Sadie the Paper Crown Princess: Review and Coupon Code

Summary:  If you have a little "princess wanna-be" in your house that is concerned primarily with her princess attire... Sadie, The Paper Crown Princess is a great book to show what it really means to have the heart of a princess (or Prince)....hint: it's not about the clothes or the shoes! :) A lovely little story to help instill generosity and compassion in little people.

Use coupon code "overflow" on the Sadie Website to get 20% off your book purchase!

Review: Recently at our house there have been a few episodes with a certain little 4-year-old "princess" over her clothes...If she doesn't get the dress she wants to wear, we hear loud dramatic outbursts of  "Then I'm NOT going to be a PRINCESS!!!" Good heavens, what will we do with her when she is a teenager?! After getting tired of hearing this over and over, I sat her down and talked with her about how some children in the world don't even have any clothes to wear, and about being thankful.  She stopped suddenly and was shocked and horrified..."Some children don't have ANY clothes?" 

"That's right," I told her. 

She thought for a minute and then looked at me in disbelief..."Then show me, where are the children with no clothes?!" :-o

After our little chat about being thankful and about children who don't have clothes, we have had far less trouble getting dressed in the morning! 

This sweet little book is a wonderful addition to our library and is a great way to talk to kids about what's really important.  In this colorful story with adorable illustrations, Sadie travels the world and learns about giving to others.  She learns how compassion and generosity bring far more happiness than having "princessy" stuff on the outside.  She even encounters a lovely surprise...she gets to see what a real prince looks like! :)

Learn how to join the Paper Crown Society on Sadie's website!  

Also visit the blog to learn more about Sadie's Summer of Giving and how YOU can get involved!

Disclosure: We received a digital sample of Sadie: The Paper Crown Princess for review. We always express our honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Review and Giveaway: Robby Wash Laundry Washing Ball

Pros: No carrying heavy bottles of detergent, no detergent spills or mess, no measuring, no large containers to store, reduced cost, hypo-allergenic, environmentally friendly, refillable, use with all washing machine types, wash 120 loads of laundry before refilling!

Cons: It doesn't fold the laundry..  ;o)

Summary: If you hate dragging heavy detergent jugs home from the store and would prefer to use something more earth-friendly and hypoallergenic, Robby Wash Ball is a great option!

Purchase it for $32.95 here

Review:

Okay, there are quite a few good things to say about this product.  I will admit that it's hard to believe that this little laundry ball replaces detergent for One HUNDRED and twenty loads of laundry!  The ball is filled with tiny balls contains activated macromolecules that claim to slowly dissolve dried-in stains by generating ions into the water. 

With six people in our family, we go through a LOT of laundry! After using this little wash ball for a few weeks it has been working surprisingly well! The clothes have been coming out clean and pleasantly fresh smelling, which is always impressive when you have small children! :)

 A few other things to consider:

• This is a time saver (no more shopping for and lugging heavy detergent jugs from the store).
• a huge space saver (In our small house, those big detergent jugs take up a lot of space)!
• a big money saver (I'm sure we've been spending more than $32 on 120 loads of laundry).
• There is a cap in the ball that allows you to refill it and continue using for years to come. *Make sure the little cap is placed on the ball tightly to prevent beads from falling out.

The wash ball also includes a stain stick to pre-treat stains before washing.  The jury is still out on this as we haven't tried it on everything yet, but I am pleased to report that after trying it on a white shirt with red frosting, the frosting is completely gone!

Giveaway! Enter to win a Robby Wash Ball below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We received the Robby Wash Ball by Oransi for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Saving Money

There's no doubt that having a family costs a LOT of money...but there are so many great ways to save  and live well even in this economy!

Here is a list of ways that we have found to save money:

• Buy quality! There have been times in the past when we have learned that buying the cheaper appliance, fixture, whatever is not such a bargain.  Buying quality lasts longer, and saves you time and money in the long run!
  
  
• Keep it simple!  How many times have you gotten home after a shopping trip with items you never planned on buying or that you didn't really need?  Stick with your list and always ask yourself if you can live without it before you get to the check out line.
  
•  Food thrift!  Do you have a discount or bulk food store near you?  You can save a lot of money by shopping at discount food stores.
  
  
• Coupons are like printing money! After making your list, search online for coupons and discount codes before shopping.
  
• Re-use!  Consider quality used items rather than new items such as clothing or toys.  Lots of cities have mom's clubs and children's clothing exchanges.

Have you found any great ways to save money recently?  

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. We have not used any of the above sponsored services and cannot personally verify their integrity. As always please research before trusting creditors with your finances.

Pirate Costume Review

Pros: Fast service, lots of options and choices, quality costumes, competitive prices 

Cons: This awesome costume does not include a parrot ;o) 

Summary: If you are looking for a fun pirate costume in any size with lots of accessories to choose from, look no further than AnytimeCostumes.com!

Review: Looking for great pirate costumes for your next big adventure? The Child Captain Jack Sparrow Deluxe Costume comes with everything pictured except for the sword!  This costume includes a shirt with attached vest, sash,  belts, pants, boot covers, a hat and bandana with beaded pirate braids attached. 


My kids love dressing up! Costumes make great accessories for themed birthday parties, special events, school presentations, or the dress-up box! They also make great gifts! Any Time Costumes has a large selection of styles in almost any size.  Search their site to find every accessory you will need...eye patches, parrots, swords...you name it, they probably have it!

Anytime Costumes offers a free shipping on costume exchanges  allowing you to try their costumes risk free!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.