Lifeway Kefir Review

I guess I discovered kefir a few years ago, and really liked it from the beginning.

If you have never had kefir, I would encourage you to give it a try.  It's like a drinkable yogurt...SO good for you (with probiotics to keep you healthy) and it tastes great!  Kefir is a great source of protein and calcium too.

I even cultured my own kefir and used it in recipes in place of buttermilk.  I make kefir pancakes, and kefir bread.  It was fun to do, and easy too. 

However, when I want yummy kefir to drink, I love Lifeway Kefir.  It is available in many flavors, and so far my favorite is Raspberry.

Yum!  It tastes so good by itself.  Did I mention that it is 99% lactose-free, so if you have a sensitivity to dairy, this may be a good choice for you!

Have you discovered kefir?


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

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Dial Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash...for the Holidays!

I love to add special touches around the house during the Holidays, don't you?

Here is a great way to make washing your hands a little more festive:

Aren't they cute?

They get your hands clean, kill 99% of germs, and they smell good too!

I learned something new though...I've been using foaming hand wash the wrong way!  LOL!

According to the directions, you are to put some soap on dry hands, rub your hands together, and THEN rinse off the soap!  I've always been wetting my hands first, but it works MUCH better when you follow directions!  Haha!  :)

Check out the other cute designs available, including Santa, Holiday Scene, Snowman and Candy Cane!

Dial provided free samples of their Holiday Foaming Hand Soap so I could review them.  As usual, all opinions expressed here are my own. Pin It

Farm Rich review and Giveaway!

***Contest is over.  Thanks to all who entered.***

Yay!  I love trying new products to review.

I also love when companies offer giveaways to my readers also!

A little while ago, Farm Rich products offered to let me try some of their frozen snack products.  I took them up on the offer, because I knew my boys (and husband) would be thrilled.  You see, I don't often buy these types of products, but now that I have tasted them too, I would certainly be willing to buy them for a special snack!

They have several products to choose from, including fan favorites:
*Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
*Mozzarella Cheese Bites
*Philly Cheese Steaks
*Pizza Slices

We tried the Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, and all really enjoyed them!  We kind of felt like we went out to a restaurant and ordered appetizers!  :)

These sticks are:
Made with 100% real mozzarella cheese

- Breaded and seasoned to perfection
- Good source of calcium and protein

- 0g trans fat per serving
- Comes in 10 oz snack pack & 52 oz value pack

As I said before, I would definitely buy these for a special snack for my boys (the nice thing too, is that they can fix them in the toaster oven on their own!)

Would you like a chance to try a FREE bag for your family?

I will be giving away 2 coupons (2 winners--one coupon each).
Enter to win through Rafflecopter below.  (Contest ends 6/29 12:01 EST)
***Contest is over.  Thanks to all who entered.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please make sure to do the tasks that you say you are doing!  :)

Happy Giveaway!


More giveaways at:
A Frugal Friend
Party Time Giveaways 
Low Entry Giveaways
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That Works for Me! Review and Giveaway

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I had the pleasure of being a "featured tip" in Kristen and Jennifer's new e-book, That Works For Me!  They have gathered 800 tips "Tried and True Tips" from Kristen's "Works For Me Wednesday" series on her blog, which is a place for readers to offer tips that have worked for them.

Get $1 off with code SAVE1

The tips are divided into 24 sections, including:

Baby, Beauty, Blogging, Cleaning, Craft, Décor, Frugal, Garden, Gift, Green, Holiday, Homeschool, Hospitality, Kitchen, Laundry, Marriage, Odds and Ends, Organization, Parenting, Pets, Recipes, Time Management, Tech/Computers, Travel!
Wow!!!

Kristen and Jennifer have done a fabulous job organizing and compacting all of these great tips into a very usable book!

The book is for sale for $8, and a portion of the sales will benefit Mercy House.
You can get $1 off by using code SAVE1, when you place your order here. 

Some other fun things going along with the launch of this new book:
**Enter to win a gift card for house cleaning ($150 value), by submitting your own tip at "That Works For Me".
**Follow @works4mebook on Twitter
**"like" That Works for Me on Facebook
**keep track of tips via Pinterest

...and finally....enter to win your own copy right here (Kristen and Jennifer have also given me one to giveaway to one of my readers)!  Just include your name and e-mail address for an entry.

You can earn 2 extra entries by:
1.  "Liking" 2 Make Ends Meet on Facebook 
2.  "Liking" That Works For Me" on Facebook

***This contest is now closed.  Thanks for all who entered.***
Remember, you can still get the book here.

This contest will close at 10 p.m CST on Wednesday, April 18.
I will choose 3 winners, using random.org.  (Don't worry, your name and e-mail address will not be posted, they are only for me to use to contact you if you should win!)
If you are reading this in an e-mail or reader, and cannot see the form, please click here.

Would you like money saving tips and a little slice
of my reality from "2 Make Ends Meet"?  Then I invite you to join me!
You may receive them by:
*Subscribing to my e-mails
*"like" my page on Facebook (extra content)
*follow my tweets on Twitter (extra content)


Find other giveaways:
Low Entry Giveaways
It's a Blog Party
A Frugal Friend
Spend Less & Save More
All About Giveaways Pin It

MOAB Superfruit blend juices...now at Byerlys/Lunds stores!

Yum!  My family and I had the pleasure of tasting these 3 fabulous new juices compliments of Frieda's (The Specialty Produce Company)!

MOAB superfruit blend juices..."most optimum antioxidant beverage"

Not only are the flavors delicious (Acai, Pomegranate, and Wild Blueberry--the only premium juice available in this flavor, by the way!) but look at these benefits:

***Acai, Pomegranate, and Wild Blueberry are the first fruits on the ingredient list (not other fruit fillers)
***Lowest calorie count in the category of premium juices
***No added sugar, sweeteners, or corn syrup
***High in antioxidants
***Contains antioxidant boosting pure fruit powder

These juices are exclusively sold at Byerlys/Lunds stores.  Minnesota readers, be sure to look for them!

On a side note:  Frieda's has just celebrated their 50th anniversary!  Congratulations to them!!!  Visit their new website, www.friedas.com.

For a chance to win Frieda's produce and other great items, be sure to "like" their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/FriedasSpecialtyProduce.  

MN readers--enter to win a giveaway for MOAB Superfruit Blend prize package!

(Frieda's provided free samples of MOAB superfruit blend juices so my family and I could review them. As usual, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.
)


Would you like money saving tips and a little slice
of my reality from "2 Make Ends Meet"?  Then I invite you to join me!
You may receive them by:
*Subscribing to my e-mails
*"like" my page on Facebook (extra content)
*follow my tweets on Twitter (extra content)
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El Monterey family dinners....a review

Nummy!

I love taste testing new products!  :)

So, a while back, when a representative for El Monterey Foods contacted me, a "real mommy blogger", to see if my family would like to try some of their frozen dinners, my answer was, "of course"!  :)


We received four family size entrees to try:
1.  Spicy Beef Enchiladas
2.  Chicken Enchiladas
3.  Cheesy Enchiladas
4.  Chicken Mexicana

The timing was perfect for their arrival, as we were installing our new flooring and had to have our oven disconnected for a few days.
One of the great things about these entrees is that you can fix them in the microwave in less than 20 minutes!!!
I always am a little tentative about fixing frozen items in the microwave, as they sometimes don't turn out as good as having fixed them in the oven. 
Not with these....they turned out great!  :)

Very convenient!!!

I like to fix my dinner from scratch most days of the week, but would not hesitate to have these in my freezer for those days that are a little too hectic and I need to fix a great meal quickly!
We all had our favorites...the spicy beef was a little too spicy for my taste, but I really enjoyed the cheesy enchiladas and chicken dishes.  The Chicken Mexicana was a nice change of pace for Mexican food, as it was a pasta dish with more of a white sauce.

So, let's just say that my family enjoyed these products enough that I look forward to trying other El Monterey products too! 

Thank you, El Monterey Foods, for the opportunity to taste your nummy entrees!  :) Pin It

Bryton Pick...a review

Another product that I was asked to review was a Bryton Pick.  (I was only given free product to try and am not receiving any other compensation.  This is completely my own opinion.)

I like the idea behind the Bryton Pick....a handy little dental instrument that you can carry with you to use in place of flossing.  It is stainless steel, and reusable.  It comes in a little carrying pouch too. 

All great ideas....

I looked at the directions, and tried to be really careful when using it. 

I feel a little bad saying this, but I did not like it!

Even being as careful as I thought I was being, I cut my gums a little.  Not fun!

The Bryton Pick is not for me.....I wasn't even able to get it between some of my teeth.  So, you can tell, I am being totally honest here in saying that I will never buy this product.  Pin It

Time 4 Learning...a review

A month or so ago, I agreed to reviewing the website, Time 4 Learning, in exchange for a free month's membership for my boys.  (The opinion is entirely my own, and was not written by Time 4 Learning.)

When my free month membership started, I received a separate log in for each child, ages 8th grade, 6th grade, and 3rd grade.  My 3rd grader was the one who used it most often.  Truthfully, my 8th grader never took the opportunity to try it for me!  :(  Not that he wouldn't have...I just forgot to have in log in before my trial ran out!  The end of the summer was a tough time to try it, as they weren't too interested in doing any kind of "school", until absolutely necessary!!!  :)

Even so, my 3rd and 6th grader seemed to enjoy logging in and browsing through all of the different areas and subjects.  The math games were what they seemed to go to the most.  If I was using this for homeschool, I would be able to assign certain subjects for them to complete each day, with the program keeping track of their progress.  That is a huge plus for busy parents!  :)  I can also see the benefit of using this program for a little extra help for a student struggling in a certain area (especially over the summer months).



There is a monthly subscription rate per student to use the program (with a discount for each additional student).  If you weigh the cost of buying your own curriculum, you may find that it is a reasonable price to pay.  I know that the internet has many free options out there, but with them, a parent needs to spend time finding out which websites are a good fit for your family.  The plus side of Time4Learning is the fact that all of your subjects are in one place.

I don't see that Time 4 Learning would be a good fit for my family, but  interested families can "try before you buy", which is another benefit, by looking at some of the sample lessons on the site. Pin It

Time4Learning....a new experience for me

I’ve been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning. Pin It

HisKids.net--FREE online children's radio programs

When I was a little girl, I loved to listen to our local Christian radio station on Saturday mornings.  This was the day that they had children's programs.  I remember "Uncle Charlie" and "The Sugar Creek Gang".  Today, my boys love to listen to Adventures in Odyssey, Jonathan Park and others.  The AM signal to our local station that plays those programs is rather weak, however, and we can't always listen.  We thought we solved the problem when my parents gave the boys a HisKids radio for Christmas a few years ago.  This radio had 2 stations....all children's programming from HisKids Radio, or KTIS, our local Christian station.  Unfortunately when His Kids radio made the switch to satellite, our local station chose not to continue broadcasting.  :(  (I might have to give them a call!)  I have discovered that all of the programs can be listened to on their website though.  If you are interested in some positive programming for your children, check it out at HisKids.net.
They have a WiFi radio that you can purchase (comparable to the old radio my boys received), if your children really love it and you don't want to have them using the computer to listen! 

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Review for Lesson Pathways...online learning...FREE

Wow!  I am continually amazed by the plethora of learning opportunities for homeschoolers on the internet!  Thanks to Diane Flynn Keith at the Homeschool Buyers Co-op, we are introduced to another fabulous FREE resource.  Lesson Pathways was formally a paid subscription, so it says, but now it is completely FREE to use.  It offers the opportunity to use as a complete curriculum, 36 weeks worth of lessons called Guided Journeys, or use it for a certain unit or topic you would like your child to study.  The unit or topics are called Pathways.  The final option is using a Stepping Stone which is a separate lesson plan that you can use.  I looked at the 2nd grade Science curriculum's unit on Birds.  This has pulled together fabulous resources from all over the internet to study, including online videos on migration, coloring pages from the Smithsonian, audio files on bird calls, just to name a few.
If you need a change of pace, or are looking for something different to implement in your homeschool curriculum, I would encourage you to take a look at it. Pin It

Organize your Grocery List with ZipList

Yesterday I mentioned a great tool to use for your grocery shopping.  This is an online program that will help you organize your grocery list.  It is called ZipList.  One of the things that is so neat about it, is the fact that you can add your items to the list and specify them by store.  If you are like me, many weeks you are purchasing sale items at a few stores and would like to keep track of them in a master list.  The benefit to this, is when you are ready to shop you don't have to look at your whole list, but can have it show only one store at a time.  There are many features that I haven't even discovered yet too (as I am dealing with my old, slow computer right now and it takes too much time to look around!!!  LOL!!) 
Another feature is an application that will send it to your phone, or your husband's phone (or whoever else might be stopping at the store for you.)  Or maybe you forgot your list at home, you can access it from your iphone too.  I don't have fancy things like that yet, but I love what ZipList will be able to do for me. 
Check it out....I would love to hear if you like it too! Pin It

Eat Better America website....Healthified Manicotti

Looking for healthier recipes, healthy living ideas and coupons?  One of the websites that sends me regular e-mails is EatBetterAmerica, hosted by General Mills, and others.  The recipe that came today is for Healthified Three-Cheese Manicotti.  It looks really nummy.  I will have to give it a try very soon!

Another cool feature that they offer is to submit a favorite recipe of yours and they will "healthify" it for you.  Haven't tried that yet, but it sounds kindof fun!  :)

You can sign up to become a free member and get healthy meal ideas in your inbox, or just keep reading my blog, and I will continue to share with you too!!!  :) 

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A review: alice.com

I am always looking for a good deal.  Here’s the latest that I have found.  Alice.com is a new online shopping site.  The prices are good, sometimes even better than SuperTarget when there is a coupon attached to it.  The shipping is always FREE!  (You can’t beat that….) and if you refer a friend, they get $10 off their first order and you get 3% back on their purchases for a full year!  Wow!  Alice.com really wants to promote their site.  I placed an order for several items on a Tuesday and it was on my doorstep by Friday!  Give it a try and be sure to refer friends so you can try “2MakeEndsMeet” also!   Get $10 when you spend $50 by using this code http://www.alice.com/referral/7492F872 Pin It