REVIEW: Dessert Jacs Caramel Apple Flavored Dog Treats by Bil-Jac

Today's guest reviewer knows a good dog treat when he sniffs one.  So keep reading pet lovers...

Hi Everyone. My name’s Harvey and I live in Livonia, MI.  I’m a Miniature Pinscher and I’m 16 years young. I got really lucky a few weeks ago. The nice humans from Bil-Jac sent me some complementary Halloween treats for review– Dessert Jacs Caramel Apple Flavored Treats.

Bil-Jac is a family-run and family owned company who says they are passionately committed to the health and well-being of dogs and puppies everywhere.  So I was looking forward to trying out my treats.

I’m enjoying the Dessert Jacs a lot. You should know that I’m a picky eater. Sometimes my human Mom buys me treats and I don’t like them. I act like I’m going to eat the treat but, instead, take it and hide it somewhere in the house so she doesn’t know that I think it’s yucky. Also, sometimes I eat treats for a while but then I just don’t like them anymore and stop eating them. So far, so good, though, with the Dessert Jacs. I haven’t had to find hiding places for them.

The treats are small and soft. The size is good for small guys like me. It helps me and my Mom maintain my healthy weight (9 whole pounds!). The size also makes them easier to eat. There are a lot of treats in the 10 oz. bag so they should last me a long time.

I usually don't get any Halloween treats. My Mom doesn’t share her candy with me. But this year I did get some treats and I think they’re pretty tasty. Thanks Bil-Jac.

And special thanks to my Mom Nancy for helping me write this review and to FREEISMYLIFE for giving me my 15 minutes of doggie fame.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BIL-JAC DOGGIE PRODUCTS


Enjoy!


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TECH: Uncommon iPhone Case Review + Enter the Uncommon $250 iTunes Giveaway ENDS 8/15

Laura using the Uncommon iPhone Case at BlogHer in San Diego

Laura Terbrack, tech goddess, is back with a iPhone case review from a company called Uncommon. Check it out...

When Jackie from Free Is My Life asked me to try out the Uncommon iPhone case she had received, I wasn’t jumping for joy at the idea. The problem had nothing to do with the case, but more to do with me. I’ve had the iPhone 3GS for just over 16 months and it’s never been in a case before. Not sure why, but I’m not a case type of person. Trying to keep an open mind, I decided to test it out anyway, just to see what it would be like.

Customize Your Heart Out!
The first thing that jumped out at me about the Uncommon case was the design. It’s not your typical solid color case. The Uncommon website has a tool where they let you customize your case. You can upload your own image or choose from Uncommon’s collection of artwork, which contains hundreds of different images. Jackie had picked a design called Day Owl, which looks similar to the picture shown below:

Day Owl

When I was browsing, the design that spoke most to me was one called Butterfly Blast Off. I wasn’t as enamored with the butterfly as I was the black/white coloring and the beautiful detail in the image. I could totally see something like this being on the back of my iPhone case:

Butterfly Blast Off

Something important to mention about the case design is that Uncommon is not merely putting stickers on the case and sending it out. They use a proprietary printing process to actually embed the image within the case, so that the image maintains its high-quality presentation while being durable.

Functional Details
A nice detail of the Uncommon case is the ease of putting the case on the phone (and also removing it). The case comes in two pieces, with the larger section covering about four-fifths of the iPhone, and the smaller bottom section covering the last one-fifth. Being able to remove that bottom piece really comes in handy when I want to put my iPhone on my iHome docking stand. Most continuous cases won’t give you this type of flexibility, which I appreciated.

The Uncommon case feels like it was built to withstand damage. The plastic shell, with the raised edges near the front glass, seems like it would do a decent job of protecting the iPhone if you happened to drop it. I can only say that the case seems like it would do a decent job because I wasn’t willing to test out my theory with my own iPhone. If anyone wants to send me his or her iPhone 3GS to test out, I’ll be more than happy to put my theory to the test!

The only problem I’ve encountered the entire time I’ve been using the case is the covered buttons built into the case to help protect the power button/volume buttons. The volume buttons worked fine, but I had difficulty getting my iPhone to turn off using the covered power button. I had to push very hard to get the iPhone to react, which slightly annoyed me. When I visited the Uncommon site, I was happy to see that this same model of case (the Capsule) had been modified for the iPhone 4 and gives direct access to the phone buttons – a smart move by Uncommon.

So…Should You Buy It?
If you are looking for a case for your iPhone that stands out from the rest, Uncommon is a great place to start. They offer customizable style and functionality - a combo that is not readily available for other iPhone cases sold in the marketplace today. The only thing stopping me from ordering a case of my own (available on the Uncommon web site starting at $34.95) is my hope that the iPhone 5 is right around the corner. When it does hit the marketplace, rest assured that I’ll be visiting Uncommon to design a cool case for my rad new phone!

Uncommon Facebook Giveaway
Uncommon is doing a giveaway on their Facebook page right now for a $240 iTunes Gift Card - YEAH! Click here to like them on Facebook and enter!  The contest ends on August 15th.

Disclosure: Uncommon sent FREEISMYLIFE a complimentary iPhone Case in order to try out the product and write this review.  This was not a compensated review.

======================================================
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Laura Terbrack is a wife, mother of two and a self-professed tech goddess. In addition to her busy job as an IT professional, Laura is has her own blog called "Laura in the Motor City". Follow her on Twitter at @lauramotorcity.

GAME REVIEW: "A Better World" teaches users to do Good and be Kind

A Game that Rewards You for Doing Good?  Yes, It's called "A Better World"

Back in Febuary, I started playing the Facebook game "A Better World" which was created by a company called ToonUps. In "A Better World", you get to setup a home in your own virtual world and then shop, earn money, and interact with the people in the town where you live.

I can make my avator look just like I do in "A Better World"

Earn Money By Doing Good - Love that!
I love that I was able to make my virtual self look like my real self by choosing skin color, hair color, nose, eyes, clothing - the works. Then I was given some money (hello, you know I love having money) and let loose to build my life. But the really great thing about A Better World is that you earn money from doing good! Yep, you earn Do Good Gold and Better Bucks by performing acts of kindness.

Do you have anything to be Thankful for?
There are many ways to earn by doing good in A Better World. You can go to Gratitude Grotto and write notes about all the things for which you are thankful.  You can also see the notes that other users have written about the things they are thankful for.

You can go to the post office and write Positive Posts to your friends containing words of kindness. And you can play Three Cycle, a recycling game.

Kiss the Negative Thoughts Goodbye!
My favorite thing to do is Thumping Thoughts, an Arcade game where you get to take a mallet and hit all your negative thoughts over the head. The faster you thump those negative thoughts, the more Do Good Gold you earn. You can then use your earnings to buy things for your home or clothing and accessories.  You pet lovers can even go to the Pet Shop and buy puppies, kittens and even a magical unicorn.

So if you have not already played A Better World, take a look at the game today. But don't blame me if you get hooked on doing good :)

Enjoy!


I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on A Better World. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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BOOK REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Men :10 Essential Skills, the Professional Guide ENDS 6/24 (CLOSED)

Can you imagine a grown man wearing a clip on tie? Horror!

When I was a kid, schools taught skills that were deemed "essential".  Boys had to take woodshop classes. My older sisters took required cooking classes in middle school and high school. 

Both my sisters and I had mandatory sewing classes where we learned to make our clothing (yes, I know how to make a jacket, skirt and pants from scratch folks).

As our world changes, lots of skills that were once deemed essential are no longer being taught.  Most people have no idea how to sew on a button or how to cook a meal from scratch.

Essential Skills for Men
Most boys now grow up not knowing how to tie a tie (my son included) or how to drive a manual stick shift (you can save a lot of money on your car if you know how).  Even though these skills may not be required on a daily basis, some things just don't go out of style. Can you imagine a grown man wearing a clip on tie! Horror!

Since Father's Day is this month, I have been looking for ideas for gifts that men would love (and women would love buying their men).  So when I was asked to review a new book written just for men by men, I knew I had to check it out. 

The book Men: 10 Essential Skills, The Professional Guide is written by men's neckwear designer Robert Valdes-Rodriguez who came up with a list of ten skills that he claims men can not live without. He developed his list from sharing dozens of stories over the years with his family and friends.

And what does he think are the 10 Essential Skills?  Here is the list:

 1. Tie a Tie
 2. Swing a Golf Club
 3. Play Poker
 4. Light and Smoke a Cigar
 5. Drive a Stick Shift 
 6. Propose a Toast
 7. Catch a Wave
 8. Order and Taste Wine 
 9. Mix a James Bond Martini
10. Keep the Girl

Each chapter not only gives a breakdown of how to acquire the skill, but also ends with great films highlighting that particular skill. For golf there is the classic Caddy Shack. In the Poker chapter readers learn the game is “the great social equalizer.”

Whether you agree that all these skills are essential or not, Men :10 Essential Skills, the Professional Guide is a quick fun read that is entertaining and informative. The chapter alone on how to tie a tie will keep most men off of my fashion horror list.

Men :10 Essential Skills, the Professional Guide is available on Amazon.com in both hardcover ($19.99) and Kindle ($9.99) editions. 






GIVEAWAY
Three (3) FREEISMYLIFE readers will each win a hardcover edition of Men :10 Essential Skills, the Professional Guide, a $19.99 value. HOLLA to the FREE!


TO ENTER:

 - Fill out the information in the form below.

 - One entry per person please.  Duplicate entries will be removed.

 - USA addresses only.

 - The contest ends on Friday, June 24, 2011 at 11:59am EST.

 - The winner will be selected by random number generation.

 - Prize will be fufilled to the winners by the PR company for the book.

(2) EXTRA GIVEAWAY ENTRIES

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following FREEISMYLIFE on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for tweeting the following message on Twitter "I entered the @freeismylife giveaway to win 1 of 3 copies of the book Men 10 Essential Skills http://bit.ly/iWGay0"


Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a complementary hardcover copy of the book "Men 10 Essential Skills" in order to write this review and express my unbiased opinion. I was not compensated for this post.



Random.org has spoken! Out of 58 entries, Random.org has picked the following 3 winners who will each get a hardcover copy of the book MEN: 10 Essential Skills, the Professional Guide:

#15 Nichole V. of Wayne, MI
#43 Jacqueline D. of Ferndale, MI
#50 Joe G. of Wixom, MI

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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice- ENDS 6/20 (CLOSED)

Good for You and Good to the Taste...

Last month, the BlogHer Food Conference was held in Atlanta, GA and attracted foodie bloggers from all over the country.  Though I was not able to attend, one of the BlogHer Conference sponsors, POM Wonderful, made my day by sending me a beautiful box containing samples of their many products.

If you have not guessed by now, POM Wonderful makes products that contain 100% Pure Pomegranate Juice which is said to contain superior levels of naturally occurring antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body against the effects of free radicals, which can damage cells, and play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

So for the past month, I have had the pleasure of trying out some of POM Wonderful's best selling products and I have had a blast tasting out Pomegranate products that are not only good for me, but great to my taste buds.

I had never tried 100% pomegranate juice before, so the first POM Wonderful product that I tried out was the POM Wonderful Pomegranate Cranberry Juice since I love cranberries. I loved the cranberry and pomegranate juice combo and if you love cranberry juice like I do, you will love this product. This was my favorite of all the POM Wonderful products.

The next POM Wonderful product that I tried was the LITE POM Wonderful Pomegranate Dragonfruit Juice Cocktail.  A regular serving of POM Wonderful juice is around 150 calories, but the LITE POM juice is only 80 calories per serving. The LITE POM does have a different taste from the regular, but this is a good way to get the same healthy benefits without all the calories.

The next POM Wonderful products that I tried were the POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice in the regular and concentrate versions. Both versions were very good, but I did prefer the concentrate because I can make the juice to whatever consistency that I like. The concentrate takes 4 parts water to one part POM Wonderful juice concentrate.

The last product that I was sent was the POM Wonderful Natural Pomegranate Supplement which are tablets that you can take daily that contain all the benefits of pomegranate juice, but without the calories.

I really enjoyed all the POM Wonderful products and I love that there are so many pomegranate versions to choose from that can offer great taste, health benefits, lower calories and no calories.

GIVEAWAY
One FREEISMYLIFE reader will win 4 coupons, each good for a FREE 16oz bottle of any flavor POM Wonderful Juice. Each coupon has a maximum value of $4.99 so this giveaway has a value of $20. HOLLA to the FREE!

TO ENTER:

 - Fill out the information in the form below.

 - One entry per person please.  Duplicate entries will be removed.

 - USA addresses only.

 - The contest ends on Monday, June 20, 2011 at 11:59am EST.

 - The winner will be selected by random number generation.

 - Prize will be mailed to the winner via US mail.

 - FREEISMYLIFE is not responsible for prizes that are lost in the mail.

(2) EXTRA GIVEAWAY ENTRIES

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following FREEISMYLIFE on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for tweeting the following message on Twitter "I entered the @freeismylife giveaway to win $20 in @POMWonderful Products http://bit.ly/krzteo"


Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a complementary box of products from POM Wonderful because I entered a BlogHer Food contest.  I also received coupons for FREE POM Wonderful products that I decided to giveaway on my blog. I was not compensated for this post.



Random.org has spoken! Out of 198 entries, Random.org has picked #121. Congratulations to the winner of the four POM Wonderful FREE Product Coupons - Ken D. of Phillipsburg, New Jersey!!!

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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Sugar Free Ring Pop - All the Bling without the Sugar - ENDS 6/13 (CLOSED)

All the Bling without the Sugar!

When I was a kid, my mom would not allow my sisters and I to have candy - except on special occasions. She would say that all the candy would rot our teeth so our house was pretty much candy free.

But every so often during the summer, my father would allow us to go to the "5 and dime" and buy candy.  And one of the favorite candy treats of all kids back in the day were Ring Pops where the candy was shaped like a diamond on a plastic ring base that you would wear on your finger.

It's Back - and Sugar FREE!
Sugar Free Ring Pop is a sugarless take on the classic treat kids love and comes in the flavors of Blue Raspberry, Watermelon, and Strawberry. My son loves Sugar Free Ring Pops and his favorite flavor is strawberry. This candy treat contains Splenda Brand instead of sugar so I don't have to be like my mom and worry about my son's teeth. And even though it is sugarless, they Ring Pops still have all the great taste that I remember as a kid.

Kids will love Sugar Free Ring Pop because the fun plastic ring offers tons of bling to fuel imaginations! Moms will love the plastic ring, too because it stays put on kid's hands to prevent messes, making Sugar Free Ring Pop an ideal sweet for long summer road trips. Plus, parents can rest assured knowing that long-lasting Sugar Free Ring Pop is fat free, tooth-friendly, and only contains 30 calories per pop and 0 sugar carbs!

Sugar Free Ring Pop can be enjoyed all summer and they can be used for

- Kids Parties
- Family Trips
- Kids Sports Events
- Occasional Treats
- Rewards

My son with his Strawberry Sugar Free Ring Pop

And it is not just kids who will love these Sugar Free Ring Pops.  Don't tell me kid, but my favorite flavor is still Watermelon and I have a Sugar Free Ring Pop on my finger now as I am writing this post.

Where to Buy
Look for Sugar Free Ring Pop at Walmart and BJ's stores nationwide. Sugar Free Ring Pops are also available at Amazon.com and ShopTopps.com.

GIVEAWAY
Four (4) FREEISMYLIFE readers will each win a multi-pack bag of Sugar Free Ring Pop containing one ring in each of the 3 yummy flavors.  HOLLA to the FREE!


TO ENTER:

 - Fill out the information in the form below.

 - One entry per person please.  Duplicate entries will be removed.

 - USA addresses only.

 - The contest ends on Monday, June 13, 2011 at 11:59am EST.

 - The winners will be selected by random number generation.

 - Giveaway fulfillment will be provided by Sugar Free Ring Pop or their PR firm.

(3) EXTRA GIVEAWAY ENTRIES

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following FREEISMYLIFE on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following Sugar Free Ring Pop on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for tweeting the following message on Twitter "I entered the @freeismylife giveaway to win 1 of 4 bags of Sugar Free Ring Pop http://bit.ly/mjgBV8"


Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a complementary multi-pack bag of Sugar Free Ring Pop in order to write this review and state my unbiased opinion.  I was not compensated for this post.

Random.org has spoken! Out of 96 entries, Random.org has picked the following 4 winners in the Sugar Free Ring Pop Giveaway. Congratulations to -

#30 Cheryl W. of Warren, MI
#51 Dana W. of Commerce Township, MI
#62 Heather L. of Las Vegas, Nevada
#18 Poonam G. of Schaumburg, IL


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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Simply Suzanne Granola is Yummy & Michigan Made - ENDS 6/14 (CLOSED)

Suzanne making her yummy granola

Simply Suzanne Granola is some really wonderful granola!

I am going to tell you a secret about me and granola - we usually don't mix. Of course I love the healthy aspects of granola including the whole grains and fiber content. But as a rule, I don't like eating things that taste like shredded cardboard and I have tried a lot of granola products from some major manufacturers in the past that really turned me off.

So when I was asked to try Michigan made Simply Suzanne Granola, I was really hoping that this product would be - well great - and I am happy to report that I was not disappointed.  Simply Suzanne Granola is some really wonderful granola!

Each bag of Simply Suzanne Granola is all natural and handcrafted in small batches using whole grain rolled oats. Michigan farmers and suppliers are used as much as possible in the process, too. Each batch is produced in the Detroit area, but there are also production facilities in west Michigan and a warehouse in Detroit's New Center area.

The granola comes in three sizes in four sweet and savory flavors: Original, Lotsa Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Coffee and So Very Cherry. All flavors are all natural and made without preservatives, artificial flavors, trans fat, cholesterol or high fructose corn syrup.

Simply Suzanne Granola is great to eat alone, but also wonderful to add to your morning cereal or yogurt.  Each of the 4 flavor samples that I was given were 2 oz serving portions that contain 230 calories and 5 grams of fat and 5 grams of fiber.  

Since I L-O-V-E chocolate, my favorite flavor was the Simply Suzanne Lotsa Chocolate.  The first day, I had some with my cereal at breakfast. I kept the bag at my desk at work and it was so good that I keep munching on it during the next two days until it was all gone. It was some the best granola that I have eaten. It has lots of delicious chocolate flavor and was very easy to eat (no cardboard here folks).

You coffee lovers will equally love the Dark Chocolate and Coffee flavor. Although I am not a coffee lover, I found it had such a great chocolate flavor that I did not mind the chocolate/coffee mix.

I would highly recommend Simply Suzanne Granola for the great taste. It was a pleasure eating something that is good for you and that tasted good too.  And as a die hard Detroiter, I am loving that this is a Michigan-based company that produces their product right here in the Detroit area.

For a treat that can’t be beat, try Michigan-based Simply Suzanne Granola.  To learn more about Simply Suzanne or to purchase granola, visit http://www.simplysuzanne.com/.

GIVEAWAY
One FREEIMSYLIFE reader will receive a Simply Suzanne prize pack complete with 12 oz. bags of ALL FOUR sweet and savory flavors. HOLLA to the FREE and YUMMY!


TO ENTER:

 - Fill out the information in the form below.

 - One entry per person please.  Duplicate entries will be removed.

 - USA addresses only.

 - The contest ends on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:59am EST.

 - The winner will be selected by random number generation.

 - Giveaway fulfillment will be provided by Simply Suzanne or their PR firm.

(3) EXTRA GIVEAWAY ENTRIES

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following FREEISMYLIFE on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following Simply Suzanne on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for tweeting the following message on Twitter "I entered the @freeismylife giveaway to win a $28 #simplysuzanne #granola sampler http://t.co/iLRba6w"

Goodluck!



Disclosure: I received complementary products for the purpose of writing this review and stating my unbiased opinion.  I was not compensated for this post.

Random.org has spoken. Out of 225 entries, Random.org has picked #146. Congratulations to the winner of four 12oz bags of Simply Suzanne Granola - Kristen L. of Troy, MI !!!

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Use MyCoupons® to save money everyday on your online purchases

Never buy online without searching for coupons codes on MyCoupons®

The internet is truly one of the best things that has ever happened to shopping.  Now, not only can you shop from the convenience of your home 24 hours a day, but you can also search of the best deals to buy items at the lowest possible cost.

When I buy online, I don't care how good the price it, I don't finalize my purchase until I have searched for an online coupon code so that I can get even more off a good price.

When you buy online, you will usually find a box labeled "Discount Code" on the checkout page. Most people tend to just ignore that box and proceed to checkout. But the savvy shoopers know that a discount code can save you even more off the price of the items in your online cart.

Something as simple as a Google search can yield you a discount coupon code to save you some money.  But the best coupons codes can be found from online coupon code services. There are many online coupon code services to choose from, but one of the most established in the business is MyCoupons®

MyCoupons® was formed in 1995, and is the Internet's oldest coupon, coupon code, and shopping forum related web site. MyCoupons team of 'CouponPros' scour the internet and work directly with retailers and affiliate networks to provide to you the internet's very best deals, coupons, coupon codes, and discounts.

On MyCoupons, you can find coupons for some of the biggest and most popular online websites including Walmart Coupons and Target Coupons.

MyCoupons even has coupon codes grouped by category. With Father's Day coming, I went on MyCoupons and found out they have a special Father's Day Coupons category to help you save money on lots of the things that Dad's love to get for their special day from stores including JCPenney, Kmart, and Sears.

So before you buy your next online purchase, make sure you checkout http://www.mycoupons.com/ .  After all, saving money is the name of the game. 

Enjoy!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.


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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes - ENDS 6/6 (CLOSED)

Fresh, Convenient, and Environmentally Friendly

Since my son was a baby, I have loved using moist wipes. From cleaning baby bottoms back in the day, to now cleaning hands and faces, and spills and stains, wipes have really become a necessity in my life.  I keep them in the bathroom, the kitchen and in the car.

But, keeping wipes in the bathroom has always been a small problem for me.  I want to keep them out where they can be used, but I don't have much counter space to spare.  But Cottonelle has come up with a way to solve my space problem with their moist wipes that are fresh, stylish, convenient and good for the environment.

Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes are pre-moistened and can be used instead of toilet paper to provide a more thorough cleansing and freshening than with toilet paper alone.  These wipes are great for the entire family and are alcohol-free, and sewer and septic tank safe.  I was sent a tub for review and they have a nice soft fresh scent and the tub is very easy to open and to store.

One Touch Easy Open Dispensing Tub
The Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes come in an innovative One Touch Dispensing Tub with a very large button that easily pops the lid open without fuss.  The tub has a sleek, modern design that will fit well into most room decors.

These wipes can be hung from the bathroom wall!
Since there is limited counter space in my bathroom, I love that the Cottonelle wipes come with a 3M hanger that allows the wipes to be hung on the wall next to the bathroom tissue dispenser. How cool is that?  The hanger system uses 3M Command brand stripes so you know your walls will not be damaged in any way and the tub will be mounted securely.

Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes are available nationwide in drug and grocery stores at a retail price of $2.89 for a 42 count tub.  The wipes are also available in resealable refills, reclosable pouches, and individually wrapped singles and travel pouches

Get a $1 off coupon for you - and a friend!
For a limited time, visit http://www.getfreshwithafriend.com/ to receive a $1 off coupon for a Cottonelle OneTouch Dispensing tub that comes with a Cottonelle EasyReach Hanger for you and a friend. Just provide a mailing address and your friend’s email. The offer is limited to one coupon per person with a valid e-mail address.

GIVEAWAY
Three FREEISMYLIFE Readers will each win Cottonelle Flusable Moist Wipes with the one touch dispensing tub and the easy reach 3M hanger.  HOLLA to the FREE!


TO ENTER:

 - Fill out the information in the form below.

 - One entry per person please. Duplicate entries will be removed

 - USA addresses only.

 - The contest ends on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 11:59am EST.

 - The three winners will be selected by random number generation.

 - Giveaway fulfillment will be provided by Cottonelle or their PR firm.

(2) EXTRA GIVEAWAY ENTRIES

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for following FREEISMYLIFE on Facebook.

- You can get 1 extra giveaway entry for tweeting the following message on Twitter "I entered the @freeismylife giveaway to win a tub of @CottonelleBrand Flusabable Moist Wipes http://t.co/WtXAoMA"

Goodluck!



Disclosure: I received complementary Cottonelle Flushable Moist Wipes for the purpose of writing this review and stating my unbiased opinion.  I was not compensated for this post and all opinions stated are my own.

Random.org has spoken! Out of 174 entries, Random.org has picked the following 3 winners:

#60  - Denetta W. of Warren, MI
#90  - Jennifer M. of Orion, MI
#106 - Ken D. of Phillipsburg, NJ

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Detroit's College for Creative Studies Student Exhibition - it's FUN, CREATIVE & FREE - ENDS 5/27

"Rose Glasses" Fresco by Carina Aquino

Detroit is filled with design and creativity...

On Friday, May 13th, I had the pleasure of attending the opening reception for the College of Creative Studies Student Exhibition.  The exhibition is located at the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education in the New Center area of Detroit.

This exhibition features art designs from graduating seniors and underclassmen in each of the college's degree programs. This exhibition is huge in terms of sheer volume of work and space in that it is displayed across 4 floors of the Taubman Center.

During the evening, I saw some wonderful art and met some instructors and parents that are were proud and overjoyed at the work that the students created. 

CCS instructor Sally Erickson Wilson

Instructors who keep it all in the the Family
The Taubman building is so huge that I had no idea where to start my art journey. So I was very happy when College of Creative Studies instructor Sally Erickson Wilson came up and introduced herself.  Sally has been teaching History of Modern Design, Portfolio Presentation, and Transportation Design at the college for 6 years.  Design is a family affair for Sally since she is married to Larry Erickson, the College of Creative Studies department chair for Transportation Design.

It's all about the Kids
Sally and Eric both were all smiles as they chatted with me about their students and their love of design.  They also told me how much they love teaching in metro Detroit where there is a vast amount of design resources including the Detroit Institute of Art (DIA) and The Henry Ford.  When I asked them what they liked about teaching, they both were in sync when they told me it was a pleasure to work with such talented and focused students.

Leather Car Seat & Luggage designed by Joseph Lombardi

Sally told me that I had to checkout the exhibit on the 11th floor of one of her students in Transportation Design.  She then beamed with pride as she told me about student Joe Lombardi's creation of a beautiful leather car seat and handmade luggage that would put Louis Vuittion to shame. I could not believe that a college student had designed and crafted these pieces. The photos above do not do the pieces justice.

 Shariah Butler and the Najjar Family 

Design is a Family Affair
I also met a very proud Mother, Father, and Aunt to two students enrolled at the College of Creative Studies.  Mary Najjar (photo center) is an instructor in the Continuing Education department and also the mom of photography senior Christian Najjar (right of Mary) and illustration junior Jabriel Najjar (left of Mary).  Her third child, pre-college designer Naheela Najjar, has an original dress design on display that was also shown in a photograph taken by sibling Christian.  I had noticed Christian's photography as I was browsing and it was great to meet the artist and her entire family.

Photo is part of a 3 piece set by Christian Najjar

Mary told me that she and her husband home schooled their three children and she is elated that each of her children are displaying pieces at the exhibition. According to Mary, design just seems to be in her kids' DNA. Mary's sister Shariah Butler was equally vocal in her admiration for her nieces and nephew, telling me "I love these kids!"

Shelly in Morning Glory - Marble & Bronze Casting by Alan D. Brown

"Beautiful" - Inkjet Print by Ginni Reiter

Student Andrew Langlois encouraged people to write on his art

I had a wonderful and educational time at the College of Creative Students Student Exhibition.  The exhibition is FREE and open for public viewing until May 27th and many of the design pieces are available for purchase if you see something that you love.

College for Creative Studies Student Exhibition
A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education
406 West Baltimore, Detroit
Public Viewing until May 27, 2011
Saturday - Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday and Friday 10am - 8pm

Enjoy!

Disclosure: I received media passes to attend this opening night event.

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REVIEW: Dad will love a RCA portable battery operated digital TV for Father's Day - & its 33% off

The RCA portable battery operated digital TV is a winner - and affordable!

August 14, 2003. I won't forget that date because it was the day that Detroit, along with most of the cities in the Northern and Mideastern states, went into a total blackout because of problem that started with the New York state power grid.

I rushed out of work about 4pm to drive every back street (avoiding all the non working traffic lights) to pick up my son from daycare and get home before the huge traffic jams started. Once I got home, I found out I did not have a corded telephone (all cordless folks) nor a television that did not need electricity. My status on the blackout came from calling my parents on my still working cell phone and from my neighbors.

After the electricity came back on, my father gave me a corded phone (thank goodness for dads) and I went out and bought a portable battery powered television so that I would not be without the local news stations again. That portable analog TV worked great until the digital TV switch over killed all the analog signals. Battery operated portable TV sets virtually disappeared with the transition to all digital broadcasting in 2009.

Portable battery operated TV's are Back - AND AFFORDABLE! 
RCA just released a new line of portable digital TV receivers that give access to local TV news and weather broadcasts. The new sets are small, affordable, and designed to receive local news broadcasts, emergency information, and your favorite broadcasts from TV and radio stations. Some models are equipped with reception capability for new Mobile DTV viewing that allows TV watching while moving.

"Our new Portable TVs allow viewers to experience a variety of local programming including news and weather broadcasts at any time from local TV stations," said Chris Lee, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Digital Stream, the RCA licensee for small-screen TV products. "We encourage people everywhere to be prepared for emergencies by having a battery-operated TV at the ready, and we're offering a variety of models that should be attractive for any budget."

RCA Battery Operated Portable ATSC TV - Retails for $89
RCA loaned me the Portable TV Model DHT235C which I loved.  It features a 3.5" LED backlit screen and can be powered for up to three hours with four AA batteries.  The TV is about 3.5"x5"x1" and can easily fit in your purse, briefcase or backpack.

It has standard ATSC digital reception (No Mobile DTV support), real‐time signal strength indicator, closed captioning capability, easel‐back stand, and a built-in monopole antenna with a mono speaker on the front to the unit.

VERY Easy to Setup and Use!
After I unpacked the portable TV, I inserted 4 AA batteries and turned the unit on using a switch on the back. After I choose English as my language, I pulled out the antenna and the TV did an automatic channel scan and that was it. There are easy to use buttons on the right side of the screen that I used to change the channels and turn up and sound.

The Detroit area stations that the auto scan found were WDIV-HD (Channel 4 NBC), WDIV-SD (local), WXYZ-HD (Channel 7 ABC), WXYZ-DT (local), WTVS-HD (Channel 56 - Detroit Public TV). WTVS-SD, WTVS-SD2 (Detroit Public TV - CREATE) and WWJ-HD (Channel 2). The channels were all clear although there was some distortion in the reception every once in a while.

DEAL ALERT!!!

$59.99 + FREE shipping at Radio Shack for a limited time
The new RCA Portable TV Model DHT235C is an excellent addition to a home emergency kit or just to use on the go.  It's available now in the RCA online store at a retail price of $89, which includes FREE shipping anywhere in the continental U.S.

I also found the RCA TV DHT235C online at Radio Shack for $30 off until 5/21/2011.

A Father's Day Winner!
This is one gift that Dads everywhere will L-O-V-E, but I won't tell if you also pick one up for yourself.  Watch my video review below.

Click here if Video Review is not shown


Enjoy!


Disclosure: I was loaned the RCA Portable TV model DHT235C for the purpose of writing this review and stating my unbiased opinion.  I was not compensated for this post.

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