Signs of April

It's that time of year again. Kids are gearing up for back to school and us parent's are celebrating! Even with the excitement things can be a little hectic. Especially as we prepare for all of the back to school expenses. As a mother of 4, two in high school and two in Middle School, I know just how expensive supplies can get. I can only imagine the cost when they hit college. I'm glad I have CampusBookRentals.com in my corner.  Some the awesome perks are: -save 40-90% off of bookstore prices  -free shipping both ways -can highlight in the textbooks  -flexible renting periods And one of my favorite perks: Campus Book Rentals donates to  Operation Smile , an international children's medical charity that heals children's smiles, forever changing their lives for every textbook rented! CampusBookRentals.com is a book renting company that has worked with thousands of students on over 5,000 campuses. Here's how it works. Yo...

Thank You to EatSmart Products for allowing me to review their product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. Since our recent move, I have had a huge focus on losing weight. I have started walking a mile a day and drinking more water. This is a huge step for me since I hadn't drank a glass of water in a very long time, and don't think I have ever purposely walked a mile! So now that my motivation is there, I wanted a scale dependable enough to track my progress. One of my favorite features of the scale is that it stores data for up to 8 people. I knew the minute I set it out that my husband would be on it and I didn't want it to interfere with my readings, so we just sat him up his own profile. The scale gives me my current weight and my last weight. Huge plus since I am bad about not writing things down. I always think "I'll remember that", but of course I never do! The EatSmart Scale is super easy to set up. Simply set it on a hard...

Welcome to the Baby Shower Bash! Hosted By: Southern Mom Media and  Down South Saving s Sponsored by  Minky Couture ,  Lorex Technology  and  BayB Brand A very special thank you to the awesome bloggers helping to promote this fabulous event! After becoming a step Grandma again, I had the opportunity to review some amazing items from these wonderful sponsors. So I thought what better way to celebrate than to throw a -Baby Shower Bash to give one lucky new family a chance to win some much needed items for their new bundle of joy! Lorex Technology is sponsoring their newest item, the Sweet Peek Digital baby Monitor! You can read my full review here . You won't be disappointed in this product! (ARV $179) Minky Couture is giving one lucky reader an incredibly soft Minky Couture infant size blanket in your choice of boy or girl. (Minky chooses the pattern)  You can read my full review here (ARV $65) And last  but cer...

Uncover a revolutionary new way to shop with  MyEveryNeed ! In the online world we're always hearing about the next best thing. This is one I couldn't wait to share with you all.  MyEveryNeed is still pretty hush hush about everything it will offer but as you can see from the images, there will be a little bit of everything from fashion to housewares. That's is really exciting to me! With four teenagers it can be difficult to shop. With MyEveryNeed, I will be able to do my shopping online and just let them be excited when the package arrives!  Revolutionizing online shopping, MyEveryNeed brings a comprehensive mall packed with the world's leading brands as well as a video channel and must-read fashion and lifestyle magazine The Upswing. Very soon you will be hearing about My Every Need through some of your favorite celebrity gossip sites among others so keep your eyes and ears peeled!  Also, check out how you could win a $10,000 shopping spree in New ...

I never realized how big of a deal BlogHer was until I recently started seeing posts and pictures from the bloggers there! They are having a blast all while learning tips and tricks of the blogging trade. One of the most exciting things it seems is getting to connect with your fellow bloggers  Unfortunately I wasn't able to make BlogHer13 in Chicago this year but I have high hopes for BlogHer '14!  Luckily they are giving away FIVE Full Conference passes for BlogHer '14! Visit the BlogHer site for more information! Disclosure: I am receiving a sweepstakes entry to BlogHer14 in exchange for writing this post.

APen Touch 8 Review & Giveaway   Down South Savings has teamed up with a few of your favorite bloggers to bring you this awesome giveaway! Check out  Sniffing4Savings  review below and see for yourself how great this device really is! Sniffing4Savings received the APen Touch 8 for Review and a Giveaway, mostly to share with you my thoughts on this creative little device. My opinions are my own, yours of course may differ, we are all different and that's what makes the world go round! Brands want you to know about their products, and the final decision to purchase or not is yours to make. If you have a computer, desktop or laptop (under 17") running Windows 8, the APen Touch 8 gives you the ability to turn your system into a Touch Screen! Sign documents, make notes, play games, do drawings, add your personal touch to pictures and more! Then share them across your social networks, great for home, school and business projects. My old computer crash...

Yabbly Great Decisions Event Organized by: Mom Powered Media Grand Prize: $300 Amazon Gift Card + 4 Additional $50 Amazon Gift Card Winners Event dates: 8/5 - 8/26 Open Worldwide Referral prize: $25 Amazon E-Code or Paypal Cash Bloggers: Sign Up HERE and tell them Down South Savings sent you

Welcome to the  Glass Dharma  $25 Gift Code Giveaway.  Sponsored by Glass Dharma Hosted By:  Down South Savings   Did you know that:   Plastic bags, plastic water (or drink) bottles and plastic straws make up the bulk of single use plastics in our world and is a huge percentage of what is ending up in our oceans and landfills. Recycling can be a smokescreen solution when it comes to an effective remedy.  The pitifully small percentage of plastics that are recycled will not significantly reduce the amount of new plastics produced or reduce the amount of plastic pollution. Glass Dharma has shipped over 200,000 glass straws worldwide since the beginning of 2012, and their goal being to provide glass straws to at least 2% of the American public. For more information on Glass Dharma,  read my full review here  or visit their  blog .  Glass Dharma has generously agreed to give one lucky reader a $25 E-Gift Code t...

Blogger Sign Up's for the Baby Shower Bash! Giveaway will run from 7/28/13 - 8/6/13 Open to US Residents Sposored by Lorex Technology, Minky Couture, and BayB Brand total ARV $315 Hosted by: Southern Mom Media and Down South Savings One lucky reader will receive a Lorex Technology Sweet Peek Baby Monitor, A Minky Couture blanket in choice of boy/girl (Minky chooses pattern), and a BayB Brand Bean bag in their choice of style/color. Blog Requirements: Must have at least 2,500 Fans  Loading...

Welcome to the Back To School Cash Back Event Organized By: Mom to Bed by 8 and Co-Hosted by: Budget Earth , My Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Life , All About the Mommies and Capri's Coupons . Ebates is the pioneer and leader of online Cash Back Shopping. The company was founded in 1998 by two Deputy District Attorneys in Silicon Valley who used to prosecute online fraud & identity theft before starting Ebates (so you can be sure we are very into secure online transactions!). So go ahead, sign up and start shopping now. Joining Ebates is always free - you'll never pay us anything. And four times a year or more, they will mail you a Big Fat Check, transfer the money to your PayPal account or even offer you an Amazon E-Code if you'd prefer. They can even send the money to your favorite charity. How cool is that? No matter your choice it will always be 100% free. How Ebates Works: Ebates pays members cash back every time they shop online as well as provide them wi...

Thank You to Emerson Creek Pottery for providing me with their product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. Emerson Creek has been in business since 1977 in Virginia where they create beautiful, non-toxic pottery that is eco-friendly. They even pack their pieces in eco-friendly cornstarch Peanuts, and ship them in recycled fiber boxes! It feels really good knowing that I can make my home beautiful all while being eco-friendly in the process. For 10 Green Reason to choose Emerson Creek Pottery be sure to check out there post here . I am always looking for beautiful things to fill my home. My kitchen especially. I spend lots of time there, baking and cooking for my large family so of course I want it to be filled with the best of the best. I was ecstatic when Emerson Creek Pottery offered to allow me to review one of their cracker baskets. I chose the Iris Cracker Basket  to base my review. I have been storing my tomatoes picked from the garden in my basket....

Thank You to  Walls Need Love  for sending me their products free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I chose the Split Logs Wall Decal to base my review. I wanted this to go in my hallway since it is very large and has an older "theme" with the barn wood stair case.  This wall was very plain. We added a fresh coat of paint but it was still lacking. The location made it difficult to really hang pictures there so I knew my logs would be the perfect addition! And the finished product Walls Need Love  is a small company that believes in giving back! 1% of their sales plants trees! So far nearly 20,000 trees have been planted via Nashville non-profit SoundForest.org . Their customer service department is amazing! They were very helpful and was able to answer any of the questions I had. It took me a while to choose the right decal for me because there are so many to choose from but Elizabeth was very patient! They also sent a cute little gif...

Thank You to Lorex Technology  for providing me with their product free of charge in exchange for my honest review. We recently had the opportunity to review the Sweet Peek Video Baby Monitor  for our new granddaughter. When my kids were smaller you didn't hear much of a video monitor so I was ecstatic to receive this. It definitely gives you a sense of comfort by being able to see the baby instead of just hearing her.  I feel a baby monitor is definitely a must when you have a new baby. First time Mom's especially have the tendency to sit with their new baby day and night and end up exhausting themselves. (I know I did, and seeing this same pattern with my daughter in law as well) The Sweet Peek is a great way to see your precious bundle of joy from anywhere in the house and still be able to get chores done.  One of my favorite features is the Two-Way Talk. If you're in the middle of something and can't break away right then, you can t...

Kiss those summertime blues away, because Stella & Dot just launched their new fall line! This collection features gorgeous jewelry, scarves, bags and more that are perfect for those fall outfits! Picture the leaves changing as you walk through the park, going to a pumpkin patch or drinking apple cider, all while looking fabulous in your new fall accessories from Stella & Dot. Happy Shopping! Down South Savings receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. Posts may also contain affiliate (marketing) links . 

Welcome to the Win a Gift from Your Wishlist Giveaway! Down South Savings is pleased to be a part of this awesome giveaway!  MyPerfectGift.com helps you give (or get) the perfect gift How to be Eligible to Win Create a registry with at least 3 gifts or add to an existing registry. {you can sign-up with one click using your Facebook info} When you sign up please use “ Wishlist ” in the “Referred By” box. One lucky winner will receive an item from their wishlist (up to $150)!! Organized by: Branch Pro Promotions, LLC Hosted by: Baby Costcutters , Giveaway Booster , FYI by Tina , and Savory Savings Giveaway ends August 9th at 11:59pm, open to US residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: To be eligible to win this giveaway you must create an account and add at least three items in your registry. If you have an existing account add three new items to your registry. I rec...

Welcome to the Educational Toys Planet FUNtastic $100 eGift Code Giveaway Which mom or dad would not like to see their children grow smart? Being involved in developmental play and have a good time? We all love our kids to have fun, learn and succeed! We like to see the children playing with creative playthings that bring quality time and teach something useful. That’s the idea behind thousands of wonderful toys offered by Educational Toys Planet . Stack a block tower and develop manipulative skills, put the cookies inside the jar and start counting, play active games and make friends, put the colorful puzzle together and learn world geography, experiment with crystal growing and become a young scientist, bring toy dinosaurs from back-in-time and expand imagination. With their wonderful toys possibilities to grow are really endless. You can help your kids to progress physically mentally, emotionally, and socially with creating the right learning playground for them. Bring Ed...

Welcome to the Back to School Blast! Getting your family prepared to head back to school, can be difficult especially after a long, fun-filled summer. Here are a few of our favorite Back to School Tips to help you along the way. 1. Back-to-School Supplies Checklist - Backpack? Check. Pencils? Check. Safety scissors? Not Yet. Use the same checklist each time you head out to grab supplies, to keep track of what you have already purchased and the things you still need to. These are also handy if you have more than one child. Simply print 2, 3, 4 list and add their name to the top. 2. Shop Early! There is nothing worse than heading out last minute only to find everything picked over or a crowd so large that it's almost intimidating. 3. Look for deals. Shop Around. I know a one stop shop is more convenient but you are likely to save more by shopping the other local stores. 4. Don't take the kids along when shopping for supplies! I always seem to spend twice as ...

   At GiftHulk users can earn gift cards, electronics and other rewards the EZ Way, by doing things they already do online – searching, answering surveys and more! GiftHulk offers users more than 15 different ways to earn Hulk Coins! These include Search&Win, Offer Walls, Daily Surveys, Friends Connect, Treasure Box (patent pending technology) and much more! Currently GiftHulk is open to users from USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and Ireland. Why GiftHulk? “Time Is Money.” However, when it comes to surfing on the Internet we totally forget about it and spend our time refreshing Facebook and Twitter to see if there is a fresh update. We all do it.  GiftHulk established a way to make it possible to gain from surfing the web and your online daily activities! The main goal is to allow people the things that they really want and need – for absolutely FREE ! That is the main reason they offer such a huge selection of gifts, from depart...

Thank You to Glass Dharma  for providing me with their products free of charge in exchange for my honest review.   I had never heard of Glass Straws until I recently saw a blog review speaking of Glass Dharma . Glass Dharma straws are fun, eco-friendly straws that all started when David Leonhardt (a glassblower) noticed a local glass shop was selling glass straws. Something he had never heard of. He was struck by the elegance and realized that was a partial solution to the "plastics problem", therefore, Glass Dharma became about.  Glass Dharma Products are Hand-made in the U.S.A. so buying from GlassDharma means that your dollar is not going off-shore - it stays right here in the U.S.A. I received 4 different glass straws to base my review and I couldn't be happier. Not only are the better for the environment, they are also a great conversation starter. Everyone that has seen them in my home have asked what they were and what was "so special...

Down South Savings receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. Posts may also contain affiliate (marketing) links .  All opinions expressed are solely from Down South Savings and were not and will not be influenced by any form of compensation.  My Daughter Loves anything she can customize. She'd customize a rock and wear it somehow if she could figure it out. So when I heard of FPgirl, I knew she would be thrilled! Now that she has taken a break from customizing and I have my computer back here is a little information about FPgirl. FPgirl, created by FashionPlaytes, is the ultimate fashion, style and social destination for tween girls, home to the online Style Mag and Club Z. FPgirl was founded in 2009. There are now close to 1 million registered users on FPgirl, who have created over 10 million clothing designs! FPgirl.com invites girls to design and wear their own clothes. They can pick out the style and color, and the...

Down South Savings receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. Posts may also contain affiliate (marketing) links . For many Americans, a flat panel TV is a great way to enjoy family time and entertainment. However, most parents are unaware of the safety risks that flat panel TVs pose for kids. Due to increasing size and new ultra thin designs, today’s flat panel TVs can easily tip over when bumped or pulled, toppling off of furniture and causing injury or even death. Bringing this risk to the forefront, SANUS, the leading designer and manufacturer of flat panel TV wall mounts, has partnered with Safe Kids Worldwide. By educating consumers on the risk of unsecured flat panel TV’s, SANUS and Safe Kids Worldwide offer safe solutions for families across the nation by reducing TV tip-over related injuries and fatalities. A 2011 US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report on flat panel TV safety revealed: ·  A chi...

Have you ever broken your phone? Do you have a good story on how it happened? Recently Gazelle asked their customers for stories on how they broke their phones, and then compiled some of the weirdest stories for an article on their new technology news blog called "The Horn" . Did you know that your broken iPhone could be worth over $100!? Gazelle offers a fast and easy way for consumers to get cash for their used or broken iPhones. More than 500,000 consumers have used Gazelle to sell nearly one million gadgets. Visit Gazelle today, and see what your broken iPhone is worth! Down South Savings receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. Posts may also contain affiliate (marketing) links .  All opinions expressed are solely from Down South Savings and were not and will not be influenced by any form of compensation. 

Thank You to Walltat.com for providing me with their products free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I'm always looking for ways to change the design in my home but I'm not always looking to paint. Paint is not only expensive but it's a lot of work when you change it up as much as I do. This time I wanted to go the decal route, so I reached out to Walltat.com . They have so many beautiful designs to choose from that it took me quiet a while to choose just one. My final selection was the  Butterfly Flight Wall Decal . It's a 42x46 in decal with the largest butterfly being 19".  I got them for my daughter's room so I chose Violet as the colors. I knew it would go great with the purple walls and her butterfly comforter and curtains. The Butterfly theme is perfect for those of any age. Before I passed it to her, I used the comforter in my room so it's not a theme she will outgrow any time soon.  At Walltat.com you can also d...