FedEx Out Of Office Blog

A New Year means a new outlook on things. At least, this is how every New Year starts out for most of us, and as the year moves on, it is often hard to stay on track and keep those creative ideas flowing. Finding new ways to do ordinary things, plan parties, and work on projects with your kids can sometimes be difficult when you feel like you keep doing the repetitive.

The internet has always been a great place to find good ideas on how to plan a party, find new crafts for kids, or ways in which to keep our lives motivated and organized. I was introduced to a new and wonderful resource for the everyday to the special occasion. The Out of Office blog from FedEx Office will help get you going with projects for invitations and place cards, ideas on how to turn your child’s artwork into a notebook, large poster and creative ideas for making a more than ordinary thank you card. In the future, the blog will feature contests and giveaways, themed series, how-to videos, and the creative insights of guest bloggers and customers!

While I was looking over the site I ran across a really adorable idea. You can let your children make artwork and turn it into a personal placemat. I think my boys would get a kick out of this, and I also think its a fun way to make the table inviting for family and friends. You can then take their artwork up to your local FedEx and have it laminated and proudly displayed at the dinner table. This is a perfect project for the winter months, and can also be a great way to welcome in each season. In excitement for Spring to come you can make fun Spring place mats, and it’s a perfect way to think outside of the dreary cold weather. Winter is one of the hardest times for me and the boys because we greatly miss being outside.

Head on over to the new FedEx Out of Office Blog and you can get some really great ideas to help get your creativity flowing and start the New Year off right!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Shop NBC Find The Things You Want Without Leaving Your House

We celebrated the holidays a little early this year due to our travels to see family.  I had recently run some errands right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of everyone getting their Christmas shopping done.  I typically don’t head to the local stores when it comes to getting gifts for everyone.  It is less stress just sitting here in the comfort of my own home and getting the things I need for family.  I think buying online is one of the best ways to shop.  You can find some pretty awesome deals and a lot of times free shipping too.

We will be travelling to my parents house for Christmas this year and the four of us and one golden retriever will be invading their house.  My parent have a relatively small house so we wind up sleeping in several rooms.  My husband usually ends up on an air mattress which isn’t exactly the most comfortable.  So, I started looking at mattress sets that I could get for one of the spare rooms so my husband and I would be a little more comfortable.  I found somewhat reasonable set ups at Shop NBC that would fit nicely considering our space limitations.  They carry a pricier line of mattress sets but because my husband is a bigger guy we need higher end mattresses that will support well.

At Shop NBC they have a wide range of items, they have some really reasonable prices on king sheet sets, which if you know anything about sheets they can be pricey.    But if you want to splurge and get some really nice things for the family, Shop NBC has some really nice things that could put a smile on anyone’s face.  I did notice that they do have a clearance space that had some pretty awesome deals on mostly clothing and some really pretty jewelry, and you can’t go wrong with that when it comes to gifts for Mom. I even saw a watch that I would like to have (Hint hint!)  Check out Shop NBC for some fabulous finds!

**I was compensated for my time to review Shop NBC, the opinions I Have expressed are that of my own**

Kleenex Anti Viral Battle The Bug Giveaway

With all this talk of the swine flu it almost has me paranoid when the boys get even the slightest sniffle.  I must look like a total germaphobe at the grocery store when I am in race to wipe down the cart before the boys even touch it.  You hate to feel like you are paranoid but with having one child that is prone to bad asthma and the other who had so many ear infections, I try to be as vigilant as I can to keep things as germ free as possible.

Kleenex has introduced their Anti Viral tissues.  I think it is a really great concept from a Mom’s point of view, when their are snotty noses in the house, I feel like I am constantly wiping somebody’s nose and that in itself spreads plenty of germs.

About Kleenex Anti Viral

Walmart Makes Christmas and New Years Meals You Can Afford

With the holidays comes all the family gatherings and meal preparations to feed what seems like an army of people.  I know how easy it is these days to go to the store for just a few simple things and you wind up spending nearly a hundred dollars and feel like you come home with next to nothing.  With the current state of the economy, I think families are truthfully struggling to keep food on the table and finding ways to make a holiday meal and or party memorable on a budget can sometimes be tough.

Walmart is helping families celebrate without breaking the bank and they are offering fresh and affordable holiday meals to help eliminate some of the stress that comes from footing the bill in hosting a large gathering.  Walmart’s Christmas Dinner for Eight under $30 provides all the ingredients necessary for a traditional meal, including a 10-lb Spiral Cut Half Ham, three cans of Del Monte green beans, one 10-lb bag of russet potatoes, Sara Lee dinner rolls, and a pumpkin pie! The New Year’s party basket for 10 for under $40 includes a Shrimp Tray, Vegetable Tray, Hillshire Farms Little Smokies, Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, Land O’Lakes Egg Nog, and a Red Velvet cake. And to give your recipes some pizazz Aaron Sanchez of Food Network is sharing some cooking tips and unique, delicious recipes he created with Walmart’s basket of holiday and New Year’s ingredients.  I am amazed at how much you can get for under $40 to make a really great event!  Not only that their holiday meal pages offer some great recipes and tips.

We do a lot of our pantry staple items at Walmart simply because they offer prices that are well below the supermarkets in our area.  I think that offering meals that the whole family can enjoy without the additional stress of finding out how to pay for all of it is a great way to give families a leg up.  One less worry makes our job as Moms a little easier so we can enjoy the holidays as well.

DoubleBugs, Walmart and Mom Central would love to give two lucky readers a $30 Walmart gift card to buy the perfect celebration meal for your family and friends.

Here’s What You Gotta Do!

Tell me what your favorite family meal or tradition is, tell me what you love about Walmart’s prices and meals for under $40

Additional Entries

Tweet about this great contest

Add me to your twitter

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Add Me To Your Technorati Favorites

Contest Starts December 18, 2009 and Ends December 31, 2009

Good Luck!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Walmart. In addition, I received a Walmart gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate and two to offer as a giveaway.”

Allstate Foundation Safe Driving “X The TXT”

I was recently watching a news story about the dangers of teen drivers and the amount of text messaging they do while on the road.  We are in an age where technology isn’t the same and it’s hard to find people that don’t own a cell phone.  I can remember being a teenager (wow that makes me feel old) and having the constant contact with friends.  Today it is even easier than going to hang out, you just pick up your cell phone and test away.

Texting behind the wheel of a car is getting more popular amongst teens and that is scary.  Not only are they new and very inexperienced drivers but it is compounded by even more lack of attention when you throw a cell phone in the mix.  I don’t know about you, but as a teenager I was easily distracted by things.

According to The Allstate Foundation, two thirds of teens admit to texting and instant messaging while behind the wheel! Yet nearly 81% of teens rate parents as their number one driving influencers.  Recent research by Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute reveals that texting while driving can increase the risk of an accident by 23 times.  That is a pretty big percentage jump and not a risk I would want my child taking.

Allstate’s “X the TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever” campaign challenges teens and parents alike to make the pledge not to text and drive. By joining the cause at www.causes.com/thumbsup, you’re pledging to put your cell phone down behind the wheel. For each person who takes the pledge, Allstate will donate $1 to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) – a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that serve youth and focus on youth safety and health – for safe teen driving programs.

As part of the campaign, a 30-city “X the TXT” tour kicks off this holiday season during which teens and their families can add their thumbprints to a pledge banner as a public commitment not to text and drive.

I cannot think of a better way to teach your teen safe driving and help give funding to organizations to help educate our children of the potential dangers of getting behind the wheel.  You want to give them their freedom, but you also want them to be educated, cautious and responsible drivers.  It is so easy to give in but a labor of love to be vigilant with your kids.  Allstate can help give you and your teenagers a good start behind the wheel.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of The Allstate Foundation. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Cheerios 100,000 Book Giveaway

In our house we have been reading to the boys from a very early age nightly before bed. Sometimes we read one book and sometimes we read three. Reading is such an important factor in a child’s development of language skills, and literacy.

Sometimes though, many children in lower income families simply don’t get read to or cannot afford to have books in the home. Even worse, some of the lower income education centers and daycare lack a supply of age appropriate books. And, a recent study shows that the ratio of books per child in middle income neighborhoods is 13 to 1, while in low-income neighborhoods, the ratio is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.

The Cheerios family of cereals, First Book and Jon Scieszka, author of the popular “Trucktown” series (which my boys simply adore) and other children,s books, have joined together to deliver 100,000 books to community-based programs serving children in need.

In order to help, all you have to do is go online with your child and test your combined knowledge of children’s books by answering trivia questions related to “Trucktown” and other great children,s books.

For every trivia question answered correctly, you can cast one vote for the state you would like to receive books! The five states receiving the most votes will get 20,000 books each, for a total of 100,000 books. Visit www.FirstBook.org/Scieszka to test your knowledge and start voting.

I cannot think of a better way to help out communities in desperate need of books. Not only that, it is such an easy way to participate to make a big difference. Reading is a great way to make memories and to instill a lifelong love of books.

In helping get the work out about this great program, DoubleBugs would like to send one lucky reader an assortment of books from Cheerios, one of the many varieties of Cheerios cereals and a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

Here’s What You Gotta Do

Visit www.FirstBook.org/Scieszka and vote for the state you want to receive books and come back here and tell me what you think of this great program and one of your favorite books your child loves.

Additional Entries

Tweet about this great contest

Add me to your twitter

Blog about this giveaway

Grab my button and post it on your blog

Add Me To Your Technorati Favorites

Contest Starts December 14, 2009 and Ends January 15, 2010

Good Luck!!

**Cheerios provided you with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSparkTM**

Holey Donuts Oh My Goodness!

Ok, I will admit that I have weakness for all things sweet and bad for me.  Normally when I hear the words low fat or no fat, that usually means that “tasting good” took the train to neverland and isn’t coming back any time soon.  I have personally tried some of the low fat foods and something just isn’t  right about how they taste.  I remember trying some low fat cookies that tasted more like sweetened rubber than anything remotely akin to a cookie.  If you are going to depress  me by making me eat low fat, at least make it taste worth my while.

And then I won the lottery….

The heavens opened up and the rays of light shone down on me and I heard a voice that said, “you will have your cake (or donuts) and eat it too.”  Well, not exactly, but close and it came in the form of an invitation to try Holey Donuts.  Naturally, I was skeptical, because how good could  low fat donuts really be? I vowed to put my skepticism aside and surrender myself to giving them a try.

The box arrived at my doorstep and I gingerly opened (ok well I tore open) the box.  There before me neatly packed in a cooler with dry ice were three boxes that were completely frozen, that’s right….frozen.  Let me just comment on the packing.  I have had companies in the past send me refrigerated items before and none of them arrived remotely cold, but it is obvious that Holey Donuts is a first class operation all the way.  Packaging and shipping is a little pricey, but it is because they want your donuts to arrive in perfect condition.

I could feel the love emanating from the cooler as I removed each box and put them in the freezer.  I was again skeptical and was questioning how good a frozen solid cinnamon bun could actually be, but the following day would put all my fears aside.  I woke up the next day and suggested to the boys that we have donuts for breakfast.  Everyone was excited, including me. I took out the Reduced Fat Blueberry Vanilla Cinnamon Buns, popped them in the microwave for a few seconds and passed one over to one of my sons and took one for myself.  I didn’t hear much coming from my son, as he was thoroughly enjoying his, and I took my first bite and heard the hallelujah chorus.  How good was it?  Well let’s just say I am going to hide the rest of my stash and anyone who touches them, is in big trouble. The Reduced Fat Blueberry Vanilla Cinnamon Buns are to die for and I cannot believe that there is only a mere 5 grams of fat in this more than ample size Cinnamon Bun.  Compared to Cinnabon which is a whopping 24 grams of fat, this puts them to shame!  I kept rechecking the package for all the calorie information because they tasted so good, I could hardly believe my taste buds.

The Holey Donut Story

Back in 1958, my father was literally one of the first franchisees with what is today the world’s most successful donut chain. Spending my childhood in the back of a donut shop eventually led to me running and owning my own donut shops. Always having a love for donuts, I set out to create a donut like no other; something that would elevate donuts to a new level; something more high-end, more gourmet, and really just the best donut you could make. Then one day, I walked away from the deep fat fryer and began to actually cook my donuts in a different way. Then at first bite, I said “HOLY $#!%, these are really good!” Thus, the name Holey Donuts! read more here.

So, I cannot think of a better way to indulge without feeling guilty. If I had known about Holey donuts a long time ago, I would have been a few pounds lighter and little less depressed about eating something low fat, because these are simply delicious! Now my only worry is having to choose which kind I want to try next. Holey Donuts you are awesome!

HOLEY DONUTS! WOULD LIKE ONE LUCKY READER TO WIN A Holey Donuts! Holiday Pack of

1- Full box of Jumbo Low Fat Cinnamon Buns (4)
1- Full box of Our Awesome Jumbo Low Fat Blueberry Vanilla Buns (4)
1- Full box of Holey Donuts! Low Fat Cinnamon Bun Middles (16)

+$150 Holiday spending cash!

Enter to win by emailing; info@holeydonuts.net. You will need to put the name of our blog DoubleBugs in the subject line in order to enter. Please only enter once!

For a limited time you can Buy 2 and get 1 Free!!  All you have to do is place 3 or more assortments in your shipping cart, then at checkout, enter the code HGLL and click recalculate, and BAM! your 3rd assortment will be free (up to a $11.95 value)!  Offer good until 12/15 2009.

**Holey Donuts sent me three boxes of their product free for my review, the opinions that I have expressed are strictly that of my own**

Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting Challenge Win $10,000

The holidays are in full swing, and with that comes holiday baking of all sorts!  Everyone loves a sweet treat and with new Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting, creating delicious works of edible art has never been so easy!  Starting today, the makers of Pillsbury baking products announce the “Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting Challenge,” and call on all dessert lovers to unlock frosting fun, think creatively and transform their favorite homemade baked good into a chance to win $10,000 and a year’s worth of Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting.  Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting is available in a convenient aerosol can with a built-in five-star applicator tip and can transform a cake, plate of cookies, or batch of brownies into bakery-style desserts.

Consumers are asked to use Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting to decorate a homemade baked good of their choice and submit an original photo of the wholly edible creation online.  Submissions can be entered online starting November 23, 2009, through February 19, 2010, at www.pillsburybaking.com.  The winning photo will be posted in March 2010.

Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting makes decorating baked goods a piece of cake!  The new product features the same creamy, delicious frosting in a tub that families love, in a 13.5 oz aerosol can with a five-star decorating tip.  Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting is available in three delicious varieties: Decadent Chocolate Fudge, Vanilla Dream, and Velvety Cream Cheese.

“We are always thrilled to offer new ways to add fun and convenience to baking,” said Maribeth Badertscher, Vice President, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. “The Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting Challenge is meant to inspire amateur bakers to share their creativity.”

To help consumers get started, Pillsbury offers a variety of delicious baking products for fun and convenience in the kitchen.  New products include Pillsbury Brownie Minis Brownie Mix, delicious bite-size treats that need only water and bake in half the time of traditional brownie mix; and premium Pillsbury Cookie Mixes in three mouth-watering, family favorite flavors: Funfetti Cookie Mix; Reduced Sugar – Sugar Cookie Mix; and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix.

The “Pillsbury Easy Frost No-Fuss Frosting Challenge” is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C.,18 years of age and older.  Void in Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont and where prohibited.  For Official Rules and complete entry details visit www.pillsburybaking.com.

Taylor Gifts Holiday Shopping From The Comfort Of Your Home

Ever wonder what you are going to buy for all those people on your Christmas list?  For me, each year I lament over what gifts to get the people in my family who appear to have everything, the people at work, as well as, for my kids.  For me, it is difficult to get out to the stores, because when I am able to shop I have the boys.  I tend to avoid the crowds for the most part during the holiday season and do a large part of my shopping online.

When it comes to shopping online, I usually like to visit places that sort of have something for everyone on my buying list.  This way, I can get everything in one place and I am not paying separate shipping fees for everything that I order. I was recently introduced to Taylor Gifts and I love their unique selection of gifts! They have a wonderful assortment of things for everyone, like Classic Tin Toys Tiddly Winks. Do you remember those? It makes me feel old, but I loved them as a child.

Among other things, they have Gag gifts and novelty items that had me and my husband laughing out loud. There are some really good ones for the joker in your family. They also have a lot of the “As Seen On TV” items, and I will admit, I have found myself buying a few of these as well. Some of them are very practical, like the Bottle Tops, that turn your soda can into a bottle (I am so going to get that)!

Taylor Gifts is a perfect place to find that perfect gift for family, friends and even coworkers. It even offers a gift finder for you to help break things down. It is a great go to shopping resource when you are in the market for finding a unique gift. There are some really neat things on there, and definitely worth checking if you are at a loss for what to buy and need ideas!

**I was compensated for my time to review Taylor gift, the opinions I Have expressed are that of my own**

Evenflo Triumph Advanced LX *Review and Giveaway*

I have two three year olds and they will probably be in their car seats for at least a few more years. Choosing something that is there to protect your child in the event of an accident can sometimes be a daunting task.  The law would prefer that you have them in a seat of some sort up until the age of 8 I believe, or children that are below the height of four foot nine inches.  My boys have a lot of growing to do before they will be even close enough to be out of their car seats.

As a parent, this has been one of the bigger investments we have had to make. Being a first time parent I was overwhelmed at the choices and all the information when choosing a car seat.  We started out with two carriers, which grew to a bigger seat which only accommodated them till they were 40lbs in weight.  At three years of age they haven’t reached their weight limit for those particular seats but they outgrew them well before they would have even gotten close to 40 lbs. So after that, I had to take a closer look at our choices for car seats for them.

As you know, car seats can be a rather pricey venture for parents, and especially if you have multiples.  Even though I felt like I was taking out a small car loan just to get them good seats, I wanted them to last this time.  We had two car seats situated in my vehicle since, I have the boys the most.  I have an SUV which is a gas guzzler but it was big enough to fit the boys in the back comfortably.  After awhile we decided that my husband should have at least one seat in his car for trips to the doctor, or when we wanted to divide and conquer.  His vehicle was more economical in terms of gas but much smaller.  We could have moved the seats when we needed them, but if you  know anything about car seats, once they are in a car, it is a pain in the butt to move them again.

We currently own, two Britax Regents, A Safety First Complete Air, our Previous Car Seats were Graco Comfort Sports.  We have have a few different brands to kind of compare.  Recently, I was offered the chance to review an Evenflo Triumph Advanced LX so I was interested to see how it compared to all these seats that we currently have.  If I am in the market for a car seat, I look for a few different things.

I look at the overall cost, the size of the seat, the weight limit, the buckles and straps (can I reach back and undo them with one hand etc), if the seat cover is able to be cleaned (because we all know that kids are messy), and if it looks comfortable and if I can find safety ratings on them.

When the seat arrived, we got it out of the box, and my initial reaction was that I was going to like this seat.  The seat itself was well padded and appeared to be comfortable to the boys when they sat in it.  Before we even got it in the car, I wanted to see how to adjust the shoulder straps.  The Evenflo Triumph Advanced LX, already has one exciting feature that I loved right away and that is the way you turn the dial on the side to adjust the straps.  It makes it ten times easier to work on the side of the car seat with a dial rather than fumbling in between the child’s legs to find the well hidden button to release the straps and or tighten them.  The shoulder harness using Evenflo’s Infinite Slide which is amazing in that, you can adjust them just by sliding the red tabs up or down.  There is know threading and re-threading the harness belts to readjust.

My husband has a relatively small car and I was worried about how far the seat may or may not overhang in the back.  Since my husband has relatively long legs, he tends to move the drivers side seat to the farthest position in his car which in turn leaves little leg room for the boys in the back.  The Evenflo Triumph Advanced passed this test with flying colors and sits far enough back on the rear seat that they still have ample leg room.  In comparison to our Britax Regents, this compact seat has a lot to offer in functionality and works well if you are limited on space.

When setting up the seat in the car, I almost always struggle to get a car seat in the car because you have to do a lot of maneuvering.   The Evenflo Triumph Advanced was fairly easy  on installation.  The seat had ample room to reach through the space when threading the seat belt through which is nice when you are trying to fit your adult hand through.   I struggled with installing the metal locking clip which is always the case, I wish they would make something that was a bit easier to deal with.  One thing in particular that I didn’t care for, and I have the same problem with a lot of the seats we have had, is that, the harness belt gets twisted very easily on the Triumph Advanced as well as most other seats, and if you aren’t used to getting it back, you will find yourself fussing with untwisting it very often. The padding itself is machine washable which is a must for a car seat in my opinion.

In general, this is an excellent seat for the price ($120-$150), and the boys both seem comfortable riding in it.  The Evenflo Triumph Advanced will also be with your child probably until they are able to ride in a booster which is nice.  You can use this seat with infants rear facing from 5lbs to 35lbs and forward facing from 20lbs to 50lbs.  For safety, it is recommended that you keep your child rear facing for as along as possible.  We love the Evenflo Triumph Advanced and it is really nice for compact cars.  It comes in about seven different color combinations so you can easily find something that looks nice in your vehicle.

Evenflo Convertible Car Seats

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