The Big Skinny – Wallet That Is

I’m not a big one for carrying a purse.  I have left them in restaurants and restrooms.  I never know what to do with them when grocery shopping, I mean do you carry it on your arm while trying to pick out meat?  Do you put it in the basket and hope no one walks off with it?  For that reason I opt for not carrying one unless it’s absolutely necessary.

I usually carry a coin purse in the front pocket of my jeans since but there are times the edges or zipper sticks out and i get stuck in the gut with the thing.  Not the most pleasant feeling.  Then I discovered the Big Skinny.  Big Skinny is marketed as the “World’s thinnest, smallest and lightest wallets“  in fact it’s a wallet that’s made to be carried in a pocket.  It’s thinner and actually smaller than my coin purse. It holds as much if not more than my coin purse but it’s not as bulky.  It fits nicely in my pocket as well as the purse I carry on that rare occasion.

Big Skinny comes in a variety of styles, colors and materials.  I chose the nylon Taxicat wallet in smoky teal and I absolutely love it.  It’s got a small zipper compartment for carrying change, several pockets for credit cards and store discount cards as well as drivers license, insurance cards and a large pocket for bills.  No more folding my money and hoping it doesn’t get stuck in the zipper of the coin purse.  Then the Big Skinny folds over and is held by a magnetic snap.  It’s great, just get the tab in the general area and it grabs hold and won’t let go unless you pull them apart to open it.  Did I say I love this thing.

Big Skinny is not only made for women but they have men’s styles as well.  I’m sure there’s not a man out there that wouldn’t mind a nice thin wallet for Father’s Day, a birthday or a just because gift.

To see all the styles available and get your own Big Skinny visit their website at www.bigskinny.net.  I’m sure you’ll fall in love with at least one if not more of their styles.   I mean so many to choose from,  bi-fold, tri-fold, clutch, wide, narrow, whatever your style Big Skinny’s got it.

Photo Credit:   http://www.bigskinny.net

A product was received for review. I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.

$50 Snapfish Giveaway for Father’s Day

Fathers Day is fast approaching and what better time to think about that one of a kind unique gift for dad.  How about something personalized from Snapfish?

If Dad’s a Master Chef who belongs on Food Network , he’ll love a personalized apron ($14.99) or cutting board ($24.99) from Snapfish featuring his favorite photo of the family for the next big backyard barbecue.

For the Sports Fanatic who love to relax with a round of golf , give him a personalized golf towel ($19.99) from Snapfish, or capture his favorite golf memories with the born to golf scrapbook downloadable for free from the HP Creative Studio.

Dad will love also love new Snapfish address labels for his own personal touch featuring his favorite photo for all those thank-you cards he still needs to catch up on. Available for $5.99 for a set of 36.

If Dad’s the sentimental type how about a personalized photo keychain for $18.99.  I recently had a keychain made with a photo of my puppies and I love it but it’s not just for women, it’s sized perfect for a man.  The photo quality is great.

Snapfish is giving a $50 gift card for one lucky reader to be able to purchase that perfect gift for Dad and maybe have enough left over to get yourself something as well.  Kind of like getting a twofer.

Leave a comment telling us what gift you’d use the certificate towards.   This is the mandatory entry and must be done before any of the extra entries.

For extra entries. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

• Become a fan of MomGadget on Facebook
• Subscribe to this blog
• Follow MomGadget on Twitter
• Like HP on Facebook
• Follow HP on Twitter
• Blog/tweet this giveaway (one entry per day)

Giveaway open to US Residents only

Giveaway ends Saturday June 12th at 11:59pm CST

Giveaway Closed

The winner of the $50 Snapfish Gift Card, chosen by Random.org is Lydia with entry #31 -  Congratulations Lydia

Organizher by Mead Review and Giveaway

It’s getting harder and harder to get organized and once I think I’ve gotten there it’s almost impossible to stay there.  If you don’t believe me take a look at my desk.  Paper everywhere, some in stacks and some, well, not in stacks but as I said ALL OVER.  You can imagine my delight when I was offered the chance to review the Organizher by Mead.

Organizher is not one product but many all with one goal in mind. To keep your life organized and allow you the time you’d normally spend sorting through stacks and stacks of papers, shuffling them from one pile into another new pile just to find the one you wrote that appointment or phone number on.

Meade has 15 items in the Organizher line that include

Customizable Solutions
Whether it’s a Shopping Companion to manage your “to-buys”, a Family Organizer for all your planning and scheduling needs, or an Expense Tracker, these Organizher products feature Tech Lock® technology – rings that open and close easily so you can add, subtract and customize with your own documents or free downloadable templates available at Mead.com

Calendars/Time Management
We know how hard it is to keep track of a family’s busy life, as well as what’s for dinner. With Organizher’s time management products like the Month-to-Month Family Wall Calendar and On-the-Go Family Planner, you can plan ahead while keeping today’s priorities in close view.

Meal Planning
Keep track of your shopping list and plan meals for the week ahead with Organizher’s convenient Write-n-Wipe Meal Cente rand Meal Planning Magnetic Notepad. Both products easily hang on a fridge for convenient access when and where you need it most.

On-the-Go Solutions
The portable sizes of Organizher’s On-the-Go Memo Book and Stay-in-Touch Address Book are perfect for a purse, briefcase or diaper bag, allowing you to take your planning anywhere!

I got to pick a few that I thought would fit me to use and review so I chose.

Magnetic Calendar Center  – An undated weekly paper calendar keeps track of your family’s busy life, while a dry erase area lets you track changing priorities and to do’s as the week progresses. SRP: $15.99

This is great for the family with a lot going on.  There are sections for yourself and up to 3 family members plus a place to note dinner ideas.  In addition at the bottom is a dry erase area for quick notes or if you’re like me, items I need to add to the shopping list.

On the Go Family Planner – Keep track of your family’s busy life, as well as what’s for dinner with All Me,All Them, and Chow sections in this tabbed planner. Also includes a repositionable bookmark, sections to log important information and a “Dates to Remember” section. SRP: $9.99

This is a mini version of the Magnetic Calendar Center.  You can keep this on your desk, in the car or just about anyplace you want.  Like the Magnetic Calendar Center it has a section all for you, up to 3 members of your family and a section for notes.  I have to admit, I don’t use this the way it’s intended.  I modified it for my blogs.  The section for Me I kept for appointments for both my husband and I and the other 3 sections I labeled them for the 3 blogs I do reviews for and write the review item on the date it’s due.

Expandable File Folder – This expandable file system contains 21 pockets and comes with pre-printed and blank labels to designate folders for specific categories. Great for organizing medical and school records, or even recipes. SRP: $9.99

This is great for anybody that has a lot of loose papers.  You can designate each folder to a certain topic and toss those loose papers in there rather than the piles they’re usually in.  This would also be great for someone into scrapbooking to separate and keep your photos until you use them.  Home organization for tax time or insurance purposes or just for bill paying  Hey, at $9.99 you can get several and be extra organized.

To view the complete line of Mead’s Organizher items just go to http://www.meadonline.com/pdfs/SellSheet-pdf.aspx.  The Organizher products can be found at Target Stores.

Now for the fun part.  I’ve been authorized to give away a $25 Target Gift Card as well as the three Organizher items I reviewed to a lucky reader.

Mandatory Entry:  Go to http://www.meadonline.com/pdfs/SellSheet-pdf.aspx to check out the products then come back here and leave a comment telling what product you like best and why.

For Extra Entries:

• Link back to this post from your blog
• Spread the word on Twitter using hashtag #Organizher (1 entry per day)
• Fan Organizher on Facebook and leave a comment on the wall about a how they’d use Organizher products, along with a reference to your post
• Follow @Organizher on Twitter and send a tweet that includes “I’m following @Organizher, thanks to @momgadget)”
• Become a fan of MomGadget on Facebook
• Subscribe to this blog
• Follow MomGadget on Twitter

Winner cannot have won another Mead or Organizher contest in the past 90 days

Giveaway open to US Residents only

Giveaway ends Thursday June 3 at 11:59pm CST

A product was received for review. I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.

Giveaway is Closed

The winner of the $25 Target Gift Card chosen by Random.org is Sharon with entry #162. Congratulations Sharon.

Fit in Your Skin

Exercising is difficult, at least for me.  What’s hardest is being motivated and going to a gym with a bunch of people who are usually in better shape than I am and of course I feel they’re all staring at me, the short, chubby uncoordinated one in the back who can’t quite keep up.  I know all it would take is some time and I’d be able to keep up with everyone else in the class but my shyness and lack of self confidence keeps me from going back.  I know if I had a physical problem, one that was noticeable to everyone, not just being out of shape I’d have a harder time going to the gym than I do now and of course I’d be inclined to just sit and veg.  Well, Jackie Warner is about to change that for people with psoriasis.

For those unfamiliar with psoriasis, it’s an auto-immune disease.  It’s the skin working on overdrive producing new skin before the old can slough off.  So what you end up with are hard scaly areas of all this excess skin called plaque.  I know people with psoriasis, both friends and relatives, and it can be life altering.  For some it’s able to be hidden by clothing for others it’s in areas that are harder to cover.  It can make you very self conscious and afraid to go out around people you don’t know.

Now you’re asking just what or how is Jackie Warner going to make any change for people with psoriasis.  I’ll tell you.  Jackie Warner is a fitness and nutrition expert who’s seen firsthand how psoriasis can affect a person’s life since her grandmother lived with the disease for many years.  She knows making healthy choices is important to those with psoriasis because they are at higher risk for other serious conditions like heart disease and obesity.  With that in mind Jackie’s teamed up with dermatologist and psoriasis expert Paul Yamauchi, M.D. and four people dealing with psoriasis and developed Fit in Your Skin.

Fit in Your Skin is an online resource that offers useful tips on fitness, nutrition and stress management.  Yes, stress can make psoriasis outbreaks worse.  Joining Fit in Your Skin is free. When you join you get a free copy of the program’s health and fitness DVD, featuring a nutrition segment and 30 minute workout with Jackie and her Program Leaders, along with encouraging words from Dr. Paul Yamauchi.  The website features a downloadable nutrition & fitness guide, shopping list, wellness tracker, workout playlist and step-by-step instruction guide to the exercises.  You’ll also find a section on relaxation and a BMI chart.

Armed with the proper tools you can take control of your life and work towards making psoriasis less intimidating and overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of you having a healthy body and way of life.

Steel Series Experience I-2 Mousepad

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying, my husband is a gamer, a PC gamer that is.  With that being said imagine his delight and surprise when Steel Series sent me the Steel Series Experience I-2 Mousepad to review.   It didn’t take much persuasion on his part to let him have it since I know he’s wanted one for a while now.

He was ready to give me his opinion within the first 5 minutes of using it but I made him wait and really give it a good test drive and I can say nothing has changed in his mind.  This is one of the best mousepads around.

Pros:

• Great – top notch
• Large – 10″ x 12″
• Tracks well – mouse movement is smooth and not choppy
• Skates well – easy to glide across the mousepad

Cons:

• Skating is a little louder than cloth, rubber or plastic pads but not bothersome
• Gets dirty easily, being a hard surface oils from your skin can collect on it BUT it’s easy to clean
• The Steel Series Experience I-2 is made of glass which means it can be broken but it’s not fragile and with proper care it will last a long time.

Cloth pads get dirty and can’t be cleaned.  Rubber and or plastic pads will wear out over time and you loose some of your responsiveness.

It’s a gaming mousepad and with proper care and transport can be portable but I must stress it is made of glass so it’s not made for the careless traveler.

The Steel Series Experience I-2 comes in an assortment of colors, black, white, blue and pink and sells for $39.99 at Steel Series.com

A product was received for review. I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.

Allergy Luxe Organic Bedding – A MomGadget Review

As anxious as I am to see Spring, I’m not looking forward to all the allergies that begin to flare up with her arrival. In fact, my house could be the poster child for All Things Allergy – down to my dogs. Yep, the dogs have allergies too!

My twins were born premature and have struggled with allergies, asthma and chronic breathing issue ever since. Although the boys are about to turn 17 next month (insert brief sobbing sound here), they are still my babies and I worry. I worry about them sleeping properly – I worry about the amount of dust that is floating around my house and how much that dust may impact their daily life.

As a result, I’ve invested a lot of time, money and effort into researching products that make life with allergies a little bit easier.

Enter Allergy Luxe Organic Bedding –  

Allergy Luxe provides luxurious sheets that are made from certified pure organic cotton. These quality sheets promote and support the growing trend and need for an eco-friendly lifestyle such as mine.
These sheets are free of harmful chemicals and organic dyes, and has an anti-allergen barrier weave that protects the sheets against dust mite dander, pollen, pet dander and other allergens that tend to cause problems with my kids.

The 100% organic cotton sheets come in a 300 thread count which essentially means they are very soft! They have fairly deep pockets that are nice if you have a pillow-top mattress. And they are machine washable. I’ve washed mine according to doctors orders to help provide a healthy environment for my kids and they wash nicely, time and again.

In the end, when my kids breath easy – I breath easy. And there just isn’t a better feeling, as a mother, then knowing your providing the safest environment for your family that you can.

Allergy Luxe Organic Sheets and Bedding can be purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond.

 

Disclosure: I received the above product at no cost from Bed Bath & Beyond. All opinions are 100% mine.

Personalized Art by AllPopArt

Are you looking for that perfect gift for yourself or that person you don’t know what to buy for. A personalized gift that you can guarantee they’re sure to love and not return. A canvas portrait from AllPopArt.com. AllPopArt will take a photo and turn it into a custom work of art that anybody would be proud and honored to display.

I recently had the opportunity to turn a photo into canvas art with the help of the experts and artist at AllPopArt. They make it so easy from start to finish. Once I chose the subject for my personalized canvas portrait I called the their toll free number and they explained the process to me. They even set up an account but you can do this on your own through their website. After the account was created I uploaded the photo I wanted along with the type of artwork I chose which was the single subject Warhol Print.

They have a team of artists that digitally draw your photo and create a beautiful work of art that rivals any professional hand painting I’ve ever seen. AllPopArt keeps in constant contact with you via email and after a couple of days there were 2 samples of my portrait for me to choose from or I could request changes. I decided I wanted less bold Warholesque colors and opted for more subtle earth tones that would compliment the colors in my home put in my request while also sending them to a link to a another of my websites that has the perfect colors in the header. I again received an email within a couple of days with the changes I asked for. Once I was happy I accepted the final product and a few days later I received an email with tracking number, my print was on it’s way.

The print arrived on the date promised and it was packaged and protected very well. They also included hanging hardware which makes it that much quicker to get your artwork displayed to enjoy and share with others.

This would make a great gift for new parents, pet lovers, newlyweds, birthdays…well, any holiday or occasion you could think of.  While you’re thinking about it why not have one made for Mother’s Day.

A product was received for review. I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.

Jill-e designs Camera Bags for Women

I recently received a great camera bag from jill-e designs. This bag comes in a variety of designs and colors to match any taste or mood. The bags were designed to appeal to women but there area a few that men would like also.

I was told to pick the bag of my choice and I chose the Small Bone Leather Camera Bag. This bag is stylish and functional with removable dividers inside and several pockets on the outside for cables and accessories. Also included is a small pouch that will hold personal items if needed. I personally think that’s a great place to put your wallet, ID or whatever else you need to keep at hand. After all with a bag this stylish why carry an extra bag in the form of a purse when this will do double duty.

Another bag I received was the Messenger Style Camera Bag. This bag is so versatile it can be used for more than a camera. With it’s heavy duty magnetic closure on the front flap and large outside pocket that’s hidden by the flap this would make a great carry-all for everything from books to small baby items for mom’s on the go. A few diapers, wipes and extra bottle and you’re good to go. This bag I think I’m going to give to a 20 year old cousin who is constantly on the go with work, friends and family. It’s got the colors most young women would like and will work well in almost all situations.

The Messenger Style Camera bag also comes with removable dividers so using only 1 divider you can use 1 section for your camera and the rest as a purse. This way you’re not having to hunt through your purse for your camera and you get the added protection of not scratching the lens or view finder.

Anybody who’s into photography knows protecting your camera is your number 1 goal since a scratched lens will not make for good photographs and there is only so much you can do with digital editing software.

If you’re looking for extra insurance to protect your camera as well as a versatile bag that’s both stylish and functional I’d go with a camera bag from Jill-e designs.

A product was received for review.  I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. The opinions expressed are my own and were NOT influenced in any way.

Manischewitz Gluten Free Products

I have been eating a gluten free diet for three years now, so I am always looking for new and different gluten free foods.  When I was asked to try some products from the Manischewitz company, I really was surprised to learn that they have so many gluten free items in their line.

If you’re like me, you have probably seen their products on the shelves in grocery stores and never given them a second thought.  After all, I’m not Jewish, and I am not restricted to a kosher diet.

Manischewitz has been in business for 120 years, and are the largest manufacturer of processed kosher food products in the country. “Today, a growing number of consumers are buying kosher products, not for religious reasons, but because they perceive these products to be “healthier” like organic and natural food.”(* from the Manischewitz website). Their Health Corner page has a long list of not only gluten free items, but several other allergens free items as well.

They sent me samples of some of their products, and I have to tell you, all of them that I have tried are really good.

The Potato Pancake Mix was very easy to prepare-just add an egg and water, let sit for five minutes, and fry up. They were quite tasty as a side dish for either breakfast or dinner, and needed no additional seasonings

The Chicken Broth made a delicious batch of southern style chicken and dumplings.  And the Chocolate Chip Macaroons were divine!

Because they were so generous with their samples, I am having a give away to share them. I would love to keep them all for myself, but I live in a tiny RV trailer and have no room to store them all. If you would like to win a gift pack consisting of 1 of each of the 10 items I received, here is what you need to do:

Check out the Manischewitz website, and then come back here and leave a comment, telling me what item in their product line you would like most.

And for a second chance to win, check out the review of Manischewitz products at FabGrandma Reviews, and leave a comment there.  I’ll be giving away three prizes in all, open to United States residents only. Last day to enter will be February 14, 2010.

Queen, Fancy Love, Siren and Marc Ecko Reviews

When I was asked to review 4 different perfumes I was a little hesitant since I have asthma and a lot of scents tend to make me cough a lot.  When the packages arrived I slowly opened each one and took a sniff.  OK. So far so good, no overwhelming need to cough so I removed the caps and sprayed the first one which was Queen by Queen Latifah.  I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.  Nice light scent, not overpowering at all.  The next step was spraying a little on me. Even that went better than I expected and I was  sitting there with the scent softly wafting up and it’s a very nice light airy fragrance. 

The next scent I decided to try was Fancy Love by Jessica Simpson.  Fancy Love is a little spicier but still nothing to set off any coughing.  Nice pleasant aroma and not too strong.  Sort of a sweet spice.

Next up was Siren by Paris Hilton.  Siren is softer than the other 2 and not at all overpowering.  Siren is something I could see myself wearing on a daily basis, not just for that special occassion.  It’s more of a clean fresh scent.

Now we can’t forget the men in our lives so I was also sent Marc Ecko to review.  Marc Ecko has that clean just showered and shaved scent I love in a man.  It doesn’t feel like it’s trying to cover anything up, just a nice scent I could find myself cuddling up next to.

All these fragrances retail for about $60.  What great Valentine’s Day gifts for that someone special or a treat for yourself.

I received samples of these scents in exchange for an honest review. There was no other compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and NOT influenced in any way.

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