Growing Smalls: February 2013

Thursday

Reusa Wool Dryer Balls

Every Day Willow

We are always looking for ways to save you money, so when we found a set of Reusa Wool Dryer Balls, I had to share these with you. Reusa Wool Dryer balls are handmade right in here the United States and just as the name says you can reuse them over and over again.

These balls are a great natural solution for not only softening your clothes but helping your dryer dry them faster saving on the energy bill each month. Made out of 100% wool they are available in several different colors.

We love wool dryer balls! Not only are we saving on the cost of dry time, but I don’t have to buy dryer sheets anymore either! These are a great solution to not only saving cost but eliminating the chemicals used for fabric softener and static guard. Check these out for yourself by clickinghere!

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Wednesday

Tax Time Refund

Well it is official, Federal tax returns are finally being processed and checks are being issued, so how are you going to spend your tax return?

Our return will be here in just a few days, thank goodness right? But there are many things to consider when you receive your return, as this refund time really only comes once a year. Top situations to think about: Savings, credit card debt, bills, and shopping (of course!).

Both of the boys officially have their own savings account so this is one of my favorite ways to “spend” your return. While it may be easier for a child to save money, it’s not actually like they are going out and bringing home the dough. Tax time is a great time of the year to put just a little bit aside for each of your kids. A lot of banks offer children savings accounts with as little as a $5 first deposit. Call around and check which of your local banks offer either a children’s saving account or student accounts, either of these would be perfect for your kiddo. Or you can search some account possibilities online, one I found was USAA.

Credit Card debt is not any fun no matter who you are. But emergency’s happen and then sometimes it’s hard to get caught back up. Tax return refunds are a great way to get caught back up on that long term debt. You can use online calculators to see exactly how much you are saving by paying off the balance early.

So we have covered a few of the serious ways to spend your tax return, but everyone wants to have a little bit of fun! SHOP duh, but don’t go overboard, look for coupons or discount sites so you can really still save but splurge a little bit to. I found a site called Save1.com that not only offers great coupons but then a part of every sale from their site goes to charity programs such as Actions AgainstHunger and Feeding America.

Still have a little bit of extra cash after buying something pretty for yourself and taking care of all those bills? Why wouldn’t you donate to a local or even world wide charitable organization? Your local city hall or County office can provide you with a list of charities or churches that can always use a helping hand.

Newman's Own Organics Pet Food

Newman's Own Organics Pet Food Home Page

While Jen likes to wait for the mail man daily she doesn’t really get to enjoy what is inside the packages as much as we do. A while back we had the opportunity to review Newman’s Own Organics food and as a family, we enjoyed every bite of it. Newman’s Own Organics also offers pet products so I knew with as much as we loved their snacks the pet food would be good for Jen.

Last night she was looking rather pathetic sitting on the couch, I think she has a cold, so to make her feel better I went ahead and opened up one of the cans before I was really ready to do the review. Not only were the cans easy to open with the pop-tab feature, but the shallow can allowed me to get the food out really easy.

Can we say pig? Once she knew that was her treat, it was gone instantly! I’m pretty sure she didn’t even take breath in-between bites. Yes she is rather spoiled and considering she is 17 years old, she has every right to be.

Newman’s Own Organics carries their quality right on over to their pet foods as they are also made with organic meat and vegetables such as organic barley, organic peas, organic flax seed, and natural meats. With hubby working in the chicken industry, I can guarantee you some of your favorite fast food restaurants use poultry by products. Newman’s Own Organics does not, so there is no ground up beaks, feet, or feathers in their food. But that’s a story for another time. Get a complete list of what is and what is not in their pet food here. CLICK HERE

Newman’s Own Organics is a favorite in our house, and after you try both their people and pet food, I am sure they will be in yours.

Tuesday

Starbox from Starlooks

I have been told over and over again to try a Starbox from Starlooks.com and for $15 box I figured it would be a great fit for you my readers.

The Starbox from Starlooks.com is a subscription based box unique and different every single month. We have encountered a lot of subscription based companies so what makes Starlooks different? While most companies send you several random samples, Starlooks sends you 3-4 full sized products.

At first I thought it was a downfall that I couldn’t choose exactly what products they sent. When I seen this vividly pink lip liner I was terrified! But once again, I have been proved wrong and really enjoyed trying a new product that was clearly out of my comfort zone.

February Special Edition Lauren Clark Starlooks Box

This months Starlooks box included 4 full size products, total value approximately $50, again not bad for $15 right?

I was really nervous to try a liquid blush but the box came with Barbie Fluid Blush. Barley using any at all the bright creamy blush gave the perfect tint for a cold winter day.

The pink Oasis Lip Gloss with the Tipsy Lip liner really gave me a solid bright color that I was delightfully impressed with. I would have never guessed I could actually enjoy such a bright color, but these blended perfectly with my hair color and the pink shirt I have on today.

Overall I am pretty impressed with the Starlooks February box. I am really enjoying trying new products that I wouldn’t generally look twice at due to the intensity of the bright colors. Turns out I am a bright colored girl and I love it!

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We received one or more of the products mentioned above in exchange for an honest and non-biased review. While we have been compensated for our review with the product, our reviews our our own opinion based on our personal experience and realize our experiences may be different than our readers.

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HotTrendzonline.com

Have you heard of HotTrendzonline.com? I am a huge sunglasses fan so when I found these fun and stylish designs I knew I had to give them a try!

HotTrendzonline.com offers so many different stylish and fashion accessories I can’t wait to try some of their other products. But for now I got to try these red glasses and what a deal they are at only $8! That’s cheaper than the ugly ones at Wal-mart.

I have to admit, I am not a huge headband person, but I guess my favorite part of brining you new product reviews is having the ability to try products I would be scared to otherwise. This is one of those products. The read flower jean headband is super cute and I would have never thought I would be such a fan of it, but I now know I will be getting a lot of use out of this one. This is another great deal on HotTrendz for only $5!

Like I said before HotTrendzonline.com has so many awesome accessories and for the bargain they are, you have to check them out! I have a surprise product to offer you from HotTrendzonline.com.

BeFit-Mom

I am so excited to bring you another great product for new moms! Last week I received a copy of “Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core Conditioning” DVD. Produced by internationally recognized prenatal and postpartum fitness expert, author, and founder of BeFit-Mom, the award winning DVD is not only great for new mommies but mommies like so many of us left with that kangaroo pouch.

I thought this DVD was exceptionally interesting with the different blend of Pilates, yoga, and dance plus Helene is very instructional and easy to understand why these different workouts are important to help develop your pre-baby body.

Even though each workout is around 30-35 minutes long, and it really has been years since I had my youngest, I could still completely feel the burn and toning. I especially liked the Pelvic floor section. If you’re trying to get rid of your kangaroo pouch then you have to give BeFit-Mom a try!

BeFit-Mom Website

I received one or more of the products mentioned above free for review purposes. Regardless, I will only recommend products that I have personally tested/tried and believe will be a good fit for my readers. AlyGators is not responsible for any Giveaway items. All giveaway items will be shipped directly from the company that sponsors our giveaway.

Ozeri Green Earth Pan

The one thing I absolutely hate cooking is eggs. Although they take just a few minutes, they always seem to stick to the pan, regardless of how “non-stick” a pan is or what type of cooking spray I use, it’s pretty much hopeless. But I never learn my lesson, and the kids are home on a snow day today so eggs and toast it is.

This week I received the Ozeri Green Earth Pan and I knew if it passed the egg test it would be a keeper. Check this out, I didn’t burn them nor did they stick to the pan! Now if it sounds like I’m bragging, I am because I burn everything, water included.

We have spent a lot of money on pots and pans, unfortunately none of them have been as good as they say they are, regardless of the cost. I actually have to say I am impressed with the Ozeri Green Earth pan; it also has to be the heaviest pan I have ever owned. Yet it is made out of heavy-gauge pure aluminum so there are no harmful chemicals.

I love the Ozeri pan, the ceramic coating and textured surface provides such an excellent non-stick performance that even I can cook efficiently with it!

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Ozeri Green Earth Textured Ceramic Nonstick Frying Pan, 100-Percent PTFE and PFOA Free

Monday

SunBaby Cloth Diapers

If your like me you look for every possible way to save a little bit of money here and there. When my boys were little, cloth diapers were the cheese cloth type rag and sharp safety pins. I thought it was a great idea when my oldest was born, after all we lived in the country and had hard wooden floors, so it didn’t seem to bad. Well that didn’t last long because the options that are available today, were unheard of then.

I found some really pretty cloth diaper designs at Sunbaby Diapers. Basically there are 2 sizes of diapers for cloth diapers, so you can buy 20-30 diapers of each size and that basically last you until they outgrow that size. I was a little over whelemed with the price of cloth diapers until I did the math and realized that a pack of diapers, ($10) every week (4 weeks a month) until a child is 3 years old (times 36 months) can really add up! Grand total: $1440 and that’s figuring on cheap diapers and hoping you don’t use more than a pack a week.

Take a look at Sunbaby and their adorable and affordable designs.

Sunbaby Diapers

Boylan Shirley Temple

Thank you Boylan for the seasonal release of Shirley Temple, a handcrafted cane sugar soda. While the dentist has said time and time again “stay away from soda” he has also said that “cane sugar or unprocessed sugar in soda is ok”. Therefor when I had the opportunity to try Boylan’s Shirley Temple, I was really interested, especially to find out if there was a taste difference.

Well, honestly, I couldn’t tell the taste difference between a Boylan product and regular soda. The Shirley temple is sweet like any other soda and the taste has not been compromised at all. This is a relief considering the amount of dental work my children have had. No they don’t drink a lot of soda, but every now and then they really like root beer, and these are a great alternative.

Boylan’s old fashion style fits right along with their age. In 1891, William Boylan developed Boylan products and began bottling soda’s in the early 1900’s. Check out more of Boylans story here.

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Crunchmaster

Even before I received an assortment of treats from Crunchmaster, their Sea Salt Multi-Grain Crackers were one of my favorite treats. I first purchased them a few months ago when I was looking for lower calorie snacks. But I was more surprised at how easily they filled me up when eating just a few.

I can’t say I don’t enjoy sweets. So when Crunchmaster sent me Grammy Crisps, I was to say the least excited. Apparently my children were to. I went to look for the box that I gave them Friday for a snack, and it’s empty! Turkey turds! I guess the Grammy Crisps were a hit here. They were sweet and pretty good but most of all, 25 crackers only had 130 calories and they are 100% whole grain. The Grammy crisps really hit the sweet tooth spot!

Now I thought my favorite Crunchmaster snack was going to be the Sea salt crisps because I am already buying them in the store, so what can get much better than that? Cheezy Crisps from Crunchmaster ROCK! They are so full of cheddar flavor and unrealistically low calorie! 60 crackers is 120 calories. But I better hide them from the boys, because they have a tendency of stealing the snacks that I like the most.

Crunchmaster is a win in our house. Their products are gluten free, whole grain, and pretty amazing all together.

Crunchmaster Website

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Thursday

Boogie Wipes

One of those Ah-Ha moments where you think…. Man why didn’t I think of this? If your like me, you have come to use diaper wipes for just about everything. Did you know they are a great make-up remover? Oh back to the kids right? Well I have used my fair share of wipes on my kiddo’s faces. Poor kids probably thought that’s what they were supposed to be fore. But none the less they hated it and a traditional wipe can be harsh on your skin, especially if you use them often. After all, a diaper wipe was not made to wipe your face now was it?

Now there is Boogies, which is for quick effective clean-up and relief of stuck on boogies. While we are in the heart of flu season, cold and allergy season is just around the corner! These saline and vitamin E enriched wipes provide excellent relief to those poor little faces. These soft Boogie Wipes even smell good! My favorite scent is “Fresh Scent” but they also have “Great Grape Scent” and that was Mr. Maisons favorite.

Oh my poor children will never be too old to take a wipe to that horrid dirt on their face. Yes, I am the mommy that uses wipes on my kids face for a quick wipe down before we go into the store, into a restaurant, or in anywhere for that matter! Boogie Wipes are perfect to carry around everywhere, especially in their compact package.

BOOGIE WIPES WEBSITE

Bows 'N Ties

Got a little man (or a big man) to get all dressed up for Easter coming up? My boys love to dress up, and although this is an adult size tie, I believe we can make it work. We received a Puccini tie from Bows ‘N Ties this week straight out of their Repp-Stripe collection.

These vibrate colors and the other colors available are going to be great for spring and summer and the heavy durability of this tie will make it great for my rough and tough boys. Plus the thick quality tie make this a great buy for anyone!

You can check out Puccini’s new Repp-Stripe collection that this designer created for Spring & Summer at Bows ‘N Ties

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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.

Wednesday

Mavea Elemaris XL

Although our city water isn’t horrible (not great either) I am always buying bottled water. At $1.00 a pop or more in some cases it really adds up.

Now that I have found Mavea, I think I’m going to refill my bottles at home and put a dollar in a jar every time I do. That sounds like a great savings plan to me because I can already tell how much money I am going to save filtering my water with the Mavea system instead of buying it.

We received the Mavea Elemaris XL system and it was really easy to put together and use right away. The pour through lid was really neat. When it was time to pour the water in, it just goes right through the top of the lid and then the lid closes once you turn the water off. The water is also automatically filtered through the reservoir and ready to drink as soon as its in the pitcher. There is also a digital meter on the handle to tell you when its getting close to change the filter or even replace it.

The Mavea system holds about 9 glasses of water, and I have to say we are going to get plenty of use out of it here. Just the taste difference alone the system makes is well worth the purchase.

Check out these links where you can get yours:

MAVEA Website

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SIBU Beauty Sample

Free Beauty Sample to first 20,000 Only!

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Toby and His Hospital Friends

On Toby's Terms

I love setting a new book out on the table for the kids to find, it’s like telling them to read, without telling them to do anything at all. Sure enough, they picked it right up after school today.

Toby and his Hospital Friends written by Charmaine Hammond is going to be another favorite in our house.

Toby and his hospital friends is an easy to read and very colorful book based on a true story and movie On Toby’s Terms. Toby is a pet therapy dog who gets so very excited to visit and comfort children in the hospital. As many parents know, and I am one of them, having a child in the hospital is a very stressful and scary time, not only for the parents but the kids to. Pet therapy is a great stress release and Toby is just proof of that.

This book also features a list of questions that encourage interactive reading to help a child understand what they are reading rather than just skimming on through it. I love how this book is interactive, based on a true story, and provides more insight to my kids on what it is like for children in the hospital.

Charmaine Hammond has graciously agreed to participate in a giveaway with a copy of Toby and his Hospital Friends. So don’t forget to check Toby out on these additional links:

Amazon

GoodReads

Disclaimer: Some of our post may contain affiliate links which provides us with a small compensation for sharing their programs and companies. By clicking these links you allow us to keep providing you great deals including our giveaways and freebies.
We received one or more of the products mentioned above in exchange for an honest and non-biased review. While we have been compensated for our review with the product, our reviews our our own opinion based on our personal experience and realize our experiences may be different than our readers.

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Back Road Momma giveaways will be open to United States residents only unless otherwise stated by the sponsor.
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They may also be added to giveaway “linky” forms on other blogs for further promotion.

If you do not agree to these rules do not enter my giveaways. Play nice, have fun, and most of all good luck!

GoodyGood Stuff

Goody Good Stuff Website

It’s one thing for me to sit here and tell you how much I either enjoy or didn’t enjoy a product, but I really like to get the rest of my families opinion on how they feel and I love to include pictures of the boys testing products because they are so darn silly and cute. But for Goody Good Stuff, that’s not going to happen, I wasn’t quick enough with the camera.

I opened a bag of Goody Good Stuff Tropical fruit and took a bite, “yum” I thought, but I really like gummy fruit snacks. I handed the bag to hubby and told him to try them and got up to get a drink of water. When I came back they were GONE!

I told the boys yesterday if they had good days at school I would give them a treat, the Goody Good Stuff fruit snacks. When they got their homework done last night, I gave them a bag and told them to get a few out and they could have the rest after dinner. I should have known better, 5 minutes later…. GONE! Should I ground my children at this point for not saving the rest for after dinner? I guess this is my fault, I should have known better.

But when hubby came home from work early yesterday sic k sick sick, I knew I figured I would give him some of the Goody Good Stuff Cola Breeze bites. I ate one and then took them to him in bed thinking he would eat one or two because after all he is sick, and they always made me feel better when I was little. HA! I went down stairs to get some work done and just a few minutes later went back up to check on him. Well it’s a good thing I stole one out of the bag before I gave it to him because again… They were GONE!

So here I am pouting with my empty bags of Goody Good Stuff, I should have made them write the review since they ate them all. For the very few bites I actually got, I liked them and they were good. But I guess you don’t need to take my word for it since everyone ate them gone before I could enjoy more than a bite.

Check out Goody Good Stuff, they are gelatin free, gluten free, dairy free, and fat free, but not calorie free so take that hubby! Also made with all natural colors and flavors they are Vegetarian Society approved.

I think I am going to have to order more real soon…. And here is where you can find yours as well;

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Monday

CarSeat Canopy Whole Caboodle

https://www.carseatcanopy.com/

While on the search for all the latest and greatest baby products, I came across CarSeat Canopy and am more than highly impressed.

Developed my Jenny Pierce a mother of 5, she was determined just like many of us to make mom’s lives easier by developing products such as the carseat canopy and other baby product lines including Udder Covers. I had no idea these two companies were linked until I did a little research but I strongly admire her for her creativeness and determination. These products are amazing.

The carseat canopy and the whole caboodle come in many different designs, so there is something for everyone, even the mommies that like to keep the baby’s sex a surprise until birth. The designs are beautiful, and the material is soft and durable. These canopy products will last child after child.

With all the beautiful baby girls being born in our family, I choose the Sprinkled Whole Caboodle which includes several high quality pieces.

Car seat canopy with Minky Interior and 100% cotton Outer

Minky slip cover

Minky Head support pillow

Baby Lap blanket with minky Underside,

Replacement umbrella with minky lining.

CarSeat Canopy has generously provided us a $50 Promo code for everyone to use on orders from their website. This code makes several items free!!

Coupon code: ALYGATORS

( will expire 90 days from date of this review).

One Winner will receive choice of CarSeat canopy’s Whole Caboodle with Free Shipping and Handling.

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B-Skinz

One of my favorite things about blogging is I have the opportunity to try things that I never would have even looked at before, and to my surprise I have really enjoyed 99% of the products I have come across. So this one is all about having fun!

B-Skinz was developed in 2007 with the goal to develop more athletic wear for women that still allow them to sport individuality in color and style. B-Skinz athletic wear has over 125 different colors and bold patterns and I was lucky enough to try them!

B-Skinz shorts are a high-quality nylon spandex that really stay where they are supposed to! This is a huge plus when working out, after all who wants to constantly be worried about shorts that are going into places they need not to be! The comfort level is a huge plus to! I highly recommend checking these out for their affordability, style, and quality.

B-Skins also offers clothing for girls, boys & men. While they are traditionally offering athletic clothing, I found a few dresses on their site that I am really looking forward to ordering. Check them out!

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Daddy Scrubs

www.daddyscrubs.com

Having a baby seems to be all about mom right? As much as moms love to be
pampered when we are going through such dramatic changes in our bodies, there is a lot of behind the scene work that goes into keeping the glowing mommy happy, especially during labor and delivery. That’s where Daddy Scrubs comes in!

Developed by a dad for dads, Daddy Scrubs is all about keeping daddy comfortable to while comforting mom during her special delivery, and what’s more comfy than a pair of scrubs? Daddy Scrubs is the perfect daddy to be gift!

We have several expecting daddies in our family. This set of daddy scrubs went to
Justin who is expecting a new bundle of joy in July! Be sure to stick with us to see more Daddy Scrubs in July from the hospital!

Daddy scrubs are not only comfy but they let daddy celebrate his new delivery with the “I’m the Daddy” print on the back. No confusion there about who dad is right? Plus, as the sleepless nights begin, Daddy Scrubs are perfect for lounging around in the house in.

Daddy Scrubs are a perfect gift to honor dad as well during this special time. I can’t wait to check out more of the Daddy Scrubs products including hoodies & hats and The Daddy Diaper Pack.

They have some amazing gifts for dads, and what can be better for your special daddy than gifts developed by other dads. Now you can use Coupon Code: BLOG13 to get
10% off any order at DaddyScrubs.com

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This one's for the Dads

Oh mommy moments… They can be frustrating, rewarding, exciting, and funny but most of all they are moments only a mom will brag about. Justin and I divorced in 2007, and we have since moved on and both found amazing futures. I am so happy for him and his girlfriend as they are expecting their first baby together in July, but it was just recently Justin sat the boys down to tell the boys his big news. Justin waited until we were all together to spill the beans. Both boys together, my hubby, his girlfriend, and here comes the big news.

“Boys, you are going to both be big brothers, Christina and I are having a baby.” Jeramiah’s first words “How?” Ummmmmmmmmmmm CRAP That’s a discussion for the dads, mommy is staying out of this one! Good Luck Justin and Steven, you dads have fun explaining this one!

I am so fortunate to not only have a wonderful husband but a great ex-husband for moments like these! Haha mommy is sneaking out the door and leaving this one for the dads.