Sandra

New Back to School Glasses (and a JCPenney Gift Card Giveaway!)

August 15, 2013 by Sandra 18 Comments

I received a JCPenney Gift Card in return for this post. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media.

Thoughts are my own.

For reasons I’ll mention in another post, we’re starting school a little later this year.

I’m okay with not diving right into school until September. The kids have been doing some school over the summer, and they’ve been reading books that interest them. I’m grateful for that.

But just because we’re starting school later than most doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of some of the awesome back to school deals that are going on right now. This time of year is wonderful for getting great deals on so many back to school essentials.

JCPenney Optical’s Back to School Promotion
Most recently, we took advantage of JCPenney Optical’s Back to School Promotion to buy a brand new pair of glasses for Breanna.

Breanna ended up getting a pair of kids’ designer glasses that she looks beautiful wearing, and I love that these glasses are so much higher quality than the pair she’s replacing. By the way, with the decision to buy new glasses, we ended up having Breanna’s eyes rechecked and found out that her prescription needed to be significantly stronger to help her see clearly.

She’s inherited her Mama’s poor eyesight.

That’s okay, though. Breanna actually loves wearing glasses and only really takes them off for bedtime and occasionally, when I ask her to remove them for glare-free pictures. 🙂

With the JCPenney promotion, you can get any kids’ frame up to $120 (with FREE impact & scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses, FREE UV protection, and a FREE eyeglass protection plan) for $25. This offer is for any school-aged child (16 years old and under), and it runs through August 31st. There are just a couple more weeks to take advantage of it.

You can visit the JCPenney Optical website to find a location near you.

Would you like to take advantage of this fabulous deal with the help of a $25 JCPenney gift card? Yes? Read on!

JCPenney Giveaway
I’m excited to announce that one of my readers will win a $25 JCPenney gift card of their own!

How to Enter the Giveaway
Simply enter this giveaway using the Rafflecopter below. I’ve included options for extra entries, too!

The JCPenney gift card Giveaway begins August 15th and ends on August 19th, 2013 (at midnight). The giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above. The winner will be randomly chosen. I will promptly send the winner an email notifying them that they’ve won, and the winner must respond within 48hrs. of the giveaway’s end, otherwise I will have to draw a new winner.

Enter Below
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a JCPenney Gift Card in return for this post. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

Softer Hair and Skin with the T3 Source Hand-held Shower Filter

August 12, 2013 by Sandra 1 Comment

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for T3. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and as a thank you for participating.

Do you think it’s possible to have softer hair, less frizz, and an overall improvement in the health of your hair by simply switching out your old shower head and using one that comes with a filter that removes the chlorine in the water?

I never would’ve thought it was possible to experience such drastic changes in my hair from something as simple as a shower filter. I’m not typically an “I’ve got to see it to believe it” type of girl, but if someone would’ve told me that my hair could have drastically less frizz and actually lay flat and not be all “poofy” without the use of a hair straightener, I wouldn’t have believed it.

But it’s true.

T3 Source Hand-held Shower Filter
I recently had the opportunity to try out the T3 Source Hand-held Shower Filter in my home, and I am amazed at the results. After only one use, my hair laid flat when it was dry and it felt completely different than what it felt like with my old shower head. Not only that, but my skin is softer after using the T3 Source shower filter.

The Installation Process
At this point, you might be thinking that the T3 Source Hand-held Shower head and filter sounds like a dream, but it’s probably a nightmare to install and start using. Not so. Installation is a simple process.

I watched the installation video first. Trust me. Do this, and you’ll see that it’s a simple process.

T3 Source Shower Filter Installation Video

Then I had my husband install the shower head and filter. True story. 🙂

After all, I’m too short. But as I mentioned, the process was not difficult for him.

Here are the step-by-step instructions.

First, remove the old shower head.

Then wrap plumber’s tape clockwise around the shower pipe.

After that, screw the shower arm bracket onto the shower pipe. (Don’t forget to use the washers that are included, so that you can achieve the proper seal.)

Next, attach one end of the hose to the bracket and the other end of the hose to the shower handle itself.

Once the shower head is ready to go, turn it on, and let it run for 5 minutes with hot water before using it for the first time.

That’s it. If you’re wondering where the filter is at, it’s actually located inside the shower handle.

Final Thoughts
I absolutely love our new shower head and filter. It’s definitely exceeded my expectations, and I’m looking forward to using it for years to come.

Have you ever used a shower filter in the past? Do you know if your water source carries a lot of chlorine?

For more information on the T3 Source Shower Filter, please visit the T3 Micro website. You can stay up-to-date with T3 by visiting their Facebook page.

A Healthy Option for Moms and Their Kids #TryFrusionFree

August 10, 2013 by Sandra 2 Comments

My kids loved the taste of Frusion smoothies – sponsored post.

Being a mom (or a dad) is tough.

And it can be stressful, so I make every effort possible to make mealtime and snack time an easy thing. But “easy” doesn’t have to mean “unhealthy.” Not at all. There are lots of quick and easy ways to feed your kids healthy snacks that don’t take a lot of time to prepare. A favorite healthy snack at our house is cucumber with a little lime and sea salt – delicious! We could literally eat cucumbers this way everyday.

Besides veggies, my kids also love fruit smoothies, and one of our favorites is the Frusion C-Charged smoothie.

Snack Time Outside
The kids like to spend time ~~being wild~~ unwinding outside, and while they’re at it, they enjoy a fruit smoothie to recharge their batteries. Isaac, my 6-year-old, loves to bike ride. He is just as wild on the bike as he is off the bike, so I have to keep my eye on him.

Frusion Taste
My kids love the taste of the Frusion C-Charged smoothies. So far we’ve tried Banana Berry & Peach Passion Fruit — they were equally liked. Ruben picked up three packs at the grocery store last night, and I know they won’t last long.

Perfect Snack for Picky Eaters
I live among picky eaters, and while I’m trying to slowly change that by feeding my kids a variety of fruits and vegetables, it isn’t always easy to get them to eat what I want them to eat so that they’ll be healthy. I love that Frusion smoothies contain a full days Vitamin C and no high fructose corn syrup.

For Moms
These smoothies are great for moms, too. 😉 I can tell you that they’re super convenient for grabbing in the morning before I head out the door. If you’re a regular reader, you know that I technically “work-from-home,” but for me, that “practically” means that I work from an office I check out at the local library 4-5 days a week.

I had a smoothie this morning while spending some time outside with the kids, and it kept me going after I left for the library and throughout the morning.

Try Frusion Free!
If you want to try Frusion C-Charged smoothies with your family, you can, and you can do it for free after this mail-in-rebate on Frusion’s Facebook page.

What kinds of snacks do your kids love the most? What’s your favorite fruit smoothie flavor?

Cadbury Ice Cream Bars ‘High Tea’ Party

August 9, 2013 by Sandra 3 Comments

A special thanks to Cadbury and MomSelect for the party kit I received to put together a fantastic tea party.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every little girl had the chance to experience a tea party at least once in her life? And wouldn’t having Cadbury ice cream bars at her tea party make it even more memorable?

I think so.

The ‘High Tea’ Party
I recently threw a tea party for some very special girls, and we had such a good time. The girls drank tea from adorable miniature tea cups, which they were able to take home to remember this party and to have for future tea parties of their own. They also wore elegant, fancy hats and enjoyed cold meat sandwiches for dinner.

TEA PARTY TIP: Cut sandwich bread into small triangles for a fun ‘old-fashioned’ tea party effect. The girls will love it.

Cadbury Ice Cream Bars
For dessert at our tea party, we delighted in Cadbury ice cream bars. These bars were the perfect ‘dainty’ size, and they were delicious.

I had four different kinds for the girls — royal dark chocolate, english toffee, caramello, and vanilla chocolate. English toffee was definitely a favorite.

DID YOU KNOW? Teatime is traditionally in the afternoon. We scheduled our party around 6:30pm.

A Confession
I’ve never thrown a tea party before, and I was a little nervous. But I think the girls truly had a great time, and I’m sure the fabulous hats helped. The girls each took their hat home, too. 🙂

Would you like to have a tea party of your own? I’m sure you already know that it’s super easy, but in case you need a little help…

Here are my 5 Tips for a Successful Tea Party

Plan your party.
Keep it simple. You may or make not want to have a teatime meal, like sandwiches.
Splurge on a set of cute tea cups. You won’t regret it.
Have a fun treat to go along with the tea. We had ice cream bars.
Laugh, and enjoy creating lasting memories.

All in all, I think both the moms and daughters had a great time at our Cadbury Ice Cream Bars ‘High Tea’ Party. I can’t wait to do it again someday!

Have you ever thrown a tea party? Is this something you’d like to do with your daughter?

Sandra

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