Archive for June, 2009

As it turns out, more and more families are spending extra time at home because of the economy. According to a recent Clorox survey, over 60 percent of the Moms surveyed reported an increase in cleaning around the house as their families now spend more time at home. And, not surprisingly, Moms want to save time and money for all of this extra cleaning. Mom Central got together with the MommyDocs and came up with a list of Five Tips for Summer Staycations to keep your family safe and your house cleaner during the summer months this year.

Staying Safe at BBQs: According to a recent survey, 70 percent of Moms are cooking more at home and many are likely switching up their meal routine with an outdoor BBQ. Make sure your kids have a safe BBQ experience by keeping them away from the flames and any sharp knives. Also, don’t forget to check that your child’s hamburger is fully cooked. Always keep a thermometer on hand to be sure all food has reached the appropriate inside temperature.

Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: If your kids love to spend hot afternoons in kiddie pools, you know the importance of cleaning the pool area. Dump out water after each session, and keep the pool clean by disinfecting it with a solution of ¾ cup bleach* to one gallon of water. Don’t forget to rinse well and dry thoroughly after each cleaning (never leave any water in the pool). Be sure to always supervise children when they are in or around any water. * Always remember to read and follow precautions and usage directions before using cleaning products

Staying Healthy and Hydrated: Spending time in the heat means kids will be more prone to becoming dehydrated. Remind kids to take frequent rest/drink breaks in the shade when playing outside and try to avoid activity during peak sun hours.  Encourage fluids before, during, and after outside activities.

Having Peace of Mind at Playgrounds: Sometimes just getting out of the house is the best way to keep it clean, but before letting kids loose at the playground, ensure the safety of the equipment. Swing seats and slides can really heat up in the sun – test them out before your kids hop on to avoid burns. Be sure the playground surface is composed of a soft material to help prevent injury. All playground equipment should be routinely checked for any broken or loose parts.  As always, adult supervision is a must at all times!

Saving on Spills: Spending extra time around the house, especially with kids, often means more spills to clean up. Synthetic sponges and kitchen cloths can start to smell and carry bacteria, but you don’t have to toss them out after a few uses. One option to reduce bacteria is to sanitize sponges and dishrags by soaking them in a bleach solution (¾ cup of bleach* to a gallon of water) for 5 minutes in the sink.  Don’t forget to rinse and dry when done.  A wet sponge can also be microwaved to get rid of bacteria. *Always remember to read and follow precautions and usage directions before using cleaning products

I found this really cool website yesterday while I was surfing around the net and wanted to share it with you. If you are a fan of things like MyPoints and SwagBucks, your going to love this site. It is called Iteya.com. It is a site that can save you up to 90% off the retail price at hundreds of stores. There are a ton of options on this site to look at and use. You can can view coupons, specials, sales, and clearances at tons of online stores. They even offer printable grocery coupons! If you are a coupon user, then you already know just how important it is to have multiple resources for printables! In addition, every online purchase you make can earn you up to half  of your money back in gift certificates.

The average store on Iteya can earn you about 100 Iteya Points for every dollar you spend, although it can get up to 750.  That means you can usually get a $5 Amazon.com gift card reward for $100 or less . You can also save up your Iteya Points to get a better value on your gift card.

Iteya offers free and cheap ways to earn Iteya Points as well.  For example, you can earn 10,000 Iteya Points for trying a free trial of Shockwave Unlimited on Shockwave.com.  All you have to do is create an account and cancel your subscription within 10 days, and then you get $5 Amazon gift certificate.

You can also earn a ton of Iteya Points on some other game sites.  For instance, if you try 5 free games on Gameduell, you will get 1,000 Iteya Points.  Then when you make a $10 deposit, you will earn an additional 30,000 Iteya Points.  You can also earn another 30,000 Iteya Points by making a $5 deposit onto King.com.  All this together is 61,000 Iteya Points, and if you include the 1,000 Iteya Point sign up bonus, that’s 62,000.  That can get you $35 worth of Amazon.com gift certificates for only $15.  Plus, if you withdraw what you deposit, it’s free.  How cool is that?

Here’s some other free and easy point offers on Iteya:

• Big Contacts free account = 2,000 Iteya Points
• Charles Tyrwhitt first purchase = 8,000 Iteya Points + 80 Pts/$ spent
• DailyOM free courses = 1,000 Iteya Points
• From You Flowers orders = 15,000 Iteya Points
• Magazines.com orders = 1,000 Iteya Points on free B2B Publications
• Masterbeat.com free account = 2,000 Iteya Points
• Match.com orders = 750 Pts/$ spent
• MyPypeline.com free account = 5,000 Iteya Points
• Picaboo free account = 1,000 Iteya Points + 20,000 Iteya Points on first order
• Progene Healthcare free trial = 20,000 Iteya Points
• ShopNBC first purchase = 10,000 Iteya Points + 50 Points/$ spent
• Sirius Satellite Radio receiver & radio orders = 20,000 Iteya Points
• VistaPrint = 3,000 Iteya Points + 150-200 Pts/$ spent
• Wirefly cell phone plans = 35,000-65,000 Iteya Points

As you can see, Iteya has a ton of great offers, and the ones I listed just scratch the surface.  You can also earn 2,500 Iteya Points for each friend you refer.  There’s applications on the site that allow you to invite all your email and social networking contacts at once, so if you’re the kind of person who has hundreds of Myspace and Facebook friends, you’ll have the potential to earn a ton of Iteya Points.

SlimPerfect Inc. developed a versatile yet unique line of swimwear/active wear that is designed by a woman for women and was inspired by the need to feel comfortable, confident and sophisticated all the while providing the quality and options women today deserve.

All SlimPerfect separates are manufactured in the USA with top of the line Brazilian fabric. The separates line can be utilized as either swimwear or active wear and many are interchangeable so the versatility and options women have is second to none!

SlimPerfect Swimwear & Active wear creates an option for the active, yet chic woman who loves to workout but wants to look great doing it and then move straight out to poolside for a dip while still looking sexy.

All SlimPerfect Swimwear & Active wear provides more coverage and “tames” the bulges without moving them to other areas like other leading brands and was made to create the illusion of an hourglass figure.

SlimPerfect Swimwear & Active wear solves poolside anxiety and creates a feeling of confidence in the gym or on the tennis court for ALL BODY TYPES.

SlimPerfect has the ideal solution for you. Move on to their site and view our selection of slimming and slenderizing Capri bottoms, SlimDressess, unique Sleeved Tankini tops, SlimSkorts, Sleeved SlimDresses, Tankini tops, Bikini tops and SlimSkirts.

Once you try SlimPerfect, you will say goodbye to all of your other suits and active wear for good!

4th of July Promo – SlimPerfect is offering up to 55% off select styles with an additional 15% off for our 4th of July Sale.  Enter promo code “4th of July” at checkout to save the additional 15% off.

Win a $100 Slim Perfect Gift Certificate!

Initial Entry: (Required)

• Sign up for the Slim Perfect Mailing list (Leave your email address for confirmation!) (2 entries)
• Follow Slim Perfect on Twitter, Leave your twitter ID (1 entry) If you DO NOT have twitter, tell me SPECIFICALLY what you would buy with your $100 GC.

Bonus Entries:

• Follow me on Twitter @Toni_GPB and Tweet This Giveaway. You may do this 1 time per day for 1 entry per Tweet. Just Copy and Paste—> A Summer giveaway you don’t want to miss ENDS TONIGHT! $100 GC for an @SlimPerfect Swimsuit. Not your average suit! http://is.gd/1i9J6 #GPB

• Become a Fan of Grocery Price Blog on Facebook. Leave your Facebook LINK, not your ID, not my link (1 Entry)

• Stumble ANY post on my blog. Leave a link to which post you stumbled and leave your Stumble ID. (1 entry per stumble)

Please leave a separate Comment for each Entry. (If you get 10 entries you must leave 10 comments! If you leave 1 comment it will count at 1 entry!) Giveaway is open to US residents only who are 18 years of age or older. I reserve the right to remove any entry from this giveaway that doesn’t have the requested information. This giveaway ends 7/13/09 at 11:59 pm EST.  If you are currently or have previously reviewed this product, you are ineligible to enter/win.