Friendly Friday: July 1st

         

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Welcome to Friendly Friday!

Remember, YOU can host the link list on your blog, too! Just get the InLinkz code and copy it directly into your post. The code is different every week, so be sure to get the new code when hosting Friendly Friday on your blog. Hosting the list is a great way to get even more traffic to your blog and make Friendly Friday more beneficial for everyone.

Thanks for joining the Friendly Friday celebration hosted by Xenia at Thanks, Mail Carrier, Christi at Frugal Novice and Charla at Healthy Home Blog! We invite you to join us every Friday to make more friends in blogville, get more blog followers and follow other great blogs out there.

To join in the Friendly Friday celebration, include your family-friendly link in our list, follow the hostesses in the first 3 spots and then start blog hopping! Visit other blogs on the list and comment to give them some blog love. Then take a minute to follow them through Google Friend Connect - this is a good way to keep up with other blogs, but also lets us show support to each other! Please DO NOT list your giveaways here, links must be to either your homepage or your Friday posting with your blog title. All others will be deleted.

When people comment on your blog and let you know they're a part of Friendly Friday, return the favor and follow them back. This way everyone gets traffic and followers out of participating, and it's a win-win situation. We would love for you to also grab our Friendly Friday button and post it on your blog and/or in a post - the more bloggers that find out about Friendly Friday and participate, the better!

Spotlight on Friendly Friday Followers!

We love your participation and want to show it! In addition to gaining followers, each week we'll select three blogs at random and will feature links and a write-up for those blogs in the content of next week's Friendly Friday post. There are so many seriously wonderful blogs out there, and this will be a great way to highlight some of those each week. Say hello to the lucky chosen 3 for this week (and feel free to stop by and give them a little extra love):

Started as a way to document her journey to getting in shape, Let's Talk About Me is a blog sharing Sara's thoughts on everything from awesome posts she has read to her daily life to a Stumble Me Friday Blog Hop and much more. You'll never know what you might find next, but the fun in visiting is wanting to find out!

Carrie's description of her blog reads as "Carrie Actually is a purposefully nicheless personal blog about my quest for a rich and fulfilling life as I recover from young adult cancer." An amazingly talented writer, Carrie writes about anything and everything that interests her and is going on in her life and makes you immediately feel her friendly nature and knowledge on a wide range of topics.

Isabelle at Life Through My Eyes is a self-proclaimed quirky, random, sarcastic 25-year-old with a dry sense of humor that comes through in her posts about her life, her work, and everything in between. Stop by to find out what working, studying, traveling, baking or more is up next!

Now that you know about these 3 wonderful blogs, it's time for you to join in! Add your family-friendly link below and we'll see you back here every Friday! And don't forget, you can get the InLinkz code to share the link list on your blog, too.

All three hostesses appreciate followers through Google Friend Connect AND Twitter and we'll follow you back - just leave a comment with your URL and/or Twitter username. Have a great weekend, everyone!

A Good Cause: Supporting Girls For A Change with Yahoo!

The following is a post sponsored by Yahoo! Every time someone clicks here to make Yahoo! their homepage, they're showing their support for Girls For A Change.

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

________

I am a pretty big fan of garage sales: the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the find, the satisfaction of the deal. There is just something about finding a great yard sale that can't be matched.

Alas, after having kids and finding that getting them in and out of the car at each stop (and having to keep a watchful eye to make sure that they aren't grabbing things off of the antiques table), going to garage sales has gotten much less frequent for me. However, I am still reminded of the good old days every time I get on my computer... because my internet browser homepage is set to my local Craigslist.

Yes, I was that into finding great sales.

However, that's all been changed now thanks to Yahoo! and their commitment to supporting Girls For A Change.

Girls For A Change is a national organization that empowers girls to create social change. By inviting young women to design, lead, fund and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods, GFC empowers girls for personal and social transformation. The program inspires girls to have the voice, ability and problem solving capacity to speak up, be decision makers, create visionary change and realize their full potential.

Could there possibly be a reason to not support such a great cause? As the mother of two girls, my heart already aches for them knowing that there is no way to avoid hardships in their upcoming years. Things like self-esteem issues, friendships that go bad, cyber bullying, boys... it's tough being a girl and self-confidence and empowerment are the answer.

So of course I want to stand behind Girls For A Change and efforts that they are making... but I'll admit that giving back can sometimes seem difficult. We all want to take time out of our chaotic lives to donate time and money to worthy causes, but sometimes the expense is one that is hard to reach.

In this case, however, it's easy and can be done in one click! Simply change your browser's homepage to Yahoo! by July 1 (tomorrow!) and they will donate $10 to Girls For A Change - up to $10,000!

Did I mention easy? Just click this link and follow the instructions and you'll have a great new homepage (Yahoo! offers personalized content, world news, human interest stories, and more) while also helping to nurture some young, independent spirits to make positive decisions and change!

So get clicking! You'll feel great about supporting a good cause and, as an added bonus, will love your new Yahoo! homepage. Hurry though, this great promotion ends July 1, so head over today!

HABA Play Food for Summer at Maukilo {Review}

When it comes to picking the toys for my kids, whether for indoors, outdoors, games, puzzles, pretend play, and more, I find that I've gotten pickier and pickier over the years.

We really don't want (or need) anything that's not high quality and unique... instead, I look for items that are not only fun and entertaining, but made to last a lifetime. Things that will inspire their imagination and hold up to endless hours of playtime by my girls as well as any of their friends that come over as well.

And, with that in mind, one website that I am positive that I can always count on for the widest selection of heirloom-quality European and American toys is none other than Maukilo.com.

With a huge selection of the finest wooden puzzles, games, books and playthings, Maukilo has infant toys all the way through items for the big kid years. As well as being finely constructed, everything Maukilo sells far exceeds safety standards so that there is never any question that it lives up to their motto of "Buy once. Play forever."

We have been fortunate review many of the amazing kids' toys that Maukilo offers in the past and one category that has always been a surefire winner is Pretend Play. The HABA play food, both wooden and fabric, is just so incredibly bright and cute that I had no doubt that Big Sister E and Little Sister B were going to be thrilled with the opportunity to be prepared for summer grilling and treats with the HABA Biofino Grill Set and HABA Assorted Ice Cream Set.

Right away when the packages came, the girls were clamoring over getting to take a look at the tasty foods inside.

Both sets of food are high quality, well-made, and (with the exception of the shish kabob) soft enough that kids can pretend to grill, scoop, eat or lick without any thoughts of getting hurt. Plus, they're just so darn cute!

The HABA Biofino Grill Set is just right for adding unique foods to my young chefs' repertoire. Compared to the usual plastic hot dogs and hamburgers that they have to grill, this steak, shish kabob, fish and grilling sausages are so much more realistic and fun.

The girls have had a blast cooking and serving the individual items or combining them together to make a full meal... which then, of course, get to be enjoyed!

Our shish kabob has since been dismantled into a million little pieces, but other than that this set still looks completely new and intact. I appreciate how easy it is to wipe each piece clean and we're ready for our next barbecue or picnic!

But what's the summer without delicious ice cream to keep you cool and refreshed? The HABA Ice Cream Set with the waffle ice cream sandwich, dairy ice cream Spirello and big chocolate popsicle has provided hours of pretend play already - and I'm sure it will continue to do so for the rest of the summer and beyond.

Is there a kid out there that doesn't like to play and dream about picking out a tasty dessert from the ice cream truck or the freezer? I know mine sure do!

Both of these play food sets have lived up to every expectation that we had for the high quality and long-lasting appeal that HABA toys have and that Maukilo specializes in. Retailing for $12.68 for the Grill Set and $16.37 for the Ice Cream Set, these are a great addition (or start) to any pretend play collection.

Whether you browse at Maukilo by age, price or brand, you'll be sure to find plenty of options that fit your child's interests. They make shopping easy by having their selection broken down into categories such as Baby Toys and Toddler Toys but also into things like Wooden Toys, Outdoor Toys, and Magnetic Toys to help ensure that you can find a particular item or type of items with only a few clicks.

With their 100% satisfaction guarantee and price-matching to their competitors, you know that you'll always be happy with shopping at Maukilo. Find what you need for your own children or as a great gift today! Be sure to also connect with Maukilo on Twitter and Facebook so that you'll never miss a thing.

(Other than the HABA pretend food items I was provided by Maukilo, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion of this website and their products.)

The Affordable Key to Health {Guest Post}

This is a guest post on a topic that's near and dear to me: water! I have been drinking much more of it lately and really need to start thinking about whether or not there is anything harmful in my glass...

When most people start a healthy lifestyle, they begin exercise programs or try to eat healthier, organic foods. Even though these are good ideas, many people overlook that good health starts with clean, filtered water.

When you drink clean, pure water, you are not only avoiding chemicals, but are improving your health as well. Water is essential for detoxification of the body, reducing fat, managing chronic headaches or pains, clearer looking skin, and reducing the risk of certain cancers. Staying hydrated is a key to good health, especially for people with chronic conditions such as kidney problems and diabetes. However, these health benefits are outweighed by the negatives when you drink unfiltered water.

Most tap water contains chemicals such as lead, chlorine, or VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) that are terrible for your body. These chemicals can cause diseases and even certain cancers like breast or colon. You are not only affected through drinking the water, but may be harmed through showering and cooking with the water as well. These chemicals are generally undetectable through taste, so your water may be affected despite what you think.

Some people already know of the chemicals and toxins in tap water, so they choose to drink bottled water instead. This can become very expensive over time, considering that bottled water costs anywhere from 1 to 4 dollars. In fact, bottled water drinkers spend an average of $170 on water alone! What they don’t know is that bottled water is usually just fancy tap water! Studies comparing bottled water to filtered tap water showed that 45% of the bottled water was identical to the tap water.

So how can you avoid these chemicals without breaking the bank on bottled water? By installing a house water filtration system, you can enjoy clean, healthy water at an affordable price. Water filters purify the water throughout your home, so you don’t have to worry when you drink or shower in the water. You will feel much better and may notice improvements in health. Furthermore, the amount of money you save by avoiding bottled water will eventually pay for the filter itself!

PuriTeam is owned and operated by Maria Williams, mom of two active boys and an advocate of healthier drinking water for all families. She offers free water analyses and free consultation on her site. Visit today and improve the quality of life in your home.

(This is a sponsored post)

Delicious and Nutritious Cookies: WhoNu? {Review & Walmart Gift Card Giveaway - 2 winners!}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Stacy and Crystal K!}

Going into motherhood, I knew that there would be some aspects that were harder than others.

Things like sending them off for their first day of school, watching them pull out of the driveway after getting a license or saying goodbye after dropping them off at college will be among the most difficult, I'm sure.

However, there have been little things that have been hard as well that I wouldn't have thought of before becoming a parent. Stuff like encouraging them to not sing while eating, convincing them to put on shoes before leaving the house, and having to say no all the time when they continually ask for sweets (particularly when I'd like to eat them myself).

Fortunately, that last one has been made much easier now that we've all been able to happily indulge in some extra cookies thanks to the innovative minds behind WhoNu?

By taking the delicious flavor and appeal of cookies and packing them with 20 essential vitamins and minerals and 3 grams of dietary fiber, WhoNu? cookies look and taste like the family favorites that we all have... but actually have the nutritional value that the others do not.

That's right, the nutritional value of cookies. Why haven't these been around before now? Of course these aren't made to replace eating your fruits and vegetables, but we all need a cookie now and then... so why not have one that provides 20% or more of the daily allowance of vitamin C, calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin E, vitamin B12 and vitamin A?

When a large box containing the four varieties of WhoNu? cookies arrived, we were more than ready to dig in!

Available in Chewy Chocolate Chip, Crispy Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Sandwich and Vanilla Sandwich, the hardest part was deciding which one to try first.

Considering that I'm a big fan of traditional chocolate sandwich cookies, I pulled that box out first and removed the resealable (yay! No stale cookies!) package from inside. Peeling back the cover, I found that...

...WhoNu? definitely resembled the name brand cookies. But more than the look, it would all come down to the taste, of course. No matter how much of a "healthy cookie" they might be, if my kids and I didn't like the taste then it wouldn't really matter, now would it?

Whether eaten in bites or taken apart to lick out the filling, WhoNu? are delicious! We tried all four varieties and loved the sweet flavor, great crispiness (except for in the Chewy variety, which were nice and soft), and the overall yumminess of each one.

The only downfall I could think of is that WhoNu? cookies are extremely addicting! Plus, because they have so many vitamins, I kept telling myself that it was okay to have another. After all, a serving of three cookies gives you all of this:

I have never heard of cookies that can provide as much iron as a cup of spinach, that's for sure... but these do AND they're completely scrumptious!

For a delicious, nutritious way to provide a treat for yourself and your family, WhoNu? is an amazing alternative to other indulgent cookies. You can even replace the regular cookies in your dessert recipes with these to add vitamins in more ways than just a snack. I would love to try these Chocolate WhoNu? Sandwich Balls if I hadn't already eaten all of the cookies...

WhoNu? cookies will be in stores nationwide very soon (retailing for around $2.99), so keep an eye out in your cookie aisle!

And, thanks to the generosity of WhoNu?, two people will be able to try these delectable cookies as well as be ready to head to the store to pick up more, because...

Two lucky people will win a $25 Walmart gift card and
four boxes of WhoNu? cookies!

To enter to win: Tell me your favorite type/flavor of cookie!

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry if you Like WhoNu? on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

2 winners! WIN a $25 Walmart gift card and 4 boxes of delicious WhoNu? cookies! @thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/jURjch #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on July 20th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to WhoNu? for providing a $25 Walmart gift card and four boxes of cookies for me to review as well as a gift card and cookies for two lucky giveaway winners. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

Timmy Time: Picture Day DVD {Review}

Like all kids, my girls have their preferences of which shows and characters they like and want to watch, whether at home on the television or during long car rides on the DVD player.

Fortunately, most of their favorites are ones that I'm okay with... and might even enjoy a little bit as well. So, when we found out that the cute and lovable Timmy Time series had come out with a new DVD in time to prepare for going back to school, we were all excited to see the fun antics that happen on Timmy Time: Picture Day.

Available today, June 28, 2011, from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, Timmy Time: Picture Day brings the slapstick humor of this unique show from Disney Channel's Disney Junior right to your DVD player. Following a day in the life of a preschooler where lessons are learned about friendship and trial and error (things every young child can relate to), Timmy Time has the added feature of containing no dialogue.

Any time we have this show on and there is complete silence except for the sounds of a hoot, cluck, bark, mew, oink, quack and bleat make me like Timmy even more than I did before!

Even though this endearing new character and his barnyard of animal friends don't talk, they still manage to translate their antics, sentiments and lessons with ease. In the all-new Timmy Time: Picture Day, it doesn't matter if Timmy is struggling to keep clean for class photo day, celebrating the color blue, jamming with the school band or just playing with his pals, it's fun for all young viewers!

The five adorable tales included in this DVD are:

Snapshot Timmy: It’s time for the class photo, but Timmy just cannot keep himself clean – jumping into puddles, kicking muddy footballs and getting splattered by jam sandwiches

Timmy Wants The Blues: Timmy is having a blue day, collecting all the blue toys, blue cushions and blue paint. But when it comes to painting a picture, he quickly discovers he’s going to need more than just one color!

Timmy Wants The Drum: During a music lesson, Timmy decides he wants to play the drum! But when it is given to Yabba, and a triangle to Timmy, he goes about trying to get the drum for himself.

Timmy's Puppet: On his way to preschool, Timmy’s homemade sock-puppet falls out of his backpack. Poor Timmy doesn’t realize until he arrives to see everyone playing with their own puppets! Crestfallen, he begins an unsuccessful search until Harriet offers to help him make a new one.

Timmy The Builder: Following Otus’s example, the class begin building dens for themselves. Otus offers to help Timmy with his but Timmy’s pride gets the better of him – he can do this on his own! However, the little lamb soon has to admit that two heads may be better than one.

As well as the entertaining main features, Timmy Time: Picture Day includes a bonus Timmy Time Sing-Along that adds to even more fun!

With each story following a day in the life of Timmy and his pals learning about camaraderie and the trial and error aspects of life, I'm happy that my kids can enjoy learning some valuable lessons through such a cute, kid-friendly DVD. Retailing for $14.98, Timmy Time: Picture Day is aimed at children 2 through 5 and has a running time of 45 minutes.

More information about this great series (as well as clips, downloads, games, and more) can be found on the Timmy Time website and you can connect with Timmy Time on Facebook as well.

(Other than the Timmy Time: Picture Day DVD I was provided by Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion of this product.)

Find the Perfect Girls' Dress at Little-Little Black Dress Shop {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, mogrill!}

Ask a large group of women to name the essential wardrobe staples from their closet and my guess is that the majority would mention a little black dress.

Sure, we might have a favorite pair of shoes or the most comfortable pair of jeans, but there's something so wonderfully classic yet modern about a little black dress that it works for nearly any occasion. Dress it up, dress it down, it doesn't matter. When you've found the one that makes you feel gorgeous, it's the must-have that every woman needs.

But at what age does that start? Can you feel beautiful in a little black dress at 20? At 16? At 8? Of course! There's no age limit, so why not embrace the idea of the "little-little" black dress for parties and play and have it waiting in every young girl's closet?

There's no better place to start than with the experts: the Little-Little Black Dress Shop.

With the belief that "One is never too young or too small to have a llbd in her wardrobe ready for any occasion," Little-Little Black Dress Shop focuses on boutique style and designer apparel for sizes 12m through 8. With everything from those fashionable dresses to adorable cardigans to chic outerwear to trendy jewelry to the cutest gifts, llbd shop knows how to style girls of all ages.

After successfully transitioning the little black dress to a younger crowd, this spring the llbd shop announced the introduction of white and accents of color to their collection... and, as I browsed their expanded selection, choosing favorites was extremely difficult!

Letting llbd shop help decide, when the Llum Toddler and Little Girls Miro White and Black Dress and the Llum Toddler and Little Girls Colorshift Black Dress arrived, I couldn't wait to see whether or not my two fashionistas would approve.

A new, up-and-coming designer, Llum (pronounced "loom") is a US-based company that believes in simplicity, beauty, personality, and individual style... and these dresses are just that!

As I removed the packaging, I was immediately struck with how amazingly soft and luxurious they felt against my skin. Nearly all cotton, both the Miro and the Colorshift dresses are lightweight and comfortable and will be perfect for any and all warm-weather occasions.

After admiring the cute cap sleeves and fabric-covered red button that adorned the panels of black and white on the Miro dress and the hip and modern black and white stripe panels of the Colorshift dress, all that was left to do was show them to the girls.

Little Sister B is a big fan of dresses, sometimes calling them "princess," a shortened version of "princess dress." But Big Sister E, on the other hand? She usually has to be convinced that a dress is just a long shirt in order for her to even try it on... and then complains until she gets to take it off.

So you can imagine my surprise when we tried these on and there were two happy grins...

And those grins didn't stop there!

Even though I ordered Little Sister B's Colorshift Dress a tiny bit too large, it just means that it hangs slightly lower on her legs (i.e. it hits below her knee instead of above it like in the picture). But otherwise the fit is great!

She loves the freedom of the sleeveless design and I appreciate how easy it is to open and close the keyhole button in the back.

As for my non-dress-wearing tomboy?

Big Sister E is CRAZY about the Miro White and Black Dress and has asked to wear it constantly!

The first day that she tried this on, I had to make Big Sister E take it off in order to get ready for her t-ball game... which led to being asked, "But I can put it back on after my game??" over and over again.

Assuming she would have forgotten about it by the time the game was over, I was shocked when she walked in the front door and immediately wanted to put her llbd shop dress back on. I managed to keep her out of it so that she could eat dinner, but then it was on all the way until I had to talk her into taking it off for bed. I draw the line at sleeping in a little-little black dress!

Considering how much both girls loves their dresses and how stylish (yet not too "grown-up") they are, I have no doubt that we will be seeing a lot of llbd shop around our house in the future. For the next wedding, open house, tea party, or just to look good (we're having family portraits taken and these will be perfect!), Little-Little Black Dress Shop has the essential, versatile, elegant, and fun options for every young girl.

The Llum Toddler and Little Girls Miro White and Black Dress retails for $53 but is on sale now for $48 and the Llum Toddler and Little Girls Colorshift Black Dress was $57 but is now $49. For an even better deal on already-great sales like these, enter the coupon code TMC15 to your shopping bag and click submit before proceeding to checkout and you'll take an extra 15% off all of your regular or sale price merchandise!

And, thanks to the generosity of llbd shop, one person will be able to pick their favorite little-little black dress for the stylish girl in their life, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of any item (up to $60) from llbd shop!

To enter to win: Visit llbd shop and tell me which gorgeous option you might choose if you win.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry if you Like llbd shop on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

#WIN your choice of designer girls' dress from Little-Little Black Dress Shop (ARV $60)! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/k2paUo #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on July 19th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to llbd shop for providing a two Llum dresses for me to review as well as the dress of choice for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.

GNC Phenom Coconut Water Nutrition {Review}

Last month I was introduced to an innovation.

An innovation in water.

Yes, water.

Having never realized that there was anything missing from my plain old glass of water, I never really thought about what extra vitamins and minerals I could be receiving when I pour a tall, refreshing glass. And here I just thought I was quenching my thirst!

Instead, however, we have the ability to receive the many health benefits of water while also replacing electrolytes, maximizing hydration, and keeping our skin looking great by skipping regular water and instead drinking Phenom Water.

This revolutionary new line, developed in partnership by the nutrition gurus at GNC and flavor experts at PepsiCo, is made from 100% natural coconut water found deep inside the coconut, then boosted with premium electrolytes and nutrients to deliver phenomenal taste and hydration.

Available in four GNC boosted formulas and six different flavors, Phenom Water is infused with key ingredients like antioxidants, added vitamins and caffeine for enhanced performance and recovery. Considering that it has no fat, cholesterol or added sugar, only contains 45 calories, and has 17 times more potassium than leading super hydration drinks, I was excited to give this innovative drink a try.

When the Pineapple Punch, Pure, and Acai Peach flavors of Phenom Water arrived, I already liked their convenient, portable 16.9 oz containers. They fit easily in my hand and the twist caps made it easy to take a sip and then close the rest up for later if need be.

After letting them chill in the fridge for a while, I took a taste and was surprised at the strong coconut flavor (I'm not sure why I was surprised, it is coconut water, after all), but found that another sip or two later and I really liked them.

I'm someone who doesn't have a problem with drinking unflavored water, but the added fruit to these was a nice refreshing twist. Hoping that they would give me a little extra boost of energy, I drank Phenom in the morning and did feel as though I wasn't as tired as I otherwise might have been.

Plus, knowing that there were so many health benefits and coconut water nutrition that I was receiving, I could see why more and more people have turned to Phenom Water to replace electrolytes after exercise, improve their vitamin and mineral intake, aid in digestion or recover from an illness, or just to stay hydrated throughout the day.

If you are a coconut fan and are looking for a way to stay healthy and revitalized, Phenom Water might be just the thing for you - I'm really glad that I tried them! Find out the answer to the "is coconut water good for you" question directly from GNC and find Phenom Water available in a 12-count package of 16.9 oz bottles for $29.99 or a 6-count package of 1 Liter bottles for $25.99.

(Other than the samples of Phenom Water and a GNC gift card to thank me for my time, I was not compensated or enticed to do this review in any way. This review is solely my honest opinion of this product.)

Energizer is Helping to Save Your Summer Gas Budget! {Batteries & Prepaid Discover Card Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, momznite!}

Along with all of the fun and enjoyment of outdoor activities in the summer, high on many to-do lists is travel.

Between driving back and forth to sporting events, summer camps, on road trips, and more, gas prices can put a crimp in just about anyone's budget. Who wants to spend their hard-earned money on gas when it could be put towards more rides at the fair? Or a second hot dog at the baseball game?

Fortunately, this summer Energizer can help make a positive impact on your spending by rewarding you for purchasing their high quality batteries!

That's right! Energizer is rewarding Energizer Lithium customers in a fun and easy way. Simply purchase two packs of specially-marked Energizer Ultimate Lithium or Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries and you will be eligible to have a $10 Prepaid Discover Gas Rewards card mailed right to you. It's that easy!

Here's how:

1. Purchase your favorite specially-marked Energizer Ultimate Lithium or Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries.

2. Visit www.facebook.com/energizer.

3. Click on tab for the Lithium Gas Reward and follow the instructions to input your battery pack codes.

4. A $10 Prepaid Discover Gas Rewards card will then be mailed to you from the fulfillment company.

5. The last day to redeem codes is 1/31/12 at 11:59 p.m. ET and, should you be interested in purchasing something other than gas with your reward card, it may be redeemed for ANY merchandise offered by a retailer that accepts Discover. So you'll be set to help your summer budget in nearly any category!

It's a win-win situation! The toys, gear, electronics, and more in your life needs batteries, so why not pick up the high quality, long-lasting ones that you already love from Energizer... and receive a Discover card in the process?

Thanks to the generosity of Energizer, one person will be able to do just that, because...

One lucky person will win a specially marked package of Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries and a package of Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries in their choice of AA or AAA size (batteries will be marked with special codes to redeem your $10 Prepaid Discover Gas Rewards Card)!

To enter to win: Tell me what item in your life needs new batteries!

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Energizer on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN an Energizer Prize Pack (2 packs of batteries & a $10 Discover Card) for summer! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/jyGGnt #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on July 18th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to Energizer for providing a two packages of batteries for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.