Back to School Shopping with Visa and a $50 Visa GC Giveaway (Canada only)

Getting ready for a brand new school year, with all the excitement and first day jitters is a long standing tradition that has occurred through many generations. While going back to school nerves are something that many generations can identify with, the times sure have changed from our grandparents and even parents generations. For example, while we were children, back to school shopping meant fighting crowds at the local store and picking out pens and pencils from the shelves. If there was one department store in town, all the kids had the same backpacks. Today, around 72% of people surveyed (in the Visa Canada back to school survey) have indicated to take their back to school shopping online, citing crowds, higher prices, and general lack of time for the more traditional pre-school mall hopping. Now, with the Smartphone generation growing up, around 4% of consumers will do their back to school shopping from a tablet or a smart phone.

Credit cards are a must when shopping online for back to school supplies; however, security can always be an issue. Thankfully, Visa has developed multiple layers of fraud prevention systems and programs. With zero liability you don’t pay for transactions you did not make the added chip and pin make your visa extra secure and verified by visa password gives you added protection when shopping with online merchants. Additionally, Visa offers visa perks which are additional discounts offered to customer from dozens of well known and loved merchants in a huge variety of categories, by using a Visa credit card.

While the way we shop for back to school supplies has changed, the fact that we all want to get the most out of our dollar has not. The cost of back to school shopping can quickly add up, younger children can require a little less in school materials, but as they grow up, new school clothes or electronic devices may top the list of wants and needs. There are very few events that unite young children and young adults like back to school season. Although, I don’t have any young children, my daughter Erika is taking more college courses  to further her accounting education. While she may not need construction paper and pencil crayons, the high cost of post secondary education, makes her seek out back to school bargains wherever she can. Between housing, food and tuition a dollar saved on school supplies is a great thing.

Thanks to Visa, I was able to help my daughter out with much needed text books for her college courses!

To get you ready for back to school shopping Visa is offering a $50 dollar prepaid card to a Canadian reader. While back to school shopping may be stressful, at least with a prepaid Visa it does not have to be expensive. A random draw will be held by Random.org on August 17,2012 from all Canadian entries.

See them on Twitter@ #BackToSchoolSpend


To Enter:
Leave your email and a comment for Visa about this giveaway and why you'd like to win. 


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Best of luck to all-

Review and Giveaways: Boodles (Canada only)

In this day and age you almost need a higher degree to decipher the ingredients in your beauty products and household cleaners. At that time you have to wonder why would you put chemicals on your skin or clean your home with them.

As such many people are turning to products with more natural ingredients. Boodles is a Canadian  manufacturer of non toxic cleaners and personal care products. As an online company they can keep their costs down by not having a physical store and ordering the best of ingredients in bulk. These savings are passed directly to the consumer. 

Boodles offers a huge variety of safe and wonderful products including a line of baby items, bath products, household cleaners, personal care and beauty products, all at very reasonable prices and at a great quality.Their products are simple - not only with their ingredients but with their packaging as well.

I have tried a number of their products and loved the fact that everything was so natural in them, and that I actually KNEW what the ingredients were.

Boodles would love to give two of our Canadian readers a chance to win two gift packs they are giving away.One will be a cleaning gift pack and another will be a beauty gift pack. A random draw will be held on August 12, 2012 from all Canadian entries received and drawn by Random.org. No choice of which pack you will win though-sorry.

To Enter:

Leave your email and a comment for Boodles about their site and products.

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Back To School Season- It's Quickly Upon Us

A walk through many stores will quickly demonstrate that back to school season is quickly upon us.Whether you are excited about the prospect of a new beginning for you or your child or dreading that start date, it is always best to be prepared for when that first bell rings. 

Most of us agree that there are many expenses associated with going back to school, whether you are pursuing, elementary, secondary or higher education, the costs of schooling can vary and can quickly add up, for you or your children.


Our friends below can help with some of your Back to School needs:

QVC-

Visit QVC for back-to-school shopping needs.

Check out their Lock & Lock 12-piece Nestable Storage Set

QVC Item # K36184  Approximately $32.75

MOM Brands-

Once a one-product company, today MOM Brands ranks among the nation's leading cereal companies. It is still family-owned and will always be focused on what's good for families. Great quality, great tasting cereal at prices they can afford. In fact, that's the company's mission - to find better ways to make a better breakfast at a better price.

A Checklist for Savings In The Laundry Room

Are you looking for savings ideas in the laundry room? I've compiled a checklist of some ways you can go over to see if you are doing all you can to save money in the laundryroom.

-clipping those coupons for name brand detergent and combining them with the same, on sale

-buying no name laundry soap.Heck, in harder times, I've even used dish liquid and it workd just as good

-use half a sheet of fabric softener, or reuse the first sheet at least twice. Mom saves me hers that she uses once, and they work!

-front loading machines are known to save more money

-run your washer and dryer on the shortest cycles to get the job done

-use cold water for washing. Although I do wash my sheets and blankets in warm water

-don't over wash bath/kitchen towels. Did you just use once or twice? It doesn't need to be washed yet.Get the rest of the family into the habit of reusing your towels at least for a few days.

-use an indoor clothes drying rack if you don't have alot to dry. I wash my bathroom rugs once a week but hang them up indoors to dry. They don't warrent running the dryer for 2 small rugs.

If you have any other tips for savings in the laundry room, feel free to add them.

Sea World, Orlando, Florida

When on vacation, sometimes you just cannot decide-should I go to the zoo or maybe a theme park? Luckily, when visiting Orlando, on our upcoming Florida vacation we will be able to do both by going to Sea World Orlando.

Sea World Orlando, Florida is a theme park and marine-life based zoological park. It features a vast array of live shows, fun rides and numerous animal exhibitions. 

The park is divided into several areas including Key West at Sea World indented to replicate Key West Florida, which in this part of the park you can see stingrays, sea turtles, manatees and dolphins, among many others.

Another area, Shamu’s Happy Harbor, named after the very famous Sea World Mascot, is an area dedicated especially to kids. 

Wild Arctic is an indoor pavilion which focuses on the northern sea life including polar bears and beluga whales.

The newest are of Sea World is called Waterfront which is meant to resemble a Mediterranean village, with shops and restaurants. 

The park also offers you a chance to get up close and personal with many of the park animals including dolphins, stingrays, sea lions, shark, penguins and many more. 

We always love animal theme vacations on our travels and cannot wait to see all the creatures of Sea World.

Pizza Hut's Mystery Envelopes and a Reader Giveaway of $25 Pizza Hut Gift Card ( Canada only)

We're excited by another great Pizza Hut promotion:


This summer, Canada’s favorite pizza chain is testing the will power of Canadians with their mysterious Don’t Open Me Challenge.

From now until September 3, 2012 Pizza Hut visitors will receive a prize winning envelope with a simple set of instructions: Don’t Open Me until September. Every envelope is a winner, but only if it remains sealed until after September 3^rd! There is more than one million in available prizes such as: home entertainment systems, gift cards, food prizes, travel vouchers, etc.. 

For more details and fun , head to your local Pizza Hut!

And for the opportunity to win a $25 Pizza Hut gift card, please leave your email and a comment for Pizza Hut about what you think of this promotion.

A random draw will be made by Random.org on August 15, 2012 from all Canadian entries received.

Extra Entries:
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Best of luck to all-

Kellogg’s- A Great Part of Breakfast

Kellogg’s is known as the maker of popular breakfast cereals including Mini-Wheats, Special K, Rice Krispies, and Frosted Flakes among many, many others. It is also the maker of other breakfast staples such as Eggo waffles and delicious bars including All Bran, and Fibre Plus . There is much more to the company then their huge array of products. 

Kellogg's has been a name I still remember as a kid growing up. One of my favorite cereals of theirs was Frosted Flakes.I ate it as a morning cereal, as a snack, dry, and when I got older, I even made a few  Frosted Flakes recipes using it.Who doesn't know it's famous tiger- Tony, who became a household name is 1951.

The company was started in 1898 by the Kellogg brothers who accidently discovered the recipe for flaked corn. As the company grew so did its array of products.

In 1930’s the W.K Kellogg foundation was started with the mission to help children realize their potential. Each year the company donates tens of millions of dollars in cash as well as tens of millions of dollars in breakfast to children in need so that they can succeed. With its wonderful tradition of giving, as well as great products, Kellogg’s is a tasty and ethical part of the breakfast table.

I am now a blogger for the Kellogg's Network and look forward to sharing with you our views on  their newest cereals and snacks.More to come!

A Project in the Works

We've had been talking about adding a screened in porch to our back deck for the last couple of years, so tonight Gerry started pulling the deck apart.He's going to make the deck higher and bigger, but that might be all we'll do this year. After all, we just re-did the skirting on the trailer, had the roof re-done, and a few other smaller projects done. 


We find the bugs are so bad at times that it would be nice to be able to just come outside and not have to share the deck with them,but at the same time enjoy the outdoors. Also thought it would be nice to have a lounge chair in there and take a nap.


So, instead of just talking about it, Gerry begun work on it tonight- tearing away at the boards. 


Of course Jake had to get in there and once the bottom was pulled off, he was in there exploring like a little boy and getting all dirty and full of cob webs!

Busch Gardens- Tampa Bay

On our upcoming Florida vacation, one of the places we will be visiting will be Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay. It's been over 20 years since I've been here and Gerry has never been to Tampa Bay.

This is a pretty exciting theme park, offering over 335 acres of exotics. Among many attractions Busch Gardens is famous for is their animal adventures. One of the more popular ones is Serengeti Plain where you can roam a habitat featuring hundreds of exotic African animals from the safety and comfort of various modes of transportation as well as walkways. 

There are number of other animal attractions that allow you to interact with a variety of animals up close and personal or from a distance. For those seeking quality entertainment there are a number of fun and fascinating live shows that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat, or laughing out loud.

As a true theme park, Busch Gardens offers some first class ride attractions that will please any thrill seeker. SheiKra is North America’s first dive coaster that will take adventures on a thrilling three minute journey with some spectacular views.Gerry and I personally are big chickens when it comes to rides. We just don't have the nerves or the stomachs we did when we were younger, but there are some great rides here for those that love that thrill!

After a day of fun, animals and excitement, guests can enjoy a delicious dinner meal at the many great restaurants located on premises. 

 This should be a ‘roaring’ good time.

New on DVD : Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure

Just in time with the Olympics, " Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure" bounces to DVD today- July 31st.

Dora receives a special ribbon indicating that she is going to start the Big Gymnastics Show. However, when her ribbon gets stolen by Swiper, Dora and Boots must go on an exciting adventure to get it back. They will cross Crocodile Lake on a balance beam, trampoline jump over vast gardens and swing into a fantastic gymnastic adventure just in time for the big show.

So with this Olympic season, be sure to check out Dora’s take on this great sport and enjoy this movie with your little ones.