Jolly Mom: Recipes | Crafts | Atlanta Mom Blogger | Brand Ambassador | Product Reviews

The temperatures have been quickly dropping across the country. I mean, areas up north are getting snow. Snow in October! Even here in so called HOTlanta, it is really, really cold. We even lit a fire and made hot chocolate Friday night. It's definitely time or past time to stock up on Winter outerwear--mittens, scarves, coats, and boots. Last year, Lands' End sent Lucas the Boys' 3-in-1 Squall Parka to try out so thankfully, I do not have to buy him a new coat this year.



As you can see from the above picture, Lucas wore his coat throughout the Winter last year...it kept him nice and warm...even through the biggest snow storm Atlanta has seen in years and it is still in perfect condition. I really do mean perfect condition. Check out the coat today...




Perfect.

This is solely due to Lands' End commitment to quality. They use durable materials and they stand behind their products 100% of the time. Their guarantee is the BEST. If you are ever unhappy with a purchase you made from them, then you can return it at any time. Whatever. Whenever. Always. Check out their "Guaranteed. Period." policy.

Not to mention that Lands' End thinks about those extra details that allow a coat to grow with your child so that you can save money. For instance, Lucas' coat has Grow-A-Long sleeves, which basically extend as your child grows. You just turn the sleeve inside out, snip a few threads, and let out the hem.



These details are a huge deal for parents! Thank you Lands' End!


So if you are looking for a new Winter coat for your child, you, or anyone in your family--I HIGHLY recommend that you check out Lands' End first! Head over to their Outerwear Headquarters, which is officially open!

 

Halloween 2010

 

Halloween is one of our favorite and one of the funnest holidays of the year--we love to go all out--decor, spooky treats, and more! What are your Halloween traditions? Come share your favorite Halloween tips, tricks and memories with Lisa Samples, Sara Patterson, and me on Thursday October 27th from 8-9 PM ET for the Fanta Scary Good Twitter Party!

Party Details:
When: October 27th from 8:00 to 9:00 PM EST
Where: #ScaryGood hashtag on Twitter
Who: @JollyMom, @LisaSamples, @Sarann

RSVP: No RSVP necessary, just Tweet using the #ScaryGood hashtag during the party.

Prizes: Seven Fanta Scary Good Mom Halloween inspired prize packs valued at $100 each

In the meantime, make sure to check out MyCokeRewards.com\Fanta for fun activities and a chance to win prizes!

 

Disclosure: Fanta provided me with a gift card as a token of appreciation for hosting this Twitter Party. The prizes are provided by Fanta, but Fanta is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of The Coca-Cola Company. Entrants must be 18 or older and located in the US or Canada only. Winner to be chosen at random.

Link up your giveaways!

Please make sure to link directly to the giveaway and list the name of the giveaway along with the expiration date. Don't forget to stop by Go Graham Go to link up over there as well!

Lucas, like pretty much all boys (of all ages for that matter--my husband included), loves trucks. He loves rugged trucks with really big wheels that can do tricks and go fast. He loves to race them, crash them, jump them, and get them dirty. If you have a little truck enthusiast at home, then you have to check out our new favorite toy--Defiants 4x4 Trucks! These will give any little guy all of the truck awesomeness that he could possibly want. Lucas absolutely LOVES them!



Defiants 4x4 trucks are small motorized trucks that can go fast at high speeds or climb high at low speed. Just turn them on, set them down, and watch them go, on any surface and over all kinds of things. The trucks run on AAA batteries so no remote control is needed, which is great for the younger age group. They look super cool too! They are beefy, have rubber tires, and their headlights actually light up. Get them going down a hill fast and they will automatically shift into a freewheeling mode which gets them going even faster. Play with them inside, outside, on dirt, or through the water. Lucas has already set up a little dirt track outside with rocks, sticks, and other things for them to climb over. In fact, the first thing he did was set up an obstacle course with my magazines and other odds and ends he found in the kitchen while daddy put the playset together LOL. Defiants have quickly become one of his favorite toys!


His favorite thing to do with his new favorite trucks is have them ride the Defiants Maximum Mayhem Playset (which also comes with a special edition truck). This set has over 7 feet of track that climbs up to about 2 feet off the ground and then slopes down really steep with an adjustable jump ramp at the bottom.



You can race two trucks at a time. Just turn them on (on low speed) and place them on the starting gate. Flip the switch and watch them climb to the top, round the corner, fly down the ramp and back up into the air. Very cool! Some of the features that I am most impressed about with both the ramp and trucks is their durability and how easy the ramp was to put together. The ramp assembles and comes apart very quickly for easy storage. The trucks are also very durable. As you can imagine, these rugged little trucks take quite a beating as they flip off the ramp, kitchen tables, and anything else Lucas puts them up to, but at most the body comes off and that easily snaps right back on.


There are tons of trucks and several other play sets to choose from in the Defiants line. Check out the video above to see Lucas’ first experience with the trucks or check out their website at www.getdefiants.com to see some more videos of the Defiants in action. Defiants 4x4s individual trucks and flex tracks are available at Target for $5.99 from October 9 through November 5. The price is reduced $2 from the regular price of $7.99. Definitely a toy I would recommend--especially with the holidays just around the corner!


 

OK, so I know I just posted about Totsy yesterday, but what can I say they are rockin the deals this week! They are launching new blowout sales every day this week and by blowout--I mean BLOWOUT. I bought Lucas a pair of leather sandals last night for only $3. Yes, I said 3 dollars. I know!! Totsy also has a fantastic Phineas & Ferb sale going on right now. Lucas loves "Finee and Fur" as he lovingly calls them LOL so I am definitely picking up a few items to tuck under the tree for the little guy this year.

Some of my favorites...

 

 

 

And, you can even get $5 OFF the Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! Check it out at Totsy.com!

 

 

I am a compensated member of the Totsy Mom Committee. Affiliate links are used in the above post. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

Join Latina Mom Bloggers and Verizon FiOS for another fun Twitter party tomorrow night! This time, we'll be talking about our favorite music and the upcoming Latin music awards. The prizes are AMAZING! It's going to be a super fun party--hope to see you there!

 

 

 

Party Details:
What: Verizon FiOS “Celebrate Our Music” Twitter party
When: Tuesday, October 25th, from 9 PM to 10:30 PM EST
Where: Twitter
Hashtag: #SomosFiOS

Who to Follow:
Panelists: @mamalatina @JoscelynRC @MContemporanea @BrenHerrea @ShesNachoMama
Moderators:  @Eva_Smith @JollyMom @latinamomblogs @hispanicize

Brand: @SomosFiOS

 

Prizes:

• iPod Nano Shuffle (retail value $161)
• Dr. Dre Solo Headphones (retail $192)
• Home Karaoke Machine (retail value $335)
• iPad 2 (retail value $570)
• iPad 2 (retail value $570)

RSVP: To be eligible to win prizes, you must RSVP HERE.

Starting tonight, Totsy will be having some BLOWOUT sales!















and, more! Blowout sales start tonight at Totsy.com!



I am a compensated member of the Totsy Mom Committee. Affiliate links are used in the above post. All opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

A couple of weekends ago, we hosted a Falcon's football party. Mike's parent's, my parents, my brothers--everyone came over. We had a great time spending time together, watching the game, and of course--eating!



The Falcons played the Packers. Unfortunately, the Falcons lost. The good news is that while our hearts were sad, our bellies were very, very happy! The menu consisted of Grilled Gameday Buffalo Wings with celery and Bush's Maple Cured Bacon Baked Beans and Chivitos al Pan with Bush's Onion Baked Beans.




I will be sharing the recipe for the Grilled Gameday Buffalo Wings and homemade Blue Cheese Dressing today, but make sure to check back next week for the Chivitos al Pan recipe. The cool thing about today's recipe is that it is super easy to make and the entire meal can be made on the grill. This makes it a perfect tailgating meal!





Grilled Gameday Buffalo Wings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup {or as much as you prefer} of Hot Wing Sauce
salt and ground black pepper to taste
10 chicken wings

Directions
Wash chicken wings in cold water and pat dry. It is important that the wings are dry. Combine the olive oil, garlic, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine. Put the marinade and chicken wings in a large, zip top bag, seal and shake to coat. Marinade over night or at least 30 minutes before grilling.




When the wings are done marinading, preheat the grill on medium heat. Place the chicken wings on the grill cross-wise so they don't fall through the grates. Grill, turning every couple of minutes, for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the wings are crispy.









While the chicken wings are cooking, heat up Bush's Maple Cured Bacon Baked Beans in a pot on your grill's sideburner or use the grill itself. Since the beans only have to be heated up, it is a real time and sanity saver! You can focus on the grill, the game, and your guests and NOT have to worry about making another dish. The best part? Bush's Baked Beans are delicious! I honestly don't know of anyone who doesn't love them!


Once your yummy beans are heated up and the chicken is cooked through, remove the chicken wings from the grill and place in a large bowl. Add the hot wing sauce and toss to coat. I like them lightly coated--about 1/4 cup, but how much is up to you. Of course, you have to serve celery and blue cheese dressing with wings and I have the BEST blue cheese dressing recipe EVER. It's so good, that I have seen people eat it with a spoon LOL.



Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients
¾ Cup Sour cream
½ tsp mustard
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
1/3 tsp garlic
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/3 cup Mayo
4oz Blue Cheese Crumbles

Directions:
Blend all ingredients except mayo & blue cheese in a bowl with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes on low speed. Add mayo and blend for another 30 sec on low speed. Then add blue cheese and mix for 2 – 4 minutes on low or med depending on how chunky you want the dressing.






This is part of a series of posts compensated by Bush Brothers & Company. However, all opinions expressed in this article are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone. Please refer to this site's Terms of Use for more information.

Link up your giveaways!

Please make sure to link directly to the giveaway and list the name of the giveaway along with the expiration date. Don't forget to stop by Go Graham Go to link up over there as well!

It's a tradition now that everyone in my family comes over to my house for Halloween. We have a little party with ghoulish treats and we take the kids trick-or-treating. Everyone comes over in their costumes--it's so much fun! One of my favorite parts is the decorating and menu-planning. I love to come up with the perfect food and drinks that scream HALLOWEEN. One of our favorites is Fanta Orange. It's perfect--I mean, come on--it's orange and delicious! You can even add a few pieces of candy corn or some spooky spider gummies to the glass.



Fanta recently sent us a "Scary Good" package that got our Halloween decorating off with a bang! Check it out:

· Pumpkin carving kit & multi-colored light
· Blow-up skeleton cooler
· Glow in the dark decorative spider webs
· Scary frame wall decals
· Skull punch bowl
· coupon for any Fanta soft drink flavor of your choice
· $25 Amex giftcard




So what are your favorite Halloween party tips, tricks and memories? Leave your answer in the BlogFrog widget below and be entered to win the same Halloween gift pack that I received!


The prize was provided by Fanta, but Fanta is not a sponsor, administrator, or involved in any other way with this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of Fanta or The Coca-Cola Company. Entrants must be 18 or older and located in the US or Canada only. Winners to be chosen at random by BlogFrog.

Last week, I got the opportunity to do something truly amazing. I, along, with Ronnie and Lamar Tyler of BlackandMarriedwithKids.com and Jennifer Hutcheson of Mami2Mommy.com joined forces with the Pampers Miracle Mission to give back to our local community in Atlanta. As part of the Pampers Baby Board, we were each given $1,000 to pay it forward in our own communities. Since we are all in Atlanta, we thought we would be able to make a bigger difference if we partnered up.



We chose to help the NICU at Egleston Children's Hospital. This NICU is for babies that are really sick. The babies that hospitals from surrounding areas and states even are not equipped to properly care for. They have 42 patient beds, which are almost always full. The babies often stay months until they are well enough to go home. As you can imagine, this is a huge hardship for the parents--both financially and emotionally. As a mom, my heart literally breaks for the parents who have to see their little ones fight for their lives. The worst part is that parents not only have to worry about their babies, but also about their bills, jobs, mortgages, etc. That's why we wanted to bring a little comfort into the lives of the parents at the Egleston NICU.

We worked on this for months--trying to align all of our schedules, determining what we could do to help, shopping, ordering products, etc. This is what my basement looked like for the past month...



Finally, the big day arrived last week! We all met up at Egleston to put everything together...



Thanks to Pampers Little Miracle Mission and additional sponsors, we were able to make the parents overnight bags filled with toiletries, Kellogg's snacks, Hanes sweatshirts, pants, and socks, gas cards, and journals provided by AOL Latino.



We also donated TEN nursery gliders and Nuby baby toys to the NICU.



We also wanted to thank the NICU staff who literally work around the clock to not only provide the medical support the babies need, but also provide emotional support for the parents. Thanks to Jason's Deli and Jem of the South, we were able to provide the staff with a yummy lunch and cookies. The staff was so wonderful to us--they welcomed us in with open arms--you guys are AWESOME!



From the bottom of my heart, thank you to Hanes for providing the comfy clothing, AOL Latino for providing the journals, Nuby for providing the baby toys, Jason's Deli for providing the food, and Jem of the South for providing the cookies. You are ALL amazing and your donations are truly appreciated!

A huge thank you to Kellogg's for always pulling through for me for these last couple of years. They provided snacks for the parents' overnight bags and they are even sponsoring me to Blogalicious this year. I love you, Kellogg's!

Most of all, I want to thank Pampers for making this even possible. It was their Little Miracles Mission that brought Jennifer, Ronnie, Lamar, and I together for this amazing experience and it wouldn't have been possible without their donation and their inspiration. Thank you for helping us to pay it forward in our community!




A special thank you to the parents that we met last week. Thank you for letting us in to your lives and sharing your stories with us. Our prayers are with you, your families, and your beautiful babies.

Living with a four year old and a dog = messes, spills, and stains. Lots and lots of stains that Mike and I have to constantly scrub out of clothing, rugs, and upholstery. Anything that simplifies our cleaning is a product that I want to own! That's why I was really excited when I was given the chance to try out Bissell's nifty new Stomp 'N Go stain lifting pads. Basically these pads are pre-moistened with an oxygen based stain cleaner. When you want to get rid of a carpet or rug stain, you put the pad over the spot, step on the pad, and then walk away and let it do its thing for 30 minutes (tough stains can take up to 24 hours though). The pad actually lifts the stain without you having to scrub or break out the carpet cleaner.

 

 

I tried the pads on several stains and found that they worked the best on fresh spills and stains. That being said, I was able to significantly lighten a small red wine stain on one of our rugs after leaving the pad on the stain for an entire 24 hours. (I had pictures to show you guys, but the pictures on my camera were accidently deleted before they were transferred to my computer--sorry about that!) What I especially love is that the Stomp n Go pads add a little simplicity into my day. Lucas spills something--I pick up the mess and cover it with a Stomp n Go pad. I come back later when I have time and the stain is gone or almost gone. Most of the hard work has been done for me and THAT is a beautiful thing!

Additional features and benefits include:

• Pads are portable and safe for use on all carpets including nylon, wool and stain resistant carpet
• Spots and stains are gone in about 30-minutes; tough stains may take up to 24 hours
• No scrubbing or manual work required

BISSELL Stomp ‘N Go pads are currently available at Kmart, grocery stores and select Wal-Mart stores for $4.99. Each package contains five individually wrapped pads. To learn more about BISSELL cleaning products, visit www.bissell.com.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of BISSELL and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Thank you to Lori from Moms by Heart for compiling the best deals at CVS this week! For the full list, please make sure you stop by Moms By Heart!


There’s a new gift card offer that will earn you a free $10 gift card of your choice with a $30 purchase of select items. limit 5 gift cards per cardholder per week!
Hershey’s Snack Size, Mars Chocolate, Nestle or Wrigley’s Fun Size 2/$5
-$1/2 CVS coupon from the Magic Coupon Machine
-$0.75/1 Twizzlers 8/7 SS insert
-$1.50/2 Mars Fun Size ALL YOU magazine Oct
-$1/2 Nestle Fun Size 10/16 SS insert
-$1/2 Nestle Fun Size ALL YOU magazine Oct
Final Price: As low as $1.25 each
Colgate Cavity 8.2 oz, 2in1 4.6 oz, Max 6 oz, Total 4-4.2 oz $1.99
-$0.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste 10/2/2011 SS insert
-$0.75/1 Colgate Toothpaste 10/22/2011 SS insert
Final Price: $1.24*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Nature’s Bounty supplements from $5.29, B1G1 free
-$1/1 Nature’s Bounty Vitamin or Supplement 10/16/2011 RP insert
-$1/1 Nature’s Bounty printable
Final Price: As low as 2/$3.29 or $1.65 each*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Pampers Diapers jumbo pk. $8.99
-$1.50/2 Pampers Diapers 10/2/2011 P&G insert
Final Price: $8.24*
*ongoing store deal gets you free diapers wyb six
*also qualifies for $10 GC deal
{Scenario}
(4) Pampers Diapers @ $8.99 = $35.96
-$1.50/2 Pampers Diapers 10/2/2011 P&G insert, use two
Earn $10 GC
Final Price: $5.74 each after gift card savings. Do this deal twice and get free diapers!
Puffs Plus Lotion tissues 124ct. 2/$3
-$0.25/3 Puffs Facial Tissue 10/16/2011 P&G insert
-$0.25/3 Puffs Singles 10/2/2011 P&G insert
Final Price: $1.42 each*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Wisk 2x Ultra or HE liquid laundry detergent 26-32 loads $4.99
-$2/1 Wisk Laundry Detergent 10/16/2011 RP insert
-$1/1 Wisk Laundry Detergent printable
Final PriceL $2.99*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Orbit Gum 14 ct. B1G1 free
-$0.50/2 Wrigley Gum 7/31/2011 SS insert
Final Price: ?
Wonka Mix Ups bag candy 32-34 oz. $5.99
-$1.40/1 Wonka printable
Final Price: $4.59
Campbell’s Chunky, Select Harvest or To Go Bowls 2/$3
-$0.50/4 Campbell’s Healthy Request Soups 10/9/2011 SS insert
-$1.50/4 Campbell’s Chunky Soup or Chili printable
-$1/3 Campbell’s Chunky Soup or Chili printable
-$1.50/3 Campbell’s Select Harvest printable
-$0.50/2 Campbell’s Select Harvest Soup 10/2/2011 SS insert
-$0.50/4 Campbell’s Chunky Soup or Chili 10/2/2011 SS insert
Final Price: As low as $1 each
Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore Tuna 5 oz. 4/$5
-$1/2 Recyclebank printable (100 points)
Final Price: $0.75
Blue Diamond Almonds 6 oz. 2/$5
-$1/2 Blue Diamond Almonds 10/16/2011 SS insert
Final Price: $2*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Gardetto’s or Chex Mix 5.5-8.75 oz 3/$5
-$0.60/1 Gardetto’s Snack Mix printable
-$0.60/1 Chex Mix printable
-$0.50/1 Chex Mix printable
-$0.50/2 Chex Mix 10/2/2011 GM insert
Final Price: As low as $1.07 each*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Kudos 8-10 ct., Quaker Instant Oatmeal 10 ct. or Snackwells 6.15 oz. 2/$5
-$2/1 Quaker Instant Oatmeal ALL YOU magazine Oct – Chocolate Chip or Honey Bun varieties
-$1/2 Kudos printable
-$0.75/1 Snackwell’s Cereal Bars ALL YOU Sept
-$0.75/1 Snackwell’s 7/31 SS insert
Final Price: As low as $0.50
Charmin Freshmates Flushable Wipes 40 ct. 2/$5
-$1/2 Charmin products 10/2 P&G insert
Final Price: $2*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
ECB DEAL: Spend $10 on any Sally Hansen cosmetics, earn $3 ECB (limit 1)
{Scenario}
(1) Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color $2.99
(2) Sally Hansen Advanced Hard as Nails @ $3.99 = $7.98
=$10.97
Earn $3 ECB
-$1/1 Sally Hansen Nail Color 9/25 RP insert, use three
Final Price: three for $4.97 or $1.66 each
Almay Intense iColor shadow, liner or mascara $5.99
Earn $4 ECB (limit 6)
-$1/1 Almay Color Cosmetics 10/9 Walmart insert (mfr coupon – regional)
Final Price: $0.99 each
Maybelline Cosmetics B1G1 50% off
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara $5.29 or 2/$7.94
-$2/1 Maybelline Mascara 9/11 RP insert
Final Price: $1.97 each
ECB DEAL: Buy (2) Revlon Eye or Lip cosmetics, earn $5 ECB (limit 1)
{Scenario}
(2) Revlon Eye Shadow Singles @ $4.99 = $9.98
-$1/1 Revlon Color Cosmetics 10/9 Walmart insert (mfr coupon, regional), use two
Earn $5 ECB
Final Price: 2/$2.98 or $1.49 each
Lysol Healthy Touch Start Kit $11.99
Earn $8 ECB (limit 1)
Final Price: $3.99
Olay Total Effects or Regenerist Facial Care from $7.99
Earn $2 ECB (limit 1)
-$3/1 Olay Regenerist Facial Moisturizer or Cleanser 10/2/2011 P&G insert
Final Price: As low as $2.99*
*qualifies for $10 Olay rebate
Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color
-$2/1 Clairol Hair Color 10/16/2011 P&G insert
-$2/1 Clairol Hair Color 9/27/2011 P&G insert
-$2/1 Clairol Hair Color 9/18/2011 SS insert
Final Price: $3.99
Garnier HerbaShine Hair Color $5.99
Earn $3 ECB wyb two
-$2/1 Garnier Herbashine 10/16/2011 RP insert, use two
Final Price: $2.49 each
Mitchum Deodorant $1.99
-$0.75/1 Mitchum Deodorant 9/11/2011 SS insert
Final Price: $1.24
Suave Deodorant $1
-$0.25/1 Suave Deodorant 10/16/2011 RP insert
Final Price: $0.75

ECB DEAL: Spend $20 on Nexxus Hair Care, earn $10 ECB
Final Price: Half off
Conair Hair Appliances from $9.99
Earn $5 ECB (limit 2)
Final Price: As low as $4.99
ECB DEAL: Spend $10 on select Crest, Scope or Oral B products, earn $5 ECB (limit 2)
-$2/1 Crest, Scope, Oral-B Products 9/11/2011 SS insert
-$0.75/1 Crest Toothpaste 10/16/2011 P&G insert
-$0.50/1 Crest Toothpaste or liquid gel 10/2/2011 P&G insert
-$1/1 Crest Toothpaste or Liquid Gel 10/2/2011 P&G insert
Final price: Varies
Colgate Optic White or Sensitive Pro-Relief
Earn $2 ECB (limit 2)
-$1/1 Colgate Optic White Toothpaste ALL YOU magazine Oct
-$1/1 Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste ALL YOU magazine Sept
Final price: Varies
Schick Hydro 3 or Hydro 5 razor $8.29
Earn $3 ECB (limit 1)
-$2/1 Schick Hydro 10/16/2011 RP insert
Final price: $3.29
Gillette Venus Pro Skin, Embrace or Breeze razor $8.99
Earn $4 ECB (limit 2)
-$2/1 Venus 10/16 P&G insert
Final price: $2.99
Claritin 24-hr tablets or Children’s Chewable Tablets 20ct. $16.99
-$4/1 Non-Drowsy Claritin Allergy printable
-$2/1 Non-Drowsy Children’s Claritin Product printable
Final Price: As low as $12.99*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Prevacid $18
-$4/1 Prevacid printable
-$14 mail in rebate
Final Price: FREE
Pringles 2/$3
-$1/4 Pringles Super Stack Can 10/2 P&G insert
Final Price: $1.25 each*
*qualifies for $10 GC deal
Dawn Dish Liquid $0.97
-$0.50/1 Dawn Plus 10/2 P&G insert
-$0.25/1 Dawn 10/2 P&G insert
Final Price: As low as $0.47

One out of four Americans suffer from asthma or allergies with the most common form of asthma being allergic asthma. It is triggered by inhaling allergens such as the protein found in dust mite and cockroach droppings, pet dander, pollen, and mold. Lucas was diagnosed with asthma a couple of years ago and just this year, he was also tested for allergies. Among other things, he is extremely allergic to several types of pollen and dust mites. Naturally, his allergies exacerbate his asthma. We do lots of things to reduce his symptoms, including limiting his exposure to allergens. We keep an air purifier in his room, vacuum several times per week, limit the number of stuffed animals on his bed, and his mattress and pillows are protected with Aller-Ease's Allergy Protection Mattress Encasement and Pillow Encasements. I worked with Aller-Ease last year on that review actually and fell in LOVE with their products. We aren't the only ones that love them though--Aller-Ease is the #1 selling brand of protective bedding!



That's why I jumped at the chance of reviewing mattress and pillow encasements for my bed too. It makes sense--I mean Lucas regularly climbs into my bed to cuddle up and watch a movie or in the middle of the night because he had a nightmare or isn't feeling well. Plus, an unprotected mattress is pretty gross when you know that a typical unprotected mattress may have anywhere from 10,000 to 10 million dust mites inside. Or that an unprotected pillow increases in weight 10% every two years due to dust mites and dust mite feces. Yeah. Pretty gross.

Aller-Ease sent us a King Size Allergy Protection Mattress Encasement and two Pillow Encasements. Putting them on was very easy. We just slid our mattress off the end of the bed and stood it up right at the foot of the bed. Then, we slid the encasement onto the mattress, pulled it down, and slid the mattress back onto the bed. The last step was to zip it closed and that was it! The Pillow Encasements go on just like any pillow case with a zipper.



What I love about them is that you can't feel them on the mattress. The encasements don't make any noise at all and best of all--they are NOT hot. Many mattress covers and protectors are not breathable so that equals HOT and I hate to sleep in a hot bed or on a hot pillow.

The secret behind their protectors is that they are constructed with a very tight, virtually impenetrable weave. This is what keeps the bad stuff {like pollen, dander, and other microscopic particles} out while still allowing air to pass through. They actually filter up to 95% of all particles at the one-micron size. The result? A healthy night's sleep. All products are third-party lab-tested and Allergist recommended and have earned the Good Housekeeping Seal.

Aller-Ease products can be found at retailers nationwide, including Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl’s, Kmart, Sears and at their online store.