As my husband and I wrapped up the last of our kids' gifts, we reminded each other that we don't want to forget to have plenty of batteries on hand for all of the new toys. Thankfully we have Energizer® MAX® batteries with Power Seal Technology on hand!

Not only do I love the power of these batteries, and their long life...but I also appreciate that they have have a special bonus when you buy them right now. They're great for the holidays because you can purchase specially marked packages of Energizer MAX batteries with Power Seal Technology and get up to $8 in Toy Cash (via prepaid MasterCard or Paypal). 

We received a couple of packages of batteries from Energizer, and I was pleasantly surprised just how easy it was to get the $8 in Toy Cash. I simply collected my codes, then visited www.energizertoycash.com to enter my codes (the last day to redeem codes is 4/15/13 at 11:49 pm PT). For specific terms and conditions for this promo you can visit here: http://www.energizertoycash.com/terms.pdf.

 

I love that they are doing this this time of year especially, after all...who doesn't need a little cash back in their pocket after buying Christmas gifts for family and friends?!

Win It: And, for this exciting promotion Energizer is offering one lucky reader 2 specially marked 4-packs of Energizer MAX batteries with Power Seal Technology containing the special Toy Cash codes.  (winner can choose from AA or AAA Energizer MAX batteries)Your winner can choose from AA and AAA Energizer MAX batteries. 

Simply enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. If you don't see the form, click here.

 

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**The products for this review and giveaway were provided for free by Energizer. All opinions are my own.

I don't know about you, but I often wonder just how clean the air is outside....especially after reading the following press release:

On average, people take more than 21,600 breaths a day, yet two-thirds of the American population[1] does not  think about the quality of the air they are breathing. The AirGenius Awards, sponsored by the makers of the new Honeywell AirGenius Air Cleaner, set out to 'clear the air' by assessing the nation's cities based on specific criteria related to air quality.  So where can you find the cleanest air in America? In short, the answer is Florida. The awards, evaluated by scientists at the leading consulting firm Environmental Health & Engineering, highlighted six Florida metropolitan areas in the top 25, with Palm Bay/Melbourne/Titusville in first place.

"Data on pollen counts, particulate matter and ozone concentrations, public smoking laws, and 'green' city rankings for the 100 most populated U.S. cities were used in this assessment," said Dr. Ted Myatt, ScD, a senior scientist at the leading environmental consulting company Environmental Health & Engineering and Biological Safety Officer at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Massachusetts.  "The results are relevant to city dwellers and homeowners, particularly the elderly, young children, and individuals with allergies or asthma."
Below is a list of the top ten U.S. areas with the cleanest air:
1.    Palm Bay/Melbourne/Titusville, Fla.
2.    Cape Coral/Fort Myers, Fla.
3.    North Port-Bradenton/Sarasota, Fla.
4.    Honolulu, Hawaii
5.    Tucson, Ariz.
6.    Colorado Springs, Colo.
7.    Albuquerque, N.M.
8.    Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue, Wash.
9.    Charleston/North Charleston/Summerville, S.C.
10.  Lakeland/Winter Haven, Fla.

I found this to be very interesting, and it got me not only thinking about the air in my state, but also the air quality in my home as well. I want to make sure that my family and I are not breathing in harmful gases, etc...which is why I decided to go ahead and evaluate my home's air quality with the Air IQ Quiz on the Honeywell Plugged in Facebook page. I found out our score was better than I thought, but there was still room for improvement and I appreciated read through the tips to help me do just that. and was happy to see it wasn't too bad.

The very first tip was to consider using an air purifier like the Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner to help combat potential spikes in poor indoor air quality. The Honeywell AirGenius 5 Air Cleaner captures up to 99.9% of particles from the air that passes through the filters - the larger particles that you can see AND the really small microscopic particles. I thought this sounded perfect for our home and couldn't have been more excited to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review the AirGenius 3 from Honeywell.

When the AirGenius 3 Air Cleaner/Odor Reducer arrived I was looking forward to checking it out.

Out of the box, I was impressed with it's sleep and modern look. This is something I wanted to be able to use in our family room, so the fact that it's not an eye sore is much appreciated! I love the white, it goes very well with the rest of the decor in our home.

I was also happy to see that it's such a nice size. Measuring 12" x 11" x 29" in and weighing 14 lbs, this air purifier is certified for use in rooms up to 225 square feet! That makes it great for bedrooms as well as living areas as well.

 

Aside from the appearance, I was also immediately impressed with how user-friendly it is. The smart controls help take the guesswork out of how to most effectively clean the air in your home. There are 3 air cleaning levels to choose from : SLEEP which is an almost silent operation, GENERAL cleaning or MAX cleaning power depending on your air cleaning needs.

 

 We've been using it for a while now and have been pleasantly surprised with just how quiet it operates, even on the max cleaning power setting. This was especially surprising considering that it is certified to clean such a large space - I thought for sure it would be loud. 

There are two filter options. There's the ifD filter which is permanent and easy to clean. About 4 times a year, you just wash it ... never having to replace it! It catches larger particles. There's also the odor-reducing pre-filter (one of which is included with the unit). This helps absorb common household odors and VOCs and purifies the air. It needs to be replaced about every 3 months or so. What's nice is there's a filter indicator light that reminds you when you need to clean the filter so that's very helpful.

One thing I did not expect is that the air cleaner oscillates. I absolutely love this! It helps to disperse fresher, cleaner air throughout the room and is a feature I haven't seen with any of the other air purifiers I've personally seen. Another pleasant surprise was that this model is Energy Star rated and uses about the same amount of electricity as a light bulb. YAY!

Overall we've been extremely happy with the Honeywell AirGenius 3 Air Cleaner/Odor Reducer! It works great, and I love knowing that the patented QuietClean ifD advanced filtration technology helps to capture 99.9% of particles, both the ones you can see and the really small ones too. I would definitely recommend it to others who would like better air quality inside of their homes.

Find helpful tips and the Air IQ Quiz, visit Facebook.com/HoneywellPluggedIn. 

Buy It: You can purchase the AirGenius 3 from Honeywell for $229.99.

**The product for this review was provided for free. All opinions are my own.

One of the things my kids love to play with at home and on the go is our iPad. We often joke about how some days we need two or three of them! It's a device that's not only great for adults, but also children - as there are so many fun things for them to do and learn! It's been neat seeing all of the apps available to even the youngest of children, and now all three of my kids can enjoy the iPad even more thanks to the iTikes Canvas from Little Tikes.

 

Since 1970 Little Tikes has been offering families an amazing selection of innovative children's products that encourage them to get up and be active while playing. Offering everything from baby toys and children's furniture to riding toys and workshops...they have created a line of products that parents can trust and turn to time and time again.

As everyone here probably knows by now, our family is a huge fan of Little Tikes and their high quality toys. I had seen the iTikes Canvas in stores and on television and thought it looked neat and like something my kids would enjoy. That's why I was excited to learn we were going to have the opportunity to review it.

When it arrived, I have to admit, I wasn't sure how well I would like having to pop the iPad in and out of the canvas all the time. However, I quickly learned it's extremely easy to do and takes no time at all. YAY!


My kids had seen commercials advertising the iTikes Canvas, so they were familiar with it and couldn't wait to try it out. The first thing they noticed was the pen. They really enjoy having this option, especially Kaelyn who is really into drawing and writing.

It's neat because it can be used with the iPad or by itself as a magnetic doodle pad as well. Kaelyn really likes this, especially when in the car. Caysen does as well! Having it be versatile like this really makes it a 2-in-1 toy that all three of my kids can use and enjoy.

Of course, the neatest thing about it is that it works with the iPad. A simple, free iPad app allows children to doodle and draw with different coloring pages, colors and artist tools. Both Kaelyn and Kaden enjoy using it in this way as well. They can push the shape buttons along the side to stamp onto the digital coloring pages, then adjust the shape size and color if they want too. So neat!

There's even fun sound effects and music that plays as the stylus is used on the iPad.

Overall we've been really happy with the iTikes Canvas. It's great for at home or on the go, and keeps our iPad safe, as it works great for protection as well when the kids are using it. I love the versatility and how easy it is to use. I would definitely recommend it to other families with young children and think it would make a terrific Christmas gift!

Buy It: You can purchase the iTikes Canvas for $39.99 at Little Tikes, as well as Target, Toys R Us and Walmart.

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win an iTikes Canvas from little Tikes. Just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. If you don't see the form, click here.

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**The product for this review and giveaway were provided for free. All opinions are my own.

As I shopped for the people on my list this year, I made it my goal to find personal, unique gifts that would be meaningful to them. Thankfully, I knew exactly where to turn, as PersonalCreations.com makes it easy to find an extra special gift for adults and children alike.

Specializing in personalized gifts for her, him and baby for all occasions...Personal Creations helps you create truly special gifts to cherish all of life's special moments. With everything from new baby gifts to back to school gifts, sympathy gifts, and more...you're sure to find a large variety of options that suit every budget.

 I was introduced to Personal Creations last year and was amazed by their large selection of one-of-a-kind personalized gifts. I have visited their site many times since, and love looking through all of the items they offer! As I search for gifts, I was drawn to their Christmas items. With everything from personalized Christmas stockings to gift ideas for him and her...they have it all!

I was thrilled to learn we were going to have the opportunity to be given a $65 gift code and given the chance to experience the checkout process firsthand.

In shopping for the items I wanted, I was impressed with the great prices...especially considering that the items are personalized!  I was amazed how easy the checkout process was, and was even able to find coupon codes to bring the total of my order down even more. I ended up getting the following to review:

• Personalized Carving Board - Fleur De Lis w/Laser Engraved Personalization - $24.99
• God Bless Wrought Iron Cross w/Printed Personalization - $34.99
• Faith, Hope, Love Family Name Key Holder in Red w/Printed Personalization

Everything arrived very well packaged and safe which I appreciated a lot!

Out of the package I was impressed with the quality of the carving board as well. It is very well made, and the personalization gives it such a unique look. I love everything about it. It's extremely easy to use, and the fact that it has our last name makes a piece I know I'll have for years to come. Every little detail definitely makes it a gift worth giving to someone (or yourself!).We will be using ours over the holidays at our family get-togethers and I can't wait!!

The God Bless Wrought Iron Cross was also very nice. Decor items can be spendy, especially if they are personalized like this one. So after seeing the great quality, I knew $34.99 was a great deal for it!

 

Measuring 14"H x 9"W, I love the size. It's perfect to hang on the wall with other pieces or even on it's own. The metal and design is beautiful and the personalized center 4x4" ceramic tile in the center makes it a great keepsake for future generations. The background of the tile bears the message "God Bless" and then I was able to personalize it up to 3 lines with our last name. Love it!

I have to admit, out of all the items I received to review, the Faith Hope Love Key Holder was the one I was most looking forward to receiving. I love having unique pieces in our home that says who we are as a family and the values and things that are important to us. This is perfect, and such a neat piece with our name on it to have the moment people walk into our house.

The red matches our kitchen perfectly, so I decided to hang it there so we could easily see it and have a place to hang out keys. It's not only beautiful and durable, but it also is something that has helped us be more organized since we're no longer simply throwing our keys on the counter anymore.

I am really happy with the items I received from Personal Creations. Once again they did not disappoint! I will definitely be shopping with them for gifts throughout the year. If you're looking for a great Christmas gift, or other gift and want to find something personal and unique, I would definitely recommend Personal Creations! With over 200 personalized products under $20, your sure to find something great and affordable.

**The products for this review were provided by Personal Creations. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.