I puffy heart shopping at Sam's Club. I save huge on so many things (like my over-the-counter allergy medicine) and of course the snacks and the meats. I could walk around there all day. Then, I'd probably spend a small fortune.

Sam's Club has a promotion running right now to help you save even more. From February 1–29, 2012, you can get a $10 Sam’s Club Gift Card when you purchase any two of the following baby items at Sam’s Club:

• Pampers® Swaddlers® or Pampers Cruisers® Diapers
• Pampers SoftCare™ Scented Baby Wipes
• Similac® Advance® Powder or Similac Sensitive® Powder
• Dreft® Liquid Laundry Detergent

For more offer details, visit SamsClub.com/giftcardoffer. Online request must be submitted by March 14, 2012.

Disclosure:  The Sam’s Club Gift Card and information have been provided by Sam’s Club and P&G through MyBlogSpark.

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We aren't huge fruit-snackers around here, so these Ocean Spray fruit snacks were quite the treat. I brought them as a treat after school for the girls, and now they think they should get them every day! (Okay, confession time, I might have had some of the berry and cherry ones).

The girls really enjoyed them.  While they do contain sugar, they are also made with real fruit juice and natural colors (from natural sources) and flavors. These Fruit Flavored Snacks are made with apple, pear, and cranberry juice concentrate. See package for a list of complete ingredients. They are not intended to replace fruit in the diet.

Each package/serving contains 80 calories, is gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.

And, as an added bonus they are available with year round Double Box Tops.

You can click here to download a printable coupon for $1.10 off of the purchase of (2) Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored snacks today! Better still, I have FOUR prize packs of 6 boxes (3 of each variety) of Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks for each winner for you to try them yourselves. You can check them out on Facebook, too.

Disclosure: Ocean Spray^® Fruit Flavored Snacks, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ocean Spray^® through MyBlogSpark.

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Much to the chagrin of Mr. Serious, our cat Sasafras requires a couple things. Not much, but we do have to buy food and litter (and treats if I want her nail trimmings to go well). But, she is a pretty good cat and totally deserves it! (I have to remember to get it on video, but she's a pretty crazy cat. She climbs the ladders to the girls beds and loves to get up there at bedtime and sleep in their beds. They don't like her in there!)

And, when pregnant, I'm less than thrilled to go to the store, pick up a 40lb bag of cat litter, fight with the cart to get the bag into the cart, then get it in the car, then get it in the house.

What has made my life easier?  Mr. Chewy where they "deliver pet happiness" right to your doorstep. They over 70+ brands that they keep in stock for dogs and cats, as well as treats and supplies, like flea and tick medicines. (I think they have a couple more options for dogs than cats, but we'll let it slide).

When I went to shop there, I was worried that their prices would be higher than the store I normally shop at, but surprisingly, they were actually cheaper than what I paid for.  And, when I ordered over $49, I got free 1-2 day shipping!  Whoot.  In 2 days, a large bag of cat food, a huge box of litter and a little bag of cat treats arrived on my doorstep, and it was just over $49. (I did feel bad for the delivery guy, that box was HEAVY!).

And, a note on their customer service. There was an issue with my order, so I sent an email. I received a response immediately, and that part of my order was replaced.  No questions asked. Now, that's customer service.

The convenience alone is awesome, and the fact that it's a great deal and comes with free shipping, definitely makes me want to shop there again.

*I received a voucher to try out their services.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.

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Last year, when Mr. Serious and I were really working on getting back in shape and eating healthy, we quickly realized that exercising wasn't enough. We had to watch what we were eating, too.  But, we didn't want to do a diet plan. We wanted to watch what we were eating, but more importantly, the portions of those food. A service of starchy foods (pasta, rice, etc) is way smaller than we ever imagined.

Recently, I was introduced to YumYumDishes, perfect for portion control while you are eating.

We had perfected using the smaller plates in our set for dinner. This was really helpful in our portion controlling, but, were we getting the right portions of the right things?

Tracy Adler has created Yum Yum Dishes™ and the 9Plate. This is a 9 inch dinner plate will help you eat correctly sized portions for all meals. The YumYumPlates have (very lightly) drawn sections. On the top half is a space for your veggies (and we did veggies and fruit).  On the bottom, split in two (so a quarter of the plate for each) is a space for your meat/protein and your carbs.

I made some chicken capellini the other night (yum..artichoke hearts and capers..delicious) and used my plate to make sure I gave myself proper portions. (Like I mentioned, it might be cheating, but I did fruit and veggies together in that space). Now, it might seem like it's not a lot of food, but guess what? I was full (even 8 months pregnant) and satisfied with this dinner and so was Mr. Serious.

It's hard to tell in the picture, but one of my favorite features is that is has a really high lip.  Not like a bowl, but higher than a plate.  Which makes it much easier for the girls to eat without getting food (well, as much food) on the table.

These plates have been the "go-to" plates for our family at dinner time (as long as they are clean!)

In addition to the plates, which come in pre-boxed sets in our four fun colors: cherry red, sunshine yellow, pistachio green and bold blue for $29, they also sell snack bowls with snap-on plastic lids to allow you to carry your favorite snacks with you where ever you go.

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Do you like grilled subs? Want to win a free voucher from Charley's Grilled Subs?

If you head over and “Like” the Charley’s Facebook page, you can vote for your favorite sub sandwich and earn free food.  Each participant will be rewarded with a voucher for free Charley’s Grilled Subs food and will also be entered into a sweepstakes for the chance to win one of nine $500 cash prizes. The cash prizes will be given away throughout the five-week campaign.

The Grill-Iron Classic campaign, which runs from January 16 to February 20, will pit the “champion” East coast Philly Cheese Steak sub against the “challenger” West Coast California chicken sub. You'll have to follow along to see who wins!

One of two food vouchers will be provided instantly to customers participating in the Facebook campaign: buy one get one sub free (of equal or lesser value) or a free combo upgrade to include gourmet fries and a beverage.

Charley’s Grilled Subs is famous for their hot, fresh made-to-order Philly SteakSandwiches and other 100 percent Certified USDA choice steak, chicken and delisubs, gourmet fries and freshly squeezed lemonade. The company, headquartered inColumbus, Ohio, has more than 450 locations worldwide in 46 states and 16 countries.Founded in 1986, more than 90 percent of all Charley’s Grilled Subs restaurants are runby franchisees. For more information, go to www.Charleys.com.

What are you waiting for?  Go like them, get some free food, and let me know if you win the cash!

*Comments closed so you go to their page and enter their giveaway and get a free sandwich!

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When you have more than one child of the same gender, it's inevitable that they will have hand me downs.  Especially jackets.  And, school wants those jackets labeled.  With the right name.

So, if I forget to label them, they get permanent marker where the teacher sees fit.  I don't know why, but this bothers me, but I just don't like it.  Sure, it's my fault for not labeling them, but ick, I just don't like it.

What helps?  Lovable Labels.  They are dishwasher and microwave Safe, UV Resistant, and easy to apply with their peel & stick backing.  The best place I've found to apply them on clothes, blankets, etc is to find a tag and stick it on there.

They don't come off (ask the oldest who found some in her room with her name on them, and put them on everything in her room...her pillow has her name on it, and it likely always will.  That puppy isn't coming off).  She also put it on a picture frame.  Stuck there, too.  So, while they stay on things you want them to really well; they also stay on things you don't want them to stick on really well, too. Needless to say, we like the Lovable Labels we tried out before.

This time, we tried out the "Fun Stickies".  There are so many adorable options.

Description: Make your child's gear stand out in a crowd! FUN Stickies make it fun to label all those things kids need to take to camp or school. Being unique and organized is as easy as choosing your favorite design!

Price: $19.95

Colors: Available in 13 designs

Features: Dishwasher and Microwave Safe, UV Resistant, Peel & Stick

Quantity: 40 Labels per pack

Dimensions: varies per design (please refer to individual design for exact measurement)

I picked the ladybug for the youngest.  This is a screen capture of it in preview mode.  Adorable, no?

She loves them, too.  She knows how to spell her name, but if she was a little younger and didn't know, she'd ideally be able to recognize her labels just by the cute shape on them, too!

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I've mentioned Tropical Traditions several times before.  And, how much we appreciate/enjoy their natural cleaning products.

This time we tried out the Glass and Surface Cleaner.  We've used it on pretty much any surface, including our glass stove top and our granite counters.

It has no ammonia, alcohol or harsh volatile solvents.  Contains 0% VOC (Volatile organic Compounds).  There is no rinsing required, it doesn't streak, and there are no fragrances or dyes added. It only contains water and mild plant-based surfactants.

For a fast drying, streak free finish, wipe with a clean, lint free, dry cloth. It can be used on ALL glass including treated glass, auto windshields, Plexiglas, light fixtures, and mirrors. It can also be used on chrome, appliances, vinyl, stainless steel, plastic, porcelain, countertops, walls, floors and more! It is ideal for computers and computer screens (spray onto cloth and wipe).

Just for your sake, I let our stove top get extra messy and dirty...see...

And, then I cleaned it with the Glass and Surface Cleaner.  Now, you might think it looks dirty, but alas, there are stains from stuff boiling over at the edges of the rings (trust me, I've tried everything to get it off).  This was the easiest cleaning I've ever had and it looks just as good.

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When we buy toys or dolls or receive them, I often wonder, is anybody getting anything out of this?  Are the profits going to help anybody out (besides a big company)?  Who is benefitting from this?

One company has thought about this. Trashcan Kidz are unique handmade dolls that portray orphans and vulnerable children throughout the world, in a playful way. TrashCanKidz go beyond your regular plush dolls in that 20% of all revenues received from their sales go toward improving the lives of the abandoned and vulnerable children in the world.

Around the world many children are living in heartbreaking conditions. It is estimated that there are more than 143 million orphans in the world, today; and in the US alone, close to 1.6 million youth, living on the streets. It is the plight of these children that inspired the creation of TrashCanKidz, a company with a social conscience.

CarryMeKidz is come all the way from The Forgotten World and are anxious to meet their new family.  When it arrives, you have to register your CarryMeKid on your TrashCanKidz account.  An interesting concept behind this is that you have to have an Ambassador Code from another person to purchase a CarryMeKid.  They want people to spread the word about these handmade dolls as well as the associated online games.  If you want to purchase one, use the Trashcankidz ambassador code: 322509800Other people can then use your unique ambassador code to purchase their own doll!

There are several cute dolls available.  We picked Rose.  Natalie calls her her "trashcan baby" and really enjoys pushing her around in her stroller.

The dolls comes with information telling you about the donation made with your purchase and the organizations you are supporting.

And, nothing says it best like the joy (okay, hard to see her face) of a child playing with their new doll.

Like most inspired companies, there is a story behind TrashCanKidz and who better to tell it to you than one of the creators? Watch the videos below to learn more about TrashCanKidz:

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When headed back to school this semester, I was armed with my Box Tops for Education from the holidays. Right now, Sam's Club has 6 Box Tops on many of the General Mills cereals. So, not only are you saving money on your cereal by buying in bulk, but you are also collecting Box Tops for Education for schools.

Some of the favorite return-to-school snack brands include Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, Yoplait and Progresso. We're partial to the cereal here!  Learn more about the Box Tops for Education Program and how you can help contribute to your school

Sam's Club and My Blog Spark want to give away one $25 gift card to purchase your favorite Box Top for Education product. So, you can give back to education, too.

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The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.

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With only a couple weeks left until our baby arrives, I'm on the lookout for some new clothes that I can wear.  Not maternity clothes.  But, hopefully, nursing friendly.

I found the Ballerina dress from Shabby Apple an online boutique of women's dresses that has a ton of fabulous clothes, including maternity clothes and kids clothes. It's plum-colored with folds of soft jersey fabric dip from the shoulders into a ruched waist that runs from bust to hip on this flouncy, ballet-inspired dress.  It's a V-neck and the skirt is fully lined.

They mention on their site it fits generously, so you should size down.  Let me say this..nothing about me is an extra-small (especially right now), but many recommendation actually said to size down two sizes, so I did.

The ruching on the tummy will be extra nice post partum to cover up some of my tummy. particularly nice for new mothers as it hides a tummy!  The overlapping v-neck will also be nice for nursing.

Now, the lighting is terrible in my room, and it's definitely closer to the color in the picture above, but you can see, this extra small is pretty roomy.  It's exceptionally roomy in the bust (in fact, I don't know anybody that is an extra small would fill out the bust of the dress...I certainly don't and well, my bust is quite large right now).

I'm excited to see how this looks after the baby is born and I think it will make a nice addition to my post-partum wardrobe.

What I'd like to see improved?  The seams around the neckline and the bottom of the dress aren't finished (they aren't folded and then stitched, the edge of the fabric is just stitched).  This worries me particularly at the bottom when washing.  I'm worried it will roll up.

Overall the dress is super cute and I'm excited to wear it!

Shabby Apple would like to give one Really, Are You Serious? reader their very own Ballerina dress.

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