Becoming a Savvier Homeowner in the New Year! #WinterIsComing

We are sharing our experiences as homeowners as part of a sponsored campaign on behalf of Payton & Co. and its client, American Home Shield.

Growing up I always assumed our family home was always functional and nothing ever stopped working. As an adult with my own home and family, I understand now that notion could not be further from the truth. Sometimes it seems like there is a new issue every day of varying severity.

I remember once walking down my stairs early one morning and hearing a water trickling sound coming from the kitchen. I thought maybe somebody left the water running in the sink….. If I only was so lucky. The water line to the refrigerator’s ice maker had snapped! The entire kitchen was flooded and the water was running into the basement. You can imagine we had a bad day. But the problem wasn't just the clean-up, it was also about the expense. Homeowners insurance is such a hassle I just dealt with the expense myself.

Another aspect of homeownership I did not fully appreciate while growing up was the routine maintenance required just to keep everything working properly . . . batteries for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, air filters, cleaning vents, and on and on and on!

We just recently had our broken clothes dryer replaced. It turns out, the dryer had burned out because the vent hoses were too clogged with years and years worth of lint. It had never occurred to me to take it down once in awhile and clean it out. The installation crew told me that not only did the clogged vents contribute to breaking the dryer, it was a major fire hazard!

At that point I realized that I needed to educate myself on maintaining my house’s systems better. I promised myself that I would not let a lack of knowledge create a dangerous situation for my family again. I also realized that I needed to find a way to ease the unexpected expense that comes with these problems and emergencies. I cannot afford to buy a new appliance each time something goes wrong.  With another unpredictable winter upon us here in New England, the cold sometimes makes such emergencies even worse.


There is seemingly an unlimited amount of resources online to help with increasing your homeowners knowledge. There are countless videos, blogs, forums, and podcasts that cover just about everything. There are also companies that offer protection plans for all of your appliances and home systems that fill in the gap between insurance and out of pocket expenses.

American Home Shield is a website that not only offers information to better maintain your home, they also offer protection plans that can help the financial strain of unexpected issues with your home's systems and appliances. I can't speak for everybody, but the idea of a small budgetable monthly fee is appealing to me over the cost of repairing or replacing an appliance or heating unit. I don't always have a spare $2,000 laying around!

This winter, my resolution is to be a much savvier homeowner, in both maintenance and cost. What are your goals as a homeowner for the new year?

"Music Made Me Do It" . . . Share Your Story with SOL Republic!

Thank you to SOL Republic for providing the Music Made Me Do It prize pack for our #MMMDI giveaway.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Music is a time machine.

Almost every memory I have ever had has a soundtrack to it, the good times and the bad. How many times has a song on the radio teleported you back to a time in your life? How many people have you known that you think of whenever a certain song comes on the radio? Many for me.

When I hear Journey, Zeppelin, and Hall & Oates, I am sent back to the 70’s riding on the school bus (with the coolest driver ever!) and hanging out with my brothers in Tennessee.. Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, U2, and Run DMC send me back to high school and all the lifelong friends I made there. As I got older I realized how much music I had missed before my time and started listening to CCR, The Beatles, Elvis, Cream, Hendrix, and on and on.

I am convinced every phase of my life is represented by the music I was listening to at the time. I think back to all of the things I used to do when listening to music. Drawing, studying Karate, driving, spending time with friends at the beach, and bicycling. Oh boy, the hours and hours I spent on my bike when I was younger listening to music that shaped my attitude and spirit.

I would ride up and down the Charles River all day long listening to the entire albums by U2, Pearl Jam, and anything else I could get my hands on. Of course, back then I listened on my portable CD player….. but that's another story. There is nothing like blasting Pearl Jam’s Even Flow while speeding 30 miles an hour down a steep rocky hill or catching a little air to Van Halen’s Jump.

Today I listen to everything, whether it's through my SOL Republic Relays on my bike or with my Master Tracks at the office. As I age, I start to appreciate skill and talent over genre. I appreciate the quality of the sound. If its good music by a talented artist then I like it, whether its opera, rap, country, death metal, or ska it doesn't matter. And with thousands (millions?) of songs just a touch away, I can teleport back into any time of my life in an instant.

This year, music made me get back on my bike. Something I haven't done in years and years. I have a thousand reasons to get up and do something, but only music can do it every time.


Does the video above make you think of the amazing things you've done in your lifetime?  Find more Music Made Me Do It stories on www.solrepublic.com.  3G2S readers are invited to share your stories for a chance to win ALL the SOL Republic products listed below (colors may vary) . . .

Our 'Music Made Me Do It' SOL Republic Prize Pack (ARV $700+) includes:

• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Deck speaker (ARV $129.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Punk speaker (ARV $69.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air wireless headphone (ARV $199.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Tracks on-ear headphone (ARV $99.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Relays in- ear headphone (ARV $79.99)
• 1 SOL REPUBLIC Master Tracks over-ear headphone (ARV $199.99)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

TERMS & CONDITIONS:  This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn. Although every effort will be made for the winner to receive the prize pack by December 24th, 2014, delivery in time for Christmas is not guaranteed. The prize pack image found in the contest post is only an example. The products in the prize pack may vary from the colors shown in the image and will be sent based on availability.

One of My All-Time Favorite Bears, PADDINGTON, Is Coming to Theaters Christmas 2014! #PaddingtonMovie

Thank you to TWC for providing the #PaddingtonMovie assets to facilitate this post and for sending me a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to share the PADDINGTON movie trailer with my readers.

I have such fond memories of reading the book and watching the animated film about PADDINGTON as a child.  Now I will have the chance to share the story of PADDINGTON, a bear with a true soul and an innocent charm, with my own children when this family movie comes to theaters on Christmas Day.  If you can believe it, this little bear celebrates his 56th birthday this week!

I am excited to be able to share the official PADDINGTON trailer with you.  If you are anything like our 7 year old son, you will be giggling with delight throughout most of the 2-1/2 minutes.  I might venture to describe this bear's character as being a more sophisticated Curious George.  Do you agree? . . .


From the same producer as HARRY POTTER, PADDINGTON the movie serves up an all-star cast, which includes Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi and Nicole Kidman!  This film is written and directed by the award-winning British comedy writer and director Paul King.

Be sure to visit www.thepaddingtonmovie.com between now and Christmas Day for new trailers and more PADDINGTON fun!

Happy 56th Birthday PADDINGTON Bear!

A New Natural At-Home Fertility Treatment Option . . . #TheStork for Women

This post about a natural fertility treatment option was sponsored by The Stork and The Motherhood. All opinions expressed are my own.



Our children are now 10, 7, and 7 (yes, we have twins), but I have not forgotten what an emotionally draining time it was for my husband and I when we were trying to conceive over the coarse of several years.  After a year of semi-actively trying, we decided it was time to speak to a doctor, which was when we started our long journey of eliminating and identifying the cause of our fertility problems, like the other 1 out of 6 couples who have difficulty conceiving in the United States.

During my initial blood work panel, I found out that I had Grave's Disease, which caused my menstrual cycles to be longer and sometimes irregular, making it difficult to know when or if I was ovulating.  I ended up taking a fertility drug to make my body ovulate for several months before we became pregnant with our oldest son.  Each month we got another negative on a home pregnancy test made us less hopeful, but it finally happened.  During this time, I was also offered another drug to induce my menstrual cycle to start on a certain day of the month.

Trying for a sibling was an even longer road.  I had a dye test to check for blockages in my tubes.  My husband was tested for a low sperm count and low motility.  Because I had a tipped uterus, we tried implantation, which involved getting a sperm sample at home, rushing it over to the doctor's office, where he would process the sperm to "wake them up" before they were implanted in me with what seemed like a giant turkey baster.  When we finally did get pregnant, it ended in a loss of twins, where one was ectopic.  Then nearly a year later, we became pregnant with beautiful boy-girl twins.

If The Stork for Women by Rinovum had been available back then, we definitely would have asked our doctor for a prescription to try this less invasive at-home treatment before resorting to fertility drugs.  Although we would never trade our twins for anything, when we made the decision to start on medication, we just accepted the risk as the price of conceiving.  The fact was that, if we had a choice while we were still trying, we would have opted for the choice that did not offer the risk of multiples.  We were not financially prepared for twins.  Our house was too small (and still is).  Our car could not fit 3 car seats.  We knew all this, but were willing to accept the price.  Even though your doctor may recommend both fertility drugs and using The Stork, I personally would have wanted to try to conceive without the drugs for the first 2 or 3 months before going on a drug regimen.

More about The Stork . . . 

• The Stork is currently FDA authorized for prescription use, however, you can expect to be able to purchase The Stork without a prescription later this year through Rinovum or Amazon.com, and eventually over-the-counter at your local CVS Pharmacy.
• This product requires no drugs, injections, or surgeries.
• The Stork is made of safe implantable grade silicone.
• This product uses a condom-like collection of the sperm and a tampon-like delivery.
• The Stork costs $79 for one treatment or $210 for the recommended 3 treatments per ovulation period. (Compared to $1,000 to $20,000 per cycle for other types of fertility treatments)
• The Stork is not currently an insurance-based program.

I think The Stork is a very timely product.  It can help both traditional and non-traditional couples who need help conceiving.  With the increasing number of women waiting until they're older to start trying and the growing number of same-sex couples, The Stork is a much-needed product.

To learn more about The Stork, watch the video above and visit www.thestorkforwomen.com.  Also, look for updates on Facebook and Twitter about when The Stork will be available over-the-counter.

Introduce Your Little Girl to the Fun & Music of The Beatrix Girls Pop-Stars Dolls!

Thank you to The Beatrix Girls for providing a prize pack for our giveaway prize and for sending an additional prize pack to me as a thank you for sharing these fashion dolls and their new music CD with my readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Brayden, the purple-haired lead guitarist and songwriter of the pop-star girl band The Beatrix Girls has already been welcomed into our home.  Our 7 year old daughter saw her in the tween clothing store Justice and knew that this doll was what she wanted to spend her birthday money on.  Now she looks forward to adding the other three 12" fashion dolls to her collection.

Each of The Beatrix Girls (Lark, Ainsley, Brayden, and Chantal) has her own personality.  They are all empowered, goal-oriented girls who know what they like and know who they are.  A fun way to introduce your little girl to The Beatrix Girls is to watch the short Beatrix Girls webisodes available on their website, www.thebeatrixgirls.com, like the one below . . .


In addition to Justice stores, you can find The Beatrix Girls dolls at Toys"R"Us, Walmart, Amazon.com, and other major toy retailers.  When you purchase a doll, be sure to look for the VIP pass on the packaging that has a code to join the Trixie Fan Club, which allows your little fan to download free MP3s from The Beatrix Girls and more.

Other fun ways to learn more about The Beatrix Girls . . . 

• Listen to clips of the original songs from The Beatrix Girls' new album Meet the Beatrix.
• Read the official Beatrix Girls Blog.
• Watch music videos and webisodes on The Beatrix Girls YouTube Channel.
• Checkout The Beatrix Girls on Instagram!

Enter to win a Beatrix Girls prize pack . . . 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Have Your Own Monster High Frights, Camera, Action! Movie Premiere Party

Thank you to Monsters High for providing the prize pack for our reader giveaway and for sending us a prize pack as a thank you for sharing the Frights, Camera, Action! DVD and toys with our readers.  All opinions expressed are my own.

On March 25th, Monster High released a new movie on DVD that was much-anticipated by tweenage Monster High fans everywhere . . . Monster High Frights, Camera Action!  To add to the fun, a new line of Monster High dolls have been introduced bringing the fashion savvy ghoulish movie characters to life.

Are you planning a playdate, a sleepover, or a Monster High birthday party for your little girl?  How about setting up a movie premiere screening for your daughter and her friends?  All you'll need is the Monster High Frights, Camera, Action! DVD,  the Monster High Frights, Camera, Action! Premiere Party Playset, and a few of your favorite new Monster High fashion dolls. My daughter's favorite dolls from the new line are Black Carpet Clawdeen Wolf, New Stars Elissabat, and Black Carpet Lagoona Blue.  My personal favorite is Black Carpet Draculaura.  That ghoul has got style!


Watch the Monster High trailer below to get a glimpse of Draculaura's and her friends' adventures in Hauntlywood as they search for the Vampire Queen . . . 

If you really want to make some fun memories, you could even have a dress-up and make-up session with your daughter and her guests to see what their best Monster High character-inspired Hauntlywood look is for walking down the Black Carpet during the movie premiere.  If I were my daughter's age, I would want purple hair like Elissabat's!  There are 8 new Monster High dolls in all.  Which one is your favorite?

You can look for everything you need for your own Monster High Frights, Camera, Action! Movie Premiere Party at Target, Walmart, Toys"R"Us, and Amazon.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

My Photos: Our 7 Year Old Daughter's Taekwondo Belt Test (Board Breaking Video)

In January, both our 7 year old twins moved up from the Pee-wee class in Taekwondo.  They still had their Pee-wee belts and will not officially be promoted until they each pass their next belt test.  Our daughter had her belt test last week to turn in her low orange belt for a high white belt.  She was extremely nervous and practiced for hours at home with her big brother, who will be testing for his orange belt soon.

When the day of the belt test rolled around, I was relieved to see that our daughter was excited, rather than nervous.  I think all that extra training paid off.  During the test, I could see her level of confidence had risen and I watched her give 110% for the full duration of the test.  Needless to say, I was extremely proud of her.  I was especially proud of her because she showed much perseverance that afternoon . . .

Photo and video taken with the Samsung NX300.

During the board breaking portion of the test, our daughter had trouble with the third break.  I could tell by the look on her face that the first attempt hurt her hand quite a bit.  In fact, after the test she showed me a very painful looking bruise that had formed on her right hand.  Even though her hand hurt, she tried the break that stubborn board two more times and was ultimately able to do it.  I know she was as proud of herself as I was of her.


Now she can't wait for the day of the belt ceremony to come, so she can say that she is officially no longer a Pee-wee.

Click here to view all my past favorite photos.

The #ChannelOneNews Common-Core Aligned Video Library is an Excellent Resource for Non-Fiction Learning

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Channel One News. All opinions expressed here are my own.

There are several things that impressed me immediately when attending Curriculum Night for our 4th grader's classroom this past fall.  One of the main things that stood out was how much the 4th grade curriculum was centered around real life.  The monthly Book Talk Projects are not focused around novels only, but rather a variety of genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies, and more.  Also part of the curriculum is weaving the topic of money and finances into other aspects of classroom learning.

"Managing the ins and outs of money is something schools across the country are trying to tackle. And they are looking for creative, hands-on ways to do that." - Channel One News

I have to say that our son's 4th grade teacher has this covered!  The students all have bank accounts (with checkbook registries) and wallets for their classroom money.  They earn classroom money by doing their homework and passing it in on time, passing tests, doing Book Talk Projects, and taking paid positions around the classroom, for which they need to submit job applications.  They also get fined for things like forgetting to pass in their homework or failing to complete it.  The students can spend their money weekly at the 4th grade store and at the 4th grade auctions, which take place several times throughout the school year.

Currently, my son and two of his classmates have submitted a business proposal for the upcoming opening of the 4th Grade Mall.  The whole class will submit proposals that will need to be approved.  Then each business will need to make a financial plan, list out their expenses, their inventory, and other business basics.  I am very much looking forward to finding out if the business run by my son and his two associates will be a profitable one.

I only recently discovered Channel One News' Generation Money series.  I am definitely going to recommend it to our son's teacher as a resource for her lessons in finance.  Channel One News offers a whole video library on a variety of non-fiction topics that are reported in a way that is kid-friendly.  Whether you are an educator in a Common Core classroom or are a parent, you can tap into this resource by registering on ChannelOne.com.  Simply filling out a brief form and indicate whether you are a student, a parent, an educator, or a homeschooler, then you're in!

A Million Duracell Quantum Batteries Donated to Power Equipment for Quantum Heroes & Other First Responders #MC

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Duracell. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

It is amazing how much batteries have become part of our lives. I think I have come to this same revelation over and over for decades. Still, our use and dependence continually grows and it does not look like it will change anytime soon. What is changing, however, is the quality and performance of the batteries we use.

I can’t even count how many devices in our home require batteries, if it was 100 or more I would not be surprised in the least. For many of those devices that require batteries, performance is not that big of a deal to me. The battery-powered jet fighter with lights and sounds that gets played with once every two months can use cheap batteries or, better yet, partially used batteries. For frequently used items, such as remote controls, our children's tablets, wireless mice, cordless headphones, and compact cameras, only a high performance battery will do.

Devices like alarms, smoke and Co2 detectors, flashlights, and high-powered electronics most definitely deserve a good battery, or even the best available. Learning the low quality of your batteries after the power goes out is a problem that most of us have experienced at one time or another.

Ideally we would all use rechargeable batteries, but rechargeable batteries require us to manage their charge at all times. I simply do not have time for that kind of chore in my life at the moment, especially with the sheer volume of batteries I would have to manage. The ideal battery is one that is powerful and holds its charge for a long time.

The new Duracell Quantum battery line does just that. The Quantum battery is the longest lasting battery on the market today. The core of the battery is denser than any other, allowing a long life of use. The Duracell Quantum’s PowerCheck indicator lets you to see exactly how much power is remaining. There is no more wondering if your battery has enough power for the task, it is right on the battery.



If you think your battery needs are demanding, imagine the battery needs of emergency personnel. Duracell donated one million batteries to first responders across North America this year to power their critical and life-saving equipment. Duracell also created the Quantum Heroes video series hosted by Tim McGraw on YouTube, which highlights all the wonderful things emergency personnel and first responders do for us every day. You can see the series here.

Make sure your critical electronics and tools have the best battery right now, because the next time you think about it, it may be too late.  Just look for the signature red color of Duracell Quantum batteries.

Gymboree Inspires Us to Celebrate and Cherish Our Children's Special Childhood Moments #cherishchildhood

I received a promotional item from Gymboree as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.  All opinions expressed are my own.

If you visit my blog at any time, you will likely be able to tell right away that I take an abundance of photos of our 3 children, who are now 6, 6, and 9.  Well, if you can believe it, I probably took twice as many when they were infants and toddlers.  They just changed so quickly back then.  Sometimes I find myself wishing that my children would mature a little more quickly, but when those difficult moments have passed, I come to my senses and wish they could stay little forever.

One thing I do regret is not making more videos of our children.  Although a picture does say a thousand words, some videos are just too precious.  I found this one from 3 years ago.  It was a video birthday tribute the children made for my husband.  I showed it to the twins and they don't even remember filming it.  I love this video because it shows how having fun comes so naturally to children (and it makes me feel a little envious).  I love watching them dance, giggle, and make silly faces.  Like the Gymboree video said, "We only grow up when we forget how to play."



If you'd like to share Gymboree's Today We've Got to Play! video, visit Gymboree on YouTube.

Finding Balance With Asperger's: The Sensory Seekers Fidget Kit . . . a Therapy Shoppe Exclusive!

Thank you to the Therapy Shoppe for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Sensory issues are common for kids with Asperger's like Quinn, and fidgets are a very necessary part of his everyday life. We love having a large variety of fidgets so he never gets bored and we can have some all ready for him in the car and out in public. The Sensory Seekers Fidget Kit, and exclusive kit from the Therapy Shoppe, is a great kit that helps us expand our fidget supply with some unique and different toys to occupy Quinn’s hands.

The Sensory Seekers Fidget Kit contains 7 quiet fidgets to give tactile input, help kids learn to self-calm, and help them focus. The fidgets included are the Jumbo Porcupine Ball, Squiggle Band, Tickley Tactile Ball, Brain Noodle, Thinking Putty, Sensory Finger Squeezer, and Fidgeting Fleece Bag. Each fidget is fun, colorful, and provides tons of positive sensory input without being over-stimulating or requiring batteries.


The Jumbo Porcupine Ball, Squiggle Band, and Tickley Tactile Ball are each rubbery little toys that are stretchy and they feel good against your skin but provide lots of tactile input. The Brain Noodle is exactly like a giant pipe cleaner and it’s really fun to bend, unbend, shape, and wrap around your hands to keep your hands busy. The Fidgeting Fleece Bag is a little bean bag that has a fleece exterior so it’s soft against skin, but fun to toss from hand to hand. The Thinking Putty is much like Silly Putty but it’s iridescent and it’s great for building hand strength along with making things. Last but not least, the Sensory Finger Squeezer is a little rubber ring to squeeze that has bumps around it for added tactile input. Each fidget is great and Quinn loves playing with them all.

As with all the Therapy Shoppe’s products, each fidget is really well made and will last for a long time if they’re not abused. You can purchase this and all the Therapy Shoppe’s specialty products on their website, www.therapyshoppe.com. This kit retails for $19.99.

A Child You Know Could Follow in the Inspiring Footsteps of the Long Brothers, Winners of the 2012 SportsKid of the Year Award!

We received a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our 9 year old Jake has been receiving the Sports Illustrated Kids Magazine for nearly a year now and enjoys it very much. I don't know how many times he interjects and corrects me regarding a host of sports-related facts and trivia, always pleasantly surprising me. It is not uncommon to see Jake reading SI Kids well-past his bedtime after a new issue arrives.

Each year Sports Illustrated Kids awards a kid between the ages of 7 and 15 their SportsKid of the Year award and it is time to start nominating candidates for the 2013 award. What a fun way to celebrate kids who show great sportsmanship on the field and off. The award helps show other kids that sports aren't just about what you do on the field by rewarding kids who excel in all parts of their life as well as on the field.

The winner will appear on the December 2013 color of Sports Illustrated Kids. In addition, the winner will receive a special SportsKid of the Year jacket and a trip to New York City to accept the award at a special ceremony!

Meet the inspiring winners of the 2012 SportsKid of the Year award:

To nominate your favorite kid athlete, please visit www.sikids.com/skoty by October 7, 2013.

Shark Sonic Duo Cleaning System for Hard Floors and Carpet (Demo Video)

Thank you to Shark for providing a complimentary sample Shark Sonic Duo for us to base this review upon and for providing an additional product for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

We have 3 cats and 3 kids. That means I have perpetually dirty floors.

To keep my very dirty floors clean I have bought into every gimmick that has come along and probably spent a few hundred dollars along the way. I have tried everything from $6 Foam mops to $100 steam machines with varying degrees of success (and failure!). At the end of the day a plain old cotton mop is still what I prefer. It’s cheap and I know exactly what to expect for results.

When I had the chance to try Sharks Sonic Duo Cleaning System I was both excited and weary at the same time. Excited because the Sonic Duo was not like anything that I have tried before and weary because I have tried so many different and novel methods in the past that ultimately didn't work well. My sole hope rested on the fact that I had owned Shark products in the past and I was generally pleased with the quality and performance.

The first thing you notice about the Shark Sonic Duo is that it is very sleek and svelte. The quality is immediately apparent. Even though the Sonic Duo is slight in build, it feels solid and well made.

On the front of the unit is a set of “headlights” almost exactly like a car's lights. The lights were bright and helped illuminate the immediate area in front of the unit. Another feature that stands out is the pivot ball between the handle assembly and the cleaners base. It reminded me of some Dyson products.

The Sonic Duo comes with a variety of cleaning pads and fluids to clean any floor surface, including carpet. Although my primary interest in the Sonic Duo was for cleaning hardwood and tile floors, the fact that it can clean carpets was intriguing as the unit does not appear to be designed for it. The pads designed for rugs has special gliders that allow the unit to float over the rug as it cleans.

The unit could not be easier to operate. There is zero assembly and the instructions are literally a 1-2-3 process with easy to follow pictures. Add water, the provided cleaning fluid, and pop the unit on the pad and you are ready to clean. The unit has only two buttons: A 2 speed power button and a button to spray fluid. That's it.

Until I actually turned it on I had no idea how it cleaned. I read the word “sonic” and I think of all sorts of crazy things. I was also skeptical about how easy the unit would be to push around. Well, with one push of a button all of my questions were answered. Once powered on the unit glides across your floor as if levitating (it is clearly not levitating , but it is effortless to move about). You do not need to force this unit at all, a light push and pull motion was all it took. I will stop shy of saying you can operate this floor cleaner with your fingertips, but it did not take much more than that.



Press the spray button and a powered blast of cleaner deposits right in front to treat the surface before you run the unit over it. The Sonic Duo was as easy as can be to operate and even has a tray to rest the unit upon when the pad is wet and/or dirty. My children will definitely be using this to clean the floor!

So, how did it clean? In short, it cleans very well. I would say for flat and hard surfaces it cleans as well as anything else and with very little effort. I love the idea that my kids will be able to use it. Although I have not tried it on rugs yet (I don't have many in the house), after seeing it glide over the hard floors I can't wait to see it on a thick rug.

Overall I really like the Shark Sonic Duo and would recommend it.....with a couple of warnings to set expectations. First, it did nothing for the grout between the tiles. But in all fairness a mop doesn't either. Next time I will pre treat my grout before using the Sonic Duo. And secondly, the Sonic Duo does not mop stuff up, it has nearly zero absorption properties. But also, in all fairness, that is not what it is supposed to do. It’s not a mop. It is a scrubber and cleaner.

Area A = Unidentified sticky substance that could not be removed with sweeping or wiping.

Area B = Dried drips of soda or chocolate milk with stuck-on cat hair.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

I think the Sonic Duo is a superb way to keep a floor clean after a good old fashioned scrubbing. I would say if you start with a perfectly clean floor, the Sonic Duo would keep it cleaner than anything else with as little effort as possible. This product retails for $249.  To learn more about the Shark Sonic Duo Cleaning System, visit SharkClean.com.

I will let you know if my kids are as excited about the Sonic Duo as I am.....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Honey-Blackberry Greek Yogurt Dip Recipe by Chef Jody Denton plus Learn Which is the SMARTest U.S. City

Thank you to Frito-Lay for providing the prize pack, video, and images for this contest post and for sending an additional prize pack to me as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.  3G2S is the sole sponsor for this giveaway.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Last month, Smartfood brand and SELF magazine announced their picks for the 10 SMARTest cities in America.  How do they define SMART? . . . (S)avvy, (M)otivated, (A)ccomplished, (R)esponsible, and (T)houghtful.  Watch the video above to learn more about how to eat smart and live well, which city was named the SMARTest in the U.S., plus how you can nominate someone you know (even yourself) to be named the SMARTest person and be eligible to win $10,000 and be featured in SELF magazine from Chef Jody Denton, Executive Research Chef at Frito-Lay’s Culinary Innovation Center.  Chef Denton also shares with us some of his favorite recipes for this summer.

Smartfood is doing its part to help you eat smarter with several new varieties of all-natural Smartfood Selects popcorn, popped chips, and puffed corn.  One of my family's favorites is the Sour Cream and Onion Puffed Corn.

Want something fresh and easy-to-make to serve this summer? Checkout this super-easy recipe created by Chef Jody Denton . . .

Recipe:  Honey-Blackberry Greek Yogurt Dip

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cup(s) Greek yogurt

1/2 pint(s) blackberries, fresh or frozen

3 Tablespoon(s) Honey

2 Tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice

1 Pinch(s) Salt

Step 1. In a mixing bowl, smash the blackberries with a fork.

Step 2. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey, lemon and salt.

Step 3. When ready to serve, spoon the blackberry mixture into the center of the yogurt.  Gently fold the blackberries into the yogurt, but don't mix completely.

Step 4. Serve with Smartfood Cinnamon Brown Sugar Multigrain Popped Chips

This recipe serves 6 to 8 people.

To learn more about the SMART campaign, visit Smartfood on Facebook.


The prize for this giveaway is the SMART Prize Pack shown below . . .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

DreamWorks Animation's "Turbo" Comes to Theaters July 17th! #TurboMovie

Thank you to 20th Century Fox and DreamWorks Animation for providing the prize pack for this giveaway and for sending me a promotional item as a thank you for taking the time to share the movie Turbo with my readers.

Last month, I shared with you one of the official Turbo movie trailers.  As July 17th, the opening day for Turbo, approaches, the anticipation of DreamWorks fans grow.  If you have a little one who needs some inspiration to dream big, then our friend Turbo (voice by Ryan Reynolds) may be just the snail to teach him or her how it's done.


Meet a few more members of the cast . . . 

More about the film . . .

"From the makers of Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda, TURBO is a high-velocity 3D comedy about an underdog snail who kicks into overdrive when he miraculously attains the power of super-speed. But after making fast friends with a crew of streetwise, tricked-out es-car-goes, Turbo learns that no one succeeds on their own. So he puts his heart and shell on the line to help his pals achieve their dreams, before Turbo-charging his own impossible dream: winning the Indy 500."

For fun Turbo movie-themed activities, such as the Turbo Shell Creator, Dots & Boxes game, Painting by Numbers, and a Jigsaw Puzzle, visit TurboMovie.com.  Also, checkout Turbo on Facebook and on Twitter.




If you are still unable to grasp the concept of snail racing, then I leave you with one more clip from the movie Turbo . . .

To see more clips from the movie Turbo, visit DreamWorks Animation on YouTube.

Our Turbo Movie Prize Pack includes the following . . .

• $15 movie gift card to see the film
• Turbo watch
• Turbo light-up headband

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.