Shopping for friends and family can be a lot of fun- if you know the person’s likes, or have a general theme in mind. For instance, if you know your brother loves golfing, you can find a golf related gift easily. But what if you need a gift and you have no clue what to buy? Sometimes, you can simply run out of gift ideas for a particular person. We had this problem with a family member recently. We were stymied as to what we could buy. Then we logged into Groupon and found several cool gift ideas.

My thanks to Groupon for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions and love of saving and shopping are my own.

We use Groupon often for food and entertainment savings in our area, so I usually go straight to those categories and do a quick search for a certain type of cuisine or event, usually on my phone, so I’d never taken in the full site on my laptop until recently and I was pleasantly surprised with the site. It’s easy to navigate, with six main categories on the home page. 

Thinking of our gift recipient, I chose Goods and found wonderful offers from stores like Bath & Body works (my daughter’s favorite store) along with Walgreens and Kate Spade, but those weren’t quite right for my needs. Then I saw a Macy’s sale, which is always a favorite shopping destination, so I clicked there. Several really nice savings coupons were listed, which helped me narrow down my gift shopping theme even more. 

I was able to find a cool gift quickly and affordably using Groupon! If it’s been a while since you used Groupon coupons, log on today and check out them out. I bet you’ll be find several cool gift ideas in record time as well. Be sure to follow Groupon on Facebook and Twitter for more savings and shopping ideas.

Please share in comments: Do you struggle with gift ideas for a family member or friend?

Disclosure: I will receive monetary compensation as a thank you for posting this advertorial for Groupon. Thoughts are my own.

Doing laundry is one of those chores every family must do and there’s usually a person in charge of this sometimes monumental task. At my house, I’m chief laundry officer and I’ve taken a few steps to ensure things run as smoothly as possible.  My family sorts and sometimes pre-treats their clothing before leaving the laundry room, but sometimes stains remain- that’s where I come in. 

Today I’m sharing a new laundry detergent from Purex that will help banish your toughest laundry stains! I received a complimentary bottle via #SocialInsiders to try to share my thoughts with you and host a giveaway for 3 free coupons for full sized products. All opinions and love of clean, fresh smelling laundry are my own. 

About Purex + Clorox 2 detergent: 

Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent is formulated to remove the toughest stains.  Purex + Clorox 2 detergent works on 100 stains is safe for colors and is bleach free. This detergent contains 3 stain-fighting enzymes to remove:

In the winter when skin is at its most sensitive, I use Purex free and clear laundry detergent. I’ve found that it cleans well and stops my family from scratching their shins and chins. J Once springtime gets here though, I switch to a scented detergent, one that can handle the seasonal scents that arrive with the warmer weather. 

I’m talking sweat and mud stains and smoke from cookouts and bonfires and trips to the lake type scents here folks, and guess what? After trying Purex + Clorox 2 for a week, I can say my spring laundry is going to be clean and smell as fresh as the sunny linen scent of this detergent!

My Thoughts:

So far, Purex + Clorox 2 has handled my husband’s work clothes which can get muddy from walking around job sites with contractors and clients. It handled the wet dog smell he came home with after a friendly Golden Retriever decided he wanted to play too.  It even took out a small blood stain from his jeans from where he had nicked his finger. I’m was impressed! 

Purex + Clorox 2 tackles Mascara:

Now that both my daughters are wearing makeup, my white wash clothes get stained with mascara occasionally.  This wash cloth had recently been washed without pre-treating it. The mascara stains weren’t removed fully, so I decided to do a quick pre-treat with Purex + Clorox 2. I poured just a little bit onto the stains, let set for 1 minute and washed the wash cloth again with Purex + Clorox 2 and voila! Stain gone!

With spring here and summer just around the corner, I’m thankful I now have another hardworking detergent to help me banish my laundry stains. Well done Purex! Not only does this new detergent work great, it smells great too! I invite you to learn more about this and all Purex products by visiting their website and following them on Facebook  and Twitter. 

Win it:

Thanks to today’s sponsor, Purex, 3 lucky readers can win a coupon valid for a free full size Purex liquid or powder detergent with a retail value up to $7.00. Entering is easy using the Rafflecopter form below. 

Terms: 

No purchase is necessary to enter using the Rafflecopter from below.  My WAHM Plan is responsible for prize fulfillment. I will mail a coupon to each winner. Winners will be notified by email used on entry form and have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  This giveaway is not associated with nor endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, or any other social channel. 

Good luck!

Please share in comments: What's your toughest laundry challenge? Stains? Sorting? Folding and putting away?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: 

The Purex® brand provided me with a sample of Purex® plus Clorox 2® detergent in exchange for a product review. However all the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Disclosure: I received free products to help facilitate my #Disneyside@Home Celebration party. All opinions are 100% my own.

When I first got the email from Mom Central calling for hosts of a Disney Celebration in our home, I was excited because Disney characters hold a special place in my heart and most especially my daughters.  We LOVE Disney Princesses, every one of them. 

From Jasmine, Belle, Aurora, Ariel to Cinderella and Merida they each possess wonderful strength and spirit, hope, courage and a healthy dose of humor. All the wonderful traits we try to instill in my daughters.  

So quite naturally, our party theme was Princesses. Since our “princesses” fall into the tween and teen age groups, I got creative and decided the best way to let then show their fun side would be to let them be grown up versions of their favorite princess.

We played with Makeup and hairstyles.  We did a different kind of face painting by having the girls color in face print outs that makeup artists use. This was a huge hit!

We listened to “Let it Go” from Frozen so many times, even I know most all the words now.

We had fun with all the cool goody bag treats Disney sent us that came in a very unique package- a cool American Tourist Luggage piece that will surely come in handy on our next family trip.

The clear favorite goodie was this classic love poster.

We had special princess Hot Chocolate, complete with Cinnamon sprinkles.

And lots of tasty sweets.

Throughout the afternoon, lots of laughter and smiles and sharing happened, which was quite magical indeed.

I invite you to host your own Disneyside @ Home Celebration! The fun isn't just for princesses.  Just go to Disneyside Celebrations  to learn more, see great party themes, recipes and more.

Share with me in comments: What is your favorite Disney character or movie? My girls pick is Frozen right now!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I participated in this campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and compensation as a thank you for participating.

Recently my dishwasher started having an odor. And the dishes, especially the plastic cups my daughters used daily, smelled so bad they refused to even try them. I spent a lot of time re-washing dishes and I had to break down my dishwasher for a good scrubbing.

I was baffled by the sudden stink because I lightly rinse my dishes and I don’t let them sit dirty over-night. That’s when I decided it must be the cleaner I was using. I admit it; I had bought a bargain brand at the grocery store to save a few bucks. We’ve all been there I’m sure.

So I was so happy to learn that I had been selected to try CASCADE ® PLATINUM PACS!

About CASCADE ® PLATINUM PACS:

 Cascade© Platinum Pacs deliver the most powerful clean available from Cascade while simultaneously helping to maintain the sparkling look of your clean dishwasher interior.

How it works:

Cascade© Platinum Pacs feature an advanced triple action recipe that is specially designed to leave dishware virtually spot-free and help prevent the build-up of hard-water film on dishwasher walls.*

*Use a dishwasher cleaner to remove existing build-up on wall interiors.

Why you need it:

Cascade© Platinum Pacs achieve a top-tier clean so powerful that they even help keep your

dishwasher machine sparkling and deliver a variety of dish care benefits:

• Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food

• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes

• Helps maintain the look of new machines and helps prevent additional hard-water build-up

• Delivers exceptional dishware shine

You can learn more about Cascade and all their products by visiting their website Here or visiting their Facebook page.

My Review:

The very first thing I noticed was the scent of the Cascade© Platinum Pacs.  The pacs actually smell good. They call it Lemon Burst. To me they smelled like Lemon-Lime ice pops and clean all rolled into one.

I put on of the tri colored packs in my dishwasher and waited for the results. With Cascade being the # 1 recommended brand, I will say that my expectations were very high.

While dishwasher was running, I was cleaning up my kitchen and I loved the clean, fresh smell coming from the dishwasher.

After the cycle was done, I checked those plastic cups first. No stink at all! I could pour milk in a cup straight from the dishwasher again.  J

Another thing I noticed was how my silverware looked. So clean and shiny. Actually, all my dishes looked clean and shiny. 

After the dishwasher was emptied of all my oh, so clean dishes, I stuck my head in there for a smell check…. Delightfully clean smelling and  the interior was super shiny! 

I’m sold! Cascade© Platinum Pacs did all they claimed they would and more. I highly recommend Cascade© Platinum Pacs!

Another great thing about Cascade© Platinum Pacs is their recent partnership with Gail Simmons.

About Gail Simmons and Cascade© Platinum Pacs:

“Now, more than ever, people eat with their eyes, and the evidence is all over sites like Facebook and Instagram. With that in mind, Top Chef judge and editor of Food+Wine magazine, Gail Simmons, has partnered With Cascade to discuss why presentation is just as important as preparation.”

 To learn more about Gail, watch her videos Here.

I have always enjoyed Dole fruit products, so I was expecting good quality and great taste when I gave Dole Fruit Parfaits a try recently. What I wasn't prepared for was the stick my finger in the cup to get every last drop of goodness out taste! 
Readers, be warned: you will want to stock up on all three flavors of the Dole Fruit Parfaits. At just $2.79 per 4 cup package, it won’t break your budget to do so. 

Courtesy: www.Dole.com

Cup before mixing

Cup after mixing

Have you been shopping and saving this week during Kroger’s Cart Buster Savings event? I have gotten to take advantage of some really awesome deals. Don’t worry if you haven’t done your shopping just yet, there is still time! But not much:  These deals go away on March 16^th!

There are hundreds of products on sale throughout the store. Kroger always clearly marks sale items so you can shop more efficiently. During Kroger’s Cart Buster Savings event, you’ll find deals on Tide, Pampers, Bounty, Gatorade and many other favorites from P & G and Pepsi.
 For a complete list of brands on sale, click HERE . Once you've looked over participating brands, set aside some time make your shopping list and organize your coupons. Your wallet will thank you.

On Monday, I was able to stock up and save on Bounty paper towels and Tropicana orange juice.  With Spring Break right around the corner for my kids, today I will stock up on some of their favorites like Tostitos and Gatorade.
 I am planning ahead because I know there will be at least one sleep over in my future, so I want to save on these items that seem to evaporate around kids. I will also replenish our Pantene shampoo and conditioner supply during this savings event. 

Another fun element to Kroger’s Cart Buster Savings event is the Select Your Deal option.

This is an easy and fun way to save even more! Head on over HERE today March, 15th, sign in to your Kroger account (you must have a Kroger.com account and sign in to get the coupons). Once you are signed in, Kroger will generate 3 random coupons for you to choose from. Then you just select your deal and it will be loaded onto your Kroger shopper card.  This is a super easy way to really save on items.  Today is the final day to take advantage of the Select Your Deal coupons. 

I went first thing this morning and selected a $ 2.00 off Crest 3D White toothpaste! 

Since these are randomly selected deals, your deals will probably be different, but  with products such as Tropicana orange juice, Secret deodorant, Pantene, DiGiorno pizza and more;  I’m sure you will be served up a can’t miss deal.

I hope you will be able to shop and save during Kroger's Cart Buster Savings event.

What item do you plan to stock up on this week? 


Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Attention Kroger Shoppers: Get your shopping list and coupons ready for the Kroger Cart Buster Savings event! Save big by shopping at any Kroger Co. family store from March 3, 2013 through March 16, 2013.

There are hundreds of products on sale throughout the store. All are very clearly marked to make shopping and saving easy.  You’ll find deals on many brands from P&G and PepsiCo. To help you prep, I’m including just a few participating brands:

• Olay Body Wash
• Olay Skincare
• Pantene Shampoo & Conditioner
• Vidal Sassoon Hair Color
• Tampax Tampons
• Tide Laundry Detergent
• Bounce Dryer Sheets
• Downy Fabric Softener
• Downy Unstoppables
• Tropicana
• Doritos
• Lay's Classic Potato Chips
• Lay's Kettle Chips
• Charmin Bath Tissue
• Cascade Action Pacs
• Dawn Dish Detergent
• Febreze Air Effects
• Bounty Paper Towels
• Pampers Diapers
• ZzzQuil
• Crest Toothpaste
• Pepto-Bismol
• Puffs Facial Tissue

I’m excited because Bounty paper towels are on sale. We refuse to pay full price for paper towels, or buy an inferior brand just to save money, so this is my chance to stock up! Kroger’s cart buster event also includes another product my family loves, Tropicana Orange juice.  

You must have a Kroger.com account and sign in to get the coupons.

 I think this is a fun way for Kroger to share coupons. Everyone will be shown three deals and you can choose the one you want to use. These deals may include products like Crest 3D White toothpaste, DiGiorno pizza, Tropicana orange juice, Secret deodorant, Pantene and more. 

When I went first thing this morning I got to lucky and actually got to choose and upload a coupon for the Tropicana Orange juice that is on sale!