This Full House Reviews

Scotch Magic Tape Blog Tour & Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: So happy to be sharing this awesome prize pack with you, Pauline (comment #32) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!

My youngest is heading into 5th grade, this year (how did THAT happen?!?)

In all the hub-bub of experiencing one of the biggest storms to hit the New Jersey coastline in recent memory (seriously, we're still rebooting) ALL 4 of my kids and I are actually looking forward to starting school, tomorrow (FTW!)

All of those science projects, reports and requests for craft supplies coming home...not so much.

Truth be told, with 4 kids, attending 4 different schools (last year this happens, btw, YAY!) I found myself hard-pressed to be all, you know, crafty (oh, I used to be) so, we use A LOT of tape.

Still, in our family's never-ending effort to be less wasteful, I was SO HAPPY to learn that the Scotch brand has created the more environmentally friendly Scotch Magic Greener Tape and received an awesome sampling of their products:

Elmer's Kids in Need Foundation: Still Time to Help Kids Get Back-to-School Supplies!

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: I am SO EXCITED to be sharing this awesome prize pack with you Jane H. (comment #99)  Yvonne Butler (comment #48) and Veronica Garrett (comment #110) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!!!

We love Elmer's products and have been loyal customers for, um, how old is my oldest kid?!?

Anyway, I know that a lot of your kids are back-to-school (already!?!?) and most kids here in Jersey start up after Labor Day weekend (SOB!)

I recently learned that Elmer’s is partnering with the Kids In Need Foundation to provide essential school supplies to students who need them the most.

Here's two very simple ways in which we can ALL help:

• For every “like” on the Elmer’s Facebook page (through Sept. 1st) the company will donate one Elmer’s product.

• Plus, they will make an additional donation for every unique view the video receives on the Elmer’s Kids In Need tab.

Please like the Elmer’s Facebook page, watch the video, and share it with your friends and family. With just one click, you will help a child in need!

To help you (yes, maybe even YOU!) get back-to-school ready, the good folks at Elmers have offered to send three (3) of our online friends a lovely Back-to-School prize pack, including:

Bic Back-to-School Review & Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: So excited to be able to share this awesome prize pack with you, Stacey M. Signor (comment #66) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!!!

CONFESSION:  I have this thing for office supplies.  It started when I was in grade school and has manifested into a lifelong fascination.

Don't even get me started on my ever-growing collection of pens.

Speaking of which (sorry, just can't seem to help myself) the good folks representing BIC products sent a lovely package of back-to-school supplies and just in time!

You see, it seems that my kids have this thing for pens, too.

Aaaaand, we are almost all out of pencils:  my youngest daughter (she's 10) swears mechanical pencils are easier to hold (especially, for small hands, like hers) and I'd much rather she concentrate on her math, comfortably.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that BIC Impressions Mechanical Pencils are available in fun designs, or that Bic offers a line of sustainable products AND their website (BicWorld.com)  is also very, very pretty.

Want some?

Blue Sky Home Series Organizers Giveaway: Because, I'm Old School when it comes to using paper calendars, too!

UPDATED 8/1/11: So excited to be able to share this awesome prize with you, Heather B (comment #52) please check your email for further instructions!!!

I launched TFH Gone Shopping 4 years ago, B.F., B.T. (before Facebook and Twitter) as an extension of my main blog, which I started 8 years ago (the Jurassic period, in blogging terms) and a way to connect with families (like mine) online and share information on products and services that perhaps help make life a little easier.

My 2010 academic calendar ends in July and it is unraveling (literally) as we speak.

So, when the good folks at Blue Sky contacted me about their new organizational product line designed by Susy Jack, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

Because, I'm old school like that.

Carolina Pad Giveaway: Stand Up for Mission: Humane Collection

CONGRATULATIONS: So happy to be able to share this with you, Nancy (comment #36) please check your email for further instructions, thanks!!!

Believe it or not, we haven't managed to break office supplies we've received from Carolina Pad from 2 years ago (okay, mostly me!) 

For example:  take a look at my project binder, from the Kendall Collection, still intact!

This month, my friends at Carolina Pad announced their partnership with the Humane Society in creating a new line of notebooks just for them! 

My family and I have a soft, squishy spot for our four-legged family members, too.

Doofus-Dawg is a rescue!  Poor thing was found tied to a dumpster, suffering from malnutrition and who knows what else, can you imagine?

Considering what he's been through and, although, he goes by many, many names (a.k.a. Pinhead, Dingleberry, Rudeness, to list a few) I swear, Rudolph is the sweetest, kindest and the most gentle dog on the planet.

Unless, you're coming in for a visit. 

Then I suggest you hide your purse and mind his tongue, he likes to lick people...HARD!

Once again, I am very happy to be able to partner with Carolina Pad in helping to promote their partnership with the Humane Society of the United States by featuring their Commerce with a Conscience collection and Stand Up! by Liz Diller:

Sharing: Staples Minimate Shredder Also, Top Ten Tax Tips From IRS

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: So happy to be sharing with Cynthia C (comment #28) and Crystal F (comment #114) please check your email for further instructions!!!

We're nearing the end of tax season and many households (like ours) are preparing for this year's filing by getting rid of old tax papers.

According to the IRS, identity theft is on the rise each year and a reported one in 20 Americans are at risk for becoming a victim.

My husband, Garth (not is real name) and I both have had issues in the past and I can tell you that identity theft is a real P.I.T.A.

I was contacted by the good folks representing Staples regarding their new line of extremely small shredders, called The Minimate, that can sit right on your desktop and thought it would be a great fit for families (like us) with very little space and/or lots of privacy issues.

First, I thought it prudent to share some very important tips from the Internal Revenue Service to help protect your sensitive tax information:

New Year, New Space Blogger Challenge - Recreating Mom's Workspace $100 American Express Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED:So excited to be sharing with Kelly (comment #69) please check your email for further instructions !!

Thanks to Apartment Guide for sponsoring my writing about finding inspiration in the smallest of spaces. Add your comment below to be entered for a chance to win a $100.00 gift card to help with your reorganization needs, too.

I am a full-time mom, but I also write part-time from home, which -- taking into consideration, there's 6 people, living in our 7 room house --  is no easy feat, trust me!

I’ve claimed a small corner in our living room and recently shared how finding inspiration in the smallest of places is relatively easy, on Mom Blog Magazine.

Living up to those words, not so much.

I was thrilled to be contacted by the good folks representing Apartment Guide, an online moving center featuring tips for decorating, cleaning, organizing and making the most of your space, in other words, offering helpful information no matter where you live.

I accepted their challenge to create a new space in my home and, hopefully, inspire other families (like mine) who have very little extra and literally, no room, or time to spare.

Biggest challenge for me?  Choosing just one project.

Our house has been under renovation for the last, um, 17 years -- it WAS supposed to be our "starter home!" -- however, short of moving, recreating my workspace into an area conducive to inspiration and perhaps tapping into some latent organizational gene, seemed like a perfect fit!

Aaaand, I managed to get it ALL done in just one week -- wanna see?

Carolina Pad's 17 Essential College Planner Review and Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED:  So happy to be sharing with Amira (comment #11) Enjoy!!!

1st round of SAT's tomorrow morning (FYI: getting up before 8:00 a.m., on a Saturday, when you're a teen, is a sin, really) and my oldest girl (she's a junior) is stressing, BIG TIME. 

Surviving high school is tough enough, right?  In my opinion, the pressure for kids to achieve their life goal, by the age of 30, is a lot tougher today.

Frankly, it's not easy on us parents...either...practice tests, applications, essays, referrals, references and the promise to hand over her first born (no, not really) oh, my, but the college application process is VERY STRESSFUL!

I was contacted by Carolina Pad (diclosure: we've worked together before and I'm still using their awesome accordian file) about their newest product and I thought it would be a really great fit to share with families, like mine!

Carolina Pad's 17 Essential College Planner is designed in conjunction with the experts at Seventeen Magazine, is an all-in-one filing system to help keep the application process in order and on track.

Check it out!

DYMO LabelManager 260P Review & Giveaway

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: So happy to be sharing with Ames (comment #45) please check your email for further instructions!!!

Tomorrow is the first day of school (for 3 out of 4 of my kids, anyway) and I am looking forward to getting back to a normal, school day, schedule.

Keeping track of ALL the paperwork coming home, from 4 different schools, not so much!!!

So, when the good folks representing DYMO contacted me about trying out their LabelManager 260P hand held label maker (pictured above) I was all, like, yes, please!

Powered by a lithium-ion battery (the same technology used to power cell phones and laptop computers) the DYMO LabelManager 260P label maker helps eliminate the added need for keeping any more AA batteries in the house (YAY!) 

Why?

I can charge the unit (just like a laptop) and start labeling well, anything and everything that I can, you know, stick a label on, really.

Want to see?

Super Cute Back-to-School Gift Pack from Paul Frank

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED: We are SO HAPPY to be able to share this with Amy (comment #52!!!)

We've got 2 more weeks before school starts -- seriously, where DID the summer go -- and I find myself NOW scrambling to get as much family time in, as possible, before the alarm clocks begin to ring, again!

Did I mention, I have 4 kids going to 4 different schools...AGAIN...this year!?!?

Speaking of monkeys (heh!) my kids just love them (okay, me too!) and the Paul Frank brand has a very cute line of back-to-school items available at OfficeMax and the Apple store, this year.

Want some?

Snapfish Summer Roadtrip Discounts and Jumpstart on Back-to-School Giveaway!

CONGRATULATIONS, TINA REYNOLDS (COMMENT #31) PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!!!

Snapfish.com is offering a variety of discounts over the next couple of weeks during their Road Trip campaign -- like, today's offers:

Get 25% off photo skins using promo code ROADTRIP719 through July 25th.

FREE standard shipping on any photo gift purchase of $25 or more using coupon code ROADTRIP722 by July 25.

Buy 2 photo flip books for $5 using coupon code 2FLIPFIVE by July 31st.

Buy one collage poster, get one FREE using coupon code 2FUNPOSTERS by July 31st.

Get 25% off 10 4"x6" Free Prints using promo code code ROADTRIP2010 through August 15th

FIND IT HERE:  http://summer.snapfish.com

I'm very happy to once again partner with my friends at Snapfish.com to help kick their summer program into gear (heh!) by offering a preview of some really cute back-to-school stuff and hosting a fun giveaway...to boot!

Snapfish Last Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas & Giveaway

[WE HAVE A WINNER: CONGRATULATIONS, ANNE -- COMMENT #14 -- PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!!!]

 

If you are like me -- a bit frazzled, often times running late, or forgetting something -- and you have kids in school, well, then, you ALREADY know that this is perhaps one of THE busiest times of the year!

All 4 of my kids go to 4 different schools, 3 of them are graduating to new schools, this year (UGH!) aaaaand, my youngest daughter's birthday is in June.

[slaps forehead]

Father's Day sort of gets lost on our calendar. 

HP and Snapfish (2 of my favorite brands) are offering a nice variety of memorable photo gifts and printables (yes, it's a word!) and have offered to share them with one of you (yes, maybe even YOU!) just in time for Father's Day.

Or, for whatever day you'd like it to be...really...so, come on in, clean off a chair and check it out!

Palm Pre Plus Blogger Review & Giveaway - Week 1

[SO HAPPY TO BE SHARING WITH MITCH J. -- COMMENT #25 -- PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!!!]

Smartphones.  You either you love 'em -- seriously, it's like some folks just can't seem to figure out WHAT to do with their hands, without them -- or, if you're like most moms I know (in a constant rush and tired of squinting at tiny print) you don't have time to futz around and figure out how to turn the gosh-darned cell phone on.

I am a little bit of both.

My husband, Garth [not his real name] and I purchased our first "touch screen" cell phones a few months ago and, well, it would be nice if phone companies offered some sort of  "free two week trial" or something.

Yes, I broke it, ALREADY (actually, the "home" and "end" and "call" keys are sticking) but, don't tell my husband, okay?

I am very excited to partner with my friends at TheMotherhood.com and participate in the Palm Pre Plus campaign on behalf of Verizon Wireless, by testing out the "multi-tasking made easy" apps featured on the Palm Pre Plus.

For the next 4 weeks, I'll be writing about my experiences (in very layman terms, of course) and sharing some great stuff (yep, I've got one to giveaway, at the end of the program, too) while I try really hard NOT to break their pretty new phone, too.

Today, I am simply trying to learn how to use the darned thing -- wanna see?

Post-It Removable Labels Collection: Because, "good organization skills" is a relative term!

Why do office products, like erasable markers and reusable labels, excite me so?  Let's do the math:

4 kids x 4 schools = 16 teachers whose names I simply cannot remember!

I face organizational hurdles -- like, finding the right class directory, or next month's girl scout snack list, without having to tear EVERYTHING from off the wall -- every day!

Not to mention, erasing and whiting-out dates, left and right, which simply make our wall calendar look like, well, one big globby mess.

Recently, I received the 3M & Post-It Organzation Kit, my favorites included:

It's My Dream Houzz and I Live Here!

All 3 of my daughters share 1 bedroom (what used to be the master bedroom of our house) and I think this would be a GREAT idea to help me make the room a little more, you know, functional!  [via My Idea Book on Houzz.com]

My husband, Garth [not his real name] and I have a love/hate relationship with watching our favorite home/landscape renovation shows -- love to watch, hate to admit that our house is a REAL mess!

Don't believe me?  Feel free to take our virtual tour...go ahead...I'll wait!

See?  Just once, I would love for Ty Pennington to knock on my door and say, "It's okay, Thompson Family, we'll take it from here!"

Still, this is our house (my kids HAVE TO live here) so, I've committed myself to getting my act together and whipping this house into a more functional home...in my mind, anyway.

Enter the  Houzz.com -- wanna see?