Totes Retro Review

This is the hardest blog post I've ever had to write but not because it's personal. I received a product I didn't know what to do with and, after wracking my brain, I think I finally figured out how to present you, my loyal readers, with an honest review that doesn't suck.

I was asked to review a hand-drawn tote bag from Totes Retro. I was given three options to choose from and I chose Space Invaders:

Source: Totes Retro

I was really excited when it came in the mail because I am a HUGE fan of canvas tote bags - Craig calls them my fun bags because when I travel with them, I always have fun stuff hidden inside. Well, when I received my bag, I was a little disappointed. 

The bad: I thought the drawings would be a little sharper and when the bag accidentally made its way into the washing machine, it came out half the size it was when I got it. Yeah, it shrunk.

Close up!

The good: It looks unique and I like that aspect. As a huge fan of the 80s, I like what the bag is all about (c'mon, I'm an nerd!). I like that every bag is unique and I think it's cool that someone took the time to draw on each bag. Also, the price is something that can't be beat: £2.50 ($4/15NIS) - which still makes this a winner in my book. 

Since the bag shrunk, I've found it to be really useful when I need to schelp Yoavi's diapers and wipes around - it's just big enough to fit 4 diapers, a box of wipes, a changing mat, one toy, a few pacifiers, and a ready-made bottle. I may add a zipper or a fastener on to the bag but it'll still be perfect when I need to change Yoav on the airplane. 

About the Company:Totes Retro creates light bags that come with one of three hand drawn images. You can choose between Tetris, Pac Man, or Space Invaders. To see the rest of what they have, visit their website. You can also interact with them on Twitter and Facebook!

Giveaway: Starting today, you can win your very own Totes Retro bag! From June 29 until 11:59 pm EST on July 15th, you can enter to win all three bags!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received this product through Karma Media in exchange for my honest review.

How to Get Cheesecake Factory Discount Coupons

If you are someone who likes eating www.cheesecake.com products, definitely you have spent some money to pamper your cravings. Getting discount coupons to buy cheese cakes would be something useful. It will help you save money. A US-based company called the cheesecake factory actually offers many options of a big range of solutions for restaurants and anything related to it. This American company controls a few major bakery facilities which offer both full-service and informal restaurant services. They also provide licenses to restaurant under their company, which is considered to be under their manufacturing unit.

In its history, the company started with a food item operation, which menu had limitation. Then, later on, they have operated another facility that specializes mostly in desserts and other products related to restaurant industry.

The company, like other businesses would like to establish more customers; they would offer some of the tempting cheesecake company discount coupons that can be acquired from different locations. For this reason, those people who like to eat cheese cakes do not have to worry about spending so much for buying as much of their favorite dessert. The marketing strategy of having discount coupons is a good way to keep the clients in coming back and buying more. In fact, many of these customers who have proven how good discount coupons help them would definitely watch for exciting and interesting offers the company or the store has for them. Rewards cards are also one good way to keep clients. The reward program will help both ways – the company and the avid customers. The company will stay in shape as a business while rewarding their customers with rewards or great stuff they might like!

The discount coupons provided by the company will enable the cheese cake addict and shopper to save some money. The only thing about these discount coupons regardless of whatever type of coupon it is for, most companies would not spread it out to everyone. They usually share discount coupons to the people who are interested on their products, or perhaps customers who have been consistent in shopping through them. Moreover, they publish such discount coupons through the Internet. So you cannot really expect to get useful discounts from a specific company via mail these days. Most the time, they are shared via the company's website, advertisements, and their newsletters on the Internet. Signing up for newsletter would be something you can regularly do, especially if you have liked the products of an online store. Some online stores sends you discount coupons as a sign up bonus.

Dreams and Destinations

I did something super-duper brazen today and I really can't wait to share it with you!

Ever since I was a kid, I had a passion for studying the Holocaust. Yesterday, I received word from Gratz College that I will be studying in their Holocaust History and Genocide Studies MA program! How COOL IS THAT??? I know, pace myself.

About a year ago, Joanna (the life coach) asked me a really interesting question during one of our work meetings: 'what's your goal in life?'

Without missing a beat, I said "I want to change the way people are educated about the Holocaust." I surprised myself with the answer. She asked me what it would take for me to achieve my dream and I said "a miracle". Well, folks, I'm making my dream come true! Today, I randomly pitched the Director of Programs and Community Engagement at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Michigan.

Do you know which country this armband came from? Poland.

Here's the thing: I don't want her job... well, not all of it. I want to work with her to make the HMC bigger and better! I want to take over the social media aspect of the marketing. I want to switch things up and set the HMC apart from the other Holocaust museums.

I know, I have lofty goals and odd dreams for a 31 year old woman...let's just hope she tells me that they want to hire me because I'm super-duper awesome! I've never done anything this brazen before but there's a first time for everything!

I think if all of my grandparents were alive, there would only be one who would ask me WTF I was thinking. My Papa always had a problem with remembering the Holocaust but his story is the one story I keep researching because it was so unique and rarely told. I may focus my PhD work on the forced labor Hungarian battalions but, for now, I just want to absorb (and spit back) as much info as I can.

My Papa, Albert, was in the munkaszolgálat - Hungarian slave labor service - during the Holocaust.

Quality Over Price: The Latest and Cheapest T-Mobile Phones that Will Give You the Most Bang for Your Buck

With the ongoing smart phone wars going on among manufacturing giants like Apple, Sony, Samsung, Motorola and more, many overpowered smart phones are created. And if you are saving money, overpowered (which is also equivalent to expensive), is not a good choice. The ideal choice would be a balance between functionality and affordability. And such deals can be had through T-Mobile promotions. And here are some of the latest "quality over price" phones by T-Mobile.

Samsung Exhibit 4G II 4G
-Android OS, v2.3.5 (Gingerbread)
-Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon chipset, 1 GHz Scorpion CPU, Adreno 205 GPU
-TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches, 252 ppi pixel density
-3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, VGA Secondary camera
-1500 mAh battery

T-Mobile Prism
-Android OS, v2.3.5 (Gingerbread)
-600 MHz CPU
-TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors, 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches, 165 ppi pixel density
-3.15 MP camera, 2048x1536 pixels
-1400 mAh battery

Nokia Lumia 710
-Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 Mango OS
-Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon, 1.4 GHz Scorpion, Adreno 205
-TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 480 x 800 pixels, 3.7 inches, 252 ppi pixel density
-5 MP camera, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, face detection, image stabilization
-1300 mAh battery

T-Mobile MyTouch Q
-Androis OS, v2.3.4 (Froyo)
-Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset, 1000 MHz Scorpion CPU
-3.5 inch TFT capacitive touch screen, 320x480 pixels
-5 MP camera, autofocus
-1500 mAh

These four phones are currently the best phones you can get for your buck, provided that you are using the appropriate T Mobile promotion code. Why? Because these phones are free under the said promotion. So I suggest grabbing that promotion and get a plan for T-Mobile before the time runs out.

Gone to the Dogs

The last week has NOT been fun in the Glaser household. Yoavi and I have both been sick and we were showing our apartment to some of the most odd people. We're moving (if you couldn't tell) and I'm both super excited AND super sad about it. We bought our plane tickets and the dogs are all set to go on the flight with us but traveling with my dogs is probably more scary for me than for them.

Brothers from another mother.

I sent my Mom an email telling her we'll need a few things for the baby by the time we get there but I forgot to send her an email about the dogs. My Mom has four dogs of her own and we have two. Her dogs each have their own bowls, their own crates, blankets, and toys - our dogs don't really have that stuff yet ... at least not in her house. I feel lucky that I randomly stumbled across this site called LeLePets. They're like a Groupon for high quality pet stuff.

Right now, they have a fun sale on some Loopies dog toys that I'm pretty sure Cecil will tear apart in 30 seconds flat. They have a ton of squeakers and even a sound box but they don't stand a chance against Cecil.

You're about to meet your doom, Ducky.

Still, we like to spoil our dogs as much as we like to spoil Yoav - but we don't like spending a ton of money while we do it. Why go to Target when I can buy a better quality dog thingy at LeLePets? Ya feel me?

Right now, Cecil has a collection of toys that are entirely his ... Sparky doesn't stand a chance near them. Every once in a while, Sparky gets a chance to squeak one of the toys but it's a rarity in our house. Having them on a 19 hour trip scares the daylights out of me but having them go to a home that is fully stocked with stuff they will like makes me happier.

Any advice for us on traveling with our dogs?

Around the Web, hosted by Karma Media

<a href="http://uncreativemommy.com" style="border: none;"><img alt="Uncreative Mommy" src="http://karmamediateam.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/aroundtheweb.jpg" style="width: 129px; height: 129px;"/></a>

Welcome to Around the Web, hosted by Karma Media

There are so many great articles around the web and each week, we want to bring together related ones to give you inspiration, idea or to just have some fun. To keep things interesting, we change it up each week with a new theme so make sure you come back for more!

This weeks theme is: FATHER'S DAY

Link up any posts you have related to Father's Day to celebrate Dad and visit as many as you like. Add printables, recipes, handmade gift ideas, quotes or anything else!

*Be sure to stop back next Friday, June 22nd for 'On the Grill: BBQ Recipes'

Wordless Wednesday - Sick Boo-Bear

Someone caught a virus at day care and passed it on to Ima.

Road Trippin' to Civil War Country

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

Once upon a time, my Dad mentioned that he wanted to go traveling to visit Civil War battle fields. As my step-mom rolled her eyes (because it was about the 20th time he mentioned it), I jumped at the opportunity. Why? First, I love roadtrips with my Dad - ever since I was a kid, he was the best parent to travel with! We played games in the car and always had the best snack foods!

Second, I love visiting Civil War battle fields. (I know, I know - what 31 year old female says stuff like that!) I'm a nerd and ever since my two trips to battle fields in high school, I've been hooked!

Now that we're moving back, I'm going to take my Dad up on his offer! I checked out this site that has a Roadtrip-a-Matic. Since planning a road trip is often problematic and gives me a headache, I opted for the Civil War option. I got some great results and it makes me want to do more pa-roadtrips!

When I was in my 20s, my sisters and I high tailed it to Philly for our other sister's 30th birthday! The Roadtrip-a-Matic would have come in SO handy. We could have ditched the Entertainment Book (which is often hard to read) and just used their magical system to find restaurants and lodging.

 

Craig and I also have a lot of friends that live outside of Michigan - one of my friends from Israel is actually moving to Philly - you bet your sweet tuchas we'll be using the Roadtrip-a-Matic - it just makes things EASIER!

And that trip my Dad wants to take - I'm down for it...if only I could get him off the golf course!

Creating Extra Cash

A friend of mine recently asked me to go back to doing what I do best ... kvetching writing about finances. For new readers, here's a few things to know about us...

• We live in the Middle East (in a f*cking expensive a$$ country with a vibrant economy)
• We're moving back to Detroit this summer
• We will scrimp and save to get what we want - even if it means eating nothing but pasta!

Another thing to know: I hate money. I make extra cash working for a life coach on the side (which I love more than my real job) and I often find myself reading and editing articles about money. To be honest, we all want it but none of us have much of it (sound familiar?) but what do we DO about it? Not a whole lot.

Don't we all want extra money?

Given that the hubby and I are moving with a baby and two dogs, I thought you might like to know how we're making extra cash. Aside from pimping (which may be an option...I hear people make a lot of money from it) or becoming a happy ending massage therapist a la Jennifer Love Hewitt, we take to what we know best: writing, search engine optimization, social networking, and anything in between.

I'm past the age where babysitting is OK, so it's up to my other talents to make money for me. That's right, I said 'for me'. Put your talents to work for you! I often check out places like FlexJobs.com, Guru.com, and DemandStudios.com to help me find writing gigs. All my social media clients have come from word-of-mouth. Same goes with my SEO clients.

What do I do with the extra money? Sometimes I save it but it usually goes to pay off my school loans.

The point: use your extra talents and put them to work. Like animals? Start dog walking or pet sitting. Like kids? Start babysitting. Early riser? Deliver newspapers. You get the idea.

Crazy Busy Stress

I'm stressed. I admit it. This week is going to be hectic and I already feel it! I've made lists upon lists of things that need to get done this week and I'm nervous that something is going to drop. One of my stressors is my upcoming job hunt. I'm looking for telecommuting jobs for when we move back to Detroit. So far, I've applied for over 30 jobs that I am completely qualified to do. I also applied for about 20 jobs I'm kinda qualified to do. I've been utilizing Flexjobs.com for my job hunt and I'm really impressed with the jobs I'm finding. I just wish they would get back to me.

Craig has his green card interview this week and I'm nervous as all hell. When you add the fact that Yoav's eye surgery consult is on the same day, I'm likely to have a nervous breakdown. Thankfully, my good friend, A, is coming with me to the appointment. I don't know what I'd do without her! She's really great at keeping me focused and stress-free (or as stress-free as I can be).

I'm really grateful that it's June already. That means Craig's schooling is almost finished. Right now, he's working on his senior thesis paper on the Online Me vs. Digital Me. (Please take his survey - it'll take 3 minutes to complete!!) I'm also grateful because it means 8 weeks left at my j-o-b before I take off and start a new adventure. It also means I have 8 weeks left to find some freelance work. Yikes.

Source: jokideo.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Goodness ... it's gonna be a loooong week. What do YOU do to get rid of stress?