Sweep of the Day

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Two Winners To Congratulate

Two Happy New Winners Tonight!

Didn't win this time?

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My 2012 in Pictures - Day 49

Kyle Busch takes the Bud Shootout!!!

I'm so glad NASCAR racing is back in season!

Review - Simply7 Snacks

Six new snacks have been added to my "favorite things to eat" category. Simply7 has found a way to make health food into a delicious snacking chip! I've never really liked the taste of hummus, but I LOVE Simply7 Hummus chips. There are three flavors of Hummus Chips - Tomato Basil, Sea Salt, and Spicy Chili Pepper.

The chips are light and airy tasting, with a kick of flavor and a dash of salt. Hummus is made from the chickpea and is loaded with protein and fiber. All three guys in my family were willing to try out the flavors (because they will try anything I tell them to try, that's a Mom's privilege). Everyone liked them all. The favorite Hummus chip during our taste party is Tomato Basil.

Ever tried lentils? They are also called legumes. Lentil chips are the tasty creation of Simply7 and after trying the Hummus Chips, we could hardly wait to try the Lentil chips. There are three flavors of the Lentil chips...Sea Salt, Bruschetta, and Creamy Dill.

I'm actually sitting here munching on the Bruschetta while I'm blogging! I really like them. My serving size is 31 chips, with 130 calories, 50 calories from fat, 6g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 18g total carbs, 19% daily sodium or 460mg, 3g protein, 1g sugars, 1g dietary fibers. I even get 4% Vitamin A and 4% Iron. Everyone thought the Creamy Dill was amazing and I found the half-eaten bag in my bedroom this morning, which means my husband was happily snacking after I fell asleep last night.

The boys thought there should be 7 flavors, since the company is Simply7, so I explained to them that the Simply7 stands for the 7 Core Standards that the chips must live up to:

1. simple ingredients
2. no trans fat or cholesterol
3. no artificial flavors or colors
4. no additives or preservatives
5. gluten free ingredients
6. all natural recipes
7. simply delicious

These crunchy delicious snacks are a great addition to my new healthy lifestyle and since the family likes them too, they are winning choices. After all, if they don't taste great, who would eat them? Healthy snack foods are the way to go!

Find them online, on Amazon, on Facebook and Twitter.
Enter more of my great giveaways HERE.

Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

A Deliciously Crunchy Giveaway
One lucky winner will receive a case of 12 bags of Simply7 Chips, in a mixture of flavors! You must be at least 18 years old, have a US address, and follow Planet Weidknecht in at least one way. Only the first entry is mandatory; all others are bonus entries to increase your chances to win. Enter until midnight est on 2/29. Good luck!

Mr. and Mrs. Gift Set Review and $50 Dayspring Gift Code Giveaway

There are so many tributes to love in February and it's just a teaser to all the spring weddings that are being planned. I love this new Mr. and Mrs. Collection from Dayspring! It's a perfect gift to celebrate the joining of two hearts into one.

The collection comes with two mugs, one for Mr. and one for Mrs. plus a coupon book printed on high quality glossy cardstock. There is also a journaling book for the Mrs. What a beautiful idea for an anniversary gift!

The coupon book is filled with little random acts of love that lovers can present to each other for a kiss, a special date, or some time together. I love the Bible verses that are peppered throughout the coupon book and printed on the inner rim of the mug, reminding us to keep God the center of our marriage.

This gift collection even comes with a matching gift bag that all the items fit into. Be sure to notice the little hearts printed on the inside bottom of the mug too. What a sweet surprise at the end of your coffee. All the pieces in this gift collection are high quality and well designed. It's a great little gift from husband to wife, or wife to husband as well. When was the last time you surprised your spouse with a gift for no reason at all?
Enter more fabulous giveaways of mine HERE.
Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Dayspring is giving one lucky winner a $50.00 Gift Code to spend at http://www.dayspring.com/. To enter to win, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. You must be at least 18 years old, have a US address, and follow Planet Weidknecht in at least one way. Only the first entry is mandatory; all others are bonus entries to increase your chances to win. Giveaway ends on 2/29 at midnight EST. Good luck!

February Freebies Giveaway Hop - SodaStream Prize

Welcome to the

February Freebies Giveaway Hop

HOSTED BY PLANET WEIDKNECHT AND GOING CRAZY!! WANNA GO??!!

February 18-21

Each participating blogger is hosting their own giveaway, with prizes worth at least $20. Be sure to hop through the blog list below and visit them all to enter to win!
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I'm giving away a SodaStream Prize Package
sponsored by SodaStreamUSA
so you can make your own soda at home
quickly, easily, and eco-consciously!

This Fountain Jet - Soda Starter Kit (ARV $99.95)
includes everything you need to
make great tasting soda in your own home.
One lucky winner will receive
a Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker
(choice of black/silver, red/silver, or white)
1 60-liter Carbonator,
1 Carbonating Bottle
(reusable for up to 3 years),
A Variety 6-pack of Soda Flavors,
And 3 Fullsize Soda Flavors (winner's choice).

READ MY REVIEW HERE!

My teenagers totally loved setting up
our SodaStream and making their own sodas!
Enter more of my fabulous giveaways HERE.

SodaStream Review

My two teenagers were very excited when I asked, "So, wanna make some soda tonight?" They had no idea I had a SodaStream in one of the shipping boxes in the corner of the living room. Who would have thought you could make soda at home? We opened up the box and pulled out the parts.

The directions were in the box and with just a few pieces to assemble, the boys put it together easily. I was excited to see all the different soda flavors SodaStream offers over 30 different tastes including regular and diet. It also comes concentrated so it's a great value.

They carefully dropped the top onto the base and sorted through all the flavor samples. Ever tried a cranberry raspberry? Or are you a cola person? They also have apple mango and lemon lime. There are even caffeine free varieties. How about a lemon iced tea or a mint water essence? Ryan decided on root beer and John chose Dr. Pete (guess what that tastes mirrors!).

They filled the included soda bottles with tap water. The bottles are reusable for up to three years, which means we won't be throwing 3 cases of aluminum cans into our recycle bin every week anymore! I LOVE finding eco-conscious ways to live. Plus, the black/silver design fits perfectly into my kitchen with my black/stainless steel appliances. There are several color choices available.

The bottle screws directly onto the SodaStream machine with just the water in it. The flavoring is added after the carbonation step, which means I won't be cleaning sticky stuff off the machine every time my kids make their sodas. Hooray! No electricity or batteries are required to operate the SodaStream and it fits on my counter top under the cabinets attractively.

The next step was to push the button on the top of the SodaStream a couple of times. Each push releases carbonation from the canister into the water, making it carbonated water. How simple! The canister will fill 60 liters of water with carbonation, then I can refill the canister at several local places, saving the earth from even more trash.

When the water was carbonated, they unscrewed the bottle and added their flavorings to the bottles. Then they put the lids on the bottles and lightly shook the bottles to mix the flavor in. They were excited thinking they can each just lay claim to one of the bottles and use the same one over and over. I guess I'm going to have to pick up two more bottles for me and Johnny!

I tasted both of the boys' sodas and they are delicious! I expected the sodas to taste like the cheap store brands but they don't. They are really high quality flavorings and taste really good. I can't wait to try some of the others too.

In the last 24 hours since they put it together, the boys have already made two more flavors each. Each bottle is a liter so they are probably overdoing the whole soda thing, but they're almost 18 years old and I know the novelty of making their own soda is a big part of it. I will definitely continue to use this awesome SodaStream in my home. I think it's a fabulous idea!

SodaStream is my sponsor for the February Freebies Giveaway Hop and that means one lucky Planet Weidknecht winner is going to win their own SodaStream. The giveaway starts at 12:01 am on 2/16 and runs until 11:59pm on 2/21. Click HERE to enter to win your own soda maker! Good luck!
Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

SodaStream is also on Facebook and Twitter.

House Beautiful Goes Green

Don't miss the House Beautiful March 2012 issue, available now!

Green highlights:

Color: Favorite Greens (page 22): Twelve major players in design, including Bunny Williams, Michael S. Smith, and Barbara Barry share the shade they love the most.

A Mix of Greens Is Lush and Natural (page 60): A verdant abundance that takes its cues from nature. Interior design by Meg Braff.

Minty Green Is Fresh (page 72): Interior design by Fawn Galli.

The Green Album (page 80): Ten rooms that make us green with envy, with interiors by Steven Gambrel, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Katie Ridder, Amelia Handegan and more.

50 Ways to Bring Green Home (page 98): From rugs and benches to tea cups, toasters, and trays, House Beautiful offers myriad ways to go green.

The Last Words: Other Ways to Go Green (page 132): Even though the color green is our theme, we embrace the green movement, too. Here, designers and tastemakers spotlight their favorite eco-friendly products, from detergent and dishes to wood finishes and throw pillows.

Top 10 Foods Americans Overpay For

Next week is National America Saves Week! Want to save more? Ziplist has identified the Top 10 Foods Americans Overpay For! Who is Ziplist? They are the recipe discovery and grocery list app that will help you plan ahead and get you more bang for your buck before you hit your grocer!

Wasted food costs America more than $100 billion annually. The average four-person household wastes about $1000 of food each year and waste about 25% of the food they purchase. A family can save a significant amount by planning ahead, using coupons and opting for less expensive alternatives.



1. Make Your Own Coffee - Half of Americans that buy coffee often at work, are spending more than $20 a week, or around $1,000 a year. Instead get your coffee fix at home and bring a thermos to work.
2. Quit Bottled Water - Instead of spending $2 on bottled water that many bottled water companies are simply bottling filtered tap water and put a 4,000% markup on, buy a sport bottle and filter your own water from your faucet Brita home-filter pitcher or sink attachment for less than a case of store bottled water.
3. Buy In-Season Produce - In-season produce is less expensive than out of season produce that has to be imported. Consuming produce that is in season can greatly reduce the cost of your meals during that season.
4. Choose Less Perishable Items- Try longer-lasting fruits like apples and oranges rather than fruit that perishes quickly. Vegetables are the most wasted food. U.S. consumers spent $32 billion on vegetables they purchased, never ate, and ended up throwing away. Choose veggies like potatoes, onions and tomatoes. And learn to cook with shelf-stable items such as pasta, beans, rice, canned goods, and other items can be made into major elements of a meal.
5. Package Your Own Snacks - Pre-packaged snacks might be a way to save time. But you are paying extra for that, sometimes as much as 40% more. Don’t buy the individual sizes of crackers, cookies and pre-cut veggies and fruit unless you score a great deal. Instead, buy a big package and package the food yourself in containers.
6. Buy Store Brands - In some cases name brands can sometimes be cheaper if you have a coupon, but without them store brands are in most cases going to be less expensive. You could end up saving 29% using store brands, but always make sure to pay attention to the price per unit to make sure you are getting the best deals.
7. Stay Away From Ready-to-Go Food - Avoid frozen TV dinners, all-in-one boxed meals, and prepared foods are much more expensive because of the labor it takes to prepare them. Rather than buying pre-made packaged food, make them at home for one-third the cost and in most cases will be more nutritional.
8. Pay For Food, Not The Fancy Packaging - Instead of buying the pre-made chocolate pudding in plastic containers, it’s so simple to make it yourself. Purchase old-fashioned oatmeal, instead of the instant oatmeal packets. If a food is greatly packaged, most likely you are paying for the package not the ingredient.
9. Food From a Luxury Market vs a Cheaper Market - Don't dismiss the idea of shopping at cheaper stores for your weekly shop. Some items are truly better quality at the expensive markets, like fresh foods, but for canned and tinned goods, there are often great deals for the same product.
10. Plan Ahead - One of the biggest costs when grocery shopping are made on impulse purchases. 60 - 70% of purchases made at the market are unplanned. Creating and sticking to a shopping list eliminates impulse buys saving you both money and number of trips to the market (time and gas). Sit down before your next grocery trip and use ZipList, so you get only what you need.

About ZipList: ZipList makes recipe discovery and grocery shopping a breeze by letting users decide how they want to find recipes (by ingredient, by what you’ve already got in your pantry, by cooking and prep time, by social network popularity) and then with a click, you can easily add ingredients to your mobile shopping list which arranges items in by your local grocers aisles so you never have to forget an item or backtrack through the store.

Sign Up to Win an Exhale Membership

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My 2012 in Pictures - Day 48

F is for 
Fingerpaints (and FRIDAY!)

WOOHOO Weekend! Blog Hop

WOOHOO Weekend!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to relax.

Wanna hop around the bloggysphere with me?

Link up your blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

If you wish to put the button on your blog,

you can copy it from my sidebar.

Thanks for coming by today!

Newly Released Coupons to Print

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My 2012 in Pictures - Day 47

After 10 years, we finally invested in two new office chairs!

Review coming soon!

Time for $50 Friday

Everyone loves cash, right? How would you like a chance to win $50 EVERY FRIDAY? Well, I am very excited that I have joined with an amazing group of bloggers to offer you a WEEKLY cash giveaway! Cool, yes? 

Well, there is only one catch, the giveaway begins THIS FRIDAY and is ONLY opened from 12:01 am  and will close at 12:01am on Saturday, so it is only OPENED ONE DAY!

Energy Bites - Review and Giveaway

As a childcare provider and blogger, I am working from 7am to 11pm pretty much every day. My eight preschoolers depend on me all day long to provide everything they need and want, right when they need and want it. In between all that, I'm trying to teach them, entertain them, and keep them from killing each other and themselves. At the end of the daycare day, instead of relaxing, I'm blogging every night until I fall asleep on my keyboard. I suspect most parents (well, most adults, really) feel the same kind of exhaustion at the end of the day. Staying sharp is important, so I'm excited to tell you about Energy Bites!

These amazing little creations from Outburst are delicious and give me the boost I need when I start feeling run down. Three amazing flavors of Chocolate, Chocolate Mint (my personal favorite), and Chocolate Peanut provide me caffeine, taurine, and eight vitamins including B6 and B12. A serving size of just four of them is equal to a cup of coffee and each bite is less than 12 calories (that fits into my weight loss plan). Honestly, they taste like candy, but I'm keeping them out of reach of the kids -- they certainly do NOT need more energy! The box is even designed with a snap-tight lid so you can toss a box into your purse, gym bag, or backpack and take it with you. It's also a great deal because each box retails for about $2.00 for three servings; but one energy shot drink costs about $2.00 for just the one serving. Most importantly, Energy Bites give me a delicious energy boost when I need it (and believe me I need it)!
Connect with Outburst Energy Bites online, and on Google, Facebook and Twitter.
Enter more of my amazing giveaways HERE!
Disclosure: I received these products at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Another Fabulous Giveaway
Outburst is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway for one lucky (exhausted) Planet Weidknecht reader! You can enter to win 12 Boxes of Energy Bites (ARV $24) and you can even choose your flavor...Chocolate, Chocolate Mint, or Chocolate Peanut. To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Only the first entry is mandatory; all others are bonus entries to increase your chances to win. Giveaway ends at midnight EST on 2/29. You must be at least 18 years old, have a US address, and follow Planet Weidknecht in at least one way. Good luck!

PSST...Special Discounts on Little Tikes

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Two More Winners to Announce

Thanks to all who entered

and thanks to my sponsors!

Didn't win this time?

Enter more HERE.

Tomorrow is a $50 Friday

Everyone loves cash, right? How would you like a chance to win $50 EVERY FRIDAY? Well, I am very excited that I have joined with an amazing group of bloggers to offer you a WEEKLY cash giveaway! Cool, yes? 

Well, there is only one catch, the giveaway begins THIS FRIDAY and is ONLY opened from 12:01 am  and will close at 12:01am on Saturday, so it is only OPENED ONE DAY!

Mega Ad Campaign Giveaway

Are you looking to increase your exposure and following for your blog?

35 blogs have joined together to offer you a chance to win a MEGA ad campaign!

The lucky winner will receive:

• A promotional post on ALL 35 blogs
• Premium Sidebar advertising for the entire month of March on ALL 35 blogs
• Weekly Facebook Shout-outs from ALL 35 blogs
• Weekly Tweets from ALL 35 blogs

With the heavy hitter blogs we have participating, this would mean HUGE exposure for you and your blog for the entire month of March! Do you want to sponsor this giveaway next month? Participation is FREE, and we are making next month the BIGGEST YET! Our Goal- 100 Blogs! Find out more HERE.

Entry is simple! Just follow us all using the Rafflecopter form below, and be sure to come back for your daily entries too!!
Enter more of my awesome giveaways here! 

KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway

Well, you asked for it and we are delivering it! I have joined with Coupon Spice and some other really amazing bloggers to bring to you this KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway! One lucky winner will win a KitchenAid Mixer! This giveaway starts at 12:01 AM (EST) on Feb. 16, 2012 and will run until Midnight (EST) on Feb. 29, 2012.

To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter Form below. If the Widget isn’t showing, please refresh your browser or click “Continue Reading” to enter. If you have any problems or questions with this giveaway, please Email Coupon Spice Here.

This Giveaway is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google or any other website. It is sponsored by the Bloggers listed on the Rafflecopter Entry Forms.
View our Complete Giveaway Terms and Conditions Here.

Perplexus Puzzle Ball - Review

I'm so excited to show you this new toy. It's called Perplexus and it is a puzzle ball. Well, it's so much more than that. It's the ultimate toy for future engineers! It's like a pinball machine that is powered by gravity and ingenuity. When I opened it, I knew at least one of my teenaged sons would be totally enraptured by it. Since it's a ball, there is also a small display stand included.

I happened to be opening it during the day when the daycare kids were here and they were fascinated with the Perplexus. My four year olds wanted to see it so I handed it to a four year old boy (notice the crafted superhero cape). As he turned it over and over, looking at all the little tracks inside, a four year old girl stood nearby, desperately waiting her turn to get her hands on it.

He finally relented and let her hold it. She asked me, "What is it?" I said, "It's called Perplexus." She furrowed her eyebrows together and said, "What does that mean?" I told her the name of it likely derived from the word perplexing, which means confusing or puzzling. She tilted her head to the side and said, "Well, it's definitely confusing me!"

After the little ones all got a turn to try and make the ball roll in the tracks of the Perplexus, I placed it on the kitchen table, in anticipation of it capturing my teens' attention. It simply called out to John, who is 17. As soon as dinner was over, he grabbed it.

He didn't move from the table. He sat there, totally involved in the puzzle. It has a specific starting point and you have to work through three checkpoints to solve it. You have to turn it in specific ways to work with gravity, while keeping it in the tracks.

In about fifteen minutes, my 17 year old worked through the entire puzzle and landed it on the little pedestal, also known as the "solution" to the puzzle. I have not seen him this excited about a toy in years. He can't wait to take it to school to show his friends. He's already laid claim to it. My husband is working on it now. It's going to be really interesting around here if he can't solve it in less than 15 minutes!

This is an awesome toy. ALL people need to play with toys; not just kids. If you like puzzles, you will LOVE Perplexus made by PlaSmart Inc! Find them online, and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter. This is definitely a FIVE STAR toy.
Disclosure: I received this product at no charge in exchange for my honest review.