The winner of the Melissa & Doug Trunki Giveaway is….
CAROL B of NV
Congratulations Carol and I hope you enjoy the Trunki! (Winner has been contacted and confirmed)
SamanthaPosts Written By
Using Glad ForceFlex Black Bags to Conquer Holiday Messes
The holiday season is always accompanied by a lot of parties, gatherings and dinners. We are always hosting numerous gatherings at our house and the holidays are exceptionally hectic. It is always a great time, but with every party comes lots of food, trash and messes. I try to handle the mess throughout the party and stay one step ahead before it gets out of control. Here are a few ways I prevent a huge mess at the end of the night:
- Ensure the house is mess-free before guests arrive.
- Always be on the look out for trash laying around and immediately throw it away.
- Have more than one trash can at different ends of the room or house.
- Keep extra bags at the bottom of the cans. When the trash bag is full and you remove it, a new bag is right there.
- After everyone leaves, do a walk-through of the party area with a Glad Black Bag and pick up any left messes.
The Glad Black Bags have been a huge help for me lately. We haven’t hosted any parties the last week or two, but I have been using them to put my full kitchen trash bags in. The last time we bought 13 gallon bags for the kitchen, we decided to try to generic brand. Bad idea. I never imaged the quality would be as poor as they are. Every time I try to take a full bag out, the drawstrings tear the bag, rips off, and I discover holes and tears in the bag. To get the full and destroyed bags to the garage, I have been putting them in the Glad ForceFlex Black Bags. The 30 gallon bags easily hold two fully-stuffed kitchen trash bags (pictured above). They are very heavy-duty and the ForceFlex prevents any rips and tears. I have never had one rip, no matter how full and heavy the bag was. This week is the start of a busy stressful holiday season and Glad Black Bags have given me one less thing to worry about, eliminating the stress of the mess.
Glad has partnered with the one and only Tori Spelling to host OMG Extra: After the Wild Life, a cute and fun Facebook series featuring loveable, messy animals. While you are there, play ‘Missing in the Mess’ and find the differences in messy pictures. ‘Like’ Glad on Facebook and starting watching the hilarious videos.
“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Glad. I received products to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”
BAND-AID & Neosporin Lip Health Products – Perfect Stocking Stuffers
When it comes to stocking stuffers, I like to include small items that are practical and aren’t toys or candy. I pick things that are used year-round, promote good health and not just for kids. This year, I will be including some BAND-AID and Neosporin Lip Health products in my family’s stockings.
BAND-AID BRAND
With two boys that think they are indestructible, bumps, bruises and cuts are inevitable. I keep a first-aid kit on hand and it is always stocked with BAND-AID Brand Adhesive Bandages. They have new QUILTVENT technology that creates air channels to allow the wound to breathe. The waterproof tough strips are flexible and stay adhered during all my daily activities. I had to use one on my finger and I was still able to bend it and had no issues working with my hands throughout the day. When it came time to remove the bandage (which I dread doing), it was painless and effortless.
For the kids, we have cute and fun Muppet bandages. The package includes various designs and assorted sizes. The bandages are plastic and flexible allowing them to stay in place when applied. My three year old is not happy when he has to wear a BAND-AID, unless it has a Muppet on it. For more kids fun, download the Band-Aid Magic Vision app (free) and bring the Muppets to life with interactive fun by scanning the bandages.
Aside from bandages, BAND-AID offers other great products. I can’t count how many times I have worn new or uncomfortable (but cute) shoes and have gotten blisters on my feet. I use to put a BAND-AID on my ankle or foot to prevent blisters, but that normally didn’t last long and they would just rub off. Now, I just use the BAND-AID Friction Block Stick to prevent the blisters. It has a lubricating formula that instantly reduces rubbing on the skin. It is easy to apply, invisible and not greasy. The size is perfect to keep in my purse for fast and convenient applications. This is one product I wish I had when I wore heels everyday.
For the latest products, coupons, offers and updates be sure to visit BAND-AID.com.
Neosporin Lip Health
With the cold weather comes dry skin and chapped lips. Neosporin has a few products in their Lip Health line that protects lips from the winter chill and make for great stocking stuffers. The Daily Hydration Therapy is for daytime use and has SPF 20 to protect your lips from the sun as well as the cold. The Overnight Renewal Therapy helps restore your lips and make them softer and healthier as you sleep. The daytime cream is lightweight and brings comfort to dry lips. The overnight cream is a little thicker and really hydrates the lips. Neither are greasy. The pair of products assure visibly healthier lips after 3 days and I can attest to that. They are a new must-have in my house.
For the latest products, coupons, offers and updates be sure to visit NeoLips.com.
Disclosure – I received the named product at no cost to conduct this review and was in no other way compensated. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.
Heinz57 Pulled Pork Recipe + Tailgate Prize Pack Giveaway
It’s the middle of football season and around here, that means entertaining, tailgating and Sunday gatherings. Tailgating and football games aren’t complete without the perfect foods. Some of our favorite tailgating foods include meatballs, burgers, brats and pulled pork sandwiches. I am always looking for new recipes to try and I have found some tasty ones on Heinz 57‘s website. Heinz 57 is sure to add flavor to any meal with their three products: Heinz 57 Sauce, Heinz 57 Steak Sauce, and Heinz 57 Sauce with Honey.
PULLED PORK RECIPE
One of my favorite recipes is the Heinz 57 Pulled Pork. It serves approx. 8 people and only takes 10 minutes to prep.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 cup Heinz 57® Sauce
- 1/4 cup Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3.5 lb. boneless pork shoulder blade roast, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
- Mix together 57 Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard, sugar, tomato paste, and onion in a 5-6qt slow cooker. Season with salt & pepper. Add pork and make sure it gets coated with the mixture. Cover and cook on low heat setting for about 8 hours, or until pork is cooked through (no longer pink or an internal temperature of 165°F) and tender, turning occasionally.
- To serve, remove pork from slow cooker. Pull pork into shreds using two forks. Return pork to slow cooker and stir until well mixed with sauce. Serve onto your favorite sandwich buns and serve immediately.
PRIZE PACK GIVEAWAY
Heinz57 is giving one lucky Nifty Mom reader a Tailgating Prize Pack which includes:
- Heinz 57 Sauce, Heinz 57 Steak Sauce and Heinz 57 Sauce with Honey
- Grilling tools
- Heinz blanket
- Can cooler
- Heinz tailgating book
To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below. No purchase necessary to enter. The giveaway is open to contiguous US residents only, 18+ and giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST November 25th, 2012. Winner will be selected via random.org and contacted by email. Winner has 48 hours to reply to confirm their prize or a new winner will be picked. Sponsor is responsible for shipping the prize to the winner, not Nifty Mom. If you have any issues entering or have any questions, please email me at contact (at) niftymom(dot)com.
GOOD LUCK!
Nov 17 Lowes Free Kids Workshop – North’s Sleigh from Rise of the Guardians
Lowe’s offers a great ‘Build and Grow’ Clinic for kids every few weeks. This Saturday, November 17th at 10am the kids will be building North’s Sleigh from DreamWorks Animation’s new movie Rise of the Guardians.
The first 50 to register and be present at the store will receive the kit, an apron, and goggles. the recommended ages is 1st-5th grade.
For more information, store locations, and preregistration visit Lowe’s Build And Grow here. They also have fun activities, kits you can purchase and family projects.
Starbucks BOGO FREE Holiday Drinks 11/15 – 11/18 (2pm-5pm)
Starbucks BOGO promotion starts today and I can’t be more excited! Stop off at any local participating Starbucks store and buy a holiday drink to get a FREE one of equal or lesser value.
Holiday drinks: Gingerbread Latte, Peppermint Mocha, and Caramel Brulee (my favorite)
Offer valid November 15th – 18th from 2-5pm.
For more information, check out their website here.
I’m in Love… with My New Keurig OfficePRO Single-Cup Coffee Brewer
My typical day is pretty hectic with three little ones and this Momma needs her coffee. In the morning while I am getting breakfast ready, I normally get out my canister of coffee with intentions of brewing a pot. Keyword there: intentions. Some days, I get so sidetracked I forget all together. Other days, I notice the canister is out an hour or two later and finally brew my pot of coffee. However, I get sidetracked again and I forget that there is a pot brewing. After another hour or so, I will remember and eventually get a cup. By the time I go back for cup number two, to my disappointment, the auto-off has already shut off the brewer. I could turn it back on to keep the coffee hot, but it just gets burnt and doesn’t taste that pleasant. As much as I love coffee, I always seem to be wasting almost a whole pot or not making any at all. However, I am enthused to say that I finally found a solution: The Keurig OfficePRO Single-Cup Coffee Brewer.
I have only heard good things about Keurig, and thanks to Staples, I finally got to discover for myself how great they really are. The OfficePro is a commercial brewer that has a 48oz water reservoir and generally brews about ten times the amount of a typical home brewer. This is perfect for me because it is always ready to brew and I can drink a lot of coffee. The brewer also comes with a 12 pack of variety K-Cups to sample (I enjoyed each of them). I also recieved an 18 pack of Tully’s 
French Roast (my selection and very delightful).
Once I received the package, I couldn’t wait get my new Keurig set up and brewing. Setup was simple and the instructions are easy to follow. Before use, it has to be primed. To prime it, all I had to do was fill up the water reservoir and turn the power on so the brewer fills and warms the water. Then, press ‘brew’ to cleanse and fill a cup of water (with no K-Cup). The process takes less than five minutes. Now, its ready to go.
To brew a cup of coffee (or other beverage), insert a K-Cup into the holder and close. The blue light around the ‘brew’ button will flash alerting you it is ready to brew. Within about 30 seconds of pressing the brew button, you will have a fresh cup of coffee ready to enjoy! After 15 seconds, the brewer will be ready to brew the next cup of coffee. Please note that when the water tank is filling up the there is a vibration noise momentarily. It’s not that bad, but it is normal.
There are many features to the Keurig OfficePro including:
- ‘Auto-Off’ Button: When selected, it will turn off 2 hours after the last cup of coffee is brewed.
- Cup Size Selection: The brewer can brew 6oz, 8oz, or 10oz at a time
- Removable Drip Tray: Removes to allow for travel-size mugs and easy clean up. Also holds about a cup of liquid in the event that a cup is brewed with no cup/mug.
- Single Cup Brewing: No wasted, forgotten about, or burnt coffee
- Always ready to brew: When I turn it on in the morning, I am enjoying a fresh cup of coffee within three minutes.
- Designed to stay on all day: I have comfort in leaving the brewer on all day long knowing it can handle it
Not only is the Keurig OfficePro convenient, is also eliminates the mess of coffee grounds & filters and the error of using too much or too little coffee grounds. The only thing that could be negative about the brewer is that I may be drinking way too many cups of coffee now. I have not went a morning without at least one cup of coffee since I received the Keurig and I have even enjoyed a cup or two in the evening. I am truly in love.
Disclosure: I received a Keurig® OfficePRO® Single-Cup Commercial Coffee Brewer from Staples to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are 100% mine.