Just Another New Blog

Got giveaways? Please do share! You can link any family-friendly giveaway here weekly to promote it. And you can enter them, too, of course. My Saturday linky is below. Please include prize and ending date, and link directly to the giveaway page.

Looking for more blogs hosting Saturday giveaway fun? Visit Aleks at Busy Working Mama and Kristi at Mom's Own Words. Good luck to those who enter, and everyone else - enjoy browsing!

* Puzzles Book Bundle 6/3

I am not a couponing pro. Yet, over the past few years, I've used coupons on a regular basis. I've bought toothpaste, soap, cold medicine, baby shampoo, and more without paying a cent out of pocket. How's that possible? By combining deals and coupons.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing covers everything I know about couponing from reading blogs, deal sites, and books.It even taught me a few neat tricks. The book is well-written and the information neatly organized. It is intended for the newbie couponers but even if you've been using coupons for years, there may be a few things to learn from former librarian turned coupon pro Rachel Singer Gordon.

Part 1 of the book covers couponing basics - from printed, printable, and electronic coupons to debunking coupon myths. Part 2 teaches you how to use coupons effectively. Be flexible, take advantage of money-back coupons and rewards programs, use drugstore savings, and learn couponing strategies. Part 3 is dedicated to online and mobile couponing - something I personally have not done yet. Finally, Part 4 is all about planning and organizing - two very important skills when it comes to couponing (and life in general, in my opinion).

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing may be a true eye-opener if you've never used coupons - and even if you have. I recommend it to everyone who's ever wondered how people save hundreds of dollars every year by using coupons effectively.

The Giveaway
One lucky U.S. reader will win a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Couponing!

To enter, please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form.

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Book Description
Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone...

For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn?t?including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all... anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

The Giveaway
One lucky U.S. reader will win a copy of Lucky in Love (A Lucky Harbor Novel) by Jill Shalvis!

To enter, please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form.

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Before I had children, I thought that kids only needed costumes one day a year: on Halloween. Now I know better: from dress-up to theme birthday parties, my kids can have hours of fun pretend play with costumes - or with whatever props they find in my own closet.

My daughter loves dressing up in dance costumes for end-of-year recitals. Over the past few weeks, she's also dressed up as a superhero and a pirate for her friends' birthday parties. Her favorite type of costume used to be anything princess, and preferably pink. We have a superhero cape in purple - and now an adorable pirate costume from AnytimeCostumes.com.

The Child Sassy Victorian Pirate Costume is very cute and includes a dress and a pirate hat. It pairs perfectly with a pair of black leggings and black boots. You can even add a plastic sword - or not, just the costume was enough for hours of pretend play for my daughter. The dress and hat are well-made, and I love the colors. The Child Sassy Victorian Pirate Costume  comes in three sizes: small, medium, and large. Anytime Costumes offers free size exchanges with no additional shipping charges in case you need a better fit.

Now that we have the perfect costume for a pirate, my kids love turning the living room into a pirate ship. They tell me we need a parrot, an eye patch, and a peg leg. I do draw the line at adding an ocean to the props. Ahoy matey! All aboard!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Got giveaways? Please do share! You can link any family-friendly giveaway here weekly to promote it. And you can enter them, too, of course. My Saturday linky is below. Please include prize and ending date, and link directly to the giveaway page.

Looking for more blogs hosting Saturday giveaway fun? Visit Aleks at Busy Working Mama and Kristi at Mom's Own Words. Good luck to those who enter, and everyone else - enjoy browsing!

* Puzzles Book Bundle 6/3
* $25 GC to Cool Cuts 4 Kids 6/6
* The Butterfly Cabinet - 2 winners 6/7
* Pinterest for Dummies 6/8
* Moppy Probiotic Floor Cleaner 6/9
* Hylunia Skincare Prize Pack ARV $120 6/10
* Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook 6/11
* KIWI and Shout Clean Team Prize Pack 6/12

My family loves olives. We use them on salads, in appetizers, and in my favorite Spanish quiche recipe. We also buy olive oil by the gallon. A salad at my table is never complete without some olive oil!

It never occurred to me that olives can be a portable snack - until I discovered Mario Snack Olives. They pack olives in convenient pouches. Each pouch holds 1.75 oz of olives - 100 calories worth. I am used to eating olives that come in jars or cans with liquid, so I was concerned that the olives in brine-less pouches may be dry. They are not - they taste great, just as if they came in a just-opened jar. The olives are lightly coated in olive oil to stay juicy and delicious.The Mario Snack Olives are available in three varieties: Manzanilla Olives with Garlic and Thyme, Manzanilla Olives with Chili and Thyme, and Kalamata Olives with Thyme. My favorite are the Kalamata olives. My husband, who loves spicy food, inhaled the chili-seasoned olives and asked me to get a few more boxes.

My only complaint is the high salt content. If that bothers you, I suggest rinsing out the olives before eating. That might interfere with the seasonings, though. I'd top a green salad with them and skip the salt. Otherwise, Mario Snack Olives are a perfect snack: at home, at school, or at the office.

You can find Mario Snack Olives at major grocery chains, as well as at their online store and on Amazon. Connect with Mario Camacho Foods on Facebook and Twitter (@brandmario). 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The school year is almost over, and my kids will be spending tons of time outdoors. Whether your children play organized sports or just love to run around outside all day, they are bound to get dirt and grass stains on their clothes.

KIWI and Shout are coming to the rescue of busy parents and active kids. During the month of May, they are giving away 350 Clean Team Prize Packs every Friday as part of their Game On! Sweepstakes. The Clean Team Prize Pack includes everything you need to get your game on without worrying about dirt and grass stains. There's KIWI Sports shoelaces - because we know that simply by replacing old, stained shoelaces we can make shoes look much better. Then there's KIWI Sport Cleaner to keep those sneakers in top shape. And - last but not least - a bottle of Shout Trigger Triple-Acting Formula stain remover to take care of stains. KIWI is my favorite shoe care brand, and I've been using their products for years. And there's always a bottle of Shout in my laundry room.

So hurry up to enter the Game On! Sweepstakes on KIWI's Facebook page. Tomorrow is the last Friday of this month!


The Giveaway
One lucky U.S. reader will win a Clean Team Prize Pack right here! The prize includes KIWI laces, KIWI Sport Cleaner, and Shout stain remover.

To enter, please follow the Rafflecopter instructions.

*If you can't see the form, please refresh your page, make sure Javascript is enabled, or try another browser.


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Book Description
YOU ENJOY IT AS A SOUP.
YOU’LL LOVE IT AS A MEAL!

• Stir-fry ramen with peppers and shrimp for a delicious noodle bowl
• Bake layers of uncooked ramen and spinach smothered in pasta sauce for a hearty lasagne
• Steam noodles and salmon in parchment packets for a dish that will impress any guest

It’s that quick and easy! With just a few simple tricks, Ramen to the Rescue transforms the classic, can’t-fail pack of noodles into over 100 amazing, palate-pleasing dishes, like:

•Bacon, Egg and Ramen Scramble
•Minestrone Soup
•Black Bean and Green Chile
•Stuffed Peppers
•Ramen-n-Cheese
•Cold Noodle Salad with Grilled Beef
•Ramen Bolognese
•Pad Thai
•Salmon Croquettes with Creamy Chili Sauce

My Thoughts
My family loves noodle-based dishes. I have a shrimp-and-broccoli over noodles recipe that's always a winner. I am (almost) addicted to Pad Thai, and my husband can live on spicy noodles and any meat and veggies on top. 

Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook by Jessica Harlan takes the modest, unassuming ramen noodles and transforms them into over 100 different dishes. Think beyond noodle soup and stir-fries: there's Herby Buttered Noodles and Peas, Warm Lemon Poppy Seed Salad, Ramen-Crusted Trout, and even desserts. The recipes are grouped into categories, such as Snacks and Starters, Breakfasts, Soups, Salads, Side Dishes, Asian-Inspired Classics, and more. The prepping and cooking directions are clear and easy to follow. There's a handy section, listing ingredients you'd need to make those delicious ramen noodles recipes, another on kitchenware, and a list of ramen manufacturers and retailers. Our favorite brand is Nongshim, Korean instant noodles that we buy by the case at our wholesale club or on Amazon.

Cooking - and eating! - ramen noodles can be lots of fun with the Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook.

The Giveaway
One lucky U.S. / Canadian reader will win a copy of Ramen to the Rescue Cookbook: 120 Creative Recipes for Easy Meals Using Everyone's Favorite Pack of Noodles!

To enter, please follow the Rafflecopter instructions.

*If you can't see the form, please refresh your page, make sure Javascript is enabled, or try another browser.

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Book Description
From critically acclaimed historian Juliet Nicolson comes a glorious debut novel set in 1936 London about secrecy, tumultuous love, and a king and his subjects torn between public duty and private desire.

The Second World War looms in a world that dreads another international conflict, and England is full of secrets, not least of which is the affair the newly proclaimed King is having with an American divorcÉe. But not every confidence involves royalty. The lovely young chauffeur May Thomas and the complex Oxford undergraduate Julian Richardson share an undeclared love, while the identity of May’s real father remains mysterious. Mrs. Cage, the housekeeper, desperately tries to keep her Nazi-sympathies hidden, and Evangeline Nettlefold’s ambivalent relationship with her school friend Wallis Simpson threatens to become explosive. 

Secrecy, tensions between parent and child, the private tussles of life, and the dilemma of whether or not duty supersedes love, reverberate throughout Abdication, in matters of social conscience, politics, and romance.

A glorious story that brings to mind the film The King’s Speech, as well as the beloved English novels Brideshead Revisited and The Remains of the Day, Abdication is a breathtaking story inspired by a love affair that shook the world at a time when the world was on the brink of war.

Abdication is new today from Atria Books.

Over the past few months, I've learned that probiotics are not just about yogurt: they can keep my home clean, too. Natural House has come up with natural household cleaning products that put the power of probiotics to work: in the bathroom, in the kitchen, and now on my floors.

Natural House cleaners are phosphate/APE-free, eco-friendly, non-toxic and biodegradable. Moppy, the latest product I've tried, is a floor cleaner and scrubber. It comes in packs of 4 soluble packets. Each packet dissolves into a gallon of water - then you mop and scrub to your little heart's content. Moppy has a pleasant orange mint scent. This cleaner is concentrated, and does the job very well. Its plant-derived scrubbing agents are safe to use on many types of flooring, including high-gloss, terrazzo, marble, slate, vinyl, tile, and finished hardwood. The best thing for me is that Moppy’s probiotics remain on the surface to help maintain a germ-free and odor-free household. The company recommends that you use Moppy once a week to keep floors spotless.

Moppy retails at $4.99 for 1-month supply. You can purchase Natural House products at their website. They are also available on Amazon, great news for those who enjoy Amazon's one-stop shopping, Prime benefits and free super saver shipping like I do.

Connect with Natural House on Facebook and Twitter (@naturalhousepro).

The Giveaway
One U.S. reader will win a 1-month supply of Moppy probiotic floor cleaner and scrubber!

To enter, please follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter.

* If you can't see the form, please refresh your page, make sure Javascript is enabled, or try another browser.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway