Another Reveiw On The Way

Once again, I have been asked to do a review of a product by CSN Stores. They really are a great company, with a wide range of products available. And when I'm doing comparison shopping, more often than not, they have the best prices and products available. From barstools to beds, cookware, home improvement, children's toys, etc., they've got just about all the bases covered. The hubby and I are looking at getting a new mattress eventually, and so far, their prices are great, and even include free shipping! So we will definitely be taking a look over the next few months before we decide.

So, in the coming weeks, I will be offering a review of one of CSN's products, along with a recipe for something tasty ;)

And The Winner Is....

Michele! Thanks to the www.random.org number generator, your number was chosen!

I will be contacting you shortly :)

I'm back!

And what better way to make a comeback than with a giveaway!

Once again, CSN Stores is allowing me to do a great giveaway for you all, so go check out their sites! They have so many great things, and really, they have some great prices too. I'm an admitted cheapskate, and even I can find deals with them. On one site, if you're ever in need of a twin bed set, you can find all sorts of really cute goodies! If my daughter is ever in need of a new bed, I'd love to drool over these options. My boys on the other hand, will need something forged out of steel to last them a while ;)

So, for this giveaway, you can enter to win a $100 gift card, to be used at any of the CSN Stores websites. You can look for baby gear, cookware, shoes and accessories, toys for your children, and all sorts of other goodies.

This contest is open to all U.S. and Canadian residents. Please take a look through the various websites, and in your comments, let me know what your favorite items are.

You may post on Facebook for an extra entry, but please do not tag CSN directly, it violates their company's Facebook policy. But feel free to link to my blog and then leave a comment for that entry :)

Good luck everyone! Winners will be chosen on Friday, September 24th and announced sometime that day.

A Review, Followed By A Hiatus

As promised, I have a review for you from my experiences with the cookware site I mentioned previously. I chose this time to review an item, and chose a pressure cooker/canner, as the needs of our family are growing, and this seemed a good way to meet some of those needs. So I chose this little number, a 23 Quart Pressure Cooker/Canner from Presto. First of all, the price is really good, at least in my opinion. I haven't checked it against other sites yet, but I know that these are not inexpensive. And with free shipping, you really can't go wrong. Second, the customer service is very good. Great communication through emails, frequent updates, and fast service. I was notified immediately of my order, and it shipped within maybe a day, possibly less, though I'd have to go back and check. In any case, I had it within less than a week, which included the weekend, which was really fast.

Now, onto the pressure canner. I tried that out this weekend. Let me tell you though, that baby is really big! The pictures really don't do it justice to the real size of it. Now, as far as pressure canners go, I'm sure it's a normal size, but I just didn't really grasp the size of this thing until I got it home and opened up the box. But, it has tons of room for lots of cans, so it's perfect for our family. I took it for a test spin on some homemade chicken soup, made from homemade veggie stock and a simple chicken soup recipe fit for canning. The pressure cooker worked great on the first try, though I was a little nervous never having used a pressure canner before. It was a really interesting process, but the canner worked great and all the little instructions that were included with it kept me pretty well informed about what to expect. The only thing not included was how long it would take to get up to pressure, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't figure it out as I went, and I'm sure a lot depends on what's in there and such too.

Overall, I was very pleased with the results, and can't wait to try it out again. Which brings me to my hiatus... I will not be around for some time, how long I'm not sure, but probably a while. I am having surgery this Thursday to repair a compressed nerve in my elbow. Lucky me fell in the shower 5 years ago and it finally caught up with me. So, my exploits in canning will have to wait for a little bit. I will be looking over some canning books for recipes though, so hopefully I will have a good idea once I'm back of what I want to make, and will try to share those ideas as much as I can.

Have a great rest of summer!

Another site worth checking out

Remember back in March I did a giveaway thanks to a great site promotion? Well they have contacted me again with a request to review their websites and a product again, so I am very excited to share with you.

CSN Stores have quite a few websites designed to help you find what you need and want, and pretty reasonable prices. For instance, if you want a really neat bathroom sink, check out the vanities at their website called Just Vanities. There are some pretty artsy ones, and some fairly basic as well as old fashioned sinks in there. I think the prices look pretty good too, although I can't remember the last time I shopped for a bathroom sink ;) I think this one is really pretty though.

There are also sites for toys, modern furniture, shoes and accessories, and cookware.

So go check out the sites, and see what you think. Maybe you'll find something you like. Stay tuned for an upcoming review of a product from one of their sites.

And The Winner Is....

Debbie! Thanks to Random.org, you are the lucky winner! Please contact me so that I can get your information to the sponsor and you can receive your prize pack.

Shrek-Tastic!

General Mills is celebrating the May 21st release of Shrek Forever After, the final chapter of the Shrek films. Look for Shrek-tacular savings in the grocery store on your favorite General Mills brands like Go-GURT, Pillsbury, Fruit Roll-Ups, Bisquick, Green Giant and more. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for specially-marked packages of Big G cereals, in which you can find collectible water squirters and markers, which are shaped like your favorite Shrek characters.

To save even more green, visit www.everydaysaver.com/events/shrek to download coupons today. While you’re there you and your little prince or princess can get in the mood to see Shrek Forever After by taking a peek at the movie trailer.

Through MyBlogSpark, General Mills is being kind enough to provide a great prize pack to one lucky winner. If your name is chosen by the random generator here is what you will receive:

Shrek-tacular tote bag filled with participating products including Big G cereals, Fruit Roll-Ups Minis snacks and Betty Crocker Brownie Mix or Muffin Mix. The prize pack will also include a $10 Shrek-tacular Savings coupon book with fun Shrek trivia, a Shrek water squirter, a Shrek highlighter and a $25 gift card that you can use to purchase tickets to see the new Shrek Forever After film.

Please leave a comment for an entry. I will be using the Random.org random number generator to pick a winner. All submissions must be in by Monday, May 17th by 12 noon to qualify.

And just for fun, please answer this question in the comments section (will qualify as your entry):

• Who is your favorite Shrek character?

Winners will be announced sometime Monday afternoon.