Lite Sprites - Hot Toy for 2011 - Review & Giveaway

Don't you wish you knew which toys were going to be the HOT toys at Christmastime, so you could run out and buy them now instead of chasing from store to store in a mad dash only to find that they're all sold out?

If you have a young elementary aged girl in your life, then Lite Sprites just might be one of those Hot Toys. We were fortunate to be able to try out Lite Sprites before they hit stores (they are in stores now) and of course before the holiday bustle.

My kids are 5 and 7. Guess what they thought when they opened the box and found multi-colored "fairy" girls, little pets, and a wand!?!

There were squeals, a lot of jumping, and some fighting over who would play with what first. Lite Sprites come with their own world. You can buy the tree of life - which is  basically the home base of all activity. Lite Sprites and pets can hang from the canopy, climb the stairs, walk the path and play around the tree just like a playhouse.

There are 5 different Lite Sprites. Each one interacts with the wand and tree. They all do about the same thing except some of the girls can do different magic spells. We found this part a little tricky. My kids really liked the wand the best. Then the tree of life. Then the little pets. Then the girls.

The wand was the hands down favorite because of it's versatility and because it does most of the action. The wand comes with suggested color games and ways to play with it. My kids loved to collect colors from different objects in the house and transfer those colors to the lite sprites and the tree house.

I have to be honest when I say that I think they really liked the fact that the wand made noises and talked. It would say "too dark" if they chose a dark color and they thought that was fantastic.

I would hear the wand noises in their rooms at night and early in the morning. They traded the pets back and forth and loved to make them swing on the canopy. I called the pets "ants on a log". Maybe you can see why.

So I bet you're wondering if this toy set got "old" right away. Playing with it "the right way" got old after a few days. But they have kept playing with it in all sorts of ways. They trade the pets and have added the lite sprite tree to the "backyard" of the doll house. They all sort of interact together. 

Every once in awhile, I hear my kids play with the wand and collect colors. But they don't change the colors on the girls as often as they did when it was first new. The wand has been seen in wizard fights and attempting to change dinosaurs different colors.

Like all toys, kids will play with them in all sorts of ways. And to keep them fresh, I recommend putting them away every few weeks. Then take them back out and let them be new again. When I put these away and take them back out, I'm sure they'll start changing colors again.

Want to see how you're supposed to play with Lite Sprites? Check out this video:

Want a chance to bring the Lite Sprites to your home?  WowWee toys is generously offering one Suburban Jungle reader a whole set of Lite Sprite toys.

What will you win:

• 1 Lite Wand and Prisma Sprite set
• 1 Assorted Sprite
• Lite Pets
• & 1 other playset!

This is enough to get the little girl in your life started on her own lite sprite adventure.

To Enter: Watch the demo video above and tell me what you think about it in the comments below.

Extra Entries: 

• Follow @litesprites on Twitter for 1 Extra Entry - leave an extra comment below
• Like Lite Sprites on Facebook for 1 Extra Entry
• Follow @suburbanjung on Twitter for 1 Extra Entry
• Follow The Suburban Jungle on Google Friend connect publicly for 1 extra entry
• Share this contest on twitter, facebook or your blog for 2 extra entries (2 extra for each way you share)

*This contest will end on September 9, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST and is open to US residents only. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. WowWee toys provided the review products and giveaway prizes. No compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Review

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own. For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.




When it comes to healthy snacking, I do not take short cuts. I make most of my own food and when I do buy something, I read the entire package. But sometimes you find a product that is consistently good and you don't have to read the label anymore. That's how I feel about Dannon yogurts. 


This is a sponsored post, but before I ever even had the chance to try the new Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt, Dannon was the only non-organic yogurt brand I purchased. Why? Because I trust the ingredients.


I was super excited to be offered the chance to try Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt and was beyond thrilled to flip over the container on the plain greek yogurt flavor to see only 1 ingredient - cultured milk. How awesome is that!?? But it was about to get even better. One cup of plain Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt had only 80 calories and 15 grams of protein. That's a lot of protein. And it's not from adding whey powder or some other additive. 


The only ingredient was cultured milk! I'm also a sugar gram hunter and this yogurt contains 6 grams of sugar. Remember that milk naturally contains sugar, so this is about as low as it could get. 


In case you are wondering, the yogurts with fruit on the bottom have about 130 calories.


So - on to the taste. First of all, I love the taste of plain yogurt. It's a little bit tangy. It's creamy and smooth. Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt was everything I expected it to be, but thicker. It was really thick, like a pudding. I could imagine adding cocoa powder or a little pumpkin and cinnamon to create a pudding-like treat.


Dannon® Oikos® is so thick because it's created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture.


My daughter added raspberries and pecans into hers and absolutely loved it. It was so good (and I still can't get over the 15 grams of protein!) that I almost don't even want to make my own yogurt anymore.


Now that's saying something! I will definitely pick these up when we are traveling and feel good about packing them into my kids' lunch boxes. 


If you want to give Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt a try - head over to their facebook page to get a coupon good for a free cup - www.facebook.com/oikos 




I have partnered with Dannon to help promote the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Series.  I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about the promotion and product.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Learning to Fight - Brace for Impact

Maybe it's been a while since your last fight or maybe you've never hit anyone in your life! Either way, if you haven't hit anybody in awhile (a good thing) then you may need to get yourself back into fighting condition.

Oddly, I haven't thrown a real punch since childhood. Even then, there was a lot more wrestling than actual hitting. At least on my end.

So imagine my surprise when I started hitting again. The impact hurts. It jars your bones and rattles your brain.  It kind of reminds me of shooting a gun. Everyone thinks they know how to do it (you know, by watching movies) but when you actually shoot a gun, the power and the kickback are alarming.

It's the same with punching. I do a lot of punching and kicking when I work out to cardio kickboxing videos. It's not the same. We recently added this guy to our gym and I've been feeling what a real punch is like.

And of course, the only way to brace for what it feels like to get hit is to get hit.  We've done a little role playing lately to prepare my son for bullying incidents and let me tell you that getting hit is not so fun.

But it makes me realize that I might want to take this a little further. I'm working out in the gym almost every day to increase my strength, speed, and endurance. Eventually, I may want to join a fighting club and wrestle/spar with other woman to take it to the next level. Until then - Bob beware. I'm building up my bone strength and reaction to hitting. I will be coming for you....

Save Money on your Cell Phone with Straight Talk

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

 

When it comes to cell phone plans, I am as clueless as a child. The one thing I do know - they are expensive. But what if they weren't?

Are there cell phone plans out there that don't cost and arm and a leg?  Yes and Straight Talk might be one of them.

Straight Talk allows you to have inexpensive, flexible service with no contracts and no credit checks. Straight Talk only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung.

There all sorts of options. For everything you need, consider the "All You Need Plan" with 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data.

Unlimited Monthly service is only $45 and includes calls, text, picture messaging, and web. You can call a friend every day and not have to worry about minutes - for only $499 a year. 

This appeals to me. I cringe whenever somebody sends me a text. For me texts equal minutes and minutes equal money. Unlimited calls, texts, web, and picture messaging would be great. Imagine not having to stress over minutes used!

411 calls are included at no extra charge and there are no activation, reactivation, or termination fees. 

For international long distance, Straight Talk offers a flexible prepaid calling service that allows you to make international calls from your home, cell, or office phone at low rates.

Reconditioned phones are available from $10.00 with camera, mp3 player, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability. You can also get smart phones; touch screen phones, and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth. Wow!

Check out this video to see what other Straight Talk customers are saying:

<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kx4K5aY9Wlk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…

That's a lot of information at once, but you can read all about it on their website. There is so much more available these days. You don't need to have a cell phone contract. You don't need to spend major bucks. And you can have the phone you want - to go with the plan you want.

mom knows best, right? Save money where you can. If you can get a reliable cell phone with inexpensive coverage and no contracts then look into it! 

How to Make Coconut Milk

Coconut milk, coconut water, coconut oil.... I'm sure you've heard a lot about each of these, but maybe you've never had a chance to try them. They are all really good (and good for you) but one of them is so easy to make  - you may want to consider adding it to your diet.

It's coconut milk. I use it instead of and in addition to dairy. It tastes great (especially when warm, surprisingly.)

Here's what you need: 1 1/2 cups of hot water, 7/8 cup of shredded (unsweetened! coconut), a blender, and cheesecloth

Put 1 cup of hot water and 7/8 cup of shredded coconut into your blender. Blend for 2 or 3 minutes on the highest speed. Pour into cheesecloth (use a tea towel or muslin fabric if you don't have cheesecloth) and squeeze out the coconut milk.

After you've squeezed out all the coconut milk you can (warning - the milk will be hot), put the pulp back in the blender and add 1/2 cup of water.

Blend for 1-2 minutes. Then put the pulp into the cheesecloth again and squeeze out the remaining milk. Save the pulp to add to pancakes, waffles, granola, muesli and other baked goods.

You should get at least 1 cup of coconut milk. Enjoy!

You can also use a similar method to make almond milk.

Carbonite Unlimited Online Backup

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

 

What happens when your hard drive fails? If you don't know the answer this this question, then it's time to start thinking about backing up your important files and documents. 

Since technology changes so quickly, I find myself buying really inexpensive (yes, cheap) computers and unfortunately, I have had my fair share of hard drive failures.

Most of the time I wasn't prepared and I lost all my photos and documents. But I'm learned my lesson and now I back up important information.

Almost everything seems to be moving online and computer backup is no different. And it couldn't be easier! Carbonite automatically backs up your files in the background whenever your computer is connected to the Internet. 

You can access your backed up files from any computer or your smartphone or iPad (with a free Carbonite app.)[tag_5592_plac

eholder]

 

So how much does this service cost? You get unlimited backup for your PC or Mac with anytime-anywhere-access for only $59/year.

You can even try it free for 15 days - no credit card required - and get 2 free months if you choose to buy it. Use Code: BLOGAD to get two free months with your purchase.

This whole service was new to me, but isn't actually new. Carbonite was founded in 2005 and has backed up over 7 billion files. If you are looking for an online backup, check out Carbonite and see if it will work for you. 

The Case of the Missing Cucumbers....

I take my garden very seriously. I only use organic fertilizers, no pesticides or herbicides, and I weed and check on it almost every day. So it's no surprise that people often come and talk to me in the garden. I happen to be there a lot.

But when people start talking about wanting to eat things out of my garden, I get defensive. A little much? Well, that's the truth. So when a neighbor asked if he could have "a few" tomatoes out of my garden, I did all I could not to make a mad face. My husband says you can read my emotions on my face, so I tried my absolute best. And I said, okay.

OMG! I said okay, but I was freaking out inside. Were they going to waste them? Were they going to think this could become a regular occurrence? He went on and on about how I should put a "pay box" outside the garden and let people just come in and decide how much to pay.

I was grateful to be wearing sunglasses or he might have saw me start crying. Pay what you want? Do people realize how much organic heirloom tomatoes are worth? On sale, they are about $4/pound. That's on sale people! My tomatoes are about 2 pounds each. They are full out organic and picked at total vine ripened perfection. Plus they are mine. That makes them worth so much more than $4/pound. But I'm just saying. $4/pound is a bench mark.

Don't even get me started on organic berries. Plus the fresh basil. And the whole idea of having people walking around my garden just makes me squirmy. Like standing in front of the whole neighborhood in my underwear while ants bite my skin. It's that kind of yuck.

I don't even know what else he said after that. I was so flustered about the idea that people would be in my garden. And that he asked me for "a few" tomatoes. This was the creep that said, "well, I guess some people HAVE to grow their own food." Agh!

As a garden stalker, I know that he came back later and took 5 tomatoes. At grocery store sale prices that's about $40. Plus remember he's the brat that said "I guess some people have to grow their own food."

I was beside myself for the whole next 2 days. I kept thinking he was going to be in the garden harvesting whatever he pleased. He most likely wasn't, but I couldn't stop thinking about the horror of it all.

I checked the garden even more vigilantly after that. Were all my veggies still there? I saw one of my raspberries branches leaning over toward his yard and I tucked them back in the fence. Phew. Then I saw it! 2 Cucumbers were missing. Two big ones.

We have cucumbers to spare, so I'm not super worried about it...but it's still annoying. My cucumber vine has climbed over the fence and the two that were missing were growing on the outside of the fence. Not touching his yard, but in a place where any animal could have snatched them (damn their agile little hands.)

Animals usually leave a trace though... When I told my daughter - who is in charge of the cucumbers and all flowers - she was mad. The first thing she said, "I wonder if the tomato guy took them?" That's what I was wondering.

Honestly, I bet he would ask first. But someone else might have noticed the low hanging fruit and took off with it. It's not like the garden is fort knox. It has a low fence around it and is clearly visible to the world. I'm finally letting this go. I am over the tomato asking. And I am over the lost cucumbers. But if someone starts grabbing berries - then it's time for a motion sensing camera. I'd love to know who "visits" my garden. And there will be no pay box!

Veggie Go's Snack Review

"Mom, why can't I have fruit roll-ups in my lunch box? Everyone else has them?" Sound familiar? It's a common complaint at our house. The answer - as always - is that I care about what goes into their bodies and fruit roll ups are nothing but chemicals and sugar.

But they taste good.... Got it. Guess what - real food tastes good too! How can you have good wholesome snacks that are as fun as a fruit roll up? You can try to make your own (it works but it's messy) or you can give Veggie Go's a try.

We were lucky enough to sample almost all of the Veggie Go's flavors. I was naive enough to think we'd have extra to tuck into backpacks next week, but I was wrong.

Dried fruit (of almost any kind) stands no chance in our house. Take a look at the varieties available:

As soon as my children saw them, they recognized them as "fruit rolls" and wanted to eat them. Our hands down favorite was Mountain Berry Spinach. But surprisingly, both of my kids also loved Cinnamon Spiced Beet and Mulled Wine.

I personally love beets and was excited to have a beet snack. I just love beets. My kids have never eaten beets and really liked the flavor. Unfortunately, none of us liked the sweet potato pie or the Carrot Ginger. They were just too spicy. The Ginger was overpowering and we just couldn't get used to the sweet potato pie. And we love carrots, sweet potatoes and pecans. We didn't receive a sample of Sweet Pea Green Tea.

But I will definitely buy the other 3 flavors (Berry, Beet, and Mulled  Wine.) They were fantastic. And the best part - no added sugars, chemicals, preservatives, nothing. The only ingredients were organic fruits, veggies, and some spices (like cinnamon or ginger.)

I would feel good about sending this type of "fruit roll" to school. And I know my kids would eat them. Unless I ate them all first....

*This is a non-compensated post. I did receive complimentary samples of the above mentioned fruit snacks for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own. Please visit The Naked Edge for ingredient and nutritional information.

Tell me I'm not alone....

Please tell me this has happened to you too! I know I have a disease when it comes to chocolate, but it's not normal to make a pan of brownies and eat 80% of it all by yourself, right?

Later in the day, I found my husband and son finishing off the pan. At first I was upset (really??) then I sighed in relief. They had put me out of my misery. It was all I could do not to finish the pan...but since they finished it my agony was over. There was no more need to resist the pan. How sad.....

*Does it count at all that these were made with zucchini and pure vanilla beans? I didn't think so. It just made them yummier.

Supreme 90 Day Workout Review

As someone who likes to try new fitness gear and routines, I was really excited to try the new Supreme 90 Day workout system. My first thought was - finally, a P90X type workout that's affordable! As it turns out, my initial thoughts were right.

Sadly, I had seen the Supreme 90 Day system at Walmart and Target but didn't buy it because I thought it was going to be cheap. Honestly, at only $19.99 it's a steal. But that's not even the case anymore. I've seen it on clearance at Target for $13! And brand new on Amazon for $9

I'm not even getting to the review yet, because that price is INSANE! Nine dollars for 10 workouts and a complete eating plan. Insane!

But is it worth it? Yes, Yes, Yes! I am on day 17 and decided to write my review before I even get to the 90 day mark because this system is fantastic.

Yes, you may have read on other reviews that the DVDs come in a flimsy case. Yes, there are errors in the video that they should have edited out. And yes, the warm-up and cool-downs are the same for most of the workouts. So what. I can deal with a few word slips when the workouts are quality.

And the workouts are great. I'd liken them to Turbulence Training and the Shape Shifter program, but with weights mixed in. They are fast moving, heart pumping workouts that get you in and out of the gym quickly.

So am I a Victoria Secret model after only 17 days? Of course not. But I am A LOT stronger. I've completed  a few of the videos 2 or 3 times and I can already complete them faster and with higher weights.

I feel stronger and my endurance has improved a ton. But the best part - I'm actually working out at my potential. It's so easy to just run along on the treadmill, watching tv and letting an hour go by. I know I can work out harder. I just don't most of the time.

But I do when I follow these videos. I consider myself to be in pretty good shape - athletic even - and I am able to get a really good workout with this system. Will I become shredded? Only time will tell - but I am headed in the right direction. My abs are back out (at least the top 4) And I'm becoming stronger in the process.

I've told a bunch of my girlfriends about the system already. Two have already ran out and bought it. The first thing they want to know is "Will this system make me skinny?"

If that's your question, let me answer it the same way I answered them. This system will make you lean. What is lean? Strong, slender, fast, powerful... And yes, that usually looks "skinny" with clothes on.

The #1 reason I would buy this system is because every dvd pushes you to work your hardest. That's what a personal trainer would do (but for a whole lot more than $19.99!!)

The second reason: The system tells you exactly what to do! You know what to do on day 1, day 24, day 39, day 70, day 90. Every day, you know what to do. You also know what to eat. The eating plan tells you exactly what to eat for each meal, every single day.

Oh I see how it works? You starve and that's how you get skinny, right? NO! I actually do not follow the eating plan because I think it's too much food!


I am not kidding. The meal  plan consists of 6 huge meals a day - separated for women and men. Here's a sample breakfast for women:


1/3 cup dry oatmeal cooked in 2/3 cup water with 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce. 4 scrambled egg whites + 1 yolk cooked with tomatoes and spinach. Season with sea salt and black pepper. 12 oz of black coffee or clear herbal tea (or water)


I'm a big eater, but this is two breakfasts for me. Now multiply this by 6 times a day. Maybe this seems like a normal amount of food to you. I'm not even thinking about it in terms of gaining/losing weight. I just think I'd barf if I ate this much and worked out this hard.

The premise, though is good. It's all about clean eating, which I agree with completely. I eat pretty clean (minus the candy addiction) and am working (hard) on scaling back my candy habit. I would eat everything on the menu except for the rice cakes and cracker snacks. I just hate crispy snacks. The rest of the menu consists of really good food options.

If you want to know exactly what to eat, you will benefit from the meal plan. If it's a decrease from how much you normally eat, then wow! But rest assured, you will not starve on this plan. Far from it.

All-in-all, I would recommend this system. If you want to know about any of the specific workouts, let me know.

*This is not a compensated post. I did receive a complimentary copy of the Supreme 90 Day system for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own. I am not a personal trainer, doctor, or nutritionist.

Costume Discounters Review

When it's back-to-school time, I start planning ahead for everything. School programs, field trips, lunches, after school activities, you name it! I even start planning for holidays. One holiday that's oddly expensive is Halloween. Decorations, candy, and parties all add up. Not to mention costumes. Good quality, unique costumes are hard to come by.

We recently had the opportunity to select from the girls costumes at Costume Discounters. If you've never been to this website, then I suggest you check it out. Not only for all the unique girls costumes but also for the boy costumes. We had a really hard time deciding which one to choose! The boy costumes were pretty scary and my son was loving it!

These are definitely costumes you won't find at Target or Walmart. We decided to get a much needed Colonial Girl Costume. If that seems like an odd choice, it isn't. Our school takes a field trip to an early 1800's school house each year and the children are required to dress in period clothing.

Last year, we scraped something together for my son, but in the back of my mind I was worried about what my little girl would wear. Then we saw the section with pilgrim costumes and my mind was made up!

It came right away and fit her perfectly. It was unique and well made. I had no idea this site even existed but we had a real need for a colonial costume and what do you know - they had one that works perfectly. And it was less than $30.

We are very happy with the costume and will put it to good use. If you are looking for costumes for halloween, plays, or even dress-up, you may want to take a look at Costume Discounters. They have a tremendous selection and you'll like what you find!

*This is not a compensated post. We did receive a complimentary costume for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.

Introducing the Tuna Dog

Every once in awhile I create a recipe that becomes a keeper. This time, it was my daughter's turn. While we were digging around the pantry trying to figure out what to make for lunch, she came up with this idea - "let's make a tuna dog," she said.

So we gathered some lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers from the garden. We chopped up the peppers and cucumbers and mixed them up with tuna. Then we put slices of tomato and lettuce into a hot dog bun (the only bread options in the pantry at the time) and the tuna dog was born.

We also had a few strawberries from the garden. I love it when we can take a bunch of random produce from the garden and make a meal. And I love that she was able to take the other parts of the pantry and put something together.

We laughed about the name, but loved the sandwich.

Tuition Assistance Programs for Military Spouses

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

Are you a military wife? I'm not, but my mother used to be. And I can tell you, it was difficult for her to find adequate support and work. 

When you follow a military spouse, you might move frequently. You may have odd family hours, and there is a lot of uncertainty. And unless your spouse is actively serving in a war, money can be tight.

Money was really tight for my parents (and at the time, two kids.) For almost a year, they bought and ate nothing but potatoes. Then my mother found a job in a sewing factory. She left us with an illegal immigrant woman who "lived" near the base.

What if she could have gained a marketable skill and actually put is an a reputable daycare?  She said she often feared that when she returned from work, the woman would have been gone with us.  For some reason, the woman was enamored with my older brother and she was most worried about him. 

Well, I hope none of you are in such dire straights, but if you are a military spouse - you have the chance to increase your skills and financial opportunities. You can take advantage of the MyCAA (Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts) Spouse Tuition Assistance Program.

You can receive up to $4000 of Financial Assistance if you are training in portable fields like Medical Billing and Coding, Electronic Health Records, Human Resources, Financial Management and Accounting (among others.)

If you are interested in training in these areas, Martinsburg Institute may be the place for you. Training is perfect for a Military spouse because everything comes on a laptop, allowing you to train at home or on the go. 

 

 erything comes on a laptop allowing students to train at home or on the go. Waiting for your daughter to finish up her dance lesson? Just fire up your laptop and start training for your future right on the spot! It's simple, flexible and portable!

For more information and help with getting started contact Kristina Berhenke at 760.808.2087 or click on www.martinsburgmilitaryspouse.

I've personally thought about Medical billing and coding because it is so flexible. You can even do it from home most of the time. And of all the things - speaking and deciphering quickly are some of my best skills. So, if you need skills or better job options - look into this!

The #1 Reason to Grow Tomatoes

There are all sorts of good reasons to garden, but this is my number one reason for growing tomatoes:

My semi-eaten Tomato, I started eating it and then thought - whoa I have to take a picture of this yummy goodness.

I could go for days and eat nothing but tomatoes. Well, tomatoes with basil and a little feta. This is so amazingly good, you can't even imagine.

Beyond this; you can make salsa, marinara sauces, pizza sauce, chili, roasted tomatoes, tomato soup, garnish salads, tacos, burritos..... the list is endless. And it's all tasty.

Saving Money by Taking Care of your Car - $50 Amazon Giveaway

You wouldn't spend years sitting on the couch eating chips and expect your body to be in good health, would you? Would you also expect your car to be in good condition if you neglected it for years?

The truth is, we need to take care of our things. And you can save a lot of money by taking care of your car. Here is my top 5 list for saving money on car repairs (and keeping up your resale value.)

#1 Perform all scheduled maintenance
Air Filters, brake pads, transmission fluids, fans, alternators, oil filters, belts, fuses, lights, windshield wipers, spark plugs.... This is just a small list of the things that need to be maintained and that can easily fail. Having your car routinely checked out can save you on major headaches in the future.

#2 Keep it clean
Why would you spend thousands of dollars on a vehicle, just to use it as your trash heap? If your kids throw cheerios on the floor, pick them up! Or better yet, have a no eating in the car policy (that will keep your car clean and help your waistline!).

I have a friend that let her children stick gum all over the seats in her brand new minivan. Her husband ended up cutting the gum out of the seats. What a waste! Their car lost a tremendous amount of value when they cut apart the seats. And you lose value by letting snow and ice rust your exterior. Or dirt and grime cause chips and dents.

And your car loses tremendous resale value if it's filthy or smells inside. Even imagine the customers/friends you might lose if they step into a dirty mess of a car.

#3 Keep your gas tank and tires full
Running out of gas will cost you big time. It may destroy your engine, but it will certainly destroy your day. You'll be late. You'll have to pay a fine or a fee for assistance. Plus keeping your tank low, makes it harder to start your car in the winter - putting extra stress on the starter and engine.

Filling your tires makes sure you get the optimum gas mileage. And it means you're checking the tires regularly for damage. A few months ago, I noticed a bulge in one of my tires and $170 later, I was told that it was only a matter of days before that tire would have blew out.

I would have been stranded. My rims and axles could have also been damaged, and if I was on the freeway, it's possible I could have been involved in a collision or serious accident.

#4 Drive responsibly and respectfully.

If you drive like a maniac, it goes without saying that you are risking your life and the lives of others. But you are also guzzling more gasoline and risking damage to your vehicle. You are also risking a ticket from the police - and the resulting increase in your insurance premiums.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. Show respect on the road!

#5 Keep your Insurance up-to-date and make sure you have enough insurance!
Make sure you keep your insurance up-to-date and make sure you have enough coverage! I can not stress this enough. About 10 years ago, my sister was in a collision while driving my car.

Luckily for her, I had full coverage. But not really good full coverage. She endured broken bones, surgeries, rehabilitation, and a lasting disability. In the end, she was never made whole. But it could have been worse. Know what it means to have good insurance, and make the phone call.

You can also save by preparing for future needs by signing up for programs like the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance program.

It's a service offering pay-as-you-go roadside assistance. You don't need to have Allstate insurance to use this service, there are no monthly fees (you only pay when you use it!) and it's easy to sign up. You can sign up for free below:


By pre-registering, you will receive a welcome kit in the mail containing a wallet card, key fob, and window cling with the phone number for roadside help. You'll have the help available in case anything comes up.

So what are you waiting for? You can sign up using the widget today! And even better - Allstate is offering one Suburban Jungle reader a $50 Amazon Gift Card.

To Enter: Share your best piece of advice for keeping your car in top operating condition. Leave your answer in the comments below - this is a mandatory first entry and must be completed before any other entries.

Bonus Entries:

• For 2 extra entries - Leave a comment when you Register for the Allstate Roadside Assistance Program (it's free - just use the widget above and enter your email address) below telling me that you signed up. (I will tally the entries)
• For 2 extra entries - Leave a comment when you Download the mobile app and comment that you downloaded it 
• For 1 extra entry -Leave a comment and your tweet url if you tweet the following: {Just entered the Allstate #ghrgiftcardgiveaway via @suburbanjung Could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card. Your turn! http://tinyurl.com/3joag3z}
• For 1 extra entry - Leave a comment with your link url if you share this giveaway on Facebook (through the widget or by including this link)

*This contest will end on August 29, 2011 at 10:00 AM EST. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Odds of winning are not increased by a purchase. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. This contest is being handled by me and the gift card is being donated by Allstate/Good Hands Roadside Assistance. This is a sponsored post.

The Time has Finally Arrived - the New Release of The Legend Of Zelda - Skyward Sword!!

WOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! That's the only word I have for the good news announced this week! The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword will be released on November 20th. And as luck would have it, you can pre-order it on Amazon. Woo!

I have always liked Nintendo games and have owned every Nintendo system ever made. And my favorite game - The Legend of Zelda. I have played and beat every single one. And this year, I hope to beat the Skyward Sword.

Check out a few shots from the new game:

This is what I'll be doing this winter. Lots and lots of fighting.

Back to School with Dollar General - 20% off printable coupon!

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

We've finished our back to school shopping, but if you haven't you may want to check out the deals at Dollar General. In case you didn't know, Dollar General has an entire printable coupon page. You can use these coupons on their already low prices, so if you're shopping Dollar General Back to School sales, you can also use the 20% off coupon. 

I was happy to see not only the 20% off coupon, but the save $5 on a $25 purchase coupon. Those generally work out well. 

I personally haven't shopped at Dollar General before, so I took some time to lurk on their website. I was surprised to see the wide variety of products (and the low prices!) 

I did a quick store locator and found the nearest Dollar General was 20 miles away. For most people, that's no biggie, but since we have so many stores within a 5 mile radius, it makes sense that it has slipped under my radar.

But it's worth a run to Get more of your Back to School needs for less at Dollar General. I'm going to check it out next time I need to stock up on seasonal items. We have a birthday party coming up - it might be the perfect time to check it out. And I'll be printing out coupons before I go - especially the save $5 off $25. 

If you've shopped at Dollar General and have any other savings advice or tips for making the most of your trip, I'd be happy to hear them. Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

OMG - PRUNES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been years since prunes have been in my home. YEARS! And it's not for the reasons you may be thinking! I am addicted to prunes. If I see them, I eat them. I eat them ALL.

I don't care if someone gave me a gallon of prunes. I'd eat all of them. I know what they do (bathroom-wise). I know how many calories and how much sugar they contain (naturally, but still). It doesn't matter. There is no rational way out of it. PRUNE=EAT.

And so when I first started getting coupons for these new D'Noir prunes, I threw them away. Okay, I recycled them. But eventually, the sales were too great. Plus, I've been trying to limit my candy intake so my mind was focused on sweets. So for $1.09, I succumbed to my prune cravings and bought this package.

Note the savage way the top was ripped off. I ate them in the car (yes all of them) before I even left the parking lot. And they were good......  I didn't even wash my hands after grocery shopping. OMG!

Clearly, I have a disease. I took the picture to remind myself of why I do not allow prunes in my house/car/hands/vision. Why do they have to be so tasty?

TracFone Benefits - Should you get one?

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

 

 

If you are looking for a reliable, inexpensive phone service, TracFone might be for you, especially if you like to call internationally. TracFone offers so many features,  has no contracts, no credit checks, no activation charges, and no cancellation fees.

 

With your TracFone service, you get low cost nationwide service and you can even call over 60 international destinations for the same price as any other call. There's even an International Neighbors program that allows you to provide family and friends in Mexico or Canada a local phone number (local in those countries, to reach you at your TracFone in the U.S.) See what real TracFone customers think of this service on Youtube.

 

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CjgA7x34iVo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

You can select from brand name phones from leading manufacturers like Motorola, Kyocera, LG, Nokia and Samsung. Choose from simple "Candy Bar" phones or  Bluetooth®-enabled "Smart" phones (and everything in between).

 

 

 

Monthly plans can be set to fit your lifestyle. You can choose simple phones (and simple service - with calling and texting capabilities for under $10.00.) You can get blue tooth enabled smart phones packed with features like camera/video recorder, web access, app capabilities, mp3 players, and full QWERTY keyboards  (some as low as $29.99!)

 

To get started, you can go online or buy cards at thousands of retails stores across the country.  You can buy monthly minutes with 200 minutes for under $30.00 and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes. Or you can get a 1 year service card for your TracFone, get double minutes for the life of your TracFone and 800 minutes for only $119.00.

 

"Double minutes for the life of your phone" can be purchased separately for only $19.99, but some phones include it!Want to learn more about your phone service needs, see how real TracFone customers are using their TracFones.

What Would you Pay to be Fit?

Put your money where your mouth is! That's my motto when it comes to most things, and it really should apply to fitness as well. But for years I wouldn't sign up for a gym membership because I couldn't rationalize the cost.

Really - I still can't. Great exercise can be FREE. And when it's free, it's even better because it's free. It's natural, it's organic, it's spiritual.  Even though I haven't belonged to a gym in over a decade, I still exercise almost every day. I'm not saying I get up from the couch and walk to the fridge. I mean: I exercise. Sweaty, grunty, loud music-blaring exercise.

And there is nothing that would stop me from continuing my routine. Well - almost nothing. You see, to really exercise: sweat all over your face - just you against the world - rat in a cage - run until you collapse - I can't believe I just did that - sheer bliss type of exercise needs to be done alone.

Or with a buddy, I guess - if you're into that sort of thing. But not with children. Not with interruptions asking for snacks. Not with cats throwing toys on your body and meowing. Not with phone calls and tattling and.....  You get the point.

To really let go, you really have to be free. That's not something every mom gets. I sure didn't get it - not until both of my kids were in school. Then I came back to life. It's sad to say, but I was dead when my kids were young. I took care of them. I cleaned the house. And that was it. Dead, dead, dead.

I came alive when my youngest went of to school. I could hear myself think. I could finish projects. I could really exercise and it rocked! Just 6 hours a week to myself was enough to bring me back.

I established a routine. I hardly ever missed a workout. Life was good and I was looking forward to school starting again this fall.

Then I got the letter. "Your daughter will be in PM kindergarten." What the hell!?!?!?! Our neighborhood was AM kindergarten. That's how my routine is set. It's all babies in the morning, then it's all mom, then it's back to the house and babies. Life is good when mom gets "mom time."

There could be no afternoon kindergarten! With PM kindergarten - the plan would be: feed babies, race to the bus, endless princess/cat/friends/crafts maybe mixed in with some gymnastics/swimming for my daughter, then racing her off to the bus - then finally cleaning the house, going grocery shopping, suppressing my rage, then picking the kids up at the bus - fighting over homework, running to swimming/tae kwon do/whatever, racing home for dinner - going to bed angry.

My body went into lockdown when I read the letter. I called the school immediately. "We're sorry we are not open until August 9th." That was in June. I wrote the date on every calendar I owned. I informed my husband that I needed to change her kindergarten and went over the options. On August 9th - I called again.

She told me I could switch to AM kindergarten if I had a valid reason (damn right I did!) and that there would be no bus service if I chose to switch.

I had anticipated this, and decided to switch anyway. Here's my thought. We live 1.2 miles from school. I know because I clocked it so we could time ourselves walking/biking to school. Let's say it costs me $1 a day to get my daughter from school. About $20 a month.

You know what - that sucks. But damn it: when am I going to finally consider myself valuable enough to spend a little money? Yes it will suck to drive to school and fight for parking, but the alternative is so much worse.

So it was an easy decision for me to make. I could tell my husband was annoyed. But it is worth it to take the time, gas, car wear/tear, and effort to have my schedule work for me. And I'm not going to give it a second thought. I'm not going to try to "make up" the extra gas money by saving somewhere else. Forget it! My health is worth whatever it ends up costing. Finally!


*In case you're wondering, I do not have an obsession with being thin. I am naturally thin, but exercise is my medicine. Without it; I am achy, crabby, and a downright bi**h. It naturally regulates my hormones, moods, and feelings. Trust me - you do not want to make me miss a workout (and get the hell away from me if I have missed a couple!) For most people - just stay away from me...period.

When Dinner gets Tough - $20 Visa Gift Card & Ragu Giveaway

You would think getting dinner on the table every night wouldn't be that hard to accomplish. But if your kids are in any activities, then sometimes you know your family is lucky if you're able to scrape up anything on time?

On those nights, it's so easy (and still healthy!) to have a pasta night. Just open up a jar of Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional pasta sauce, boil some water (or in our house, zucchini) and you're done. Phew!

Ragu has a lot to say about dinner time! Check out this video - entitled "When Dinner Gets Tough."



You can join in the discussion and share your 2 cents about dinner at the Ragu Mom's the Word on Dinner Community on Facebook. It's easy to get involved. You can quickly share your stories and ask questions!

But that's not all. Ragu is offering one Suburban Jungle reader the chance to win "dinner on us" by giving away a $20 Visa gift card! 

To Enter: Visit the Ragu Mom's the Word on Dinner Community on Facebook. Leave a comment on their page about how you survive when dinner get's tough. Then leave a link to that comment on this post.

Extra Entries: Leave 2 Extra Comments for sharing this contest on twitter, facebook, or your blog (2 extra entries for each share - up to 6 extra)

*This contest will end on August 26, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. The prize will be shipped directly from the sponsor. This contest is open to US residents 18 years of age and older. I received compensation for this post/giveaway.

How to Make Berry syrup WITHOUT any sugar or sweeteners

If you are going to eat pancakes (waffles, french toast, etc....) then please use whole ingredients and make them yourself. But beyond that, try your best to use the very best toppings. Real cream, real maple syrup, and berries.

My favorite topping - berry syrup. I make mine without any sugar, and as you can guess, it is so simple to make. 

Here's what you do:

Step 1. Put a few cups of berries into a saucepan

Step 2. Heat and mash the berries together. Cook it on low until it's as thick as you want it. Cook longer for thicker syrup.

Step 3. Eat.

It's really that simple and you do NOT need any sweeteners. Not sugar, Not honey, Not splenda or whatever fake sugar people are using these days. And there's no stress about how long to cook them. You can even mix them together raw, mash a bit, and let their natural juices combine. I do that all the time. 

If berries aren't sweet enough for you, then add a few dashes of cinnamon or a few sprigs of mint. Your taste buds will register sweet even though you haven't added any sugars.  

Go back-to-school in style - don't forget new glasses!

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

Going back-to-school is exciting, scary, and stressful - all at the same time. Picking the right clothes and sticking to a budget add to the mix. But what about kids that wear glasses? Glasses can add (or detract) from your style. 

I look back at my old photos and see that I wore the SAME glasses for years. It didn't matter that the super small hot pink frames that were appropriate (or so I thought) in 4th grade were not cool in 7th grade - I wore them every year. 

Of course, glasses cost a lot more back then, and I had to choose a frame and stick with it. Now you can get glasses for as low as $9.99 at Zenni Optical. That's where I'm going if my kids ever need glasses. And that's wear I'd shop for myself if I hadn't had lasik.

My sister just recently bought glasses at Zenni. Things are so much easier these days. Go internet!

What happens when your son's glasses get broken during soccer practice? Or your daughter loses them at school!! You are so much less likely to freak when you save money on prescription glasses than if you paid a ton! 

Plus, we all have a certain budget for back-to-school. You don't want to eat up the whole budget on glasses. And with a whole lot of glasses under $20, you might even be able to indulge your little fashionista and let her have multiple pairs - to use her glasses not only as a sight helper but also as an accessory. 

Why not save where you can? Check out the glasses at Zenni Optical and see how much you're able to save.

Disabled by the Space bar

The space bar - who needs it? Well - apparently I do. Last week my spacebar stopped working. I searched all over online to see if there was a hot key I might have accidentally hit.

I shut down my computer and started it up again. I took off the key and searched below. Nothing. And so I decided to live without a spacebar. No biggee. Or at least that's what I thought.

Obviously, I couldn't blog. Not coherently anyway. I could only type back to people in one word sentences, or copy and paste from previous emails. Not cool.

I could sort of google search - as long as google could figure out what I was really trying to say. Then - my husband showed me how to use an onscreen keyboard. After every word, I'd have to mouse down to the onscreen keyboard and pick spacebar.

I was saved! I could now email intelligently and search with ease. Well, not really ease. Then I ordered a new keyboard on ebay, waited a few days, and then my husband installed the new keyboard.

For $15, I was a new person. It was worth it!

Save on Back to School Clothes

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

What do you do when it's time to go back-to-school shopping? In the past, I've went to stores throughout the year and snatched up bigger sizes at bargains. Sometimes that works out, sometimes it doesn't.

I never counted on my children having an opinion on what they wear. And sometimes my size/season guessing just doesn't pay off. But does that mean you have to run to the store and pay "retail" (*gasps!*)? 

Of course not. I just came across a new site called Bealls. This store was teaming with clothes, shoes, even jewelry - for the whole family. 

And they had name brands too! Plus school uniforms. We almost sent our children to a prep school this fall and they would have needed uniforms. Now I know where to get them! 

There are a couple of great deals going on at Bealls right now - including free shipping with orders over $50 and Tax free days. Woo!

They have baby and kids clothes and a cute juniors section. My kids are picky about what characters or images are on their clothes, but not half as picky as a teen (or tween?) So if you have a teen or tween and need the latest fashions, but don't want to pay retail prices - check it out.  You may save a bunch and have unique items that not everybody has.

How creepy is it to show up on the first day of school only to find out that someone else is wearing the exact same outfit!!?  It's a bit awkward. Best of luck saving money on your back to school shopping!

Would you climb over 10 flights of stairs for 15 Skittles?

I love candy. It's a curse really. I haven't found a candy I can say No to - not even Skittles, which are arguably kind of gross.

Because I don't like Skittles, I used them in our movie decorations. That way I'd be less tempted to eat them. I am slowly weeding (and by weeding I mean eating) the candy out of our house so I can finally break this addiction. We had just 15 Skittles left in the house. Phew!

I was not going to eat them. They are gross anyway, right? Well, I thought about them constantly. Damn addiction.

Let me explain a little bit about our house before you understand the drama that was about to unfold. My house has three levels plus a loft that is up an additional smaller staircase. The Skittles are on the lowest level. My office is in the loft at the very top of our house.

I was working on my computer (on this blog - woo!) and thinking of candy. I remembered the Skittles 2 1/2 flights below me. I ran down the stairs, opened the heavy glass jar and took out 3 skittles. I ran back up 2 1/2 flights and ate them one-by-one.

Okay, that was enough. Nope - I was thinking about them again. I would go downstairs one more time. 3 Skittles in hand, back at the computer. You can guess what happened next.

I repeated the 3-Skittle grab 5 times. Up and down 2 1/2 flights of stairs 5 times. I was disgusted with my inability to say no to candy. Even with all that hassle in the way - 3 at-a-time, a bizillion stairs, being busy working....none of it mattered. I would have probably eaten them even if they were dirty.

With utter shame, I told my sister the story. She commented that I probably burned off the calories during my stair stepping. But I don't care about calories. I care that I ate garbage and let all that sugar (plus artificial colors and flavors) course through my veins.

Damn it candy - why are you so unbelievably irresistable?!?!?!?! The good news: no candy left in the house. Woo!

Kix Cereal - Big Giveaway

Kix Cereal is proud to say they are still kid-tested, mother-approved^®. When my kids first saw the "mother approved" sign, they wondered what that meant. I told them it was approved because it had less sugar than other cereals.


Guess what? They still approved of the cereal. And if someone is going to eat cereal, you might as well eat Kix. The boxes we received said each serving contained 3 grams of sugar. As far as cereals go - that practically makes Kix a vegetable. 


All joking aside, Kix is a cereal Kids LOVE with low sugar that is made with whole grain corn and fortified with a bunch of vitamins. 


As you are preparing to go back to school, wouldn't it be nice to have 6 brand new boxes of Kix in your pantry - to make for quick and easy morning meals, snacks, and car treats?


That's what I thought! One lucky Suburban Jungle reader will win 6 boxes of Kix cereal! 


To Enter: Tell me what you think of Kix cereal (do you jazz it up with berries, do you add sugar!, do you make it into treats?) Leave your comment below.


Extra Entries: Leave 2 extra comments for sharing this comment on twitter, facebook, or your blog (leave 2 extra comments for each way you share - up to 6 extra)


*This contest will end on August 26, 2011 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and notified by email. This contest is open to residents of all countries.  Disclosure: Kix cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark