Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue DVD Giveaway

The information and product(s)  for this Giveaway and Review were provided by Anchor Bay Entertainment. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

They’re in control and ready to roll!

I’m thrilled to share with you that the newest title in the preschool-favorite “Chuggington” DVD collection from Anchor Bay Entertainment is coming down the tracks – and is set to bring the horn-honking fun to a whole new level! Wilson, Koko and Brewster are back and raring to go in Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue! The new title features six action-packed episodes, including the never-before-seen, super-sized special set to launch on Disney Junior and Disney Channel. The new DVD also gives “Chuggington” fans the opportunity to meet new characters, including Chug Patrol Chief Jackman and super-speedy Hanzo! Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue puts its “wheels to the rails” at retailers nationwide on August 20, 2013.

 There’s more cool news, too!  To help support the release of Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue, Anchor Bay Entertainment has teamed-up with My Gym, the leading fitness center destination for children with hundreds of locations across the U.S.!  Participating My Gym locations will feature colorful “Chuggington” window clings prominently displayed in each facility as well as counter cards with coupons for a discount on purchase of the new DVD or any other “Chuggington” DVD! the “Chuggington” theme song will be integrated into gym classes and a video clip will be played on a loop on My Gym TVs – and young gym-goers also will receive “Chuggington” sticker sheets to take home after class!  The “traintastic” promotion runs through September 19, 2013.

When we opened the newest addition to Chugginton, Riley was so excited. "They are rescuers, mama!" He could not wait to watch. Needless to say, Chug Patrol did not disappoint. Riley has been watching it everyday and simply can't get enough.  One Haute Mommy gives Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue an A+.

Anchor Bay Entertainment is sponsoring a giveaway on One Haute Mommy!  One lucky reader will win Chug Patrol: Ready to Rescue as well as a special certificate for one free My Gym class and $20 off a Lifetime Membership to My Gym!  Thank you Anchor Bay Entertainment for the review DVD and My Gym Certificate and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on One Haute Mommy!  Open to US residents.

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The Daily Dupe: Urban Decay Primer Potion

The newest addition to One Haute Mommy is the Daily Dupe, a post dedicated to saving beauty-a-holics, like myself, money without sacrificing quality. "Dupe" is short for duplicate and in the beauty world dupes are products that are very similar in appearance and almost always have a wallet-friendly price tag.

Using a primer for eyeshadow makes all the difference. Primer enhances the eyeshadow so you end up using less product, achieve a more vibrant shade without creasing and it ensures that your shadow lasts all day. Urban Decay Primer Potion is by far the legend of eyeshadow primers. Urban Decay Primer Potion is well known for its silky feel and ability to make even cheap eyeshadow last all day without creasing. I have been using Urban Decay Primer Potion for years and I am absolutely in love with the product. The only drawback to Urban Decay Primer Potion is the $20 price tag. Without further adieu, welcome NYX HD Eyeshadow base.

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, not to be confused with NYX Eyeshadow base in the little white tub, is an excellent dupe for Urban Decay Primer Potion. The main difference is that NYX HD Eyeshadow Base goes on a bit wetter, therefore it needs a little bit more setting time before applying shadow. NYX HD Eyeshadow Base only comes in one shade, whereas Urban Decay Primer Potion comes in 4 shades. NYX HD Eyeshadow Base is available at Ulta for the wallet friendly price of $7. Ulta often times has coupons so chances are you will get it even cheaper!

The verdict: If you want amazing looking eyes and want to save some money definitely get the NYX HD Eyeshadow Base, the difference between the two is miniscule and you will save a whopping $13.  With that said, Urban Decay Primer Potion is still an icon in my book, but I love to save money and NYX HD Eyeshadow Base gives me the same coverage for a lot less.

The Daily Dupe: NARS Orgasm

The newest addition to One Haute Mommy is the Daily Dupe, a post dedicated to saving beauty-a-holics, like myself, money without sacrificing quality. "Dupe" is short for duplicate and in the beauty world dupes are products that are very similar in appearance and almost always have a wallet-friendly price tag.

NARS blush in the shade orgasm is an icon in the beauty world. NARS Orgasm is well known for its ability to suit all skin tones and its satiny feel. Orgasm is described as a peachy pink with subtle gold shimmer. It lasts forever, can be worn with several different makeup looks, and is easy to travel with. The only drawback is the $29 price tag. Without further adieu I would like to introduce you to NYX Pinched, described as a coral pink with gold glitter.

 NYX Pinched is a very close dupe for NARS Orgasm.  The biggest difference is that NARS Orgasm is a bit more shimmery than NYX Pinched and Pinched is not as satiny as Orgasm.  Pinched is a bit  cooler than Orgasm, but if you add an extra coat, the shades are as close to identical as you can get and NYX Pinched will only set you back $4.99.

Basically it all comes down to whether or not you want to splurge for the iconic NARS nifty packaging and satiny feel or if you're willing to give that up for the $24 in savings and very subtle difference between the shades. 

Running for my pre-anxiety life back!

I awoke this morning feeling sad and lonely.  Through all of my anxiety battles, I have lost myself.  Yet something snapped inside of me this morning.  A light-bulb lit up atop my head like in the cartoons.  I went into the garage and grabbed my jump rope and just started going.  Don't worry I closed the blinds first so none of my neighbors would see me.  And when I couldn't jump anymore, I started running.  Seriously I did from one side of my house to the other.  My dogs even joined me after looking at me like I was crazy.  I managed 10 sprints back and forth before I felt exhausted.  But I felt great.  I felt alive.  My heart was racing, I was sweating, my adrenaline was pumping and I felt great! 

I was not always an anxious mess.  When I was in high school, I played Varsity tennis all four years.  I was a cheerleader during my sophomore year as well and I worked out a lot.  When I was in the off season I would run three and a half miles every other day.  So what changed?  I did.  After high school, I stopped being active and shortly after that my anxiety started. 

Fast forward again to this morning.  After working out, I went to the kitchen and grabbed spinach leaves, kale, blueberries and strawberries and placed them in the magic bullet and made the gnarliest vegetable/fruit smoothie ever and I chugged it. 

So today was the beginning of a new phase of my life.  This phase consists of me being active and eating healthy and seeing if it makes an improvement in my anxiety.  I have a strong feeling that it will.  Did you know that people that are consistently active are 25% less likely to suffer from anxiety?  Did you know that many research studies have concluded that exercise on a regular basis can give the same if not better results that pharmaceutical anxiety medications?  I find it interesting and I am going to give it my all.  What's the worse that can happen?  I become active and tone my body up.  I will continue to post as I go.  Wish me luck!

Be a Shield: Free CPR awareness and knowledge course!

If someone in your family was in need of CPR, would you know what to do? What if your child was experiencing heat exhaustion or was choking? Would you know how to help them, or would you waste precious time waiting for someone who could help? Over 70% of adults say they don’t feel comfortable administering CPR, but that can change with you.

ACLS National, a medical certification company, is promoting a free CPR campaign called "Be a Shield" to improve awareness and knowledge of general lifesaving skills like rescue breathing and chest compressions. Through just six easy steps you can learn how to provide CPR to an adult, child, and infant. 

The Be a Shield course teaches you the basics of CPR in six easy steps and it's free.   Why wait?  Visit the Be a Shield website and learn how to administer proper CPR.  

ACLS also offers advanced courses for those of you who are required to own a card, you can visit here for more information.

I urge all of your to please visit ACLS National and take the course.  It is free and you could be a life saver!

The Dollar Store: What To Buy and What Not To Buy!

Yesterday my family and I headed out to our local Dollar Tree. As I was browsing the aisles, I noticed a lot of items that are great deals compared to local grocery stores and Wal-Mart, but I also noticed a few that were not. The dollar store can be a great place to save money if you know what to look for. I decided to compile a list of items to buy and items not to buy at your local dollar store. This list is for one dollar stores only like Dollar Tree, although I love Family Dollar and Dollar General, they are not true "dollar stores".

What TO buy:

* Batteries- Yes there are quite a few off brand batteries at the dollar store, but I often times find name brand batteries like Panasonic that contain 4 batteries for $1. You can't beat that!

* Cotton swabs are a great deal at the dollar store, I picked up a pack of 250 for $1.

* Candy- The dollar store has all sorts of candy and you can't beat the price. Chocolate, hard candy, gum, gummies, sour candy...the dollar store has it all!

* Seasonal Items- Holiday items are a great buy at the dollar store. You can buy all sorts of decorations, candy, party platters just to name a few at a fraction of the cost.

* Hurricane essentials- I live in Florida and Hurricane Season started on June 1st. The dollar store has canned goods, bottled water, candles, flash lights, batteries and several other items that are great to have on hand in the case of a hurricane or an emergency.

* Stationary items- Paper, envelopes, tape, highlighters, pens, pencils, rulers, pencil cases, markers, crayons, glue, glue sticks and note pads are a great value at the dollar store. They are typically bundled up so you get more than one for $1.

* Pregnancy tests- The dollar store has them, they work fine and are about 10 times cheaper compared to brand names. Seriously, you a peeing on a stick, save your money!

* Soap- While looking at the soaps, there were quite a few name brands and they also had the foaming hand soap with the pump bottle for $1. 

* Balloons and Party Items- Yes, the dollar store is the best place for your party needs.  Invitations, balloons, gift wrap, gift bags, cards, cups, plates, napkins, plastic utensils and more will have you saving a lot of dough!

* Beauty Essentials- Shaving gels, razors ( I found Noxzema triple blade razors with lotion strips at my local dollar store),  hair spray (yes, you can find name brands), shampoo and conditioner ( you can find name brands, toothpaste (my local dollar tree is loaded with Colgate and Crest), and even hair accessories. 

I also have started purchasing the fabric basket at my local Dollar Tree for my munchkins toys.  I actually found some really cute polka dot pattern ones that match Brianna's bedroom.  I have had them for over a year now and they are holding up well.  I picked up some blue and khaki ones for Riley's room too.  I also found a mesh laundry hamper at the Dollar Tree for Riley's room.  All of the centerpiece vases from my wedding were purchased at the dollar store along with the glass beads and tea light candle holders.  Yes, I saved a ton of money and got a lot of compliments.  No one knew that they were from the dollar store!

What NOT to buy:

* Trash bags with the exception of bathroom trash bags (the bathroom trash bags are a great deal and they are scented) are not a good deal. The dollar stores trash bags are typically for a quantity of 8 which is not a good deal. Unless you just need enough to get through the week until payday, do not buy kitchen or lawn trash bags at the dollar store.

* Ziploc bags- Much like the trash bags, the quantity that you get is not a good deal.

* Aluminum foil- The package is deceiving, you do not get a lot.  Always read the sq ft to see what you are actually paying for. 

Keep in mind that each dollar store carries different items and the items change frequently.  The best way to know if you are getting a good deal is to get familiar with your local grocery stores prices and quantities.  Just because something is $1, does not always mean that you are getting a good deal.  Feel free to post below and tell me your favorite dollar store finds.  

Health/Beauty Freebie: Always and Tampax Radiant Sampler Kit

Hey freebie lovers, head over to the Always website to request your free Tampax and Always sampler pack. I have received this sample before and it usually includes a wristlet, scented pad,  unscented liners, and unscented tampons and good money saving coupons!