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Are you looking for some delicious smelling products that are also natural and gentle? I just discovered a company called Perfectly Posh which makes some awesome products. Better yet, they are at a great price!

Liz, who is an independent consultant for Perfectly Posh, sent over some samples for me to test out. As I’ve told you before, I am a little addicted to lip balm. I’m always looking for some good products for my lips! Liz recommended trying the Make-Out Magic Lip Scrub to exfoliate and moisturize my lips! Simply smooth it all over your lips and leave on to enrich. I didn’t even have to wash it off. It had a delicious taste to it! :)

All of the samples of products that I tried I really enjoyed including the Purely Pampering Body Lotion that made my skin feel smooth and smelled wonderful without being overpowering. I loved that it didn’t leave a greasy feeling over my skin too.

Posh is a paraben-free, paraffin-free, and free of sulfates including SLS. Posh products contain no gluten, lanolin, or soy ingredients and uses the highest quality essential oils and fine phthalate-free fragrances. Post also is cruelty-free and does not test on animals. Posh uses natural enzymes and gently moisturizing vitamin E to preserve the look and life of their fun pampering products!

Each month they have an awesome special! For June, you can get the Play Footsie Bundle for just $39 – which is just in time to pamper your feet for summer! It includes:

• Pink Putty: Do your feet need intense treatment? Try our thick, hydrating foot mask. Clay and peppermint deep clean. Aloe, marshmallow, and glycerin infuse funky feet  to bring them back to soft – leaving them ready to play!
• Rubby Scrubby: A sparkling pink peppermint exfoliator in a mild shea butter soap base. Use with water. Take it with you into the shower or bath, and rub over tired heels and toes and everything in between to reveal softer skin all over.
• Twinkle Toes: Make over with just a mist. A moisture-rich oil to cover toes and dry skin on feet. Spray lightly then watch them twinkle in flip flops or other revealing shoes all day long. Formulated to dry quickly.

If you are interested in learning more about these products, please join our Perfectly Posh online event on Friday, June 14, 2013 at 7 p.m on Facebook. Liz will be sharing more about Posh products and we will be playing a game of bingo, where the winner will receive a prize! Woo hoo! I love prizes, don’t you? Be sure to RSVP here for the party!

If you can’t make it but still want to order, you can order directly from this link or email Liz for more information at: PoshbyLiz@yahoo.com.

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Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong bath tissue is now available in Meijer stores! This new premium bath tissue is designed to be strong, flexible, and soft. This helps you get a confident clean every time – gently!

Meijer sent us over a package that included the new Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong bath tissue! I normally buy the most inexpensive bath tissue possible because with six people in the house we use quite a bit. I was impressed with the softness without it being too thick.

Additional Note: Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong is 100% Biodegradable and is sewer and septic safe.

To stay up to date with the latest news follow Meijer and Quilted Northern on Facebook!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were sent to me from Meijer in order to facilitate this post. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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My youngest daughter looks baking and loves Play-Doh! The Frosting Fun Bakery combines both of these passions into one toy. It allows her to use her imagination with making fun creations.

• Choose from the cake cutter shapes to stamp out different cakes
• Use the turntable to move your cake from the Cake Stamping Station to the Frosting Station
• Play-Doh Plus compound has a softer; smoother texture for making pretend frosting and decorations
• Display your creation on the cake stand
• Playset comes with 2-piece extruder; shelf; tray; cake stand; turntable; display dome; 4 cake cutters; 4 extruder tips

Just remember you can actually eat the realistic looking frosting!

Retails for $14.99 and available at major retailers as well as Amazon.com.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were received in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Looking to eat healthier on a budget? A great way to stretch your produce budget is the Ozonator, which  helps to keep your food fresher longer in your refrigerator. It can help keep your food fresh for which – reduce waste and save money while eating healthy!

The Ozonator promotes a clean environment in your refrigerator, eliminates odors, and keeps food fresher, longer! It is a small, battery operated device that functions automatically in your refrigerator. Retail price is $49.95, you can purchase at Ozonator.com or Amazon.com.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided in order to facilitate this review.. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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If you love to cook and be creative in the kitchen, you will love The Stackable Appetizer Maker. I love it because it gives even people like me (kitchen newbies) the tools for success. I can’t wait to use it this summer! I think this Ham & Swiss sandwiches would work well and look nice! Using your own creativity, you can design a unlimited number of recipes including the 40+ recipe suggestions included with your package.

Here’s How it Works: 

• Place the “Cut and Carry Base” in the main body
• Next layer the ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients
• Place layers in desired thickness or until main body is full.
• Once in place, cut into bite size pieces through the guide posts embedded in the main body.
• It is easy to lift up your creations with the handles attached to the “Cut and Carry Base”

You don’t have to tell anyone how easy it was to make your beautiful and professional looking creations!

For more information and to see how easy it is to use The Stackable Appetizer Maker you can watch this demo.

Package includes the main body, “Cut and Carry Base,” a tamper to press dry layers, spreader/serrated knife, and a cookbook with 40+ recipe suggestions. You can purchase on Amazon for $19.99.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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I have an obsession with cook books. I love to buy and display but often I don’t get around to actually using them beyond browsing the beautiful pictures.  My youngest daughter seems to enjoy perusing cookbooks as well. As soon as she saw this Homemade With Love, she excitedly screamed out we are going to make doughnuts! The past year, I’ve tried to cook more items at home and use less convenience meals so this book seemed to be great a fit.

“It’s satisfying, simple, and better than anything that will come from a jar or the frozen food section of the supermarket.”

This is a quote from the introduction in the book and it really struck me. This is so true as I no longer can even stand the thought of canned soups. I prefer the soups I make myself at home, which are also healthier and cost less money by making from scratch.

Homemade With Love is a beautifully photographed book along with nice thick pages as well as wonderfully written.  To get started, there is a section on setting up a homemade kitchen with the items you should stock in your pantry, fridge, and freezer.

There are so many things I’ve purchased in box or canned format in the past that can be easily made at home such as all purpose baking mix, granola, nut butters, marinara, and many more. I’ve been experimenting with my own homemade items such as vanilla caramel coffee creamer  and it is much more satisfying.

I’m excited to get started on these homemade recipes! Many of which look super simple but delicious. First on the list will be the Lemon Buttermilk Doughnuts for Sof!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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If you have been following, I’ve been decluttering my house as part of my “spring” cleaning. I type “spring” because it’s still freezing here in Indiana!  Part of decluttering is going through the mounds of bank statements and other paperwork that has personal information on it.

One way to get rid of that paperwork safely is with a shredder. Fellowes sent me their new 73Ci shredder to help in my spring cleaning adventures! One of my biggest annoyances with shredders is jams. I will get overzealous and put in a huge stack of papers that gets stuck about half way through the shredding process. Then I have to turn it off so I can stick my fingers in there to get all those pieces of papers out.

Fellowes has a new powerful personal shredded that is 100% Jam Proof! To test this claim, I took a set of checks that were gone but still had the deposit slips left it in with the spine still on it. Usually I have to tear these out to get them to go through a shredder. I put it in the 73Ci shredder and it went mostly through. A little red light came on and I pressed on the rewind button or hold down the play buttong (that’s what it looks like) and it chomped up the rest. I was then able to put another piece of paper through the shredder with no incidents. I didn’t have to stick my hand in it to un-jam it or anything!

Other Features:

• SafeSense® Technology which automatically stops shredding when hands touch the paper opening
• A proprietary Energy Savings System which maximizes shredder energy savings 100% of the time – both in use and out of use
• Capacitive touch screen controls
• Heavy-duty Cross-Cut blades that destroy a single sheet of paper into 397 particles, making it nearly impossible to piece back together

I put together a short YouTube video:

Shredder is available at office supply stores such as Staples or Office Max and even Amazon.  Retails for $174.99.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by Fellowes in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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I’ve been needing some incentive or something fun to get myself exercising. The past few weeks I’ve had a million of excuses like the weather is too cold, it’s snowing, my hip hurts (from that one time at Zumba), I hate exercising indoors, the lady at the gym obviously didn’t want me there with her nasty stares, etc. etc. Since the weather is so back and forth right now in Indiana, I needed something to get me going again!

Some of my fellow Shaklee-180 had been talking about the Fitbit. I finally decided I was going to join the Fitbit cult and I had some Amazon bucks saved up to help out with my purchase. I read the reviews on Amazon first before ordering and 964 5 star reviews can’t be wrong, right?

The Fitbit tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed as well as monitoring how long and how well you sleep. You can set goals, view progress, and earn badges. I love it because it’s small enough to fit right inside my bra without me even thinking about it being there!  Plus, it syncs wirelessly with your computer or your smart phone when the Fitbit is within range.

The first day I wore the Fitbit, I was at the office. Oh my, I didn’t realize how sedentary I was at the office. This made me realize I need to get up and walking around every once in awhile. Taking out the trash was never so much fun as when you see the number of steps count increase! I set my goal at 10,000 steps per day. I haven’t quite made it there yet but I’m pretty sure I will make it there today as I am to 7,300 already at almost 3 p.m.

You can also set goals on the number of floors you wish to climb. I have it at the default of 10. Today, instead of dreading going up and down the stairs to the kids rooms, I’m wanting to get my goal of 10 so I do it with delight! ;)

The FREE app for your iPhone also has a food plan component but I still like to use MyFitnessPal for tracking calories. You can sync your Fitbit activity with the MyFitnessPal app, which is super cool. You have to make sure to follow the steps to do so and enter in the time of any additional exercise. This will allow your Fitbit activity to adjust automatically with MyFitnessPal.

As many of you know, getting enough sleep is an important component to lose weight as your body needs to recharge. I know I lack in this area so it’s cool to be able to monitor it through the Fitbit sleep tracker. I was afraid wearing the wrist band would disturb me but I don’t even notice it is there. I didn’t realize how many times I was waking up in the middle of the night or at least moving around.

I’m a numbers and stats geek so I love to see exactly how I’m doing with activity with Fitbit! I’m also finding it very accurate as far as mileage and such! I’ve been using this for a few days now and I can see a change in my pattern of activity just from these few days. It would be so interesting to use this on when visiting a theme park.

>Do you use a activity tracking device like a pedometer or a Fitbit? What are your thoughts? Does it get you to be more aware of your activity level?

Read more about my fitness and weight loss journey as well as specific posts with the Shaklee-180 program.

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Are you thinking about your 2012 tax return yet? I’m sure not ready yet! J.K. Lasser’s Your Income Tax 2013: Preparing For Your 2012 Tax Return can help you out! Right now you can score America’s number on bestselling tax guide for just $13.67 from Amazon. This retails for $22.95 so it’s a great deal.

Book Features:

• Contains over 2,500 easy-to-use tax planning tips and strategies and easy-to-understandcoverage of the year’s tax law changes
• Packed with hundreds of updated examples, practical advice, and real-world examples
• Includes filing tips and instructions to help you prepare your 2012 return
• Comprised of a quick reference section that highlights what’s new for 2012 as well as atopic index to help pinpoint the biggest money-saving deductions
• Offers instruction for customers who use software or CPAs to file their taxes

As a bonus, you can gain direct access to bonus materials through jklasser.com, including links to the latest tax forms from the IRS, up-to-the minute tax law changes, small business tips, and more!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Review matieral was provided by J.K Lasser.  Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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The countdown is on – just 5 days until Christmas. Yikes! Are you ready? Have you planned out your holiday menus and shopping lists? I’m embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t even made a really grocery trip the entire month of December so we needed to get quite a few things in addition to the things we will need for the upcoming holiday parties.

Even though at all of our Christmas parties, we do pitch-ins, the expenses can still add up whe
n you are pitching in at multiple parties. During this season, many of us are already tightening our pocket books and don’t have time to do serious grocery coupon shopping. This is why I LOVE ALDI and it was the first store I visited over the weekend. Save up to 50% on your groceries without sacrificing quality. Save time too because you know you are getting the best price without having to clip a single coupon!

As you know, we’ve been loyal ALDI shoppers over the past year. We have found that the items we purchase are just as good or even better than the brands we were previously purchasing. During the holiday season, ALDI has so many holiday products for your holiday needs and no one will ever know that you paid half price or less for your holiday goodies!

During my recent trip to ALDI headquarters, I loved the holiday entertaining tips from Janice Stahl. Here’s a few of her simple yet brilliant tips:

• Keep it Simple: Less is more with your menu and decor.
• Somewhat Homemade: Combine a homemade recipe with a pre-made item to save time and money. For example, the Appleton Farms Spiral Sliced 1/2 Ham glazed with apple cider and balsamic glaze.
• Small Bites: A new trend this holiday season is to serve small bites at your party. This would be perfect time to serve a few homemade gourmet appetizers along with artisan cheeses. My ALDI favorite is the Harvest Cheddar Cheese, which I couldn’t find in my store on Sunday.

Some ALDI locations sell wine at a great value – $5 or less for many of the varieties. This includes my favorite the Landshut Riesling for just $4.99.

Decor is so easy too! Use any clear glass containers you have or pick some up at Goodwill for cheap. Fill with Starlite Mints ($0.89) or sparkly ornaments ($9.99) or anything that fits that particular season. This is reusable for the next holiday as it won’t be dated by a cheesy Christmas theme that you tire of and can also be used for birthdays and other holidays.

My family LOVES cheese. I love that you can buy specialty cheese for a fraction of the cost from other stores. Cheese like Brie ($2.99), Smoked Gouda ($2.99,) or Select Havarti ($2.99.) My favorite this season was the Apple Harvest Cheddar (dark orange below), which I couldn’t find in my store this past weekend. Yes, I said that again but I really, really wanted it!

You can view many of these  great items and more in the ALDI Holiday Catalog which is posted online here. You can also find ALDI on Facebook.

Are you still working on your holiday menu plan? Will you be trying out ALDI this year? 

Products were provided to me by ALDI in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Recently, ALDI sent me a Benton’s Kids Gingerbread House kit to try out with the kids. These are priced at $5.99 in the stores, which is a fantastic price for the fun you can get out of these kits! We did a kit last year too because I couldn’t resist the great price and the convenience.

This past Sunday the little kids and I had a little fun…

First of all, the kits come with EVERYTHING you need to make your Gingerbread House including all the walls, frosting, decorations, and a base.

I put the walls together while the kids patiently waited…

All the walls together, time for the decorating fun…

I think I went a little heavy on the frosting on the walls because we started to run out. The instructions said to only cut off a little off the frosting tip but I think I cut a little too much. It didn’t really matter because we still had fun decorating!

Final Product:

Then guess what? Five minutes after completed, they decided they wanted to eat it. No matter how much I tried to convince to not ruin their creation and wait for daddy to get home, it didn’t matter – they started chomping into it. It must have been pretty good to eat as they did pretty good damage to the gingerbread house almost right after they created it!

So much fun for just $5.99 – pick one at at ALDI today! Check out my Top 10 Reasons I Love to Shop at ALDI if you are a newbie!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

I received products from ALDI in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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The Bissell Spot Bot Handsfree Spot and Stain Cleaner with Deep Reach Technology is a great gift for anyone with kids, pets, or high traffic. There are many things I love about this cleaner – first being it is compact and mostly because of it’s automatic stain removing feature.

With kids or pets, you know there will be accidents. None of us want to scrub for hours to get a stain out. With the Bissell SpotBot, simply select the type of stain and WalkAway. Yes, just walk away! The preset cleaning cycles spray, brush, and remove both surface and tough set-in stains. This is all with the push of the button! Who loves that? Multi-taskers LOVE this feature!

For pets, Bissell SpotBot features a unique Deep Reach Technology, which delivers a solution further into the carpet where the deepest part of the stain resides for the most effective cleaning from the bottom up. Use Bissell Little Green formula for everyday stains or Bissell Pet Stain and Odor machine formula to remove odor causing bacteria from rugs and carpets. Add Bissell OxyGen2 to any of these formulas for a boost!

You can also use this for manual cleaning – but we have things to do – why would we use that? You may have hard to reach areas like corners, upholstery, stairs, or auto interiors. Did I say auto interiors? Yes, I did. I wish I would have had this compact little guy when I had the black bean spill of 2011.

Retails for $149.99 and available at retailers nationwide as well as Amazon.com.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by Bissell in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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The holidays and yummy baking treats are synonymous for me. I love some delicious treats! I was sent a few products from Good Cook to try out for the holidays as part of the Sweet Creations by Good Cook line. You can enjoy the experience of baking as well as DIY projects and crafts! Sweet Creations is taking edible gifting to an entirely new level!

The GoodCook.com provides so many unique and functional kitchenware products that are easy enough for even novices like me to use. Better yet, the prices are very reasonable for their molds.

Using the Brittle and Bark Mold (on sale for $8.12) is seriously so easy – even I was able to make pretty treats using it. These would be a super simple gift idea or to make for your holiday party. Trust me – they are delicious too. I may or may not have eaten half of these already myself.  I have to test them out, right?

You will need 1 1/2 cups of white chocolate morsels, 1 1/2 cups of chocolate semi-sweet morsels, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil,  and crushed peppermint.  I used the peppermint baking chips which gives the bars a softer taste. The peppermint blends in better and doesn’t stick to your teeth like traditional peppermints.

Then melt the semi-sweet morsels in a microwave safe dish in 30 second intervals until creamy. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Pour into mold. Do the same with the white chocolate. Use a toothpick or the end of your spoon to twirl the chocolates together to give a swirled effect.

Top with crush peppermints.

Place flat in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes. You are able to easily just pop these out because of the non-stick silicone mold. Then you can break apart the molds on the lines. So simple! Really – it’s simple. I’m guessing that anyone who would see this would think I spent hours slaving over the stove!

Mix it up by using any other kind of chocolate morsels that you would like! Try dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whatever chocolate suits your needs.

I can simply wrap it up in this pretty parchment paper from Good Cook and give to friends & family!

I will be tackling these cookie molds next – Christmas Tree (on sale for $3.24) & Gingerbread House (on sale for $3.24).  Sofia is really wanting to try this because apparently she learned all the ingredients for Gingerbread cookies on a recent school field trip. I’ll post some pictures of those after we experiment!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by Good Cook in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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It’s that time of year – cold season! It has already hit our house slightly in the past month with our youngest. I was glad we had the natural cough remedies from Maty’s in our house. It never fails whenever she gets the slightest cough or sniffle, she just has to have some type of medicine for her cough or cold.

At Maty’s we’ve combined modern knowledge with age old healing ingredients such as antioxidant-rich buckwheat honey– high in vitamins and minerals and known for its restorative properties. There are never any artificial preservatives, color additives or sweeteners, no corn, dairy, wheat, soy or yeast. Maty’s Healthy Products are safe and effective–made in the USA using socially responsible practices.

Since she did have a legitimate cough, you know sometimes kids say they need medicine just because they have one little scratch on their throat, I decided to try out the natural cough syrup from Maty’s. We started out with the All Natural Kids Cough Syrup. It has a very unique flavor – beyond grape and cherry that you will find from most  - caramel banana flavor! It is super thick and was a little difficult to get out of our plastic dosage cup.  I remember my mom used to have a medicine spoon that looked almost like a regular spoon but with marks to indicate the dosage. Something like that would probably work better if you have it.

I will say even I was impressed with the taste of the cough syrup. With a flavor like caramel banana you think I wouldn’t try it? Of course, I’m going to try that. It was delicious without being overwhelming. I did have to make sure to tell my daughter that this wasn’t candy but I think the thickness of it would prevent her from guzzling it down – along with safety precautions like putting up in the cabinet and such.

It did help relieve her of her cough symptoms. I loved that she liked the flavor and texture and it is a natural, safe cold relief for cough and cold symptoms for my children.

Why all natural remedies? Any over the counter cough and cold medicines have risks and some alternative treatments are not suitable for children. I know many of you have heard of the news stories about parents accidentally over-dosing their children with OTC medications. It’s a little scary to think it’s that easy to do. Maty’s uses age-old tradition of all-natural remedies, which are good for the body and the environment. You can rest assured you are getting the most effective ingredients without any of the dangerous side effects that other OTC remedies may cause.  **This is not medical advice, just my own personal opinion.**

The full line of products includes: 

• All Natural Baby Chest Rub: Two time award winner & no harmful side effects
• All Natural Kids Cough Syrup: Safe, immune-boosting, and a taste kids love
• All Natural Cough Syrup: With antioxidant rich honey & immune support
• All Natural Vapor Rub: Petroleum free & drug free.
• Breathe Better Nasal Ointment: Drug free & safe for all ages

You can find Maty’s products in-stores at stores like CVS, Walmart, Meijer, Giant Eagle, and online at Amazon.com. Check out the store locator to find more places to purchase.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

This post is sponsored by Maty’s. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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From now until December 1, 2012, you can enter to win a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 during the Verizon Tablet-A-Day Giveaway. All you have to do is enter your email address – so simple!

Remember, you can still enter my $100 Verizon Gift Card Giveaway with a Nokia 822 Smartphone!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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If you have little ones, you have probably heard of the hit Sprout television show from Jim Henson called Pajanimals. This is an adorable show that teachers skills preschoolers need to move through their days successfully, including getting ready for and going to bed. I remember the days of it being difficult to get my little guys to sleep or nap.

Pajanimals has this adorable Snuggle Up Story Mat from TOMY available to help transition children to sleep while making it a calm and comforting experience.  The Pajanimals Snuggle Up Story Mat features the lovable Pajanimals characters and is a pillow, mat, and blanket all built in one easy to roll up to help your child nap or sleep. Because it rolls up so nice and secure, it also makes it great for road trips or for daycare. When my kids were in daycare, they were able to bring a special blanket for nap time.This would have been perfect as they could lay on it and use it as it as a blanket too. The built in pillow also turns into a book for quiet time before sleeping or after waking up.

Find a number of fun and FREE (we love FREE) age appropriate activities and games on the Sprout website.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Cabbage Patch Kids are dolls that brings back fond childhood memories. Back in the 80s, this was the popular doll to have and parents would fight over the last dolls on the shelf. Even my younger brother had a Cabbage Patch Doll.

The new Cabbage Patch Kids Babies offer the ultimate nurturing play for young girls and boys. The dolls come in a variety of hair and eye colors, silky hair and removable fashions. Kids will love playing with their newly adopted Babies. Each Cabbage Patch Baby comes in his or her own pajamas or onesie oufit, matching blanket, and special CPK cabbage leaf, bottle, and pacifier. Plus, my favorite part when I was a kid – the authentic Cabbage Patch Kids birth certificate with a one of a kind name, birth date, and adoption papers. It was always a challenge to find a doll named “Briana” back in the 80s. I think they had to find a doll that matched my birth date instead!

Keep your eyes out for the special promotion running through December 31, 2012. Specially marked Cabbage Patch Kids products will get a FREE Shutterfly 8″ x 8″ hardcover Photo Book ($29.99) value with their purchase.

Be sure to enter the  Cabbage Patch Kids® One-of-a-Kind Kid Photo contest by uploading a favorite photo of your child with or without their Cabbage Patch Kid at www.cabbagepatchkids.com/Shutterfly.   One lucky child will be featured on a future Cabbage Patch Kids doll package plus many other prizes will be awarded including Cabbage Patch Kids and Shutterfly gift cards. Awesome!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by JAKKS in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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We have other similar devices that allow you to play video games while moving around but nothing compares to the XBox Kinect! The movement and things you can do with it are just not comparable to what you can do with other supplemental game systems.  I love that the games for Kinect for XBox 360 are unique, family friendly, and make you feel like you really are part of the game. Get off the couch and play with these games!

If you are new to Kinect for XBox, let me tell ya how cool it is. You can play games without remote controls or without having a remote control in your pocket. It’s pretty snazzy. It is super fun for the entire family especially those of us who aren’t game controller professionals! (These new game controllers are so darn complicated anymore!)

Kinect sent us over a couple of games to review including the Kinect Nat Geo TV and the Kinect Sesame Street TV. Just remember for these games to work, you have to have an XBox 360 + Kinect system.

First up is the Kinect Nat Geo TV. This is short for National Geographic. With this game you get to know wild animals, learn about the environment, and develop naturalist skills in 30 minute episodes. The visuals on the screen highlight interactive “sidetrack” activities for you to jump in and explore. Get the whole family involved to discover the natural world when your living room gets transformed into forests and transforms your kid into an animal. This game is educational AND fun and kept the three of my children’s attention who enjoyed this game.

These new two way games involve your entire body, voice, and gestures. Check out the cute kids transformed into bears below:

• Recommended ages: Everyone 10+
• Retail Price: $29.99
• Available at retailers nationwide including Amazon

My kids are starting to get a little old for Sesame Street but that didn’t stop mom from having fun with the Sesame Street.  When at Blogher this year, I was able to play the Kinect Sesame Street TV game for myself. If your little ones love Sesame Street, they will love interacting with them on XBox as they get placed in the Sesame Street Experience – seeing themselves on the television with their favorite characters.

When playing, I was spinning around and trying to catch things as they came at me. Honestly, a two year probably could have done a better job! This game again uses your gestures, voice, and entire body to interact and play.

Also included in the Kinect Sesame Street TV game is access to hundreds of classic clips from the Sesame Street archive including exclusive content created just for the game.

• Interact with Sesame Street characters such as Big Bird, Grover, Oscar, and more!
• Recommended ages: Early Childhood
• Retail Price: $29.99
• Available at retailers nationwide including Amazon

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana. Check out our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide for more ideas.

Products were provided in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Disney’s Secret of the Wings movie is now available on DVD! I’m sure that my little girl will love this movie as the previews look really cute. I do know she loves the new JAKKS doll line and dress up products based on the Disney Fairies movie.

She was extremely excited to receive a very fun package in the mail from JAKKS! The box is so much fun that I’m not throwing this one away for awhile! Inspired by the Secret of the Wings movie these fun playsets are meant to bring in the movie to life right in your home! The Disney Fairies Magical Light up Wings glow in six colors. Sofia’s eye lit up when she saw the colors glowing!

She loved the fairy wings that light up and glow! They are truly fun and magical for little girls. Fun for dress up and imaginative play especially when you combine the wings with the Tinker Bell Pixie Dress!

JAKKS also has the 9″ dolls for the Disney Fairies in a variety of fairies. You can get the Friendship Forever 2 pack which includes Tink and Periwinkle. They have detachable wings – just be careful when removing them from the box.

With our 6 year old, you can’t go wrong with anything fairy. These are for ages 4+.

Also you will want to check out the JAKKS Sisters Giveaway to enter for a chance to win a trip for four to Los Angeles. Have your daughter explain why her sister or BFF is special to her for a chance to win the trip and other amazing weekly prizes such as Disney Fairies Pixie Dresses, Magical Light Up Wings, and more.  Upload a photo or drawing of the sister/BFF combo and receive an extra entry into the weekly giveaway and Grand Prize giveaway. Sweepstakes ends on December 23, 2012.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided for review by JAKKS Pacific.  Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Even if you aren’t a football fan, a chance at a Super Bowl XLVII trip to New Orleans still sounds really, really awesome.

Verizon is selecting four grand prize winners who will receive:

• Round-trip coach air transportation for two to New Orleans
• Five-day, four night hotel accommodations (January 31 – February 4, 2013)
• Two Super Bowl XLVII tickets to the game to be played on February 3, 2013 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA
• $1,000 spending money
• Two gift bags complete with NFL Experience tickets and an NFL Shop Gift Card

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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It’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Verizon is sharing the message of hope through Hopeline. Hopeline is a organization that turns no longer used cell phones into support for domestic violence victims and survivors. Phones and technology can be serve as an important link in case of emergency or as a safe connection to family, friends, employers as survivors rebuild their lives.

Through the month of October when you enter a photo in the Verizon Cover Photo Contest for the theme “Hope”, Verizon will donate $1 to the National Dating Abuse Helpline – up to $10,000. Your photo could also be featured as the cover photo of Verizon Wireless’ Facebook page, win a Android Tablet, or win an all expense paid trip for two to Yellowstone National Park.

If you would like to donate your old phone, it is suggested you confirm disconnection of your service, wipe it clean, and use one of these pre-paid mailing labels here. You never know how important your donation could be until you actually hear the stories from the survivors. Hopeline also has a Hopeline app which will help you locate your nearest drop off center if you would prefer to donate your phone in that manner.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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Like it or not, the Furby is going to be a hot holiday toy item this year! There are commercials up the wazoo and kids everywhere are talking about the new Furby.  Mark my words this will be THE toy you will be fighting to find this year.

I remember these were popular back right around the time my oldest daughter was born – 1998ish. Our Furby would mock her cry. Hopefully, that didn’t damage her or anything! :) My younger brother eventually locked his Furby in the closet and we think the Furby may have went nutso from the lack of human interaction.

Anyway, the new ones are way more high tech and cool! Someone on your list is going to want one so buy it now before the holiday madness begins so you can sit back and relax. Hopefully, we will find some deals on Furby this holiday season but since it’s so hot, I’m guessing there won’t be many deals out there – it will be a “get it when you can” attitude.

Hasbro sent us one Furby to try out and I purchased another one online because I wanted to see the two Furbys interact with one another.  As soon as I put the batteries in our Furby toys the kids went nuts and so did the Furbys.  They say the Furbys will take on the characteristics of their owner and I heard Sofia’s Furby sing songing “blah, blah, blah.”

Some of the high tech features for the new Furby are multiple sensors, LED eyes, Furby app, and not only does the new Furby speak “Furbish” it also learns a little English along the way – like “blah, blah, blah.” The more you play, the more the Furby changes! Feed it, play with it, tickle it, talk to it, play music it for it, and more!

With the free Furby app, you can virtually feed the Furby, access a Furbish to English dictionary, and use the Furbish to English Translator.

Furby is available in six fun colors and requires 4 “AA” batteries.

How to Turn off Furby? 

Um, yeah, that’s pretty much the worst thing about this toy is there is no on/off switch lest you remove the batteries. We did try a few experiments and our best try was to put Furby back in it’s original box, place in a quiet room, and not sure if that worked as I still hear Furby yelling “Yoo Hoo.”  This did work after about 5 minutes of quiet in the closet.

Bottom line: The new Furby is just as annoying as the old Furby, which makes it an instant hit with kids! 

Find the latest Furby deal posts here.

Want to save loads of money this holiday season? Find the latest holiday deals I’ve posted about. You can also check out the Hot Holiday deals,  Giveaways, Online Coupon Code Database, and my Holiday Gift Guide. These pages are being updated often.

Product was provided in order to facilitate this review.  Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Raise your hand if you have every lost a phone or had to use a app to find your phone.  I have lost at least one phone and almost daily I use my “Find my iPhone app” to find one of our Apple devices. Once I found it in the washing machine but the GPS signal doesn’t quite work in the washing machine.

I read about this new app that will find your phone even when the battery is dead. Basically the Lookout app automatically flags the last location of the phone when its battery starts to die. This doesn’t necessarily mean that that it won’t travel elsewhere in that time period when the battery dies and the time you could reach that location. However, it is a good starting point and will probably be successful in more instances.

Is this something that would be useful to you?

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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Over the past few months, I have been sharing some of my favorite apps and ways to use the Motorola Xyboard with Verizon 4G service. Now it’s time to move on to another device! A few weeks ago we played 20 questions with Verizon via Twitter to see what our next device was going to be….

and….

it…..

is….

The DROID M! I was kind of hoping for the iPhone 5 but this phone has not been disappointing. It is light weight, speedy, and very durable. So far, I’ve been able to do everything I do on my iPhone 4S on the Droid M and quite a bit faster as this phone is 4G LTE.

I’ve used it to keep tracking of my jogging with the Runkeeper app, streamed shows with Hulu & Netflix apps, listened to music with the Pandora app, surfed the world wide web with the Chrome browser, checked out my email on the go, and much more. One thing it does have above my iPhone is I dropped it straight on the concrete the first couple days I had it and it didn’t scratch, dent, or damage in any way – with NO case.

The price for the new Droid M is just $99 with a new two year activation, which is a great price point for this phone. You probably have noticed commercials for this phone as it is the phone with the edge to edge display, which makes it great for watching movies. It also fits in the palm of your hand just like the commercial and makes it good to view while walking/running. :)

I also love that the temperature/weather is right on your home page instead of having to open an app or pull your notifications down to view. It’s right there in front of your face with no effort required to find this vital information.

Right now my son, who just had a birthday and begged for this phone is using this phone. The next post you will see will come from him as this was part of the deal of him using the phone. He gets to use it for a couple weeks if he writes a post about it. He wasn’t too happy at first because it sounded too much like school work. However, he is having a great time with this phone so I’m sure it will be worth it to him!

Check out the Amazon Android Daily Freebie too for more free Android apps.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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I was recently sent a Fellowes Saturn2 95 Laminator to review.  I’m such an office supply nerd that I jumped at the chance!  Does anyone else remember when these were a big deal to get to use when in elementary school? I do, but then again, I’m a office supply nerd.  I created a short video to show you how it works:

So after doing the video, I noticed that each laminating pouch package tells you the recommended uses and the heat setting to use! I’m a slow starter but it’s clearly on the back of the package. I used the right setting without even knowing it, though! So yay me!

Oh, I have so many ideas on how to use this Laminator:

• Laminate insurance cards. (exciting, eh?)
• Have kids create bookmarks for holiday gifts.
• Laminate kids school artwork.
• Use to make decorations for parties or holidays.
• Create game boards to laminate to take on road trips or out to restaurants to keep little ones busy!
• Shopping lists
• Many more!

You can find more ideas over at the Fellowes Laminating Idea Center.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by Fellowes in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Once I finally hooked up this NeoTV Streaming player from Netgear, I was kicking myself asking why I waited so long! Though, I’m sure my husband is happy that I’m finally caught up on Vampire Diaries so he can get back to watching sports on the bedroom television. It was much easier than I had anticipated to set up so there was really no reason for me to procrastinate. Set up took less than 10 minutes and you will need to know the information to connect to your wireless router or be able to directly connect into your internet.

If you don’t have a streaming player, the Netgear NeoTV Streaming player is working out very well for us and allows us to watching Netflix instant streaming movies practically instantly on our television. In the past, I had limited myself to Netflix (one free month here) on our tablets, which is such a small screen and if you want to watch with multiple people it is a little difficult. This easy to add to your television allows you to maximize your Netflix subscription.

We haven’t been able to take advantage of the HDMI cable due to an older television in the bedroom with only one HDMI video slot.  HDMI cable is not included with the package so you will need to provide your own or purchase one if you want to be able to watch in high definition.  Though, I’ve been pleased with the quality of the videos I have watched. Like I said, I caught up recently on the last three seasons of Vampire Diaries. Having been a former Buffy/Charmed/Angel watcher, I finally discovered this show and it was nice to be able to watch it on the television via Netflix while there weren’t as many new shows to watch this summer.

Along with Netflix, you can connect to Hulu Plus, Vudu, Youtube, Pandora, and more. It comes with a remote control but you can also set up your iPhone, iPad, or Android device to be a remote with the free remote control app.

The Netgear NeoTV streaming player is priced at $49 and would be make a great gift this holiday season.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Product was provided by Netgear in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Are you in the market for a new smartphone? Verizon has a offer valid through September 30, 2012 to help you save on your next purchase.

To activate your offer, simply text the word SAVE to 73507. You will then receive a barcode with an offer to save up to $30 of a 4G LTE smartphone priced at $100 or more after rebates. Message and data rates may apply and a new two year activation is required.

During the past few months, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite apps and ways to use the Motorola Xyboard with Verizon 4G service. I’ve been backing up my photos using Dropbox, utilizing the free Verizon online tutorials, reading books for free with my Kindle app, and using the the tablet as a universal remote with Dijit. I’ve even shared some of my youngest daughter’s favorite Android apps.

Check out the Amazon Android Daily Freebie too for more free Android apps.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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During the past few months, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite apps and ways to use the Motorola Xyboard with Verizon 4G service. I’ve been backing up my photos using Dropbox, utilizing the free Verizon online tutorials, reading books for free with my Kindle app, and using the the tablet as a universal remote with Dijit. I’ve even shared some of my youngest daughter’s favorite Android apps.  I still have plenty more to share!

When I’m doing data entry or folding laundry, I like to keep my mind occupied so I don’t get too bored. If there is not a television or a radio handy, it is nice to have the Motorola Xyboard Android tablet to watch some of my favorite shows. I’ve been reading of some people who are going completely to video streaming and ditching their cable or satellite bills. We are not quite ready to go there but I love having the Motorola Xyboard as an option.

Netflix is one of the my favorite apps to watch television shows or movies.  This is a monthly subscription service and well worth it. For example, I watched four seasons of a show that would have cost me over $30 a season to buy the DVDs for.  You can get a FREE one month subscription to Netflix here. For streaming only, it is just $7.99 a month.

Another option to watch streaming on a Android tablet is the Hulu app. This is a premium subscription to view on your device, which is very low compared to cable or satellite. The only frustrating thing about this app is that there are some shows that can only be viewed on your computer and not on mobile devices, which can be a bummer.

Having the 4G service makes it convenient to watch these apps wherever. This means if we are traveling far the kids can be entertained if needed since we don’t have a DVD player in our vehicle anymore. It is also very nice for my youngest daughter when she has to tag along with me to one of her older brothers or sister’s sporting events.

Video streaming can eat up your data plan pretty quickly so if you are at home or have access to another wireless network, you have the option of connecting to the wireless network instead of using your valuable data minutes.

Do you watch videos on your mobile device or tablet? What’s your favorite app? Favorite show? Any tips? 

Check out the Amazon Android Daily Freebie too for more free Android apps.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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I would like to take a quick minute to thank and promote the Apple Retail Store of Keystone, Indiana.  My MacBook Pro is less than a year old and one night it just stopped taking a charge.  I brought the computer in for the Mac Geniuses so they could work their magic.  I was served within the hour, despite 30+ employees and an estimated 150 customers.  Within just a few days my computer was repaired and ready for pick-up.  Pick up took less than 15 minutes, most of which took me to walk through the mall!

My entire experience was a good one, mostly influenced by the fact that they solved my problem, were kind, quick, and got me back to work with my beloved MacBook Pro. :)  If you’re having any trouble at all with your Apple products or are in the market for a new Apple product, I highly recommend visiting an Apple Retail Store near you.  Thanks!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

This post was not sponsored. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Back to school is coming up and you or your children may be looking for portable media storage and back up solutions. Toshiba has a brand new product that will make it very simple for you to back up and store files on an external device so you don’t have to worry about losing files or taking up space on your computer’s hard drive.  Even better, Toshiba is offering this product exclusively through Walmart at a affordable price.

As you can see from the picture above, the portable hard drive is small enough to carry with one hand.  Small but mighty as you can purchase a 500 GB ($60) or a 1TB ($79.)  It is also very simple to use. Simply, plug the Toshiba backup portable hard drive into your computer and after a short initial setup, you will be on your way. I’ve had several other backup hard drives in the past and usually just getting through the set up process is a couple hour ordeal. This one is very simple. Once you have that initial setup, backups will start automatically every time you plug the drive into your computer.

If you speak geek, these Toshiba automatic backup portable drives are powered by USB 3.0 technology for faster transfer speeds and they are also compatible with your older USB 2.0 devices too. All in a very small pocket size portable drive.

So far, I have not had to restore my files via the backup portable drive and I hope I don’t have to. However, I feel confident that my files are being backed up on a regular basis and they will be there should the worst happen to my system.

Purchase the Toshiba Automatic Backup Portable Drive from Walmart.com or in stores: 500 GB ($60) or a 1TB ($79.)

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Review products were provided to me by Toshiba. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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A wonderful way to treat yourself or your kids on a hot summer day like we have been having is with a frozen treat. MAGNUM, Popsicle, Breyers, Klondike, and Good Humor have you covered with a variety of mouth watering treats to accommodate everyone’s taste buds.

MAGNUM Ice cream now has their ice cream bars in smaller but still delicious sizes. Choose from MAGNUM Classic featuring silky vanilla bean ice cream dipped in a thick layer of Belgian milk chocolate or MAGNUM Almond with crunchy almonds. Personally, I would hide the MAGNUM ice cream treats from the little ones. These are for us to enjoy! :)

Did you know that Popsicle brand now has Yosicle pops? These delicious treats contain 10% nonfat yogurt and are a good source of calcium. This is just a very small sample of what Popsicle brand has available. Get a $0.50 off Yosicle product printable coupon via their Facebook page.

Growing up my mom used treat herself with Klondike bars and we would be shoo’ed away from them. This is how I feel about these bars now. Stay away kids, these are for mama!

Good Humor has added to their classic candy treats after last year’s successful introduction of REESE’S Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cup.  They now offer Mounds and York Ice Cream Bars. These are delicious!

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by Unilever in order to facilitate this post. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Oh yeah, “gÜd” happens when you open this box. Meijer sent over a gÜd by Burt’s Bee package that included lotion, body wash, and spritzer! I’m a huge fan of Burt’s Bees other line of products and was excited to try out this new line as it looks so fresh and refreshing.

Not only does it look fresh and refreshing, it actually is! The fragrances are not over powering but they have a wonderful scent. I keep the Orange Petralooza Natural Body Mist in my purse since the weather has been so miserably hot that is nice to have this to cool off and feel refreshed. The Body Wash is gone if that tells you anything. The scent was absolutely wonderful and the products have never been tested on animals.

• Fits neatly into handbag.
• No parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals.
• Never ever tested on animals. No way!

Even better, right now you can save an additional $1 off your gud from Burt’s Bees purchase at Meijer when you virtually clip the Meijer mPerk coupon available. This coupon is valid through July 31, 2012.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Meijer provided the sample kit in order for me to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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As you can see there is at least a whole page of apps dedicated to the kids, well, Sofia. She has a blast on the Motorola Xyboard  and is always stealing it away from me. Luckily, there are plenty of FREE apps she can enjoy!

Here’s a few of her favorites:

Garfields Diner: She says this is one of her favorites! I don’t get how this one works but all the kids seem to enjoy playing this one.

She is a HUGE fan of any of the play cooking apps, especially any dealing with sweets including Donut Maker, Cupcake Maker, Icee Maker, Cake Maker, Pizza Maker, Sundae Maker….you get the drift!

Netflix: Requires a subscription but you can get a FREE one month trial to Netflix and have access to so many television shows and movies.

Coloring Book: Color various pictures with various crayons.

Playtales: This is a cute one where kids read and play.

These are some of her favorites to play on the Motorola Xyboard Android tablet.  Check out the Amazon Android Daily Freebie too for more free Android apps.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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We live in a house of lost remotes. Some of them have been lost forever. There are also many remotes we don’t know what they belong to. Universal remotes are just another remote with a hefty price tag so we haven’t went that route.

One of the features we learned about at the Midwest Savvy Savers meet up back in May was the ability to use the Motorola Xyboard  as a universal remote control. This is just one of the many multi-functional ways you can use the Motorola Xyboard. To use the Motorola Xyboard as a remote control, you don’t need any additional hardware or adapters. The tablet has a built-in infrared transmitter which supports IR (infrared) technology commonly used with remote control devices.

I was able to easily set up our DVD player, which has been missing a remote for a long time (years?) with the pre-loaded Dijit app. It just took a couple of minutes and it was working. Configuring the satellite was also very easy. I can control my satellite receiver in our bedroom with the iPad but it did require purchasing additional equipment from Directv and having internet access.

I haven’t been able to set up the TV yet with the tablet because I don’t know the model number and there is about 100 different signals to choose from on the Dijit app. If I look behind the television, I’ll probably be able to access that information.

There are so many things that are cool about the Motorola Xyboard! You can view all my past Verizon posts here: http://bargainbriana.com/tag/verizon/.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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One of my favorite things about the Motorola Xyboard is it’s multi-functionality. Not only can I use it to access the internet, use apps, navigate, take photos and videos,  I can use it as my eReader without having a separate device to haul around.

You can download the FREE Kindle app or Nook app for your Xyboard. There are plenty of FREE ebooks you can enjoy with these apps too! I post about the FREE Kindle Books I find almost daily. Some of the books are hit or miss but since it’s not costing anything, it’s worth it to try some of these books. You can also save money by borrowing select books from your local library.

I love that I can sync this Android app with the app for my phone too because then I always have my favorite books with me without losing my spot.  It is so simple to sync the Kindle app among various devices and operating systems. I can read with two columns on my tablet which gives me more of a book feel.

Do you read on my tablet? Do you prefer reading on a actual Kindle device or on a App? 

The Motorola also has some cool photo apps that are FREE, which we love around here, which I will share with you in a future post! You can view all my past Verizon posts here: http://bargainbriana.com/tag/verizon/.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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I’m a huge Dropbox fan. It is one of the many products I use to keep my online lifes, files, and photos organized. If you haven’t signed up for this FREE site, which allows you access to your files basically anywhere, you can do so here and get 500 MB bonus in additional to your 2 GB free file storage. I was super excited to discover that the Motorola Xyboard  allows me to easily upload my photos and videos into Dropbox.

This is an app that is already pre-loaded on the Motorola Xyboard. Dropbox is a free app for Android and other devices. On other operating systems, you don’t have as many options to share your photos to directly from the photo gallery. With the Xyboard, you can share any photos directly with Dropbox so you don’t lose those precious memories or you can easily have access on another device.

You can also set up the Dropbox app so it will automatically upload your photos to Dropbox in a specified file. It will only sync the photos when you are connected to Wi-Fi unless you allow it to pull off your data plan, so you will have to make sure to connect to Wi-Fi if you want to use this option without using your data plan. If you only want to upload photos one by one, you can do so easily with the “Share” icon within your photo gallery.

See the Dropbox option to the right of the photo. You will just click on that and log into your Dropbox account if you aren’t already logged in.

Then you will see this when it has synced with your computer or other devices:

Success!

The Motorola also has some cool photo apps that are FREE, which we love around here, which I will share with you in a future post! You can view all my past Verizon posts here: http://bargainbriana.com/tag/verizon/.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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I grew up reading Garfield comics and watching the show on television so I was happy to know my kids love to watch Garfield just as much as I did. This is a classic and never goes out of style! Get into the summer adventures with Garfield Show: Summertime Adventures DVD, which was recently released on DVD on May 29. It is currently $11.97 on DVD at Amazon.

It’s one adventure after another as Garfield and his pals look for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, try to save their favorite pizza place and morph into superheroes! Then hold on and get ready for one wild ride as they visit Cheese World, a cheese-lover’s theme park! But will Jon rain on the summer fun when he enrolls Garfield in an extreme education program to become a “normal” cat? Not if Garfield can help it!

This is a show that is great for ALL ages! 

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

This post is sponsored by X. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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More fun, less mess? Something that keeps the kids entertained? All the kids entertained? Yes, that is Gak and Floam from Nickelodeon!

Floam allows your child to express their creativity with this reusable molding compounding. The new formula is much easier to use and less messy than before, which moms will LOVE! Your child can allow their creations to harden overnight to be kept forever or placed back in the air tight container to reuse. This is a great summer fun activity for indoors or outdoors.

Gak is stretchy and squishy and will keep kids entertained for hours. It can be squeezed, squashed, stretched, twisted, rolled, and bubbled! Gak is also reusable for hours of fun. Available in Rebel Red, You Blue It, Yakkity Yellow, Go Green, Tickled Pink, and Purple Panic. Priced around $6.99 per container.

Read more reviews from Bargain Briana or at the Buzz by Bargain Briana.

Products were provided by Nickelodeon via Child’s Play Communication to facilitate this review . Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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I’ve just had the Motorola Xyboard for a couple of weeks now and I’m still trying to adjust to a Android based system as I’m used to another phone operating system. There are definitely things I enjoy about the Android system.  There are other things I don’t know and need more instruction on.

Since I’m new to Android and the Xyboard, I thought I’d hit up one of the FREE Verizon Wireless Workshops. These are available online or in-person at Verizon Wireless retail locations. While we did have training while in Chicago for the Verizon Wireless Savvy Saver Kick Off, reinforcement of some of the items discussed has been very handy.

For example, I couldn’t remember how to check to see what programs were running. One of the tips from the online workshop was how to see what program are running and to close those programs. My memory was instantly jogged!  FYI, tap the lower right hand corner to see what programs are running.

If you have a new product or just want to maximize the use of your Verizon Wireless device, you should consider attending one of these FREE workshops.  These workshops are available for anyone.

Have you attended a FREE Verizon Wireless Workshop? How was your experience?

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page. 

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This past weekend, I headed to Chicago to meet up with Verizon and some other Midwest bloggers. This is to kick off participating in several months of the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program. The kickoff was great because not only was I able to meet my fellow bloggers but also get hands on training for the first device we will be trying out!

Since downtown Chicago is not that far from my home base, I decided to drive instead of fly. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know I don’t always have the best of luck when I fly. I mean, I’m still alive and all, which is FANTASTIC but about 1 in 3 flights ends with some sort of delay, missed flight, landing gear issues, lost luggage, etc. Plus, three hours in the car or two hour round trip drive to the airport, plus security, short flight. It only made sense to drive.

Driving also allows me to bring my little Thirty-One Products cooler to save on waters and other drinks on my trip. It is so sleek and stylin’, you can hardly tell it’s a cooler.  Then again, it was probably not the smartest move to drink 64 ounces of water but two medium coffees on my drive.

On my drive, I relied on the Waze app on my phone to learn about any speed traps, traffic, and other obstacles on my route. This is a completely free app with user generated information. I arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel and met up with Tracie, Penny Pinching Mom, one of my long time blogging buddies from Kansas.

The room on the 18th floor at the Hard Rock Hotel was modernly decorated and very spacious.  However, I was right by the elevator and that made it a bit noisy. It didn’t stop me from sleeping later, though!

Sooooo….what device did we received to start out with???? We had been been teased previously with two clues…

Clue #1: It has a “sweet” yet “intricate” operating system. (Sweet as in Apple? Blackberry?)

Clue #2: Your device is tough. Strong like a Gorilla. Keep the guesses coming! (Gorilla? Oh, like Gorilla glass perhaps?)

Drumroll….

It is the Droid Xyboard 10.1 Tablet by Motorola.

Did you guess right? I had no clue so don’t feel bad! ;) 

I’m a little lost in the Android world as I’m a Apple products girl. It will be a learning curve and I will be comparing it extensively to our iPads, which I LOVE. Be prepared for some very honest and open reviews about the Droid Xyboard 10.1 Tablet by Motorola!

Already, I’m loving the speeds of the Verizon 4G LTE network, which is something that is actually available in my rural area! Hulu Plus, Netflix, with NO buffering is something I love.

You will have to wait for the next series of posts where I will share some of the cool things I’ve discovered on the Droid Xyboard. I’ve already found some really cool things and of course, there are a couple things I hope they improve too!

The best part of the trip was THE PEOPLE I met! The bloggers and the people who work for and with Verizon and Motorola are all fantastic.  Don’t they just look like a fun bunch?

 Do you have a Droid Xyboard? Share your thoughts and any tips/tricks in the comments.

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Savers program and I have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product. Learn more on how I disclose on my Disclosure Policy page.