Saturday Successes & Ozeri Digital Pedometer Review

A few months ago, I posted about my weight loss journey. My journey continues, but I'm excited to say that I'm ringing in the new year 22 pounds lighter than in 2014! I've still got a ways to go which is why I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to review the Ozeri 4x3 Motion Digital Pedometer.

Here are my general likes and dislikes about the product:

Pros:

• This pedometer is equipped with sleep mode to save battery life. If it doesn't detect movement for 30 seconds or longer, it goes "to sleep." Also great is it comes with its own battery upon purchase along with a tiny screwdriver that you can use when you do have to replace the battery. 
• You can wear this pedometer around your neck, carry it in a pocket or put it in a bag or purse. I've tried all 3 methods and I've had similar results regardless of how I carry the pedometer.
• It tracks 7 days worth of data so you can compare your "couch potato" days to your more energetic, athletic days.
• Comes with a 1 year warranty against manufacturer defects.
• It keeps track of the date and time so it doubles as a watch!

Cons:

• The buttons (Set, Mode, Up and Down) protrude from the shell and are subject to being accidentally pressed, which can reset the pedometer and lose all of your stored data.
• Unless you are diligent about accurately measuring your typical stride, the pedometer will not accurately measure your steps, calories burned and mileage. 
• Initial set up is the mental equivalent of planning a NASA rocket launch, despite very detailed instructions that included screen shots.

The Ozeri pedometer is really small and thin so it can fit easily in almost any size pocket. It also comes with a lanyard that you can use to wear it around your neck. Upon opening the box, this pedometer is ready to go since a lithium ion battery is included (what a plus!).

However, despite having fairly detailed instructions outlining how to set up your pedometer, I feel like you need a degree in nuclear physics to set it up on the first try. Whatever you do, do not lose the instructions in case you reset your pedometer like I did! If you decide you DO want to reset your data, there is a recessed button "RESET" available for this purpose.

One really great feature is that you can set up the pedometer to measure in American units (lb, in, etc.) or metric units (kg, cm, etc.). This makes it easy to use no matter what country you're from. While hula hooping (yes, I hula hoop with a weighted hula hoop for exercise!), I accidentally changed units from American to metric by pressing the MODE button for too long. This also caused me to lose all of my stored data. I was a few days into using the pedometer at this point and was near tears at my loss.

All in all, I really do enjoy using this pedometer. I haven't yet checked the accuracy of the mileage tracker but I like that I can use the step tracker to compare what I've done from one day to the next.

It's fairly inexpensive compared to the more high-tech options like the Jawbone and the Fitbit. If you simply want to track your steps per day, I'd say the Ozeri pedometer is worth the nominal investment.



Disclaimer: The good folks at Ozeri provided me with a free pedometer to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

DIY Friday: Gift Baskets Under $25

Christmas is fast approaching. Have you finished your shopping yet? Typically I'm 100% done before Thanksgiving, but this year I've been procrastinating... And to ice my cake of procrastination, my budget is the tightest it's been in awhile.

Luckily I'm thrifty by nature and an outside-the-box thinker. I love putting together small gift baskets for my friends and family filled with goodies I just know they'll love. Ocean State Job Lot is one of my favorite stores in general but especially for great gift basket goodies. Did you know they carry hundreds of brand name products, too?

Are you on a tight budget too? It is easy to thoughtfully put together a gift basket filled with amazing products for less than $25! Here are just a few ideas:

Gluten Free Baker:
My friend Ginger lives gluten free, yet she loves to bake. She often has only one or two gluten-free baking options when at the grocery store. Ocean State Job Lot carries many gluten free baking products by Bob's Red Mill including pizza crust ($3.69), bread mix ($4.49), cake mix ($3.49), brown mix ($3.99) and chocolate chip cookie mix ($4.49). Add a few different types of baking mixes, some really cute potholders and maybe a cookie sheet or a beautiful enamel loaf pan and you've got yourself an inexpensive, yet delicious gift basket.

Grill Master:
Remember Emeril from Foodnetwork? His amazing products have made their way to Ocean State Job Lot and boy are they yummy! For your grill master, try some of Emeril's Kicked Up BBQ sauce ($2) along with some Old Thompson's seasonings that come in a nifty adjustable grinder in flavors like steak burger and Hawaiian black salt ($4.99 each). Toss in some grilling tools like a sauce brush or some tongs and bon appetit!

Tea Lover:
Ocean State Job Lot has almost everything. It even carries Keurig Kcups by brands like Twinings, Tazo and Caribou. Toss in some Twinings ice tea Kcups ($4.99) alongside some Twinings chai Kcups ($5.99) or Tazo Chai Kcups ($7.99). Or if your friend or relative is more into coffee, how about some Caribou Coffee Kcups ($7.99)? Add a few bags of Brookside dark chocolate acai berries or pomegranates ($1.50) and maybe a pair of cozy socks and a cute mug and your gift receiver will be set up to relax on the couch with a good book.

Speaking of good books...

Ardent Reader:
Ocean State Job even has books by well known authors on its shelves! Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors ever and I just found her novel Handle with Care for only $2.99! Your gift receiver is more into sci fi or horror? Try one of Stephen King's novels Under the Dome ($2.99) or Mr. Mercedes ($3.99). My husband is totally into the Duck Dynasty stuff and I'm totally grabbing a book or two from their collection for his stocking - Happy, Happy, Happy; The Women of Duck Commander and Si-cology 101 ($2.99 each). Ocean State Job Lot also stocks a variety of cookbooks at really low prices by famous stars like Paula Deen and Sandra Lee.

Furry Friend
Don't forget about your furry friends when shopping this Christmas. Pick up some treats like Milkbone biscuits ($2), Beneful Baked Delights ($2.49) or Milo's Kitchen chicken meatballs. If your pup is on the smaller side, how about a Snuggle to keep him warm ($2.99)? Does your friend have whiskers instead? A can or two of cat food from famous makers like 9Lives ($.46) or Newman's Own Organic ($.89) are sure to keep them purring. Add a few Nylabone cat toys ($1.50 - $2.49) and some flea and tick preventative shampoo by Off and you've got a well-rounded gift basket that will keep your fuzzy friend happy.


Manly Man
Want to keep the man in your life smelling.... well... manly? Ocean State Job Lot has a ridiculous quantity of brand name bath and beauty products. Fill his stocking or his gift basket with products by Axe, Irish Spring, Dial for Men, Suave for Men and Old Spice.

Beauty Addict
Don't leave out the cosmetic lover in your life. Find cosmetics by Blistex, NYC, Revlon, Almay Covergirl and Milani. There are even full sized cosmetic kits by the well known brand ELF.


Whether you're just starting your Christmas shopping or finishing up those last minute gifts, hop on over to your local Ocean State Job Lot to check out all of their amazing deals. Not only will you be able to get the same brand name products you'd get at your grocery store, you'll keep your wallet a tad bit fuller.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I shop at Ocean State Job Lot all of the time anyway and was happy to write this blog post. I did not receive any compensation for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

New Search Engine in Town: Welcome Zoutons

I know I'm Coupon Mama Massachusetts. And yes, I know many of my readers reside in the Bay State. However, I know people both near and far read my blog and shopaholics nationwide, even worldwide, crave the deals and steals I advertise here on CMM.

My friends and readers in the India area, please welcome Zoutons.com, an easy to navigate deal site that provides the latest and greatest deals from some of the best companies in the Indian retail industry.

Zoutons.com offers a collection of promo codes for well-known, amazing online retailers and allows access to some of the best deals on the web with just a few clicks. Zoutons separates their discounts based on categories, making it that much easier to find awesome discounts on the things you need. In the market for new shoes but you haven't decided where to buy them yet? Check under 'Footwear' to start searching for the best deals on those new kicks!

There are over 50 retailers that have deals listed in the Zoutons database, including prominent websites like Groupon India, Amazon.in and Ebay.in! Planning to visit India and want to save a ton on your trip? Check out all of their travel discounts on flights, train tickets and hotel stays. India is actually my dream destination for a vacation. So if I can ever convince my husband to travel there with me, Zoutons is the first website I'll check out to start saving on my vacation.

Don't waste your time searching endlessly on a random search engine for promo codes. Just check out Zoutons.com.


Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I have received compensation to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed here are real and my own.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

The Royal Ripoff - King Richard's Faire

My dear hubby Jon has been begging me for the last two years to go to King Richard's Faire, an 80-acre plot of land in Carver, MA that has been transformed into the Medieval times. Every year I try to pull the "selective hearing" thing and ignore his requests as I'm a homegrown Rhode Islander and a 45-minute drive one way is considered a "day trip" to us.

Jon, however, was relentless this year and since his birthday is in September and he's getting old turning the BIG 3-0, I figured I'd surprise him with a trip.

The King Richard's Faire runs only on weekends from 8/31 through 10/20. This does include Labor Day and Columbus Day - the only two weekdays the Faire is open. Gates open at 10:30 in the morning and everything shuts down at 6pm.

I spent yesterday morning searching endlessly for some sort of "deal" on tickets. I searched endlessly on the major daily deal sites like Groupon, Eversave and Livingsocial. Of course none had any deals on these SUPER EXPENSIVE TICKETS.

There are two types of tickets: expensive and more expensive. Just kidding, somewhat.

Adult admission is $28 and child admission is $16. If you order online, there is a $2/per ticket fee, but you can pay via credit card. If you buy tickets upon arrival, it is cash only and you wait in a HUMONGOUS line.

AAA does offer a promotional code and a printable coupon you can use to reduce your cost $2 per ticket (or $4 if you buy online). The information on AAA's website specifies you're supposed to have a AAA membership, however, it never asked me for mine (I do have one). You can use promo code AAA-SNE-M online to reduce the price by $2 plus get rid of the $2 online fee. My husband and I paid a STEEP $51.76 total for admission. Because we printed our tickets at home, we got to skip the enormous ticket line and walk right in.

Luckily, parking is free, yet very tight - make sure whoever is driving is a better driver than me, otherwise you may just be forced to stay at the Faire until your car-neighbors leave and you can safely exit the parking lot without hitting anyone else.

Upon arrival, one major con is there is absolutely no re-admission. Once you're in, you're stuck. For as long as you plan on being there. Forgot something in the car? Tough luck. Want to drop off your bag o' goodies that you bought at the Faire? Sorry buster. You better make the trip worth it, you just spent a butt-load of your hard earned cash to get in.

Once inside, you really will feel like you took Doc Brown's DeLorean back to Medieval Times. All staff members and most visitors dress, speak and otherwise act as though they are authentic Medieval villagers. I'm a terrible starer. I gawk and stare without realizing it - never maliciously or for ill-reasons, but because I'm typically in shock and awe or are enamored by what I see. Well, my husband had to hit me about 5 million times because he caught me gawking at other people in their authentic garb.


Some of the costumes were just absolutely breathtaking. Some people had REAL chain maile on; some women hard corsets that pushed their assets so high they had their own built-in TV-dinner tray. People who dressed the part truly could have been abducted out of King Arthur's Court and dropped off in 2013.

Once inside the park, there were lots of different areas to walk through. My husband and I quickly noticed that nearly everything inside the park had an additional fee. You could throw knives or axes, shoot arrows at the archery station, have a wax hand mold made, have your face or other body part painted - all for an extra fee.

Dirty Tush? Charmin Freshmates Review (and Sweepstakes)

I'm sure you've seen those cute commercials with the little bear whose tush didn't quite come clean after wiping? Nobody likes a dirty tush and I especially don't like trying to clean my tush with that cheap, single ply, see-through toilet paper. If I can see through it, it can't possibly be doing a good job.

In fact, I'm not a huge fan of any dry toilet paper to be honest... yes, I know I've got a potty mouth...

Seriously... if you wash the rest of your body using moisture, why would you clean your hiney with a dry cloth?

My husband and I welcomed our sample of Charmin Freshmates with open arms and excited bums. My husband and I have completely different approaches to toilet time. I'm in and out in a matter of minutes, while Jon likes to may a day of it so to speak. I'm not exactly sure of what goes on the entire time while he's in there, but I do know that we tend to go through an awful lot of toilet paper the longer he's in there.

But for some reason, despite the expansive amount of time he spent in the  bathroom this week, we've still got tons of Charmin Freshmate wipes left over!

I love that Charmin Freshmates wipes don't have that alcoholic, medicinal smell that some personal wipes have. I also love that they've got the perfect happy-medium amount of moisture.... a far cry from toilet paper, but also not so wet that you've still got a damp tush when you're done.

Even better, these wipes are flushable AND safe for septic systems. Here in Dighton, we don't have public sewers, so we have to be really careful about what swirls down that toilet bowl.

 

And that container is absolutely fabulous -- they come in a bunch of different pretty prints so I'm sure there's one to match your bathroom.

Are you interested in winning a $5000 Visa gift card to makeover your own bathroom (along with another $1000 Visa giftcard to put towards a consultation with an intrerior designer)? Just upload a photo of where you would put your own Charmin Freshmates in your own bathroom!
Enter the Sweepstakes here!


Disclaimer: Vocalpoint provided me with a free sample to facilitate my review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Coupon Chief: Stop Your Searching & Use This Coupon Code Database

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CouponChief. All opinions are 100% mine.

Can you believe that Christmas is only four months away?! If you're like me, then you've been doing your holiday shopping since December 26th of last year. And if you're like me, you've done it all by stalking the weekly store ads, the daily deal sites and all of the major store websites for the best deals on gifts for the whole family.

And most importantly, if you're like me, you searched high and low for promotion and coupon codes that matched up with all those great online deals before you made your purchase. Sometimes my head starts spinning from the hours of googling in search of those gosh darn promo codes!

But all that searching for me is now over! And it can be over for you too!

Welcome to CouponChief, a database of thousands of promo and coupon codes for tons of online stores. This is your one stop shop for discount codes!

Best of all, no sign up is ever required to access and use these promo codes and it's all completely free!

These coupon codes have been entered into the database by other deal stalkers like you and me. If they've been personally verified by the submitter (meaning they actually used the coupon and it worked), it'll actually have a label saying "Submitter Verified." This is an awesome feature, as I hate getting all psyched about using a certain code, only for it to be invalid.

For instance, as of this posting, there are a bunch of coupon codes for Staples that have been submitter verified.

 It Pays 2 Share!
Another great incentive to CouponChief is you can sign up (for free!) to be part of the Pays-2-Share program. Upload coupons and promo codes you find along the way and you'll get 2% of the sales every time someone uses that coupon!

Giving Back, One Coupon at a Time
My personal favorite feature of CouponChief is the Coupons-4-Causes program.

So you know darned well you're going to do some of your shopping online and you're most likely going to search for promo codes to discount your purchases, so why not give back while making those purchases?

With Coupons-4-Causes, you can help support your favorite cause every time you shop. Before making your purchase, search for your favorite cause from a list provided, shop at your favorite sites through CouponChief and they'll donate up to 20% of the purchase you make to your chosen cause!
The only negative factor in this otherwise amazing program is that there are not an awful lot of causes to choose from, and none at all within 25 miles of my hometown (I like to keep things local whenever possible).

So whether you've already started your holiday shopping or you're the type to wait until December (like my dear husband), check out CouponChief to help you find discount codes for all your favorite r

retailers. Stop searching for hours on google and make one stop at CouponChief.

If you're still a tad confused about how CouponChief works and/or you're more of a visual learner, check out the great video tutorial they have on their site!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

The Adventures of Chip Doolin - possible giveaway!

The Adventures of Chip Doolin by Neal Bogosian is a must read for young adults and baseball fans alike!! This paperback craftfully wraps you in the adventures of Chip Doolin, a farmer boy who evolves into famous baseball player.

Here's a description from Amazon.com:

Before Babe Ruth, there was Chip Doolin! Set in 1909, in an America that was spirited and thriving, and when opportunity and virtue were still abundant, The Adventures of Chip Doolin are the improbable and often humorous tales of a farm boy from Somewhere, Virginia, who has few life tools and an abundance of raw talent, who becomes the starting first baseman for the 1909 Detroit Tigers. It soon becomes apparent that the fate of Chip Doolin is a blessed one - heroics and home runs are part of his destiny. The stories chronicle Chip's subsequent adventures on and off the baseball diamond, including his courtship with "Eleanor Ferris, the blue-eyed daughter of Mr. Ferris, whom Chip had fancied ever since he knew about the bond between a man and a woman." Chip's fantastic follies are often amongst some of baseball's most prominent and colorful luminaries including Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford, Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie, Tris Speaker, Rube Waddell and Hughie Jennings, with cameo appearances from the likes of famed boxer John L. Sullivan, President Willam Howard Taft, and famed writer, Ring Lardner. The stories are sure to warm the nostalgic hearts of baseball fans young and old.

And I'm lucky enough to personally know the author, Neal Bogosian. In fact, not only do I know him, but I have the pleasure and honor of calling him my friend!

If you'd like to know more about the author, Neal Bogosian, check out this biographical piece.

I highly recommend reading The Adventures of Chip Doolin. It can be purchased on Amazon.com as a paperback copy (eligible for free shipping with Amazon Prime!), as well as an ebook. Great way to use those Amazon.com gift cards you got by using Swagbucks!

It's also available as a paperback copy through Barnes & Noble.  Shop through ShopAtHome and get 4% back when you buy from Barnes & Noble


So I'm considering giving away an autographed copy of this wonderful book! But I'll only give away a copy if there seems to be enough interest! So PLEASE, let me know if you'd be interested in reading this book, AND, if you'd love to have a signed copy as I'm sure Neal Bogosian will soon become an author on the Best Sellers list!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Review: Downy UnStopables

Do you suffer from stinky, clean laundry? Yes, I know perhaps that's an oxymoron, but my clean laundry tends to still be stinky and I don't mean body odor stinky, just dank and stinky.

I own a very old Maytag top loading washing machine and almost NEVER wash my clothes in hot water (my hot water is heated by an oil system... and do have any idea how much oil is per gallon right now?!?!). Even when I wash my laundry with extra detergent and use dryer sheets in my dryer, my laundry never has that smell I remember from my childhood.

Thank goodness for Downy Unstopables In-Wash Scent Booster! I had some really, super nasty old T-shirts that we had been using as rags for awhile that had been left wet in a bucket for about 3 weeks. Can you imagine that putrid odor that came off those shirts?? I filled my washing machine with the nasty rags, threw in the regular amount of laundry detergent that I normally use - I happen to be using Purex right now since I had gotten it free from CVS awhile back - and then I tossed in a little bit of the Downy Unstopable beads.

The packaging for this product is really cool. It comes with a cool cover that pops off completely and then underneath is the actual flip up cover for the product. You can use the cover that comes completely off as the dispenser for the scent boosting beads. Sort of like laundry detergent I guess, but absolutely no drips or mess.

So I threw in about 10 of the small scent boosting beads and threw down the lid of my washing machine. When I pulled the rags out at the end of the cycle, the smelled so delicious that I didn't even use a dryer sheet when I tossed them into the dryer.

Let me tell you, the smell of those rags gave me memories of those Downy teddy bear commercials and all of the fresh smelling laundry I used to play with as a child.

I even told my fiance that this product is worth splurging once a month for... and if you knew how tight I was with my money, my fiance swears I squeak when I walk! So if you want laundry that smells clean, despite how dirty and dank it started, try Downy Unstopables in-wash scent booster.


I received a full sized sample of Downy Unstopable in-wash scent booster because I am a Vocalpoint member. I was not asked to complete a review of this product in return; however, I felt it was worth reviewing since I LOVE this product. All views and opinions are 100% my own.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama