review

Joseph Allen Designs Jewelry Review & Giveaway

January 15, 2012

Personalized jewelry makes a great gift for yourself or the ones you love and Joseph Allen Designs has a wonderful collection in Argentium Sterling Silver.

Whether you want a mother’s piece or just something for inspiration, there are many styles of Hand Stamped Jewelry to choose from. Necklaces, charm bracelets, key chains and more can be personalized to add meaning and style to your everyday life.

I was given the opportunity to review their Hammered collection and chose this Forever In My Heart necklace. Though I love the One Two Three Disc necklace as well. The hammered style added some depth that I preferred over the smooth for this piece. I do not have a mother’s ring or anything so it was stamped with my children’s names and birthstones. My husband is in the heart with the birthstone of our wedding anniversary hanging. It is beautiful and a simple reminder of what is and should be important in my life.

When I am not wearing it, I hang it on the corner of my wedding picture. Seems the fitting place for it.

I was very pleased with the quality of the work, and it is a nice piece for casual wear. The necklaces come in bead style and a curb style chain in 16″, 18″ or 20″ lengths. They are not cheap, but are comparable to other personalized jewelry I have seen. Again, they would make a great gift for anyone giving it a nice personal touch.

GIVEAWAY

The folks at Joseph Allen Designs would love to give one Maven of Savin reader a $50 credit to use to design your own personal piece.

You have 3 opportunities to enter and all entries must be a separate comment on this blog post.

ENTRY 1: Visit JosephAllenDesigns and let me know what your favorite necklace is.
ENTRY 2: Subscribe to their newsletter here (enter email in left sidebar), get 15% off and come back and let me know you did.
ENTRY 3: “LIKE” JosephAllen Designs on facebook OR follow @handstampdesign on twitter and let me know you did.

The giveaway is open to the US and Canada and will close January 25th – GOOD LUCK!

Disclosure: Joseph Allen Designs supplied the $50 credit for the giveaway and I was given the Forever in my Heart Necklace for review. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, review

Pocoyo Swiggle Traks Review: $29.99

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December 8, 2011

Have you seen the new Pocoyo And Friends Swiggle Traks Feature Track With Bridge? If you have a little pre-schooler at home, you may have seen Pocoyo on Nick Jr and PBS.

Pocoyo SwiggleTraks Feature Set empowers young children to create a track play set that is uniquely their own. The SwiggleTraks system features colorful, flexible track pieces that are simple to connect and easy to add onto, and comes with a motorized, musical Pocoyo vehicle, as well as a moving bridge that puts the exciting “swiggle” movement in SwiggleTraks.

My daughter and I were given the opportunity to play with and review the new Pocoyo Swiggle Traks and we give it a thumbs up. The tracks are so easy to put together and I think she had the most fun coming up with different color combinations. OK – she is a girl – LOL! Once I get my camera working, I will add the photo of her track. The bight colors allow you to teach colors and patterns.

The swiggle bridge is cool and there are so many ways you can set up the track and use it. It really makes them think and figure things out. The Pocoyo vehicle also runs fine right on the floor – no track needed. This is a great toy for preschoolers. Parent’s Magazine chose it as one of the Best Toddler Toys for 2011 and it also won a Parent’s Choice Award.

The Pocoyo And Friends Swiggle Traks Feature Track With Bridge is $29.99 on Amazon, Toys R Us and Walmart.

Disclosure: I was sent a Pocoyo Swiggle Traks for review, but all opinions are my own.

Little Tikes Cupcake Kitchen Review & Giveaway

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December 1, 2011

My 3 year old daughter recently got the opportunity to review the Little Tikes Cupcake Kitchen™.

Have you ever met a child who doesn’t love cupcakes? Little ones will love baking play with the Cupcake Kitchen from Little Tikes! It’s the perfect size for your budding pastry chef, and this kitchen comes packed with fun for creative and imaginative role play!

Seriously she cannot get enough of this. Thank goodness the cupcakes are pretend otherwise this mommy would be getting VERY BIG from all the yummy cupcakes I have eaten. She could not wait to get it in the house so we played right in the driveway.

YES – she is wearing jammies which she will not take off all day. There are plates, silverware, a burner w/pan and plenty of storage in the drawer and oven. It is the perfect size for her and she loves to pretend she is making and serving glorious cupcakes all day long – with sprinkles of course. She has even stolen all my oven mitts. We love Little Tikes because it is so durable and easy to clean whether you use it indoors or out

The set includes 1 cupcake tray, 4 cupcakes, 2 plates, 2 forks, 2 spoons, 2 knives, 2 sprinkle shakers, 1 spatula, 1 pot and 1 lid. It is perfect for ages 2-5 Years and would make a wonderful Christmas gift for any little chef. You can get the Little Tikes Cupcake Kitchen™ at Little Tikes for $39.99 with FREE shipping or at other retailers like Amazon (where it is on sale right now for $34.99 shipped).

GIVEAWAY

The folks at Little Tikes would love to give one Maven of Savin reader their own Little Tikes Cupcake Kitchen. All you need to do to enter is tell me what your favorite Little Tikes product is in the comments below.

A winner will be chosen on December 9th. GOOD LUCK

Disclosure: I received a Little Tikes Cupcake Kitchen for review and Little Tikes supplied the prize for this giveaway. All opinions are my own.

141 Comments

Filed Under: Giveaways, review

T.G.I. Friday’s Entree for One Coupon & Giveaway

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October 11, 2011

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of T.G.I. FRiDAY’S for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Have you seen the new T.G.I. FRiDAY’S “Entrées for One”? There is a new coupon for $1/1 T.G.I. FRiDAY’S Frozen Entrée for One available right now. I love to go to T.G.I. Fridays, but with a family of 5, it can be expensive and coordinating dinner with all the back to school activities can be a difficult task at times. We already know about their snacks & appetizers available in the frozen aisle – HELLO my favorite spinach & artichoke dip. They also has larger entrees, which I have never tried because there is no way my husband and I could agree on one we both wanted. So I was very happy to see the “Entrees for One” in 9 different flavors to choose from:

Cajun-Style Chicken Alfredo
Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Creamy Chicken Pasta Carbonara
Grilled Chicken Mac & Cheese
Loaded Chicken & Cheese
Prime Rib Stroganoff
Sesame Orange Chicken
Sizzling Chicken Fajitas
Sizzling Steak Fajitas

My husband wanted to try the Sesame Orange Chicken to add a little spice to his week. All of the meals are microwavable, or you can choose to cook it in the skillet. My husband loved that you can just throw the bag right into in the microwave – no searching for a microwavable container – and I love that there would be no spatter for me to clean up. There was a decent amount of chicken in the dish and the vegetables were not mushy. My husband said the sauce was delicious – just the right amount of sweet, with that spicy kick.

I was worried it would not be a larger enough serving to satisfy him, and although it was not a HUGE meal, the portion was certainly sufficient to satisfy. They retail around $3.99, so reasonable as compared to eating out. I will be on the lookout for sales and coupons as these would be a nice thing to have on hand in the freezer for those quick meals. I want to try the Creamy Chicken Pasta Carbonara next. Which flavor entices you?

Next time you are over on facebook, check out and vote for the Fun Freezer contest Though I did not get my entry in on time, the winner could get an Ultimate Home Theater make-over and of course a years supply of yummy T.G.I.Friday’s Entrees for One. Vote for your favorite freezer design from October 7th until October 20th!

GIVEAWAY

The folks at T.G.I.Fridays would love to give 2 Maven of Savin readers a chance to try out one of their Entrees for One. I have 2 coupons for a FREE T.G.I. Fridays Entree for One up for grabs. All you need to do is tell me which one you would love to try in the comments.

~ optional additional entry – head on over to the Fun Freezer contest and VOTE for your favorite freezer and come back and tell me which one you chose.

The 2 winners will be chosen at random on 10/19/11 – GOOD LUCK.

37 Comments

Filed Under: coupons, Giveaways, review

Coobie Camisole: Buy One, Get One FREE sale & review

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September 27, 2011

Anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows my issues with BRAS. I was lucky enough last spring to find Coobie Bras. I loved them so much that the folks over at Coobie sent me their Coobie Camis to try.

Well you know I love them! The Coobie Camisole is standard length and has a built in Coobie shelf bra (no pads). It also comes with or without straps and one size fits 0-10. I am not sure if they will have larger sizes in the future, but I will ask. They have the same awesome comfort as the original Coobie Bras and are wonderful for layering in spring, summer and fall. There are enough colors to match almost any outfit in addition to the standard black, ivory and white. The adjustable straps provide all the support I needed and the design still creates a nice silhouette with no uni-boob. As you all know, having something this comfortable without the uni-boob is a rare, joyous thing. Life is too short to live being stabbed by underwires.

The strapless was nice, though I got feedback from a friend that it would not be recommended for a Rick Springfield concert – jumping around, you will be seeing Jesse’s “GIRLS” – you get the picture. It felt secure to me for more relaxed activities, or for those less well-endowed.

If you have already tried Coobie Bras and love them, you will love the Coobie Camis. If you are a Coobie newbie, why not give them a shot?

Right now, Maven of Savin’ readers can Buy one Coobie Cami (with or without straps), get one FREE. They retail for $22, so when you add any 2 to your cart and use code CAMI through 10/4/11, you can score 2/$22 or $11 each. Shipping adds an addition $6.15.

Grab your Coobie Camis HERE.

Disclosure: Coobie sent me the Coobie Camis for review, but all opinions are my own.

Chili’s Triple Dipper Review & Giveaway

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June 25, 2011

This GIVEAWAY has ENDED.

Have you been to Chili’s lately during all their Kids Eat FREE promos? How sweet is that?

Well now they have the Triple Dipper – Three Appetizers, Three dips, One Happy You! With the addition of two types of Potato Skins, and the all-new Honey Chipotle Shrimp, Chili’s list of appetizers just got even better.

My husband calls me the “Queen of the Combo Platter” because I can never decide what I want to eat. Since I could live off appetizers, this one is right up my alley. The Triple Dipper promotion gives us the chance to mix and match any three appetizers and dipping sauces of their choice for the perfect meal.

Here are the options:

NEW! Loaded Potato Skins	Southwestern Eggrolls
NEW! Memphis BBQ Skins	Chicken Crispers®
NEW! Honey-Chipotle Shrimp	Wings Over Buffalo®
Big Mouth® Bites	Fried Cheese
Boneless Buffalo Wings	Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Even having 3 choices killed me – everything looked so good. I opted for the NEW! Memphis BBQ Skins (stuffed with pulled pork ), Southwestern Eggrolls, and Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip. YUMMO!! I expected the Memphis BBQ skins to be sprinkled with pulled pork, just as regular ones are sprinkled with bacon. Well, they were STUFFED with delicious pulled pork. You can never go wrong with my favorite spinach dip and the Southwestern eggrolls were a wonderfully spicy twist in the original. It all went well with their Mango Iced Tea – though I may opt for a tall frosty beer, next time.

The Honey-Chipotle Shrimp are also on my short list as well.

This is the true test – SMILES all around.

In celebration of the Triple Dipper, you can enter to win $20 Chili’s giftcards and a $333 grand prize through 6/30/11 at “Shout Out to Eat Out Triple Dipper”. To enter, you must create your own terrific trio by uploading a photo of your face into one of their terrific trio images. One (1) winner will be randomly drawn every day and will receive one (1) $20 Chili’s gift card through June 30, 2011. There will also be 3 Grand Prize Winners of a $333 Chili’s Gift Card on June 30, 2011. So head on over to ShoutOutToEatOut.com and enter today.

GIVEAWAY

The folks over at Chili’s, who gave me a $20 giftcard for me to try/review the Triple Dipper would love to give one Maven of Savin’ a $20 Chili’s giftcard as well. That way you can try your very own favorites.

ENTRY 1: MANDATORY – tell me which 3 apps you would pick for your Triple Dipper

EXTRA ENTRIES:

“LIKE” Chili’s on Facebook (leave a comment ON THIS POST letting me know you did)
“LIKE” Maven of Savin’ on facebook (leave a comment ON THIS POST letting me know you did)
FOLLOW @shoutout2eatout & @chilis on Twitter and tweet the following – Enter to win a $20 Chili’s gift card, courtesy of @chilis & @shoutout2eatout at @MavenofSavin http://bit.ly/mwevjZting #trippledipper (leave a comment ON THIS POST letting me know you did)
If you entered the Shout Out to Eat Out Triple Dipper, leave the URL to your terrific trio in the comments

Make sure to leave a separate comment on this post for each method of entry. This giveaway is open to US residents 18 years or older and will end Sunday July 2, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST.

Chili’s gave me a $20 giftcard to try the Triple Dipper and are supplying one for my reader. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Restaurant Coupons, review

Freschetta Pizza by the Slice Review & Giveaway

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April 22, 2011

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today for lunch I tried the NEW FRESCHETTA® By the Slice. I had the Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom and it was divine. The ingredients tasted fresh, which surprised me considering it was frozen, but it was absolutely delicious! Sometimes when you cook things in the microwave you sacrifice taste for convenience, but not with these. It was perfectly cooked and the crust was crispy. I would say it tasted as good as if you got a slice from the pizza parlor.

There are 4 different flavors – BBQ Recipe Chicken, Vegetable Medley, Chicken, Spinach & Mushroom and Six Cheese Medley. I think I will try the BBQ Chicken next!

It is nice being able to make just one slice, but I have a longer term concern about the price point. Though the slice was a decent size AND absolutely scrumptious, it was not as big as the huge slices you get at a pizza parlor and $2.49 for a single slice is a little steep for my blood. However, with sales and coupons, I would definitely buy these again. I am not sure whether there is a market for the single slices versus just buying the whole pie and reheating the leftovers. What do you think – would you buy the single slices?

GIVEAWAY

The folks at Freschetta would love to give one Maven of Savin reader a coupon for a FREE FRESCHETTA® By the Slice and a 6 piece FRESCHETTA® storage set. You can have 2 entries:

ENRTY 1: Tell me what flavor you would like to try most.
ENTRY 2: “LIKE: Freschetta Pizza on facebook or follow @FreschettaPizza on twitter and let me know that you did.

The winner will be chosen at random on May 1st. GOOD LUCK!

The folks at Freschetta supplied me with a coupon for the Pizza By the Slice that I had for review and a storage set for myself and the giveaway. All opinions are my own!

64 Comments

Filed Under: Giveaways, review

Coobie Seamless Bra Review & Giveaway

186

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April 1, 2011

THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

The other day you probably caught wind of my BRA rant and my hunt for a comfortable bra. Thank you for all of the suggestions, keep them coming – I cannot wait to try them out.

I did find one you may be interested in. A couple months ago I was at a party and the ladies were all talking about “COOBIE BOOBIES”. I had no idea what they were talking about until someone said they had found “the most comfortable bra EVER” – the Coobie Seamless Bra. So you know I just had to find out for myself.

The folks at Coobie sent me a Coobie V-neck in white to try. First of all, let me say – OMG, it just might be the most comfortable bra ever! All Coobie seamless bras are one size and comfortably fit 32A thru 36D. Now I am a 34-36 C and it fit me great. I am sure there are some people they may not work for, but they claim to fit most people and I just saw they just added Plus Size to fit sizes 38A to 42D-DD.

They come in 2 strapped versions (scooped and v-neck w/ lace trim) as well as a strapless version. Though it looks like a “sports bra”, the design makes it look better – no squished boobs, NO UNDERWIRES to stab you and no UNI-BOOB!

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Filed Under: Giveaways, Hot Deals, review

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