TaxACT Super Bowl Commercial

When I first saw the TaxACT commercial with the little boy peeing in the pool, I was completely grossed out and couldn’t even figure out what it had to do with TaxACT. Now that I have watched it a couple of times, I have some more thoughts. How about you?

First, TaxACT may not even care if you remember the commercial was about them as long as there is enough buzz (like this blog post!) about them. Second, I guess I can sort of get the “totally free” connection to being able to do your taxes for free on TaxACT. It’s a stretch, but it’s creative. Third, TaxACT may not care if you remember their brand name the first time that you see the Super Bowl commercial because they plan on continuing to run it a lot between now and April 15 and eventually it will stick with you.

What are your thoughts on the commercial? Are you so grossed out that it makes you not want to use TaxACT or was it so creative that you might consider giving them a shot now? Did you even remember the brand name after you saw it? Did it make you curious about their free services? The “extended” version of the TaxACT Super Bowl commercial is below.

Valentine's Day Cookie Sampler

I’m always looking for cute gifts that I can send easily by mail to my friends and family in other cities for no reason or little occasions. Gifts that are $10 or less to send but still make an impact. I found an advertisement today for this adorable Valentine’s Day New Cookie Flavor Sampler from Cheryl’s. For just $9.99 you get 2 new Cocoa Sugar cookies, a Buttercream Frosted Hug Bug cookie, and 3  buttercream frosted heart shaped cut-out cookies in a cookie card box. And that includes the price of delivery!

Make someone’s day special with a cookie Valentine box for less than $10.

I’ve always been a little interested by psychics and have gone twice in my life. Both times the psychics had been referred by friends and both of my experiences were incredible. They told me things about my past and present that were very reliable, which led me to believe the things that they told me about my future. Most of what I can remember that they told me came true.

One of the psychics that I really liked also did phone readings. My mom called her and got an incredibly accurate reading over the phone. That was the first time that I got the idea that online psychics might just be legitimate. Fast forward 2 years and a friend approached me about an online psychic network with which she works. I was very skeptical and actually blew it off for a month. But circumstances collided and I found myself wondering if it might just be worth trying.

I did a lot of searching around the AskNow.com website. They make it very clear that it is for “entertainment purposes” only, but I know that’s because it is required by law that they not make any claims that would lure people into something unsuspectingly. I used one of the package deals that give me X number of minutes (right now they have 15 minutes for $10). I read through all of the bios of the psychics listed as well as the reviews and eventually chose one.

I was nervous when I called. It felt strange. The process was easy enough, and I was connected with the psychic of my choice quickly. There wasn’t any wasting minutes having me tell myself about her or her telling herself about me. We got right to it. She asked only my first name and my birthdate.

While I won’t go into everything that she told me because some of it was very personal, I have to say that 80% of it was very accurate. 10% I didn’t feel was accurate and the other 10% I can’t verify other way. It was definitely as legitimate a reading as the ones that I have had in person. Here are some things that she said to me, and I wonder if she said the exact same things to everyone else if they would feel that their reading was also at least 80% accurate:

• My daughters are intelligent and healthy with bright futures
• My children have guardian angels watching over them
• My mom is a strong, hard-working woman with too much stress in her life right now
• My sister and I took different paths but are both happy with where we are
• My husband fell in love with me the first time that he saw me and we are soul mates
• Some of our friends are jealous of our marriage because of how good it is
• In general my life is incredibly positive and the only thing negative comes from some of the people around me but they are outweighed by the number of positive friends that I have

I think everything she said above is true about my life. If she said the exact same things to you, would it also be true? If not, maybe she was pretty accurate and it is worth calling yourself. If so, maybe I should be more skeptical?

I have to say that I relayed ALL of the things that she said to me to my mother, my husband, and one of my closest friends. Across the board they agreed that pretty much everything she said was true (even if they personally are not into such a thing). Two of the three even decided that they want to now call themselves.

Who can say whether online psychics are real, legitimate, etc? I can say that my experience with the online psychic (via phone) was as real and legitimate to me as the readings that I have had done in person. So if you are the least bit interested in having a reading done, it’s worth it to try the package deal from AskNow.com because they really do try to create a good experience for their customers with psychics that they believe to be the real thing–and just might be!

Year of the Dragon Forever Stamp

I didn’t realize until today that the price of stamps increased this week. Apparently it now costs 45 cents instead of 44 cents to mail a letter. How is it that I missed this when I buy stamps about twice a month for my business?

I blame it on the Forever Stamps. Ever since the Post Office started selling those, I have lost track of the price of stamps because it no longer says how much they are on the front. I guess if I had been paying attention I would have stocked up on Forever Stamps last week.

It’s not like the USPS hid the fact that they were increasing prices. I found a press release right on their site from back in October. In addition to the price of regular stamps going up, postcards are now going to cost 32 cents rather than 29, letters to Canada or Mexico are increasing from 80 to 85 cents, and all other international letters are now $1.05 rather than .98. There are also increases to Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Extra Services.

According to the press release, this was the first increase since May 2009.

Did you know that the cost of stamps went up? Am I the only one who someone missed this?

I am not a gourmet cook. I don’t even try new recipes all that often. I experiment a little but tend to stick with recipes that my family likes and I can make quickly while I am working. This Chicken and Noodles recipe is one that I have been experimenting with for about a year and always get rave reviews over. I think it is finally ready to pass along!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles

Family Favorite Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles

3 skinless chicken breast halves
4 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
2 cups water
16 oz. package Reamers frozen egg noodles (homestyle)
1 package frozen crinkle cut carrots
2 stalks of celery (optional)
onion
salt
pepper
poulty seasoning
2 T cornstarch

Directions:

1) Place the chicken, water, broth, salt (to taste), pepper (to taste), and celery (optional) in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked the whole way through but not falling apart.

2) Remove the chicken and set aside. Put the noodles and carrots into the crockpot for 30-45 minutes depending on how soft you like your carrots.

3) Shred the chicken and sprinkle it with poultry seasoning to taste. Dissolve the cornstarch in a just enough water to liquify it.

4) When the noodles and carrots are done, return the chicken to the crockpot as well as the cornstarch mixture.

Cook for at least 30 minutes on high or leave it for up to a couple more hours on low, depending on how much you want the broth to turn to “gravy” as opposed to broth. You can even make it one day like this and refrigerate overnight and then return it to the crockpot to heat up briefly the next day if you like the gravy to be really thick or are making it ahead for company.

Chicken breasts are the easiest way to make it, but it will be more flavorful if you use other chicken parts. I always throw them in if I have them (like leftover rotisserie chicken). You just have to be very careful to strain your broth for bones before you put the noodles in. I also sometimes use frozen mirepoix (celery, onion, carrots) if I have it instead of the crinkle carrots. You can also cut everything up fresh, but the point of the recipe is to keep it as simple as possible!

I think I spend more money on books than just about anything, and most of that money is spent on Amazon. Because of that, I was thrilled to see the contest on the Amazon Books Facebook page to win a $1,000 Amazon gift card.

It’s easy to enter. Just visit the page and click “Like” to be taken to the entry page. The entry page is just name, email, and phone. You must be over 18 and a US resident to enter.

Contest ends January 23, 2012.

Disney announced this past weekend its newest contest, One More Disney Day. The sweepstakes coincides with 2012 being a Leap Year. Each day from January 1 through February 29, 2012, you can enter to win one of 60 vacation packages for 4 people to the Walt Disney Resort in Florida or the Disneyland Resort in California. One entry is allowed per pers0n per day.

One winner will be chosen for day and the prize includes 5 days/4 nights at the Disney resort, Park Hopper tickets, a $1000 Disney gift card, transportation, and choice of PhotoPass, a shopping spree worth $500, or spa services.Drawings will be held once a week.

See the One More Disney Day Sweepstakes page for more details.

At our house, we absolutely love the holidays. We love the family parties (my kids particularly relish time with their cousins), the music, the decorations, the iconic 1960s shows (Heat Miser, anyone?), even silly games in the car to make travel go by faster.

And we love, love, love the food.

Unfortunately, holiday food doesn’t always love us. My children may not be old enough to worry that a minute on the lips might really translate to a lifetime on the hips (or around the middle), but there’s more to it than that.

With our constant reminders to our kids of what’s healthy and what’s not, and what should be eaten in moderation — not scarfed down at top speed a la The Holidays — how can we justify feeding our children a steady diet of frosted cookies and white bread stuffing for the entire month of December?

Don’t get me wrong: we’re not perfect around here (and we wouldn’t want to be – we love being “us,” quirks and all). I aim for healthy, but when the holidays come, I’m dreaming of gingersnaps and gooey icing like everyone else. Is there a happy medium between “yum!” and “I can still close my pants?” In our house there is! My clever husband began coming up with healthy yet yummy food substitutions after experimenting with a cake for a kids Yo Gabba Gabba party at his neighbors, and I’ve taken up the challenge with ideas of my own.

Here are some of our favorite healthy, delicious holiday food substitutions. If you use even a few of these, you’re on the right track. And you’ll be teaching your kids that there really is such a thing as “good” and “good for you.” Enjoy, and happy holidays!

Delicious Holiday Appetizers and Drinks

• Festive fruit appetizer plate v. cheese and crackers. We found cute mini cookie cutters in holiday shapes at our local dollar store and an idea was born. Cut various fruits into slices, then use the cookie cutters to create festive shapes. Serve on a decorated holiday dish.
• Low-fat dips v. traditional dips. Nobody will ever know the difference — just sub low fat sour cream or low fat softened cream cheese (try neufchatel, which is naturally lower in fat) for the regular stuff.
• Wine v. holiday liqueurs. Obviously, this sub is for grown-ups only. You’ll save loads of calories and often, a dose of sugar by sipping some fabulous red wine with your holiday meal rather than something heavier.
• “Spritzers v. straight-up juice. Juice may come from fruits, but the processing means the sugars are highly concentrated. Add sparkling water or seltzer to your wine and to your kids’ holiday cranberry juice and cut the bad stuff down while maintaining a holiday flavor and feel.

At the Main Table

• Wild rice stuffing v. all-bread stuffing. Simmer wild rice in chicken stock; add one-quarter to one-half cup to your standard bread stuffing recipe. Stuff in your bird of choice or place in a greased baking dish, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350 for 45-60 minutes (always refer to your own recipe for temperatures, times and liquid amounts). Serve as a side dish.
• Mashed sweet potatoes v. a marshmallow-topped casserole. Really, sweet potatoes are sweet (hence the name) all by themselves. Scrape sweet potatoes and cut into thick chunks. Boil until just soft. Drain well. Mash as you would regular potatoes with a sprinkling of salt and some butter or Earth Balance spread. Mmm!
• Yogurt v. sour cream in holiday recipes. Plain yogurt has a tang and no sweetness; you’ll be surprised how much it really does taste like real sour cream. Look for yogurt with live, active cultures for the greatest health benefits.
• Whole grain flour blends for biscuits v. white flour. Just because it isn’t white doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious. Substitute half of the white flour in your recipe for whole wheat flour and you’ll add nutrients and fiber.
• Poultry v. red meat. Around here, we don’t believe red meat is the devil…but it does generally carry more fat per serving depending upon the cut. Remember: turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving – it’s perfect for Christmas too. (Watch out for birds that really are high in fat overall, such as duck.)

Time For Dessert!

• Angel food cake v. fruitcake. Come on, nobody really eats the fruit cake anyway. But they will if you serve light, delicious angel food cake sprinkled with low-carb, delicious raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Voila — you’ve cut your calories by better than half.
• Healthy quick breads v. regular cinnamon rolls or muffins. “Quick bread” simply means you’re not using yeast, so you don’t have to wait for the bread to rise. Try zucchini bread, pumpkin bread and carrot bread. You can even keep the cinnamon tradition by adding this yummy holiday spice to your quick bread of choice. Lower the sugar by 1/3 in your recipe and sub apple sauce for the butter. Frost with low-sugar cream cheese icing.
• Jelly or jam bars v. frosted cookies. My kids love helping me make these. They do include sugar, but rather than heaping more of the sweet stuff on top, you’re putting real fruit in the middle. Use no-sugar added jam. Delish!

Remember: when it comes to teaching healthy eating habits for a lifetime, your aim is progress, not perfection. Very few people can eat healthfully 100% of the time. There’s a place for tradition too – on the table and in our hearts.

Treat yourself and your family while making a few of the substitutions above and you’ll truly have a healthy and happy holiday.

Melanie Henson is a wife, mommy and occasional overachiever who believes kids really can like things that are good for them. As a contributor to Themeaparty.com, Melanie writes about hosting birthdays and organizing for the holidays, from décor to activities to yummy foods for both kids and adults. Check out some ideas for a party, where she shares her ideas and planning efforts with other busy parents just like herself.

Image credit: reutC/Flickr

Are you looking for something unique for the young girls in your life? After reading this Fashion Playtes review I think you will be as excited about them as I am!

When my daughters were little, I could buy them whatever cute and frilly clothes I wanted them to wear and they wore them. That changed. And in a big way. If you are a mom with daughters over the age of about 6, you know exactly what I am talking about. With girls now 8 and 10, it’s getting harder and harder to find clothes that we can agree on. Fashion Playtes has completely changed that!

Fashion Playtes was kind enough to give us a gift certificate to try out the site. We sat down at the computer and I walked the girls through the website a bit. I then let them go to their own computer and play around with the site over the next couple of days. When it came time to order, we sat together and I navigated through the site as they directed me. Jillian wanted an outfit she could wear on PE days but that didn’t scream “sports” so she customized a hoodie with a blue sparkly music note. Cassie is my “girly girl” and designed a pink dress with a flowery peace sign. Each girl was able to custom design an outfit that was perfect for her personality and I was happy with the fact that the clothes were appropriate for school but also still very stylish.

The clothes arrived about 8 days after we ordered them. At first I was a little concerned about the quality. However, the girls have now worn (and washed) each outfit at least 4 times now in the past month and the clothes are not showing any wear at all. In fact, I would say that they probably wear their Fashion Playtes outfits just about every week because they love them so much. My 8-year-old was asking me last night if we would be able to order more soon (little does she know that she is getting a Fashion Playtes gift certificate for Christmas!).

If you are looking for clothes for your daughter or a unique gift idea for anyone’s daughter, you should check out Fashion Playtes. In addition to the clothes designs, you can order gift certificates to let the kids design the clothes themselves. This would make a terrific gift!

Check out the video of my girls below so you can see a sample of the clothes that they designed. Then visit Fashion Playtes yourself to see how easy it is! Check out our sister site Sunshine Rewards for the latest Fashion Playtes coupons and deals.

Texting Gloves

The other day my husband caught me trying to use my phone with my tongue. I’m not proud of it, but it seemed necessary at the time. The phone was ringing and I was wearing gloves and I couldn’t manage to swipe the button to answer it. I didn’t want to take off my gloves because my hands were cold. The end result was that I missed the call AND my phone had spit on it. Gross, right?

So I started looking for what I came to find out were called “texting gloves.” I searched for all kinds of weird stuff like “gloves you can use your phone,” “use your phone gloves,” and “touch screen gloves.” What I found was a range of gloves at a price that I didn’t want to pay because I know how gloves in my house always end up 1) lost, or 2) stolen by my children and then lost. I gave up and decided I wouldn’t be using my phone as much this winter.

Then this morning I got an email from Affordable Scarves, one of my favorite Indianapolis-based companies, and it said that their top selling products right now are….wait for it….texting gloves! I immediately headed over to see just how “affordable” the gloves were going to be and was excited to see that they fit in my “don’t-have-to-kill-the-kids-if-they-lose-them” budget. Not only do they regularly run from $13.95-$17.95, but they are having a site-wide sale where you can get them for as low as $11.16. I actually like the cheaper style better. And they have different colors!

By the way, these gloves can be used for iPhones, iPads, the Blackberry Torch or Storm, Android products, Kindle Fires, etc. They don’t discriminate. Pretty much anything with a touchscreen.

Needless to say, I’ll be placing an order for texting gloves today. I’ll probably get 2 identical pair so that when I lose 1 of each pair, I’ll still have a match. And I’ll likely throw in a couple of scarves to hit the free shipping on $40 mark because I always buy a couple of scarves from them each year anyway.