Stanley Steemer Review & Giveaway

May 20, 2012 By 27 Comments


When you have a house full of kids, it can often be difficult to keep your house and floors clean. For me, I find myself cleaning up all day, especially on the weekends when the whole family is home all day.

Last month I did something I have never done before. I had my floors cleaned professionally and I don’t mean my carpet. When I bought my house back in 2006, we had tile floors installed because the carpet that was in the house had to go. What I didn’t know until last month was that Stanley Steemer not only can clean your carpets, but they also have a tile and grout cleaning service too! I actually was pretty excited to find out they offered these services because my floors definitely needed a cleaning other than the basic sweeping and mopping that is done during the week.

Take a peek at this video below:

 

So last month I made a call to Stanley Steemer for an appointment and they were able to come the next day. Pretty fast service I would say. What I didn’t do was clean the floors before they came. I had the floors nice and dirty, awaiting their arrival. Take a picture of my floor before Stanley Steemer arrived.

Now look at the picture I took after they were done.

I was pretty impressed on how clean the floors looked. I normally do a quick mop job and it never comes out this sparkling clean. I am not wishing I could afford to have Stanley Steemer come out at least monthly to clean the floors to get them this clean.

Like me, many others do their best Spring cleaning, but vacuuming and cleaning machines only remove just some of the dirt, dust and particulates that can cause allergic reactions. In a recent poll commissioned by Stanley Steemer, only 19% reported ever using a professional for cleaning their floors.  To help fight the allergy season, it is recommended that you should consider a deeper cleaning at least twice a year by a professional service like Stanley Steemer that can not only help clean your carpets, but also help clean your hardwood, tile, air ducts, water damage restoration and more. Stanley Steemer’s equipment and cleaning processes have helped to remove more than 98% of dry soil from their customer’s floors!

Find out more info at: www. StanleySteemer. com or make an appointment by calling 1-800-STEEMER.

I have been given the opportunity to give one of my LUCKY readers a chance to win a $100 Gift Certificate to Stanley Steemer to try their services too! To enter my Stanley Steemer $100 Gift Certificate Giveaway, use the Rafflecopter below:

“Disclosure: The gift certificate, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Stanley Steemer through MyBlogSpark.”

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews

Last Month I Was Relaxing In Style At Global Resort Homes

May 10, 2012 By 31 Comments

If you have been reading along, you probably know that I took a trip last month to Florida for the #DisneyGlobalEvent. I have been posting all these fun posts and pictures about my trip and where we went, but haven’t said much about where I stayed during my time in Florida and where I got to rest, sleep, take a shower and all that fun stuff.

So here it is, the beautiful Global Resort Home that I got to stay in last month for almost a week!

When I found out I was going to be staying at Global Resort Homes I was more than excited. For the last couple years, I have been hearing great things about Global Resort Homes from other bloggers and I was always a little jealous that I hadn’t been able to see Florida for myself too!

For me, I don’t vacation too far from home, especially due to the fact that I have 4 children. Taking a family of 6 on a plane far away hasn’t been much of an option for us. For the last few years I have taken various trips to Southern California to visit places like Disneyland and Universal Studios which are only about an 8 hour drive away. This last month, I finally got to see fulfill one of the items in my Bucket List, to visit Florida and better yet, stay at one of those cool Global Resort Homes that my fellow blogger friends have been raving about.

On one of the mornings of my stay at Global Resort Homes, I thought I would go outside to get some fresh air. As I walk out the front door and look to the left, I see the most amazing site. Yes, a HOT air ballooon that looked to me like it was going to hit one of the houses on the street.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see hot air balloons that often. I seem them sometimes on TV, but other than that, I haven’t seen a real actual hot air balloon this close since I was a child.  I quickly ran back in the house all excited like a kid about this pretty hot air balloon going by. For those in Florida, I am sure you are used to these beauties by now, but for me it was really exciting to see.

After seeing this balloon and after conquering 8 different zip lines like a champ, I might actually add “Go on a hot air balloon in Florida” on my bucket list!

Now let me tell you more details about this house I stayed at. First of all, I would like to mention that the house is 2,812 square feet with 6  bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Since my house is about a 1/3 of the size and only has 1 bathroom, I really felt like I was enjoying my stay in luxury and think that all my future vacations should be at a resort home. With my past vacations I have stayed at hotels where I get a small room for the whole family and once the kids have fell asleep, it is usually quiet time which is no fun when you are on vacation.

On top of the 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, we also had the luxury take a dip in to this:

Having your own private pool and spa to get into is also very convenient. I actually took advantage of the spa a couple nights with my mommy blogger friends.

The house also had a game room, but with all the fun we were having, I don’t think anyone had a chance to use it. I did snap a photo to share though.

What is also neat about staying at this resort home was the full size washer and dryer. While I was there, I was able to wash my clothes since I was there almost a week and not worry about bringing home dirty laundry. There of course was a nice and beautiful kitchen as well as lots of area to relax and get on my laptop and iPad. There were TVs in the house, but I only watched it in my room at night before I went to bed.

The Global Resort Home that I stayed in happens to the in the Windor Hills. This is a gated community that offers a ton of different recreation and activities for everyone. This gated community has a children’s playground, fitness center, sand volleyball, tennis courts, a movie theater that seats 40, an arcade and more. Even though we didn’t have time to take advantage of all these amenities, they were there if we wanted to use them. What is also convenient about the Global Resort Homes at Windor Hills is the fact that staying there, you happen to only be 1.5 miles away from the gates of Walt Disney World.

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World this summer and looking for a place to stay with your family, I highly recommend Global Resort Homes.

This is just one of many beautiful Global Resort Homes that you can reserve. In addition to this home, there are other beautiful homes in the Windsor Hills community as well as many other options depending on your needs.

If you are looking to stay at something a little smaller, be sure to check out the other Global Resort Homes options available at: http://www.globalresorthomes.com.

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel & Entertainment

Mother’s Day Gift Idea: A Beautiful Bouquet From Better Homes and Gardens By FTD (Review & Giveaway)

May 9, 2012 By 21 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE flowers. I love receiving them unexpectedly and I especially LOVE the ones that my husband and son pick for me every  now and then.

Last week I received a beautiful bouquet of flowers that my friend Jen from The Suburban Mom sent my way as part of the FTD.com and Better Homes and Garden’s Pay It Forward campaign. You should have seen the look on my husband’s face when they arrived. Priceless!

FTD, celebrating over 100 years as America’s flower experts, and Better Homes and Gardens, America’s favorite home and lifestyle magazine, have partnered together to offer an exclusive collection of fresh flower arrangements and plants that are designed and delivered by an FTD florist or delivered straight from the grower in a beautiful gift box. In addition, the collection features “Editors’ Choice” arrangements, designed by Better Homes and Gardens editors. For Mother’s Day, all Better Homes and Gardens Flowers by FTD® come with an additional gift that is sure to make moms feel even more appreciated: a free one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens.

I received the FTD Blooming Vision Bouquet, which is one of the FTD and Better Homes bouquets that you can choose from that has been designed to reflect the style and elegance of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

I am glad that I received this bouquet because I happen to love pink flowers. The flower arrangement included some very pretty pink roses, tulips, carnations and daisies which are one of my favorites. This also happens to be the Editors Choice too!

This beautiful bouquet made a great display on my desk, something pretty to look at when I am working. They also would make a great gift for any mom on Mother’s Day. You still have time to order!

You might also be interested in the Mother’s Day Getaway Sweepstakes! One grand prize winner is going to receive a trip for two to Morgan Bay Beach Resort in St Lucia that includes a 4 night stay in a one-bedroom (double occupancy) Oceanview Suite that includes Morgan Bay’s all-inclusive program for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, unlimited beverages, all on-site activities, nightly entertainment, and much more. There will also be weekly winners chosen for a FTD Better Homes & Gardens Floral Arrangement too!

For more info, visit FTD at: http://www.ftd.com

Now For My FTD.com Gift Code Giveaway

One lucky winner is going to receive a $50 Gift Code to FTD.com.
Please giveaway below:

Disclosure – I received the the pretty flowers above and a gift code to FTD.com to provide you with this review. This post is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews

Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Spring Cookies Treat Jar From Personalized Creations (Review)

May 4, 2012 By 11 Comments

I LOVE to make and give personalized gifts. To me, something with my name or my children’s name always makes things a little more special.

Today I received a cute Spring Cookies Treat Jar from Personalized Creations with all 4 of my children’s names. How cute this that? Now I just got to make some cookies to put them in.

Ordering this cookie treat jar was easy on the Personal Creations website. This is a white porcelain jar that features a pastel polka-dotted border that you can personalize with any message on 1 line at the top that is up to 24 characters and then and you can add cute butterflies, hearts and flowers with names on them. They can add up to 12 cookies with up to 9 characters.

There is a variety of cute items that you can personalize to give as gifts for all occasions. Since Mother’s Day is next weekend, I thought some of you might be interested in making mom one of these too! Or making one for yourself.  :)

If mom doesn’t need a new cookie jar, there are so many other cute gift ideas for Mother’s Day that you can choose from. This was my second time ordering from them and I am very pleased with my orders.

For more info on Personal Creations, visit: http://www.personalcreations.com

Disclosure – I received the a gift code to purchase the above to provide you with this review. This post is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

Filed Under: Reviews

Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Test Drive Results #CrestSponsored

May 4, 2012 By 6 Comments

For the last month I have been using some of the Crest and Oral-B Pro Health products as part of the Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Test Drive that I have been participating in.

During this campaign, I have been trying to use the following products at least a couple times a day.

  • Crest Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control Toothpaste

  • Crest Pro-Health Clinical Rinse

  • Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss

  • Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Pro-Flex Toothbrush

I have enjoyed using these products to clean my teeth. After using the toothpaste for a couple weeks, my husband had made a comment that my teeth in front looked more white than they normally do. He didn’t even know I was using these products for this test drive. I also kept the floss in plain site in the bathroom and now my husband is addicted to flossing his teeth. He mentioned he had not flossed in years and now he is finding he is flossing every time he brushes.

My only complaints is the aftertaste in my mouth that the Crest Pro-Health Clinical Rinse leaves when I use it. At first it tastes pretty good for a mouthwash, then once you rinse your mouth there is an aftertaste that it leaves. Similar to if you were to put “peroxide” in your mouth to clean it. I will continue to use the product because it leaves my mouth feeling very clean and fresh for a long time, but for a few seconds there is a not so good aftertaste that does go away.

My two favorite products are the:

  1. Crest Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control Toothpaste

  2. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss

For more information about these products, visit the Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health Clinical Plaque Control website.

“I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Crest and Oral-B and received product samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central Consulting sent me a promotional gift to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Filed Under: Reviews

Mother’s Day Gift Idea: Culinary Edible Flower Garden From Red Envelope (Review)

May 4, 2012 By 9 Comments


For those that are unaware, Mother’s Day is next weekend. For us moms, it is a day to relax and sometimes get spoiled and pampered.

For those that like to buy unique gifts for mom, pictured to the left are a culinary edible flowers that you can grow at home with the Culinary Edible Flower Garden Edible Flower Growing Kit that is available at Red Envelope.

I am one of those moms who is always in the kitchen (even for fun) and am going to have fun growing my own culinary edible flowers to put on top of my dishes to make them pretty with this kit. Since I have a cooking/food blog, these might come in handy for my food portraits. I just can’t wait to get started. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , ,

My Experience At Boggy Creek Airboat Rides

May 3, 2012 By 28 Comments

As a child, I remember watching the show “The Everglades” with my dad. I remember watching  the show and wishing that I could ride on one of those neat airboats that you see Ron Hayes flying through the swamp waters in.

Let’s go down memory lane…

Living in California my whole life, I never had seen an airboat before, only on this show I watched with my dad. That was until last month when I took a trip to Florida and got to go on my very own airboat ride in the Everglades with Boggy Creek Airboat Rides for the #DisneyGlobalEvent. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Reviews, Travel & Entertainment Tagged With:
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