse plates and napkins! I had some left over prizes and left them with the person who runs the program, to use in the future.

Party #2 is next week! Super excited to host it!

Wow!

I have been SUPER busy lately. I started a new job, which has taken up a lot of time. I am going to try to set up another low entry giveaway post and post some items to it later. I have been throwing up links on my FB page as I find them though, I have just been lazy about posting them here too. *click click* Yet another freaking mommy savings blogger.