Purex No Sort for Colors (Review & Giveaway)

Laundry is a never-ending task. I think it is impossible to ever see the bottom of my laundry hamper ever again. I take any steps I can to help reduce the time I spend on laundry. Purex has come out with a new formula that features a breakthrough Anti-Color-Transfer Technology™ which traps loose dyes in the wash, and prevents them from settling onto other fabrics—leaving your clothes bright and clean without color bleeding accidents. Introducing new Purex No Sort for Colors detergent.

This was especially appealing to my teenage daughters who apparently don't think sorting is really necessary. Of course if you have a brand new bright red t-shirt, I wouldn't recommend that you just freely throw it in a wash with light colors for the first wash. We gave this new Purex No Sort a try on a load with assorted colors. I took a chance with my husband's light grey dress shirt and some bright orange, blue and green shirts that belong to my son. The end result is that everything came out bright, clean and fresh. What more can you ask for? The even better part is that Purex detergent is about half the price of other brands. With the cost of everything these days, that's a big help! I like the fact that I don't have to waste time, electricity and water on one extra little load anymore because of the major color difference.

Right now you can enter in the sweepstakes The Rules Have Changed with NEW Purex® No Sort™ for Colors Detergent!

Enter for your chance to WIN $1,000 & a year’s supply of this game-changing NEW detergent, so you can avoid extra laundry loads.

I have 2 coupons to give away to 2 Mom Files readers. Enter below for your chance to win.
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This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on April 28, 2014. Two winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex No Sort for Colors detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

Cinnamon Swirl Brioche French Toast & "Morning Toast" Beverages at IHOP for a limited time

Now, IHOP restaurants are bringing guests another delicious choice with the introduction of Cinnamon Swirl Brioche French Toast-- Three slices of thick, rich brioche bread dipped in a lightly-sweetened vanilla batter, grilled to golden perfection, layered with cinnamon roll filling, then topped with cream cheese icing.

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast joins these two current favorites:

·         Bananas Foster Brioche French Toast: Three slices of thick, rich brioche bread dipped in a lightly-sweetened vanilla batter, grilled to golden perfection, topped with a classic New Orleans Foster’s sauce made with sliced bananas caramelized in a buttery brown sugar glaze, then crowned with powdered sugar and whipped topping.

·         Berry-Berry Brioche French Toast: Three slices of thick, rich brioche bread dipped in a lightly-sweetened vanilla batter, grilled to golden perfection, topped with blueberries and glazed strawberries, then crowned with powdered sugar and whipped topping.

Guests may enjoy three slices of Brioche French Toast à la carte, as a delicious indulgent treat, or two slices as part of an IHOP Combo that includes two eggs, done the way they like them, a choice of crispy bacon, pork sausage links or a grilled ham slice, along with IHOP restaurants’ signature golden hash browns.

Guests can also lift a glass to spring with the addition of three new refreshing “Morning Toast” beverages:

·         Mango ’Mosa: Premium orange juice, sparkling lemon-lime soda and tropical mango syrup garnished with an orange wheel.

·         Orange Grapefruit Breeze: Premium orange juice, sparkling lemon-lime soda and grapefruit syrup garnished with an orange wheel.

·         Spicy Tom: Spicy tomato juice served with a lemon wedge and a crispy, hickory smoked bacon strip.

Both Cinnamon Swirl Brioche French Toast and the new Morning Toasts will be available for a limited time, through May 25, 2014.

Life is Good Coffee Review & Giveaway (2 winners) CLOSED

CLOSED-- Winners are Atasha M and Sharon H. Congratulations! 

Every single morning, I start my day with coffee. Even if I only have one cup, it is a must-have. I was so happy to receive 3 of the new coffees from Life is Good. Just the name alone makes me feel lively. Life is Good coffee comes in 5 delicious flavors--Light Hearted, Happy Medium, Dark & Daring, Banana Bread Bliss and S'more to Love. They are UTZ Certified for sustainable farming and 10% of net profits go to helping kids in need. How can you not feel good about that? 

The 3 flavors I received to try are: Happy Medium, S'more to Love and Dark & Daring. I let my hubby pick which flavor we would try first. We went with Happy Medium. We are big fans of a medium roast and this one was really good! It is the perfect well-balanced blend, very smooth yet rich at the same time. We plan to try the S'more to Love flavor this weekend. It sounds amazing!

Check out the website for coffee specials. You can also see if there are any stores in your area that carry it. I am so happy that my local Publix supermarket carries Life is Good coffee. I even saw them on sale last week. Be sure to connect to Life is Good on Facebook and Twitter for product updates and promotions. 

I am so thrilled to offer a giveaway for two lucky Mom Files readers to win 3 bags of Life is Good Coffee each. Enter below:
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This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on April 17, 2014. Two winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. *Prizes may vary. Good luck!

I received complimentary samples to facilitate my review. All opinions are mine as always. 

Marco's Pizza Review #MarcosFreshSpinach

This is a sponsored post in partnership with The Niche Parent Network & Conference and Marco’s Pizza. All opinions are my own as always.

Do you and your family love pizza, but get tired of the same old traditional varieties? Marco’s Pizza has come out with two great varieties that are sure to please your taste buds. Introducing the new Grilled Chicken Florentine Pizza. This pizza has tender grilled chicken, Parmesan garlic sauce, four cheeses, fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes, with chopped red onions on dough made daily. I really love the Mediterranean flavors including my favorite cheese, Feta! The crust is really light with the perfect chewiness. I judge all pizza by the crust and Marco’s certainly passes with flying colors! My whole family enjoyed the crust right down to my picky six year-old. I love that all of the vegetable toppings are fresh. The tomatoes are sweet and ripe, the red onions still have a bite to them and the spinach is my favorite! I very seldom find spinach as a topping choice, much less fresh spinach.

Speaking of spinach, the Marco’s Cheese Pizza topped with fresh spinach was the family favorite. It was perfect in every way. It almost reminded me of cheese bread since there was no tomato sauce on it. That is the way we like our pizza on occasion. Even my husband enjoyed it. He is a very traditional pizza eater. He goes for either cheese or pepperoni. This made me so happy that he liked the spinach. At least now I can get what I want and please him as well as the kids at the same time. This pizza should be hashtagged: #youhadmeatfreshspinach 

It’s funny, I have heard of Marco’s Pizza before and we just got two new locations in my area. The newest store is still in the grand opening stage and the other one has an actual dining room for if you want to eat in. The ordering process is simple with the option of making your order online or by phone for delivery or carryout. 

I feel like we have been missing out for too long. I did a little search to see if there is a location in our favorite beach town, Myrtle Beach and I was thrilled to see that they have a new store opening soon. My daughters have already said that they want Marco’s Pizza when we visit the beach next time. To find a location near you, go here. Be sure to connect with Marco’s Pizza on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for product updates and promotions. 

Smartfood® Delight Popcorn Review

For many years since my daughters were little, I remember them always being a big fan of Smartfood popcorn. They often took their extra money and would buy a bag from the "treat lady" at lunch time. Now Smartfood has come out with a lighter version of their delicious popcorn called Smartfood Delight. It comes in Sea Salt and White Cheddar flavors. 

What makes this version different from the original? This lighter version has only has 35 calories per cup. The best part? They taste is just as good as the original. It's nice to know that you can feel good about snacking with fewer calories. I guess this means it's okay to have a beer or glass of wine with a cup of this snacking goodness! My teenagers are so surprised that the white cheddar popcorn is a lighter version. They love it. My husband is a big fan of the sea salt. It's not too salty and it satisfies that snack craving.

Smartfood Delight contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, is gluten-free, 100% whole grain and is air-popped. 

Smartfood Delight Sea Salt popcorn: Sea salt brings out the delicious air-popped popcorn taste, making Smartfood Delight Sea Salt popcorn a great snack any time of day.
Smartfood Delight White Cheddar popcorn: With the right combination of delectable white cheddar cheese and a satisfying crunch, this classic flavor has 50 percent less fat than regular Smartfood White Cheddar popcorn.

Smartfood Delight Sea Salt popcorn is available in 5.5 oz bags for a suggested retail price of $3.99 and Smartfood Delight White Cheddar popcorn is available in 6.5 oz bags for a suggested retail price of $3.99. Be sure to stay connected to Smartfood on Facebook and Twitter for product updates and promotions.

I received complimentary samples in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own. 

Helpful Tips for Introducing a New Pet to Family or New Baby

To answer questions every pet owner should be asking when it comes to preparing for a new pet or for baby, Heidi Ganahl, CEO and Founder of Camp Bow Wow, North America’s largest and fastest growing pet care franchise and INC 5000, has some very helpful tips.

Tips for Introducing a New Pet to Family

1. Get everyone in the family on board – It is important that all of your family members are ready for the responsibility of a dog. Prior to bringing your new dog home, determine who is responsible for walks, feeding, etc., so once your pup is in the home, you are ready to get started on the right paw.

2. Head to the store – You will want to purchase items you will need for your pet prior to them coming home. You will need food, dishes, toys, cleaner for accidents, a leash and collar and more. You want to ensure that you have as much as you need.

3. Let your pet settle in – When you bring your dog home, give them time to settle in and relax, especially if you have child. It can take a new dog a few days to acclimate to their new surroundings, so give them time to de-stress.

4. Get your pup on a schedule - Dogs are very schedule-oriented, so ensuring that you get them on a routine as quickly as possible will help them understand potty times, feeding, walks and more. This will help the transition of having new pets in your home easier for the dog and your family.

Tips for Introducing Pet to Baby

1. Get started right away – Start working on helping your dog get prepared for the new little one’s arrival as soon as you know you are pregnant. If you wait until the last couple of months, you will have less time to devote to helping get your dog ready for the baby’s arrival. It will also help your dog by not overwhelming them with too many changes at once.

2. Take a training class- If your dog has not been to training in a while, it is important to take a refresher course. There are many commands that will be extremely helpful for you to use when the baby arrives. You want to ensure that your dog is able to understand your requests and respond in a timely manner once your baby arrives, so a refresher course will help both you and your dog.

3. Put the baby gate up now - You want to start teaching your dog boundaries, especially at the door of the baby’s room. You want to ensure that your four legged family member starts getting used to not being able to come everywhere with you. Practice going into the baby’s room and closing the baby gate so your dog can’t come in with you so they get used to seeing that behavior before your baby arrives. By the time your baby arrives, your dog will see it as a normal behavior and not something that is occurring just because of the little one.

4. Put baby items around the house – Start bringing in items that will be around the house when the baby arrives. Put a bouncy chair on the floor, bring in a high chair and other items. This will allow your pup to get used to seeing them. It is also a good idea to get a CD of a crying baby and baby noises and have your dog get used to hearing those.

5. Let Fido adjust to new smells – Dogs have a very keen sense of smell so it is important to bring in items that are going to be used on the baby. Purchase baby powder, some diapers, and any other items you know you will be using that have a distinct scent. Your pup will acclimate to them and they will be part of their everyday experience before the baby even arrives.

6. Quality time - Spend a minimum of 10 minutes a day doing something with your dog that they enjoy. Play fetch in the back yard, go for a ride in the car, or simply spend time petting them.

7. Buy a baby doll - You will want to practice having your dog respond to commands and displaying good manners when you are holding the baby, so there is no better way to practice than to carry a baby doll. Sit on your couch and hold and talk to the baby doll and make sure your dog sits on the floor and doesn’t try to jump up, put the baby doll in the bouncy chair and get your dog to lay down next to it. Getting your dog practicing manners right away is a must.