TJ Maxx & Marshalls Back-to-School Contest!

School has already begun but the savings and need for forgotten items is still here.  I know I will be going out this week for more pants and sneakers.  The girls just grow so fast!  Did you know that 25% of Moms wait until the last minute to shop for back-to-school clothes? 

I went to Marshalls myself this week to see what kind of back-to-school items I could find for our oldest girl.  The choices were abundant and I came away with not just stuff for her but for the house as well.  What did $50 get me for the girl?  Take a look!

One pink shirt $7, one white shirt $7- both with flower appliques & lace trim, pair of brown fuzzy suede boots $20, Maggie & Zoe purple knit sweater dress for $15. Grand total = $49!



What I didn't show is you is that for just $10 more I found an adorable pair of super soft pink and white pajamas from the high end line Asorba for my oldest daughter.  The two-piece set has pink polka-dot pants and a white shirt embellished with a cupcake.  She is sure to love it.  Each item I purchased was at least 30% off the regular retail price if not more.  The items are not damaged and totally current.

I hadn't been to Marshalls in a while. I used to shop there often when I had more time and less kids. There was more time to browse the racks back then. I'm like 1/3 of moms who like one-stop shopping.  I think I will be back to both stores often though.  As I got reacquainted with Marshalls I was truly amazed at the prices.  I had forgotten how great the finds can be.  I even picked up a hot pink, embroidered kimono Halloween costume for my oldest for just $21.99. It even came with a fan and hair accessory.  A similar one would run me at least $40.  I was so excited over my finds!  I felt downright triumphant. 

You can find great classic brands like Ralph Lauren every time and all the stuff is current.  Buyers for T.J. Maxx and Marshalls deal with the designers directly and merchandise is 20-60% off the regular department store price.  I will be going back next time I need a nice dress or decorations for the home, that is for sure.  Ten thousand new items in each store a week keeps you in the current styles and colors every season!
TJ Maxx & Marshalls are hosting a giveaway until September 23rd.  Enter to win 1 of 3 $100 gift cards to score more deals and savings on items for the whole family!

Enter here.

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of T.J.Maxx and Marshalls and received a gift card to facilitate my review and thank me for taking the time to participate.

PackIt- Reusable Lunch Bag

My oldest takes her lunch to school one day a week.  When the PackIt lunch bag ($19.95) arrived on our doorstep for review she squealed, "Oooh, that's my new lunch bunch bag! I want to use that!"  We received the polka dot printed one (there are three styles total) and I immediately put it in the freezer for her weekly use.

My daughter loves it!  I do too. Other mothers have asked me where I have gotten such a great lunch bag almost every week.  It's been such a great find.  The PackIt was designed by two mothers, Jeannette and Melissa.  They wanted a better way to keep their kids lunch cool. Icepacks got lost and other alternatives leaked.  They came up with the PackIt right in their own homes.  It folds in three and fits easily into your freezer.  When it is time to pack the lunch you simply unfold it, pack, and seal the Velcro closure.  Food stays cold or frozen for up to 10 hours! It's pretty amazing.  The part I love best is that even though the bag is frozen it is still pliable and easy to pack and seal.  It stands upright well and is super easy to clean.

PackIt is having a BOGO sale right now- Buy one PackIt and get the second one for free!  It's a great deal and one amazing product!  We use it all the time and I highly recommend it.

PackIt lunch bags can be purchased online here.

MPR Rating:  Five Stars.

Disclaimer:  MPR was not paid for this post.  Products received are for review and test  purposes only.  Opinions are MPR's only.   


*Image from onesmallstep.com

School Zone Discovery Cards

The arrival of the School Zone Discovery Cards was a big deal in our house. It’s my first product to review for the Parent Bloggers Network and of course, new toys are always welcome. I was not prepared however, for the enthusiasm that spewed forth from my one-year old daughter when I took the brightly colored packages out of the shipping box.

Her little eyes lit up and her tiny hands reached out for the parcels. She started squawking and begging for them immediately. I got only halfway through the instructions on how to use the Peek-a-Boo-Bunny (I didn’t get the bear one) when the cries that translate to “GIMMEE! NOW!” became too much. I handed over the Peek-a-Boo-Bunny first. In mere seconds, she had the cards out of the box and all over the kitchen floor. She inspected the bunny’s magnetic hands that easily play Peek-a-Boo and found it highly amusing as she laughed loudly. She really wanted to figure out how the magnetic bunny hands played peek-a-boo. It was quite serious work. I sat on the floor with her and attached the cards one by one to the magnetic bunny board. We flipped them over and over again asking questions like, “Who likes honey? The bear likes honey.” After a short time, she caught on and figured out that by pulling the flaps down the cards reveal more pictures, like who lives in a nest or web. While she seemed to enjoy the cards with their brightly colored pictures and flaps at first, they did not hold her interest for very long after that initial playtime. I have tried to engage her on numerous occasions to play with them on her own or with us. It might be that she is just a bit too old for them since the cards are for 9 months on up. I think the price of $10.99 is fair. The product is packaged nicely and would travel well. It would probably do well on a road trip and definitely as a gift.



Next, we broke out the Fuzzy Animal Friends Clever Baby Cards. Her little hands couldn’t tear apart the packaging fast enough. The colors on these cards are very bright with lots of foil, fur, and crinkly bits protruding from them. My kid loves textured toys like this. The googly eyes on the snake and crocodile cards were mesmerizing to her. She has spent the last few days playing with these animal cards over and over again. She wants us to review them with her too. We read the cute sayings to her, such as, “slither and shake purple snake”, time and time again. She likes to chew on the crinkly legs and tails and look at the how the foil colors change when she waves them around. This product has held her interest for far longer than the Peek-a-Boo-Bunny set. We have spent a lot of time going over the different animals, their colors, and the various textures such as furs and feathers. She loves to rub her hands on the cards and point out the varying grades of sensations. I like this toy for precisely that reason. While it’s geared for ages six months and up it is a hit in our house and the $15.99 price tag makes it a good buy. I will keep this toy in mind to give as a gift and keep for our next child.

For us, the Fuzzy Animal Friends fared the best in our house. The cards kept her engaged with their bright colors, different textures, and appendages. While she liked the Peek-a-Boo-Bunny magnetic cards, they just didn’t hold her attention for as long as the animal cards did. I do overall think that the School Zone products are well made, educational and make excellent gifts.

You can check out more reviews for this product by other bloggers and various other goodies at the PBN site.