October’s Straight Talk

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Straight Talk for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m sure you’ve heard by now all the talk about new iPhone. Sadly I don’t know when we’ll be able to get an iPhone just because they are well pricey lol. But I really have been thinking about getting some kinda smart phone. I mean when we’re out and about I’m constantly checking my phone’s basic email functions and it’d be nice to have a full html browser to check on links I may receive and such, this is why I’m thinking of feeling The power of Android and go that route. I’ve noticed a lot of apps and games for the android phones so that makes me happy. Plus since the Android phones can be cheaper than the iPhones sometimes I can walk away feeling Feel Richer with Android and who doesn’t love that?

You’ve heard me say all the time how I love these Straight Talk phones just because it helps save money and I really like that I have the option to have a plan or pay as you go. I was looking around and found some Android based phone plans starting at $45/month. That’s pretty reasonable. I also love the offer no activation, reactivation, and early termination fees. Plus they offer refurbished phones that have all the fun fuctions everyone wants for an additional $10/month. I think that’s reasonable. Also they offer flexible long distance plans that can fit everyone’s needs. Which for us works because I will be using the long distance plan more often with my brother in the Army. Plus it’s just nice that these plans offer phones with such touch screens, voice navigation, blue tooth, and even mp3 players in them. I’m really considering this when our cell phone bill is up in July.

The getting richer effect has expanded… by LittleBard95

Hill’s Healthy Mobility Challenge

This post brought to you by Hills Pet Nutrition. All opinions are 100% mine.

The recent guest post about pets & kids got me thinking about pets and how busy life can be. I remember when we had our dog that it was hard sometimes to just make sure we were keeping her healthy. It was always one of those “I thought you wrote it down!” moments and thankfully she always was a healthy dog. I do have to say that had we lapsed an appointment or two I wouldn’t have been too worried because we were feeing her the Hill’s pet food and she loved it. I love this brand just because of Hill’s Pet Nutrition and the lengths they take to make sure your pets live long and happy lives. One way they do this is by having fun challenges or ‘workshops’ available at most major pet stores around the country.
For example, right now they are running the Hill’s Healthy Mobility challenge. Which is 30 days to improved mobility. During these 30 days you’ll receive $30 in coupons and even be entered to be one of the 30 prize winners for their sweepstakes. How awesome is that? Registering is simple and once you register you’ll receive a Hill’s Healthy Mobility Coupon. Plus the fabulous prize in their sweepstakes is FREE pet food for a YEAR! That’s really an amazing prize and wouldn’t it be cool to be one of the 30 winners? I know that pet food can be expensive and this would definitely help cut down on the food bill for our loving pets. I really wish we could have a puppy here as I’d love to do this challenge but I’m not a cat person and even though we can have them our apartment is too small for a kitty. After being pregnant with O and Creativelydad’s mom having 4 cats I never lost my super sensitive smell feature from being pregnant … and cat pee is what sets it off. But that doesn’t mean you guys can’t get in on the fun does it? After checking on the Hill’s website and getting yourself registered don’t forget to visit the Hill’s Pet Nutrition on Facebook and spread the word to all your friends!

Swag Code Extravaganza Happens Monday!

Have you heard? The Swagbucks Swag Code Extravaganza is BACK! What’s amazing is there are SEVEN … yes 7) codes being given out tomorrow. These codes equal out to a total of 60 swagbucks! What’s even more awesome is I know where AND when the first code is going to be sent out. Starting tomorrow at 6:00am PT you can find the first code on Swagbuck’s twitter stream. So make sure you’re following them on twitter so you don’t miss out. Plus I’ve got a great code for those NEW to swagbucks. This code is extra awesome because you automatically get 100 Swagbucks for opening your first account. To claim these swagbucks, just enter the code BIGTIMEBUCKS and your new account will automatically have 100 swagbucks in there. So what are you waiting for?! Go …. sign up now!

Plastic Jungle Saves Christmas

You may remember my Wordless Wednesday from 2 weeks back … yesthe dreaded “C” word … Christmas is coming fast this year. I don’tknow about you but I always say this year I’m going to start shopping earlierthis year and it NEVER fails it’s Christmas eve and we’re running out to getthose last minute gifts. Well NOT this year. This year I’m determined to startearlier and Plastic Jungle swoops in to save the day with amazing offers on gift cards!

Plastic Jungle knows that the holidays are stressful enough without the added pressure of buying gifts that 9 times out of 10 people return and personally for us we buy a lot of gift cards during the holiday season and after awhile they really add up. This is why I’m using Plastic Jungle to help save some money this holiday season by buying a discounted gift card and saving up to 35%! This is really helpful since most of our shopping goes towards gift card purchases. I really like that they offer some really great gift cards like Kohl’s, here you’ll save 16%, and even Build-a-bear, where you can save 15%, and what’s even better is they offer such a wide selection you’ll be able to shop for EVERY person on your list … even those hard to shop for people on your list. Plus Plastc Jungle offers free shipping,  no fees, and no expiration dates so you know you can trust the transactions are guaranteed to be what they say they are.

Now you I know what you’re thinking. But Brandy, what do I do after the holidays are over and I find those long lost gift cards I never wanted anyhow and somehow forgot I had? Why haven’t they changed into a card I can actually feel excited about using? Well don’t worry Plastic Jungle has your back here as well. You can sell a gift card and get up to a 92% payout! How awesome is that? Now you can be happy to accept a gift card for a store that is definitely not on your want list and get a gift card that you actually WANT to use. So what gift card would you be most excited to receive?

*I was given a free free product and/or was paid for this review. Any opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.

NMEDA Helps Restore Independence

This post brought to you by NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.
By now you should know Creativelydad  has Rheumatoid Arthritis. Ever since we’ve been together I’ve found out what this is exactly and what it means to have Rheumatoid Arthritis because I while I can’t physically feel what he is feeling and how I can help him feel even just a little bit better. I figure he works so hard to make sure O and I are provided for and have everything we need, and even some stuff we just want. Once his mother started talking about getting a scooter from the scooter store for his dad, who suffers from a lot of what Creativelydad does, it made me realize eventually this is going to be where he ends up. I wanted to be prepared. This is where I started looking at NMEDA and what they have to offer. If you’ve never heard of NMEDA, they are a non-profit trade association. Also they take the time to educate consumers on buying products from NMEDA qualified dealers.  I love that they state up front that NMEDA doesn’t sell anything and are only an association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. Another positive is that since no two disabilities are 110% the same, and that you should beware of adapted wheelchair vehicles sold over the internet or through catalogs, they conduct personalized “in-person” evaluations so you can be sure you are getting the right solution for your specific lifestyle and needs. This is great because I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about people being pushy with this kind of thing just to get a sale.  Plus if you need extra training or even product refinements than your NMEDA dealer is right there to help you. How great is that?


So while I’m searching NMEDA’s site trying to not confuse myself I realized they offer two different types of dealers, Dealers and then Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers. The difference between dealers and Quality Assurance Program dealers would be that QAP is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. Plus it’s based on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality. I like how with the help of NMEDA those you love that have a disability are able to get back a little of their independence and I can only imagine how satisfying this can be for not only them but the loved ones that help care for them. So in the end I found a lot of interesting information about NMEDA and their dealers. I guess my only negative would be there isn’t one located within 25miles of our city, but if it Creativelydad needed it and I knew it’d give him even a little bit of happiness I’d take the drive for him. What about you? Is there a NMEDA dealer near you? Have you had to care for a disabled loved one? If so what was your biggest struggle?

September’s Straight Talk

This post brought to you by Straight Talk. All opinions are 100% mine.
I have to say I’m so over my cell phone. I picked up a refurbished Sprint Sanyo cell phone due to a fumble where my LG touch screen phone met the sidewalk. It was working fine but now I see why it was refurbished. The phone never stays charged and it randomly purse calls people on SPEAKER PHONE as if it wasn’t bad enough. We’re trying to figure out where we want to go when our phone plan is up in the summer. We’ve really considered the Straight Talk plans for a number of reasons. For me the highest reason is that they offer Android on Straight Talk and I’ve been eyeing these phones for awhile now.

Creativelydad is interested in the straight talk phone because we would save a lot of money by not having a contract. Also with our not so great credit, we can bypass the credit checks that most companies require when you’re signing a contract. While I’m always looking for the cosmetic part of phones and Creativelydad always says that’s how they always get me Hook, line and sinker. I just like that he helps break it down for me to show what the better options are. I like this because sometimes all that techy-business talk I just don’t understand. Together we did like that they offer a few different options. The “All You Need Plan” meets even the needs of heavy phone users with 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data. Or another option is the Unlimited Monthly service is only $45, and includes calls, text, picture messaging, and web. Also being a blogger I have to say that having the option to Call a friend from where ever is something I love to have because I get the options to meet some amazing ladies from all over.

Now I know these even offer some great plans but they may be a bit pricey for various budgets. Straight Talk offers Everything you need from plan options, reconditioned phones, and even to some amazing long distance plans. This is great because it offers something for every budget and in this ever changing economy it’s nice to have a cell phone company that helps you become free from activation, reactivation, or even termination fees. Sadly we’ve got a lot of options to consider when we’re ready to get new phones.

The Age of Boy Scouts

This post brought to you by Boy Scouts of America. All opinions are 100% mine.

Recently we attended O’s open house and there was a Boy Scouts of America table for our local troop. He was impressed with the trophies but even more so by the Pinewood Derby cars. I had to tell him about 4 times he had to leave them at the table lol! I was excited for O because I loved girl scouts when I was little. Plus this is everything he’s interested in so I think it’ll be good for him. Sadly we weren’t able to make it to the ice cream social they had on Wednesday. CreativelyDad’s car was in the shop and I didn’t think it was smart to cross 2 busy streets with a wild 6 year old. So I’m going to have to try and contact our local cub scouts organization to see how much it costs and how to join.

Even though he missed the ice cream social, I thought it’d be great to talk to him about the things Boy Scouts teaches you and the things you can do with them. He was so excited that he memorized the handshake from the book that the Pack Leader showed him. He now does it every night before he goes to bed. It’s just too cute. My biggest thing I talked to him about was how Boy Scouts can help you maintain an active livestyle by not only giving them fun exercises to do, but educating them on how to live a healthy lifestyle. I think this is important because we’ve become too dependent on technology based items. I know O plays video games probably more than he should, but I want him to find his balance. I think we’re working on a good start with this, but Boy Scouts can help drive that point farther home. I mean who wants to listen to your parents tell you to be active and healthy? It’s better to listen to that advice from some other adult right? Or is this only my child?! The other big point I liked about Boy Scouts was that they embrace the roles of family and want to help show how amazing it is when you have the support of your family by having activities that everyone in the family can do together. This is something that Cub Scouting really takes a lot of pride in teaching the scouts. They strive to teach them a wholesome system of values and beliefs all the while building and strengthening those relationships in their family.

I asked O what he was most excited for and he of course told me the activities. Of course he’s excited for the stuff like camping, knot tying, Pinewood Derbys, and launching 2 liter bottle rockets. But he was really interested in this fun Robotics merit badge that he saw from the photos. Me myself thought it was interesting and practical that they are teaching boys critical skills that they can use in today’s competitive world. So are your boys part of the Boy Scouts of America? Or do you WANT them to Be A Scout?

Getting Crafty with Scrapbooks

I’ve always had a love for pens and paper. Ever since I could imagine I loved ‘collecting’ pens and the more unique they were the better. So it really wasn’t a surprise that I love being so crafty. I know my big passion is making pages for scrapbooks. I know you’ve seen some pages that I’ve posted here. It’s really therapeutic for me when I get in the scrapping zone I get lost in the memory and feelings of what subject I’m scrapping. I find that I’m more interested ordering my scrapbook things online because I can find good deals on shipping and if I get digital products, I get way more than my money’s worth out of them. Plus I love mixing paper and digital products. Some things just don’t work in the digital world so I love being able to still ‘get my hands dirty’ and mess with paper after doing the bulk of the work on my computer. Not only does this save money, it saves headaches because on the computer I have the option of CTRL+Z to undo what ever mistake I’d make.

There are so many places in the US that you can find products, Michael’s and Hobby Lobby to name a few. There are even sites online to compare where is the best place to buy a certain item. Now don’t worry my Canadian friends I know that it can be hard to shop US sites due to customs and well the insane shipping prices. I was browsing online and found CanadaPost  that lists a wide variety of paper scrapbooking items and even allows you to compare prices. I really liked that not only do they list the smaller stores but the big name stores like Borders, 3M, and Fiskars. I think it’s great that Canada can have a site like this (and I’m sure there are more I’m just blanking) because who doesn’t love good deals right?

What are your favorite must visit craft sites? I’m always looking for new ones so link me up!

Shutterfly Makes Creating Memories Easy

With my brother being away at boot camp and constantly asking for photos, I’ve been trying to think of creative and fun ways to share our everyday moments with him in a way that he’d love. That’s where Shutterfly comes into the equation. I’ve been drooling over their photo books for some time now. I’ve seen so many of my scrapbooking friends have beautiful books printed out with their layouts. I’ve been scrapping photos of not only the last couple weeks before my brother left and doing some layouts of things we’ve done since he’s been gone just to make him feel like he’s not missed out on anything.

Also it’s obvious that since he’s been gone we’ve written a lot more letters back and forth. I can’t tell you how freeing it feels to send stuff snail mail. I have seen some of the address labels that Shutterfly offers and they are so cute! Just receiving one of the photo address labels is sure to put anyone in a good mood and I know my brother would love it. I was thinking of using a photo of him, my son, and myself that we took at his going away/graduation party. It adds such a personal touch to things don’t you think? Though thinking of address labels brings up the fact that O’s birthday is in a couple months and that means one thing!

We need invitations! Why not get them at Shutterfly? Wouldn’t it be fun to receive a personal invitation and not one of those run of the mill factory packs? I know O would love it because he’d get to help pick out what style and photos go in. He loves looking at the photos. That’s why I love shutterfly, you can get all of these things plus so many more in one stop shopping and that’s something I love. Also Shutterfly offers things at such great prices. I can visit just about any time and find some really good sale or coupon code right on their site. Who doesn’t love saving money and getting high quality products? I know I do.

So the next time you need a creative spin on what to do with your photos, don’t forget to visit Shutterfly!

*I was given a free free product and/or was paid for this review. Any opinions expressed are my own and are not influenced in any way.

Save with CampusBookRentals.com & Operation Smile!

While we’re in our 2nd week of school, there are still so many just starting this week and many college classes as well. Now I know how tough and expensive it can be to get text books. So when I heard about CampusBookRentals.com and thought what a neat idea it is! I know when I was taking some classes the books were included in my tuition and I liked that but hated it too because that meant I was forced to pay the high prices with books. Now CampusBookRentals.com is a company that offers many perks to help ease up the pain of textbooks. They offer perks such as 40-90% on the price, free shipping both ways which is great with the way stamps are going lately. My personal favorite is that it’s okay to highlight in the books, along with flexible renting periods. On top of all that, they off the largest selection of books in the nation. Now if that wasn’t pretty awesome for those going back to school, here is something better! With every textbook that is rented, CampusBookRentals.com donates to Operation Smile! How amazing is that? If you haven’t heard of it, below you’ll find more information on Operation Smile.

Operation Smile is a charity that helps heal children’s smiles. What this means is that they help children all over the world that are born with a cleft. Sadly every three minutes there is a child born with a cleft which often leaves them unable to speak, eat, socialize, or even smile. What’s even worse in some places these children are shunned and rejected and many times their families can’t afford the costly surgeries required. Operation Smile helps provide as much surgical needs for these children to allow them to live a healthy and happy live. Since 1982, and have provided more than 2 million patient evaluations and over 200,000 free surgeries to children and young adults born with a cleft lip, cleft palates, and other facial deformities. Operation Smile is one of the most prominent children’s charities in the world and has a presence in over 60 countries. I think it’s great that they are able to help heal children’s beautiful smiles and give them more hope and self-confidence to aim for a bright future!

How amazing is that? So the next time you need textbooks, why not choose CampusBookRentals.com and help Operation Smile at the same time?

*I was compensated in some form for this post but 110% of opinions in this post are mine and 110% true.