Old Navy Style Council's Cardi Party!!

WOW! We had so much fun yesterday! I am going to try to pack as much detail as possible into my blog post since I can't add that many details into my Crowdtap review on the website. To begin, I made sure to fully read over the letter and in-store guide that was mailed to me. LOTS of great info in the guide! I really appreciated it that the guide included some pictures of a few of the items to give us all an idea of what Old Navy was offering in-store. You can see an example of some of the cardigans that were shown on the front of the guide; very helpful!

I ended up bringing my best friend, my sister, and my Mom. My Mom and sister have had a VERY stressful past couple of weeks so I thought they would be perfect to bring along! Boy was everyone THRILLED with the invite. When they found out they would be able to shop for free, they were just bubbling over with anticipation! When we got to the store, the very first thing that we saw was 2 large shelving units filled with cardigans. None of them were on hangers, they were all folded. They had sooo many different colors to choose from. We spent a few minutes picking out our favorite colors/styles. It was hard to narrow it down because there were a lot of really cute ones. My favorites were the animal prints because they were just so fun and interesting! Here are 2 pictures of the displays so you can get an idea of what we saw when shopping:

My Mom was THRILLED when she saw the leopard cardigans. She said that she has looked everywhere for one and couldn't find one anywhere. She never thought to look at Old Navy. She actually ended up using the coupon to get a free leopard one and bought an additional red one. They looked great on her! The cardigan section was very organized and easy to shop in. They had a great selection of colors and sizes. Thankfully, our sizes were available in our favorite colors! Our shopping trip was off to a great start! We decided to move on to skirts next and actually had a tough time finding them. Our store didn't have quite as many skirts as I thought they would. There was a small rack with 2 different styles way in the back of the store. Near the front, they had a bunch but they were all very similar. SUPER cute skirts, don't get me wrong. We were just expecting to find some longer skirts, too, and only found 2. (on a side note, my Mom tried to redeem her coupon for one of the longer skirts and it wouldn't work; they must not have been included!) This is a picture of one of the skirts that we found that wouldn't work with the coupon. :(

My sister and best friend went wild over the fun colors and styles of the other styles of skirts, though! My sister chose blue, my friend chose red, I chose black, and my Mom got a denim one. :) Here are some pics of this section with a few of the skirts we looked at:

Overall, the skirt section was fun to shop in. I tried on a few of the slimmer pencil skirts and they weren't super flattering on me. I am petite and they kind of made me look like I had a Kardashian-type butt, LOL!!! I decided to pass on those. We all found something that we really liked and could pair with several different tops. Again, I was hoping that the longer skirts would be included but we were still MORE than happy with what we got. My Mom and sister actually ended up buying an extra skirt so I could definitely tell they loved them! Finally, we decided to shop for some scarves and boy did we get lost in Scarf Wonderland!!! There were soooo many colors and styles to choose from. I was VERY impressed!!!! They had purple, blue, crocheted patterns, black, leopard, striped, you name it!! All of us ended up buying an extra scarf because we simply could NOT choose just one. Here are the pics I took of the scarf section. Just look at all those wonderful styles!! :)

I think I went a little wild with the camera in the scarf section because we were just having so much fun trying them all on. There are so many ways you can use a scarf and the possibilities and looks are literally ENDLESS!! I got a blue scarf, my Mom got a really funky orange & black one (looked like a Halloween one), my sister also got a blue one, and my friend got a leopard one. They were just so much fun to try on and play around with! The employees were kind of gawking at us the whole time which made it a little awkward. There were like 3 of them in a group and they just kept watching us. Not sure what they thought we were going to do with them, LOL! Anyway, the shopping trip went VERY well overall! Our cashier was super sweet and was AMAZED at the deals that we got. Each of us ended up with around $65 worth of stuff for free. THANK YOU SO MUCH OLD NAVY AND CROWDTAP FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. You made this group of ladies VERY, VERY happy! It was the perfect way to show off some awesome clothes and help cheer up 2 gals that have had a very stressful past few weeks. I can't thank you enough!!

Woolite Extra Dark Care product review

To begin, I just wanted to note that I received a Woolite Extra Dark Care sampling kit from Crowdtap which included 12 samples with coupons to try & also to hand out to friends and family members. I made sure that everyone that received a sample packet knew about Crowdtap and how awesome they are! Now on to the review! This was actually my first time trying this product. I had used Woolite in the past but never the Extra Dark Care variety. I had a huge load of dark colored laundry to wash which gave me the perfect opportunity to try out a sample packet of the detergent. Here is a pic of my laundry with the sample & coupon also on display:

I ripped open the packet and I immediately caught a whiff of the detergent's fragrance. It wasn't overpowering but it was very fresh & clean smelling. I poured the packet into the running water and was REALLY impressed with how many suds it made. It seems like so many detergents have a disappointing amount of suds so it was refreshing to see one that actually seemed like it was sudsing up in the water.

The above picture just shows you the sample packaging and the awesome amount of suds that were filling up my washing machine. The whole time I could smell the Woolite detergent, too, which I really liked. I threw in my huge load of laundry...

...and let the product do its magic! I could actually smell the detergent throughout my house while the washer was running. I like a strong fragrance on my clothes so this made me happy. :) When the load was finished, I went in, opened the lid, and could still smell the detergent on my clothing! Yay! The clothes looked and smelled sparkling clean. I didn't pretreat anything so I wasn't sure how well this product would remove stains but it did a fantastic job! My clothes looked bright & clean! I would definitely recommend this product for your darker loads, especially your favorite pair of jeans. :) I had a few pairs of jeans in my sample load and they looked great when they came out of the wash! Great product and one that I will definitely be purchasing in the future. THANK YOU CROWDTAP AND WOOLITE!!!!

Let's Be Honest Contest - enter to win!

Hi again everyone!

This month I am holding a contest where 3 lucky readers will have the chance to win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex Triple Action detergent. This detergent rocks and is what I use regularly so this is a great opportunity to give it a try if you haven't yet. Here's what you need to do to be entered to win:

Check out Purex's Let's Be Honest videos at either of the following links:

Purex: http://www.purex.com/lets-be-honest
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/purexlaundry/videos

Send me a quick email or Facebook message (or post here) to let me know which one is your favorite. Then, like, share, and/or retweet your favorite! I think my fave was Mystery Stain. This is so relevant to our household because we ALWAYS seem to find weird, unrecognizable stains on our laundry, LOL. Thankfully, Purex Triple Action is tough on stains and takes them right out!

Remember, in order to be entered, you have to view the videos and vote for your favorite.

The contest will run until July 18, 2012 at 9 PM EST so hurry and check out the videos! Winners will be emailed after the contest closes. Thanks for checking out this contest and GOOD LUCK! :)

Premama Prenatal Vitamin Drink Mix

I want to start by saying that I received a free 7-day supply of this product from MomSelect but my review and opinions are 100% my own. Now, on to the review:

To start, I loved the form of this product. For me, drink mixes are SO much easier and more enjoyable to take than huge, horse sized vitamins. Those things just tend to be SO big. The drink mix is packed FULL of prenatal vitamins and is flavorless so you can add it to pretty much anything you want. I love to add in flavored powders to my bottled waters so this was perfect to add along with it. To mix, you just open one of the packages, pour into your beverage of choice, and then shake/stir. It's that easy!

Here is some useful information about the product, taken directly from the enclosed brochure. This will give you some great info about the product and help you determine if this product might be right for you. "Premama is a doctor recommended, prenatal vitamin on-the-go drink mix. It is complete with key prenatal vitamins and minerals - including folic acid, iron, DHA, CoQ10, and calcium - that help greatly reduce the chances of some birth defects, when taken appropriately. Premama's ingredients have also been shown to help relieve common prenatal vitamin side effects such as nausea and constipation. Premama contains USP ingredients and is produced in FDA-regulated facilities. It is 100% natural, flavorful, and only contains 6 calories!"

The convenience of this product alone makes it worth it to me. It's just so easy to remember to take and since it's flavorless, you don't feel like you are being forced to choke down something that you hate. I give it two thumbs up!

Don't forget to check out http://drinkpremama.com/ for more info. You can also like them on Facebook to really show your love for the brand!

If you want to be entered to win a free 30-day supply of Premama, please email me! Thanks!

Honey Bunches of Oats - now even more delicious than ever!

I want to begin by saying that Post provided a free sample of their Honey Bunches of Oats Honey Roasted cereal so I could review it. My participation is completely voluntary and my opinions, as always, are my own.

Now on to the juicy details!! :)

I have always been a fan of the Honey Bunches of Oats brand and have tried at least 5-6 different varieties over the years. They are all very, very tasty and packed full of whole grains, vitamins, and minerals. My main focus is going to be the taste as that seems to be the main thing that everyone wants to hear about. I will also get into the health benefits of the product for anyone wondering if this cereal can fit into their diets and/or daily routines. I tried this cereal many times in the past and always loved it. It's sweet but not SICKENING sweet. The slight taste of honey combined with the crispy flakes and crunchy oat clusters makes this cereal absolutely delicious. I find this cereal to be unique from other breakfast cereals as it brings together 4 nutritious grains (Wheat, Oat, Corn, and Rice) all wrapped up into one great tasting cereal. And if that isn't enough to convince you, Honey Bunches of Oats now has even MORE of the granola bunches added to it. I was thrilled about that addition because those are my favorite part! YUM! This cereal is yummy on its own but I have also tried it mixed with light vanilla yogurt and with skim milk. Both are quite tasty! I wouldn't recommend leaving the flakes in milk for too long as they do tend to get soggy, as with most cereals. Besides, who would want to spoil that awesome crunch?

Here are a few nutritional facts about this product, since we all know that taste AND nutrition are important. ;)

-10 grams of Whole Grain per serving -6 grams of sugar (for anyone that consumes Honey Nut Cheerios, this has 6 grams of sugar per serving, Honey Nut Cheerios has 9) -The variety that I sampled (Honey Roasted) provides 9 essential vitamins & minerals -It's HEART HEALTHY! (0g Trans Far, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol) As you know, this can reduce the risk of heart disease and that is always a good thing!

If you haven't tried this yet, I would highly recommend it. And, if Honey Roasted isn't for you, there are plenty of other flavors to try. Almond, Strawberry, Cinnamon Bunches, Vanilla Bunches, and many, many more! Try them ALL! I am sure you will find one that you will LOVE!

For more information, feel free to check out Honey Bunches of Oats on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/HoneyBunchesofOats

Help support this wonderful brand by giving them a "like" and telling them how yummy their cereals are! Thanks for reading!

Purex "Let’s Be Honest" promotional campaign

On April 30th, Purex will launch their new Let’s Be Honest promotional campaign featuring Second City Comedian Molly Erdman. This will be a national campaign with a digital presence all over the web and will also be featured in magazines, newspapers, and stores. Through mid July, there will be new funny videos uploaded every few days at www.purex.com, plus posts on Facebook and promotional tweets on Twitter. There will also be a daily sweepstakes which will run through July 24th. Stay tuned for more info!

Enter the Santa Margherita Mother's Day Sweepstakes on Facebook!

Every mom deserves a little relaxation, and what could be more relaxing than a weekend getaway? Just in time for Mother's Day weekend, one of our favorite wine brands wants to make sure that one lucky mom is ringing in the holiday with style! In honor of the introduction of the refreshing new Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosè, Santa Margherita is hosting a fantastic Facebook contest.

If lounging at a beautiful hotel in an exciting city, sipping on the new Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosè sounds up your alley, point your kids (or yourselves!) in the direction of Facebook! By simply telling Santa Margherita why their mom deserves a getaway, they'll be entering you for the chance to win a Las Vegas Mother's Day Weekend for two, including airfare, two nights at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino and a memorable Mother's Day Brunch featuring HGTV star and entertaining expert Monica Pedersen. Other great prizes include bottles of wine, boxes of chocolates and copies of Monica Pedersen's new book, "Make it Beautiful." Encourage your kids to enter or log on to Facebook to enter on behalf of your own mother!

Enter the contest here: http://www.facebook.com/SantaMargherita

Because Italians' love of their mothers is internationally renowned, Mother's Day provides the perfect occasion for America's favorite Italian wine to introduce Americans to the delicious new Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosè. The Sparkling Rosè (which will be available in stores in May) joins an acclaimed lineup of Santa Margherita wines that also includes Pinot Grigio, Prosecco and Chianti Classico Riserva. The #1 Imported Italian Wine crafted this beautiful, sparkling blend of Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Chardonnay, and a hint of Malbec in the crisp, easy-drinking style for which Santa Margherita is renowned.

"Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Santa Margherita prize package in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place."