Welch’s Sparkling GIVEAWAY

(So Sorry about the Technical issues today! I’ve got an exciting Giveaway for you all today so stay tuned! I’ll have all the information up in about an hour!!)

Pawalla Holiday Dog Box- GIVEAWAY

We visited Pawalla a few months ago when they first became available and were instantly smitten with this quality monthly subscription for Fun Babies (K-9 & Feline alike) and I’m happy to report that Pawalla has kept up the quality, value and bells and whistles of their subscription and we’re happy to be revisiting this company! The best part?! We’re also giving away 3 boxes to 3 lucky Rosy Snail readers or, er…their pets rather 😉

For the Giveaway, we got a chance to check out what was inside the special Holiday Pawalla box this month! As usual, Pawalla Box comes sectioned and filled with an amazing assortment for your cat or dog! Upon Arrival, Pawalla is ready for gifting or letting the furry ones sniff out their treats! Either way, it’s sure to please! Just a refresher, Pawalla retails for $26 a month, free shipping! It’s lower than the competitors pet boxes out there and I’m going to do a run down of the value so you can see what a great bargain Pawalla really is!

The first thing I pulled out of the box was a can of dog food by Nature’s Variety. We actually received a Chicken and a Beef formula. these are gluten  and grain free and are all natural.

These cans retail 12 for $32.99 making these a “sample value” of $5.50 for both cans.

Next I pulled out a GIANT 14oz box of Wet Noses Dog Treats in Cheddar. These are also Organic and Wheat, Corn & Soy Free! This box is going to last the little dogs in our family a really long time! This box retails for $8.99

Next was a product I had never heard of and sounds really interesting. This is called Fur-Zoff. It feels like a pumice stone (but is actually made for 90% recycled materials!) but it’s mean to remove pet fur from any item that your dog (or cat) might leave fur on. It’s a great alternative to lint rollers since you’ll never have to change the sheets. This retails for $9.99

Next was another treat, Primal Pet Foods Liver Munchies. These are freeze dried Turkey livers. Not my cup of tea, but dogs love ’em! We also got coupons for a free “starter pak” of their dog food so we’ll be on the look out for that! These treats retail for $6.99

And for those who love to chew, we got these sweet potato chews. I love the idea of these not being pig skin, etc but having the same effect! These retail for $6.50

We also received a full bottle of K9 GH Anti Aging Supplement for dogs.  This bottle is 60 tabs and is a one month supply for larger dogs or two months for little ones like we’ve got in the family. This retails for $25

And Last, but probably and pooch’s favorite- this PetLou’s Natural Twist toy. This little Donkey is adorable and super durable too with a burlap face and a rope tail! This little fella retails for $10.60

Overall, the value of this box was: $73.57! That’s nearly 3 times what the box cost not to mention, this was NO light box! I’m sure shipping was a pretty penny, but Pawalla customers don’t pay a dime of that. It’s fun to try out nutritional, good for your pet products that you may have never heard of. Plus, I love that every month, you’re guaranteed to get a variety of items. For example: (for the dog box you receive)  2-3 types of food, 2-3 premium dog treats, 1-2 quality supplements, 1-3 essentials or accessories and a toy (or special surprise!). While you never know what brands you’re going to get, you know your box will be full to the brim with useful, quality items for your furry friend!

With all that being said, how about that Giveaway!!
To enter, just click on the image below to head over to the entry form!

Stay Connected with AT&T

The Holidays tend to bring families together and one way to help a family stay connected these days in by phone. AT&T is helping families stay connected and closer than ever with phones that do it all! I let them know that I didn’t want to leave the “gamer” off my Holiday Shopping list this year and they hooked me up with a phone that my husband and all other male relatives have been unable to keep their hands off since I got it!

This is the Sony Ericsson Xperia play, aside from being on one of the most reliable networks in the nation, AT&T, this phone has features I’ve only dreamed about having in a phone! Getting this phone marked my first real experience with Android and I have to say, I’m enjoying the Gingerbread 2.3 version of Android. Everything is bright, vivid and full of detail on the 4″, 16million color screen!

The back also features an amazingly clear, 5.1 mega pixel camera. Above is the classic “Don’t put me on your blog” face. It must not have been stern enough this time 😉 The camera also has flash, a feature I never knew would become so invaluable to me on a phone!
Isn’t he cute 🙂

The phone has a slide out bottom that reveals a full gaming pad. This phone is fairly light weight at only 175g and is 62mm wide by 119mm tall and only 16mm thick. Even when I’m controlling the phone in “game mode” the construction is solid and I don’t worry about breaking this even when I’m getting a little too much into the game!

Aside from all the great features and specs on this phone, the really exciting part is the games! There are 7 pre-loaded games with MANY, MANY more in the Android market! There’s a little something for everyone and even though I thought I wouldn’t play video games on this phone, I find myself sneaking in time for Crash Bandicoot nearly every day! Of course my husband and the boys have their favorites too so between all of us and our new gaming addictions, it’s a good thing this phone has amazing battery life! We can usually play non-stop for over 3 hours before we need to charge!

Overall, I’m never disappointed with AT&T gadgets, but this one was above and beyond for the gamer gift I was looking for! Though I have to be honest & say, it would be HARD if I actually had to give this one away! Ours will be staying at our home to entertain the entire family. Around this time of year, AT&T is known for some amazing deals and the best part is you can walk in and pick up a phone, gadget or accessory SAME DAY so if you’ve been putting off shopping for all those teens on your list, relax and head to AT&T!

Scentsy

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, smelling the Holidays is almost as good as opening presents 😉 I know when about my Seasonal Scents (Winter Holiday or not) I think of Scentsy. If you’ve never heard of Scentsy, I worry that you might have been living under a rock since, oh I dunno, 2004. Scentsy is most famous for their wickless candles or as I know them “wax warmers” but they have come an amazingly long way to offer you a multitude of ways to enjoy their amazing variety of fragrances.

I received a few Scentsy items from my amazing Scentsy Consultant, Thea Wheeler. She’s prompt, always has a big selection on hand (like for last minute shoppers like me!) and did I mention she is just awesome to talk to! She’s super sweet and takes care of her customers- what more could I ask for!

That being said, order HERE by December 18th to get your Scentsy products by Christmas 🙂

The Scentsy Bar  was one of the first items available for purchase and I’m sure one that most people are familiar with. Scentsy Bars comes in more scents than I can even begin to tell you! With new scents being released and old ones being retired every season. If you’ve got a favorite scent combination, even if you think it’s an odd one- it probably exists. OR you can pop in wax pieces from two different wax bars and create your own concoction! With these waxes, the possibilities are endless and I always like to have several on hand!

If you’re ever in a pinch and need your house to smell “Scentsy Good” (because all other brands are second best, let’s face it!) you can grab one of their newer Room Sprays. If I’ve got family or friends about to pop over for a visit, I usually have time to smooth out some toddler hand and put away dirty dishes- that’s about it! As a busy mom, convenience is key so these ultra concentrated room sprays are a major win in my book! Plus, you get nearly 3oz for only $8 which lasts us about a month between using our warmers!

And let’s not forget your vehicle 🙂 Scentsy has you covered there too. These Scentsy Circles give off just the right amount of scent to keep your car fresh and smelling great without being overpowering. You can get these Circles in a wide variety, much larger than any other car fragrance company I’ve ever seen!

Last, but not least, I can’t not mention the latest Scentsy sent innovation, Layers by Scentsy. Layers is a personal scent line created with all the Scentsy magic that contains bath tablets, shower gel, shower cream, body lotion, body butter, body spray, washer whiffs,  Dryer disks, hand soap, hand cream and my favorite- Solid Perfume. Everything to make you smell just as delicious as your house, but you know, a little different 😉 The solid perfume has a non-greasy, light feeling and absorbs into the skill quickly for long lasing fragrance.

Overall, it’s hard to go wrong with Scentsy! & when you’ve got a rep. as great as Thea standing by you, well, it’s a no brainer! Aside from these AMAZING stocking stuffer ideas, there are many other great deals and sales going on. Like Scentsy Buddies. These are ADORABLE stuffed animals with scent packs inside! You can get two for the price of one right now, a deal this mommy is going to have to do since we lost our buddies! There is also a buy one, get one deal on Fragrance Foams that are super compact to fit into stockings or that extra space in the gift bag you need to fill 😉

Be sure and check them out online and get your Scentsy Fix today!

Duluth Trading

I’m sure a lot of you might have a working man on your Holiday List this year, I know I do! While my husband may make is living working for a computer company, he’s a hands-on guy and loved to do word working in the garage that we turned into his workshop. So when I stumbled upon Duluth Trading I was overwhelmed with the endless possibilities. Duluth Trading products and sells clothing and accessories that are build tough! Their story began in Duluth in 1991, when two tradesmen saw guys lugging tools to the job site in all kinds of strange containers, and thought, “There’s got to be a better way.” So they invented the Bucket Boss®. We carry on their ingenious tradition today with gear that solves problems for working people. While they’ve since stopped selling the Bucket Boss, everything on their site is meant to last and preform a function that is simply going to make any task easy!

Originally, Duluth Trading was only for men, but they’ve branched out in many ways and now even have a large variety of women’s items, too! My family got the opportunity to shop their online catalog and both my husband and I chose one item.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before, but the mister- he’s 6’4! He’s really tall and while in most cases, you might order “big and tall sizes” he’s slightly unfortunate in the fact that those swallow him! It’s hard to find a good fitting shirt. They are often too short or two wide. Duluth makes a line of work shirts they call “Longtail” that are meant to avoid that dreaded moment where your underwear (or more) shows when you’ve got to bend over on the job! I thought this was a genius idea and could really be useful to someone as tall as my husband. But he dug a little deeper and actually found something even better!

Above, you can see him sporting is favorite jacket that he has ever owned. It’s called the Fire Hose Iron Range Work Jacket and it’s got more bells and whistles that you might think just by looking at it! This jacket comes in 3 colors: Brown, Camel and Navy. He chose Navy so that it would go with much of his wardrobe and was more his “urban” style. As the name suggest, this jacked is made of Fire Hose material that makes it incredibly strong. Fire Hose canvas is woven with twice the threads in both directions for more toughness than standard cotton duck. Treated to shed water and repel stains. The lining features a plush 66% polyester/34% acrylic berber lining to tame the coldest days. Not to mention, all the work friendly features you need to take on your own daunting challenges: deep, fleece-lined handwarmer pockets and back “glove box” rear pocket for fast-grab storage, 2 inside pockets, rugged triple-stitched main seams. All in the tradition of the iron-willed men who built America.

This jacket is out of this world and my husband can’t help but tell everyone about it, but on top of how well made this jacket is and all the great features, Duluth also offers a huge range in size! They offer Big & Tall sizing starting with Large, (where most companies start at Extra Large) so we were able to get this extra long without in being extra wide- meaning it fit like a glove!

My boys are outgrowning their diaper bag, but since I’m “Mommy” I sometimes still have to carry around stuff that feels like a bag of rocks! So, I decided to try out the Duluth Trading Women’s Travel Tote. They carry many sizes, variations and colors of this bag but I opted for the color Wheat and one that was open on that top in case I wanted to put something large like my laptop inside (yes, my laptop fits into this tote! Easily!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They’e made space for everything inside, courtesy of a front organizer zip compartment with key fob, a mesh water bottle pocket, a slip pocket for magazines, and a side flap pocket for anything else. A light-colored lining makes it easy to see and find what’s inside – no more losing small items in the murky depths of a black bag. Plus, the Travel Tote is built to stand up to everyday use, from its strong, durable canvas to its reinforced web shoulder straps. For me, this bag is just perfect!

 

 

 

I was amazed at the strength in these products. They really are made to last and I know we’ll be enjoying them for many years to come. If you’re still searching for some amazing gifts, be sure to check out the Duluth Trading Website. They’ve got some great sales and specials going on that you don’t want to miss!

Starlooks Starbox- December!

As promised, December’s box was huge! I finally got my 15-pan eyeshadow palette, valued at $99! Remember that Starlooks is only $15, plus $1.98 shipping- this was a total steal!

My box arrived in it’s ever changing packaging, as per usual. This month was red and gold to match the Holiday spirit for December.

Inside, we received our card that explains everything inside along with little confetti- an adorable touch.  I was lucky to have opened my box outside because the confetti did go everywhere, but it was fun.

I’ll go ahead and get to the good stuff 🙂 Here is my palette. There are 5 colors: Red, Purple, Blue Green & Orange and there are 3 shades of each. I loved the idea of playing on the color wheel. I’ve been a fan of Starlooks’ eyeshadows and pigments since the first time I got the chance to try them and this just adds to my collection. The options are endless! Each shadow is smooth, applies wonderfully and the color payoff is superb. Of the 15 shadows, only two are matte- the bright red and the deep plum. The rest are beautiful shimmers that add pop and make the eye look more awake.

I decided I would go ahead and swatch them all because I hadn’t seen to many swatches online just yet 🙂

Reds.

Purples.

Blues.

Greens.

Oranges/Yellows.

The value is insane with every Starlooks Starbox I’ve tried but December’s box took the cake. I’m so excited to see what they have in store for next year! If you haven’t signed up yet, be sure and check them out & don’t forget that a subscription box makes a GREAT gift for the beauty junkie on your list!

If you’re kicking yourself for having missed this box, you can pick it up HERE for only $10 more!

Body Media FIT

It’s nearly New Years, the time of resolutions and goals. Almost everyone I know is setting a goal to better themselves is one way or another. For a lot of people, that means loosing weight and getting in shape. It’s easy to say you’re ready to get fit, but it’s not always easy to stay on target and keep motivated. I decided I would give Body Media FIT a try and see if it could help me do just that.

I received my BodyMedia FIT Core Armband a couple weeks ago & I immediately got to work. This armband (and the optional display) works with an online program to track your body throughout the day. With the armband, you can track your sleep, calories burned, steps taken, intensity of your workout (or activity). You also input your meals into the program for help with your nutritional needs.

To start, I charged my armband with the included cable and I set up my account. The arm band comes with a 3 month subscription to the online program to help you get started. There is a small sound that lets you know that the arm band is connected to your body.

This is an actual screen shot from when I set up my armboand. I set a goal to be my target weight and loose about 50lbs by April. In order to do that, I need to take 8000 steps a day, have 45 minutes of activity and have a calorie deficit of 1,000. That means I need to burn 1,000 more calories than I consume.

I also received the optional display. With this, I was able to see real time stats that my Core armband was collecting, like calories burned and steps taken, on this display. I just clipped this to my shirt and went about my day. I really liked having this in case I was coming up short on my steps taken or my activity, I could easily track that information and do some more exercise or go for a walk or in most cases, get up and clean the house 😛

Most days, it was easy to get just over 7,000 steps in my day chasing around two toddlers, but I often had to push to get my last 1,000, but I really enjoyed the challenge!

While I didn’t find it hard to stay within or under my 1800 calories a day goal, the program was quick to catch mistakes I was making that I didn’t even realize I was doing. Like this day I decided to have Kolaches for breakfast! The fat content was out of this world! Needless to say, I haven’t had one since. There are tips that will pop up fro all aspects of your health, whether you’re diet should be improved or you’re not getting enough rest, I loved that this program was there to guide me.

It was also there to cheer me on! It would congratulate me for meeting my goals or having a personal best!

They say that the Body Media FIT program and armbands can help you loose 3 TIMES more weight, but I know what you might be thinking. HOW? It doesn’t actually burn calories for you, so what’s the point? I found that the best part was that this gave me more accountability and knowledge as to what I was putting into my body and what I was getting out of it. It wasn’t until I had to enter in all my meals, that I realized just how much Soda I was actually consuming in a day. I also realized that I get less than 5 and a half hours on any given night. Sleep is an important part in any weight loss journey, but more importantly in your overall health!

I thought the BodyMedia program was easy to use, the armband is comfortable and you forget you’re wearing it. Overall, I really enjoy this program. I was given a longer subscription, so I plan to continue to use this and see if I get any more results. My weight loss has been slow, but consistent so I’m happy with that. I was beginning to feel like I’d tried about everything to get started and something was missing 🙂

 

 

 

 

TastingRoom.com

I wouldn’t classify as a Wine-o, but I love to try new wines with friends or on a calm night with my husband. Because I’ve only been drinking wine for a few years now, I’ve not quite got the palette I’d like to when it comes to a good, rich wine. I started my wine journey off with overly sweet, berry flavored wines and let’s just say, it was a bit of a shock to my system the first time a tried a dry red wine. I’ve come a long way since my first sip and one day, a professional wine tasting will be in order. For now, I can take my taste buds on a journey through Wine Country without ever leaving my home.

At TastingRoom.com is a Wine Super Nova with options to purchase by samples, by the glass by the bottle or in larger batches for gifts or parties. I got the chance to try a  Party Sample and I decided to go with a Holiday sampler put together by Emeril  Lagasse.

Emeril’s Holiday Party Sampler features six wines to help you bring the oohs + aahs and definitely some second helpings to your wine as well as your food. “I loved going through my own tasting to make these selections and food pairings and bring them to you. It was delicious, fun, creative and I can’t wait to do it again! This is truly the way to get to know your own palate and have a blast doing it.”  In the top of the box, was this large card with an overview of each wine you will sample. I loved having all this information at my fingertips to be able to educate myself and figure out what I truly like in a wine.

Nestled safe inside we 6 50ml (1.7oz) tasting size bottles. I loved the large variety in this  set. From Chardonnay to Zinfandel and even a solid Merlot.  I shared my sampler with family and we were all able to find something we liked. I can see how this would be a great mix for friends, dinner parties and more. Emeril really knows how to pick ’em!

It goes without saying that these little bottles are adorable, but the best part is that you can revisit TastingRoom.com and easily order a full bottle of your favorite sampler. These wines were all delicious and even though they were chosen by someone as high profile as Emeril Lagasse, I was shocked at the modest price tags! Most of the bottles retail right around $25! This particular Chardonnay is only $20.95

Overall, I loved getting to try all these Wines and being able to share with loved ones, it was the icing on the cake for our small dinner party last month. I love the concept behind the Tasting Room and I look forward to ordering from them again!

If you’re thinking you might want to give TastingRoom.com a try, they’ve got a special offer to invite a friend and give them a $25 credit towards a $50 order! If you’re interested in an invite, leave a comment and I’ll send you an invitation via email!

 

 

Mineral Hygienics Eyeshadows

If you’ve been a reader for a while, you know that a couple months ago I got to try a Starter Kit with Mineral Hygienics and I fell in love! Their foundations and concealer was spot on even on my oily complexion and I’m still enjoying those products now! I loved them so much that I couldn’t leave well enough and in the Holiday Spirit, they agreed to send me another present to enjoy and share with you all!

I received my eyeshadows and eyeshadow brush packed up perfectly just like before. Mineral Hygienics doesn’t skimp on the details; in their products, in their ingredients or in their presentation. I always know I’m going to get a product that looks beautiful in the bottle and on my skin 🙂

I chose two colors that I knew would go with just about everything and especially a bold lip 😉
Pesto is described as “a bright olive shadow with a touch of green sparkles throughout”. At first, I thought it wasn’t as “bright” as I expected, that was until I swatched it. The lime pop certainly comes through and the dark (almost Emerald) micro glitter in this shadow makes it a true “WOW” color for the winter. I cannot wait to pair this with with an Ugly Red Christmas Sweater. This is going to be EPIC!
Nestle (which just SOUNDS like a cozy Winter color, right?!) is described as “a soft cashmere brown with light coverage and a delicate shimmer”. This color proved to be an amazing, warm wash of color and glamor with even the lightest touch. When packed on, this adds an amazing bronzed look to my blue eyes and it makes them pop and sparkle, it’s really magical. I think this might be my favorite of the two because with this color alone, I often get compliments and people think I spent a lot of time layering and placing my shadow when really, Nestle is my one shadow wonder!

I’m never disappointed with Mineral Hygienics, but these velvet smooth, uber pigmented shadows have me wondering why I even both with other brands!

Have you ever tried Mineral Hygienics? What color do you need in your Winter Wardrobe?

Contac Cold+Flu

I’ve been planning on writing about Contac for a little while and as luck would have it, I woke up this morning with a nasty cold. I started to think about all the things I needed to do today! Catch up on my blog, Christmas shopping and all my “Mommy Duties” and my head started to spin! (and not just from the nasal congestion I was having!) Then I remembered I had Contac Cold + Flu in my medicine cupboard.

“I’d rather be __________ than be sick with a cold!”

There are plenty of other things you can fill in that blank with as a busy mom with even busier kids, but, whether we like it or not, the start of cold and flu season is here (and it’s predicted to be worse than last year). You may have your kids covered in the event they catch something, but what about you? We all know the golden rule of mommyhood: “moms aren’t allowed to be sick!”

Contac^® Cold + Flu Day & Night can help you bounce back quickly during cold and flu season, so you can get back to filling in that ________ with more enjoyable things.  Today, not only am I back to my bubbly self after taking my Day time Contac Cold + Flu, but I also know that I’ll be able to sleep through the night and wake feeling rested with my Night Time caplet too. Within 25 minutes of taking Contac, I noticed I stopped reaching for the tissues and I even felt up to a trip to the park with by boys’ “Auntie” today. It’s something I just couldn’t have done without this medication. Because it has Acetaminophen in it too, I didn’t have to try to battle my headache with another dose of anything. Just 2 caplets every 6 hours and I’m still going strong!

It’s easy to always stay stocked on things that are going to keep my boys healthy, but I’m always willing to admit that sometimes I put my own health on the back burner. I’m SO glad I didn’t have to do that today because I had my Contac^® Cold + Flu Day & Night on hand. I’d love to make the same thing possible for you!

One lucky Rosy Snail reader will be able to have Contac on hand for when a cold or the Flu catch you off guard!
To enter, leave a comment: “What would you rather be doing than being sick with a cold?”