Family * Travel * Food

New $150 Amazon or PayPal Instagram Giveaway

Could you use an extra $150? Of course you can! Head over to our Instagram page and enter to win! The prize is winner's choice of $150 Amazon or PayPal cash. Good luck! 


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Fall Giveaway $100 PayPal or Amazon

Whoohoo, we are finally heading into the fall season and I am super excited about it! There are so many fun festivals and events already in the works in my city, and surrounding areas that are fall-focused. I know we most look forward to the South Carolina State Fair which Starts in early October. I can already smell the elephant ears and buttery corn-on-the-cob! 

Sticking with the fall theme, I have teamed up with a fabulous group of blog friends to bring you another great giveaway to put some extra cash in your pocket as we head into a new season. Check out the details below and enter today. Good luck! 


How to enter: There are 10 Twitter accounts. Follow one or all but the more accounts you follow the more entries you’ll receive. If you’re already a follower of an account, claim that entry! This giveaway starts September 19 at midnight EST and ends October 2 at 11:59 PM EST. Entrants must be USA residents and at least 18 years old. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The email will come from joannegreco at gmail. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The prize is $100 in Paypal or Amazon online gift card, winner’s choice.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Holiday Season Prep And Saving Money On Gifts

This is a sponsored post in partnership with CouponDash.com. All opinions are my own. 

It's so crazy to think that in a couple months, the holiday season will begin. We have a tradition every year where we go and hang out on Halloween with close family-friends and we call it our 'kick-off to the holidays'. After that it seems like we all get into go-mode and the holiday hustle and bustle gets real. There is usually so much going on for all families with school events, football season, and family gatherings.

I find myself cooking and baking a whole lot once the weather gets cooler. There is something about that autumn air that gets me in the mood to be in the kitchen even more. Last year I bought an electric pressure cooker from Amazon and it has been my go-to appliance. I have been strongly considering getting a second one since I cook multiple foods for one meal most times. This would be extremely helpful during the holiday entertaining season as well since I can only cook so many dishes at one time on a four-burner stove. I am pretty sure I will be hosting Thanksgiving, so I will have to throw around a little *hint, hint* to my husband to get me another one of these beauties. 😍
I am so happy that I have Amazon Prime so I don't worry about paying for shipping. If you don't have it, be sure to take advantage of this free 30-day trial of Prime. Aside from cooking and baking during the holidays, I stock up on off-season goods. It's amazing how much marked-down merchandise is available in stores, especially one of my favorite places, Kohl's. I love using their shopping passes and getting Kohl's cash throughout the year. I get a thrill out of buying $800 worth of merchandise for as little as $200 and sometimes, even less! Also if you don't feel like weeding through the clearance racks, you can shop online and even get free shipping. This has become my new favorite way to shop! 


The great part about clearance shopping is that some of the items can be given as gifts for the holidays. I am always down for saving money and spending as little as I can for gifts. I also like giving home baked goodies to friends and neighbors each year. They always look forward to what I send over every year. You can say that it has become a tradition! I am already looking at decorative mini loaf pans for some sort of pound cake. I know it seems so early to be thinking about all of this, but it's best to prepare early so you can fit some relaxation time in. After all, you don't want to miss out on quality time with your family and friends because you are making the mad dash at the last minute. Speaking of dash, be sure to stop by CouponDash.com for savings from tons of well-known retailers like K-Mart, Best Buy, Michaels and more. You can find pretty much any brand you are looking for and they have the coupons savings already set up for you.

Do you get ready for the holidays early? Do you have any good shopping techniques that are helpful? Please share below in the comments. Thanks for stopping by today.
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$100 Summer Giveaway- PayPal Or Amazon

Hi, everyone! How is your Summer coming along? It seems to be passing very quickly for us. Before you know it, back-to-school time will be here. I've teamed up with a group of groovy bloggers to bring you the perfect Summer giveaway. One lucky person will win the choice of $100 Amazon GC or PayPal cash. I'm sure $100 can help with groceries, clothing or school supplies. The possibilities are endless! See details below about entering and good luck!  

How to enter: There are 10 Twitter accounts. Each account is worth one entry. Follow all 10 accounts for 10 entries into this giveaway. If you’re already a follower of an account, claim that entry! This giveaway starts July 19 at midnight EST and ends August 2 at 11:59 PM EST. Entrants must be USA residents and at least 18 years old. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The email will come from joannegreco at gmail. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The prize is $100 in Paypal or Amazon online gift card, winner’s choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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I've Finally Joined The Cool Kids With Online Shopping

For those of you who really know me, you more than likely think I'm old school. Yes, I claim that title proudly! I remember around 5 years ago when everyone bragged about getting all of their holiday shopping done online in about an hour. I was so not on board with that and appreciated being able to shop physically since I like to touch and feel things. Well, this year has been big for me.

I tried out ordering groceries online last December using Kroger Clicklist and it really changed my life. I realized that I was spending way too much every time I shopped and by ordering online, I have zero temptation for all of the extra things that would usually land in my cart. I do about two big grocery orders a month and try not to make too many trips in between. So far, I have seen a huge difference in my spending. You can get the details about Clicklist here.

The other thing I did was get Amazon Prime. I usually would use the husband's or daughter's accounts since they had the student discount for the membership. Well, they eventually graduated or decided they didn't want spend the money any more, so I broke down and got it. I have to say, it was the best thing I could have done. Now I can buy all of my fresh food from my local grocery store and get all of my pantry and household staples through Amazon Pantry. I am also obsessed with Prime shipping. Seriously, free and fast shipping is life!

I probably need to watch myself with Amazon though. I seem to find everything that I can't seem to live without. I guess that defeats the purpose with saving money, huh? I realized that most everything is done online these days and I finally accepted it. Of course there will always be things that I prefer to buy in person, so I still get to be hands-on. I do feel badly for stores that have to end up going out of business because of online shopping, but you have to roll with the times. Good thing we have been buying most of our garden supplies locally from the Mom & Pop shops as well as supporting local farmers and roadside vendors. We surely don't want small businesses to suffer.

What are your shopping habits like? Are you a big online shopper or do you stick to the old school, traditional in-store shopping?
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Big Spring Giveaway $100 Amazon or PayPal

Can you all believe we are headed into spring already? I know it might not feel that way depending on what part of the country you live in. Seems like winter wintered a little late. To help you beat those last minute winter blues, we have partnered up with a great group of bloggers to bring you one very fabulous giveaway. The rules are below. Good luck :) 


How to enter: There are 20 Twitter accounts to follow and each is worth one entry into the giveaway. Follow all 20 for 20 entries into this giveaway! If you’re already a follower of an account, claim that entry! This giveaway starts March 17 at midnight EST and ends March 31 at 11:59 PM EST. Entrants must be USA residents and at least 18 years old. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The email will come from joannegreco at gmail. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The prize is $100 in Paypal or Amazon online gift card, winner’s choice.
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February Giveaway: $100 Amazon or PayPal Cash

Do you need some extra cash to help with groceries or gas? Or perhaps you have a wish list item you've been wanting for some time? Then you have to enter this giveaway hosted by myself and a group of amazing bloggers. There's a $100 cash prize up for grabs! Details are below, good luck! 


How to enter: There are 10 ways to enter this giveaway and each one is worth 5 entries. If you’re already a follower of an account, claim that entry! This giveaway starts February 13 at midnight EST and ends February 28 at 11:59 PM EST. Entrants must be USA residents and at least 18 years old. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The email will come from joannegreco at gmail. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The prize is $100 in Paypal or Amazon online gift card, winner’s choice.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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$100 Amazon or PayPal Cash Giveaway

I've teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers to bring you another great giveaway.   All you need is a Twitter account to enter. See the full details below and good luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway
How to enter: There are 20 Twitter accounts. Each account is worth one entry. Follow all 20 accounts for 20 entries into this giveaway. If you're already a follower of an account, claim that entry! This giveaway starts February 5 at midnight EST and ends February 19 at 11:59 PM EST. Entrants must be USA residents and at least 18 years old. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The email will come from joannegreco at gmail. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

The prize is $100 in Paypal or Amazon online gift card, winner's choice.
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New Year's Giveaway $100 Amazon or PayPal Cash

Happy New Year! Are you ready to start 2017 off the right way? Of course you are! Enter the latest giveaway to win the perfect prize to kick off the new year. Details below...


How to enter: There are four groups of five Instagram accounts. Each group is worth 5 entries. Follow all 20 accounts for 20 entries. If you’re already a follower, claim that entry!
This giveaway starts January 2 at midnight EST and ends January 15 at 11:59 PM EST. USA, 18+.

One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The email will come from joannegreco at gmail. The winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The prize is $100 in Paypal or Amazon online gift card.
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$130 Amazon or PayPal Giveaway

It's that time of year again-- the holiday season is here. I am pretty sure our tree will be going up the week of Thanksgiving which happens to be a couple weeks away. I have been buying up affordable gifts here and there and have them stashed away to make things a bit easier on myself. I am thrilled to be teamed up with some amazing bloggers for a BIG giveaway to help offset some of those holiday costs. You can enter to win your choice of $130 in Amazon GC or PayPal cash! I'm sure that $130 would help a whole lot. Enter below and good luck! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway starts November 11 at midnight EST and ends November 24 at midnight EST. USA, 18+. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The winner has 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on the rafflecopter after they have responded.
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$125 Amazon or PayPal Giveaway

Are you starting to feel a little chill in the air? It's time for apple picking, hayrides, and haunted houses. Don't you just love Fall? This time of year also reminds us that the holidays are right around the corner. It sneaks up on you so quickly and you want to be prepared. I've teamed up with a group of amazing bloggers to bring you a great giveaway that is perfect to help with those holiday purchases. The prize is your choice of $125 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash. I know you want to win! 

Enter here:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway starts October 16 at 12:00 AM EST and ends October 30 at 12:00 AM EST. USA, 18+. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The winner has 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter after they have responded.

Good luck!
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$100 Amazon GC or PayPal Giveaway

Hi everyone! I hope back-to-school is going well for your family. Although we home-school, we still had to adjust to the school routine. I am so excited to announce that we are doing another great giveaway along with 9 fabulous bloggers. The prize is your choice of $100 Amazon GC or PayPal Cash. Who wouldn't want to win that? 
Leave us a comment and tell us what you would do with prize if you are our lucky winner. Enter below and good luck! 
This giveaway starts August, 29 at 12:00 AM EST and ends September 12, at 12:00 AM EST. USA, 18+. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The winner has 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter after they have responded.
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Giveaway $100 PayPal Cash or Amazon GC

We have teamed up with a great group of bloggers to bring you a fun giveaway. The prize is your choice of $100 PayPal or Amazon GC. It is back-to-school time and $100 would be a big help to offset the cost of school supplies and clothing. Or perhaps you're like me and have a wish list on Amazon of some items you have been wanted for so long. This is an awesome prize, isn't it? 


I am so curious to know what you will do with the prize if you are the lucky winner. Leave a comment and let us know, then enter through the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway starts August, 1, 2016 12:00 AM EST and ends August 15, 2016 at 11:59 PM EST. USA, 18+. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The winner has 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter after they have responded.
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Twitter Loop Giveaway $100 Amazon GC or PayPal Cash

I've teamed up with a group of fabulous bloggers to offer a great giveaway on Twitter. The prize is the winner's choice of either a $100 Amazon GC or $100 PayPal Cash prize. I'm sure anyone would love some extra cash for the summer. Go enter now! 

All rules are here.
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$100 Winner's Choice (Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash) Giveaway


I've teamed up with 8 other fabulous bloggers to offer a fun giveaway for our readers. The prize is your choice-- $100 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal Cash. What would you buy if you win? Enter below: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway starts June 1 at 12:00 AM EST and ends June 15 at 11:59 PM EST. USA, 18+. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries and contacted via the email they provide. The winner has 48 hours to respond. The winner will be announced after they have responded.

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HOT! Get An Iced Tea Maker For Under $20

I have been making my own iced tea at home for as long as I can remember. Living in the south, it's referred to as 'sweet tea', and you may likely get cut if you call it iced like I do. I have a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker that was actually handed down to me a long time ago and it is seeing its last days. The pitcher has cracked and started to leak. Although I can easily order a new pitcher on Amazon, I was lucky to find a brand new unit for only $8.00 more. Check out this great deal for the Mr. Coffee 2-Quart Iced Tea Maker, Blue. It's under $20 and if you have Prime, you can get free two-day shipping.

I am thrilled that I can replace my old machine and also ordered a replacement pitcher as well (Mr. Coffee TP1-1 2-Quart Replacement Pitcher for TM1, TM1P) . If you are looking for an easy way to make iced/sweet tea, you have to get this! It makes a great gift as well. You can't beat the price and I'm excited about my gift to myself. Mine will arrive on Tuesday **insert the heart-eyed emoji here** This is the BEST way to make sweet tea, so go get one for yourself too!
*This post contains affiliate links 
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A Low-Cost Flat Iron That Works On Thick Biracial Hair

Hey there! I wanted to share my latest find that I was so impressed with, I had to write a review. My daughters have been using flat irons since the middle school days, and their very first one was a $100 CHI. It was the most amazing straightener ever and made their hair super smooth, silky and of course, straight. It lasted 2 girls with a ton of hair for about 2 years. We thought it was worth the $100 so we purchased a second one. This time it was just okay. It straightened the hair, but the plates seemed like they were not aligned evenly and it made the task harder. That one lasted a couple of years and we bought a CHI once more. For some reason this last one did not straighten very well at all. We decided to switch brands and go with Rusk. I read several Amazon reviews and the thing that made me want to buy it was the fact that many users had very thick biracial hair. I found a $199 version for $90 and decided to order it. This flat iron was hands-down the best one ever! It straightened coarse, curly hair and transformed it into a super smooth, shiny and luxurious look. It was worth the money and they girls really loved it until... Brie went away on a trip to Washington earlier this year and her flat iron never made it back home. She called the hotel twice as well as her roommates and there was no sign of it. It was barely a couple months old and I was NOT spending the money to replace it.

After doing some more research on Amazon, we found another flat iron by Rusk, this time for under $50. I figured since I was going to have Brie buy it with her own money, she may need something less expensive. It had great reviews, so we decided to order it and give it a try.

The shocking result? It worked just as well as its $199 big sister version! See how smooth and straight Brie's hair came out?


I highly recommend the Rusk W8less Professional Str8 Ceramic Flat Iron  if you are looking for a really good, inexpensive flat iron. It really is a great value! We are thinking of ordering another one to keep as a back-up. Let me know if you buy one. This is also a great gift idea!

This post contains affiliate links
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Check out the Motorola MBP36S Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor

Are you looking into purchasing a baby monitor either for yourself or as a gift? I recently got the opportunity to test out the MBP36S Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor.
Oh boy, this monitor has so many useful features. I can't believe how clear the video is. This is really helpful when you are trying to keep a close eye on baby, young children or even pets. It has a two-way audio feature allows you to clearly communicate without being in the same room. This video monitor also showcases a 3.5” full color LCD screen, remote pan, tilt and zoom functionality and infrared night vision for keeping watch in very low light levels. This expandable unit with split screen capability allows you to add up to four cameras, making it easy to check in on multiple rooms of your home. This is especially helpful if you have more than one level in your home.

I was watching my son and our puppy and I was able to adjust the camera to look at my family room from all angles and hear every word (and bark) that they spoke. If you don’t need the sound on, you can easily disable it by the touch of a button. What makes this monitor great is how user friendly it is. It took me all of 15 minutes to figure out how it works. This is an excellent buy for your home or as a gift for the very particular parents in your life. It is a bit pricey, but you get superior quality and again, you can purchase additional cameras to use at the same time in different locations of your home.
Specifics:
• Wireless technologies: 2.4 GHz FHSS
• 3.5 inch diagonal color screen
• Remote pan, tilt and zoom
• Crystal clear two-way communication
• Infrared night vision
• Room temperature display
• 5 Lullabies
• Low battery alert
• Out-of-range alert
• Expandable up to 4 cameras
• Picture-in-picture capabilities
• Suggested Retail: $239.99

The Motorola MBP36S Remote Wireless Video Baby Monitor can be purchased from Target, Amazon and other participating retail stores. 

I received a unit in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own as always. 
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Look what I won!

I just had to share my latest tech gadget that I won from a Twitter contest that was hosted by Brillo for Father's Day. I got a brand new Kindle Fire with a case/stand! I think I might be in love. I have been talking about getting one of these and I am still in shock that I ended up winning one! A HUGE thank you to Brillo for hosting this contest. I am a VERY happy mommy! Please be sure to follow Brillo on Twitter and Facebook for updates on Brillo products, cleaning tips and more!



Please leave me any app recommendations or tips so I can get the most out of my new favorite toy. Thanks :-)
Shelly, Mom Files
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