NMEDA - Makes life with disabilities a lil easier!

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

How many of you woke up this morning, jumped out of bed, rushed to the bathroom for a quick shower, got dressed, ran downstairs to the kitchen for some quick breakfast and then hopped into your car to drive to work? Sounds like a familiar routine? Of course it is. I am pretty sure this scene is repeated in many households across America. Many of us don’t even think twice about it. After all, it’s not that hard at all to get ready for work. It’s just routine. Well, it might be really easy for you but for a person with disabilities, this whole exercise can be a very daunting task. Something as simple as this can be really hard for a person with disabilities. Not only is it hard for them, but it’s pretty tough for their caregivers as well. The good news however, is that in today’s modern society; there are many ways to make life a little easier for them. There are a lot of wheelchairs, wheelchair vehicles and other aides to help people with disability regain more freedom and mobility in life. Now the bad news. I am sure many of you are aware that there are just so many out there, how do we know which is good and which one is the right fit for you? You see ads for them everywhere, on TV, in the newspapers and on the Internet. How do you know which is good for you? Sometimes buying something that doesn't fit always does more harm than good.

Thankfully, there is NMEDA. NMEDA, you might ask? What’s that? Well, NMEDA (National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association) is a non-profit trade association that advocates providing safe, reliable vehicles and modifications to enhance accessibility for all people. Not only that, they are also the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. Yes, they are non-profit and their members are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This means that NMEDA do not sell anything. The NMEDA dealers (members) are the ones who sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications for disabled people.

You might be wondering, so, why should I buy from a NMEDA qualified dealer? Well, one of the biggest advantages you get when you buy from a NMEDA qualified dealer is that they conduct on-site evaluations to custom fit vehicles to your specific needs. Let’s take a moment to think about this. Just like everyone else, there are no two people with a disability that is exactly the same, right? So why should their wheelchair vehicles be exactly the same? Exactly! This is why you should be careful of adapted wheelchair vehicles sold over the Internet or through catalogs. Why waste your money on something that might not be right for you? When you buy from a NMEDA dealer, you give a personalized “in-person” evaluation, so you can be sure that you are getting the right driving solution customized to your specific lifestyle and needs. If you need additional training or product refinements, your NMEDA dealer will always be there to help you.

Apart from having just dealers, NMEDA also has Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers. The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. It is based on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality. It’s really simple. What this means is, that in order to be a QAP dealer, your company must not only have high quality and safe equipment but you must also meet the satisfaction of your customers.

After hearing about NMEDA, I went headed over to nmeda.org to read up more about them. On their homepage, you can hit the dealers locator, type in your zip code and see if there is a qualified dealer near you. I did just that and found that there are quite a few in my area. You should try it to. Let me know once you have found your closest qualified dealer! Thank God that none of my family members or myself do not need a wheelchair right now, but it’s always good to know NMEDA is always there to help if we ever need one. After going through all the information, I am now convinced that with the help NMEDA dealers, the elderly or disabled can get back onto the road of independence. Really, life doesn't have to be this tough.

Back to School Clothes Shopping at Bealls!

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

I can’t believe it that it’s that time of the year again. Yup, summer is almost coming to an end. It felt like only yesterday when it started to get warmer and the kids were getting done with their finals and last days of school. Our summer just flew by, with trips to the beach, frequent visits to the ice cream stall, outdoor grilling and a host of other outdoor activities. Boy, I just love the summer! Now, the days are beginning to get shorter and the nights are getting cooler. That’s a sure sign that summer is ending and it’s back to school again for the kids.

Back to school….ahhhh, you know what that means. Yup! Back to school shopping! Shopping for school supplies, books, book bags…now, that’s easy. In fact, all that can be done in a couple of hours, with just one trip to the store. Shopping for school clothes, now that can be a little tricky. Everybody knows how much kids fashion change with each school year. It’s just so hard to keep up. Not only that, buying clothes for school can be expensive. Now, to make matters worse, the kids expect to get new clothes for school. No way will they be caught wearing old clothes (especially for the first week of school!) when all their friends have new clothes for the new school year.

So, what should one do? For me, I think that the best way to go about it is to go to places like Marshalls, TJ MAXX, Burlington Coat Factory and Century 21 to try and get branded, up to date fashionable kids clothes for a fraction of boutique prices. Also, there are always departmental stores like Target, Kohls, JC Penny and Macys. You can usually get awesome discounts when there are sales going on. All you need to do is spend a little more time to shop around a little and most of the time, you will end up with pretty good deals.

For those of you who do not have time to visit countless departmental stores to shop around, there is another place that you can go to. Just check out Bealls! It’s basically a one stop shop for all your back to school clothes shopping needs. They have a huge selection of clothes for both boys and girls, from babies to teenagers! Not only do they have clothes but they also carry all kinds of bags/handbags, shoes, accessories as well as swimwear too! Need uniforms for your children? No problem. You can get them at Bealls too! So, if you are looking for some hassle free shopping for your kids back to school clothes, look no further. Just head over to Bealls for some of the latest fashion in kids clothing, without having to break your bank!

Buffalo Wild Wings - Watchung, NJ

How many of you have watched the movie Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle? Awww come on, admit it. I know you have :P For those of you who haven't (you really must go rent it!), it's basically about two guys who drove a long way, just to get some White Castle, because they were hungry for White Castle and nothing else could hit the spot. They were ready to do just about anything, in order to sink their teeth into those small juicy sliders. Kevin and I had one of those moments not too long ago. No, it wasn't for White Castle :P We were suddenly in the mood for some buffalo wings and we wanted some now! I am not talking about those crappy small wings that we can from around our neighborhood but big juicy wings. Real Buffalo wings!
Now, we are crazy but not THAT crazy. No, we didn't drive 8 hrs to Buffalo just to get them but we settled for something just as good. Wings from Buffalo Wild Wings!! The nearest Buffalo Wild Wings to us was in Watchung, a good half an hour away. With traffic, it took us almost 45-50 mins to get there. When we finally saw the big neon sign of that sports bar...ahhhhhhhhhhhh, we were in heaven! :D The place was packed to the brim when we arrived but luckily, we managed to score a table! At that point, if there was a 2 hr waiting list, I am pretty sure we would have waited too :P
So, what did we order? Like doh! Wings of course!!! Check out all the different sauces and seasonings. 14 sauces and 4 seasonings to choose from! The best thing about this is, IF we chose not to order wings and wanted something else from the menu, we could add or swap any of the seasonings with anything on the menu. How cool is that??
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm look at those yummy wings. We drove 50 mins for this! Buffalo Wild Wing's award winning Buffalo style hand spun wings! Kevin ordered the 12 pcs ($8.99) traditional wings. We had a choice between traditional or breaded boneless. The darker ones on top are Honey BBQ and the brighter ones are Spicy Garlic. As many of you know, I have a super low tolerance for spiciness, so I found the Spicy Garlic to be a tad bit spicy. OK fine, it was more than a tad bit. I found it to be very very spicy. Kevin on the other hand loved it. I prefer the Honey BBQ. In my opinion, it was the best out of the 4 different flavors we ordered that night. Sweet with a hint of smokiness....mmm mmm good!
I too ordered the 12 piece traditional wings. The one on the right is Mild and Parmesan Garlic is on the left. I just love the blend of roasted garlic with Parmesan sauce and Italian herbs. It was so flavorful and good. What can I say about the Mild? It was awesome! It had just a hint of spiciness, exactly how I love my buffalo wings! The wings were also really huge and juicy. In my opinion, that's how Buffalo wings should be. I just hate those places that sell small, dry and shriveled up wings.
Apart from wings, we also shared a portion of Buffalo Chips with Cheese ($5.79). Crispy natural cut potato slices with Queso cheese. We originally wanted to order potato wedges with cheese but our server highly recommended this. So, we figured we will give it a try. I wouldn't say that it was out of this world awesome but I wouldn't say that it was bad either. It was just alright. After all, how can one go wrong with chips and cheese? All in all, it was a great dinner. The wings were just so so so gooood. Was it worth the 50 min drive? You bet it was! Now, the two fatties can die happpy :P

Buffalo Wild Wings
1599 US Highway West 22
Watchung, NJ 07069
Tel: (908) 222 9464
Web: http://www.buffalowildwings.com/

Blue Sky Scrubs - Your One Stop Scrub Shop

I'm not sure why, but there are quite a number of medical offices in our neighborhood. I guess it's because the location. We are really close to some major highways and throughways. Just on our street alone, there are a few huge medical buildings that houses various specialists and GPs, a few dental offices as well as a nursing home. There are also a few huge hospitals just a few minutes away from us. You can imagine the amount of medical personnel that lives in our apartment building. At almost any given time of day, you can see people walking around in scrubs as well as other medical uniforms. I really enjoy looking at all the different patterns, styles and colors of those scrubs. Boy, scrubs are surely fashionable these days. They have come a long way, from those ugly shapeless green and blue ones that medical personnel used to wear. Not only do they look good, but they looked really comfortable too. Fashionable and comfortable enough for non medical personnel to wear, on a daily basis.

Have you ever wondered where you can get modern and fashionable looking scrubs? Well, I do and now, I know just the place to do so. Blue Sky Scrubs! Yup, you can find all kinds of scrubs for women, men and even kids! Not only can you get medical scrubs and uniform there, but they offer a whole range of lab coats, jackets, scrub hats as well as accessories. I totally love the lanyards that they have there. They are so pretty and definitely one of a kind. I have never seen such a huge collection of nice looking lanyards! So, if you are looking for some fashionable and yet comfortable scrubs, just head over to http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/ and check out Blue Sky Scrubs today!

Now, relocating can't be all that hard, can it?

I'm sure many of you know that both Kevin and I are not originally from New Jersey. We relocated out here about 4 years ago, when Kevin was offered a new job. Back then, we really didn't know much about New Jersey at all. We didn't have any friends out here and we had no idea what so ever where the good neighborhoods were. So, we just got an apartment near Kevin's workplace and hoped for the best. We later moved from that apartment to our current one, but still, I would say that it wasn't really an educated choice. Many a time, Kevin and I have discussed about moving else where. Another city or county in New Jersey or maybe even across the river to New York. However, finding the right place is never easy.

I was online the other day, browsing through real estate websites, hoping to find somewhere worth moving to when I stumbled upon some Hawaii real estate listings. Hawaii. Yes, I know that's a little bit far from New Jersey but there was something about that site that caught my attention. The site belonged to Jeff Manson, who is a Hawaiian realtor and really, he makes relocating seem so much easier. I would say that he is an expert when it comes to helping a potential buyer in the relocating process. He is basically a one stop shop, where not only does he sell and rent houses but he also helps refer buyers to lenders for mortgage quotes as well as help get moving quotes from various movers. We definitely need to meet more realtors like him in our quest in finding a new apartment. Life would be so much easier. Hmmm, I wonder if Jeff Manson has an office out here in Jersey?

Master BBQ & Grill - Belleville, NJ

It was another lazy Sunday night for us and we couldn't decide on what to have for dinner. We didn't feel like going out, so the only other option was to order in (yesssss, I'm too lazy to cook on weekends :P). After going through our stash of countless take out/delivery menus, I found the menu for Master BBQ & Grill. We actually picked that menu up from our apartment lobby quite some time back and have been meaning to check that place out but we never got around to doing so. It's been a while since we last had Portuguese BBQ (I know, it's hard to believe...considering the fact that we live in the Portuguese /Colombian BBQ mecca of NJ!), so Portuguese BBQ for dinner it is!
From our past experiences of ordering delivery with other Portuguese BBQ places, we were all ready for a long 'conversation' on the phone. Usually, when they find out that we don't speak Spanish, our call would be passed from one person to another. THEN, after finally getting to somebody who speaks English, he would most probably mess up our order or misunderstand we were are trying to say. Same goes for Chinese delivery places. However, none of that happened here. They spoke English and we managed to place our order without any problems. Yay! Another thing that surprised us was how fast the food arrived. I swear, it took them less than half an hour to get the food to our doorstep! Two huge party trays of piping hot food! Don't ask me why there was only ONE bun, we actually didn't even know that we are going to get a free bun :P
Before I say anything else, I must tell you guys that the amount of food that we got for the price we paid was crazy! There was just soooooooo much food! We ordered the Master BBQ Combo ($26) and that came with half a chicken, six huge pork ribs, four pieces of steak and slices Portuguese sausages. Look at the amount of food! It was enough for feed at least 6-8 people! All that for only $26! Not only was it affordable, it tasted awesome too! I dare say that this is the best Portuguese BBQ that I have had, to date! Since we live in Newark, there are a lot of Portuguese BBQ places here and trust me, we have gone through quite a lot of them. The BBQ from Masters definitely stood out. All the meat was marinated to perfection, really really delicious. They were also cooked just right, cos we all know, nothing is more sucky than overcooked or under cooked BBQ!
We also got a huge party tray of yellow rice and fries. We also had the option to swap either the rice or fries for black beans. Look at the amount of rice and fries! It's like enough to feed a small village in Asia! :P The fries wasn't soggy but really, there was nothing much to shout about. The rice on the other hand was simply awesome. There is this smoky taste to it, very very yummy! Overall, we had an awesome dinner! Good service, fast delivery, affordable prices, big portions and most importantly, uber yummy food. What more could a person ask for? We will definitely be ordering more food from Master BBQ & Grill in the very near future!

Master BBQ & Grill - Belleville, NJ
198 Union Ave
Belleville NJ 07109
Tel: (973)759 9200
Web: http://www.masterbbqgrill.com/

Straight Talk - Everything You Need in a Cell Phone!

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

Let’s face it. In today’s tough economy, every little bit of saving helps. I don’t know about you, but in our household, a huge chunk of our monthly paycheck goes to our cell phone bills. It just doesn’t make sense. On top of the regular rate, we would get all kinds of fees and additional charges added onto the final bill. It’s like a guessing game every month. We really do not know how much we will be charged until we get the bill. And contracts. Don’t even get me started on cell phone contracts! I am sure many of you feel the same way as I do. We are just sick and tired of all the games that most cell phone companies play.

Guess what? I have some news for you. Have you heard of Straight Talk? With Straight Talk, there are no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks. I love the idea that I feel richer with Straight Talk because it cuts my cell phone bill in half! Now, who doesn’t want extra money in their pockets, right? Contracts? Who cares about contracts? You have to be crazy to be on a contract these days when you can get everything you need without one! Not only that, but Straight Talk also has great nationwide coverage as well as excellent reception and connectivity. Yes, this definitely makes Straight Talk total awesome – hook, line and sinker!

Straight talk has various types of monthly plans, designed especially for you. If you are a heavy phone user, then you should get the “All You Need Plan”. It provides heavy phone users with 1,000 minutes, 1,000 texts and 30 MB of web data. Unlimited Monthly service is only $45, and includes calls, text, picture messaging, and web. Imagine this. Unlimited calls, text, picture messaging and web for a whole year, for only $499.00! That’s right, for the whole year! Also, you are free from activation, reactivation, or termination fees and 411 calls are included at no extra charge. Want to call a friend overseas? You have to check out Straight Talk’s International Long Distance Service. It is a flexible prepaid calling service that enables you to make international calls from your home, cell or office phone at low rates.

You must be thinking to yourself, it sounds too good to be true. What kind of phones is available with this? Well, let me assure you this. Straight Talk only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung. You could get amazing smart phones; touch screen phones, and app capable phones with features like voice navigation, camera, video recorder, music player, instant messaging, and Bluetooth® or you could just go with reconditioned phones with camera, mp3 player, mobile web access, and blue-tooth capability for as low as $10! The choice is entirely yours!

Isn’t Straight Talk totally awesome? Don’t just take my word for it! You can also check out some real Straight Talk customer testimonials here, here and here. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to the nearest Walmart and get yours today!

The Wood Pit BBQ - Montclair, NJ

This is a wayyyy overdue post. We actually checked out this restaurant like way back in March but I just never got around to blogging about it. I was contemplating to myself earlier if I should even blog about this now (since it was so long ago) but decided to do so because this place is just simply awesome! For those of you who don't know, Kevin is a huge BBQ fan. Of course, with us living in NJ, there aren't many Southern style BBQ joints, let alone good Southern style BBQ joints! I went online to try and find a decent BBQ place near us and found The Wood Pit in Montclair. There were so many positive reviews about this place, we just had to go check it out for ourselves!
When we first arrived, the exterior of the restaurant didn't really impress us at all. It was just a small hole in the wall kinda place, nothing really fancy. Since it's located along the super busy Bloomfield Ave and only street parking was available, you can imagine the headache we had, when we were trying to get a parking spot. We actually had to drive around for quite a while before finding a spot, a few blocks away.
The moment we walked into The Wood Pit, all the parking headaches that we had earlier immediately disappeared! The lovely smell of smoked wood chips just hits you the moment you open the main door. It was intoxicating! It felt like walking into a real BBQ joint, somewhere in the south. The place wasn't really all that big but boy, were the people there friendly! The owner was making his rounds, talking to everybody, with a big smile plastered on his face. That was definitely southern hospitality, at its best. Another awesome thing about The Wood Pit is that it's a BYOB! Just bring along your favorite beer to wash down all that yummy food. We didn't bring along any booze, so we ordered some iced tea (there was a huge selection of Joe's iced tea in their refrigerator!).
Now, the yummy part. What did we eat? Everything on the menu looked so good (smelled good too!), so we each ordered a BBQ sampler ($13.95 each). This way, we can sample a little bit of everything. Each sampler comes with two huge ribs, two smoked wings, sliced brisket and a choice of two sides. The meat might look a tad bit burnt in the picture, but trust me, they tasted sooooooooo good! Not only were they perfectly marinated, tender and juicy but it was smoked/BBQed just right. The meat was literally dropping off from the bone! Boy, it cannot get any better than this :D
For our sides, we tried the macaroni & cheese, collard greens and a piece of corn bread each. Kevin loved his mac & cheese and said that it was very good. I have never tried collard greens before, so I figured, why not, let's give this a try. I do not know if it's really good or if it was just alrite (since it's my first time trying it) but I can say that I truly enjoyed it! It was really flavorful and it had small pieces of smoked meats in it. Very very yummy.
The cornbread that our server initially brought out for us looked kinda dry and bad. It had a weird color to it too. You can see it in the picture behind the collard greens. When it owner saw our cornbread, he was shocked and immediately took it away! He said it looked bad and he returned with two pieces of freshly made cornbread, just out of the oven! Boy, those two pieces looked so yummy! Guess what? They tasted yummy too! Really moist, with a whole lot of corn inside. So, would we return to The Wood Pit? Of course, without a doubt! We have been living in NJ for about 4 years now and I must say, this is definitely the best Southern style BBQ we had, to date. Two thumbs up!

The Wood Pit BBQ - Montclair, NJ
108 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair, NJ 07042
Tel: (973) 954 4679
Web: http://www.thewoodpit.com

Redecorating our dining room in our new home

Guest post written by Kandis Newman

We're so excited to have just moved into our first home. But, there are lots of things that we need to do before it really feels like home. One of those things is some renovations.

But I'm also looking ahead to how I'm going to redecorate once all of the renovations are done. While I was looking up some information about how I could decorate my dining room, I ran across the site WWW.homePROImprovement.com. After I looked through it some I decided to use it to help remodel our kitchen. We've been looking for more quotes on that anyway.

I also found some ideas for how to arrange our dining room furniture once we have all of our renovations completed. I can't wait until we're done with all of this and can just enjoy living in our brand new home! I know that's going to be quite a while from now. I'm also wondering if we should just go ahead and design our spare bedroom as a room that can easily be converted into a nursery!

TracFone - The Cell Phone That Puts You in Control!

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

Alright, it’s time for me to confess. Up til really recently, I’ve never really seen the need to have a cell phone. My friends and family can contact me on my house phone and I’m also online, almost 24/7. Of course, there are a few times when I am out of the house, needed to call somebody and wished I had a cell phone. However, the hassle of being tied up in contracts, high phones bills and a host of other things outweigh the convenience of getting a cell phone. That’s for me. I’m sure for others, maybe those with kids, many a time you wished you could get cell phones for your kids. What if there was an emergency and they needed to call home? If not for anything, it would be a great way to keep a tab on them or merely just to stay in touch. Again, due to the high cost, getting a cell phone for each kid is not an option for many.

For those of you out there who are in the same shoes as me, guess what? I’ve got some news for you! TracFone is here to help! That’s right, TracFone offers the least expensive way to own and use a cell phone in America. There are no contracts, no credit checks, no activation charges or cancellation fees. Yup, that’s right. You know what that means? No surprises! Not only that, but it also has great nationwide coverage as well as excellent reception and connectivity. How awesome is that?

Hmmm, sounds too good to be true, you might say. What kind of phones comes with it? It must be something really crappy or old fashioned. Well, you are wrong! With TracFone, there is always an option. You can get a really simple phone for those with simple needs, like calling and texting capabilities for under $10.00 or for $29.99, you can get great phones packed with features like camera/video recorder, web access, app capabilities, mp3 player and a full QWERTY keyboard! You can choose from a selection of brand name phones from leading manufacturers like Motorola, Kyocera, LG, Nokia and Samsung. Whether it’s a simple "Candy Bar" phones or a Bluetooth®-enabled "Smart" phones, the choice is all yours. Either ways, you know that you will be getting a reliable phone. It’s not just me who is saying this. There are also a whole lot of real TracFone customers who can testify to this. For more information on information on the features these phones offer, you can check out these YouTube videos by clicking here and here.

Want to know more about the monthly plans? It’s really simple actually. Just pay as you go online or with cards available at thousands of retail stores across the country. You can choose monthly plans with 200 minutes for under $30.00 or and as low as $9.99 for 50 minutes. There is also 1 year service cards that gives you so much more. Receive double minutes for the life of your TracFone, and 800 minutes, for only $119.00! Also, “Double minutes for the life of your phone” is a feature that can be purchased separately for only $19.99, but some phones include it! Just like all these real TracFone customers, you can be sure that you will not be getting any surprise bills at the end of each period!

TracFone is the only wireless service that allows you to call internationally, for the same price as any other call! Yup, you heard me right. You can call over 60 international destinations directly from your TracFone at no extra cost! Wait, it gets better. With the International Neighbors program, you can provide family and friends in Mexico or Canada a local phone number in those countries to reach you at your TracFone in the U.S!! Now, THAT’S really cool.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out what real TracFone customers have to say about the convenience, reliability and coverage of TracFone and head out and get your very own TracFone today!

Check Out Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products!

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

Boy, I’m so glad that summer is finally almost here. As much as I love spring and the escape from the long hard winter, springtime is generally not a good season for both me and Kevin (especially Kevin). On regular days, his allergies are bad enough, so just imagine how terrible it gets with all the pollen in the air! We are constantly walking around with itchy eyes, runny noses and all the effects of seasonal allergies. Not only that, we also have to take allergy pills non stop, in order to keep those in check as well as help us get through the day.

Now, all of us know that healthcare doesn’t come cheap, so the costs of all those pills do add up. When it comes to medicine and healthcare, I have always firmly believed that there is no such thing as compromising on quality, just to save a buck or two. We needed to find someplace that offers affordable medications, without compromising the quality. Thankfully, we found out about Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. It’s really awesome! Not only is it of great value, but it allows families and individuals to save money without sacrificing quality or trust. With the rising cost of health care, saving money on over-the-counter medications can really benefit a family’s budget. Apart from that, Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products are Walgreens pharmacist recommended and most contain the same active ingredients as other national brands. Also, they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee!

We have pretty much tried all of the allergy relief medications offered through Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products and I must say, they work wonderfully! Right now, I am using Wal-Fex (which is comparable to Allegra) and really, I can’t tell the difference between those two. The only huge difference I can see the price difference. Wal-Fex is so much more affordable than Allegra! Not only is it more affordable, but I know that I am getting the same quality of medicine as national name brands. What more could a person ask for? If you think this is great, wait, there is more. Have you heard of the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™? Well, with every purchase of Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Product, you are actually doing your part in support to bring preventive wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™. So, not only are you saving money, but you are doing something good in your local community too!

Now, with that said, let me ask you guys a question. How many of you love giveaways? I’m sure everybody does! Let me give you a heads up. Some of my fellow bloggers are giving away some Walgreens Gift Cards! All you need to do is visit their blogs and leave a comment on their blog post. Then, tweet out a message containing the URL of the blog post that they are entering through as well as the hashtag #walgreensbrand. Yup, it’s that easy. Check out http://socialspark.com/WalgreensBrandSweeps for more information. You can also visit http://www.walgreens.com/topic/brand-store/walgreens-private-label-home.jsp for more information about Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products.

Creating a TripBook with Microsoft OneNote 2010!

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

I am generally a person who doesn’t like change. As long as something works, I’d rather just stick to it instead of trying something new. That explains why I rarely try out new or updated versions of various softwares that I currently use. I guess it is also because I’m not exactly the most computer savvy person around and I am just too lazy to put in extra time and effort to learn the ins and outs of a new software. When Microsoft approached me to create a TripBook using their Microsoft OneNote 2010 software, I was initially quite hesitant. I had no idea what that software is all about, how to use it, let alone create a TripBook with it! After reading up about Microsoft OneNote, I found out that it was pretty neat software. So, I decided to give it a go.

First things first. You must be thinking to yourself, what exactly is Microsoft OneNote 2010? What does it do? Well, Microsoft OneNote 2010 is a digital notebook that provides a single place where you can gather all of your notes and information, with the added benefits of powerful search capabilities to find what you are looking for quickly. Also, it has easy-to-use shared notebooks, so you can manage information overload and work together with others more effectively. Unlike paper-based systems, word processing programs, e-mail systems, or other productivity programs, OneNote delivers the flexibility to gather and organize text, pictures, web links/pages, and more — all in one digital notebook on your computer! OneNote can also help you become more productive by keeping the information you need at your fingertips and reducing time spent searching for information across e-mail messages, paper notebooks, file folders, and printouts. Isn't Microsoft OneNote awesome? The best thing about this software is…it’s so user friendly. It took me only less than an hour to figure out how to use it. Mind you, let me remind you that I am not exactly the most computer savvy person around, so I when I say it’s easy to use, it’s really easy to use!

Now that we know what Microsoft OneNote is all about, and established that it’s really easy to use, you must be thinking to yourself. So, what did you use it for? Well, I’m sure many of you know by now that both Kevin and I enjoy traveling. Before we take off on a trip, be it a short weekend getaway or a 3 week long overseas trip, we would do a lot of research on our destination. We don’t really like surprises, therefore, we really like to plan ahead whenever we travel. Planning would mean a whole lot of emailing back and forth between the both of us, reading up reviews and recommendations of other travelers online, bookmarking travel websites as well as jotting down notes on tiny pieces of paper manually (which we would usually end up losing even before we leave on that trip!). That’s all good, but usually, we would end up with a whole bunch of information from various sources and that can be rather overwhelming. By using Microsoft OneNote, it helps us consolidate all those information into one place. All we need to do is open up our TripBook and everything is there.

Just to show you how easy it is to work with Microsoft OneNote, I have created a TripBook for Phuket, Thailand. What I really love about this TripBook is how everything is so organized and how all of the information is right at your fingertips. If you were to look at the top of the TripBook, you would notice that there are tabs. I am able to separate all my information into ‘folders’. For example, there are tabs for things like places to stay, things to do, what to eat and so on. This way, I can just click on the tab when I want certain locate information, instead of having to go through the entire document.

Another that I like about this software is the ability to gather and consolidate information with ease. If you noticed, my entire TripBook is filled with all kinds of data and photos. You might be thinking, wow, that sure sounds like a lot of work. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret. It’s really not that hard. With Microsoft OneNote, all you need to do is highlight the information that you want from your browser and click on “Send to OneNote”. Everything that you have highlighted will automatically be sent to your TripBook. This makes information gathering so much easier. If you want to add photos to your TripBook, you can either click on Insert and then add in Picture or you can use the Screen Clipping feature. I totally love that that feature! Here's how it works. If you are on a website and you like a particular picture, just click on "Screen Clipping" on your OneNote software and select the area you want to clip on your browser. Once you have done that, everything will then just appear on your OneNote document. Yup, it’s that easy!

When I was coming up with my 24 Hours in Phuket itinerary, I found that the ability to link pages (be it internally within my TripBook, or externally) really helpful. As you can see from the screenshot, once you have created a link, all you need to do is click on that particular link. It will then bring you to another page that has more information about that particular activity.

Finally, my favorite feature in Microsoft OneNote is the ability to highlight, draw and write on your TripBook, just like how you would do in a regular notebook. This is really important, especially if you want to add in more notes later on or if you would like to highlight certain things in your TripBook. A very neat feature indeed!

Overall, I am really glad that I was given a chance to review this software. Not only was it really easy and fun to use, but I found it to be really handy and practical too. I’ll definitely be using Microsoft OneNote when we start planning for our next vacation soon! If you found this interesting, you should totally go visit onenotetravel.com to check out our awesome OneNote TripBook of Phuket, Thailand! Not only will you find our TripBook there, but you will also have the opportunity to check out the TripBooks of 39 other travel bloggers, featuring cities from all over the world. Go on, what are you waiting for? Go check out our TripBook and learn more about Microsoft OneNote 2010 today!

Store Brand Baby Formula Wins a Final Round in Court

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

Today, I’ve got some very interesting news that I’d like to share with all of our mommy and daddy readers out there. Actually, come to think about it, this is really good information for everyone, not just for parents out there. Remember me blogging me in the past about how store brand infant formula manufacturer (PBM Products Inc) took industry giant Mead Johnson to court over false advertisement claims? Well, they won but Mead Johnson went ahead to appeal the verdict.

Now, here is the good news. A few weeks ago, store brand infant formulas won a major victory when a U.S. Circuit Court upheld the $13.5 million false advertising claim against Enfamil maker Mead Johnson. Isn’t that great news? This goes to show that the truth always prevails! Here’s what went down. The case was centered on the successful argument by PBM Products, Perrigo’s store brand infant formula business, that Enfamil’s advertisements of superiority to store brand formulas were false and misleading because store brand formulas offer the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil. “As the litigation history of the parties demonstrates, despite having twice been restrained from disseminating misleading advertising, Mead Johnson continued to do so,” Circuit Judge Andre Davis wrote. “PBM cannot fairly compete with Mead Johnson unless and until Mead Johnson stops infecting the marketplace with misleading advertising.”

In response to that, Perrigo Chairman and CEO Joseph C. Papa said in a statement that "The Court has made it clear that national brand and store brand suppliers are entitled to fairly compete and advertising abuses will not be tolerated," as well as "We also appreciate the Court's recognition that PBM could lawfully compare its products to national brand products." Christopher Perille, a Mead Johnson spokesman, said in an e-mail that the company will comply with the court’s ruling.

For more information, you can read up more about this in Business Week’s website at http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-04-20/mead-johnson-loses-bid-to-cancel-13-5-million-jury-verdict.html. You could also get more information about store brand formulas as well as coupons from storebrandformula.com

Futbol v. Football Fun Facts

Woohoo! Man Utd has beaten Schalke and they are on going to Wembley for the Champions League finals! No doubt, it's gonna be tough to beat Barcelona, but I have faith that the boys in red will win the Champions League this year. Not only that, but we will also be playing Chelsea this weekend in the English Premier League and a win here would put us a step closer to the title! What a busy and exciting week for us Manchester United fans. I love soccer, if you haven't figured it out by now. However, there is one thing I love more than soccer. FOOTBALL!! That's right, if you are long time readers of this blog, you would know that the both of us bleed black and gold. We are die hard Pittsburgh Steelers fans. I came across some fun facts about futbol (soccer to the Americans) v. football that I found to be pretty interesting. Thought that I would share it with all of you too. Check it out.

Source:Sports

Management Colleges

Interesting Travel & Vacation Facts

Before I say anything else, I would like to apologize for the long silence. I have been really busy working on some new projects and I guess, I have unintentionally neglected this blog for a bit. However, the good news is that we're back! Now that I'm done with the projects, I have a little time on my hands. I was reading up on some stuff the other day and found some of these interesting facts. I'm sure many of you know that both Kevin and I enjoy traveling and we have shared quite a lot of our travel adventures with you on this blog over the years. Check out some of this travel and vacation facts, they are pretty interesting and might even come in handy as conversational starters in the next party or social event you might be attending ;)

This graphic was designed by Lorena O'Neal, you can check out more of
her work here.

Source:Onlineclasses.net

NMEDA helps you get back onto the road of independence!

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

You wake up, jump out of bed, rush to shower and get ready for work. You then scoot downstairs for a quick cup of coffee, maybe take out the trash from last night's dinner and pick up the morning paper. Without missing a beat, you hopped into you car and you're off to work. All that in less than half an hour or so. Sounds familiar? It's just routine for many of us and many don't even think twice about it. However, for a person with disabilities, this can be a very a very daunting task. That's right, living with disabilities is hard. Not only is it hard for the person, but it can be sometimes tough for their caregiver as well. Something as simple as getting ready in the morning and heading off to work can be a big task. Thankfully, these days, there are a lot of wheelchairs, wheelchair vehicles and other aides to help people with disability regain more freedom and mobility in life. However, there are just so many out there, how do we know which is good and which one is the right fit for you? You see ads for them everywhere, on TV, in the newspapers and on the Internet. How do you know which is good for you? Sometimes buying something that doesn't fit does more harm than good.

Well, I got something to share with you today. Have you heard of NMEDA? Well, NMEDA (National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association) is a non-profit trade association that advocates providing safe, reliable vehicles and modifications to enhance accessibility for all people. Not only that, they are also the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. Yes, they are non-profit and their members are required to adhere to the safety standards of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In short, they do not sell anything. NMEDA dealers (members) are the ones who sell handicap vans and vehicle modifications for disabled people.

Why buy from a NMEDA qualified dealer? Well, one of the biggest advantage you get when you buy from a NMEDA qualified dealer is that they conduct on-site evaluations to custom fit vehicles to your specific needs. You see, no two people with a disability is exactly the same, right? So why should their wheelchair vehicles be exactly the same? That is one of the main reasons why you should be careful of adapted wheelchair vehicles sold over the Internet or through catalogs. Why waste your money on something that might not be right for you? When you buy from a NMEDA dealer, you give a personalized “in-person” evaluation, so you can be sure that you are getting the right driving solution customized to your specific lifestyle and needs. If you need additional training or product refinements, your NMEDA dealer will always be there to help you.

Apart from having just dealers, NMEDA also has Quality Assurance Program (QAP) dealers. The Quality Assurance Program (QAP) is the only nationally recognized accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment Industry. It is based on the principle that in order to satisfy customers consistently, companies must have a systematic and documented approach to quality. What this means is, that in order to be a QAP dealer, your company must not only have high quality and safe equipment but you must also meet the satisfaction of your customers.

So, with the help NMEDA dealers, the elderly or disabled can get back onto the road of independence. Life doesn't really have to be this tough. After hearing about NMEDA, I went to nmeda.org to read up more about them. On their homepage, you can hit the dealers locator, type in your zip code and see if there is a qualified dealer near you. I did just that and found that there are quite a few in my area. I know I do not need a wheelchair now, but it's always assuring to know that if me or any of my loves ones ever needs one, NMEDA is always there to help. You should do the same. Just enter your zip code to find your closest qualified dealer. There are at least 8 dealers in less than 40 miles from me, now many are there near you? Tell me, I'm curious to know!

Southern Fried Chicken & Biscuits

If you are regular readers of this blog, you would know that both Kevin and I love fried chicken. We love all kinds of fried chicken, especially Southern Fried Chicken. I've never attempted to make any at home, cos it was so easy to just go to our favorite fried chicken place and pick up a bucket! However, it's been a while since we ate any (since we started our little "try to eat healthier' quest :P). Chicken thighs and drumsticks were on sale at our local grocery store not too long ago and I figured, why not? Let me try to make some Southern Fried Chicken at home. A few pieces of yummy fried chicken won't kill us. So, I googled Southern Fried Chicken recipes and found quite a few. I really like Paula Deen and The Neely Family's (I regard them both as gurus of Southern cooking!) recipe, so I took bits and pieces from each of that and came up with my own. Check it out!

Start off my cleaning the chicken pieces (I used thighs and drumsticks but you can pretty much use anything you like) and patting them dry with a paper towel. Season them with some freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Make sure that you season both sides of the chicken. Then, set it aside.
Next, pour in a quart of buttermilk into a large bowl.
Then, add in some hot sauce. It doesn't matter what kind of hot sauce you use but if you are Paula Deen fans, you would know that she swears by Texas Pete. I personally like Texas Pete too, but it's entirely up to you. You can put in as much or as little as you like. The Neelys used about 2 tablespoons where else Paula Deen used half a small bottle!
After mixing the hot sauce into the buttermilk, add in 1 tablespoon of crushed cayenne pepper. You gotta be careful with this, cos it really packs a punch. If you don't like it to be so spicy, you should just use half a tablespoon.
Now, place the chicken pieces into a deep casserole dish. Then, pour the buttermilk mixture over it. You should allow your chicken pieces to sit for at least 15 mins after you season them before soaking them in the buttermilk mixture. If you do it any sooner, the seasoning will just wash off. Soaking the chicken pieces in buttermilk is really important, cos not only does it give it flavor, but it also really tenderizes the chicken. Cover the dish with an air tight lid and allowed it to soak for at least 2 hours. I allowed mine to soak overnight, it's better that way.
Once you are ready to fry the chicken, you can start preparing the flour mixture to dredge the chicken pieces. Combine some all purpose flour with some black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. You can also add in some corn starch if you like. The corn starch actually helps make your fried chicken really crispy! Mix it all together and you are all set to go.
Gently remove a piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture and allow all access buttermilk to drip off. Then, slow dredge it in the flour mixture. Make sure you coat the entire piece of chicken well.
Then, place the chicken pieces in hot peanut oil. Make sure that it is hot enough before you place the chicken in. It should be around 350F. Also, do not over crowd the pan. If you put in too many pieces, it would lower the temperature of the pan and the chicken would not turn out right. Unless you have a really big pan or a deep fryer, stick to a few pieces for each batch.
Once the chicken turns golden and crisp, it's done! It should take around 8 to 10 minutes for white meat and 13 to 15 minutes for dark meat to fully cook through. Allow the oil to drain and then place the chicken pieces on some paper towels before serving.
While I was frying up the chicken, I also popped in some instant biscuits (yes, I know...it's cheating!) in the oven. It should be nice and ready by the time we are done with the chicken. How did this recipe turn out? Well, I think it turned out awesome! Nothing beats some spicy southern fried chicken and freshly baked biscuits. I would have to say that this recipe is a keeper. Try it....I think you will like I too!

File your taxes, the easy way!

For those of you who have yet to file your taxes, April 18th is just around the corner. Eight more days to be exact! Boy, time sure creeps up on you. It's pretty much the same every year. It's January and you think you still have a whole lot of time to do your taxes, and then BAM! It's already April. I don't know about you but I used to really dislike preparing our tax returns. There are just so many numbers, different columns and boxes to fill. I am usually not even sure what refunds we qualify for and I am pretty sure that we have never gotten the maximum refund, ever. Sure, it's easy to just bring it all to tax experts and let them do the work but their services sure don't come cheap. Also, it's a hassle to have to bring all our documents to their office and so on.

This year, things are a little bit different for us. By early February, we were all done with our taxes! No more last minute rush for us. If you have yet to get around to filling your taxes, I'll let you in on something. It really isn't all that difficult to file your taxes! In fact, I dare say that it's really easy. You can do it yourself, in the comforts of your own home. All you need is TurboTax! Seriously, that's like a god sent to us. What's TurboTax? Well, it's a tax software that helps and guides you through the whole process, from the start right til the very end. It offers step by step instructions and even calculates everything for you! Not only that, but they even guarantee that all calculations are 100% correct. If not, they will pay all IRS penalties plus interest. They also guarantee that you will receive the maximum refund that is due to you. So, goodbye guessing game. You can be sure that you will be getting all refunds that you qualify for. No wonder TurboTax is rated #1 and is the best selling tax software.

You might be thinking, wow, this is great but I only have 8 more days to get all my documents and act together. I really don't think I have enough time to do it all. I know I can file for an extension but how do I go about it? Well, TurboTax has the answer for you too. If you file your extension by April 18th, you will have til October 17th to finish your taxes! With TurboTax, all you need is about 5 minutes and that gets you an extra 6 months to get it done. They would guide you throughout the whole process of filling up the IRS extension form 2009. Not only that, you would even get an email from the IRS once your tax extension is granted. Really, it cannot get easier than that. So, to all of you who have yet to do your taxes, don't procrastinate any longer. It's not as difficult as you think it is. With TurboTax, filing your taxes just got a whole lot easier!

It’s fun to stay at the Hil-ton Ho-tel!

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

Remember the time when words like “funky” and “groovy” were to in things to say? When dressing up for a night out in town means putting on your favorite polyester leisure suit, complete with an open chested shirt? How about the time when it was fashionable for guys to sport an afro and wear a neck scarf? Ahhh yes, don't we all miss the 70s? A time when wars are out and disco was in! Well, guess what? It's time to wipe of the dust from your platforms shoes cos it's time to boogie once again. That's right, the 70s is back, baby! On May 13^th, for one night only, the 70s will come alive, before your very eyes. The Village People are coming to Branson, Missouri!!!

Nope, you didn't hear me wrong. I said, young man, are you listening to me? The Village People will be coming to the Branson Tri-Lakes Center on May 13^th! They will be performing 2 hours of their pop culture hits, songs like “YMCA,” “In the Navy,” “Macho Man,” and “Boogie Oogie Oogie”. Not only that, Maxine Nightingale & Janice-Marie will also be there! What's better than boogieing the night away at a 70s concert? Meeting your favorite performers after that! Yup, after the curtain falls, you will get a chance to meet your favorite performers cos they will be staying back to sign autographs and take pictures with the fans! How awesome is that?

 After you’ve grooved the night away with your favorite 70’s icons, you would what to head back to your comfortable room, to just kick back and relax. There is no better place to do that than at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. Located on Lake Taneycomo, the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing Hotel is situated within the vibrant Branson Landing, a waterfront shopping, dining and entertainment district featuring over 100 specialty stores. This full service hotel with indoor pool is also directly across from the Branson Convention Center and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. Not only that, it is located in the heart of Historic Downtown, just minutes from the 49 live theatres, Branson golf courses, Table Rock Lake, Silver Dollar City, Titanic Museums and many more attractions.

Imagine this. At the Hilton Promenade, you can recover from a long night of working the dance floor, in your plush Hilton Serenity collection bed. It includes a pillowed topped mattress, down comforter and luxurious 250 thread count triple sheets. You can also kick up your feet and upload the pictures of your wild time-traveling night with the Hilton’s high speed Internet access. This makes the Hilton Promenade the only place to stay! To sweeten it even more, they are also offering exclusive ticket and rooming packages, from as low as $219.00 for two people.

To get into the 70s mood, tell me, what's your favorite Village People song? Don't be shy, I know you have one. Apart from the YMCA, I also love Macho Men (Oh yeah, I love macho men ;P). What about you? Are you excited about this coming concert? Head over to the Hilton website and book your package today! Oh yeah, everybody now. It's fun to stay at the Hil-ton Ho-tel!

Home Made Indian Food for less than $3 in 20 mins!!

Both Kevin and I really enjoy Indian food. Not the real spicy Southern Indian style but more the creamy and mild Northern Indian. Therefore, we have always been big fans of Indian buffets as well as take out/delivery Indian food. You might be asking, why don't you try making some at home? Well, truthfully, I never really tried due to the fact that I've always thought that Indian food requires a lot of prep time and also uses tons of ingredients (it does!). That is of course, if you make it from scratch. I was walking through the "Ethnic Food" aisle at our local grocery store a while ago and saw some stuff on sale that changed my preconceived ideas about making Indian food at home. I realized that by just getting this three items, I am able to 'cheat' my way into making a really quick and affordable Indian meal at home.
Alritey, here are the three items that I picked up from the grocery store. The first is Patak's Original Tikka Masala Curry Cooking Sauce. There is a whole range of different sauces, from Butter Chicken to Rogan Josh to Korma. We like the Tikka Masala cos it's creamy and has a little hint of spiciness (just a little :P). That bottle set us back $2.99. Next is a packet of microwaveable Palak Paneer. It's already pre cooked and all you need to do is heat it up. That pack cost us only $1.99. Lastly, we picked up a pack of Tandoori Naan from the bakery section for $2.99 (two pieces in the pack). All that came up to just below $8. Oh, we also picked up a lb of chicken breast meat to make the Tikka Masala ($1.99 per lbs)...so the grand total comes up to a little less than $10. This is enough to feed about 3-4 people, so actually, the whole meals comes up to be less than $3 per person!
Now, let me show you how simple and fast it will be to whip up the entire meal. Just start off by heating some oil and browning 1 lbs of cubed chicken breast in a large pan. It doesn't really have to be chicken, you can pretty much use any type of meat that you like. Since Patak's Cooking Sauce is free from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and is gluten free, you could also replace the chicken with vegetables and make this a vegetarian dish too.
After your chicken has been cooked through (it takes about 10 mins or so), pour in the cooking sauce and stir it in with the chicken.
Allow it to heat up and simmer for another 10 mins and you are done!
While the chicken is simmering on the stove, take out your naan bread and place them on a baking sheet. Brush on some melted butter and pop it into a preheated 400F oven for about 10 mins. It should be nicely warmed up and ready to eat by the time your chicken tikka is done.
After you have popped the naan bread into the oven, pour out the Palak Paneer into a microwaveable bowl. Microwave it on high for about 2-3 mins and that's all ready to go too! How easy is that?
There you go! A piping hot Indian meal, straight from your kitchen! Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer and some Naan bread. I made all that in about 20 mins and it cost me just a little less than $3 per serving! It's it awesome? Where else can you get a yummy Indian meal for about $3 per person? And all that in 20 mins? It would even take longer for your local Indian take out place to deliver that too you. Granted, its not made from scratch, but for $3 per person and getting to eat all that in just about 20 mins, I'll take it anyday! :P