The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

'Tis the Season...

...to save money..."

...to get creative..."

...to be... how does it go - jolly??"

Last week I learned how to accomplish all these things (and more!) in a mere 2 hours at a lovely luncheon put on by the wonderful folks at Stop and Shop.  In the year since I was introduced to the money-saving and customer-oriented culture of Stop and Shop, I have had the opportunity to learn many great things about their stores, and the fact is, they have won me over. My favorite though, is their Scan It! program which allows customers to scan, bag, and pay for their groceries all without speaking a word to another living soul.  Socially inept as I may sound, this does allow for quick shopping and money-savings opportunities I might not otherwise have.    

And now I come bearing some new ideas from Stop and Shop's own Consumer Adviser, Andrea Astrachan, that might help the cash-poor but richly creatively gift-giver get by on not much more than a few dollars and a few minutes this holiday season.

Seriously, I want you to know about the grocery giant's Holiday Rewards program which essentially allows you to earn up to 20% off a grocery order of your choice until December 25th (think turkey!  think apps!  think desserts!).  But I also want to share some of their awesome gift-giving ideas that will simplify, and cheapify (is that a word?) your holiday season so that you can actually relax and enjoy it.

Idea #1:

Chocolate-Dipped Pretzels: 

What you'll need -

• A bag of long pretzel rods 
• Chocolate chips for melting
• Decorations such as sprinkles, cookie crumbs, crushed candy canes.

Melt the chocolate in a pot.  Dip the pretzel rod into the chocolate (use a knife to help apply it if the chocolate is not deep).  Roll the pretzel in your decoration of choice.  Let them cool, then place them gently in a cellophane bag and add ribbon and a gift tag.   

Idea #2:

Cookies in a Jar:

What you'll need -

• The makings for whatever cookies you choose (chocolate chip, oatmeal...)
• A mason jar
• Ribbon 
• Recipe card

Layer all ingredients in the jar, separating by color.  Be sure to pack down ingredients so they fit!  Close the lid and decorate the jar with ribbon or whatever you choose.  Attach the recipe card (which should include the wet ingredients recipient will add themselves).

How easy is that?

We want to help you buy your holiday treats!  The Daily Grind along with the wonderful peeps of 360PR and Stop and Shop are offering one lucky reader the gift of food - a $100 gift card at Stop and Shop!  To enter, simply comment below with your favorite aspect of the store.  The winner will be selected on Saturday, November 14th at midnight.  Only one entry per person.

Luncheon, gift-idea samples, parking and gift card were provided by Stop and Shop.  All views and opinions reflected on this blog are my own and were in no way influenced by any outside party.   

Staples: A "Staple" for Your Business & Tech Needs.

I own a home business.  That said, I'm always needing something or other since there's no one to outfit the "supply closet" (ahem) other than me.  So it's no surprise that I have the nearest Staples address stored in my GPS.

I shop at Staples for the following reasons:

1. It has literally everything I need to run my business, from the little (hard-to-find) desk-calendar that I like, to the heavy stock printer paper I use, to the snacks I need to keep me fortified throughout the day. ;)
2. It's close to home.  And as the world's largest office supply retail store, it's likely that there's one close to your home too.
3. They offer UPS shipping services, which is my shipper of choice. 
4. It has reasonable prices and a selection that covers pretty much all kinds of quality, from inexpensive to awesomely fancy.

While Staples is known for its fabulous array of office supplies, many folks don't realize that the mega-retailer also specializes in electronics and technology.  My family purchased a digital camera at Staples a few years ago.  (And extra memory for it, of course.)  If you are a camcorder freak like I am, you'll love their offering of mini-recorders.  If you're not sure which one to choose, visit the Staples website and select the ones that interest you, and you will see a detailed side-by-side-comparison and your choices (COOL!).  Of course, visiting the store guarantees that one of their well-trained staff will help guide you as well.

Recently, I attended an event and walked away the proud winner of a Staples $100 gift card and an 
HP Photosmart Premium Printer.  (I know - cool, right???!!!)  While this is not a review for the printer, let me just say how much I absolutely LOVE my new HP.  I actually replaced an HP All-in-one Officejet (more expensive) but was woo'd by the fantastic photo printing feature which delivers photo-lab quality photos.  It doesn't have a fax, but my sacrifice was well worth it.  I've spent hours making photo calendars, cards, and printing pictures already.  Besides, I'm thinking the scan and email can replace the fax for the rare times I need it.

Sounds good, right?  Well, Staples is offering all you readers the chance to win a $100 gift card to their stores.  You can put it toward a new photo printer or digital camera!  A few steps to entering this one:

1. Simply comment below and let us know what you would buy.   
2. Follow @StaplesTweets.
3. Re-tweet (or cut & paste): Win a $100 Staples gift card from @alexcaseybaby! http://tinyurl.com/y9rcz5sThx @StaplesTweets! #staples100 

This contest will run until Friday, November 6th at midnight.  Only one entry per person please!

Cook Up Some Fun with Lollipop Rascals' Baking Sets!

 

We love to cook in our house.  Or I should say, I have passed down my love for cooking to my oldest daughter, who offers help to Mom for anything kitchen-related.  This includes stirring my morning coffee, shaking the salad dressing, and even pouring her own milk.  So the prospect of baking her very own cookies from start to finish excited her to no end, and well, even Mom took pride in her enthusiasm for anything culinary-related.

The baking kit came to us courtesy of Lollipop Rascals, a wonderful web-store which offers the highest quality in educational toys and gifts.  And by educational, I don't mean flash cards and numbers games.  I'm talking fabulous book sets (It's Me! is one of our favorite nighttime reads), award-winning puzzles, themed-based toys and accessories, and excellent costumes. 

But we really liked the baking set. 

In fact, we are in favor of all things cooking and baking-related so the fact that Lollipop Rascals features an entire Rascal Chefs section is more than just a little bit awesome.  Introduce your child to baking in a gentle, fun way, while still producing a delicious finished product with any one of these baking kits.  Have a budding paleontologist?  Check out the Green Dinosaur Cookie Kit.  Have a princess on your hands?  Then the Fairy Princess Cookie Kit is for her.  There's so many ways to incorporate cooking into your child's life, and Lollipop Rascals will give you many insightful ideas.  Also, many of the baking kits are now up to 45% off - so there's really no risk!

In honor of Halloween, we are happy to give away a set of Witch Pop Up Cinnamon Spice Pumpkin Cookies (beware - these are DELICIOUS!!), and Paint-Your-Own Ghost Cookies to one lucky reader.  Simply visit Lollipop Rascals, and tell us what you like best about their site.  Contest will run through Wednesday, October 28th at midnight.  Open to US residents only.

All products reviewed were provide to me at no cost by Lollipop Rascals.  All views and opinions reflected on this blog are my own and were in no way influenced by any outside party.

Flatter Yourself with "The Girls" Yoga Wear.

I have a uniform.  It's the "work-at-home-mom" uniform and I don't often stray from it.  It consists of yoga pants, a tank top, and typically a cute sweatshirt of some kind.  It doesn't look messy, and it doesn't scream "I've Given Up" in the way sweatpants do.  But it's comfortable, reasonably fashionable, and I can count on it each and every day.

I sometimes even wear a body shaper under my "outfit", if my top is fitted.  After all, gotta prove to those preschool moms that I'm actually exercising during those three hours between drop-off and pick-up.  ;)  But if I miss a day, there's now an alternative.  And it's called The Girls.  Cute name, right?  After all, isn't it typically your girls who've got your back no matter what?  And they do in this case too.

The Girls is a yoga-wear line, not unlike the stuff I wear, but it actually has tummy control.  YES!  Tummy control!!  For those of us with leftover baby pooches (and maybe some stuff from before baby - ssshhh!) who wouldn't mind a touch of help with our - ahem - problem area.  And unlike your grandmother's girdle, this stuff is built right in so other than a mild shimmy to get them on, you'll never even know it's there other than the potential for a little extra confidence.

There are a bunch of styles which include pants, shorts, and tops.  I tried the boot cut pant and the short-sleeve top.  I thought the concept was great.  Really, fabulous.  The clothes are comfortable, and definitely do what they say they do.  My only complaints are that the black didn't stay black enough for me post-wash (I'm a total stickler for this), but the affordable price point ($34.99 for the boot cut) make this item totally worth it.  My other piece of advice would to be order up a size on the tops.  I'm pretty much religiously a medium, but I found the top really stuck to my body in a way that didn't appeal to me, so I gave it to my slightly smaller friend who is enjoying it profusely.  Again - price point on this line - absolutely in line. 

Want to win your own pair of The Girls boot cut pant?  Simply visit their website and tell us which style appeals to you most.  One winner will be chosen on Monday, October 19th.  Only one entry per person please!  Only open to US residents.  

All products reviewed were provide to me at no cost by The Girls.  All views and opinions reflected on this blog are my own and were in no way influenced by any outside party.

TJ Maxx & Marshalls - Even for Shopaholics!

I'm a shopping addict.  I totally, 100% freely admit this.  I mean, I don't spend every day in stores but I love that immediate gratification that comes with finding the  perfect item and bringing it to its new home.  And the only thing sweeter than this is finding that perfect item and knowing that I acquired it by spending as little as possible.  Then it's like a gift.  A gift from the shopping Gods.

So imagine my thrill when I was treated to a mini shopping spree at TJ Maxxand Marshall's.  A few years ago, this prospect might not have resonated.  Gift cards to shop at discount stores?  What would I find there - seconds?  Cast-offs?  Stuff no one wanted?

But in recent years I've learned how entirely untrue this perception is.  TJ Maxx and Marshall's are shopping mecca's - and I mean for good, fashionable, even - dare I say it - designer stuff.   That's right - you can outfit not only yourself (and nicely, might I add) from head to toe at either of these 2 stores, but you can outfit your home with everything from linens to serving pieces to books and toys.

Did I mention the baby gear, gourmet treats, and gifts you can pick up at these stores?

And all at prices that are well below department store price tags.  I'm talking serious discounts like, 50%+ off all kinds of awesome stuff.  The Marshalls closest to where I live has this insane shoe department that could take any shoe department at any major store.  And I mean LABELS, not a collection of pleather and flastic - real shoes with real names on 'em.  Speaking of designer brands, 48 TJ Maxx stores feature The Runway, stores packed with couture items which are labeled for easy access (look for purple tags). And even you could afford them!  ;)

I saw halloween costumes at TJ Maxx that could rival those of any party store for just a few dollars.  Bedding with thread counts higher than those that reside in my own closet.  Purses with names of designers that I wouldn't otherwise go near, for fear of breaking down and breaking the bank.

Another element I have to point out is their customer service.  I purchased a pair of shoes at Marshalls for my daughter which didn't fit (so cute though!) and when I brought them back, there were no questions asked, my money returned in the way that I paid, and all in under 3 minutes.

Want a mini shopping spree of your own?  The Daily Grind is pleased to be giving away a $25 gift card to Marshall's.  See how far you can stretch a dollar and enter below!  Simply comment with the item you might shop for at Marshall's should you win.  A winner will be chosen on Monday, October 12th at midnight.  Only 1 entry per person please!

PR Fail #231

I love PR.  I used to work in PR, I count on (my own) PR for my company, and I enjoy being reached out to by PR people who wish to combine their client's products with my blog.  But man, sometimes it gets outta hand.

I mean, if you read my blog and have an iota of common sense then you know that the reviews I give and the giveaways I'm lucky enough to host are mainly the result of these PR relationships.  But you also know that something, in some way, is exchanged in order for these reviews to happen.  99.9% of the time it's a sample of the product I'm reviewing.  Just a sample, for me to test-drive, so I can bring you my sincere opinion on product x.  Just as i provide blogs with a sample when I ask them to review a product from Alex Casey Baby.

So how would you feel if you saw a review of a product here that I hadn't put my hands on?  A product that I'd seen in pictures, that I'd read about, but had never used?  I mean, what would that do to my credibility?  Would you ever trust me again?

I didn't think so.  Which is essentially what I told Ms. PR Pro when she sent this email:

Jill,

Hope you're well! I thought this line would be right up your alley for your blog..

Keeping babies and toddler cozy, warm and safe at night just got even more stylish thanks to a savvy line!

Blah Blah Blah...

Happy to share photos, or more information with you. I think your readers will adore this line and it lasts forever!

All my best,

Ms. PR Pro

 

So I responded:

 

Ms. PR Pro,

 

This line looks FAB!  Since I'm the mom of a toddler who still uses sleepsacks (and it's hard to fine ones large enough!), I'd love to review a sleepsack in the toddler section.  We can do this with or without a giveaway, but I think this will be a great success since I receive TONS of hits about swaddles and sleepsacks (and tend to write a lot about them).

Let me know if this works and we can go from there.

Best,

Jill

 

To which she replied:

 

Hi Jill,

Unfortunately at this time we do not have samples to send.  I'd be more than happy to send you photos or additional information, but at this time that's all we'd be able to do.  Thanks so much for your interest.

 

Ummm...  Did I miss something here?  I responded by letting her know that I couldn't imagine how it'd be possible to review something I hadn't seen and let her know that this might be called an advertorial.  But I'm wondering what kind of PR firm thinks this type of outreach, or more importantly, this type of review, might be all that beneficial to the client.  I'm tempted to reveal the firm that bothered with this, and the client's name too, but since that's not really my style, I digress.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

More Reasons to LOOOVE My New Appliances by Frigidaire

So I've been the proud owner of my hot new Affinity washer/dryer for about a month now, and aside from its undeniable beauty, I'm actually noticing that its beauty is not just metal deep.  These machines might be nice to look at, but they're also doing a fabulous job and they are helping my family save not just money, but also time and energy.

We are an increasingly environmentally aware family and as such, I was thrilled to do away with our previous energy-draining top-loading washer/dryer to replace with this front-loader.  What I learned in my research is that this front-loader meets or exceeds the stringent efficiency standards* put forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.  Without using all kinds of fancy language, front-loaders use about a third less water than conventional top-loaders, since the clothes are dropped into the water and use gravity to move them around.  There's also no agitator in a front-loading machine (a part typically found in a top-loader) so there's room for more clothes.  And the Affinity dryer is 7.0 cu.ft, making it the largest capacity dryer in a standard size**.  So you dry more in one round. 

Speaking of agitators, if you know anything about laundry machines (which I didn't), the mere fact that this machine doesn't have one is great news.  Agitators do exactly that to your clothes - agitate them.  They result in quicker wear and tear on your stuff, so a top-loader will treat your cute clothes (and linens) better too.

The only real downside to this is that front-loaders are typically more expensive to purchase.  But here's the thing - if you invest in a solid front-loading machine now, you are GUARANTEED to save money (not to mention energy and water) over the course of the life of the appliances.

And the last cool feature for today - you can save your settings on the machines so you don't have to fiddle with them every time you throw in a load of laundry.  I admit that this is my favorite feature in my car as well (re-setting my seat each time I get in is annoying!). 

Stay tuned for more on my fabulous Affinity appliances as they get more use.

*According to the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Star qualified appliances conserve 20 to 30 percent in energy costs over the course of one year. An Energy Star qualified washer uses 16 to 25 gallons of water per load, compared to 40 gallons used by a standard machine. Top loading energy efficient qualified washers can save 10,000 gallons of water per year and Front Loading energy efficient washing machines can save up to 12, 584 gallons of water per year.

** Based on dryers 36" or less in height and 27" or less in depth

Halloween Starts with iParty

I LOVE Halloween.  I know - I'm a thirty-something year-old mom of 2 but I can't help it.  I've always been a sucker for a day that allows us to be whomever we want to be, without the fear of judgement.  While that might say more about my character than I'd like, the bottom line is, it's true.  And I'm passing down this love for ghosts, goblins and ghouls to my kids, like it or not.

So it's about this time each year when I start thinking about what to dress my little girls as for Halloween.  In the past it was easy since they were young.  It was Mommy's choice (think Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell, and Piglet).  But now they are toddlers with their own opinions and choices so it'll be up to them what they choose.  But I know where I'll be taking them to pick their costume - iParty.

It's true that I was recently invited to an iParty blogger event intended to introduce myself and several other bloggers to the wonderful world of iParty, but let's face it, I was already a fan before I learned about the intricacies of Halloween costumes and the like.  I knew, for example, that I hadn't found a comparable selection of costumes anywhere else, and that I could spend hours perusing their adorable, hysterical, and sometimes scary stuff.  What I didn't know was that the good folks at iParty offered not just upscale Halloween wears, but that they are thinking about the average Joe with their value line ($9.99 for classic costumes like ghosts, witches, angels, skeletons, ninja which, coincidentally, are now on sale for $7.99 - WOW).  Additionally, they have costumes for kids and adults that come not just with the bare essentials, but also with accessories, because it's the accessories that make any outfit.  :)

iParty is serious about Halloween (I'm telling you, I couldn't have imagined there'd be so much to talk about).  They double-staff their stores and treat their employees to LOTS of Halloween product knowledge so you can be in and out with whatever you need.  Their mission --> to provide a broad assortment that is both utilitarian and fun.

And they're doing a great job.

For constant iParty coupons, join their Facebook group or visit their website.  Stay tuned for some great money-saving Halloween ideas!       

Your Baby Can Read!

It's back-to-school time.  Time to buy pencils, books, deal with teachers' dirty looks (or loving words about your kids... we hope!).  But what I quickly learned from being a mom to 2 toddlers - not all learning happens at school.

Our children depend on us to teach them.  In fact, it's our job to teach them, our responsibility.  And tools can help.  Our family recently received the Your Baby Can Read system, and we are having a great time with it and learning new words, sounds, letters, and more.

My 3-year-old is really into learning.  She is constantly asking me to teach her to cook (we're starting cooking classes next week!), teach her to ride a bike, teach her to read.  While the other things are within my scope, I couldn't imagine how to teach such a young child to read.

The tools provided in the Your Baby Can Read set are a huge help.  Ok.  If you check out their website, you'll see video of a 9-month-old who can recognize the words on the flash cards his mom is showing him.  My kid can't do that (and I'm not sure I'd want her to).  But she loves the interactive sliding word cards which match together words with pictures.  Some go to the next level to include actions (Arms Up!) and more advanced ideas (Pet). 

Also included in the system are 5 DVD's meant to go with the word cards.  Truth is, my toddlers didn't love them so we used the cards on their own.  Additionally it came with:

• 50 Word Game Cards
• 82 Double Sided Word Cards
• 5 Lift-A-Flap Books (which we also LOVED!!!!)
• A "My First Words" Slide and Learn book (another fave)
• A "How To" Parent’s Guide

It's interesting to see which letters my 3-year-old retains.  Also, I'm interested in the difference in upper case vs. lower case retention.  But I do know that her word to picture recognition is wonderful and expanding with more variations on words and pics she already knows.

Created by recognized expert and infant researcher, Dr. Robert C. Titzer, Ph.D, the website claims that "studies prove that the earlier a child learns to read, the better they perform in school and later in life. Early readers have more self-esteem and are more likely to stay in school."  While I'm not 100% sure that I agree completely with this general statement, I do think any early exposure to letters, reading and books can only have a positive influence on children.  So I embrace any tool that helps do this. 

In general, the system is great.  But I'm not using it to teach my toddler to read because it is my opinion that she is, in fact, too young to read.  We could easily work hard together to get her to memorize each card and use this to impress her friends and family, but instead, we are learning letters, new words, and ways to string words together.  In this capacity, Your Baby Can Read is awesome.

The system costs $199.95.  While this sounds expensive, when you break it down by piece, you're actually only spending a little more than $11 per book/DVD/card game, which is reasonable.  The company also offers a 30-day trial for $14.95 which allows you to test it out, and then they offer an installment plan should you choose to keep it.  There is also a 30-day money back guarantee.  All this to say, Dr. Titzer really believes in his product and thinks you will too. 

Win it!  The Daily Grind is happy to be giving away one Your Baby Can Read system to a lucky reader!  To enter, simply visit the website and give us your opinion of the system, and why you should win it.  The winner will be drawn at random on Saturday, September 12th at midnight.  Contest open to US residents only.  A $199.95 value!! 

Oops, I did it again.

Had a pretty serious laundry mishaps, that is.

And this happened about, ummm, two days into receiving my new Frigidaire Affinity laundry machines.  Ok.  So, since I'm not the only person who does the laundry in my house (lucky, I know), I went downstairs and saw amidst some other dirty linens, a yellow chenille blanket on the floor.  To be washed, right?

WRONG.

But before figuring this out, I happily tossed it into my new washing machine (did I mention it's red and shiny and beeyooteeful?) along with whatever other odds and ends I had to wash (I was a little laundry-happy since I had a new appliance to play with).  This included my jean shorts (am I the only person still wearing these?  Audrey??), one pair of black Hanky Panky's, and a few other items.  So I throw all these things in together (mistake #1), add a bit of HE detergent, hit a few buttons, and go off on my merry way, all the while thinking how lucky I am to have been treated to these wonderful new appliances.

I go back about an hour later to switch my stuff into my equally as beeyooteeful dryer, only to find everything is covered in yellow lint.  EVERYTHING!!  Damn that blanket!!  How dare it shed ALL OVER my entire load of laundry and throw itself even all over my gorgeous new machines?  Is there no mercy in the world?

So after a few curse words (for which I have become famous), I toss the now tattered blanket and decide what to do next.

I figure throwing the now yellow stuff back in the machine is a good idea, and give the sanitize feature a  whirl (the washer includes cycles up to 153 degrees to ensure laundry will be 99.9% bacteria free) and cross my fingers.  I return an hour later to less yellow, but still somewhat yellow stuff.

I put it through again.

It comes out clean. 

So, I'm now super grateful for this washing machine's WashSense™ technology which cleans clothes carefully and without totally mangling them.  I'm also grateful for the AWESOME dryer, which somehow got out every last bit of lint and restored my pretty things to the way they were before blanket-gate.

Is it possible to want to marry laundry appliances and live happily ever after in the damp, creepy basement?  Cuz if so, then I do.

 

(Look how pretty my new babies are...)