**I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Duracell. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Whether it be to keep our smoke detectors working or making sure our kids stay entertained on long car rides, batteries with a long life are much appreciated! It's amazing to me just how many things require batteries. Sometimes it's easy to forget until the device stops working and needs new batteries. 

With Christmas around the corner and many gifts requiring batteries as well as a lot of traveling planned, it's important to me to have batteries on hand that can help electronics keep up with our busy lifestyle this time of year. That's why I was excited to learn more about Duracell Quantum. 

If you've never heard about Duracell Quantum, it's the most advanced alkaline battery, featuring longer lasting power than any other battery on the market. This battery also features PowerCheck technology that allows users to see on the battery itself the amount of life remaining!

We received some Duracell Quantum batteries to review and I absolutely love the PowerCheck technology. I don't have to wonder when the battery will die, I simply can look on the battery and see the amount of life it has left. This is particularly important when it comes to safety measures like smoke detectors, but also great for when we have a long car ride and want one of the kids' electronic toys or tablets to last the whole time. I love it!

I also appreciate that with Duralock Power Preserve technology that can lock in power in storage for up to 10 years, these batteries can deliver power to both high-drain and low-drain devices! 

Considering the quality and user-friendly features...it's no wonder these are a trusted choice among people! Duracell even donated one million of the Quantum batters to first responders across the US to help them go beyond the call of duty and power their life-saving equipment. 

Duracell has also created Quantum Heroes, a documentary style video series that shines a spotlight on the incredible work of first responders and their stories of sacrifice and heroism. I would encourage you to check it out, here.

I am thankful for being introduced to Duracell Quantum batteries and would definitely recommend them to others. The batteries are being released in a red color opposed to black to differentiate it on store shelves and visually make the quantum leap in power technology...so you shouldn't miss it when you're out looking for them! The red symbolizes the power of the Hi-Density Core.

**I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Jif. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I try to make a good home cooked meal most nights for supper, but when it comes to lunch...I'm usually looking for something quick and easy. Thankfully, my kids love sandwiches (particularly peanut butter and jelly)! This is an easy, go-to option when we don't have any leftovers available.

Now through November 8th, Jif Peanut Butter is running their Most Creative Sandwich Contest - challenging families across the country to create an original sandwich recipe that includes 2 tablespoons of their favorite Jif products! Parents with children ages 6-12 can submit their original sandwich for a chance to win a $25,000 college fund and a trip to New York City! 

If this sounds as fun to you as it does me, I would encourage you to learn more and head over to enter! It's easy and what a fantastic chance to win a great prize! Here's a picture from a finalist last year...Magnificent Mole Chicken Torta. Yum!

**The products for this review/giveaway were provided by Energizer, however all opinions are my own.

As hard as it is to settle into the new time change, I'm grateful for this time of year..as it's a great reminder to also change the batteries in our smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors! Did you know, 38% of fatal fire injuries occur in homes with no smoke alarms, while 24% occur in homes which have at least one smoke alarm present but that fails to operate, frequently due to dead or missing batteries?! Wow, this was an eye-opener for me and makes me thankful to Energizer, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and fire departments nationwide who join forces for the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program!

If you've never heard of it before, this program raises awareness of the importance of working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in helping to keep families safe in their homes. It's actually the 26th year for the annual program and the message is still a very important one! 

With the time change upon us, I am happy to share this simple life-saving reminder with all of you - remember to change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when you set your clocks back. It really could help save a life and is so very simple to do!

Energizer was kind enough to send us a Family Safety Kit which helped start the end of Daylight Savings Time off on the right foot! 

The Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program is just one of the ways Energizer brings to life the company's commitment to making a positive impact in communities across the country. For more information, you can visit Energizer.com/change and Facebook.com/energizerbunny. In addition, you can also find fire safety tips, a home escape plan and coloring and activity sheets as well under the fire safety info tab.

Win It: One lucky reader is going to win a Family Safety Kit complete with a reusable grocery tote containing the following items like we received (total value approximately $60):

• One 16 pk Energizer MAX AA Batteries 
• One 1 pk of Energizer MAX 9 volt batteries
• One Energizer Weatherready LED Safety Light flashlight - Waterproof flashlight powered by AA, AAA, or C Cell batteries. 
• One Kiddie Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**These products were provided to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.
From the time Kaelyn was very young she has always had a love for anything and everything to do with dolls! It's a joy to sit back and watch as she cares for them in the same way she sees me caring for her and her brothers. I love that she still enjoys pretend play and I like to encourage that in anyway I can. That's why I was thrilled when introduced to a great product from Joovy!

I love Joovy products and am proud to be a Joovy Mom. This U.S. based company manufactures premium family gear with a goal to create high quality, useful, attractive and fun products that make life easier for busy parents. 

We have had the opportunity to review a couple of Joovy strollers over the past couple of years and always find the quality, design and ease of use to be top-notch! That's why I couldn't have been more excited to learn that we were going to have the opportunity to review their Toy Bundle in the Blue Dot design!

As I mentioned, we've reviewed a couple of Joovy products in the past, but never anything from their Play category. I was looking forward to seeing the quality and overall appeal of these items and was just as excited as the kids to check them all out when they arrived!

The Joovy Toy Bundle includes a Toy Caboose Stroller, Toy Infant Car Seat and Toy Room² Playard!

Out of the box, each of these products impressed me right away! Although they are toys, the quality is still top-notch and exactly what I would expect from Joovy! Once again, they did not disappoint!!

We opened the Toy Infant Car Seat first and it is absolutely adorable! It features a five point harness and is so realistic looking. It even comes with a base to hook it into the car so the kids' dolls can ride along with us. 

Kaelyn especially loves how realistic this little carrier is. It's the perfect size for her dolls and stuffed animals. She remembers when her little brother used a car seat like this not too long ago and that makes it even more fun to now have one to use with her own dolls! 

Kaden also enjoys it!

The Toy Room² Playard is just as adorable!! It is so realistic which makes it a lot of fun for the kids to play with, as it reminds them of the playard we use with Caysen when we travel! 

It comes in a carrying case (similar to that of a real playard) and unfolds in the same way as well. I found that it was very easy to set up. Simply turn each side and push down the middle of the playard. It's as simple as that!

It's also a really nice size and fits more than one of the kids' babies which is nice when they're all wanting to play together.

Finally is the Toy Caboose Stroller, probably my favorite out of the set! Kaelyn has been wanting a doll stroller for quite some time now, but many of the ones we come across are not well-made. I wanted to get her something that I knew would last and this one fits the bill! It is incredible.

It arrived with some minor assembly required, but in no time was put together and ready for Kaelyn to use. I felt the excitement of a child as I saw it put together. As I said with the other items, it's so realistic and the quality just blows me away! 

What I love about this stroller is all the realistic features it offers! First, like the Joovy Caboose Stroller, this toy Caboose Stroller offers two seats (one of which is made for a doll to stand)! The front seat has a five point harness, while the back has a buckle as well. The front seat even reclines!

There's also a nice sized canopy and a lot of storage on the stroller as well! 

One of the neatest things about this stroller, and something I didn't expect...is that it's compatible with the toy Infant Car Seat! It comes with a bar that attaches to the front seat (where the tray is) and has a strap and everything to hold the toy Infant Car Seat in place. It's adorable!

Kaelyn thinks this feature is a lot of fun, as once again, she remembers us doing this with her brother in his infant car seat. It maximizes role play and makes it possible for her to easily imitate what she sees mom and dad doing!

The stroller also easily folds up like the full-size stroller does. It makes it easy to store when it's not in use. 

This whole set has been loved by all three of my children and is something I know will be used and enjoyed for a very long time!

We have been very happy with the Joovy Toy Bundle. The quality is amazing and I can't say enough about how realistic each of these items look and feel. It really adds to my kids' imaginative play and has been a great way for them to play house with their dolls!

I love that they offer both pink and blue doll accessories, making these great gift ideas for both boys and girls! This would make an amazing Christmas gift this year for a young child in your life and is one I'd highly recommend checking out!

Buy It: You can purchase the Joovy Toy Bundle ON SALE now for $139.99 at Joovy.com.

You can learn more about Joovy and their great line of products at Joovy.com. You can also connect with Joovy on Twitter and Facebook.