Carmex Review and Giveaway!

If you follow me on Facebook you probably saw that I received a special delivery from Carmex® a few weeks ago. Contained in my delivery were 2 products to review (yay!). I received a Carmex® Healing Cream and a Carmex® Healing Lotion.


So what's the difference? What do I think? Well here is a little background information to get you started: For over 70 years people have come to love the healing power of Carmex® lip balms. Finally, Carmex® Skin Care is here with a new solution to heal, soothe and moisturize your dry skin.

CARMEX® HEALING LOTION

• Carmex® Healing Lotion is made using a patent pending process that delivers healing and moisturization without a greasy feel.
• Use anywhere skin feels dry; available in tube or NEW pump
• Daily use will help protect skin and keep dryness away
• Rich healing ingredients, including Aloe and Vitamin E, nourish and moisturize skin
• Absorbs fast for a non-greasy feel; has a light, pleasant scent

CARMEX® HEALING CREAM

• Carmex® Healing Cream is made using a patent pending process that delivers concentrated healing and moisturization of your driest, roughest skin.
• Use on your driest skin— especially hands, feet, elbows and knees; available in tube or NEW handy little tin
• 9 healing ingredients penetrate and help repair your very dry, rough or cracked skin
• Concentrated—use a small amount
• Absorbs fast for a non-greasy feel; has a light, pleasant scent

So what's the difference?
The Healing Cream (left in photo above) you can see is just a little bit thicker/stiffer than the Healing Lotion (right in photo above). I like the Healing Cream for my hands periodically throughout the day. It dries/absorbs quickly and lasts for a while. I think the only reason I need to reapply is because I frequently wash my hands to prevent any of these wintertime germs that are going around. It's not very greasy so I can go back to working, or using my phone without feeling like I have to wait for my hands to 'dry'. I barely notice the scent, it's quite pleasant! Especially being about 8 months pregnant, my sense of smell has been extra keen.

The Healing Lotion got SO MUCH use out of it! I started putting it on my legs because they were super itchy with some of the bitter colds were having this unfortunate March. Other lotions just weren't cutting it, but this truly gave me some relief. Also, I started rubbing it on my lovely growing belly. One of the ingredients is Vitamin E, which is supposed to help in the prevention of stretch marks. No, this was not specifically mentioned in the products but just a connection I made with outside information of my own. I have not had any stretch marks up until this point, and yes I was using another belly cream, however, I figured it couldn't hurt to use this too! A few weeks later, I still don't have any. It may or may not be related to the creams of any brand, it could just be good genes. Either way, it makes me a happy mommy!

Honestly these are a wonder feature of the Carmex® line of products. And I sincerely thank Carmex® for giving me the opportunity to try them out! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely mine, and I have received no further compensation.

...AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY!

One lucky Savings Cravings reader will be able to win a kit just like the one pictured above. You will receive (1) 5.5 oz Carmex Healing Lotion and (1) 4 oz Carmex Healing Cream, to be received directly from Carmex®

HOW TO ENTER TO WIN: Use the Rafflecopter widget below!

Winner: The winner will be chosen randomly. The odds of winning the prize are determined by the total number of eligible entries received.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

HOT Groupon Deal! $10 Starbucks eGift Card for only $5!

Right now Groupon has a great Starbucks eGift Card Deal! Pay only $5 for a $10 Starbucks eGift Card! View the deal!



New to Groupon? Sign up here!

If you've never used a Starbucks eGfit Card before, it's really easy! Once you purchase and activate it you can print it out and redeem in store OR you can add the balance to an existing Starbucks gift card. You can even download the Starbucks app and use it in store to pay. Make sure to register your gift card or eGift on Starbucks.com/card to join their rewards program. There are many great benefits and rewards, read about them here.

Saving Money vs. Spending as Little As Possible

When you do your shopping/planning, how do you do it? Based on where you can "save" the most or where you can pay the lowest price possible for the product? Most people don't realize there IS a difference!

Picture that you have 2 ads for 2 different grocery stores in your area in front of you. Store 1 has your favorite brand of Ice Cream on sale for "$2.00 off" and the Store 2 has it on sale "2 for $6". Store 1, regular price is $5.99 Store 2 regular price is $4.49. So the "savings" are easily recognizable, Store 1 you can save $2 on it, Store 2 really only has a savings of $1.50. BUT at Store 2 you'd only pay $3, instead of the $3.99 at Store 1. Which one would you go for? Ah ha! Spending as little as possible.

When purchasing anything, it's always best to consider the bottom dollar out of pocket (OOP) cost. This can apply to small grocery purchases or larger ones like vehicles. Advertising is such a huge roll in giving the illusion you are getting a great deal on something, when it fact it may be a mediocre or terrible deal! Watch out for %-off vs $-off deals and even the "buy more save more" sales. Compare everything! All it takes is a few minutes and a little math.

I always think back to a few years ago, when my first son was starting solid foods. Baby food was on sale 10 for $10. The shelves were pretty well picked over from people trying to stock up. Well, I notice under the sale tag, the regular price for this baby food is only 99¢. People were paying 1¢ MORE for the product (yes, it did ring up at $1) but thought they were getting a great deal!

Whenever I plan my grocery shopping lists I always have a top dollar amount in mind. Our weekly budget is $60. I try to get the MOST out of that money as possible. Which means spending as little as possible on individual items. When I first started couponing I didn't change my budget, I simply shopped smarter. I was getting more food for my $60. I'd stock up on essentials when they were extremely cheap, thus meaning I wouldn't have to buy them at a later date at a higher price. I spend at my budget almost every week, even if I don't *need* much I use it to stock up on other higher priced things like meats that I can put away in the freezer. A well stocked kitchen is the best savings in the long run. Fewer unnecessary trips to the grocery store paying full price on last minute ingredient.

So what about you? How do you normally think about your shopping?

25¢ Small Coffee at Burger King!

Hey if you love coffee, check out this deal from Burger King! Learn more on the Burger King Website.



From now until March 10th you can get a Small Hot or Small Iced coffee for ONLY 25¢ (plus tax, where applicable)! It does exclude flavors and whipped topping. They are promoting a new "100% Latin American Arabica Beans Medium-Light Roast" blend by Seattle's Best Coffee. Yesterday, I stopped by my local BK and grabbed a cup (with 2 cream, 2 sugar) and I honestly thought it was good! I must not have liked their previous "blend" because I haven't been a fan of their coffee in the past.

Has anyone stopped by? What do you think?

LivingSocial Deal: Picaboo Photo Book

I saw on Pinterest the idea of doing "Family Yearbooks". My husband and I loved this idea. We purchased a deal similar to this a while ago and put a 2011 book. We have a few more to put together and hace been waiting for another deal to come around, and it did! LivingSocial has a National Deal right now for $35 for $100 to spend on photo products. Check out this deal on LivingSocial.

This is the little overview of our 2011 book (sorry, these are phone pictures and not great):

We really love it and we are VERY much looking forward to catching up the last few years and continuing on.

Mail Check January 2013

January 2013 started off a little slow. This was a little collection of what I've been receiving in January. The coupon book is packed with a bunch of P&G coupons, I just wish the expiration date was a little bit longer. Stash away the Pampers baby wipes for baby #2's arrival in May!

8 Boxes of Cereal, 8 Boxes Fruit Snacks =$7.84 + FREE Gallon of Milk

OOP: $7.84

Weis is currently running a deal for select General Mills cereals $1.49 each when you buy 4. General Mills Fruit Snacks are also on sale, 99¢ each when you buy 4. What makes this deal even more exciting is there is an ongoing promotion where you can get a coupon for a FREE gallon of milk when you buy 8 boxes of General Mills cereal. The cereal does not have to be purchased in the same transaction to qualify. Paired with this sale and currently available coupons on Coupons.com makes for a really great deal! (Don't forget you can print the coupons through MyPoints.com, Swagbucks.com,
InboxDollars.com or maybe some other sites to earn various points.)

To be sure the sale prices would activate, I did this twice.

Transaction #1 (and repeated in another transaction).
Cinnamon Toast Crunch $1.49
Cinnamon Toast Crunch $1.49
Cheerios $1.49
Cheerios $1.49
Mott's Fruit Snacks $ .99
Mott's Fruit Snacks $ .99
Mott's Fruit Snacks $ .99
Mott's Fruit Snacks $ .99

- .50 Cinnamon Toast Crunch (printable)
(Doubled to $1 off)
- .50 Cinnamon Toast Crunch (printable)
(Doubled to $1 off)
- .50 Cheerios (printable)
(Doubled to $1 off)
- .50 Cheerios (printable)
(Doubled to $1 off)
- .50 off 2 Mott's Fruit Snacks (printable)
(Doubled to $1 off)
- .50 off 2 Mott's Fruit Snacks (printable)
(Doubled to $1 off)

= $3.92

After the 2nd transaction (which included the bulk of my regular groceries) I received the register printed coupon for a FREE gallon of milk!