Petsmart Grooming - don't do it!

My precious Chloe dog is currently sulking around the house with bandages around her front legs. It's actually quite funny - hubby thinks she looks like half a racehorse since racehorses always have their legs bandaged. Well, it's not at all funny how she came to have bandages around her legs.

Yesterday, I took Chloe and Chip to our local Petsmart to be groomed. Chloe really doesn't need to be "groomed", but she did need a bath and a nail trim. Chip, on the other hand, needs an actual haircut every 3 months or so. Normally I send Chip off and frugally bathe Chloe at home, but I was just way too tired and they needed it desperately, having spent the past 2 weeks with 6 other dogs playing nonstop. So we shipped them both off to Petsmart.

Let me state again that Chloe went in for a bath and a nail trim. No sharp objects (scissors, razors...etc.) were supposed to be involved. So imagine my surprise when we picked her up with two open sores on the insides of her front paws.

As you can tell from the pictures, the wound on her right paw looks more like a puncture wound than a sore...it looks like something stabbed her in the foot and made a hole. The one on the left is no where as deep - it's comparable to a mild rash from rubbing against something. However, she should have absolutely NO wounds at all.

Of course, the staff did not even mention it, and when I questioned them, they said that nothing out of the ordinary happened and they have no idea how she got them. I know for a fact that she did not have them on her paws before Petsmart...considering we snuggled for 3 hours on the couch with her and clipped her whiskers the night we got home. We would have noticed. It's kind of hard not to notice something like that. But Petsmart wanted me to believe that she tried to dig herself out of her crate and injured herself in that manner.

Before we go any further, let me share with you that Chloe is a dog that has been on a plane TWICE in her life, and has spent countless hours in her crate in various situations. The dog is considerably bomb-proof. And not to mention that it is quite impossible to do that in a crate in a short amount of time unless there are exposed sharp points...which there shouldn't be.

The staff offered their apologies, and said that if anything happens I can call them and they will "take care of it". What that means...I really don't know. Hopefully it means they will pay for her vet bills. At this point though, the only vet she's seen is Dr. Mommy and Dr. Daddy. It's not an emergency situation that requires us to head off to the $200 doggy ER.

However, a trip to the vet is pretty much unavoidable at this point. By the time we got home it was already oozing. I flushed it out with povidone-iodine, applied an antibacterial cream, and sprayed on a liquid bandage. Just to drive the point home and prevent licking, we protected it with gauze and the bright pink bandage warp. Just a disclaimer - I have no vet knowledge. It's just after Chip's near-death experience with the coyote and the following month that my neighbor and I spent flushing his wounds, applying various creams/bandages, and forcing pills down his throat every 3 hours...well, I obviously picked up some tricks.

When I changed her dressings for the night, the gauze and pink bandage wrap was soaked through with yucky ooze. I'm sure it's nothing serious, but it's an infection that will probably need a course of antibiotics to clear up. All this from a bath and a nail trim.

I will not be returning to any Petsmart grooming salon in the future. It's simply not worth it.

Sassy Clink 'n Chew Keys - a review

One of the presents that we received at the baby shower for the little princess was a set of Clink 'n Chew Keys by Sassy. The recommended age is 6+ months, so they've been sitting at the back of the closet until recently. And she really does love these keys. They produce a real-sounding jingling key sound, and there are two buttons on the "remote" that makes either an engine starting noise or a honking sound. The actual keys are full of different textures, so not only is it fun but it's also good for baby...or so I thought.

One day when I went to take my baby out of her car seat, I found blue spots on her nose and lips. At first I had no idea what in the world this was, until my eyes went to set of Sassy Clink 'n Chew Keys in her hands.

Mind you, she's only been playing with them for a month. Considering the recommended age is "6+ months" and the name of the toy is "Clink 'n CHEW keys", it's to be expected that babies are going to chew on them. I am so disappointed that the paint flaked after only a month of play.

When I emailed Sassy requesting a refund, I was contacted by a consumer relations representative the next day and offered a replacement. According to Sassy, they only use "safe non-toxic materials", and all of their products "meet and exceed all safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM)". That's great and all, but paint is paint and I would rather my child NOT ingest paint, no matter how safe and non-toxic it is.

Sassy says that they will be sending me a set of "new revised keys that do not have any paint on them", and they will also be sending a postage-paid envelope for me to send the defective toy back for a Quality Control inspection.

It's great that Sassy is offering a replacement, but I have to admit that I have my doubts on the replacement keys and any other Sassy products. We're not talking about a pair of toy keys that I picked up at some garage sale. We're talking about a toy purchased brand new less than a year ago that has become a hazard in under 1 month of play. I don't care how many standards and tests they've exceeded at, but they have certainly failed my expectations.

Christmas Catalog: Marshalls

The CHRISTMAS CATALOG is all about making Christmas shopping easy, and one of my favorite places to shop is Marshalls. 

Marshalls carry brand names and designer products at a fraction of the price.  They are able to offer such tremendous saving because sometimes department stores overbuy and designers overproduce.  Marshalls negotiate prices on that overstock, and are able to bring the same merchandise to shoppers for a much cheaper price. 

Not only is Marshalls a great place to save on quality brand-name merchandise, it's also a treasure cove of many different items.  Marshalls gets more than 10,000 new items every week, so every single time you shop you are quite literally walking into a different store.  Merchandise at Marshalls is always rotating, so if you see something that you like...grab it before it disappears!

On my most recent trip to Marshalls, I bought the Safari Roller by Infantino and a duck breakfast set.  The Infantino Safari Roller retails for $10.99 at Toys "R" Us, and I got it at the deal price of $6.99.  The breakfast set was just so cute that I had to get it, and it was an awesome deal at just $4.99, compared to the regular retail price of $10.  It would make for an awesome gift, if I didn't like it so much that I decided to keep it.

I love shopping at Marshalls because I can find something for just about everyone.  I love browsing their home decor department, because they have so many unique and quality pieces.  I remember one year I bought a model sailing ship for $20 for my best friend and his family from Marshalls, and to this day he tells me that they still get compliments on it.

If you're tight on time and money this Christmas, be sure to stop by Marshalls - it's a truly one-stop shop for everyone on your list! 

Through the Storm: a book review

Recently I read the book Through the Storm by Lynne Spears, and I would like to share with you my opinion of the book.

Before I begin my review, I need to admit that when I first started reading the book, I thought it was just going to be another celebrity-mom arguing with tabloid claims and trying to ride her children's coat-tails and make more money off them.

But I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. When I read the book, it felt like I was reading the story of any other ordinary mother, but as luck would have it her daughter just happened to be a pop star. I found the book very refreshing and definitely not what I expected, but in a good way. Lynne's approaches to parenting and life challenges were interesting, and while I do not agree with her ways and choices, I can certainly understand her point of view.

The book felt like a true memoir instead of some money-making gimmick, and I applaud Lynne for having the courage and honesty to write such a lasting gift for her children. The book is centered around family and family decisions, rather than entertainment careers. If anything, her daughters' careers are mere backdrops to the true family action.

I am glad that I gave the book a try, and I consider it time well spent. Although I do not necessarily agree with her choices, I do appreciate her view and willingness to share her experience. If you're looking for a relaxing read for the rainy day, pick up a copy of Through the Storm by Lynne Spears and settle down with a cup of hot chocolate for an interesting look into a very special mother's world.

Things I Love Thursday: Scotch Paper Cutter $0.50 at Walmart!

Couponing isn't exactly a chore to me (because otherwise I wouldn't do it), but I really can't admit that I enjoy cutting coupons too much. I don't mind sorting them, and I probably wouldn't mind cutting them so much if the scissors didn't give me carpel tunnel syndrome after a bit. Part of the reason is that I use these large scissors that I found in the fabric department of Walmart, and while they obviously don't fit my tiny hands, I would use no other type of scissors because they're just so sharp and so efficient. That still doesn't change the fact that my hands hurt after a while.

Enter the Scotch Paper Cutter. I think it's originally designed for holiday gift wrap cutting, but it works wonders on coupons (and actually anything else you need to cut out). It's basically just a push action, instead of having to work my fingers. I'm pretty sure that you can purchase it anytime of the year, but around the holidays it tends to be a bit easier to find and is often on sale.

Which is how I got my paper cutter for $0.50. Yes. Just two quarters. When I set out to find it at Walmart yesterday, I was expecting to have to pay somewhere in the range of $4 or $5. I had a $1 coupon from a recent insert, but honestly price wasn't the main issue here. I was just tired of using scissors, and a paper cutter that I will be heavily abusing using every week seems like a good investment.

Imagine my surprise when I found them in the home office department for $1.50! They had some in the actual aisle priced at around $4, but then at the end of the aisle on the side of the endcap they had a whole display of paper cutters, and someone had written with a sharpie $2.50, then crossed it out to $1.50.

I really didn't expect it to scan at $1.50, especially with the so "unofficial" markdown. I mean, really now...anyone passing by could have scribbled it on. But nope - it rang up at $1.50, and after my $1 coupon I ended up paying $0.50 for this couponer's hand-saving grace.

Best fifty cents I ever spent!

Twilight - a book & movie review

When it first started, I really didn't understand the whole hype about the Twilight saga and movie.  But recently I bought the entire series through Barnes & Nobles (and since I went through the Box Tops Marketplace my school will be getting a 6% donation), and now I understand the hype...sort of.

I devoured all four books in a matter of days, and I now understand what all the hype is about.  It's a great series, but I must admit that I might be a bit biased - for some inexplicable reason, I have always been fascinated and attracted to anything vampire.  Read all of the Anne Rice books I could get my hands on, probably at too young of an age, and I am so throughly obsessed with the vampire thing that I even kept up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer like it was my new religion. 

My weird and crazy obsession aside, I really appreciated the series for its depth, suspense, and character relationships.  Ultimately, it is a love story.  But the great thing is that it doesn't read like some sappy romance and there are actually other events happening outside of the love story.  There is no "filler" junk - every single word matters and is ultimately important.  I've read a lot of series, but the Twilight saga is honestly the first one where I find myself re-reading a passage in a previous book - because that's just how much every single thing is related to each other.  It's a true universe. 

And then tonight, I watched the movie.  And this is where I don't get the hype.  People were tripping over themselves about the actor who plays Edward, but honestly...after watching the movie I think he's all wrong for the role.  Maybe it's just my take on Edward, but he just doesn't seem like an Edward.  Don't get me wrong, the actor is some fine looking eye candy, and while I do understand that Edward is incomprehensibly gorgeous and all that, I'm pretty sure they could have found someone better (especially in the acting skills department).

The girl that plays Bella, on the other hand, is exactly what I imagined Bella to be...perfect match.  Although I was under the impression that Bella is supposed to be kind of...simple non-beautiful looking.  Granted, I thought the acting was a bit...immature and HSM, and I really shudder to think how the same actress can pull it off when it comes time to make the last sequel, but compared to the drastic mis-match that is Edward, I think I can live with what they did to Bella.

That being said, I am so utterly disappointed.  Now, I know better than to expect 100% of the book represented, but saying that 10% of the book was included is being very generous.  It's going to be really funny watching them make the sequels work.  As I said before, there is no "filler" in the book - every single conversation and every single word counts.  Not only does it give you a good feel of exactly how deep and profound their relationship is, a lot of that information is also essential to the rest of the saga.  After watching the movie, the relationship between Edward and Bella seems something more like a high school crush or infatuation, and cannot even be compared with what it actually is.

If you've watched the movie and loved it, but haven't read the books, treat yourself and get the entire saga.  Set aside a couple of days and just read them - you will find your head spinning.  If you loved the movie for what it was, you will forget to breath when you see for yourself how it really should have been.

Meanwhile, I will be sitting here giggling to myself thinking about how they're going to make a sequel.  I don't think I will be able to watch the sequel in theaters - people will be shooting me mean looks since I'll probably be laughing my way through the entire thing, considering they made such a huge (and detached) mess of things in the first movie. 

Bumkins to the Rescue!

Earlier this week, the Mom Bloggers Club treated us to a nice little package from Bumkins.  We received a Dr. Seuss Coverall Suit, a Grinch SuperBib, and a Grinch Christmas ornament for the little princess to review.  Without a doubt, the little princess' favorite item was the Christmas ornament. She wanted me to pass on the fact that it is a very yummy ornament. 

Mommy, on the other hand, had a harder time picking a favorite item.  Since the second that the little princess saw the ornament she had it in her mind to devour it, I am definitely very thankful and appreciative of the fact that it is not made of glass or another shatter-able substance.  However, it's of such a high quality that unless you were to handle it (or drop it in our case), you would never know that it's unbreakable!

I also absolutely love how adorable the Dr. Seuss Coverall Suit looked on her.  I was very impressed with how soft the fabric was, and what a nice fit it was for her.  The colors are so sharp and Christmas-y - when daddy came home and saw her in it, he said that she looked like a sweet little candy cane!

My favorite thing about the Dr. Seuss Coverall Suit are the absolutely adorable back pockets.  They're actually quite useful too - Mommy put her cell phone in one of the pockets when it was time for everyone to head up the stairs for bed.  I'm thinking about storing a mini burp-cloth in there permanently.

We also received a Grinch SuperBib, and this is quite possibly my new favorite bib.

Bumbins' SuperBibs are made of waterproof fabric, and is PVC, BPA, phthalate, and vinyl free.  Although we're eating 24/7, it's still a very messy business for us.  I love the fact that the SuperBib can be wiped clean with a wet cloth, and is stain and odor resistant.  With fabric bibs, I have to use various laundry stain removers and even then it's no guarantee, but with the SuperBib it's a simple process of wiping it clean and tossing it in the washing machine.  I don't have to hold my breath wondering if it's been stained permanently when I go to collect my laundry. 

As an added bonus, there is a catch-all pocket at the bottom, and comes in a very season-y and cute Grinch pattern.  I can't wait to dress her in her Dr. Seuss Coverall Suit and Grinch SuperBib for Christmas dinner at her grandparents' house - they're going to go nuts when they see their cute little candy cane!

How would you like to get a FREE Grinch SuperBib of your very own?  Until the end of the year, you can get a free Grinch SuperBib with any Dr. Seuss purchase by using the coupon code GRINCH08 at checkout.  You will also be automatically entered to win a 4-pack of Grinch ornaments for your little one's chewing tree-decorating pleasure.  A winner will be randomly chosen every week until 12/31/08. 

Christmas Catalog: Dreaming Giggles Design

There is nothing more unique and appreciated than a personalized present for Christmas, and Dreaming Giggles Design is THE place to go for some breath-taking personalized artwork. Each piece is hand-painted by the very talented artist Patti Holcombe. Patti is a work-at-home, having left her job as a middle school art teacher after her daughter's birth.

Patti was kind enough to send me a canvas bow holder for my little princess. When I first removed it from its packaging, I have to admit that it literally took my breath away. The detail and quality is absolutely amazing, and the gloss varnish and hints of glitter made the piece almost magical. The picture does not do it justice - Patti's artwork is far more gorgeous.

As an added bonus, it's "personalized" for my little princess, and the colors match her room EXACTLY. We didn't even plan this - I had no idea what I was getting until I got to my mailbox, so maybe there was a bit of magic involved after all!

Sorry for the crappy picture - combination of bad lighting & an on-its-deathbed camera.

This is a gorgeous and thoughtful gift that any little girl will be delighted to find under the tree. Years after the ribbon is no longer needed for holding bows and clips, the personalized artwork will be treasured as a true keepsake - it is a gift that will survive the years. And here is your chance to win your very own custom canvas bow holder, personalized for the little princess in your life.

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CHRISTMAS CATALOG GIVEAWAY

Make sure you familiarize yourself with the giveaway rules and terms. Please follow directions or your entry will NOT be counted.

Prize: 1 custom canvas bow holder, personalized

To enter: Take a look around Dreaming Giggles Design and share what item you would choose. What would the design and personalization be for that item?

For extra entries (you are only eligible for extra entires if you complete the first task):

1. Subscribe to see the "Dreaming Giggles Design" code that is at the bottom of every post. Send me an email with the code in the subject. Do NOT post the code in comments.
   
2. Share this giveaway on your blog or twitter with a link back to both this post and Dreaming Giggles Design. Leave a comment with the permalink or your twitter screen-name.
3. Grab my button and put it in your sidebar. Leave a comment with where I can find it!

Giveaway ends: Wednesday 12/03/08 at 10:00 PM CST. The lucky winner will be drawn from the valid entries via random.org and will have 48 hours to get in touch with me, or else a new winner will be drawn.

PLEASE be sure to read the giveaway rules and terms.

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Besides beautiful canvas bow holders, Patti also makes holiday ornaments, birth announcements, leash holders, and even greeting cards! Her work is absolutely stunning and will be treasured for years to come. If you're looking for a meaningful gift for that special someone in your life this Christmas, look no further than Dreaming Giggles Design!

Things I Love Thursday: Family-owned restaurants

We love to eat out.  We actually eat out more often than we should, and while we are working on fixing that, it's just something that our family loves and we treat ourselves to every now and then.  Our daughter is probably the best restaurant baby - she's just content to sit in her car-seat and in her lap and watch us. 

Being a military family, chain restaurants end up on our "favorite restaurant" list quite often.  We know that we can find them, no matter where we end up.  However, our absolutely favorite places of all time are small family-owned restaurants, especially Japanese restaurants.

My husband and I both love sushi, and we're both very picky on how our sushi is prepared.  We'll eat supermarket sushi, but only when we're really desperate.  So far, we've been fortunate enough to find a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant at every place we've lived in.  These restaurants are most family-owned, and every-time we go we see the same waitress and the same sushi chef.  The place is nice and cozy, and you'd have trouble fitting a party of 6+ in there.  Their prices are extremely reasonable, and we love knowing that our food is prepared when we order it, not mass produced and then heated up.

Every once in a while we'll crave some Olive Garden or some Denny's, but without a doubt, we love small family-owned hole-in-the-wall places. 

Amazon.com Huggies deal update

I am so done with this whole Huggies mess. A quick history lesson: on Saturday night Amazon.com was selling a box of 264 size 1-2 diapers for $17.65 with $6.95 shipping. The diapers were sold/shipped by DAB Nutrition. By spending $25 or more, you were eligible for a $15 rebate (or a magazine subscription here). I placed my order around 6pm on Saturday, and had it canceled Sunday afternoon at 12pm.

First of all, I'm ticked that I can't get the diapers that were advertised. My order was canceled, and then the same vendor listed the product for $69.95. And now I find out that my credit card was charged, even though the cancellation email said that my card would not be charged.

I called immediately on Monday, and after spending a good 3 hours on the phone being bounced around by Amazon.com, this whole mess is no closer to being revolved. It has now been 5 days since I placed my order.

To be fair though, Amazon has issued a total of $25 credit to my account, and DAB Nutrition said they will be sending out a free product for me. I appreciate all of that, but honestly...does Amazon think they can just buy my trust back? Why in the world would I place another order if you can't tell me why the first one was canceled?

I still really have no idea why my order was canceled. According to DAB Nutrition, it was a screw-up by Amazon. They were listing zip lock bags, and somehow the product code got messed up and it was listed as diapers instead. According to Dan at DAB Nutrition, they don't even CARRY Huggies. O...kay? What in the world...?! Besides, if that was the case, why did they send out an apology email on Monday morning that said: ""Due to a pricing error through Amazon we had to cancel the orders. We simply are unable to sell at this price because of agreements with Amazon and other vendors. We apologize for the confusion." This statement leads me to believe that they DO in fact carry Huggies diapers. You can't have an agreement with Amazon and other vendors on a product that you don't have. And I love how they view their agreement with other vendors more importantly than their agreement with their customers. But whatever.

I saw a product that I wanted. I paid for it. My money was taken. I'm not getting my product. My money has not been returned yet. It's as simple as that. I'm not out to play the blame game, and I could care less who's at fault. DAB Nutrition will never get my business again, and at the rate that they're going, Amazon.com will never get my business again either.

I spoke with probably about 10 representatives from Amazon.com by now. Two of them were very helpful, most were not. Some were so heavily accented that I could barely understand them. I'm all for equal opportunity, but when your job is to communicate with someone using ONLY your voice, you need to have a clear speaking voice! And then there were the representatives that were just plain old rude. One guy actually had the guts to yell at me and tell me to be patient. HUH? You took my money in under 12 hours, but you want me to give you DAYS to return my money for a mistake that you made?!

Oh, and remember the section of Amazon.com's Seller Participating Agreement that I shared with you in my last update? NONE of the representatives that I spoke with knew that it existed. I had to tell them where to look for it. Someone please explain to me why I know more about the company than their employees. It didn't take me long to find it either - I think I did a search for seller obligation or seller contract in their help section and it popped right up. It wasn't this massive undertaking - it took all of 5 minutes.

It's nice that Amazon issued me a $25 credit and DAB Nutrition wants to send me some free soap, but I cannot be bought. My trust cannot be bought. I would rather pay a couple dollars more and support a reputable and honorable company with my business.

Things I Love Thursday: Nutella

I first found out about Nutella when I was in college. There was a little shop in the college mall that made crepes, and they used Nutella in them. It was just utterly divine. At that point in life, I had no clue that you could buy Nutella at a grocery store. When I found it during spring break at a Safeway, I think my heart stopped or something ridiculous like that.

For the uninitiated, Nutella is a hazelnut chocolate spread, and it shames peanut butter. You can put it on literally ANYTHING. I put it on my waffles, pancakes, bagels...I even use it as a dip for biscuits. And we'll just pretend that I don't sit around and just stick my finger in the jar and lick it. Sometimes I even bake with it. Why bother melting chocolate chips and all that mess when you've got Nutella?

If you've never tried it, you are doing yourself a HUGE disfavor. So go out and find yourself a jar of Nutella. It's heaven on earth, in chocolate form...and it just doesn't get better than that.

Mailbox of Goodies

Not much in my Mailbox of Goodies today.  Just another issue from my free 6 month subscription to U.S. News from RewardsGold.  I also got 2 boxes of Gerber disposable nursing pads, courtesy of their 100% satisfaction guarantee.

I had bought a box of ultra-thin disposable nursing pads a while back, but after a while I had to stop using them.  They had no stickies on the back, so they just kept sliding all over the place.  It wasn't because they were too thin - if only they would stay put!

Well, I was on the phone with Gerber on Saturday morning to ask them about their different types of food, and before I hung up I figured I'd just ask them about their satisfaction guarantee.  The box was half-used, and I didn't even have the store receipt, so I wasn't expecting much.  To my surprise, they just asked for my name and address, what I didn't like about them, and offered to send me coupons to make up for the price of box.  When I asked them if they carried other types of nursing pads with stickies on them, the representative I talked to was nice enough to offer me two sample boxes. 

I'm more than happy with this "freebie".  Nursing pads are one of the "hidden costs" of babies, and you go through them really quickly too.  I've considered getting those washable nursing pads, but I just haven't had the time to research them.  Besides, that'll require that I do laundry, so maybe in the end it's better if I just stick with disposable.  I haven't tried these new pads out yet, but I can't wait to use them and I'm pretty sure that they'll be fine. 

Be sure to check out my Freebie Frenzy for the day!

Christmas Catalog: Vertical Printing & Graphics

This giveaway has now ENDED.
Thank you to all those who participated, and congratulations to our winner Amber R!
Amber won with one of her extra entries...so be sure to take advantage of those!

The next sponsor in our CHRISTMAS CATALOG is Laura Beulke of Vertical Printing and Graphics. Laura is a self-taught designer and entrepreneur who strives "to help you match your every need". You can view her extensive portfolio here. In addition to logo design, business cards, and flyers, VPG also designs custom photo cards, and you can save 10% by simply ordering anytime in November!

Are you following Laura on twitter? If you're not, you're missing out...! She has daily specials and sometimes freebies up for grabs, so make sure that you follow her for the best printing deals around!

Laura has generously offered a lucky reader a pack of notecards. There are 15 beautiful designs to choose from. You can get notecards to remind friends and family about seasonal gatherings, or get a pack of "thank you" cards to send out after the unwrapping of the Christmas presents. There's even a "Season's Greetings" and a "Holiday Wishes" design for those of you who want to get a jump start on your Christmas cards.

Make sure you familiarize yourself with the giveaway rules and terms. Please follow directions or your entry will NOT be counted.

Prize: 1 pack of notecards (your choice from the above 15 designs)

To enter: leave a comment with which notecard (from the above pictures titled "Win Me") is your favorite and why. You MUST answer this in order to be eligible for the extra entries.

For extra entries:

1. Subscribe to see the "Christmas Catalog VPG giveaway" code that is at the bottom of every post. Send me an email with the code in the subject. Do NOT put the code in the body of the email as the email will not be read. Do NOT post the code in comments.
   
2. Share this giveaway on your blog or twitter with a link back to both this post and VPG. Leave a comment with the permalink or your twitter screen-name.
3. Grab my button and put it in your sidebar. Leave a comment with where I can find it!
4. Make a purchase from VPG before the end of the giveaway.
   

Giveaway ends: Wednesday 11/19/08 at 10:00 PM CST. Winner will be drawn via random.org and announced on Thursday morning.

PLEASE be sure to read the giveaway rules and terms.

A while back I won my own set of notecards from Laura on one of her Twitter giveaways. I chose the little "Just a Note" stick-figure, and I absolutely adore them. My family adores them too! I include them with photos of the little princess, and they give the whole package a little something extra. I'm also very impressed with the quality of the paper used for the notecards - they are miles better than some of my store-bought cards!

Don't miss out on this chance to win some GREAT cards for your holiday needs. Enter today!

If you would like your product to be featured in my CHRISTMAS CATALOG, please contact me! It's not too late to join in the fun!

Amazon.com Huggies deal - further developments

You can read my most recent update here.

This whole Huggies deal is just becoming a royal mess. This all started on Saturday when Amazon.com was selling a box of 264 size 1-2 diapers for $17.65 with $6.95 shipping. The diapers were sold/shipped by DAB Nutrition. There was also a $15 rebate to be had, and you can read the full details about it here.

Yesterday afternoon I received a email stating that my order was canceled. I immediately called Amazon.com, but since it was the weekend, besides sending out emails to Amazon.com and DAB Nutrition, there was not much else that I can do. You can read my original update post here.

This morning, I set out to figure out what Amazon.com and DAB Nutrition was going to do about this mess. I received an email back from DAB Nutrition, and this is what it said:

"Due to a pricing error through Amazon we had to cancel the orders. We simply are unable to sell at this price because of agreements with Amazon and other vendors. We apologize for the confusion."

That's it. Nothing else. When I called them at 1-800-775-5713 (their business hours are 10am - 5pm), the first time around I was promptly hung up on. The second time I was asked to leave my name and number for someone to call me back. I'm not too optimistic on that happening.

After dealing with DAB Nutrition, I called Amazon.com and I wanted to see what they were going to do about it. At the time, DAB Nutrition was still listed as an alternate seller for the Huggies diapers. They were selling at $69.95 with $10 shipping. They have now been removed as a seller, and rightly so.

According to Amazon.com's Participating Agreement for sellers, #8a states:

"For sales where a Seller lists goods at a fixed price ("fixed price sales"), the Seller is obligated to sell the goods at the listed price to Buyers who meet the Seller's terms. By listing an item in a fixed price sale , you represent and warrant to prospective Buyers that you have the right and ability to sell, and that the listing is accurate, current, and complete and is not misleading or otherwise deceptive."

DAB Nutrition obviously broke this agreement. It is not MY fault that they listed the product at an incorrect price. Furthermore, by the seller agreement, they are obligated to sell the goods at the listed price.

And this just gets better. Yesterday afternoon when I received the cancellation email, it said that "Your credit card was not charged for the order". Well, that's a lie, because when I checked my credit card statement, my card shows a $37.25 charge. Furthermore, the $5 Amazon.com gift card that I used has STILL not been credited back to my Amazon.com account.

Needless to say, I am EXTREMELY disappointed with how this is playing out, especially with Amazon.com. How they allowed a seller to scam countless people is beyond me. Last I checked, there were 43 negative reviews on the product, all from buyers who are in the same boat as me. I'm pretty sure that there are more people out there with this problem. Amazon.com is a reputable and trusted place to shop online, or so I thought. I was on hold for more than 45 minutes trying to speak with someone, and only on my 4th try did a person actually help me. An "investigation" was started to get my money back, but I am STILL out that $5 Amazon.com gift card. Besides, what is there to investigate? I paid money for diapers. I won't be getting diapers. But they took my money. It's not rocket science people...!

I would much rather get my 2 boxes of diapers than get my money back. And beyond that, no one has compensated me for my time - I spent the ENTIRE morning on the phone with these incompetent customer service "representatives". I spoke to maybe 6 people since Sunday...only 2 of them could be considered as actually helping. One guy actually had the guts to ask me whether or not I thought the price was absurd and asked me why I ordered it. HUH?! It's a product on Amazon.com, a (used to be) trusted online merchant, I do NOT expect to see scams on there! It's not as if I saw the diapers listed on craigslist or something!

I am extremely disappointed and angry about this whole matter, and I will be doing all that I can to see that Amazon.com honors their agreement and gets me my two boxes of diapers for $17.65 each with $6.95 shipping. If a product is mislabeled in the grocery store, the store honors that price. Amazon.com needs to do the same thing, especially since there is NO CHANCE a product can be misplaced or mis-shelved - since there are not shelves to deal with...!!

I have to take the princess to a playdate in about half an hour, but when I return this afternoon I will be reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. I will be sure to update on how things go with both Amazon.com and DAB Nutrition.

Christmas Catalog: 90210 Organics

This giveaway has now ENDED.
Thank you to all those who participated, and congratulations to our winner Rhonda Parker!

I am honored to bring to you 90210 Organics as the next featured sponsor in the CHRISTMAS CATALOG. 90210 Organics is an eco-friendly, natural living, and organic gift boutique that specializes in a wide variety of high quality "green" products. They carry something for every aspect of your life - from loved ones of every age to your home, and to even your four-legged furry friends. All of the products were hand-chosen and personally reviewed by two moms who are passionate about living naturally - each company represented share their desire to leave the earth a cleaner place for future generations.

I was generously offered the Eden Naturoils "Feel Fresh" Citrus Lavender & Rose Soap Basket to review. It came in a BEAUTIFUL wooden box, and the three bars of soaps inside just smelled absolutely exquisite. I could have sat there all day just sniffing the inside of the box! It would definitely make someone very happy to find this wonderful soap basket under the tree come Christmas morning. The "Feel Fresh" basket includes the Citrus, Lavender, and Rose soaps. All soaps are hand-made with pure virgin olive oil and other all-natural botanical oils.

All three scents are equally divine, but my favorite by a slim margin would have to be the lavender soap. Sorry Rose and Citrus, you smell equally great, but I'm just partial to lavender. After showering with the lavender soap, for the rest of the day I could smell little whiffs of the flowery fragrance on my skin. One night when my husband came home from work he even asked me if I just took another shower. I have a rather sensitive nose so I'm easily overwhelmed by strong scents of body sprays and perfumes, but I had no problems whatsoever with the barely-there scent of the soaps. What's more, the scent lasted pretty much all day, and was even enough to off-set the spit-up smells that I had accumulated throughout the day. I also love the fact that the soap was not overly soapy or sudsy in the shower - I don't like soaps that make me feel like I'm taking a bubble bath instead, but with the Eden Naturoils soaps I felt more like I was applying a cream rather than using a bar of soap.

90210 Organics has generously offered one reader their own "Feel Fresh" soap basket from Eden Naturoils. To be entered to win this wonderful prize (for you or someone on your gift list), simply take a look around 90210 Organics and leave a comment with some feedback on the site.

For a total of FOUR extra entries, you can:

1. Subscribe via email or to my feed. Be sure to activate your subscription and leave the email address that you subscribed under. Please note I can (and will) check your subscription status.
   
2. Share this giveaway on your blog or twitter with a link back to both this post and 90210 Organics. Make sure you leave a permalink or your twitter screen-name.
   
3. Grab my button and put it in your sidebar - make sure I can find it!
   
4. Make a purchase from 90210 Organics before the end of the giveaway.

Remember to leave separate comments for each entry. Please note that you can only get the extra entries after leaving some feedback on the site. Please follow directions or your entry will not be counted. So make sure you leave a comment with FEEDBACK ON THE SITE and leave the proper information if you decide to do one of the extra entires. I also need to have a way to contact you. Entires without an email (either in comment, profile, or blog) will NOT be counted.

This giveaway will close on 11/12 at 10:00pm CST and I will draw a winner via random.org. The winner will be contacted and announced on Thursday morning.

90210 Organics has also graciously offered an exclusive 10% discount to My Precious Pennies readers with the code GIVEAWAY. It's valid until the end of the year, for all of you late Christmas Shoppers out there. They have a huge selection of organic products - you're sure to find a present for everyone in your life that's also good for our planet!

If you would like your product to be featured in my CHRISTMAS CATALOG, please contact me! It's not too late to join in the fun!

Things I Love Thursday: Ink Refills

Printers are relatively cheap. You can get a decent printer-scanner combo for under $50. It's the ink that gets you. A single ink cartridge can run you anywhere upwards of $30. Many places like Staples, Office Max, and even Walgreens offer ink refills, but they charge something around $10 for each refill. And even then there are cartridges that they can't refill. Generally, it all gets expensive QUICKLY.

So last year when our printer died, I wanted to find a good investment of my money. I'm not out to print works of art, so quality wasn't a main concern. I just wanted something that will print my day-to-day black and white coupons stuff, and the occasional color document. I wanted a printer that used refillable cartridges, and I wanted to be able to refill them at home with a home-refill kit. I ended up buying a Lenmark scanner/printer combo, and a Nukote refill kit.

We bought the printer last April, and we have NEVER had to buy an actual ink cartridge replacement. The printer was under $50, and the Nukote refill kit cost around $20. I'm still using the same Nukote kit that we bought last year with the printer, and I print a lot of crap. Aside from the black-and-white coupons, I like pretty things, so I end up printing my own note-cards, address labels, color menu plans...etc. It's true that I don't NEED any of these things in color, but it makes me happy and I can print away knowing that I can just refill the cartridge if it runs out.

Now, I won't lie to you. It took me an hour the first time I went to refill a cartridge. They include some very detailed instructions, but it still took me a while to figure out what to do. But once I got the hang of it and drilled the necessary hole in the necessary place, and snapped off the cover, it's a piece of cake to refill the cartridge. Last week, it took me a grand 5 minutes to refill both cartridges. It takes a bit to figure out how hard to squeeze the bottle, so the first few times you're bound to make a mess, but now I've got it down to an art and there's pretty much no spillage at all.

And don't listen to all that techno-babble crap about how refilling your own cartridges will cause your printer to start degrading or result in poor quality printouts. I've been doing this for a year and my printer is as healthy as ever. I've also never had problems with quality - I printed off about 20 Halloween card covers just last month, and they turned out perfectly fine. And earlier this year, I printed my daughter's baby announcement card using refilled cartridges, and everyone seriously thought I had them professionally done.

It took a while to get the hang of it, but it's so easy now I would NEVER think of actually buying a cartridge or having it "professionally" refilled. I love my ink refills!

Mailbox of Goodies: PAYDAY

My Mailbox of Goodies has been disappointing the past couple of days, but honestly, that is to be expected since I did take about a two week long break from requesting freebies.  But today, I got a nice little surprise...my Inbox Dollars check arrived!  I requested it at the end of September, and while I had $42.01 in earnings, there was a $3 processing fee so I only got a check for $39.01. 

This is my first check from Inbox Dollars, but now I am a Gold Member and my checks will be processed on a weekly basis instead of a monthly schedule.  I wish they would do away with the $3 fee instead, but it's something I can live with, considering I'm getting money for doing next to nothing.  You can read all about how I earned the $39 here.

To be completely honest with you, since I requested my check more than a month ago I have not been able to do anything more with Inbox Dollars than read the emails that they have sent me.  You receive $0.02 per email, so although I've read 99 emails, my total earnings come out to $1.98.  The emails take less than a minute of my time though, so I'm not too concerned.  However, the Gold Membership has really helped out with my earnings, because I have $4.25 from referrals.  I literally do NOTHING to get these gold membership referrals - when someone signs up without a referral, a random Gold Member is automatically selected (and credited) as referring them. 

Once things calms down a bit, I plan on dedicating an afternoon to signing up for some free trial offers.  Before long, I'll be able to request another check (cash-out is at $30).  Inbox Dollars is certainly NOT what I would recommend if you need cash tomorrow, but if you don't mind waiting and doing minimal work, it's a fine program.  Click here to sign up TODAY under my referral link, and I will be very grateful for the extra help in getting to my next $30!

WFMW: The Toys Worth Buying Edition

This week is the "Toys Worth Buying" edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday. It took all of a second to realize which toy I would be sharing today, and that's the Evenflo Exersaucer Tea for 1-2-3. We bought this nearly 2 months ago for our little princess, and while it's normally $69.99, we got it at a steal for just $47. It was on sale at Toys r Us for $59.98, and I was able to get an additional discount of $11.99 with a 20% off coupon.

I'll be completely honest and admit that nearly $50 is more than I ever imagined spending on a baby toy, but this thing has been worth every single penny. When we first bought it our princess was a grand 4 months old - she's so teeny tiny that her feet couldn't even touch the bottom, even on the lowest setting. And every-time we put her in it, she just sat there like a rock because she was so completely overwhelmed by all the different toys and colors.

But time passed and she got used to it. She turned 6 months old over the weekend, and now she spends hours in the thing. She grabs at all of the toys, and since she's started teething the attached teethers have really helped. But I think her favorite toy is the little rolly thing that makes noise - she spins that thing constantly for at least half an hour.

Mommy's favorite part of the toy, besides having somewhere safe to put baby and being able to shower, is that I can shift the toys around. Just to keep things interesting, I yank all the toys out on a weekly basis and put them in different locations. She never gets bored with it, because to her it's like having a new toy every week. Right now as I'm typing this, she's staring at herself in the mirror and trying to peel the flowers off. I also like the fact that I can yank off all the toys and throw them into the dishwasher for a good rinse (minus the musical teapot).

My only complaint about this thing is that I would prefer it to have a padded rim. There's no padding on the seat area, and since she's only 6 months old and hasn't quite mastered the whole standing thing, she ends up leaning over the front a lot. It's not like it's hurting her or anything, but I would prefer my precious baby just have something soft to lean on. I've taken to sticking a burp cloth or two there, and I'm sure a more ingenious person could invent some foam cushioning on the actual seat cover, but it's a solution that's quick and works for now.

Forget swings, jumpers, bouncers, or anything else - my baby never put up with them. The only thing that has constantly kept her entertained has been this exersaucer, and it is truly a lifesaver. She loves it so much she even falls asleep in it:

Note the cute little hand resting on the spinny rolly thing.

Mailbox of Goodies: giveaway winner

We were out for most of the day yesterday and we've got lots to do today (like go make money and get free stuff at CVS), but I wanted to do a quick run-down of my Mailbox of Goodies from yesterday, and also share the Coupons for Troops giveaway winner.

The winner of the Coupons for Troops giveaway is #11, which happens to be Melissa.  Congratulations to Melissa!

As for goodies that I received yesterday, I got my Pantene sample from P&G that came with a $1/1 Tide coupon, believe it or not.  It was a personalized sample with my name on the cover and everything, so I got to feel special for a few minutes.  I also received my Eukanuba Puppy Training Kit that came with a $5/1 coupon.  I'm excited about the $5 coupon since it's good for ANY bag of Eukanuba dog food so I can maximize my savings.  Don't forget that you can also get a booklet of 6 $5/1 coupons for Eukanuba's Naturally Wild dog food.

Unfortunately, the next discovery in my mailbox was an unpleasant one.  I received a bill from All You subscription services that stated that my account was "past due", although I signed up for the subscription through their advertised "2 free trial issues" offer on their website and have yet to receive my second trial issue. This is the third bill that I have received, but I haven't even received my second trial issue yet!  This is completely absurd and I immediately contacted the company via their website with my complaint and requesting that they cancel my subscription.  They canceled my subscription, and their explanation for this pathetic mess was that when I signed up for a trial, they enter an order in the system just as if I was signing up for the subscription without a trial.  Meaning bills start immediately.  Maybe I'm just too much of a ditz to truly get it, but when I saw "free trial issues", I assumed they were...well...free.  The "you don't pay money" kind of free, and you decide after your trial is over whether or not you want a subscription.  Not the "we'll hound you with bills before you even receive your trials" kind of free.  All You is an awesome magazine, but I can't say that I'm too much of a fan of their subscription department.  I'll just be getting them from Walmart, thank you very much.

I'm sorry that I don't have any freebies to announce today, but we're already running behind schedule.  We're off to CVS, Bath & Body Works, and the Pumpkin Patch today.  It's a major haul at CVS this week, and I need to go to Bath & Body Works to build my Lambie army.  Those of you who have been following me on Twitter might have an inkling of what I'm talking about, but for the rest of you I will be sure to explain this bizarre concept of a Lambie army upon my return. 

Have an awesome Sunday!

FURminator: 50+% off on amazon.com

Do you have a hairy shedding dog that's wrecking havoc on your life?  You need a FURminator - it is the most awesome brush known to mankind as far as I'm concerned.  We bought one last summer, and I absolutely love this thing.  And even better, Chloe loves it too so I don't have to fight WWIII just to brush her.  I'm still looking for a product that will deliver similar results during nail clipping time, but read my full review of the FURMinator here.

If you decide that you need one, or would like to get one as a Christmas present, Amazon.com is currently having a sale on the FURminator.  The small is $34.95 $18.28, the medium is $49.95 $22.05, and the large is $59.95 $29.30.  Orders over $25 qualifies for free shipping, or you can try out Amazon Prime for free two-day shipping.

This is a GREAT price and a prime opportunity to try it out if you've been interested!  Don't let it slip away!