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BlogEnergizer, Questions Answered!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (1)

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Today’s post is going to be a little different. Recently, the good folks at BlogEnergizer.com have offered to write any blog an exclusive interview so I said yes and here’s the interview with team leader, Lynette Chandler.

I hope you find lots of good information in it as I have and don’t forget to vote for me because the interview with the most votes will win some cool prizes. – Brandy

How did BlogEnergizer start?

One of the things I started to notice early on is the value of guest blogging. Whether it is us appearing as a guest on other people’s blogs or finding guest bloggers for our own blogs. The problem was, there wasn’t really a good place to find such people or announce your availability. It is different now, you have more avenues but when we started it was quite different.

On top of that, I saw a lot of awesome goodies like PDF reports, freely downloadable audios, software, checklists or printables being created by people to help promote their brand. But not many bloggers were taking advantage of them.

So the idea was born to create an avenue to tell people where all this good stuff can be found and freely shared on their blogs plus help connect bloggers for mutual benefit. And all this helps provide content for blogs because that was another thing we kept hearing too. I don’t know what to blog or what to share and we thought these were great catalysts or idea starters even if you don’t want to share the goodies.

How many people does it take to run BlogEnergizer?

Right now we have a writer who comes up with all the awesome blogging ideas every month for our premium members. We have a researcher who finds all the good stuff for bloggers to share or write about every week and then there’s me. I just write the emails… ok I’m kidding. I’ll take the lead directing what kind of topics we should cover, write the emails, keep a look out for goodies and also good topic ideas.

Occasionally we may bring on more people like a graphic designer to handle small jobs but they aren’t there on a regular basis. Only a small team of three but we love to make waves.

What are the different ways that BlogEnergizer can help bloggers?

As members, you can expect:

Goodies like downloadable books, audios or printables, special offers and mindmaps that bloggers can freely share with their readers.
To save time by seeking out people who are available for interviews or guest blogging and let you know about them.
To receive information about people looking to interview you.
To be notified when someone is looking for guest bloggers – that could be you.
Our premium members also get to receive blogging prompts every month – enough to fill every single day of the month and not have to think of ‘what to blog about’ again.
We also help them spread the word when they are running contests, webinars, promotions – like this interview project, seeking guests and more.

Does BlogEnergizer offer an affiliate program?

Yes, absolutely. You’ll go to http://TechBasedAffiliates.com to learn more about the program.

Can BlogEnergizer help bloggers make money?

Not directly. We don’t offer any learning or business opportunity that promise you any income. That’s not what we do. However, in the blogging prompts that our Premium members receive every month, we do provide suggestions how and what to monetize the posts with. We also highly encourage our Premium members to create goodies like shareable ebooks, reports, audios and videos that contain their offers so other members can share them and eventually trickle back to the originating site.

The core of what we do is help you get content ideas and promote yourself. Using your own marketing knowledge and skills, you can then turn that content or idea into an opportunity to promote an affiliate product or your own offers, if you choose to.

I’d like to invite you to come join us for free to experience what we do for yourself at http://blogenergizer.com/ and if you liked this interview, help Brandy out vote for it at http://blogenergizer.com/teip-vote

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This Weeks Great Deals and Savings!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

Here are some awesome deals and coupons I found for this week! Be sure to check them all out! Christmas will be here before you know it, so start saving now!

Vistaprint – Anniversary Sale! In Celebration of their 10th Anniversary, Get their Top 10 Products for FREE. Customize your FREE Business cards, Return Address Labels,Postcards, Rubber Stamps, Banners, Photo Calendars, Pens, Sticky Notes, T-Shirts, and Mugs!

Colgate – SmileTalk! Sign up for Colgate® SmileTalk® and gain access to over $8 in coupons, special offers, product previews and feedback opportunities.

JCPenney – Sign up for JCPenney emails and receive great online offers and valuable in-store coupons.

Arm & Hammer Coupon – Sign up for up to $10.50 in coupons from Arm & Hammer® Clumping Cat Litter.

Free Coupon Alerts - Click here to sign up for Free Coupon Alerts. They are always updating with the latest coupons available online. They cover Printable Coupons, E-coupons and much more. Don’t Miss a Coupon again with Free Coupon Alerts.

NPD Online Research – Join the NPD Online Research Team today by signing up and completing your member profile. Members earn points redeemable for prizes and cash, as well as cash prizes and other giveaways. Last month over 75 $100, 5 $1000, and a $5000 cash prizes were awarded. This month members could win a Caribbean cruise, 42″ plasma HDTV, or a mini laptop in addition to other cash prizes.

I’ll keep my eye out with some more offers to share with you!

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Mmmmm Mmmmm, Breakfast Smoothies!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (1)

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

I’ve told you all I am a huge fan of smoothies. I love them! In fact before I was diagnosed with the tumor I was living off of them. Seriously, I couldn’t keep anything down so a smoothie was the only thing I could atleast absorb a little nutrition from before losing it.

Sorry, maybe too much information?

Anyhow, I was asked to check out some recipes by Kim, the private chef at Daymon Worldwide.

The catch was I could only use the store brands to make the recipes I chose. That’s easy for me since that is how I normally shop for most items on my list.

First recipe on the list….a Breakfast Smoothie! So that was my first pick!

Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

Makes 2 smoothies

Half a Banana
4 -6 frozen strawberries
½ c plain yogurt
½ – 1 c orange juice
1 Tbsp Flax seeds
1 Tbsp whey protein powder

In a blender add the banana, strawberries, yogurt, and orange juice. Blend until smooth. Add the flax seeds and whey, blend until evenly distributed and enjoy!

Try to mix it up a bit using other fruits — whatever you have will work but here are some options:

Fresh blueberries, frozen raspberries & pomegranate juice
Fresh strawberries, frozen peaches & orange juice
Fresh bananas, frozen mango, & pineapple juice

We added peaches to ours and wheat germ as well. Definitely an awesome morning pick me up! The Orange Juice adds all the sweetness and there is no need for anything extra. All of the fruits, juices and yogurt were store brand. The wheat germ was not, but we already had it on hand. This is a great, healthy low cost smoothie.

We also picked up the ingredients to make Whole Wheat Pancakes with Walnuts & Mixed Berries. I haven’t made this one yet, but wanted to include the recipe for you to try.

Whole Wheat Pancakes w/Walnuts & Mixed Berries Drizzled with Powdered Sugar Recipe

Servers 4 – 6

1-½ c old-fashioned oatmeal
1-½ c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp teaspoon salt
1-½ c 1 % low fat buttermilk
¾ c low fat milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 egg
2 – 3 tsp honey
3 tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
½ c mixed berries, anything you have (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, mangos etc.) If using frozen fruit, thaw first.
1 – 2 tbsp powdered sugar

Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a separate bowl, combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Use another bowl to combine buttermilk, milk, oil, egg, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Stir in nuts and some of the mango, if using.

Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet; cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown.

Top with fresh berries and drizzle with powdered sugar. If you’re a nut lover you can crumble a handful of toasted nuts on top.

Morgan is wanting to prepare this one…she is a much better pancake maker than I am! So I’ll let you know how it is once she makes them. Tomorrow is kind of looking like a pancake kind of day. Our internet has been up and down all last week and into this week. Phone goes out, Cable television goes out and the Internet goes out. So not cool! So I apologize for the neglect of my blog recently. Can’t a girl just catch a break???

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Freebies for You!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (1)

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

To get you started, here’s a free sample of Nature’s Bounty of adult gummy multi-vitamin supplements – with extra fiber.

Need a pedometer? Be sure to grab this free pedometer, from Nature’s Bounty, to track your daily progress.

If it’s hot where you are like it is here, all that walking may cause chafing so be sure to have a sample of Anti-Chafing Gel, from Lanacane™, handy.

As an adult I have more breakouts that I did as a teen! If acne breakouts are getting you down, a free sample of the new Oxy Clinical product might be right for you. Sample includes a face wash, hydrating therapy and clearing treatment.

While we’re talking skin, you’ll want to keep your youthful appearance with these Borba Skin Balance Aqualess Crystalline drink mixes.

Are your kids into the Jonas Brothers? Get this free Jonas Brothers calendar!

Here’s a free celebrity cookbook for you to download. Be sure to check out the heart trivet on the thankyou page!

You can get a few Nexcare bandage samples for emergencies.

Last, but certainly not least, for those days when you simply cannot deny your aging body (or incontinence), here’s a sample of Attends. I may need these for Brandcation!

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Disney Live is Coming to Allen, TX!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

How exciting! Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show is coming to Allen, TX on October 17th, 2010! Check out the information below!

WHAT:

Hit the road with Mickey Mouse and your favorite Disney friends for a hilarious talent search in Disney Live! Mickey’s Rockin’ Road Show! Produced by Feld Entertainment, this stage spectacular features classic Disney characters in an all-new adventure with an original storyline that will delight the entire family.

Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy set out on a zany road trip where audiences join in and help find the coolest acts around. Along the way, hit a high note with Cinderella; get your bounce on with Tigger; and shout out your loudest “yee-haw” at a hoedown with Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear from Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story! Grab your family for a fun-filled getaway at this live, show-stopping adventure jam-packed with unexpected twists, turns and hijinks —right in your hometown!

Special bonus! Starting fifteen minutes before every show, sing, dance and play along at the Playhouse Disney Pre-Show Party! This interactive experience features a live host and video highlights from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Handy Manny,” “Imagination Movers,” “Special Agent Oso” and “Jungle Junction.” Free to all ticket holders.

For more information, visit www.disneylive.com or visit us on Facebook and YouTube.

WHERE:

Allen Event Center
200 East Stacy Road, Ste. 1350
Allen, TX 75002

WHEN:

Sunday, October 17
12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6:30pm

TICKETS:

Beginning Saturday, September 18, tickets are available at www.alleneventcenter.com, the Allen Event Center box office or charge by phone at 1-866-443-8849. Ticket prices are $60 (Front Row), $45 (VIP Floor) and $35.

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Custom Water Bottles from SIGG

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Re-usable bottles are all the rage these days. As people learn about being healthier and the ways a re-usable water bottle can help you with that.

In our house I notice the girls are more likely to drink more water if they have their own special water bottle to drink from. We have a stash of them now and take them with us everywhere.

So imagine how cool they would think it was if they had a water bottle that was personalized just for them! That is where SIGG has gone in updating the water bottle. You can now customize them with your own designs and photos. They call them SIGGskins.

What is a SIGGskin?

SIGGskins are full-color, photo-quality vinyl wraps that personalize your SIGG bottle. Featuring a unique Peel & Stick formula, SIGGskins are easily applied and removed leaving no residue. Create your own one-of-a-kind design using the SIGGskins dynamic customizer which allows you to quickly upload photos, add images, create text and much more. Add a SIGGskin to your SIGG and make your bottle an authentic expression of you. All SIGGskins sizes are only $12.95 for a limited time.

We received a SIGG water bottle to review. It’s black with a very girlie pink design. I love the cap! It has a flip lid to keep it clean, then you can twist it open. This is very easy for Lauren, my 6 year old to use. She claimed this one for herself.

It feels good knowing that I am taking steps to ensure my girls are getting safe drinking water. I fill them with filtered water and I don’t have to worry about chemicals seeping into what they are drinking.

SIGG has a water bottle for everyone, with over 100 different shapes and styles. The SIGG bottles are constructed from a single piece of pure aluminum. They were also named “The World’s Toughest Bottle” by Backpacker Magazine! With active kids like mine, you need the world’s toughest water bottle for sure!

SIGG bottles are environmentally friendly. You are going to be reusing it for years to come! The bottle itself is also 100% recyclable.

If you are looking for something different for this school year, this is it! Create a one of a kind bottle for your kids to carry daily. They’ll love it! SIGG also has handy aluminum lunch boxes!

You can visit SIGG to find out more by clicking here.

I was not compensated for this post. I did receive a SIGG bottle to facilitate my review.

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Getting in Shape with Your Wii!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

So since my surgery I am taking slow steps to get in shape. The massive rate that the tumor grew and the removal has left me quite lumpy. The tumor also caused my thyroid to be all screwed up. Now it is gone! While recovery will take awhile I can still take steps to get in shape.

Slow and Easy…

Well, I’ve been using my Wii to do this at my own pace. I use Wii fit. I like it because it shows me my weight and BMI daily and how well I am doing in general. The workouts on there are a lot of fun. I like the stepping, boxing and many of the others. Some of them can really kick your butt though.

To make the workouts work even better I am using some Wii products from The Biggest Loser.

I use the Wrist/Ankle Weights the most and am very pleased with them. These are made to be used along with the Wii, but you could use also use them for other daily exercise around the house. They are compatible with Wii Fit (what I use), The Biggest Loser and EA Active. Each weight is 1.5 lbs and is not harsh on your skin.

I’m also using The Biggest Loser Jump Rope for the Wii. Now there isn’t a program on Wii fit that uses a jump rope, but we have been adding it to the Run’s you can do on there and also using it on the cycling game. I tell you what, adding a jump rope in to your workout makes a huge difference! Talk about a calorie torcher! This is also compatible with the Wii Fit (what I use), The Biggest Loser and EA Active.

I recommend both, I just wish that there was a program on the Wii Fit that actually goes with the Jump Rope. If there is, please let me know because I have not found it. I do have to point out that the holders that hold the remote and Nunchuck sometimes let the remote pop out. So make sure you have those wrist straps on.

So I just wanted to share some ways that I have stepped up my Wii Fit Workouts each day.

I received The Biggest Loser Wrist/Ankle Weights and Jump Rope to facilitate this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

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Re-boost with Boost Mobile

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (1)

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

It’s crazy to see how much more affordable having a cell phone has become. When I got my first mobile phone I had to pay per minute and long distance as well and it was expensive! Now though, it is more affordable to have a cell phone than it used to be to have a home phone. IN fact most people don’t even keep a home phone anymore because of how affordable mobile service has become.

Boost Mobile is one of these affordable mobile services you can get these days. They have a program called Re-Boost where you can pay easily online, in person or by phone. You can even make a gift to friends and family accounts easily without tying your card to their account.

Set up worry-free automatic payments
Make a one-time payment
Register your card for future payments

With affordable plans like this you can use your social networks from your phone. I know without my phone I would be lost. I use it for email, twitter, facebook and much more. You can do all of this with a Boost Mobile Phone.

They have a ton of awesome phones to choose from including the Blackberry (which is what I have). I also seen the Motorola i1 which looks awesome and uses Android software. The Bali and Rambler looked pretty cool as well! All of these phones make it easier to stay connected on the go!

The Motorola i1 plan is $50 a month you can get unlimited Talk, Text and Web! this also includes unlimited 411, im and email! That is a great deal! I know people that spend nearly that on a pre-paid phone and run out of minutes before the month is even a quarter of the way through. I think this is a no brainer on which is the better deal! The Blackberry plan is $60 a month for unlimited Nationwide Talk, Text, Web and Email.

Take those prices and the easy pay options and you have one fantastic deal! These are great phones with easy internet access, applications, cameras, video….you name it! Even activation is easy with Boost Mobile and you can do it right online! Browsing the site I seen they carry a ton of accessories and even have ring tones available for you all in one place.

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A Natural Way to Treat Allergies

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Morgan has been sniffing and sniffing and sniffing and it had gotten down right annoying! So I pulled out the Allergy Buster I was sent to review and told her to use it. It helped so much! My annoyance level has dropped to a tolerable level again.

Allergy Buster is an all natural, homeopathic nasal spray. It gives you fast relief of a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion and sinus pressure and that nasty headache that comes along with it.

We try to use natural remedies and homeopathic treatments when we can and this fits the bill!

The first time she used it she wasn’t sure what to expect and ran to me saying it was burning…it was pretty comical and I laughed…was that bad? I mean she wasn’t in pain or crying, it’s just that this is made with Capsaicin Pepper & Nettle, so of course it’s going to burn a little. Thing is…it works! She has been using it to treat her annoying sniffles caused by her allergies.

The Pros

It works. It’s an all natural homeopathic nasal spray that can safely be used for kids over 12 and adults. It’s non-drowsy, non-habit forming. There are no known drug interactions. Another pro? It’s made in AMERICA!

The Cons

It burns, but this is normal. It’s part of how it works. It only burns for a second and it is nothing horrible. It even tells you on the box that this will happen and is just a minor irritation.

Would I buy it? Yes, I would buy this. It’s over the counter as well.

You can find out more about Allergy Buster by visiting them on Facebook and following them on Twitter. They actually have a contest going right now on the facebook page to win an Apple iPod touch!

I was provided a sample of Allergy Buster to facilitate this review.

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Classic Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (1)

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

EAGLE BRAND® makes the easiest ice cream ever! Cool down with this homemade ice cream that is sure to be a highlight at any get-together.

Ingredients

4 cups (2 pts.) half-and-half or light cream

1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 tbsps. vanilla extract

Directions

1. COMBINE all ingredients in container of ice cream maker; mix well.

2. FREEZE according to manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze leftovers.

REFRIGERATOR-FREEZER METHOD

OMIT half and half. Combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in large bowl. Fold in 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream, whipped (DO NOT use non-dairy whipped topping). Pour into 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or other 2 quart container. Cover. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

VARIATIONS

1. PEACH ICE CREAM: REDUCE vanilla to 1 tablespoon; add 1 teaspoon almond extract and 4 drops yellow and 2 drops red food coloring, if desired. Add 2 cups mashed fresh or frozen peaches, thawed or 1 (16 oz.) can peaches, drained and mashed. Proceed as above.

2. BANANA ICE CREAM: REDUCE vanilla to 1 tablespoon; add 2 cups mashed bananas (4 medium). Proceed as above.

I was not compensated for posting this information.

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I Know My Girls are THE Cutest…

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

I also know that you know your kids are THE cutest too! This is why we should enter them into some photo contests! I mean I’m taking photos daily, I might as well try to win some cash with it!

How about you? Have you or do you enter your kids in photo contests? I have some really funny shots of the girls. I think those are better than studio photos that are all posed. I think the girls are cute enough to win so I am entering the Great American Photo Contest and you should too!

When you sign up you have the option of getting a Get a FREE Child Safety ID Kit as well.

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Free 8×10 Photo Canvas!

Posted by: Brandy | Comments (0)

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Wow, what an awesome deal! Right now The Canvas People are giving you a Free 8×10 Canvas Print or $55 off Larger Sizes! All you have to do is pay the Shipping and Handling! That is an amazing deal! Especially if you are like me and are a photo junkie!

My biggest issue is leaving all the photos in their digital form. I am trying to be more diligent in getting those photos printed and displayed for everyone to see. As it is now I have to pull out my iPod or my Computer to show off those awesome shots of the girls!