Private Selection-A BzzAgent Report

I am a BzzAgent. What does that mean? BzzAgent is all about social advertising. I get to try samples of products (sometimes full size!) and report to the companies who provide them-free of charge!-as well as spread the word (my opinion) to my friends & acquaintances. Almost always I am provided with coupons to pass out as well J

Interested in becoming a BzzAgent yourself? Find out more here: BzzAgent.com

So today I’m reviewing 3 products from Kroger’s Private Selection brand. Now, I actually shop at Payless which is under Kroger’s umbrella. In other areas of the country, your store may have a different name.

Loaded directly onto my saver’s card were coupons for three free items: a Private Selection Pizza, a Private Selection Appetizer and a Private Selection Dessert. Brianna and I went in the store yesterday afternoon, chose our free products, scanned them at the self-check station, scanned my card and walked away with my free items. Oh, and I also received a coupon for $3.00 off my next grocery purchase…how sweet is that?!

We chose the Margherita Napolitano pizza. It looked good on the box and we both like mozzarella & tomatoes. The pizza looked good coming out of the box, baked up quickly in the oven and was cut into 5 good-sized wedges. Retailing for around $5, this was a huge hit with Andrew and everyone agreed it was very tasty!

For the appetizer, we chose the Mediterranean Inspired Hors D'Oeuvres collection. These were puff-pastry in delightful shapes filled with yummy stuff like mushrooms, spinach & artichoke, and sun-dried tomato. Retailing for $7.00 for 9 pieces, I found these to be pricey but absolutely as delicious as anything I’ve ever had in the finest restaurants I’ve been to. I won’t be buying them every week but they would be a nice treat for an in-home date night with Dr. Love. They baked up easily in the oven very quickly too.

Our dessert choice was the cream puffs. We left them on the counter to thaw while the pizza & appetizers cooked. Brianna melted a chocolate bar and drizzled it over them and they were wonderful! Again, as good as anything I’ve had in a restaurant! These retail for $5 and there were easily 35 in the box!

As always, I have coupons to share-this time they’re $2.00 each! And with the holidays coming up, don’t hesitate to pick up any of the wonderful Private Selection frozen foods to serve and enjoy!

Teens/Children and Internet Security

When Miss B and Charlie were younger, it took a long time for me to let them access the internet without me right by their side the entire time. I progressed to letting them surf pre-approved sites but absolutely NO SEARCHING!

About three years ago, Miss B wanted her own facebook page and Dr. Love and I made her register under her nickname and our last name (which is different than hers). We weren't sure what facebook was all about and we wanted to maintain her anonymity. And there was the caveat that we knew her login and password information. A few months later, we were more comfortable when Charlie joined and he's under his own name.

When the kids got phones, we wrote up call & text usage rules, explained them in great detail, made them explain them in return and made them sign their names to the rules. One of those rules is that Dr. Love or I can (and do) check the text messages sent/received at any given time and woe to you if you've deleted your entire in/out box!

So when I was given the opportunity from BzzAgent to join a campaign for TrueCare Awareness Online I was not of a mind to be a part of the free, 3-month trial subscription. But then I decided to try it just to see what it's all about.

This is how it worked: As a BzzAgent, I was given a free, 3-month trial subscription to the TrueCare program. In return for the free subscription, I was asked to evaluate the program and share my opinion with my friends. Hence this blog post :).

I signed up with TrueCare, gave them Miss B's online subscription logins, etc... and then began receiving alerts when certaiin words & phrases showed up in her posts, notes and comments. Suprisingly to me, I got alerts when she used the word "fire." She was quoting song lyrics about God's refining fire. I got others alerts as well, she once wrote of "hating" something, but there was never anything that was truly inappropriate for her to write. I do like that any alarms words/phrases written by anyone else on her page show up in alerts as well.

I realize that not all parents are as vigilant as I am. I am blessed that Miss B's & Charlie's relationships with Dr. Love and I are good ones. I don't seem to have sneaky kids. (I believe I know why but that's a topic for a different post altogether!). So, I think the TrueCare Awareness Program can be of good value for some parents. The cost is low, only $10/month.

I don't plan to continue the service once my trial period is over. I still have a good handle on the kids' friendships, internet usage, etc... But I do recommend it for anyone who is looking for a little extra help!

Felted Wool

I must admit to being enamoured of late with felted wool. This post on The Purl Bee blog is gorgeous and I would dearly love to make one of these! Just look at this! The textures, the colors, swoon......

Root Candles

If you know me at all, you know that I simply adore candles. I, like many others, am a candle aficionado. I almost always have several candles burning at once around my home-sometimes the same fragrance, sometimes differing fragrances so that I catch wonderful scents as I move about from room to room. I am a bit of a candle snob....they don't have to be pretty or cost an arm & a leg or be any certain brand, but they DO have to make my entire home smell good!

I have what Miss B refers to as a “candle closet” (see picture). She loves to come from school or a weekend away to our home and its’ wonderful aromas. She says that’s one of the best things in life. She has friends who comment about how our home always smells great! Once she lent a friend her jacket and was told it smelled good...just like her house!

And, if you know me at all, you know that I am a BzzAgent. I've talked to you about CoverGirl products, cleaning products, Dr. Scholl's products and may others. As a BzzAgent I have the opportunity to join in on "campaigns" promoting certain products and I receive a free sample of the product to try and coupons to pass around to my friends. And the more I try and the more I share, the more "perks" (that's BzzAgent speak for goodies) I gain!

So now BzzAgent is offering a chance to get into a campaign that I haven't been specifically invited to join. If I can persuade Jono to let me in, I'll get to try Root Candles and share my results!

Why should Jono add me to the campaign? Because I have many friends who use candles also. Many more than who try new cosmetics or new cleaning products. If he adds me to the campaign and there are coupons involved, I will give them away within days and Bzz my brains out as I do J!

So Jono, how about it? Pretty please will you let me in?

Miss B Started Her Own Blog...

...and you can read it here. I admit to prodding her just a little to start it. She has several friends who blog and since she has such wonderful writing skills (I know, I'm biased!) and is funny & wise, I really think she needs the creative outlet writing a blog provides. I also helped her get it started-just some basic how-to's.

Of course, I had no idea that her first post would be about me and it embarrasses me a little and thrills me too. So head on over to Buttercup's Crayon Box and leave her some love!

And by the way, I'm officially on vacation for the next 12 days and can't wait to spend some time with my Dr. Love!

Leslie

Sewing & Other Stuff

I've been on a bit of a sewing kick for a while now.

I made two skirts at Easter time for the daughter-of-my heart Mimi Flope who is also Miss B's best friend and has been pictured a time or two in the past history of this blog.

Then I made a dress for Miss B, altering it from the pattern.

Then I used some fabric I had purchased over two years ago and made a gown & robe for myself...but I'm not thrilled with them....the fabric is stiffish with no give.

Then I bought a really great book from Amazon and made a sweet top & diaper-cover for one of my SmallPeoples clients for her birthday.

I have three skirts cut out for Miss B. She chose all the fabrics. Two of them use the same pattern and she & I are going to each sew one at the same time in order for her to begin sewing clothes. She's been doing bags and pillows on her own for quite a while now.

I have bought 3 cute dress patterns for myself and have been reading a lot of sewing blogs and perusing lots of fabric sites.

Yesterday I ordered this voile fabric pictured at left and can't wait to get it and start sewing the pattern pictured above. I'm planning to make view "c" entirely of this yummy print! I hope to post a picture of it when I've finished.

Miss B. is currently on a missions trip with 14 other teens in her youth group in Staten Island, New York. They are partnering with some missionaries there in a Liberian area. She is having the time of her life!

Charlie is taking her place working with me in her absence. It's been fun having him hang out with me these last few days. He even changed his first diaper (not soiled, of course).

What have you been up to?
Leslie

Happy Summer!

I'm still alive....

busy with my husband
busy with my teens
busy with SmallPeoples House
doing a bit of sewing
in a book club
enjoying the pool every now & then
living life together with my immediate family, my church family, my neighbors