How To Treat Yourself Every Month For Only $10

Being a mom often times means that you won't buy anything that you don't need for yourself. We are always thinking of the kids and tend to put our dollars towards their needs before our own. I remember seeing several of my online friends posting their cosmetic subscriptions boxes and was so curious about signing up for myself. After much consideration, I finally gave in. I subscribed last Summer to the Ipsy Glam Bag and couldn't be happier. Honestly, I don't know why I waited so long!

Ipsy costs only $10 each month and there is no shipping fee. You get a themed bag along with 5 beauty products every month. When you sign up for Ipsy, you will set up your personal profile to include your product preferences, colors, skin tone, skin type and more. This helps Ipsy to tailor bags that will work for you. Sometimes you will get lucky and receive full-size products, but most are sample/travel size. It is a great way to try products out to decide if it is something you want to buy without being stuck paying full price for the one item.

I think for $10, this is an amazing value! I have found some really great products along the way that I love and don't feel any guilt about doing something special for myself. Also, you accumulate points from doing reviews or getting people to sign up that can be redeemed for free items. You have nothing to lose and can unsubscribe at any time. If you would like to sign up, here is my referral link. I will get points for it (no money). Below are some of my previous Glam Bags so you can see for yourself what they have inside. What are you waiting for? Treat yourself today, because you deserve it!

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SOL REPUBLIC Music Made Me Do It- The Ultimate Giveaway #MMMDI

**CLOSED**

If there is any one thing that I can think of that just about every person has in common, it has to be MUSIC. No matter what genre, artist or group, we all have songs that have have special meaning or keep us going when we need a boost. I can recall so many instances where music took over me and helped me though situations tough situations or motivated me to be the best.

I remember being a very young adult and living with a room mate. I would go to the night clubs with friends and I was known as the more shy and reserved one. The minute I would hear the bass pumping out of the speakers, it's as if something would take over me and I would be ready to hit the dance floor. While everyone else was drinking alcohol to have a good time, I was getting lost in the music. It was all I needed to truly enjoy myself. When the DJ would play "my jam", we would all run out to the middle of the dance floor and dance into the wee hours of the night. Fast forward to being a 40-something mom of 3-- music still plays a big part in my life. I have a lot of responsibility and motivation doesn't always come easy. I sometimes have big events coming up where I am in charge of organizing most of the details. I get so flustered and stressed to where I don't know where to start. I slip on my SOL REPUBLIC headphones, choose one of my favorite tunes and turn the volume up. After a few songs, I'm ready to take on those mentally draining tasks. Another time where music saves me and also encourages me is when I am working out. As long as my favorite tunes are in my ears, I push myself harder. Music makes me do it!

Right now SOL REPUBLIC is having a Music Makes Me Do It contest where they want to see you Tweet, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube-- share on social media what music makes YOU do. It can be a picture or a video, or just text-- it's up to you! All you have to do is use the hashtag #MMMDI Check out the video below...

Guess what? The amazing folks at SOL REPUBLIC are providing the ultimate prize pack for one VERY lucky Mom Files reader to win.

The prize pack will include:
1 SOL REPUBLIC Deck speaker
1 SOL REPUBLIC Punk speaker
1 SOL REPUBLIC Tracks on-ear headphone
1 SOL REPUBLIC Relays in- ear headphone
1 SOL REPUBLIC Master Tracks over-ear headphone
1 Tracks HD on-ear headphone
1 Jax in-ear headphone
This is an over $700 value! In order to qualify to win this prize, you must share a public link to your social media post and include the hashtag #MMMDI. Failure to complete the mandatory entry will disqualify you from this giveaway and extra entry options will not count. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to Canada and US Residents only and will end on November 27, 2014. One winner will be picked at random and mandatory entry will be verified. Winner will be emailed for mailing information. Mom Files is NOT responsible for prize fulfillment or for any lost, stolen or damaged prizes.

I was not compensated for this post. I am simply sharing a promotion offered by SOL REPUBLIC because I think it would interest my readers. Prize is provided by SOL REPUBLIC. 

VTech Smartwatch Sweepstakes

Does your child have dreams of becoming the next Mozart? Next President? Or a secret spy? Do they leave you in stitches or keep you constantly on your toes? I know my little one does! I find myself always thinking, "I should have recorded that moment".

Kids love to show off their playful personalities and so do their parents! That’s why VTech® wants parents and caregivers to share their “that’s my kid” moments on social media. Using the hashtag #smartwatchsweeps, parents and caregivers can share and submit images of their children showing off one-of-kind kid moments, for a chance to win a VTech Kidizoom® Smartwatch of their very own!

How to Enter:

Take a pic/video of your kids showing off their silly antics for a chance to win a VTech Kidizoom® Smartwatch! You can upload your photo to http://www.vtechkids.com/smartwatchsweeps to submit your entry or tag your photo with the hashtag #smartwatchsweeps when posting it to Twitter and/or Instagram.

At the end of every week, five entries will be selected at random to receive a Smartwatch and will be highlighted as one of VTech’s “Smartwatch Kids of the Week” on their social media channels. You can find all details and official rules to the VTech Smartwatch Sweepstakes here.

Be sure to check out my Smartwatch review here.

The information and gift card have been provided to me by VTech

Family Tailgating with Bojangles' (Reveiw & Giveaway) #TailgateEverythingPromo

Fall is all about football and tailgating. Whether you attend games in person or watch it on TV, food is a big part of it. We catch most games at home and I do my best to have good game food prepared. Sometimes I just don’t feel like cooking or even cleaning for that matter. Good thing there’s the Bojangles’ family meal that is perfect for our at-home tailgating. You can choose the 8 or 12 piece depending on the size of your party and it comes with everything you need to make your tailgate gathering easier and tastier. You can choose from their classic fixin's as they call them here in the south. They even include your choice of their Legendary Iced Tea or Lemonade as well as cups, plates and napkins.

I say YES to not messing up pots, pans, dishes or standing in front of a hot grill. For a limited time, you can order their yummy football shaped BoBerry biscuits. It works as the perfect dessert! I can see ordering a couple dozen to take into the workplace or school to share with friends. I was able to add a 6-pack of them onto my 8-piece box for an additional $1.99.

My family LOVES Bojangles' chicken and biscuits. On occasion when I take a break from cooking, it's not unusual for us to grab a family meal from there. It is also our road trip stop for breakfast.

Here are a few facts you might not know about Bojangles' chicken, biscuits or tea:

• Bojangles’ biscuits are made from scratch using fat-free buttermilk and always served warm and fresh, no more than 20 minutes after coming out of the oven. Bojangles’-certified biscuit-makers use the same recipe today that was perfected by Bojangles’ founders in 1977.
• Bojangles’ delicious bone-in fried chicken is shipped fresh daily, marinated for 12 hours, then hand-dipped and breaded.
• Bojangles’ Legendary Iced Tea is made the old-fashioned way – it’s freshly steeped tea that’s brewed every day.  
  

Bojangles’ is also holding an Instagram contest offering the chance to win a Bojangles’ Tailgate Prize Pack every week, which includes a set of cornhole boards, $100 Bojangles’ gift card and two Bojangles’ tailgating chairs. Details are on www.TailgateEverything.com – simply share a photo of friends or family tailgating with Bojangles’ on Instagram using #TailgateEverythingPromo for a chance to win!

Giveaway: I have $20 in Bojangles' gift cards to give away to one lucky Mom Files reader. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on September 30, 2014. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes.

Disclosure: I received gift cards from Bojangles' to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own as always.

Being fake can get you more likes. Say what?

Today I checked the mailbox like usual and the only thing that came was the latest copy of Seventeen magazine. I subscribe to it for my daughters because I had to use up some My Coke Reward points and figured they may like it. I know growing up, I adored Seventeen magazine along with other teen-geared publications. I mean, what girl wouldn't want to look at the latest fashion trends, make-up tips and cute boys? I glanced at the top of the magazine and it caught my eye. It read, "Pretty Selfie Secrets, Beauty tips that will get you "likes". 

 

I was really bothered by that. Why do you need selfie secrets and why does it matter how many "likes" you get? If you are a teenager, chances are that "likes" equal popularity. I just had to see what Seventeen magazine was selling our teenage girls. I saw the "Fake perfect skin" part. It gave advice on what products to use on your face to make yourself appear to have perfect skin. What on earth? Why would anybody want to give the illusion that they have perfect skin when people that know you in real life know about any imperfections you may have? The article gives more tips about make-up tricks to make you look selfie ready. 

I really thought it was sad. It tells girls that they can't be pretty as is or with minimal make-up. It sells the idea that making yourself look flawless will make people like you more (get likes). I immediately discussed this with my daughters and they were both disturbed by it all. I do my best as a mother to set a good example to my girls about being loving yourself including your flaws. Also, too many selfies make you look like a narcissist. You have to really feel badly inside if you slather on a ton of make-up and post photos of yourself fishing for media likes. And we wonder why our girls have such low self-esteem. SMH. I just had to share this.

10 Trends that need to be left in 2013

There are so many things that have been abused in 2013 that I really think should stay in 2013.

1. Wearing leggings as pants. I won't go into details with this one. I'm over it. 
2. Inserting the word "really" too many times in conversation. It is the most overused word of 2013. PLEASE stop it. 
3. Women and teenage girls and their 1,238,749,739 selfies All. Day. Long. We know what you look like. Obviously you love yourself. Narcissistic much?  
4. The mustache trend started a few years ago and I would love to see it go away for good. 
5. Over-sharing on social media. When you have to post the events of your life from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep, you have a problem! 
6. Duck lips. I know it's nothing new. 
7. Re-posting videos that exploit children. I don't need to see any toddler in a diaper nasty dancing. It's not cute! 
8. The phrase "turn up" can die.
9. Bitstrips. It was so cute for the first week. Very cute. Then all the people of the world jumped on the Bitstrips bandwagon. 
10. Instagram followers that sell "skinny wraps". No thank you. *block*

Please add anything you want to see gone before we head into 2014. 

Ouidad 2013 Holiday Kits- Eat, Drink & Be Curly!

Winter weather has already hit many cities all over the country. Colder temperatures can affect your hair, especially curls. My older daughter has been wearing her hair natural curls for about 6 months now. She was flat ironing for years and finally decided to try wearing it in its natural state. The upside to that decision is that it is so much easier than using the flat iron. The downside is that you have to use the right products to keep your curls looking soft and shiny or else you end up with a big frizz ball. She went through that awkward transition of having the outer layers look stringy since they were straight from flat iron abuse and the underneath layers had a lot more springy curls. It took about 3-4 months and her hair has almost returned to its natural curly state.

She was very excited to try out some products from the Ouidad Holiday 2013 collection called "Eat, Drink & Be Curly".  This set contains 8.5 oz sizes of Curl Quencher Shampoo, Conditioner and Gel. The retail value of these products are $54 but can be purchased in this gift set for only $40.

She posted this photo on Instagram and said, "Ouidad products are the best thing I have ever used for my curls".

I am so glad she found something that makes her hair feel soft and shiny. I highly recommend these products for anyone who needs some curl control. A little goes a long way, so I feel like that offsets the cost. Believe me, my daughter has tried everything and this is the first time she has actually been happy with the results. 

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Beginning Wednesday, November 27th though Tuesday, December 3rd, head to Ouidad.com to receive 20% off all orders during check out. 25% is also available for orders over $60! There are several Holiday Kits to choose from and they are perfect for winter upkeep.

I received products from Ouidad for review purposes. All opinions are 100% mine as always. 

Wendy's Chicken Flatbread Sandwiches #6SecondsFlat Sweepstakes #sp

Thanks to Wendy's for sponsoring this post and for the opportunity to try Wendy's Chicken Flatbread Sandwich. 

Wendy’s Flatbread Chicken Sandwiches are back for a limited time. Try both flavors, Asiago Ranch (it has bacon on it) and Smoky Honey Mustard (only 370 calories). I tried the Asiago Ranch and loved it so much! Right now 6 seconds could win you $6,000 in Wendy’s #6SecondsFlat Sweepstakes.

Tell Wendy’s what you think about their flatbreads in a Vine or Instagram video then send it @Wendys (through twitter, Instagram or Vine) with the #6SecondsFlat tag and the my custom hashtag @momfiles6. Each week of September, one lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a $6000 prize.

Visit the sweepstakes landing page for more information and view the “official rules” at the bottom of the page. Below is an example of a video I made. How easy is that?



Wendy’s is handpicking the best video entries to re-post from their official Wendy’s social media accounts to be featured on the contest website.

Be sure to check out the sample videos on the 6 Seconds Flat landing page by clicking on any of the video squares. Don't forget to include my custom hashtag as well @momfiles6.

A brand new look for Momfiles

I am so excited that after so many years, Momfiles finally got a fresh, new look! I really wanted something very simple with a tiny pop of color. I am so happy with it. A big thanks to Kreated by Kelsey for hooking me up with the new look. She's awesome!

So what do you all think of it? I still have some things to clean up so ignore the obvious broken bits.

#sponsored Get your dishes sparkling with Cascade Platinum Pacs and enter their #MyPlatinum Instagram contest

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

I want to share a confession with you all. I sometimes get so exhausted from a full day of being a stay-at-home mom and homemaker that I leave dishes in the sink overnight or even forget to turn the dishwasher on. It happens and I usually end up regretting it! I can't stand dealing with all of the stuck-on mess the next day. I received a bag of the new Cascade Platinum Pacs to try out and the first thing that stood out to me was that it was their "Ultimate clean for dishes" and required no pre-rinse, fights grease and can even power through stuck-on food particles.

I am one of those moms that rinses the heck out of everything before putting them into the dishwasher. I decided to be a rebel and put crusty, dirty dishes in the washer for maybe the first time in my life! I even dared putting my plastic storage containers with a greasy film in as well.

I popped one of the fresh smelling pacs into my dishwasher and fired it up. I had no real expectations. It seems like most brands claim to do the same as the Cascade Platinum Pacs and I always end up with a film on my dishes. This time was very different. My dishes came out absolutely sparkling and gleaming! From each pot, pan, plate, glass and flatware... all of them came out beautiful!

You see this pot? It has stuck-on rice on the bottom and it is also 18 years old. Look how shiny and clean it is! I usually have to hand wash and scrub my stainless steel pots and pans. Cascade Platinum did the trick! I couldn't be happier! My previous dishwasher detergent will be getting the boot now that I have upgraded to Cascade Platinum.  

These days, so many of us love to snap photos of our delicious dishes we have prepared to share across our social networks. Since we eat with our eyes first, presentation is everything! 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. Check out this quick video from Gail sharing some plating tips. You can also access more videos and information on the Cascade Facebook page. 

 

Right now, Cascade is having a  "My Platinum" Instagram contest to show off your sparkling dishes and glasses. 

To enter, check out the Cascade Platinum page and here is some info: 

Show Us YOUR Sparkle & Win!

So show us how sparkly Cascade® makes all YOUR pots, pans, plates, glassware and silverware!

Enter† Cascade's #MyPlatinum Instagram Contest for a chance to win a KitchenAid® Kitchen Makeover and a 1-year supply of Cascade®! Weekly entries have a chance to win a KitchenAid® Dishwasher and six-month supply of Cascade® too!

Besides being a member of Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #MyPlatinum and tag @MyCascade to be eligible to win! 

Cascade will pick 2 weekly winners each week and one final grand prize winner. You might just be one of the lucky ones! Good luck. 

My thoughts on Instagram

I remember when everyone was getting the iPhone and started using Instagram. I wanted to upgrade just to have the fun photo filters as well as my own page to share them. The thing is that I love my DROID 3 and would be too nervous to go all touchscreen. My phone has the best of both worlds with a huge touchscreen and a 5 row pull-out keyboard. I'm old school and as my friend Tanyetta would say, I love buttons! When Instagram became available on Android phones I was so excited! Finally, I could use the cool features and not have to change phones. I honestly did not understand how to use it at first and I think it was causing my phone to malfunction. I believe I have it under control now and have figured out how to use to for the most part. Knowing me, I am still doing something wrong :)

Fun at the playground. 

I don't have thousands of photos like some people do but I expect my Instagram photo account will grow. If you care to follow me you can find me under the name momfiles. I would love to follow you back! I am really enjoying looking at my friends both in real life and online share fun parts of their day through photos.