Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Swiss Colony Celebration Brownie Balls Review



I received a box of Celebration Brownie Balls from The Swiss Colony.  I was so excited because I love chocolate.  We are huge chocolate fans in our house.





What is a Brownie Ball?  It is a chewy brownie covered in Swiss Colony chocolate.  It's a little bite of heaven.  They are the perfect size if you just want a small treat.  We loved them!  They have a great texture inside and the chocolate on the outside is really good too.  I really liked that these had a great chocolate flavor, but they were not too sweet.  My kids loved the little sprinkles on the outside.  They really are cute.  They come packaged in a cute little box.




These would make an excellent gift for any chocolate lover for Valentine's Day.  I think they would be great to send someone for a birthday or any type of celebration.  What would you get these for?

If you want to purchase your own box of Celebration Brownie Balls you can get them on The Swiss Colony website for $16.95.  These come in a box of 12.

The Swiss Colony offers a variety of delicious items.  They offer cakes and desserts, gift baskets, snacks and nuts, cheese and meats and even sugar free items.

You can connect with The Swiss Colony on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure - I received a sample for free to facilitate my review.  All opinions are completely my own.  No monetary compensation was provided.

Yala Designs Review



Yala Designs is a unique company.  They offer a variety of great products.  The products range from clothing for women, men, babies and toddlers,  bathroom and bedroom, accessories and travel.  I received a really cute outfit to review.





I received the Bamboo Dreams Clara Tunic in Raspberry along with the Bamboo Dreams Women's Cropped Leggings in Black.  The first thing that came to mind when I opened the package was I couldn't believe how incredibly soft both items were.  The Clara Tunic is really cute and I love the length.  It has a really pretty circular shape at the neck.  I'm only 5 feet tall, so this fits me a little longer than probably most.  I love the length of the Cropped Leggings.  I find this to be an excellent length for anyone, but especially if you are on the sorter side like I am.  The outfit is not only very cute and stylish, but super comfortable.  This is going to be one of my favorite outfits I own.  They feel really great on.  I found that both items fit very true to size, so it's easy.

Yala Designs is offering my readers an exclusive coupon code that is valid through the 15th of February.  Use FRUGAL20 at the checkout to save 20% on your order.



About Yala Designs - They are a Green America Approved Business.  They ship responsibly.  Their Bamboo Dreams line is dyed with products that are Azo free.  They feel it is important to communicate with the people in their factories.  



You can connect with Yala Designs on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclosure - I received samples for free to facilitate my review.  All opinions are completely my own.  No monetary compensation was provided.  

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Valentine's Day Heart Shaped Cookie - Smiley Cookies Review



I received a box of Smiley Cookies yesterday and both myself and my kids were excited to try them!  The variety I received was the Valentine's Day Heart Shaped Cookies.  Valentine's Day is always a great time to enjoy cookies!

I just love the box they come in!

These are cute Valentine's Day Cookies that come in a package of 12.  The first thing that came to mind when I opened the package was that these are huge cookies.  They were packaged really well, so that they didn't break in shipment.  They come with festive pink icing and a cute smiley face on them.  I liked the flavor of the cookie itself and also the icing.



These would make a great treat for your little ones on Valentine's Day.  The heart shaped cookies would also be a cute treat for teachers or even to send to school with your children for their classmates.  Smiley Cookies also offers cute Valentine's Day Gift Baskets.




If you want to purchase your own Valentine's Day Cookies you can do so right from the Smiley Cookie website.  The cookies pictured above retail for $13.99 a dozen.  You can also save 10% by using the code BLOG10 at the checkout.  This code is valid on everything except gift cards.



You can connect with Smileycookie.com on Facebook and Twitter!

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.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

I have accepted the Skintactix Challenge!

I recently accepted the Skintactix Challenge!  What exactly does that mean?  I will be using the Skintactix products over the next 30 days and will let you know at the end my results!

I am excited to see how this works.  I have struggled with acne since I was a teen.  It is embarrassing that I am now in my 30's and still get breakouts.  I am anxious to see the results from Skintactix as the products are a little different than products that I have tried previously.  They contain no benzoyl peroxide, no parabans, they offer a variety of kits for different skin types and they offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

So since I'm taking the challenge I figured I'd take a before picture and post it.  I figured this is really the only way to see how well the product works and to really show my readers.



I will be trying out the A3 kit from Skintactix.  This is for sensitive skin.  My skin tends to get irritated easily from certain products, so I thought this kit would be the best for me.



Disclosure - I received a 30 day supply of Skintactix for free to facilitate my review.

Glam Globes Review



What would you say if I told you that there is now snow globe jewelry?   When I heard about Glam Globes I just new I had to find out more about this!  Glam Globes are snow globe rings that you can personalize any way you want!  I received one to try out and have been having so much fun personalizing mine!  I love that there is a way to print out pretty much anything you want and put that design in your ring.  I used part of my blog banner with the butterflies on it and used it in my ring.  I love it.  You can also change your ring depending on your outfit or how you're feeling that day.  The options are endless.

This is the cute Valentines Design that came in my Glam Globe.

My printout that I used inside my Glam Globe.

My personalized Glam Globe with my blog banner inside.

These are some fun words available to print on their website!

Glam Globes makes is really easy to personalize your ring because right on there website they have a design center.  It helps you resize and upload your photo or picture and then you just print it out.  It was really simple to use.  Once you have done that all you have to do is cut out your design in the shape of the circle and slide it into the ring.

Glam Globes can be purchases for $19.99 from their website.

I also like that Glam Globes are adjustable in size.  I have pretty small fingers and was able to squeeze the ring to make it smaller, so it fit perfectly.

Glam Globes are recommended for age 12 and up.  These would be great for teens, moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters and much more.  I could see this making a fun gift for Valentines Day or Mothers Day.  It would be really fun too if you have a teen daughter for a birthday party.

You can see exactly how Glam Globes work in their video below that shows you these neat snow globe rings.  



You can also connect with Glam Globes on Facebook and Twitter!


Disclosure - I received a sample of the above product to facilitate my review.  All opinions are completely my own.  No monetary compensation was provided.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Find great toys for your children at Wooden Toddler Toys!



I  recently came across a great website to that has toys for toddler aged children.  I found them because I was searching for high quality toys for my children.  Wooden Toddler Toys offers a huge selection of toys that will keep your toddler busy for hours.  I really like the huge selection of pretend play items they have.  They offer so many great toddler toys that are unique.



Wooden Toddler Toys offers more than just toys too.  They offer a nice selection of wooden toy boxes.  These are great for storing toys and keeping them off the floor  They are very cute too.  I like the one pictured below that has the ABC's on it..





If you are looking for educational toddler toys you can find those at Wooden Toddler Toys too.  I love finding toys that my children love to play with, but also learn from.  I like the idea of the shape catching game below.  That definitely looks like something that would be fun and a great way to teach your children their shapes.  I believe that children should have fun while they learn.

Wooden Toddler Toys also offers toddler tables and chairs.  The little table below is the perfect place for toddlers to do puzzles, color and play.  I really like the Windsor White Table and Chairs.  I think it's neat how it has little cubbies in it too to hold your child's items.  It's really cute.  




Wooden Toddler Toys also offers really nice toddler furniture.  I saw this little toddler couch and thought it was the best thing ever.  How neat would it be to have a cute little couch for your toddler?  I like the idea of them having their own special space.  


Wooden Toddler Toys is a great place to find quality toys that are unique.  Some of the items they offer I haven't seen anyplace else.  They also offer a price match guarantee.  So, if you find it cheaper somewhere else they will match the price!  They think it's very important to provide their customers excellent customer service.  

You can connect with Wooden Toddler Toys on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, their blog and website too!

I did not receive compensation to write this post.  All opinions are completely my own.  This post was written in partnership with Wooden Toddler Toys.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Uncle Jerry's Pretzels - A delicious review!

I am a big fan of pretzels.  We eat them all the time in my house.  I love snacking on pretzels because they are low fat and pretty low calories too.

When I found out about Uncle Jerry's Pretzels I knew they would be something I would enjoy.  Uncle Jerry's makes pretzels and you can tell they know what they're doing.  They make sourdough pretzels that are super crunchy and delicious.  Their sourdough pretzels are some of the best I've ever had.  They are very fresh.  Their recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch pretzels is over 100 years old!  They are also fat free, oil free and made without preservative.  I was really impressed when I looked at the ingredients on the package!  Uncle Jerry's is unique.  They bake their pretzels fresh to order.








Uncle Jerry's offers a couple varieties of pretzels including . . . . 
  • Whole Wheat 
  • Whole Wheat Sesame Low Salt
  • Extra Dark
  • Specials
  • Lite
  • Oat Bran
I personally was lucky enough to sample the Specials and the Extra Dark pretzels from Uncle Jerry's.  I enjoyed both varieties as did the rest of my family.  They were extra crispy and had a great flavor.  The Specials are crispy pretzels and the outside is a nice dark brown.  They are very flavorful.  The Extra Dark pretzels were something new to me.  They are a well done pretzel that is slow cooked and blackened on the outside.  They have a really good flavor and are super crunchy.  I loved them both as did my kids.  These are something that we will be putting in lunches and using as a healthy snack.  They are something I feel good about feeding to my family.







and they also offer some amazing dipped chocolate pretzels in the following . . . . 

  • milk chocolate
  • dark chocolate

I also sampled the milk chocolate and dark chocolate pretzels from Uncle Jerry's.  They were so good.  They take good quality chocolate and cover their delicious pretzels with it.  I have never had anything like this.  I personally love the dark chocolate variety because I'm a huge fan of dark chocolate.  My kids loved the milk chocolate covered ones.  This is a wonderful treat.  I was in heaven!  The milk chocolate and dark chocolate both had a really nice balance of sweet and salty.  These would make an excellent gift for Valentines Day!  Which ones would you want to try?






I would definitely recommend Uncle Jerry's Pretzels to anyone who loves pretzels!  

You can purchase Uncle Jerry's Pretzels in a variety of sizes.  They are available on their website.  You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.



Disclosure - I received free samples to facilitate my review.  All opinions are completely my own.  No monetary compensation was provided.  









Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Morphology - A fun new game - Review



Morphology is a brand new game that is great for family game night!  We played it last night and had a blast.  You can see that it comes with a box of assorted items.  So what do you do with then to play?  Ok so what you do is you pick a card.  You then attempt to build/animate the word you chose by using the various items in the box.  It's really a lot of fun and it can get pretty silly.  Then your teammate has to guess what it is you are building and get the word correct!  I love that the game is very interactive.  It says it's for ages 13 and up, but  I have a 4 and 6 year old.  They are too young to play on their own, but if they team up with myself or my husband we can help them play.  They really enjoyed trying to build the words they picked.



The game includes the building pieces, timer, die, team pieces and the cards.  Everything you need to play is included in the box.  Morphology retails for $29.99.  It can be purchased online or on the Barnes and Noble website.  It is also available at a number of specialty shops.





Morphology is an award winning game!  It received #2 toy of the year from TIME.  About.com gave it best party game of 2010!  These are just a few of the awards it's received.  This is definitely a game I could see having around to add some fun to a party!



Connect with Morphology on Facebook and Twitter to learn more!

The Ginger People - Organic Ginger Syrup Review/Giveaway 2/5 CLOSED



I absolutely love the taste of ginger!  The Ginger People offer a nice assortment of great ginger products.  I was very familiar with ginger candies because I eat those, but I had no idea they made so many great ginger products.  The Ginger People offer an assortment of products including - ginger skin care, ginger chews, ginger cooking sauces, organic ginger products and vegan ginger products.



I received a bottle of Organic Ginger Syrup to try!  The first thing that came to my mind was I was going to make myself a ginger soda!  So what I did was took some sparkling water and added some of the syrup to it and made my own sparkling ginger soda.  It was really good!  The ginger flavor was excellent.  It was not too overpowering, but you could definitely taste the ginger.  The Organic Ginger Syrup can be used on a lot of things.  You can use it on pancakes, waffles, carrots, chicken or even yams.  You can put it on just about anything you want!  The ingredients on the syrup are simple - it's just organic ginger and sugar.  It's super delicious!



About The Ginger People - They are very passionate about all things ginger.  They have factories in Australia and California.  They provide a large variety of ginger products!

You can also connect with The Ginger People on Facebook and Twitter.

Giveaway - One reader will win their own bottle of Organic Ginger Syrup.  Open to US residents 18 yrs of age or older.  Enter on the Rafflecopter form below.  The giveaway will end on 2/5/12 at 8:59 pm PST.  The winner will be chosen by random.org through the Rafflecopter form.  Entries will be verified.  The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to contact me back to claim their prize.

Disclosure - I received a bottle of Organic Ginger Syrup for free to facilitate my review.  All opinions are completely my own as always.  No monetary compensation was provided.

Forget the Resolutions Giveaway Hop! Over $180 in delicious prizes from Anderson Seafoods and Delectable Addictions! #FTRgiveaway 1/26 CLOSED


Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop
January 21 - 26, 2012

Hosted by Planet Weidknecht and
Going Crazy!!Wanna Go??

It's been three weeks since you've made all those resolutions.It's said that it takes 21 days to make a new habit, so you've probably already broken your New Year's Resolutions.  I say - FORGET THE RESOLUTIONS!  Let's have a giveaway hop instead!

The Forget The Resolutions Giveaway Hop runs from January 21 @ 12:01 a.m. EST to January 26 @ 11:59 p.m. EST.  Each blogger is hosting their own giveaway of at least $20.00. After you enter my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs and enter theirs too!


Fabulous bloggers hosting amazing giveaways:




I say forget the resolutions and eat what you want! 

Enter to win over $180 in yummy prizes!


Anderson Seafoods




Delectable Addictions







So what am I giving away?  One lucky reader will win $150 gift certificate to Anderson Seafoods.  The winner can use their gift certificate on any items they want from Anderson Seafoods.  I previously reviewed their seafood and it is amazing.  You can see my review here.  They offer a very impressive selection of fresh fish and seafood that is delivered packed on ice and dry ice right to your door.  It is the best seafood I've had.

AND. . . . 

I am also giving away a gift basket from Delectable AddictionsThe basket will include Scrumptious Spinach Dip Mix, French Onion Dip Mix, Chicken Pasta Salad Spice Mix, Rio Salsa Soup Mix, Marvelous Minestrone Soup Mix, Cinnamon Delight Muffin Mix, and Hot Fudge Brownie Mix.  Yummy!  You can see my review here.  They offer amazingly delicious soup mixes, baking mixes and dip mixes.

There will be only one winner that will get both prizes!  This is open to US residents only age 18 yrs of age or older.  The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond.  You must enter on the Rafflecopter form.  All entries will be verified.  The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST on 1/26.  The sponsors are responsible for sending out prizes.

Thank you to Anderson Seafoods and Delectable Addictions for provided amazing prizes for the winners.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Versatile Blogger Award!

I was so excited to see I received the Versatile Blogger Award from Peace, Love and Purses!  If you haven't checked out this great blog make sure you do when you have a chance.


The rules for this award are:
1. Thank the person that nominated you with a link back to them. See Above
2. Tell 7 things about yourself. (see below)
3. Pass this award on to 10 newly discovered blogs and let them know that they’ve received an award.

Seven things about Lisa:  
1.  I love really hot and spicy food!  The hotter the better.

2.  I enjoy reading vampire books.  Some of my favorites include the "Sookie Stackhouse" series and Twilight.

3.  I am only 5 ft 1/2 inch - and yes it is very important to add the 1/2 inch in there!

4.  I love cooking and baking.  

5.  I am addicted to the Food Network.  I love watching DDD and Chopped.

6.  I am always looking for fun ways to work out.  I love doing Tae bo.

7.  I have a major sweet tooth.  

Here are 10 great blogs that I have passed the award to the following. . . .  
Take a minute to check them out!