Check Out Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kmart. All opinions are 100% mine.

Summer is almost over and the kids are all back in school. You must be thinking, finally, I have some time to relax and enjoy some ‘me time’. Sure, you most definitely deserve it but don’t forget, it’s also time to start prepping for the holiday season. It might seem a long ways off but really, it’s not. Only 15 weeks left before the holidays! With so many things to do and so many gifts to buy, you would want to get a head start in the prepping. If you are anything like me, I’m sure you would agree with me that you wouldn’t want to be one those last minute shoppers. If you wait til the last minute, there wouldn’t be anything good left, well, maybe except those really expensive stuff that is out of your budget or out of season stuff that nobody wants anymore. After all, the early bird gets the worm, right?

I don’t know about you but I have already been eyeing some holiday gifts that I will be placing them on Kmart’s free layaway this year. Those golf clubs and necklace would make excellent gifts for my family, don’t you think? Check out the big screen tv. Doesn’t it look awesome? Boy, I can imagine my husband’s face when he sees that under the tree come Christmas morning. Talking about TVs, I remember this one time when we saw a really nice TV for sale but we couldn’t get it because that store didn’t have layaway and we didn’t have enough extra money at that time to get it. An opportunity to grab a good deal was lost, just because that store doesn’t have layaway. From then on, I always made it a point to shop at Kmart. Why? Well, they have the best layaway program, hands down.

Why do I say that Kmart is the best? Well, let’s take a look at the chart above. I’m going to show you a comparison of Kmart’s layaway program vs other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Toys R Us. Right off the bat, you can see that none of them comes even close to Kmart. Kmart is the only retailer who offers layaway for their full range of merchandise. Not only that, there are no minimum item or transaction amount. Kmart always strives to put the customer first. That is they offer services that makes the customers life easier. For example, there is a online layaway option that allows you do your shopping from the comforts of your home. You can also pay online and pick up at the store or if you are shopping for a loved one in another state, you can shop at a Kmart nearest to you and they can pick it up from another state. How cool is that? I do not see Walmart, Best Buy or Toys R Us doing all that!

If that is not good enough of a reason to play an item or more in Kmart’s layaway, here is one reason why you most definitely should. Just like us, Kmart is also prepping for the season of giving and to coincide with this time they are launching “Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway”. What that? Well, how that works is that there will be is one layaway giveaway at each store, once a week. This will go on every week, from 9/9/12 through 11/17/12. All you need to do is put your purchases on layaway and every week, you will stand a chance to win your remaining balance paid off! I don’t know about you but I am surely really excited about this giveaway and hope that I will be one of those weekly winners! So, what are you waiting for? Now's the time to place those gifts you've been eying on layaway and also get the chance to win some great prizes at Kmart! Remember, it ends on 11/17/12.

NMEDA is the key to FREEDOM!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Imagine this. You wake up, hop out of bed, get ready for work and before you know it, you are running down the stairs, jumping into your car and driving to work. For many of us, it’s an everyday routine. It takes about 25 minutes or so to do all that. We do not even think about it. However, for a certain group of people, it’s not all that easy. Yes, I am talking about people with disabilities and their caregivers. Living with disabilities is hard. It takes a lot of time and effort to move about, just to get ready for the day. Don’t even get me started about getting ready to head out to places. Even though I am not disabled, I get it. I understand. Guess what? I am not the only one who does. There is a whole group of people that are dedicated to making life for people with disabilities a whole lot easier.

What am I talking about? What group of people? Well, I am talking about NMEDA (National Mobility Equipment Dealer Association)! NMEDA is a non-profit trade association of mobility equipment dealers, manufacturers, driver rehabilitation specialists and other professionals dedicated to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities to drive or be transported in vehicles modified with mobility equipment. Originally started as an association of mobility equipment dealers in the state of Florida, membership opened in 1989 on a national level and the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association was formed. The organization promotes and supports individual members engaged in the modification of quality transportation for people with disabilities. Currently with 600+ members nationwide, all of the members are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and to follow the guidelines set by NMEDA. The guidelines, which are actually a living document providing detailed recommended practices on equipment installation and modifications, are updated yearly.

Now that you know all about NMEDA, let me tell you about the Quality Assurance Program (QAP). The QAP is a recognized accreditation program for the mobility equipment industry. It was developed to promote quality, safety, and reliability and is the only program of this in this industry. In short, a QAP designation enhances vehicle modification and mobility equipment installation in a manner consistent with the highest guidelines available.

You might be thinking, whoa, hang on. Is it really that important for those with disabilities to have a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle? If so, what is the correct one for me? Well, of course it’s important. Just like how a soccer player needs his soccer boots or how a football player needs his helmet, a person with disabilities needs a vehicle that allows him to be as mobile as can. There are many transportation solutions out there, from minivans, trucks, wheelchair and scooter carriers, lifts, ramps, hand controls to transfer seats, to the person must find one that best fits him. All NMEDA QAP dealers offer in person individual evaluations. This way, with their years of experience and personal touch, they would be able to recommend the best possible solution for you. Not only that, they also offer 24 hour local emergency assistance, on-site sales and support. If you buy a vehicle online on through a non NMEDA dealer, you probably will not receive the same service.

So, what are you waiting for? Head out to NMEDA’s website to learn more and visit a NMEDA QAP (Quality Assurance Program) Dealer for mobility solutions Program) dealer today! Remember, transportation is the key to freedom and NMEDA is the key to quality transportation.

Insalata Caprese aka Caprese Salad

It's been a while since I shared any recipes with all of you, so I figured I'll just share something really quick and easy to make. This is the perfect summer time salad, when fresh tomatoes are in season. Insalata Caprese (or better known as Caprese Salad here in the States) originated from the region of Campania in Italy. An interesting fact that I found from Wikipedia is that this salad is sometimes called Insalata Tricolore, referring to the three colors of the Italian flag. Interesting. Anyways, I simply love this salad because it's really yummy to eat and really simple to make. It takes less than 10 minutes to put everything together. Here's how you make it.

Start off by washing a few large tomatoes. It's always good to choose the juicy ripe ones. Slice up the tomatoes and set them aside.

Next, you would need some fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese. Remove the cheese from it's packaging (it's usually sold, soaked in water) and slice it into pieces.

Then, it's time to put it all together. Arrange the tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil leaves on a plate. Just alternate the tomatoes and cheese, with random basil leaves all over. Now, traditionally, one would just drizzle extra virgin olive oil on top and you are set to go. I changed it up a little and combined 1 part extra virgin olive oil to 1 part balsamic vinaigrette. Drizzle that over the salad and top it up with some freshly cracked black pepper and some salt. All done! Now, wasn't that easy? =)

Back to School Savings with Dollar General

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Can you believe it, we are almost half way through August. Soon, the kids will be back to school and this only means one thing, it’s back to school shopping time! I know many parents and guardians who do not look forward to this at all. Not only do you have to put up with crowds at the mall but you always end up spending way more than expected. Trust me; back to school shopping doesn’t come cheap! In today’s economy, every little bit of savings helps.

For those of you who are in the midst of getting ready for some back to school shopping, I’ve got some awesome news to share with you. Did you know that you can save big with Back to School Saving from Dollar General? That’s right, I’m talking about big time discounts. For those of you who don’t know, Dollar General Corporation is the nation's largest small-box discount retailer. They make shopping for everyday needs simpler and hassle-free by offering a carefully edited assortment of the most popular brands at low everyday prices in small, convenient locations. Therefore, Dollar General is an excellent option to save big on both back to school and back to campus shopping. There is a variety of items at everyday low prices to help cross off items from the Back to School Lists!

This year, both Kevin and I are very much involved in getting my little sister Ashley ready for college. We have been going around shopping for the best deals, to get her ready for college. After comparing prices, we came to the conclusion that Dollar General really gives you that bang for your buck! We could get all kinds of school supplies as well as stuff for her dorm room there. It’s basically a one stop shop! We managed to pick up almost everything on her list, from stationary to towels, hangers, food containers to even her alarm clock and cordless phone!

The savings from Dollar General is really good to begin with but I’ll let you in on how you can save even more. How? Well, you can save even more with the changing Back to School mobile coupon available for mobile phones by scanning the embedded QR code below this post. If you phone doesn’t allow you to scan, you can also get extra savings by texting "bts" to 34898 from your mobile phone. It’s that awesome? So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start saving big today!

Italian Sausage with Peppers & Onions

Yessss, I know I haven't been blogging for a while. Yesss, I know. In my past few posts, I said that I will be blogging more but I have yet to do that. Sooo, here's what I am going to do. I am going to pretend that there wasn't any break in my blogging and just carry on blogging like usual :P How's that? LOL! Anyways, it's been a while since I shared any recipes with all of you. So, here's a quick one that's really simple to make but super yummy to eat. I would make this on days when I am really lazy but still want something home made and hearty. Try it, this recipe is definitely a keeper.

Start off by browning 6 links (about 4 oz) of sweet Italian sausages in a large pan. If you like it spicy, you could use hot Italian sausages too. Make sure you brown all sides of the sausages. Once it's done, remove it from the pan and then set them aside.
Using the same pan, add in some green peppers and onions. You could also add in some yellow and red peppers too if you like.
After sauteing for a bit, season with some basil, oregano, black pepper and garlic powder. Then, add in a can of diced tomatoes. I used diced tomatoes that has been seasoned with Italian herbs but you can pretty much use just any regular diced tomatoes.
Mix the tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients then add in about half a cup of red wine. If you like, you could also use Marsala wine. Remember to try and get as much of the burnt bits off the bottom of the pan. You'll be surprised how much flavor that adds to the dish.
Give everything a good mix and return the sausages into the pan. Allow it to simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, until all the sauce is reduced and it's good to go! How easy was that? I served that up with some penne pasta but you can pretty much serve it with anything. Pasta, rice, potatoes, Italian bread....anything that you like! Try it and let me know how it turns out! :D

Win a 2-day Vacation for four to LEGOLAND Florida!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Atlantic Luggage. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s July and summer is in full swing! How are you enjoying the summer so far? When you think of summer, you think of vacations! Do you have any trips planned? We have gone for a few getaways and have another planned for next month. No matter where you go, be it the beach, theme parks or even a trip to the city, there is one thing everyone needs to bring along. Luggage! How can you go on vacation without bringing any luggage? If you are anything like me (I am pretty sure that most of you are), you would want to bring along good reliable luggage when you go on your long awaited vacation. Who wants something that would break or fall apart mid vacation? For me and my family, we always trust luggage made by Atlantic Luggage. Not only is affordable, it is also durable and lightweight. Yeah, just perfect for families on the go! Picky about the style and size of your luggage? Worry not! The Atlantic Luggage Collection includes a variety of styles and sizes, with something for everyone.

Since we are talking about Atlantic Luggage, I got something else to tell you. Have you heard of the Atlantic Luggage and Legoland Sweepstakes? Nope? Well, you are missing out! Here’s the scoop. Did you know that as of May 2012, Legoland Florida has a brand new waterpark? That’s right, a full waterpark with a wave pool, tube slides and body slides! Not only that, families can also imagine, design, and build a unique LEGO vessel and set it afloat on the 1,000ft lazy river. Sounds really fun! I would love to take my family there one day! Would you like to visit Legoland for free? Well, you could. The awesome people at Atlantic Luggage is running a sweepstakes that will give you a chance to win a vacation for two adults and two children to Legoland in Florida! The grand prize includes 2-Day admissions to LEGOLAND Florida, hotel for 3 days 2 nights (one 4 occupancy room) and a car rental voucher for three days. Also, the prize includes a Meet and Greet with a LEGOLAND Master Model Builder and a free set of Atlantic luggage! Remember, the sweepstakes runs from now til 11:59 p.m. E.S.T. on August 1, 2012. Do not waste any more time. Sign up today and who knows, you and your family might be on your way to an awesome vacation in Legoland soon!

Checkout the Fantastic Roadtrip-a-Matic on VisitPA.com!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PA Tourism. All opinions are 100% mine.

The weather is finally warming up; my shorts and flip flops are out from storage and many of the kids in my neighborhood are done with school. This can only mean one thing – summer is here! I don’t know about you but boy, oh boy, I love summer! In my household, summer means vacation time! With the awesome weather, it’s hard to just stay home. Both Kevin and I enjoy going on roadtrips and I must say that we try to do it as often as we can. As much as we love going on roadtrips, there is one thing that we do not look forward to. The planning! Planning a roadtrip can be pretty daunting at times. There are just so many things to look into. Where do we go first? What sights and atttractions should we visit? Which route should we take? Where is a good place to stay? Are there any good restaurants along the way? There are just so many things to think about when you start planning for a roadtrip.

Because of its proximity to NJ (where we are currently based), both Kevin and I love to make roadtrips to Pennsylvania. There are just so much to see and do there. One of our go to places when we plan our pa-roadtrips is the visitpa.com website. I was on there a while ago, surfing for new places that we could visit when I stumbled upon the Roadtrip-a-Matic. The road trip whaaat, you ask? The Roadtrip-a-Matic! If you haven’t heard of it, you are missing out. Check this out. The Roadtrip-a-Matic offers dozens of ready-to-ride roadtrips for visitors to Pennsylvania who are looking for outdoor experiences, small town charm, historic landmarks and so much more. In short, the Roadtrip-a-Matic does the planning for us and we need to do is pack! How awesome is that? Gone are the days when we need to spend days (months even) going through all kinds of information, just to plan a roadtrip for our family. No more headaches, just a whole lot of fun!

There are a whole lot of different roadtrips to choose from. No matter what your interest may be, there is bound to be something for you. Among some of the interesting and fun roadtrips offered on the Roadtrip-a-Matic is the Tour d' Art, Small Town Charmy, Spree – The Shoppers Roadtrip, Artisan Ways and Shutterbugs. For those of you with kids, I am sure they would enjoy the Kidsylvania, PA 101 or maybe even the Ghost Rides. Being self-professed foodies, I would have to say that our favorite roadtrip would have to be the Taste Buds on Tour. There are three different roadtrips on the Taste Buds on Tour series. Since PA is home to the oldest operating brewing company in the United States, not too mention dozens and dozens of independent craft breweries, Kevin and I would love to check out the Hoppy Trails To You roadtrip. Three days of learning the craft of beer brewing from various breweries while sampling different types of lagers, pilsners, stouts and porter sounds like a super fun roadtrip! No matter what your interest may be, there is bound to be a roadtrip for you. Go ahead to the VisitPa website and checkout the Roadtrip-a-Matic. Your dream roadtrip is just a click away!

Try Quaker's NEW Soft Baked Bars Today!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don’t know if you have noticed, but I am beginning to realize that these days, people are starting to live healthier. They exercise more and watch what they eat. I don’t know if it’s because we are now little older and somewhat wiser, but I do know that Kevin and I have been trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  I remember the days when we were still in college. We would stuff ourselves silly with all kinds of unhealthy snacks and food. These days, we make a point to look for more wholesome food when we go grocery shopping. Another thing that we have learnt over the years is that we should not skip breakfast and that it’s alright to snack, as long as it’s done in moderation and we snack on healthy snacks.

We are always on the go and that’s why we love simple, easy to eat meals and snacks. While we were out shopping the other day, we came across a new product by Quaker Oats – the Quaker Soft Baked Bar that comes in two flavors, Cinnamon Pecan Bread and Banana Nut Bread. They looked so good and yummy; we just had to try it. It makes a great breakfast snack as well as something that we can snack on to keep us going until our next meal. It is made with real fruits and nuts that is perfect when we want to eat on the go. If you have a little more time, you should try warming it up in the microwave for a real bakery experience. It’s totally delicious! Not only is it tasty, it’s really healthy too! At only 140 calories, it’s packed with 5g of Fiber, 6g of Protein and it’s an excellent source of 5 B-Vitamins!

Out of the two flavors, I totally love the Banana Nut Bread. Made with real bananas and almonds, the Quaker Soft Baked Bars Banana Nut Bread flavor is not only really tasty but it only contains 3.5g of total fat per serving! It’s really good when I warm it up in the microwave for breakfast. I taste like eating a yummy slice of banana bread for breakfast! Kevin on the other hand likes the Cinnamon Pecan Bread flavor. It contains crunchy pecans, chewy raisins and a cinnamon flavor that he totally loves. Not only does he eat it for breakfast but he would eat it as a snack in the office or when he is driving around at the port.  We both love Quaker’s Soft Baked Bars. Not only is it yummy but it’s healthy too. Don’t just take our word for it. Go out and get some for yourselves today!

Giveaway: éclos Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter Kit by #EclosBeauty

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don’t know about you but I do spend quite a lot of time trying out different skin care and anti-aging products. It’s not that I enjoy doing so but it’s because I cannot seem to find the right products that fits my needs. Most of the time, I am stuck with products laced with a whole lot of chemicals, something that doesn’t really work or stand up to all the hype. Not only that, they are usually really expensive too!

In my constant quest in trying to find the perfect product for me, I came across some products by éclos Skin Care  not too long ago. What really caught my attention was that its products are plant based. That’s right. Products from Eclos feature Apple Stem Cells which are extracted from a rare Swiss apple. It is shown that it has tremendous ability to stimulate skin stem cells, thus encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin. In addition to the Apple Stem Cell technology, Eclos products are enriched with PhytoPlex24. That’s a property complex of plant extracts, vitamins and anti-oxidants helps minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin. Also, their product does not contain parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes and petro-chemicals. Yup, all those nasty stuff that we would want to keep away from.

Apart from it being plant based and natural, it is also similar to products were once only available from specialty brands at department stores. Yes, I’m talking about those high price tag items! You do not need to pay premium price for premium products. Eclos is the first brand to bring this active ingredient to mainstream stores at a fraction of the cost- making beautiful and younger skin available to women everywhere. You can find Eclos nationwide at food, drug and mass stores which include Target, Ulta, Duane Reade, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Fred Meyer.

Now that we know about all Eclos, let me introduce you to some of their products.

Facial Cleanser Skin Prep – This product is gentle enough for all skin types, yet it purifies skin deep down by removing makeup and daily debris.

Cellular Activator Face Serum – This lightweight liquid awakens dormant skin cells, increases their longevity and helps to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream – This facial cream helps protect your own skin stem cells, thus promoting the self-renewal capacity of the skin and helps slow signs of aging.

Restorative Eye Cream – This product encourages your skin stem cells to function more efficiently. It results in dramatically firmer skin and a reduction to fine lines around the eyes.

Instant Radiance Facial Scrub – The microdermabrasion found in this facial scrub helps polish away dry, flaky skin, while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.

Skin Renewal Clay Mask – This multifunctional mask cleanses absorbs impurities and unclogs pores while helping to restore skin to its youthful prime.

Don’t they all sound awesome? I am so excited to introduce this line of products to you. I know it’s difficult to know if a particular skin product is good for you unless you try it yourself. So, together with Eclos, The Podanys will be hosting a giveaway. One of our lucky readers will have the opportunity to win an Eclos Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter Kit containing sample sizes of the complete product line! The kit is valued at $19.99 and it contains the following.

• Facial Cleanser Skin Prep

• Cellular Activator Face Serum

• Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream

• Restorative Eye Cream

• Instant Radiance Facial Scrub

• Skin Renewal Clay Mask

• éclos Terry Cloth Head Band

All you need to do is to a leave comment before 11:59pm (EST) on June 14^th, 2012 on this blog post, stating which product in the kit you are most excited to try. Kevin and I will then randomly pick a winner after the closing date. So, what are you waiting for? Leave a comment and be in the running to win your very own Eclos Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter Kit!

Uno Chicago Grill - Clifton, NJ

It was another lazy Sunday afternoon for us and we spent the entire afternoon lazing on the couch, watching TV. We were watching some program on the Food Network about various types of pizzas around America and I realized that I've never tried the Chicago style deep dish pizza before. Yeah, I've been to Chicago before don't ask me why, I just never got around to trying the deep dish pizza. Now, I totally love our NY style pizza and I really think that it's the best pizza ever. Hands down. However, how can I make such a statement without even trying the Chicago style pizza, right? So, I told Kevin that we should go have some Chicago style deep dish pizza for dinner that evening. Now, the big question. Where can we find Chicago style deep dish pizza in the middle of Northern Jersey?
Uno Chicago Grill, of course! After all, they were the ones who invented the Chicago deep dish pizza! We have always driven past this place whenever we go grocery shopping in Clifton, but we never got around to checking it out. I guess today is the day! Since it's located in a shopping/commercial area of Clifton, parking was no problem at all. There were ample free parking spaces available all around the restaurant. I guess we were a little bit early for dinner, so we lucked out and didn't have to wait for a table. I can tell that Uno Chicago Grill is a pretty popular spot, cos all the tables were filled and there was a line when we left.
Before we left for dinner, I went online to see if there were any in store coupons and/or promotions for Uno Chicago Grill. I found out that if we sign up for their Insider's Club, we will get a coupon for a free appetizer. So, I did just that! We ordered the 1lbs of the Honey BBQ Wings ($9.79) to share as our appetizer. Of course, we got that free...so...YAY! The wings were really huge and juicy, just the way I like them! The honey BBQ sauce was also really yummy. Who would have known, that you can find such awesome wings in a pizza place.
For our mains, we of course ordered the deep dish pizza. Since we couldn't agree on a what pie to try, we decided to go with two personal pans. When they brought out the pies, the waiter told us that the pans are super hot. They then helped us remove the pies from the pans and placed them on regular plates. It smelled so good and yummy, we couldn't wait to dig in. Kevin ordered the Chicago Classic ($10.79) and I had the Numero Uno ($10.99) . Kevin's Chicago Classic is crumbled sausage, chunky tomato sauce, Mozzarella and grated Romano cheese. It looked yummy and Kevin said it tasted great too.
My Numero Uno pizza is their all time favorite and one of the most popular pizzas on the menu. It's basically a 'the works' pizza. It had sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms and their signature chunky tomato sauce, all topped with Mozzarella and grated Romano cheese. Look at how deep it is. It's so thick, you can't just pick it up to eat, like the NY style pizza. You have to use a fork! It was just packed with all kinds of toppings and it was soo flavorful too. Another thing that stood out was the crust. It was so buttery and flaky, mmmm mmmm mmmm.
Our total bill came to $28.85 for 2 drinks, 1 appetizers (which was free) and two pizzas. We had plenty of pizza left over, so I would say that it was enough to feed 3-4 people. Not too bad at all. So, the answer to the question we have all been waiting for. Which is better? NY style of Chicago style pizza? I really love the Chicago deep dish pizza from Uno Chicago Grill. In fact, I am already making plans to return real soon. However, I must say that nothing can beat our greasy and huge sliced NY style pizza! Pick up a huge slice of pepperoni pizza with cheese and grease dripping from the sides, fold it in half and stuff it in your mouth. Ahhhh heaven! Now, that's what I call good pizza! :D

Uno Chicago Grill - Clifton, NJ
426 Rt. 3 West
Clifton, NJ 07014
Tel: (973)574 1303
Web: http://unos.com/

SALE: Lenovo speakers for only $11.99!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Lenovo. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m sure many of you know that I spend a lot of time working on the computer. On an average day, I would be in front of the computer for at least 12 hours, if not more. When I’m on the computer, I would usually listen to music. What kind of music? All kinds of music! I love music and it gets me going when I am on the computer. What I don’t like is the sound quality of the speakers on my laptop. It’s really bad and I can hardly hear anything. Sure, I do occasionally plug in my headphones but it hurts any ears after a while. So, I decided to buy some good speakers that I could plug into my laptop.

After searching the web for quite some time, I came across the M0520 Lenovo speaker! They were truly the answer to all my problems! The first thing that caught my attention was its size and beautiful bright red color! Not only was it small, but it looked awesome! Not only did it look great, it’s sound quality is great too! The Lenovo speaker M0520 is a 2.0 speaker system which includes a main speaker with built-in amplifiers and a sub-speaker. That’s right, don’t be fooled by its size. It might be small but it packs 4 watts of power for high-quality full sound! Another thing I love about these speakers is its convenient USB-powered connection with energy saving function. I just hate it when you have to plug in your speakers into a plug point. I have so many devices around me all the time; I hardly have space to plug in another thing. This works perfectly for me!  Also, it has speaker wire spools for easy storage. I don’t know about you but I am very anal when it comes to messy workspaces. With the speaker wire spools, it makes your workspace look neat and tidy!

I’m so glad that I found the Lenovo M0520 speakers. Not only does it look great but it has a high quality full sound. Another thing that I love about it is that I can use it on many of my other devices. Of course, the main purpose of getting it is to use it with my laptop but I can also use it for our desktop as well as my smartphone or MP3/MP4 player.  For those of you who are thinking of getting yourselves a pair, boy, do I have some news for you! From now until May 21, 2012, these speakers will be on sale for $11.99! That’s right, that’s a saving of $18 from its original price of $29.99! That’s just too good of a deal to be missed. I have already ordered mine. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to their website and order yours today!

Celebrate with a #CoronaRita at Chili's!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve just finished packing away our thick winter jackets and I’ve started wearing flip flops outdoors. The weather is definitely warming up and summer is almost here. I can’t believe the year is just flying by! April is almost over and May will be here in less than a week. Oh, I love the month of May. Not only is it the beginning of summer, but it’s also my birthday month and of course, Cinco de Mayo!  Oh yes, it’s one celebration after another!

Whenever I think of celebrations, I think of having fun and sharing of good food and drinks with good friends. There is no better place to do all that than at Chili’s! That is definitely my go to place when I am looking for a fun night out with the girls, a huge celebration dinner with the extended family or even date night with Kevin. With their vast selection of delicious food and drinks, there is always something on the menu to make everyone happy!

Cinco de Mayo is a week from now and guess where I’ll be going? That’s right, Chili’s! I can’t wait to order the Tripper Dipper as well as the Chicken Club Quesadillas. The Tripper Dipper is an awesome dish to share with everyone at the table. I would usually get the Southwestern Egg Rolls, Wings over Buffalo and the Loaded Potato Skins. They are just so so so good!

When you think of Cinco de Mayo and drinks, you think of Margaritas and Coronas, right? Mmm mmm mmmm, two of my all-time favorite drinks.  I love it so much, I have always hoped that someone would serve them together. Guess what? They do at Chili’s! I am so excited to try the new CoronaRita at Chili's. It’s made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and a Coronita. Can’t wait to try it. I bet it would taste so good with my Chicken Club Quesadillas! Now that you know what I love from Chili’s, what’s yours? What do you think of Chili’s new CoronaRita Margarita? Are you as excited as I am to try it? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

*You must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages and as always, please remember to drink responsibly

Giveaway: Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix

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

The days are longer and the weather is getting warmer. The frost is gone and you can see life beginning to sprout everywhere. Yup, spring is finally here! I don’t know about you, but each time spring comes around, it always signifies the beginning of gardening season in this household. I am not much of a green thumb but Kevin totally enjoys gardening. He would spend hours at the garden center each spring, making sure that he has the best products in order to get the best results.  He always says that the soil is the most important thing, if we want big and beautiful plants. I totally agree with him. That is why we only use Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix.  It’s a no brainer, really. We plant most of our plants in pots, so we would need the best possible soil. From our experience, this is definitely the best planting mix from Miracle-Gro®.  It expands up to 3 times when mixed with water and it feeds plants for up to 6 months. It’s really easy to use! Not only is it the best planting mix and easy to use, it is also hassle free. Since it’s a concentrated planting mix and expands only when water is add, its packaging is way smaller than all the other brands. No more lugging around huge and heavy planting mix bags! Who says maintaining a beautiful and luscious garden is difficult?
Now that I have told you how easy and hassle free Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix is to use, let me tell you about how it is different from basic potting and garden soils. Firstly, has a unique blend of Miracle‐Gro plant food and coconut coir fiber which comes in a compact, lightweight, easy‐to‐carry and easy‐to‐store bag. In short, Expand ‘n Gro can do everything a big, heavy bag of soil can do, only better! Also, this concentrated planting mix expands up to 3 times when mixed with water. Not only that, it also feeds plants for up to 6 months, makes native soil more workable and retains up to 50% more moisture than basic potting soil! With all that, it significantly improves soil for multiple years. Now, it’s this an awesome is that?
Now that I have told you all about the Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix by Miracle-Gro®, here’s your chance to try it yourself. How? All you need to do is watch the video below and leave a comment about what you think about Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix or how you would use it. I’ll randomly pick a winner from all of the comments after April 30^th, 2012 and I’ll send you a sample size to try out! Remember, get all your comments in by April 30^th, 2012, 11:59pm EST in order for you to be in the running to win this giveaway!

Giveaway: Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix

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

The days are longer and the weather is getting warmer. The frost is gone and you can see life beginning to sprout everywhere. Yup, spring is finally here! I don’t know about you, but each time spring comes around, it always signifies the beginning of gardening season in this household. I am not much of a green thumb but Kevin totally enjoys gardening. He would spend hours at the garden center each spring, making sure that he has the best products in order to get the best results. He always says that the soil is the most important thing, if we want big and beautiful plants. I totally agree with him. That is why we only use Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix. It’s a no brainer, really. We plant most of our plants in pots, so we would need the best possible soil. From our experience, this is definitely the best planting mix from Miracle-Gro®. It expands up to 3 times when mixed with water and it feeds plants for up to 6 months. It’s really easy to use! Not only is it the best planting mix and easy to use, it is also hassle free. Since it’s a concentrated planting mix and expands only when water is add, its packaging is way smaller than all the other brands. No more lugging around huge and heavy planting mix bags! Who says maintaining a beautiful and luscious garden is difficult?

Now that I have told you how easy and hassle free Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix is to use, let me tell you about how it is different from basic potting and garden soils. Firstly, has a unique blend of Miracle‐Gro plant food and coconut coir fiber which comes in a compact, lightweight, easy‐to‐carry and easy‐to‐store bag. In short, Expand ‘n Gro can do everything a big, heavy bag of soil can do, only better! Also, this concentrated planting mix expands up to 3 times when mixed with water. Not only that, it also feeds plants for up to 6 months, makes native soil more workable and retains up to 50% more moisture than basic potting soil! With all that, it significantly improves soil for multiple years. Now, it’s this an awesome is that?

Now that I have told you all about the Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix by Miracle-Gro®, here’s your chance to try it yourself. How? All you need to do is watch the video below and leave a comment about what you think about Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix or how you would use it. I’ll randomly pick a winner from all of the comments after April 30^th, 2012 and I’ll send you a sample size to try out! Remember, get all your comments in by April 30^th, 2012, 11:59pm EST in order for you to be in the running to win this giveaway!

Fighting Hunger Together with Walmart!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Walmart Foundation. All opinions are 100% mine.

Whenever we think of people suffering from hunger, images of under nourished children from Africa comes to mind. We have been exposed to so much publicity about starving people around the world, be it Africa, South America or even Asia that few of us realize that there are many people fighting hunger each day, in our very own backyards! Did you know that more than 50 million Americans don't know where their next meal will come from? That’s right, 50 million! You must be thinking, wow, that’s impossible. Let me tell you, it’s more than real. One of the principal causes of hunger is unemployment. With the current unemployment rate being sky high, it makes a whole lot of sense. Also, did you know that traditionally, during springtime, there is a decrease in food and charitable donations to food banks around the country? Yeah, I didn’t know that too.

To help bridge the spring hunger gap, from Monday, April 9 through April 30, Walmart will be working with Feeding America and four of the most recognizable food brands in America (ConAgra, General Mills, Kraft and Kellogg's) in a nationwide Fighting Hunger Together initiative. This initiative is expected to generate 43 million meals for families in need. That’s awesome, right? Guess what? As a consumer, you too can join the fight against hunger in-store or through Facebook!

How? There are two ways actually. The first way is to participate in store. Between April 9 and April 30, whenever you purchase select products from ConAgra, General Mills, Kraft and Kellogg's, you can donate meals to Feeding America or Action for Healthy Kids, a nonprofit fighting childhood hunger. Just remember to check out in-store signage and packaging to make a purchase and help make a difference!

The other way is to participate through Facebook. Between April 9th and April 30^th, Walmart will be hosting a Facebook campaign where fans can rally support for communities in need of hunger relief. Vote for one of 200 communities with the highest unemployment rate (as determined by a Department of Labor Report) and Walmart will donate a total of $2 million to the 21 communities receiving the most support. That’s right, $1 million to the winner and $50,000 each to the 20 runners-up! The winning communities will be announced on May 1^st. I don’t know about you but I will be voting for the people in the New York-Northern NJ-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. This is where I live and hence, they get all of my support! You should vote too! Who will you be voting for? Remember to spread the word to your friends and get them to cast in their vote as well. Let’s all do this together. Vote to fight spring hunger with Walmart!

Boonsong Thai Cuisine - Bloomfield, NJ

We were driving around last weekend, trying to find a new restaurant to checkout for dinner. We came upon this small stretch of shops along Broad St in Bloomfield and we noticed that it was mainly eateries. In that small section alone, there was a Greek, Japanese, Thai, Italian, Chinese as well as a few American restaurants and bakeries. After driving around for quite some time, trying to find a parking spot (there are only limited street side parking available),we finally parked a couple of streets away, in a residential area. We walked down the street a little and decided to check out the cozy looking Thai restaurant (the Greek restaurant looked good too though!).

The restaurant looked pretty empty for a Saturday night but we noticed that most of the servers were Thai. That's a good sign that the food might be authentic, right? *fingers crossed* Our server was really polite and pleasant, and for a moment, we felt as though we were in a restaurant in Phuket or Bangkok :P After being seated, Kevin ordered the Thai Iced Milk Tea (which by the way was really good) before we checked out their menu. The menu was rather basic, with all the 'usual' Thai dishes. However, I was pretty impressed that they had a rather large vegetarian section in their menu. So, vegetarians out there, please take note. You have to go check this place out!

After looking through the menu, we decided to order our food 'family style'. This means everything is served at once and is placed in the middle of the table, so that it we could share them. How can we go to a Thai restaurant and not order Tom Yum, right? So, we tried a small serving of Shrimp Tom Yum Soup ($4.00). When they asked us how spicy we would like it to be, we said very mild. I think that was a mistake, cos the soup wasn't spicy at all. In fact, it was rather tasteless. As you can see from the photo, there also wasn't many shrimps in the soup. Rather disappointing.

We also tried the Tod Mum Pla ($6.95). That's the traditional fried Thai fishcakes that has been spiced with Thai curry, string beans and kaffir lime leaves. The fishcakes were served with a side of sweet peanut sauce. Now, this was really really good! It tasted like the ones we tried when we were visiting Bangkok a couple of years ago, so yeah, very very authentic! I will definitely order this again.

There were also a whole bunch of different Thai curries to choose from. We finally decided to order the Gang Ped Yang ($14.95). Generous amounts of boneless roasted duck, cooked in red curry and coconut milk with large chunks of pineapple, tomato and chilies. Another home run! The curry wasn't too spicy, very creamy and had just the right amount of heat. I must say that this was my favorite dish of the night!

As a filler, we ordered the Pineapple Fried Rice ($9.95). I must admit that I was initially rather disappointed that the pineapple fried rice wasn't being served in a pineapple boat but I think the taste made up for it! Fluffy jasmine rice stir fried with jumbo shrimp, pineapple chunks, onions, scallions, green peas and cashew nuts. Mmmm mmmm mmmm, very very yummy too! Overall, I think that we had a pretty good dinner. Parking was a problem and it was a little bit pricier than other Thai restaurants in the area but I feel that the awesome service and authentic tasting food made up for it. Boonsong Thai Cuisine is definitely a hidden neighborhood gem!

Boonsong Thai Cuisine - Bloomfield, NJ
1040 Broad St.
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
Tel: (973)338 0507
Web: http://boonsongthaicuisine.com