One Grace Place Winners

Unique Second-Hand Items You Should Never Pass Up

The art of shopping for second-hand items, also known as thrifting, can take a certain amount of patience and skill. You have to have an idea of what you’re looking for, but not too specifically, because it’s extremely rare to find exactly what you want in a second-hand store. You also have to have a tremendous amount of patience, and, if you’re looking for a real deal, be willing to dig a bit in the piles of other peoples’ junk. Thrifting, however, can be an extremely rewarding endeavor if you constantly keep in mind the things you should look for, and have an idea of what to buy the second you see it. Here are a few suggestions of items that will enhance any home.

The Club Chair

Club chairs were initially made to adorn gentlemen’s clubs, hence the name. They are striking chairs with unique lines and are typically upholstered by expert craftspeople. If you find a club chair in an antique or thrift store, it will most likely be leather, but newer models also offer a variety of fabrics. This chair is unique and valuable enough, that it’s worth your time to spend a bit of extra money to have it reupholstered and conserve the original quality of the chair while refreshing it for your personal home and style.

Don’t pass up a club chair when you see it at a thrift store, flea market, antique store, or swap meet. It will be a comfortable, stylish, conversation-starter in any home. Its finesse and elegance will add grace to any room.

Unique Lamps

Most lamps you find second-hand are straight out of someone’s grandma’s house, but this may work in your favor if their grandma had exquisite or unique taste. The lamp aisles in your local thrift stores are the first places you should check for great gems for your home. Lamps are ridiculously easy to re-wire, and second-hand lamps are significantly less expensive than store bought lamps. Plus, you’re conserving resources by reusing something instead of buying something new. Look for lamps that have interesting colors or shapes. Many lamps are made out of materials that you can repaint and create a custom lamp just for your own home. Or, scour the shelves until you find the perfect vintage piece to adorn your table tops. The thrill of the hunt is part of the fun.

Paige One enjoys writing about a variety of eco-friendly topics, including thrifting!

Supplements to Help Adjust during Season Changes

An increasing number of people are turning to nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, and more to keep their bodies healthy. When taken safely, they can energize the body, decrease disease symptoms, increase mood, cleanse the digestive tract and much more. Many people choose to take a simple multivitamin daily, which is good for providing vital nutrients that are not gained from one’s diet.

However, it is also beneficial to take other supplements as well, based on current symptoms. These days, one option, which is gaining in popularity, is to take supplements based on what season it is. Because different seasons bring different problems and illnesses, this is a great way to maintain the health of the body. As seasons change, the needs of the body change as well.

Winter to Spring

Spring is the perfect time to cleanse the body. It is great to have a cleanse once a year and choosing the period after the harder winter months is often the best option. In particular, individuals should focus on cleansing the liver, which stores toxic wastes. In addition, springtime brings many allergies, which can be combated with supplements.

·         Milk Thistle is a great liver detoxifier. It can help clear out toxins from foods, drinks, chemicals and more. Milk thistle, also known as St. Mary’s thistle, usually comes in capsules or as a liquid.

·         Quercetin and bromelain are useful for decreasing seasonal allergies. Quercetin decreases the body’s release of histamines; bromelain decreases inflammation and coughing and clears up sinus congestion.

Spring to Summer

As the months change from spring to summer, many individuals are seeking to lose weight. They wish to look good in less bulky summer clothes and to have a body of which they can be proud. The best way to do this is to focus on the digestive tract and on supplementing with healthy fats.

·          Probiotics greatly help the digestive tract to absorb the nutrients from food. Probiotics are the healthy bacteria usually found in the digestive tract. However, during illness or while taking medications, these natural probiotics can be significantly decreased.

·         Omega-3 fish oil is one of the healthiest known fats. Not only is it excellent for cardiovascular health, but also it increases lean muscle mass and decreases fat stores.

Summer to Autumn

When the months become cooler, the body is more prone to seasonal illnesses, especially coughs and colds. A few supplements are particularly known to shorten the duration of these illnesses or to decrease the unwelcome symptoms. Other supplements strengthen the body’s immune system to fight off foreign bacteria and viruses.

·         Vitamin C is one of the most well known nutrients for fighting viral infections. While it does not cure the common cold, it can decrease the symptoms as well as decrease one’s chances of acquiring a cold.

·         Zinc has been shown in studies to significantly shorten cold symptoms. This was proven in a study performed at the Cleveland Clinic; the study can be seen at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8678384.

·         Echinacea also strengthens the immune system, decreasing the severity of a cold and decreasing the possibility of succumbing to a cold.

Autumn to Winter

As autumn changes to winter, the days become shorter and sunlight is much weaker than it was in the summer months. This in turn creates lowered moods and decreased energy. Supplements taken during the winter should focus on increasing mood and on giving individuals the energy they need to accomplish their tasks each day.

·         Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin. However, during the winter, when the sun does not shine as much, this supplement can help improve mood.

·         Calcium is mostly known for improving bone health. In addition, it also helps with the absorption of vitamin D in the body.

·         B vitamins are quite beneficial for increasing physical and mental energy.

Although a multivitamin can be quite helpful in promoting overall good health, specific supplements can greatly increase physical and mental wellbeing during seasonal changes. Throughout the year, individuals should focus on cleansing the body, decreasing unhealthy fat buildup, decreasing allergies and infections and increasing mood and energy. These ten supplements are some of the best options that can be found over the counter.

Author Bio

Ron Thompson writes for Del-Immune V®, a unique probiotic supplement made from the lactobacillus rhamnosus which is a natural immune system boosterand offers how to treat sinusitis. Visit their website here: http://www.delimmune.com/solutions/low-immune-system/

Probar Review & Giveaway

I was lucky to try out some of ProBar's newest products. There are three of them and I will be listing them with photos. First is their Probar Bolt.

Pink Blush Maternity & $25 GC Giveaway

Maternity is dedicated to bringing our customers today's cute and trendy maternity clothes at low, low prices. While most maternity clothes out in the market are boxy, boring and expensive, we pride ourselves on having a wide selection of unique maternity styles at great prices.

Dr. Lewinn by Kinerease Lift & Resculpt Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream

Going along with the previous post for moisturizing your face during the day you also need to use a cream at night. This is Dr. Lewinn by Kinerease Lift & Resculpt Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream.

Delivers restorative hydration as it targets volume-deficient areas to gradually contour, firm and lift skin's appearance. This luxurious cream takes a multi-dimensional approach by working deep within skin's surface to support natural production of both more abundant collagen and rare but incredibly powerful elastin fibers with clinical strength kinetin and LOXL Activator. Plus, Snap-8 Peptide, one of the most advanced neuropeptides available, visibly relaxes the appearance of wrinkles caused by repetitive facial expressions.

Again this is great for my sensitive skin and it does not irritate me. A little goes a long way and I have been using this for a while and I still have alot. I would recommend this cream.

Kinerease Restructure Firming Cream

I am happy to share with you a product that I love. It is Kinerease Restructure Firming Cream. It really keeps my face looking fresh and hydrated during the day.

Introducing a new approach to firming that delivers a dramatically resilient, more youthful look. Only Kinerase® Restructure Firming Cream goes beyond stimulating collagen production to target critical elastin protein coils, combining the clinically-proven anti-aging power of Kinetin with revolutionary elastin-strengthening technology. Skin is deeply moisturized, contours are lifted and toned, and expression wrinkles are visibly smoothed. ;Hypoallergenic ;Non-comedogenic ;For all skin types ;Paraben-fre;LOXL Stimulator, an innovative plant extract, is known to reinforce elastin to lift and firm skin Multi-action peptide complex of SNAP-8, Argireline®, and Leuphasyl® reduces the look of wrinkles. Formulated with 0.15% Kinetin, which retains moisture in the skin.

It is really creamy and a little goes a long way. I love wearing this under my makeup and it really helps to smooth everything out. My skin is really sensitive and I will break out or get a rash and this does NOT! It has a great scent and isn't irritating or overpowering. I really like this and I will be continuing to use it.

Soft Scrub 4-in-1 toliet care winners

Dial Kids wash winners

Nuby™ Whale Pail

Bath time is always fun with the right bath toys but what do you use to clean up and store your toys? Well Nuby's Whale pail of course!

Keruig Giveaway

Trying To Go Green is excited to join Adventures of 8 and Blog with Mom in a new Advertise with Bloggers Event!

One lucky reader will WIN a Keruig from our friends at Massdrop, the newest way to buy online and save money!

Let me tell you a bit about Massdrop and how you can use this new site to save you MONEY!!! This is unlike any site I have seen before, as it works off of 'group buys' to offer the lowest price and YOU can vote for items you would like to have brought to Massdrop!

Here is how it works - let's say you have always wanted a Keurig B60 Single-Cup Home-Brewing System, but didn't want to pay the high department store price, nor did you want to purchase a refurbished one. What you would do is VOTE to bring the Keurig B60 Single-Cup Home-Brewing System to Massdrop, then once the poll option gets at least 200 votes, they negotiate bulk pricing with the supplier and pass them on to the Massdrop community.

This is where it gets really cool; THE MORE PEOPLE THAT PURCHASE the product, the lower the price!!!

Basically, the sale goes on for seven days, it starts at a certain price and as more people purchase the item the lower the price goes, with up to 3 price drops unlocking until the lowest price available is offered... and in the end you will only be billed for the lowest price; cool, right? The funny thing is that when the community worked together for their first Keurig B60 group-buy, they cleared out all of North American inventory in just a few days.

Oh and a really neat thing is that if you don't see a product that you want, as a community member, you can create a product poll for anything from coffee makers cards to homebrew beer kits.

Go sign up for Massdrop now to see how awesome this site is, then come enter to win a BRAND NEW Keurig B60 Single-Cup Home-Brewing System!

PRIZE DETAILS:


Step into the world of single serve coffee with Keurig's Special Edition gourmet brewing system. With the touch of a button you can enjoy the perfect cup of coffee, tea, hot cocoa or iced beverage with the quality and convenience of Keurig's patented K-Cups. Forget the mess that accompanies typical coffee making and start brewing with the revolutionary Keurig B60.


The B60 combines both ease and elegance, with its chrome accents and backlit LCD display. This Special Edition 1500 watt brewing system allows you to program water temperature, set the digital clock and utilize its energy-saving Auto On/Off modes. Its 48-ounce removable water reservoir holds up to eight cups and the removable drip tray allows for easy cleaning. With three different brew size options (6 oz., 8 oz. and 10 oz.), and over 200 K-Cup varieties, you can easily find a brew that fits you.


PRODUCT FEATURES:

• 1500-watt single-cup brewing system for gourmet coffee, tea, or cocoa
• Uses patented K-Cups; no messy grinding or clean up
• Removable 48-ounce water reservoir; removable drip tray
• 3 brew-size options; 2-hour automatic shut-off; descale indicator

Giveaway Details:

Event Dates: April 24th through Midnight May 14th


Giveaway Rules:

• All mandatory entries must be submitted in the entry form below. All other entries are optional for more chances to win this beautiful
• All entrants must be 18 years or older
• This Giveaway is opened WORLDWIDE!
• See full disclosures in the entry form

⇩⇩⇩⇩Enter Giveaway Here⇩⇩⇩⇩

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**DISCLOSURE** Trying To Go Green is acting as an advertisement for the Sponsor and is not responsible for prize. This event is brought to you by Blog with Mom and Adventures of 8 through Advertise with Bloggers! If you are interested in sponsoring an event like this, please contact Advertise with Bloggers.

Crayola is turning 110!!

To celebrate their 110th birthday, the 8 original crayons are throwing a birthday bash at the new fun-omenal Crayola Experience, the world's only interactive Crayola family attraction. Right now, they're out on a colorful adventure to spread the news, and you're invited to join the fun!

How can you join in on the fun? You can FOLLOW the crayons on their adventure, LEARN more about each color and enter to WIN a trip for 4 to celebrate their birthday and the Grand Opening of the all new Crayola Experience this coming May, 2013! Visit the Crayola Facebook page and click "enter now" for your chance to be first in line when the Crayola Experience reopens. The new Crayola Experience features four floors of new interactive exhibits and one-of-a-kind attractions that will bring the magic of color and your child's creativity to life! The winner will be among the first to experience the fun, along with a three- night, all-expenses paid stay. It's an experience your kids will never forget - and neither will you!   Crayola provided me with the information you read in this post.

Nuby SoftFlex™ Natural Nurser™ Review & Giveaway US only

I am really excited to share this review & Giveaway with you. These are the first bottles that I have tried from Nuby. These are their SoftFlex™ Natural Nurser™.

My first thought was OMG they are so cute! They have Bears, Cows and Trains on them and they are gender neutral.

Nothing is better for your newborn than a Natural Touch™. The SoftFlex™ Natural Nurser is designed to make breastfeeding and bottle feeding work better together. It features the new Nûby™ Breast Size Nipple which closely mimics the natural shape, feel, and function of a mother’s breast helping to ease the transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding. Superior anti-colic valves in the base of the nipple help prevent colic, and soft nubs on the surface massage baby’s gums. Additionally, this bottle is made from a high grade of Poly Propelene material which is 100% Bisphenol A FREE and is fully interchangeable with the SoftFlex™ Silicone system.

You can purchase these at Buybuybabydirect.com and K-mart.

One lucky TTGG follower will win this!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Cleaning & Organizing

During the winter time at my house we all tend ot be a bit lazy. We hoard things and we are just more messier. My favorite time is when Spring hits and the weather changes. I love having the windows opened and so do my cats. With the windows open and weather nice I get into cleaning mode with all of the extra items that we have collected over the year.

I make a pile of things we need and another pile of things I want to sell or donate. When I am ready to part with our Cd's, music of games i look at Music Magpie.  I usually have a really big bag of things that we just donate to our local thrift store. We usually do not have just trash laying around mostly clothing and household items that we just no longer use anymore. Any paper we have laying around I shread it and we use it in our composter.

The whole family gets involved in this and we go room by room cleaning and decluttering. It feels really good when we are purged of items and we are not so jam packed and it makes room for all of the items that we will be collecting this year.

After the inside is finished its time to go outside and tackle the yard. We have garden beds in the back and we have to get those clean and organized for planting. We actually just built 3 more beds this week. We love having a clean area to grow our food and we love to do it as a family.

We just gave away a wooden swingset that we no longer need to a family. That really made our yard look more open and clean. We also cut a large dead tree down last week so we could build our garden beds and we cut it just in time but that is another post.

Blogger sign ups

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V 18.2 MP 30 x High Zoom GPS Digital Camera - BLACK

Blogger Opportunity

Giveaway from June 17 to  July 12

 

Come and be part of this awesome giveaway

 

We are giving away:

 

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V 18.2 MP 30 x High Zoom GPS Digital Camera - BLACK. Value $479

• 18.2 megapixel resolution
  Sony DSC-HX200V Cyber-Shot black digital camera delivers excellent picture quality
• Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 29-870mm zoom lens
  Offers f/2.8 to f/5.6 aperture and features a 30x optical zoom
• 3.0" TFT LCD display
  Enjoy easy focus selection and photo viewing
• AVC-HD movie file format
  Record movies in 1080p Full HD format on this compact camera
• 33 scene modes
  Provide creative options for taking eye-catching photos with accurate color
• Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization
  Reduce image blur
• GPS and compass
  Record shot location and direction

 

We will have a max. of 200 bloggers for sign up, it will be a big giveaway.

The RC is not long because each co-host has there own RC with their links.

Here are the details to sign up:

-Free Link (Twitter or Pinterest)  

The first 50 bloggers to sign up will get a link free with announcement. 

Announcement is required or you have to pay a waiver fee of $5.00

Please get your announcement here.

(Please read the sign up form on the top to know if we still have free space available)

-Link/ or extra links $3.00 each (if the free spots are gone, to be part of this giveaway you will need to pay $3.00 for each link you want on the giveaway)

Announcement is required or you have to pay a waiver fee of $5.00.

Please get your announcement here.

-Co-Host $15.00

The co-host get 2 host page.  

10 links on the RC.

No announcement required.

Please send payment to melisurveys1978@gmail.com as a gift.

Any question please email me at nysavingspecials@gmail.com

Sign up here

Balboa Baby Red Poppy Messanger Bag Winner

PB Crave winner

Sage Spoodnful Let's Get Started Kit

As parents, we only want the best for our babies. By feeding them homemade baby food, we are not only giving them the most delicious and nutritious food-we are laying a strong foundation for a lifetime of healthy choices and helping to prevent them from becoming picky eaters.

Founder Liza Huber of Sage Spoonfuls provides simple recipes so that you can deliver healthy meals and have happy babies!

This 19 piece Let's Get Started Kit includes everything you need to make and store your own fresh, natural homemade baby food with ease! The Sage Spoonfuls immersion blender and food processor allow you to puree up to 2 week’s worth of baby food in just seconds and storing is an easy 1-step process with the Sage Spoonfuls Storage System!

This packages includes:

- "Sage Spoonfuls-Simple Recipes, Healthy Meals, Happy Babies" by Liza Huber Winner of the 2012 Mom's Best Literary Gold Award!

- 1 Immersion Blender with 1 Food Processor

- 12 BPA-free 4 oz Storage Jars - Made in the USA!

- 1 Pack of 60 Labels - Made in the USA!

- 2 stackable Storage Trays - Made in the USA!

- 1 Pocket Guide

BPA free and made of non-toxic materials!

Winner of a 2012 Cribsie Award for Best New Arrival! Winner of the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal!

One *lucky* Mommy Guru fan will win a Let's Get Started Kit! To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends April 25th at 11:59pm EST open to US residents only, ages 18+. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nuby™ Octopus Bath Time Toss

I am acquiring a large stash of bath toys and they are all super cute. Nuby does not disappoint when making their products. Today I am sharing with you their Nuby™ Octopus Bath Time Toss.

Teach your child hand-eye coordination with this fun bath time toy. The Octopus Toss floats in the water and includes three rings to toss onto the octopus's legs. Stimulate your child's senses while washing them clean in the bath tub. BPA-free. Imported.

Ok so i know you think that this is super cute and you are totally right. I was excited when I saw this for sale over the weekend at Buy Buy Baby. When I am out I always get excited to see Nuby products.

This toy is fun for the whole family and even my 10 year old had to try this one out. It is alot harder than it looks. The Octopus Bath Time Toss makes bath time more fun and I always love to hear the giggles when we play with it. I would recommend for you to have this toy in your stash.

This can be purchased at Buy Buy Baby, Amazon and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Soft Star Shoes

Soft Star Shoes has been handcrafting quality, soft-soled shoes since 1984. Tim Oliver and his wife Jeanie started the company as young parents who wanted a soft, quality shoe for their baby girl. As their family grew and moved, so did their business—from a garage in Laguna Beach, CA to the back of an old bus in rural Texas, to before finally settling into a little workshop in Corvallis, Oregon. The Olivers raised their girls alongside them as they made shoes for mail order companies and local fairs. Over the years they have sold shoes to families, Waldorf and Montessori schools, celebrities, and even US presidents! (President Ford, to be exact.)

Swaddle Designs Fitted Flannel sheet winner

Baby Magic Tub Winner

Zevia Soda Winners

AppleCheeks Little Bundle and Storage Sac Giveaway

Ok, I'll be honest. I did NOT use cloth diapers with Kira but one day when I have my second I definitely will and I will be using one of my favs, Applecheeks! Applecheeks Cloth Diapers are one of the best on the market today!

Here's why~ New advances in textile technology allow for amazingly trim fitting washable diapers that unstuff by themselves in the wash! Gone are the days of bulky plastic pants and saggy, wet bottoms. Pins and Snappis are a thing of the past. AppleCheeks cloth diapers bring you the ultimate in form and function, combining effective leak control with attractive styling. Imagine a dry bottom that actually looks good! Who knew?



What makes AppleCheeks cloth diapers unique from any already existing product on the market?

Firstly, AppleCheeks comes with a three-pronged approach to customer service. Each diaper comes with complete washing instructions, downloadable here, which clearly illustrate the optimal method of care for your AppleCheeks cloth products.

As well, you can always speak with a live person through their toll-free number (1-877-8-APPLE-8) and be helped to find solutions to any questions you may have. You can also email them through our contact form and they will respond to your query within 24 hours.

And lastly, you can check out their video tutorials, found here which show you how to use your AppleCheeks cloth products successfully.

They also have these fabulous storage sacs designed to keep odor and moisture in and preserve a controlled environment for your soiled cloth diapers between washes, our Storage Sacs come in two generous sizes.

One *lucky* Mommy Guru fan will win a little bundle and a storage sac! To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway ends April 23rd at 11:59pm EST open to US residents only, ages 18+. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alli's Originals Personalized Jewelry Review & Giveaway

Alli's Originals specializes in made-to-order hand stamped, personalized sterling silver jewellery. This would be the perfect mother's day gift to your mom or to hint to your husband that you want. Here is how my order was packaged.

Nûby™ Teething blanket

Nuby carries a wide variety of toys and today I am sharing with you their Teething Blanket.