Jerri at Simply Sweet Home

Friday Favorites: Week 67

June 9, 2011 13 Comments

Happy Friday everyone! Thanks for stopping by for the party!

I wanted to let you know that I’ve still got the $100 Shelf Reliance Giveaway going on, and we simplified it. Now you just have to leave a comment if you want to enter.

Also, I want to give you a heads up about another giveaway I’ve got coming up next week which is for a $100 gift certificate to Ann’s Bridal Bargains. If you’re about to get married, are recently married, or know somebody who is, come by next week to check it out.

Review/Giveaway Opportunities: On another note, occasionally I have sponsors that I’ve worked with who would like me to refer them to other bloggers who are interested in doing reviews and giveaways. If you are someone who would like to get some of these opportunities, please comment on this post or send me an email. Thanks!

Now let’s take a look at this week’s fun features!

Cake Batter Pancakes from Chef in Training

4th of July Wreath from Trendy Pockets

Red Velvet Cupcake Pops from Confessions of a Craft-A-Holic

Colorful Candle Tutorial from Screaming Sardine

Party Spoons from Jellyfish Jelly

I’d love for you to join the party! Link up your posts below!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites

Lovely Gifts Ideas at Red Envelope

June 9, 2011 Leave a Comment

I was recently introduced to a website called Red Envelope. Red Envelope is a fabulous online gift retailer. They have a lovely selection of Father’s Day gifts and Gifts for Mom, as well as gifts for all occasions from housewarmings and baby showers to birthdays and anniversaries.

I was VERY impressed by the vast array of selections available at this site. Each page contains many items that I would be proud to own or buy as gifts for someone else. They have lovely jewelry and accessories, as well as spa gifts and home decor items for Her. And they have sports and gaming items, as well as accessories, personal care, and office items for Him.

Red Envelope recently added new items to their Gifts Baskets and anniversary selections. I browsed through these sections and was particularly impressed by the array of goodies available. These would be perfect gifts for Mom, Dad, your spouse, friends, or YOU!

Don’t these yummy? The gift baskets at Red Envelope feature everything from yummy sweets like chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, and chocolate cake, to the ever popular fruit, nuts, and wine. And they even have a few selections of my absolute favorite—cupcakes!

Visit RedEnvelope.com to see these and more fabulous gift selections.

Disclosure: I received a donation for my blog from Red Envelope in return for writing this post. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: shopping

Sea-Band Drug Free Nausea Relief Bands: Review & Giveaway

June 8, 2011 1 Comment

As a frequent migraine sufferer, I’m always looking for products that can help. I recently had a chance to try these Sea-Band Drug Free Nausea Relief Bands, and I was pleased with the results I got.

Did you know that 28 million Americans suffer from migraines! Are you one of them or do you know someone who does? If so, you understand that these chronic headaches are exceptionally debilitating and, on top of the intense pain, can trigger nausea that makes them even more uncomfortable to deal with (eight out of 10 people who are diagnosed with migraines report experiencing nausea). Plus, nausea makes it difficult to keep down the medication needed to treat the migraine to begin with.

This is where Sea-Band Drug Free Nausea Relief Bands can help. A study conducted at the Berolina Clinik (which specializes in migraine and headache therapy) in Loehne, Germany, showed that 85% of

chronic migraine sufferers who participated by wearing Sea-Band (acupressure wristbands better known for helping people with motion/travel sickness and morning sickness) during a migraine attack reported

positive results:

41 patients participated in the test; participants had, on average, suffered from migraines for more than 26 years. All participants had forgone the use of anti-emetics (anti-nausea drugs) for the purpose of this study
83% indicated a perceptible reduction in nausea associated with migraine as a result of wearing Sea-Band
44% indicated a significant reduction in overall (collective) migraine symptoms.
Relief was reported after an average of 28 minutes of wearing the Sea-Bands
Nearly all participants (98%) said they’d use Sea-Band again

How Sea-Band works…

Approved by the FDA, Sea-Band works by exerting constant, gentle pressure on a point on the inner wrist known as the Pericardium 6 (P6) acupressure point. It brings effective relief and can be used before or after the onset of nausea.

Sea-Band has traditionally been used to effectively reduce nausea from morning sickness, travel sickness, chemotherapy and post surgery. The all-natural, drug-free, latex-free Sea-Band does not cause side-effects often associated with anti-nausea medication such as drowsiness, disorientation, dry mouth or possible interactions with other drugs. It’s safe for patients taking prescription medications, pregnant women and children. Packaged in a convenient carry-case, they are washable and reusable, and one size fits most.

For more info on the product, you can also check out Sea Band’s Youtube page.

My Thoughts: I get several migraines per month. I would say that three to five are severe, although I may only experience nausea with one or two of them. When I do get the nausea, it often comes on quite suddenly, and I often find that it’s a catch-22: Often I’ve been lying around on the couch and haven’t fixed myself anything to eat. The lack of eating makes me feel bad/worse, but then if I finally try to eat something I’ll get the nausea even worse.

I was anxious to try the Sea-Band anti-nausea bands, because I love to find natural cures and alternatives to medicines. I’ve tried the bands twice since I’ve had them, and I found that my nausea was relieved within minutes. Excellent!

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will win a pair of Sea-Band Drug Free Nausea Relief Bands.

Mandatory Entry: You must be a follower of my blog. Then leave a comment telling us something that you learned from the Seaband website. Deadline: June 21

Additional Entries:

-1 if you like Seaband on Facebook

-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.

-2 if you blog about this giveaway.

-1 if you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.

-1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.

-1 if you subscribe to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.

-1 if you have my button displayed on your site.

-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. (Example: I want to win Sea-Band Drug Free Nausea Relief Bands http://bit.ly/mo2MrR @SimplySweetHome) (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

Filed Under: Giveaways, health, product review

Seeking Giveaway Sponsors for Christmas in July

June 6, 2011 3 Comments

I am participating in the Christmas in July Giveaway Hop hosted by Just Married with Coupons, and I’m seeking giveaway sponsors for the event.

To participate, I need $50 in giveaway prizes. This could be one $50 prize from a single sponsor or a combination of prizes from more than one sponsor, totaling $50.

The Giveaway Hop will take place July 25-31. My sponsor will be featured in the giveaway post, and if I have more than one sponsor, I will write separate feature posts for each sponsor (in addition to the actual giveaway post).

And apart from my usual giveaway “link ups” the giveaway link will be promoted through the Christmas in July Giveaway Hop on 125+ participating blogs!

If you’d like to be a sponsor, just send an email to me at simplysweethome@hotmail.com, with Christmas in July OR Giveaway Hop in the subject. Thanks!

Filed Under: announcements

Newtons Fruit Thins Review

June 5, 2011 4 Comments

For more than a century, Newtons has been one unique cookie – wholesome goodness made with real fruit and a taste all its own. Now, with the creation of Newtons Fruit Thins, Nabisco is breaking the mold again with a cookie unlike any other with real fruit in unexpected combinations packed into a thin and crispy cookie.

They come in 4 great flavors:

Cranberry Citrus Oat
Blueberry Brown Sugar
Chocolate Raspberry
Fig and Honey

And because Newtons Fruit Thins are made with real fruit and 8 grams of whole grain per serving you can feel great knowing you’re having a deliciously wholesome snack.

Growing up, I loved eating Strawberry Newtons, so I was very excited to hear about these new cookies. I had a chance to try the Cranberry Citrus Oat, and I was VERY impressed!

Ordinarily I’m not a big fan of cranberry, but the cranberry bits in these cookies were actually quite tasty, and I also loved the thin, crispy consistency.

But what I loved most was the citrus taste. As a kid I can remember eating something that I would describe as a “lemon shortbread cookie,” and when I bit into the Newtons I immediately thought of those cookies I used to eat. The last few years I haven’t been able to find cookies like the ones I ate as a kid, so I’m now excited that I’ll have the chance to experience that taste with the Newtons Fruit Thins.

I think this is a great snack for moms and kids alike, and I look forward to trying the other varieties in the future!

Disclaimer: I received a free sample of Newtons Fruit Thins for review through the One2One Network. The opinions are my own.

Filed Under: cookies and candy, product review

NEW $100 Shelf Reliance Giveaway

June 3, 2011 99 Comments

I’m so excited that Misty Marsh of Shelf Reliance is offering my readers $100 worth of Shelf Reliance products! After some discussion with Misty, we’ve decided to change the format of this giveaway to a comment giveaway to make it easier for everyone to enter.

This is a super great prize! Who wouldn’t love $100 worth of food products that have a 20 year shelf life?

And the best part is that you can choose ANYTHING from the Thrive foods line. This credit would be great to go toward a package deal (similar to the one pictured above), or you could choose an array of products in sizes ranging from sample packs, to mylar bags and pantry cans, up to the 10# cans.

Here’s a few things that I would get if I was eligible to win.

Ground Beef

Baked Potato Cheese Soup

Win it! One Simply Sweet Home reader will $100 in Shelf Reliance products.

Mandatory Entry: To enter please visit Shelf Reliance. Then leave a comment on this post telling us something you would like. Deadline: June 10

Additional Entries:

-1 if you subscribe to Misty’s RSS Feed

-1 if you subscribe to Misty’s blog via email.

-1 if you go by Misty’s blog and grab her button for your site.

-1 if you follow @SimplySweetHome on Twitter.

-2 if you blog about this giveaway.

-1 if you subscribe to Simply Sweet Home via email.

-1 if you like Simply Sweet Home on facebook.

-1 if you subscribe to my RSS feeds through Feedburner.

-1 if you have my button displayed on your site.

-1 for sharing this giveaway on Twitter or Facebook. (Example: I want to win a $100 credit for Shelf Reliance! http://bit.ly/kzFJhG @SimplySweetHome) (Limit one tweet entry per day.)

If you have any questions about the giveaway, please feel free to email me.

Filed Under: Giveaways

Interview with Shelf Reliance Consultant Misty Marsh – Part 2

June 3, 2011 1 Comment

Here’s part 2 of my interview with Consultant Misty Marsh. This interview is about the products of Shelf Reliance and some tips for new customers.

Q: How do the products at Shelf Reliance compare to products that we buy at the store (in terms of taste, quality, and shelf life)?

THRIVE foods are incredible. They truly are delicious. They taste just like the products you buy at the grocery store. I use them daily in casseroles, pizza, enchiladas, soups, baked good, etc with absolutely no difference in taste.

They are also much easier to use than fresh product from the grocery store. All the meats are pre-cooked. All the vegetables are pre-cut. The cheese is pre-grated. I save enormous amounts of meal prep time by using these products. No more time spent browning beef, shredding chicken, chopping veggies or grating cheese. I also spend less time cleaning up: fewer prep jobs means fewer dishes!

The nutrition of THRIVE freeze dried produce is actually superior in many cases to that of the produce you find in the grocery store. Grocery store produce is typically picked before it is ripe (before all the nutrients have developed), and often forced to ripen with hormones. Then, before you eat it, it sits in a truck to get to the store, sits at the store, then sits in your fridge losing nutrients.

On the other hand, THRIVE produce is harvested as peak freshness and immediately freeze dried. The freeze drying process does not change the nutritional content of the food, it simply removes the water and oxygen. So, all the nutrients that were in the food at it’s peak freshness remain until you open the can and enjoy the product.

In addition, freeze dried products need no preservative or additives: no added salt or sugar to maintain their average 20 year shelf life.

Q: Does Shelf Reliance offer any products for people with special dietary restrictions such as low fat or gluten-free?

All of the produce is fat free making it an ideal (easy, healthy and delicious) snack to eat right out of the can. In addition, there are many items that are MSG, GMO and Gluten free.

Q: Are the foods easy to prepare?

Yes! These are foods that you will use in your everyday cooking and they will save you time. All the meats are precooked, all the produce is pre-cut / chopped. The cheese is pre-grated. Simply add water. In addition, there is a recipe on the back of every can, a cookbook available, and recipes on the Shelf Reliance website. I also keep a blog where I regularly post recipes and tips for using these products in your everyday cooking.

Q: For someone who’s just starting their own food storage, the massive list of products can be overwhelming. What’s the best place to start?

I suggest using this worksheet to decide which product would be most beneficial for your family.

Q: What is the Q?

The Q is an innovative online program that helps you create your own home grocery store. It will help you build a supply of delicious THRIVE food at your own pace and budget. By following three easy steps, you will be able to create and manage a food plan that is customized to your family. This plan will set up a queue of THRIVE food. Items from that queue that fit within a pre-set budget that you set will be shipped to your home each month.

Q: What is your recommendation for people who want to start doing food storage, but are on a tight budget?

(1) Use your food storage in your everyday cooking! If you actually use your food storage on a regular basis, then it can replace some of your groceries. In other words, you don’t have to increase your grocery budget, you simply reallocate a portion of it to food storage. THRIVE foods are perfect for this because they are incredibly easy to use in your everyday recipes. You can find many such recipes on my blog: Your Own Home Store
(2) Host a Shelf Reliance party. You can earn FREE and 1/2 off product this way.
(3) Become a Shelf Reliance consultant. I actually started as a consultant simply because I wanted to earn my food storage for free. I have been able to that and so much more. Being a Shelf Reliance consultant is an incredible opportunity!

Filed Under: Food Storage

Friday Favorites: Week 66

June 2, 2011 12 Comments

Hey guys! Thanks for coming by for this week’s linky party!

If this is the first time you’ve been to my blog all week, I invite you to check out all my Shelf Reliance posts from this week. And if you’d like to place an order through my party, you have until 10PM PST on Friday to do so. You can also get in touch with my consultant Misty if you’d like to host your own party.

You may have also noticed the giveaway I’m hosting for $100 in Shelf Reliance products. As of this writing there is a form to submit in order to enter, but I’ve discussed it with Misty. And were are actually going to change this giveaway to a Comment Giveaway and will extend it out through next week. Please come back later to check out the newly updated giveaway post!

Now let’s take a look at our Featured Posts for this week!

Frog Brownies from Seven Year Cottage

Easy Pineapple Coconut Cake from Lazy Chef Recipes

Mini Firework Cupcakes from Lady Behind the Curtain

Thanks for stopping by for the party! Link up your posts below!

Filed Under: Friday Favorites

Interview with Shelf Reliance Consultant Misty Marsh – Part 1

June 2, 2011 Leave a Comment

I’d like to thank Shelf Reliance Consultant Misty Marsh for taking the time to answer some interview questions for our party. Today we have a few questions about the business itself, and tomorrow we’ll have some product related questions. And if you have any questions to ask Misty or if you’d like to order something you may send her an email.

Q: What first attracted you to this type of business?

I have actually never been to a “home party” before starting this business because I didn’t like all the pressure to buy things I didn’t really need. But when I was invited to a Shelf Reliance party, it was different: these are products I need: food and self reliance. I was intrigued. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the lack of pressure at the party. Shelf Reliance is a company with no debt and they want to help their customers be more self reliant; they don’t pressure anyone to buy things they can’t afford.

Once I tried THRIVE food, I loved it. I was certain this was the type of food I wanted for my family’s “food insurance.” I felt that was something I wanted to share with others and that by sharing it, I would be doing something honorable: helping others become more self reliant.

The things that sealed the deal? (1) This is a ground floor opportunity with an incredibly stable company. (2) The compensation plan is generous. (3) There are no minimum sales requirement to earn on your own sales. (4) The product is consumable: you will always have repeat customers.

If you’d like, you can read more about how and why I got involved with Shelf Reliance.

Q: A lot of people out there have never heard of food insurance or food storage. Why is it important to have this?

Most people have car insurance, health insurance, home owners insurance etc. Few people have “food insurance.” Yet, we couldn’t live for long without food. There are many things that threaten our ability to provide food for our families: natural disaster, economic recession / depression, job loss, unexpected medical bills. By storing foods with a long shelf life in your home, you create a form of “food insurance” that makes you less reliant on the grocery store and more self reliant. You can actually have “your own home store.” THRIVE foods are your favorite foods: redefined. You can store the same things you buy at the market: produce, meat, yogurt, cheese, milk, butter etc. These foods are just as healthy and just as tasty as the fresh product. The main difference is they are easier to use and have an average 20 year shelf life.

Q: For those who are skeptical about the need for such a thing as food storage, what do you say?

You pay your insurance premiums, but hope you never have to use your insurance. This could be argued to be a waste of money because you are paying for something you never use. But the peace of mind is worth it, right?

Food storage is another form of insurance, but it is a much better investment than most. Storing it will bring great peace of mind. It allows you to provide for your family without relying on the grocery store or anyone else. But it isn’t a “waste” of money like many other insurances because it is something you will use everyday and rotate through. You can use it in your everyday meals.

Q: What, in your opinion, makes Shelf Reliance such a great company to purchase from and consult for?

Shelf Reliance has a great mission statement:

Through superior products and sound education, Shelf Reliance empowers people to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.

That is something I can fully support.

They are debt free and very generous. Five percent of all their profits go to their Thriving Nations Charity. They are serious about helping others become self reliant. Our community and our economy needs more of us, many more of us, to be self reliant.

Their quality control is the best in the industry which leads to a superior product. I know of a retailer (close friend of mine) who has been selling food storage for 20+ years. When he found THRIVE, he stopped carrying all other brands because he says this is the best tasting, highest quality product he has ever seen.

They’ve made food storage affordable through the Q program and the ability to rotate and use the food in your own recipes on a regular basis.

They have no debt. They keep a 3 month supply of food in their warehouse for all their Q customers. So, they practice what they preach.

They are very generous with their consultants. The commission plan is superior. In addition, consultants can act as hosts and earn commissions and free product.

Please stop by tomorrow for part 2 of my interview with Misty.

Filed Under: Food Storage

Simply Sweet Creations Giveaway at Truly Lovely

June 1, 2011 1 Comment

I’ve been so busy working on this week’s Shelf Reliance party that I haven’t had a chance to post about the giveaway I’m sponsoring at Truly Lovely (aside from the note last Friday).

I am giving away my Love Magenta Earring Set, which includes 3 pairs: two fishhook style and one pair of hoops.

There’s a low number of entries right now, so please go enter!

PS – I’m planning to do more giveaways for my jewelry shop this year. If you’d like for me to consider your blog for a giveaway, please send me an email.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Simply Sweet Creations