Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi

Purex has a new laundry it is called Purex UltraPacks Plus Oxi with Dirt Lifting Action and Zout Stain remover it comes in a little square pouch. No mess! So easy to use!

It is already measured for you in a single load pack it takes the mess out of measuring detergent and makes cleaning laundry so much easier.The UltraPack design contains a full load’s worth of concentrated liquid detergent in each pack that dissolves quickly as you toss it in your machine.  Purex plus Oxi’s single dose laundry formula helps save you money (up to $45 a year).

These little ultrapacks work really well, just don't leave any of these little packs out near children or pets as they do resemble candy.

RiceSelect Texmati Rice

Texmati®, the first basmati rice to be successfully grown in America over 35 years ago. Available in white, brown and light brown versions, Texmati® combines the qualities of basmati and American long grain rice. The end result is unsurpassed flavor and aroma that is perfect for conjuring up the perfect chicken & rice soup or casserole for wintery days. As part of the company’s annual partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), all Texmati white and brown rice jar lids and labels will go pink this September through November.

For the sweeter, nutty flavor of Thai jasmine rice, RiceSelect also offersJasmati rice. This jasmine-style long grain rice consists of soft and tender snowy white grains that cook up into a delicious holiday rice pudding.

I had a chance to try this rice and really like it. While cooking the aroma filled my kitchen. It smelled like something was baking, but it was just my rice cooking on the stove. While it takes about 45 minutes to cook this rice, I think it's worth the wait. I decided to make mahi mahi in a garlic sauce and served it over this Texmati brown rice. It was very tasty!

 About RiceSelect

RiceSelect maintains a focus on high value organic and all natural products. The company embraces values that are essential to bringing consumers high-quality rice and pasta products. Its award-winning products are recognized worldwide for their outstanding taste and texture. RiceSelect  products are grown, milled, and packaged in the United States under the most stringent farming and production guidelines. The company’s signature product is Texmati®, the first basmati rice to be successfully grown in America. www.RiceSelect.com

Discount Deals and Online Coupon Codes

If you are a savvy shopper or if you want to become a savvy shopper, you want to make sure you are getting the best possible price for anything you buy whether it’s in the store or online. One way to do this is to look for sales, but another way is to look for coupons or coupon codes to use online.

If you shop online, as I do, a great way to save money is to check coupon sites like Best Online Coupons before checking out. It is very simple to use a promo code when shopping online. You visit the coupon site and search for the store or site you're shopping from and any discount code available will pop up. To use it, it’s generally as simple as copying the coupon code and pasting in the checkout page of the site where you wish to shop.

You can fine promo codes, hot shopping deals, free shipping deals and much more.

EASY!

If you are searching for more specific items, you can also find discount video game deals and discount computers on this site as well. 

What do you have to lose? You certainly don’t lose money by using this site. A dollar saved is a dollar earned someone once said, and it’s so true!

Learn more by visiting: http://www.bestonlinecoupons.com/

Lawn Care & Maintenance

My husband and I have been home owners now for a little over 4 years now and when we were first starting our home search we had this dreamy idea that home ownership would be amazing, without the stresses of paying rent and worrying about lease details, but we had no idea how much goes into being a home owner, including home and lawn maintenance.

First of all, when you become a home owner you can not rely on someone else to fix things when they are broken. If you are not especially handy, as my husband and I are not, it can be quite an expense when any little thing breaks. We found a home warranty to be very helpful in this area. They cover many items when they break with a small "deductible" so to speak. Ours came with the home purchase, but we have since then renewed this on our own.

Another aspect people don't think of is all the time and care that goes into maintaining the outside of the home as well as the lawn and garden. My husband is amazing when it comes to lawn and garden. He truly has a green thumb and really seems to enjoy his time in the garden. He can spend an entire day outside, moving plants, trimming, pruning etc.  Before we had a lawn care service, he would mow weekly, edge, weed, sweep up trimmings and more. It was a labor of love for him. He wanted to be sure that the outside of our home looked as well kept as the inside of our home. However, after our son arrived, the lawn care just got to be too much so we broke down and hired a lawn service, which is a great option for those with the means to do so. One option, if you live in the Fort Worth, TX area is Lawn Connections. They offer a variety of lawn services, including landscape lighting. 

So when all is said and done, home ownership is great because we can make decor decisions on the interior and exterior, don't have to worry about pet agreements with the landlord, but it's not without work. There are days when we wish we could go back to renting and let someone else worry when the appliance break or the roof leaks, but when we can fence our yard and add 2 cats and a dog to our family without consulting the landlord, it reminds us how much we enjoy the freedom home ownership brings.

Betty Crocker - SMASH Cake Ideas

Betty Crocker, America’s baking expert, surveyed moms and found that the most memorable part of a first birthday party is the birthday cake itself. To help make the moment extra special with a homemade touch, Betty Crocker has created a line-up of easy-to-make birthday smash cake recipes that babies can’t wait to get their hands on. 

Here are Betty Crocker’s favorite first birthday smash cake recipes, perfectly-sized for baby to dig right in! 

	No. 1 Cutout Cake – This little cake says, “I’m one!” in a big way. Add your own twist to the toppings, including bits of fruit, crackers, sprinkles, cereal and more.
	Peas & Carrots Smash Cake – If you’re looking to sneak some fruits and veggies into baby’s first sweet treat, this round smash cake is your best bet.
	Polka Dot Smash Cake – Encourage your budding artist to create a messy masterpiece with this two-layered, three-inch round smash cake. The red confetti polka dots and turquoise-frosted cake will create swirls of color.
	Sprinkles Smash Cake – Transform baby’s favorite toy into an edible creation. All you need is a No. 1 cut-out template and sprinkles for a cute contrast.
	Striped Mini Smash Cake – Pastel frosting with bright orange stripes and polka dots make this two-layered round cake beg for baby’s attention.
	Confetti Cake Stack – Confetti sprinkles make this mini smash cake sweet and simple.
	Watercolor Cake – This elegant little cake features purple and teal pastels. It’s almost too lovely to smash.

You can find recipes for Betty Crocker’s favorite first birthday smash cakes here: http://www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/mhplibrary/birthdays/smash-cakes-and-1st-birthday-cakes. 

My son is about to turn one in December and we plan to give him his own cake to smash. Right now I'm leaning toward doing a mashed potato frosted cake so it's not all sugar and sweets, but if I had to pick one of Betty's I'd pick the peas and carrots cake. So while I don't have any photos of his first cake smash, I do have photos of the cake I made him when his adoption became legal. "JOINED BY LOVE"

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own

GIVEAWAY: Pampers Prize Pack & $50 Giftcard

By interviewing over 9,000 moms about what was important for their baby, Pampers found the number one unmet need is a diaper that provides superior overnight dryness.  Pampers incorporated this firsthand insight, as well as the brand’s deep understanding of baby and baby’s needs, to design a diaper that both mom and baby can count on for up to 12 hours of overnight protection. 

I'll admit that I am one of those moms who has YET to find a diaper that does a great job for overnights. We would put our son to bed around 7/8pm and up around 7am and both he and his crib sheet would be soaked. That certainly makes for a messy start to your day, and it's not fun. We actually started waking him up around 10/11pm just to change him before we went to bed. This is not only frustrating for baby but also a hassle for mom and dad. There has to be a better option. This is why I'm grateful to be part of this campaign and have a chance to try Pampers Baby dry which boasts 12 hours protection from leaks. They are now more absorbent and offer Pampers’ best fit for all the ways babies play freely or sleep freely as my son tends to do in the oddest positions.

Pampers wants to "give the gift of sleep" back to parents and caretakers. To go along with their mission they provided me with a visa giftcard to give a gift to a parent. Because of this, this happy blogging mama gets a date night out with her husband. When the next Hunger Games movie comes out in November (Catching Fire) we're going to go see a movie and catch dinner afterwards, while a family member watches our baby boy who will be in comfy pjs and, of course, pampers diapers.

Head on over to Twitter and FB to learn more about Pampers!

WIN IT: Pampers Prize Pack Including - Sleep Sheep Sound Machine, cozy blankets for Mom/Baby and a $50 gift card.

HOW TO ENTER:a Rafflecopter giveaway

This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine

GLAD MatchWare

This October, there’s a new Gladware container painting the town. New GLAD MatchWare containers will help families stylishly save time, money and waste. Clutter and unorganized shelves have met their match with the introduction of MatchWare, the most fashionable container for repurposing leftovers and packing healthy lunches. The easy color-coded lids and fun patterned containers match perfectly – storing food has never been easier, or more colorful with the amethyst, sapphire and pantone of the year emerald-colored containers.

I think it's a great idea. Instead of all your tops being red or blue, now you can have easy color coded lids to match the containers. Why didn't anyone think of this sooner? :)