Archive for the ‘ Reviews ’ Category

What’s YOUR Favorite?

Author: Debbie

May 23

I know. It’s been awhile since we have posted on Momma’s Choice. However, we are thinking about trying to start it up again!

We seemed to have gotten a little off course, so we would like to return to our original mission.

What moms want…and NEED.

Although I know many of you love just sharing your lives, we would like to clean up this blog and make it as USEFUL to you as possible.

How? Well, we would love any input or suggestions from you! Until that happens-at least until we see what works out, we want to share everything we find that we think you might LOVE.

What I thought I would start out with is favorite p.

Soooooo….what should we start with? I asked my son, Ben, and he suggested toilet paper! He was just trying to be funny, but I thought it was a good idea.

Sooooooo-

WHAT”s YOUR favorite toilet paper?

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10 Cold Sore Remedies That Work & a Free Sample of Lipclear Lysine

Author: Debbie

Dec 10

111 cold soreIf you have ever had a cold sore, it’s not fun. Let’s not even talk about how painful they can be, but they are so unsightly it feels like you have a flashing red light with an arrow pointing to it, doesn’t it? We have weeded out all the chaff and listed what experienced cold sore sufferers want to know: what really works. I haven’t had one in many years, but this week I had one and thought I’d find and list all the (plausible) remedies that moms (and myself) have found to be effective for those monsters that can make life miserable and make you feel like you look like a leper. Especially at that time of year EVERYBODY is taking pictures!

Everyone has their way of dealing with this atrocity, but I have not listed some of the treatments I thought were abusive or downright dangerous like using nail polish remover or popping the blisters with lancets (argh). Please, know that we are just passing along the ideas that have worked or sound safe. We are not ‘giving advice’, either. (You get my drift, right?)

There are links to more useful info at the bottom of this post AND a way to order a free sample of LipClear with Lysine Plus.

Hope this helps!

Aloe plant

1. Aloe Vera Plant Gel - A legacy left to me by my grandmother, the minute I feel the tingle of a cold sore coming on, applying some real aloe gel (from the plant in the Aloe leafwindowsill) on the ‘tingle’ always stops it dead in its tracks. Only the live plant seems to work here. I keep a live aloe plant growing JUST for this purpose (you know it’s great for burns, too). I don’t know why processed aloe has no effect, but once again, ONLY the live aloe gel from a live plant works. Have I mentioned it has to be LIVE gel? If you get cold sores, this is a remedy that really works, but only if you catch it at the very beginning. I’ll leave finding a living aloe plant up to you.

2. Lysine - Some lip balms designed to treat cold sores contain lysine, but taking lysine internally seems to be the remedy of choice. I’m sure you know about this because Lysine is mentioned in every single list of cold sore remedies we looked at, both internally and externally. The recommended amount of internal Lysine really varies, so I’m leaving that to you. Be sure to check out our link at the bottom of this post to a free sample of LipClear with Lysine+ and the coupon code to find lysine cheap online.

Foods that are high in lysine are: Dairy products; cheese, yogurt, milk, Chicken, Beef, Beets, Apricots and figs, Avocado, Apples, Soybeans, Fish.

3. Zinc – Since cold sores can be brought on by stress and/or compromised immune systems, a zinc lozenge is a good idea, too. Taking 5-10 mg is a good idea, too. Zinc is always a help in supporting your immune system when it’s struggling.

4. Licorice – An ingredient in licorice, known as glycyrrhizic acid, has been shown to actually inhibit the virus that causes cold sores. Just make sure you have real licorice, not something flavored like licorice. You can find this at Mother Nature.com. Right now, Mother Nature is offerichemist - 200 x 299ng free shipping and no tax. Use the coupon code LSAVE15 and save 15%, too.

5. Similasan Pink Eye Relief drops – This is another one I had not heard of that must be done at the first ‘tingle’ of the cold sore, and is from http://www.susangaer.com/studentprojects/coldsore.htm :

. . . drop the solution (Similasan Pink Eye Relief drops) onto the cold sore, maybe three or four times in an hour. I would gently rub the drops into the skin
and there was considerable ‘run-off.’ I would allow my lip to dry and re-apply. I noticed that the burning tingle was diminishing so
I continued until I no longer felt it.

6. Milk. This was a surprising remedy, but I guess there is an enzyme in milk that can promote healing and help relieve pain. Soak some cotton balls in milk and keep them in the refrigerator and place on the cold sore as needed.

7. Avoid foods rich in arginine.

The virus that causes cold sores evidently feeds on arginine so avoid them as much as you can. These include chocolate, grain cereals, cola, peas, peanuts, gelatine and beer. See the article on finding your triggers that cause your cold sores to prevent flare-ups. (See the list of foods high in lysine that counter the cold sore virus.

8. Abreva. Aside from the prescription solutions that many talk about (expensive, but most say it works) the over the counter Abreva has good reviews. You can find it at any drugstore and most grocery stores.

9. All the rest

Ice,, Tea Tree Oil, Emu Oil, Myrhh, cornstarch paste, CamphoPhenic, Hydrogen Peroxide are all mentioned as helpful. The first thing I do is pray! If you have something that works for you, leave a comment and share!

10. Stay Healthy (Duh…)

I know that each person has something that works for them, but the bottomline is to find and avoid your triggers and stay healthy. This time of year it’s easy to lose sleep and eat too much sugar which will lower your immune system and open you up to anything that comes around. What more can I say? You know what to do. (lots of sleep, water, fruits, veges, exercise, fresh air, wash your hands constantly, etc, etc,)

An idea to cover up cold sores effectively:

Thought it was worth mentioning this idea if you need to cover up the cold sore. I’m sure you have found that just using make-up to conceal a cold sore only brings more attention to the area. Here is an idea from http://www.susangaer.com/studentprojects/coldsore.htm that may really work:

Also as an added tip, if you need to go somewhere and need to cover it up the best way is to first put visine on q-tips and freeze them. Use one right before you are going out directly on the red mark. Then cover it up with a bit of liquid foundation. This may sound weird but it works amazingly.

Remember to change your toothbrush!

Your toothbrush can harbor the evil bacteria from the cold sore and recur. Get a new toothbrush after the blister has formed and again after the attack has cleared up. It’s worth it.

More information can be found from the websites we found most of this information:

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/home-remedies/home-remedies-for-cold-sores.htm

http://www.susangaer.com/studentprojects/coldsore.htm

A reliable overview of what exactly a cold sore is, and what causes it can be found at:

WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/tc/cold-sores-topic-overview

1112 lysineFree trial sample of LipClear with Lysine+

Free trial sample of LipClear with Lysine+ can be requested by calling: 1-800-448-1448. Just tell them you would like a free sample of the LipClear with Lysine. They are very nice and it only takes a minute. You can’t get it online, only by phone.

Save 15% on Lysine products (no tax and free shipping, too) at Mother Nature.com

You can also find Licorice, Zinc, Vitamin E, Similasan Pink Eye Drops, LipClear with Lysine + and other lysine products by just typing in “lysine’ or ‘Quantum’ (a reliable brand-they make LipClear) at Mother Nature.com. Right now, Mother Nature is offering free shipping and no tax. Use the coupon code LSAVE15 and save 15% off your entire order, too.
.

Shop for all-natural products at MotherNature.com
.

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Filed under: All, Health, Latest & Greatest, Natural Remedies, Reviews, Sales & Deals, Save Money | Tagged as: , , , ,

Reviews, Coupon Code For SantaLetters4Kids

Author: Debbie

Nov 7

santa letterOut of all the letters from Santa sites, how do you choose which one to trust with this year’s memory? I’m sure there are many other great Santa letter sites, but here at Momma’s Choice, we tend to trust moms that work at home. First of all, hopefully they are working hard to set a good work example for her kids, which we all know tend to absorb so much more just by watching us! Secondly, WAHM’s really do try harder, it’s just how we are.

That aside, we also checked her out online, and didn’t find one single negative report. Still growing after 13 years, she’s done so well, she now operates out of a separate building (still on her property). Including a coloring page and stickers with an adorable personal letter, Shannon also offers some really cute gift ideas to go along with the letter.

Some of the reviews:

The Internet Patrol reviewed a half dozen or more and cited SantaLetters4Kids their favorite.

The Classy Mommy classified them as a “Hot Find”

The Women’s Forum and The Mommy’s Playbook Forum both included SantaLetters4Kids in a (short) list of favorite Santa letter site (and mentioning how much their children loved them!)

Prices start at $8, and you can save 20% until Dec 4th on orders over $10 with the coupon code: 20PERCENT.

http://santaletters4kids.com/ *

PS-Just saw two other offerings that I thought were really cute, craft kits and personalized ornaments that look like sugar cookies. The crafts start at $3.50 each and she offers an assortment of 6 different crafts for $6.50

Christmas memories

Craft kit $4.50

marshmallow_craft

Craft kit $7.50

Ornament, $7.50

Ornament, $7.50

Craft kit $3.75

Craft kit $3.75


Are YOU a mom with a home business? Email us with some brief details on your business and any coupons or savings you’d like to share with our readers and we’ll blog it for you. We support WAHM’s!

*NOT a paid endorsement or affiliate link.

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Review, Coupon Codes For Personal Creations

Author: Debbie

Nov 3

personal creation paEveryone likes to find that extra special gift that demonstrates your feelings for a loved one and a personal creation signpersonalized product says that very…personally. It also says that the gift didn’t come from your re-gift stash! Most of all, it says you care enough to think ahead to buy their gift.

Rachael received a catalog from them and instantly fell in love with dozens of their items. So she called and we decided to do a little digging and see if their reputation was OK, and – most importantly – were there any coupon codes available? I did pick up an affiliate link, so you know up front about that-but you know we’ll be honest anyway.

Rachael really loved the ornament and photo frame selection. What I really, really, really liked is the selection of items that seemed to fit those hard to buy for people on my gift list. I think the “Family of Characters” is really cute, and it’s looking like they are pretty popular this year, and Personal Creations has a big selection of items you can put your family look-a-likes on. They say it’s exclusive to Personal Creations-but I’ve seen versions of the family characters other places, so beware of imitations. We’ll have to explore that further and let you know.

Here’s a few of the Family Characters:

FamilyofCharactersCreate your own family ornament personal creation ornamentby choosing from Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Baby Brother, Baby Sister, even a dog and a cat. You have your choice of ethnicity (Caucasian, African American or Hispanic) hair color (red, brown, black, blonde or bald) and pet color (yellow, black, grey or white). Add any 1 line message up to 20 chars.
Other Family Character selections: mugs, doormats, sweatshirts, magnets, cookie jars, cutting boards, mouse pads, note pads,gift labels-well, you get the idea. Their prices are pretty reasonable, and there is a coupon code for up to 20% off, which helps.

Some of our favorites:personal creation tray

personal creation printPersonalized Fill Our Home With Joy Print ($19.95)

Give Thanks Serving Tray ($24.95)

Wouldn’t this  make an awesome hostess gift?

Personal Creations checked out pretty good with the major review sites:

BizRate gave them an overall good rating, between 8.1 and 9.1.

Epinions gave them a 4 out of 5, with the main complaint was some minor customer service issues and high shipping charges (see coupon code for free shipping)

Pricegrabber gave them better than 4 out of 5 stars (however, it was significantly affected by a woman who gave them 3 stars out of 5 because she was on the phone too long and it made her late for a dr’s appt…I’d say that might be poor planning on her part, don’t you?)

Pros: Incredible selection, great customer service and big savings on coupon codes (that’s what got our attention!).Turnaround time is faster than any other service rated, and photo upload is easier than most. Most of the reviews raved about the cool selections, and the customer service. I didn’t see one review complaining about getting the order wrong. They only charge shipping to Illinois residents.

Cons: Confusion over shipping and personalization charges, coupon codes not working like they thought (see our note on how this can be prevented) Also, if you have a photo image put onto something, be sure it’s a good quality photo (5 megapixal or better). If there is a flaw in the picture you send, it will show up. Most of the complaints were on the prices and shipping charges-so make sure you have those coupon codes.

Coupon Codes: Make sure the code you entered adjusted the price before you check out. There is an additional $1.50 personalization fee added. If the code didn’t take, call and place your order by phone, telling the rep your problem. (just the problem with the code, not all your problems…)

personal creation ornament2

On sale, $11.98

Save 10% off any size order at PersonalCreations.com. Use code: AF0933

Save 15% off any order of $59 or more at PersonalCreations.com. Use code: AF0928

Save 20% on an order of $75 or more at PersonalCreations.com. Use code: AF0935

Save with Free Shipping on any order of $59 or more at PersonalCreations.com. Use code: AF0927

Whether you buy or not, you have to check out the Christmas Ornaments they have…(I noticed one of the clearanced ornaments were priced wrong- $59.50  instead of $5.95 -oops!

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Review, Newman’s Organic Cranberries-mmmm

Author: Debbie

Oct 30

*Note: Newman’s Own is not paying me to do this review for them! Nor did they send me free product…although I’d be glad if they did!

newmans CranbI love dried cranberries. I’ve worked very hard over the last 18 months to lose weight (total of 49 pounds so far!) and these are one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. They are a little concentrated in the calorie area, but I measure EVERYTHING! After reading that one of few organic foods that are most important critical are dried fruits due to the concentration of pesticides in the drying process, I was really glad to find these cranberries for not too much more (sometimes less!) than the non-organic ones.  Actually, I’ve found that every one of Newman’s Own (they are not paying me for this) products have been good-to-excellent.

What really got me started on dried cranberries and my search for the best deal on the best cranberry is when I started putting a few dried cranberries on my grilled chicken salads along with some toasted almonds and Newman’s Own Raspberry Walnut Dressing. (another favorite!) I discovered that there was a big difference in different brands of dried cranberries, and the difference in Newman’s Own is significant. They have much more flavor and are moist and much more plump than the others I have tried.

I can’t say I’ve tried too many brands of dried cranberries, mainly because most places don’t have that many to choose from, but Newman’s are definitely the best dried cranberries I’ve ever tasted.I know that’s just one opinion, but I’m sure you would agree. If Newman’s ever sent out samples like Kashi did, they would convert many.

Here’s just a few ideas of ways to use them: (besides on salads and straight out of the bag!)

-We put 2-3 T of cranberries in our green beans the last minute or two of cooking, and you’ll never go back to plain green beans.

-Makes a nice touch for Thanksgiving, too.  Add them to your stuffing – or sprinkle them on anything for a pretty redFamilyTable garnish.

-Use them in cookies, quick bread, not-so-quick breads, or anywhere you would use raisins.

-Put a few in your yogurt the night before, and the next morning you have a little extra treat to look forward to!

-Add to your own homemade granola or any bought cereal

-Add them instead of raisins to your homemade Cinnamon-Raisin bread and it can be a gift that won’t soon be forgotten. Throw in a few walnuts and your cranberry-walnut bread will make you famous.

OK, we’ve established that these are the tastiest dried cranberries, organic makes them more healthy, but does their price make them taboo? Not at all! I have searched online, checked the main grocery stores and once again, we’ve found the best deal with the Amazon Subscribe & Save program – which IMO I think is a great deal. However, I probably use more because I have a back stock of them in the pantry….but they’re good for you, so I really enjoy having them on hand.

Best Price Found:

We buy Newman’s Organics Cranberries, Zip Bag, 4-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)
at Amazon through the Subscribe & Save deal which takes an additional 15%off, making them $2.25/bag delivered-which would be equiv to $2.06/bag if you pay tax in Tennessee like we do. If you aren’t familiar with the Subscribe & Save deal at Amazon, we’ve outlined the main ‘just the facts about Amazon’ AND what to watch out for- in a post and a few things you might want to know ahead of time about the Subscribe & Save ordering to make it clear for you. The first time I used it I admit it was a little confusing, because the item you order gets processed by itself. I ended up with two shipments (my fault) of the same item because I wasn’t sure if it would be covered by the free shipping conditions-and didn’t realize it had checked out separately. If you’re new to the Subscribe & Save, BE SURE to read our Amazon Primer. It’s worth the little extra time to get familiar with the process, you will save money on more than just this one item. FYI- last time we were at Whole Foods, these cranberries were $4.09/bag. Plus tax.

Reviews of Newman’s Own Organic Dried Cranberries by others:

Organic Green & Natural- received an unsolicited box of Newman’s goodies and offered up an honest review of their cranberries and several other Newman’s products…(hello? Newman’s? Are you there? I’ll review anything you want to send me!)  This is a great site you’ll want to bookmark, too.

Lots of people write about adding them to their salads and such, but didn’t find any other reviews aside from Amazon’s. If you have a review on your site, or would like to submit one, leave your website address in a comment. Thanks! If you know of a brand you like better, or know where there is a better price, please tell!

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Grocery Deals at Amazon-A Primer

Author: Debbie

Oct 7

FamGroceriesYes, you read that right – groceries at Amazon.  Most people don’t realize that Amazon sells groceries, and they need to rotate their stock just like any grocer would. So, if you watch their sales and specials, you can find some amazing deals, especially in the natural foods section. Every month, Amazon runs different deals giving you $10-$40 off your purchases, and sometimes up to 70% off certain items. It does take time to weed through them to find a deal that really saves you money, so if you don’t have the time to do it, check back here and we’ll show you the one’s we found for the month. Just click on the “Amazon Deals” page.

Here’s a ‘Primer’ for those that are new to buying at Amazon:

Advantages of shopping at Amazon:

  1. You get it delivered to your door – free shipping
  2. You save sales tax, which in Tennessee is almost 10%!
  3. 5 star customer service. They guarantee your purchase, if something is wrong, they make it right – fast. We do alot of shopping with Amazon, and they rarely make a mistake, which is rare-but nice.
  4. Shop from the convenience of your computer, at any hour of any day.
  5. Shop their sales, and save on stocking up. Great for gifting, for instance: buy extra beef jerky, snack mixes and energy drinks for that hard to buy for college student!

What to watch for:

  • Make sure your product is “Super Saver Shipping Eligible”. If it is, you only need a minimum order of $25 to receive free shipping. That’s it. **BE SURE** to check you want Super Saver Shipping AND select “Group my items into as few shipments as possible” as your shipping preference. during checkout.
  • If it’s NOT “Super Saver Shipping Eligible”, watch out! Some individual merchants charge an arm and a leg for shipping, and there’s usually no provision for buying more than one product from them. Contact the merchant if you aren’t sure of the charges. (can you tell I have made this mistake?)
  • When you sign up for “Subscribe & Save”, make sure you cancel or adjust your timing if you don’t eat it as fast as you thought you would. Read more about “Subscribe & Save” below.
  • When using one of their coupon codes to get a discount, make sure you enter the coupon and it is subtracted from your total. If you have any trouble, there is a phone number to call Amazon, although they hide it well: 1.800-201-7575.

“Subscribe & Save”-What You NEED to Know!

Subscribe & Save is a service that Amazon offers their customer that puts shipment of your chosen item on a regular schedule for you. This saves you 15% off the regular price, and it can be set up for a 1, 2, 3, or 6 month rotation. If you decide you don’t want it shipped to you regularly after you have tried it, it’s easy to log into your account and cancel future shipments. So always save the 15% by signing up, just remember to cancel it later if necessary-just be sure to read the following:

It was a little confusing for me the first time I ordered with Subscribe & Save, so I thought I’d let you know ahead of time what to expect. When you order something through the Subscribe & Save option, you’ll be taken through checkout for just that item immediately. You don’t have to meet any minimums to get free shipping for that item. However, it also won’t count towards your total order for your $25 minimum for Super Saver Shipping, either. I made the mistake of making sure the item was in my cart, too and ended up with 2 shipments of that item the first time I did this! (which is one reason I’m writing this, so you don’t make the same mistake!) So, remember, if you are ordering other things, your Subscribe & Save items won’t show up in your cart with them-but they ARE on the way.

By the way, the Subscribe & Save items will probably arrive before anything else-it ships very fast. By itself.

They will ask you how often you want each individual Subscribe & Save item shipped, but it’s not in stone and can be changed at ANY time just by logging into your account. I set everything on a 6 month schedule and just reorder when I get low on an item, and while I’m there I check the timing of everything.

So, don’t forget you can cancel future shipments at any time, no penalties or scoldings…. but once it’s in your list, it makes it really easy to order again if you want. It also saves the items you don’t want to order again, which I realized the benefit of recently when I couldn’t remember the brand of a canned organic pineapple that I did NOT like that I almost made the mistake of ordering it a second time.

What’s the difference between “Super Saver Shipping Eligible” and “Prime”?

Well, “Super Saver Shipping Eligible” means the cost of that item counts towards your $25 minimum for your free shipping. There is nothing to sign up for, and it applies to everyone and anything you place in your cart that states it’s SSS (Super Saving Shipping) Eligible.

prime logo“Prime” or “Amazon Prime” means you have paid a $79 fee and any item tagged with “Prime Eligible” (no minimum required) on it ships free with 2nd day shipping. You can also upgrade to overnight shipping for just $3.99. You’re  also given until 6pm EST to receive shipping of your order that same day, whereas us normal folk only have until 3pm. This is an exceptionally nice feature to have during the Christmas season. We had a free account one Christmas season and it was amazing how fast we received our (many) orders. I really, really enjoyed it! An item we ordered on 12-22 actually arrived on 12-24. I was pleasantly surprised, because I really didn’t expect it until after Christmas.

Considering the flu epidemic this year, going out shopping is not on the top of my wish list, and will definitely bsave money2e doing much more of my shopping online this year.  I usually check Amazon anyway before I go shopping for certain items, first for the reviews, then for the prices. I have found that the majority of items can be found for less at Amazon, especially considering the savings on sales tax. The only reason I don’t purchase it at Amazon usually is because I failed to plan ahead and was in a hurry for the item. Super Saver Shipping can be slow, if a week to 10 days is slow for you to recieve an item ordered online.

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