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My New *Personalized* Apron

May 22, 2011 Leave a Comment
I know a lot of you mommy bloggers love aprons, so I could hardly wait to show you this adorable customized apron that I got from ApronsandSmocks.com.  Aprons are functional and fun, especially when you can get one that fits your own personal style, and they also make great gifts!
ApronsandSmocks.com has several fabrics to choose from, and when I saw this hound’s tooth pattern, I knew immediately that I wanted to make a Roll Tide apron, in support of the great Crimson Tide.  Won’t this be cute for football season? (Or all year round, for that matter?)
And not only did I get to pick out the fabric and personalized phrase, but I also got to choose my embroidery colors and the font for the embroidery.

Personally I was very impressed by the quality of this apron, and I think that it turned out super cute!  What do you think?

Visit Apronsandsmocks.com to order your own custom apron.  You could order one with your own name or perhaps you’d like to go the same route as me and order one featuring your favorite sports team. 
These would also make great gifts for birthdays or Father’s Day.  You can create an apron with a special personalized message or image in embroidery or screenprint.

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Disclaimer:  I received a free customized apron for review purposes.  I was not otherwise compensated.

Filed Under: product review

Stain Solver Review and Giveaway

May 10, 2011 23 Comments
For the past week or so, I’ve been catching up on some spring cleaning, and I happy to have the opportunity to try a new product called Stain Solver.
Stain Solver, which just launched this spring, cleans anything from tile floors, counters, decks and roofs, to your most precious garments and favorite pair of jeans. Stain Solver is an environmentally safe oxygen bleach that is non-toxic, all natural and completely kid and pet safe. The materials used in the active ingredient are so pure they are registered by the FDA as food-grade quality! You can’t get any purer than that!
I was immediately attracted to this product for two reasons: I can use it around my cats without worry.  And the product can be used on so many different items.
For my test run of the product, I decided to try it on our living room rug.  We’ve had this rug for almost 4 years now, and as you can imagine, over time it becomes stained from just general everyday use.  I moved our coffee table to vacuum the other day, and was particularly horrified by the area that’s immediately in front of the couch, where feet and shoes have been.
So I used the Stain Solver on this area.  I kind of thought, since the stain is set in, that it might not work on this type of job, but I was wrong!  I used it on a small area just to test it out, and I was completely amazed at the results.  
For one thing, the towel that I placed over the cleaned area (while I waited for it to dry) came up dirty from all the stain that came out of the rug.  And the area of the rug that I cleaned was actually clean and bright again! Amazing!  I can’t wait to use it on some other stuff! 
Stain Solver just launched its Spring Clean Sweepstakes, where you can win a grand prize of $1,000 to Bed Bath & Beyond, as well as a year’s supply of Stain Solver. To enter, just visit the site and fill out the contest form. You have until May 26 to enter!
Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a sample of Stain Solver.  To win, visit Stain Solver and leave me a comment telling me something you learned OR leave a comment telling me how you’d use this product. Deadline to enter: May 26
-1 if you follow @StainSolver on twitter.
-1 if you like Stain Solver on Facebook.
-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 if  you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.
 -1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
 -1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. (Sample Tweet: I want to win Stain Solver!  http://bit.ly/janc5R @SimplySweetHome @StainSolver) (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

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Filed Under: cleaning, Giveaways, product review

Covergirl NatureLuxe Review

May 8, 2011 Leave a Comment
As you may know, I love Covergirl, and I’m always excited when they come out with new products!  Today I’m sharing some information about their newest line, the NatureLuxe Collection.
When 3 out of 4 professional make-up artists would recommend the NatureLuxe Collection to their clients, you start to listen — that’s some serious support! But it’s really no surprise: COVERGIRL’s new luxury line exchanges select heavy synthetics for carefully-chosen natural ingredients. For a polished make-up look with a lightweight feel, every time, it’s what COVERGIRL likes to call “luxury touched by nature”.

This smooth silk foundation trades in a heavier emollient for a touch of cucumber water and a hint of natural jojoba and rosehip extracts. It provides a flawless coverage and a silky lightweight feel. In fact, 8 out of 10 professional make-up artists agree it provides a luxurious skin finish and light, luxurious feel!

But the NatureLuxe love doesn’t end there — new COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Gloss Balm contains a lightweight blend of mango, shea and other natural butters that 9 out of 10 make-up artists would recommend to clients for a sheer color with a non-sticky, lightweight feel.

I’m so excited about this foundation.  I’ve been using Covergirl foundations ever since I started wearing makeup.  I like the coverage that the new NatureLuxe foundation offers and thought that it looked great when applied.  But my favorite thing about the foundation is the new natural ingredients.  Anytime I find an affordable beauty product containing natural ingredients, I’m always interested in trying it.  And I’m so excited that Covergirl has made natural ingredients a part of their new line.
I also got to try the new Gloss Balm, and I really liked it.  I love that it’s a lip gloss with an SPF 15 balm, and I also love the colors available.  And my favorite thing about this product is that I found that I could wear it as a lip gloss for exta added shine over my lipstick, or I could wear the gloss alone, and it looked just as great!

The NatureLuxe line is now available at Walmart, Target, and other retailers.  Be sure to check out Covergirl online for more product information.  Also, get updates from Covergirl by following them on Facebook and Twitter.

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Disclosure:  I’m a BzzAgent and received free products to review from Covergirl.  The opinions are my own.  If you like to review new products become a BzzAgent.

Filed Under: Beauty, product review Tagged With: ,

Freschetta Simply Inspired Pizza Review and Giveaway

April 28, 2011 87 Comments
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA®. All opinions are 100% mine.

This week we have a yummy food review with a giveaway brought to you by Freschetta!  As someone who loves pizza I was so excited when I got picked for this campaign.
I’m sure you’re familiar with Freschetta pizza. Even if you’ve never tried it you are bound to have seen the commercials. Right?  But what you may not know is that there is a new line of FRESCHETTA® Simply…Inspired™ Pizzas .
Simply…Inspired Pizzas feature larger cuts of fresh-tasting vegetables, a thin, light crispy crust, flavorful, real cheeses and signature sauces, creating deliciously different pizzas from toppings to bottom.  They are also packaged using Freschetta’s new Fresch-Taste Seal package, which locks in the vibrant flavors, while using 30% less packaging material.
The Simply…Inspired line features eight great-tasting varieties!  Check out their website to see which one is simply…you!
For my review I chose the Southern BBQ Recipe Chicken.  I was impressed by the new Fresch-Taste Seal package.  I could tell that it does a good job of locking in the flavors because the moment I opened the pizza I could actually smell the ingredients!
And it cooked up deliciously!  I’m a little picky when it comes to frozen pizza but I totally loved this one.  First off the ingredients tasted very fresh and much better than other frozen pizzas I’ve tried.  
And we loved the combination of flavors and spices in the barbeque sauce and on the pizza as a whole.  I also loved the taste of the cheese on this pizza. It was a very flavorful mix of mozzarella and gouda.
And perhaps my favorite part of the pizza was the chicken.  The chicken was fajita-flavored, and it was very tender, juicy, and full of flavor. It actually tasted like something that was just freshly cooked at a restaurant!
My husband and I would definitely give this pizza two thumbs up, and we’d definitely eat it again!
Connect: Follower @FreschettaSI on Twitter and “like” Freschetta Simply Inspired on Facebook.
Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a Freschetta Simply…Inspired Pizza Prize Pack, which includes a coupon for a FREE Simply Inspired Pizza and a bamboo cutting board and cheese tray with utensils!

Mandatory Entry:  You must be a public follower of my blog.  Then check out the Freschetta website and leave a comment on this post letting us know which Freschetta Simply…Inspired Pizza is simply…you.  Deadline: May 15

Additional Entries: Leave one comment for each.
-1 if you follow @FreschettaSI on Twitter.
-1 if you like Freschetta Simply Inspired on Facebook.
-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 if  you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.

 -1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
 -1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. (Sample Tweet: I want to win a Freschetta Simply Inspired Prize Pack! http://bit.ly/kNkMbq @SimplySweetHome) (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

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Visit Sponsor's Site 

Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, Giveaways, product review

Shopping for Christmas Ornaments in April (and a Review)

April 10, 2011 Leave a Comment
I know it’s April, and a lot of people don’t even want to think about Christmas, but if you were back in December you know that I LOVE Christmas ornaments, especially my mouse ornaments. And I simply couldn’t pass up the opporunity to do a review for Christmas Ornmanents.com.
Actually spring and summertime is ideal Christmas Gift Shopping Time.  You can often get things on sale. And you can get all your shopping done online without the crowds and the stress.

 My mom and I both love to give ornaments as gifts, and this Christmasornaments.com has ornament gifts that would be ideal for any time of year. For example, they have wedding ornaments and  baby ornaments. These would really make for some great keepsake shower gifts!

And the site also has University and College Ornaments, which by the way, I was happy to find one for our team, The University of Alabama!

And I also was happy to find some cute teacher ornaments and graduation ornaments which would be really cute to give as gifts this May.

But as I said before, I love mice ornaments.  So I picked out the little cutie (below) to review!  He’s made of metal, which is perfect because I can’t have glass ornaments on my tree, due to my kitty cats (who are our resident tree eaters and occasional interior decorators—but not in a good way). 
I also love the vibrant colors in this ornament and just the cuteness of it. What mouse collector wouldn’t love a mouse sitting on a Christmas ball?  And I also like his size, which is just over 5 inches long and perfect for our tree.  He will definitely make a great addition to my collection.

If like to shop for ornaments year round like I do, check out Christmasornaments.com!

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Disclosure: I was given a free ornament for writing this review. I was not otherwise compensated. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Christmas, product review, shopping

Executive Gift Shoppe Review & Giveaway

March 30, 2011 13 Comments

My husband has been saying that he wants a business card holder to carry in his pocket.  But we’ve looked around at all the local stores and had no luck finding one.  So I was really excited to find Excecutive Gift Shoppe.  They are an online retailer that specializes in gifts for men. 
It’s a great place to find birthday and Father’s Day gifts, and they also have several lines that would be perfect for work related gifts or groomsmen gifts.  Product lines include hip flasks, barware, clocks, sports gifts, and golf gifts, and desk accessories.

I had the opportunity to select some items for review from Executive Gift Shoppe, and I chose 2 different business card holders
I chose The Frame Collection Stainless Steel Business Card Holder and the Stainless Steel Business Card Holder with 6 Internal Compartments.   Upon their arrival in the mail, before I even had a chance to see the card holders, I was already impressed by the appearance of the gift boxes they came in.  With packaging of this quality, I knew the item inside would be very nice.  And I was right!
The card holders are very shiny and sleek with clean lines. And each card holder comes custom engraved.  For mine, I had our last name engraved on them, and it came out looking great.  They’re also very professional looking and appear to be very sturdy. 
The one from the Frame Collection is my favorite.  I just love its style and the look of the lines on it.  The style looks very professional.  And it easily flips open and holds 15 cards. 

The second one is a little more plain looking than the first but is also silver toned and looks just as professional. It also flips open with the push of a button, and it actually holds 25 cards.  Another marked difference between these two card holders is that when this one opens, it has 6 compartments on the inside.  I actually chose this card holder for this very feature.  I thought it could be convenient not only for carrying your own cards but also taking cards from other people.

I really like both business card holders that I received, and based on these two products, I have to say that the Exectutive Gift Shoppe  lives up to its name.  And looking over the wide range of items on their website, I think you’ll be impressed with them as well.  I definitely recommend them to you for spring and summer gift giving!

Win it!  One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a $25 gift certificate to Executive Gift Shoppe.

Mandatory Entry: To enter, you must “like” Executive Gift Shoppe on Facebook   (and leave a comment letting them know you came from Simply Sweet Home) OR follow @GiftShoppe on Twitter.  Then leave a comment on my blog telling me that you followed. 

Deadline to enter: April 15   Open to the USA and Canada only.

Additional Enties: Leave a comment for each.
-1 if you follow my blog.
-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 if  you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook.
(Sample Tweet:  I want to win a $25 gift certificate to Executive Gift Shoppe http://bit.ly/fBfNRr  @SimplySweetHome @GiftShoppe)  (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

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For hosting this giveaway, I got to choose $50 worth of items from select lines at Executive Gift Shoppe. I was not otherwise compensated.  The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, product review, shopping

Bitty Bows Boutique Review

March 11, 2011 Leave a Comment

Today I’m sharing a review for Bitty Bows Boutique.  They have an adorable seclection of baby hair bows, headbands, and barrettes.  Since we have some little nieces in our family, I was very happy to choose something from their lovely shop.

One of the items I received was the Evie, baby headband, like the one pictured above, but in the color Azalea.  This headbead is simply adorable!  The size is perfect for a newborn, and I love the materials used.  Pink and green ribbon make up the flower, and the center of the flower is made of a sequin and a bead, which really adds a lot of detail. This would look so sweet on a new baby! 

I also received a Kylie Gingham bow (pictured above) in purple.  This is a very light weight clip, and it’s also a no-slip clip so it’s perfect for very fine and thin hair.  This bow has a very simple design, which makes it perfect for your baby to wear with any outfit.  And I just love the ribbon that was used to make this bow.  I always tend to like anything that’s in the “picnic table plaid” pattern, no matter what color it is.  And this purple and white is so cute!  And I’m happy to report that they have this bow in 18 different colors! What a great selection!

This shop also has a cute selection of fun clippies featuring cute fruits, ice cream, cakes, animals, and adorable crochet items.    

If you have a new baby or little girl, you should really check out Bitty Bows Boutique!

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Disclosure:  I received 2 bows from Bitty Bows Boutique for this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Filed Under: product review

DaVinci Beads Review/Giveaway from Coppin’s Gifts

March 1, 2011 53 Comments

As someone who loves to make and wear jewelry, I’m really excited to bring you this week’s review and giveaway.

A few weeks ago I was introduced to Coppin’s Gifts. They offer top gift brands, such as Precious Moments, Boyd’s Bears, DaVinci Beads, and more!

DaVinci Beads are similar in style to the popular Pandora beads but much less expensive and just as cute!  Coppin’s Gifts offers a variety of DaVinci beads to fit your personal style.  These include birthstone beads, art glass, foil glass, and more!  They also have family beads and fun dangles in a variety of styles and themes.

I had the opportunity to choose a toggle bracelet and 3 DaVinci beads from Coppin’s Gifts for review.  Ironically I was just telling my husband how I wish I could have one of these bracelets, and a few days later I heard from someone at Coppin’s Gifts.  So I was really thrilled when  they gave me this opportunity.

Even though I’m a December baby, I’ve always loved the color of the March birthstone, and since I love the color so much (and since I at least have kitty cats that were born in March, lol) I chose three beads in the March birthstone.  These are pictured above.  One is a CZ Ball Birthstone and the others are Glass Birthstone beads.

I was very impressed by the look and quality of both the toggle bracelet and the beads.  The beads are a good size, and I just love how they sparkle and shine.  They are just lovely, and I was so happy with my choice! 

In fact, I’m looking forward to adding more beads to this bracelet in the future.  I’ll either do a mix of March and April birthstones (since my husband was born in April), or I’ll possibly choose some of the other birthstone beads for a multi-colored look.  Either way, I’m sure that any DaVinci Beads  I choose will be beautiful.  And I’d definitely recommend DaVinci Beads at Coppin’s Gifts to anyone who’s seen this style of bracelet and wants to build their own.

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win 3 DaVinci beads of their choice and one toggle bracelet.
Giveaway Closed.  Thanks for entering!

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Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I received a bracelet and three DaVinci beads from Coppin’s Gifts.  I was not otherwise compensated.  The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: fashion, Giveaways, product review

Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover Review and Giveaway

February 8, 2011 20 Comments

As a cat mommy, I’m always interested to learn about cleaning products that are safe to use around my kitty babies. Simple Solution is a complete line of pet products from Training Pads and Diapers to Household cleaners.
For more than 30 years, trusted pet lovers have relied on the extensive Simple Solution product line to take care of their furriest family members.  In 2010 they introduced their Paw Safe™ Household Cleaners, a line of safe cleaners made without harmful chemicals.

Our family had the chance to try the Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover.  This product is the only formula with both Pro-Bacteria & enzymes to totally eliminiate stains and odors, and like the other Simple Solution products, it is safe for use around pets and children.

This product is made to be used on carpets, upholstery, bedding, clothing, and any water-safe surface.  And it is so easy and convenient to use.  You just add a little cleaner to the soiled spot; wait 10 minutes for it to work in, then blot the excess moisture, and let dry.  Very easy!
You can also add this to your Carpet Cleaning Machines, or you can use it to pretreat your stained clothing before washing.
Our kitty cats were well trained as kittens by their cat-mom Molly, so we don’t ever have a problem with urine and feces.  The one problem that we do have occasionally is throw-up, usually due to hair balls.  And you never know when this may occur, so it’s good for me to have a product like this around for a quick and easy cleaning job.  IApart from the ease of use, I was very pleased with the pleasant and clean smell of the product.  And most of all, I love that it’s chemical free and safe to use around Rebel and Dixie.
And I think you’ll also be excited to learn more about the other products in this line, including their toy cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, carpet shampoo, and so much more!

Win it!  Two of my readers will win a bottle of the Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover. 

Mandatory Entry:  You must be a follower of my blog. Then just visit the Simple Solution site. Then come back here and tell me a product that you’d like to try.

Deadline: Feb 25

Extra Entries: Leave a comment for each.
-2 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.
-1 for subscribing to Simply Sweet Home via email.
-1 for “liking” Simply Sweet Home on facebook.
-1 for subscribing to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.
-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. 
(Sample Tweet:  I want to win Simple Solution Stain  + Odor Remover! Safe for pets and chemical free! http://bit.ly/h1CUAq @SimplySweetHome @Simple_Solution )  (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

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Disclosure: For hosting this giveaway, I recieved a bottle of Simple Solution Stain + Odor Remover.  I was not otherwise compensated for this post.  If you have a product and would like for me to write a review or host a giveaway, please contact me via email.

Filed Under: cleaning, Giveaways, Pets, product review

Thirty-One Gifts Review & Giveaway

January 24, 2011 56 Comments

Last week I told you about a great company called Thirty-One Gifts, which offers lovely purses, totes, and accessories, as well as a fun opportunity to host parties, and even make money as an independent representative.
And this week I’m thrilled to share a product review and giveaway from Thirty-One Gifts. Laura Aridgides, a Thirty-One Gifts Representative, sent me this adorable lunch tote in the pattern called “Chains Ahoy.”

This is such a cute tote!  As you can see, it is navy blue with a lime green handle, and the fabric features white chains, for a sailing/boat motif.  I can remember when I was a kid in the late 80’s and early 90’s, that my mom and I both had some clothing and accessories with the sailing theme, so it kind of reminds me of that.  And since so many of the styles I wore as I kid are now back in fashion, I think this tote fits right in for today.

I really like the size of this tote.  There’s plenty of room inside for your food and a bottled drink.  And there’s even a pocket on the side for additional items. The bag is made of good quality materials and appears to insulated well.  And this tote actually has a zipper, making it more fashionable and more apt to stay closed than the old velcro totes I’ve owned.  And of course, I also love that you can get all your items personalized at Thirty-One Gifts.
I also like the shape and overall design of it, as it makes the tote more purse-like and just a lot more fashionable than other lunch bags out there.  Personally I know a lot of people who have small children and often carry a bag with small snacks and drinks whenever they go out, and I think this tote would be perfect for that purpose as well. So overall, I find this to be a very useful and very attractive lunch tote. 
Giveaway! Two Simply Sweet Home readers will win a cute lunch tote from Thirty-One Gifts. (Each is a $12.50 value!)
Giveaway Closed.

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Filed Under: Giveaways, product review
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