Product Reviews

FREE Disney Fairies Craft Kits & Exclusive Pixie Hallow Previews

by Beth Montgomery on April 30, 2012 · 0 comments

in Crafts for Kids, Freebies & Samples, Online Shopping

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Lunchbox. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

The Disney Fairies are one of my daughter’s favorite Disney characters (right there with the Disney Princesses, of course), because they are crafty, silly, and so beautiful. They love the short videos that play on Disney Channel during commercial time, giving them a peak into Pixie Hallow. They are quick, but always hysterical.

Walmart is diving into the world of Pixie Hallow with three FREE exclusive Pixie Hallow previews that are as entertaining as the others, featuring Rosetta, the Southern belle garden fairy who stole my heart in The Pixie Hallow Games by proving she had a bit of edge. Just in time for warmer weather, Rosetta is teaching a “Flowers, Not Just for Garden Fairies” for some of our favorite Disney Fairies, including Tinkerbell.

While you’re there, Walmart is also offering FREE Disney Fairy Crafts for fairy fans of all ages including:

Fairy Photo Frame: Upload your favorite picture and create a fun fairy frame for a fanciful keepsake.

Letter from a Fairy Friend: Design a letter to your fairy fan friends from Tinkerbell.

Fairygolds Pixie Playtime Craft Kit

Fairy Name Tag
Wonder Wand
Pixie Bouquet Flowers & Vase

Pre-order Disney’s Secret of the Wings, the newest Disney Fairies movie available October 23rd, 2012, and enjoy FREE shipping when you purchase through Walmart.

Which Disney fairy is your favorite?

Sponsored by Lunchbox and conducted by In Good Cents. For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.

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Quick & Healthy Breakfast with Oatmeal

by Beth Montgomery on February 24, 2012 · 0 comments

in Frugal Cooking, Store Deals

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Lunchbox. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

We are not morning people! My entire family struggles in the morning to get ready for school, get a healthy breakfast, and get out the door without missing the bus. Of course, I’m the ringleader, so a lot of it is on my shoulders.

Do not let that smile fool you! He was throwing a fit about the fact that I woke him up just before this was taken.

I’ve always been a huge fan of oatmeal. My Grandma always made me plain oatmeal with a bit of milk and brown sugar. For me, it was like a treat, but a healthy treat. I even prefer oatmeal cookies over chocolate chip (I know, I’m a freak). But, for my kids, my easy and quick oatmeal idea flopped.

Why I Love Oatmeal

It’s (heart) healthy
It’s quick & easy (5 minutes to make)
Great ingredient for recipes
There’s nothing better than a breakfast on a cold day (seriously!)

Quaker offers many oatmeal choices!

When someone says oatmeal, Quaker is what pops into my mind. Quaker is the brand I trust and the brand I reach for most often.

For kids who gag at the thought of plain oatmeal (like mine) Quaker offers so much more than just plain oatmeal, including their mix-up creations, flavored instant oatmeal, granola bars, and oat cereals, which did entice my kids’ picky palates.

Make Plain Oatmeal More Fun

Plain oatmeal is still my favorite. For breakfast, our oatmeal often becomes a kitchen science project where we mix things into our oatmeal to make it more fun and get the kids to enjoy it too.

Here’s a list of things we love to add to oatmeal to mix it up and make it more flavorful. Some are a bit sweeter and some are a bit healthier, so it depends on what you’re in the mood for at the time. And, you can always go with the fat or sugar-free version. Make sure to mix and match. The fun is getting creative!

Fruit (fresh or dried)
Applesauce or other Fruit Purees
Flavored Soymilk or Other Milk
Brown Sugar (or Sugar)
Maple Syrup
Nuts
Honey, Molasses, or Agave Nectar
Peanut Butter or Nutella
Jam, Jelly, or Fruit Spreads
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Pumpkin Pie Spice, or other Spices
Yogurt
Vanilla Extract or other Extract
Instant Hot Chocolate or Vanilla Mix
Chocolate or Butterscotch Chips
Canned Pumpkin (or fresh, see )
Coffee Creamer or Coffee (this is more for moms, then the kids!)

Some Oatmeal Recipes

How do you enjoy your oatmeal?

Get Quick Tips to get on the road to better heart health at Walmart!

Sponsored by Lunchbox and conducted by In Good Cents. For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.

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Earn When You Shop with Friends at Groupon, Amazon, and More Great Sites

by Beth Montgomery on February 23, 2012 · 0 comments

in Earn, Online Shopping

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of zuuzs. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

So, how does this sound to you?

You earn money when you, your friends, and your friend’s friend shop online.

Sounds amazing, right? It gets better!

You can increase how much you earn easily!

You’re probably ready to sign up already, but let me tell you how it works exactly.

How zuuzs works

zuuzs is a social shopping site designed for women, where you join, then invite your friends, and encourage them to invite their friends. Then, you all shop online at sites like Amazon.com, Groupon, and Old Navy, then earn money back on your purchases, your friend’s purchases, and your friend’s friends purchases.

How you can increase your Buying Power to increase how much you earn!

If that isn’t enough, zuuzs recently introduced Buying Power, which is a rewards program that gets your more money back. When your Buying Power is full, you’ll earn a higher percent back when you shop online.

How to get started now

Join zuuzs and create your account.
Invite your friends to join zuuzs.
Encourage your friends to invite their friends!
Increase your Buying Power to increase your cash back by:

Update your profile
Update your favorite categories
Invite more friends to join your circle
Make purchases through zuuzs
Encourage friends to make purchases through zuuzs

Shop online through zuuz and start shopping and earning with friends!

zuuzs is sponsoring In Good Cents this year at Blissdom Conference, so find me to find out how you can earn money shopping with your friends! For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.

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Lakeside Collection: Sensible, Beautiful, & Fun Products at Affordable Prices

by Beth Montgomery on February 22, 2012 · 2 comments

in Online Shopping

Our sock monkey hiding for a new round!

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Lakeside Collection. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

My mom has always been a huge fan of Lakeside Collection, so I knew it was a great place to buy houseware and home decor at a very reasonable price. But, I always went to visit their site with a purpose in mind. I never really stopped and took the time to browse, like my mom always did.

When they recently asked me to review some of their products, my daughter and I took the time together to browse the Lakeside Collection website and I was surprised to find how many different products they offer. They really have something for every room and everyone in your home.

Daelan (2 1/2) not peeking (or so he says) while his sister hides the sock monkey.

Our absolutely favorite has to be the Where is Sock Monkey? game (it’s only $6.95 on sale right now!) We love board games, so Family Game Night is a hit in our home, but it’s a struggle to involve our rather rambunctious 2 1/2 year old. Even though Where is the Sock Monkey? says ages 3 and up, we found that Daelan could play. It’s tough to say who was more excited – us or him!

Daelan reading his card.

First, someone hides the sock monkey, then each player takes turns drawing cards with pictures on them, asking questions like, “Is the sock monkey in a room with a couch?” Since Daelan knew most of the pictures, he could read his own cards! Eventually, you’ll draw a card that says “Go look!” and that player has to go look for the sock monkey. You only have so many chances to hunt down the sock monkey or the person who hid it wins the round and the game continues.

She found it!

Since everyone gets to get up and move around the house, it’s an active game and it goes fast enough to keep even the littlest player entertained.

Elmo & Cookie Monster Beach Towels: $11.95 on Sale Now!

But, Lakeside Collection has much more to entertain my kids, like Elmo and Cookie Monster beach towels. Our 7-year-old has outgrown most of our fun kid-size towels, since she’s tall for her age, but I can tell she’s a bit disappointed when her brothers and sisters still use them. These towels are the right size for an adult to take the beach, but cute enough that my toddler isn’t waiting for warm weather to use them. Instead, he’s been sleeping with the Elmo beach towel like it’s a blanket since it arrived.

Of course, you’ll still find some beautiful and affordable stuff to decorate and organize your home, but please take the time to look around. I bet you’ll be shocked to see all the offer and the prices as well!

Another thing I love about Lakeside Collection is that I find many things I never really thought about, but they are so sensible, like Taco Stands (only $6.95 for 8). Every time we make tacos, my kids end up spilling them and they make a mess before we even dig in, but these keep them sitting up on your plate.

Or check out the 10-pair of mix and match socks at only $8.95, which look so much like something you’d find at Little Miss Match, but at a lot better price!

Mixing up the cards for a new game.

And, if you have little ones who love games, make sure to add the Where is the Sock Monkey Game? to your cart! Did you see me say that it’s only $6.95 on sale right now?

This post was sponsored by Lakeside Collection. I did receive products for review and compensation for my time in writing and promoting this review. For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.

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Last Minute Gift Idea: Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

by Beth Montgomery on December 20, 2011 · 0 comments

in Entertainment & Fun,

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics Wii

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics for Wii

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of Lunchbox. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

Last night was family game night for our family. It’s a frugal way to spend time as a family and have fun.

We have family game night a lot, and sitting at a table playing board games is always fun. But, being active is so much more fun! We love challenging each other in games where we can jump around and look a little silly. Plus, there’s something about being active that makes you even more motivated and gets the game even crazier. And, it tends to get you hyped up enough to add some well-meaning smack talk, which in our family results in laughter.

I’ve always been a Nintendo fan and love the kid-friendly games that don’t involve severed body parts, blood, and other unmentionables found in so many video games. Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is definitely one of those! That was our game of choice last night.

If you need a last-minute gift idea, we love this game. It’s one of this year’s hottest games and Sam’s Club has Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games in stock in store and ready for pick up for your Nintendo Wii.

About Mario and Sonic at 2012 Olympic Games

Choose from your favorite Nintendo characters, like Sonic, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, Knuckles, and many others, then try your hand at winning the 2012 London Olympics! You can play Party Mode, Multiplayer Mode or single -player Story Mode and visit tons of favorite famous landmarks.

Try your hand at your favorite Olympic games and a few made up ones as well:

Long Jump
Synchronized Swimming
Rhythmic Ribbon Dancing
Trampoline
Uneven Bars
Canoeing
Soccer
Beach Volleyball
Dream Spacewalk
1oo-Meter Sprint
And More!

It even had games my little “I can’t be a boy character or do boy things” girl was willing to play, which makes our family game nights so much easier. I mean, look at the screen shot above. No part of that screams “this is a boys-only game”, so she plays along.

Buy it Now!

You can pick up Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for your Nintendo Wii at your local Sam’s Club in store only. Stock may vary by store, so call ahead to make sure they are still available at your local Sam’s Club.

Sponsored by Lunchbox and conducted by In Good Cents. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own. For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.

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Saving Money on College Textbooks

by Beth Montgomery on December 15, 2011 · 2 comments

in Frugal Living, Holidays, Online Shopping, Tips & Basics

This sponsored post was written by me on behalf of eCampus.com. Regardless of compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.

At college, I always bought used books at a store on the Ball State Campus. I compared prices between the two local book stores and made sure to go early to get my books at the lowest possible price. I thought I was being so frugal.

I don’t have kids in college yet, but I clearly remember the shock I felt when I saw that college textbooks were a lot more than any other book I’d ever bought in my entire life. So, when my kids hit college, I don’t even want to image what that price will be!

A lot of bookstores, even those on campus, offer different options to help you save – buy new, buy used, rent new, or rent used. So, you’d think that you’d get the best price right there, locally. At least, that’s what I assumed.

When eCampus asked me to write a bit about saving money with services that let students rent college textbooks online, I was skeptical to be honest. But, I tested it out by searching for books for a few basic classes and compared the prices at the bookstore I shopped at Ball State University to eCampus.

The truth was painful – I wasn’t so frugal after all.

Book	Local Bookstore Price*	eCampus Price
Infant, Children, and Adolescents by Laura E. Berk	$70.25 Rental	$65.10 Rental
Pathway to Astronomy by Schneider	$61.85 Rental	$58.24 Rental
World Regional Geography by Douglas L. Johnson, etc…	$67.90-$123.50 Rental	$40.74 Rental
The American Democracy by Patterson	Not available for rental. $114.75 Used $153.00 New	$64.23 Rental
Essentials of Contemporary Management by Gareth R. Jones	Not available for rental. $92.80 Used $123.75 New	$34.47 Rental
Management: Meeting + Exceeding Customer Expectations by Warren R. Plunkett	Not available for rental. $144.55 Used $192.75 New	$77.23 Rental

Can you believe some of those price differences? And it seemed, at least for me, that the more advanced the courses got the more expensive the books were. Especially, since most of those books weren’t available to rent or sometimes even used. But, on eCampus.com, it seemed the exact opposite for the books I searched. Many that I would have to buy at the local bookstore, I could simply rent on eCampus for a fraction of the price.

Then there’s the end of the year. I would always rush to sell my books to get money back, but sometimes those books weren’t being used again and they bookstore wouldn’t buy them. I’d be stuck with a book, I’d probably never open again. But, with eCampus, you aren’t stuck with books at the end of the year ever! They always go back. But, if you really want to sell used textbooks, you can do that on eCampus too!

Oh, and did I mention that shippings is FREE for all purchases of $59 or more? That’s about the costs of one college textbook, so it won’t be hard to hit that minimum.

What’s the most expensive textbook you bought in college? Can you remember?

Sponsored by eCampus.com and conducted by In Good Cents. For more information, please read our terms & conditions and disclosure policy.
*Prices compared to T.I.S. College Bookstore on Ball State University Campus.

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