I love food. I really do! I find myself feeling jealous when other bloggers get to review and try awesome products and I don't. So, I enter their giveaways and I buy stuff and I wish it was me reviewing that awesome food! One of the items I have been jealously stalking on other blog reviews is Farm Rich products! So, when the contacted me a while back to do a review/giveaway, I was excited beyond words!

They sent me 2 coupons for FREE products. I headed to the store and began my search in the freezer aisle to choose which 2 awesome products I would try. Should I get the famous Mozzarella Cheese Sticks or maybe go for the Mozzarella Bites or the Queso Cheese Bites?   Maybe I should get the Mini Pizza Slices or the Stuffed Pretzel Bites? But honestly, the Jalapeno Peppers, the Mini Quesadillas and the Meatballs all looked amazing too...

What did we Try?

Really I should never go shopping hungry. I could not limit myself. I got the Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, the Stuffed Pretzel Bites, and the Meatballs...on that trip. (I have been back for more...) (Not all items made it into my picture-sorry)

What did we think?

Well, it is an understatement to say we liked them. We loved them. My kids have asked for them (all of them) over and over again since we tried the first bag. You might say they had us at the first bite. Really. Let me tell you about them one at a time:

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks: OK, this was the fan favorite at the Johnson house with the children! My oldest son asks for them EVERY DAY after school since he tried them. He told me that these Mozzarella sticks paired with his favorite spaghetti sauce is the perfect food! My second son is quite a picky eater and often will not eat what I prepare for him. I made these as a side to go with spaghetti one night and he ate and ate and ate. He loved them and it was not a fight to get him to eat dinner that night! The other 3 kids also loved them and would eat them anytime, anywhere and would consider it a real treat!

Stuffed Pretzel Bites: Though the Mozzarella Sticks were the clear favorite overall, these were a close second, and the favorite for my oldest daughter. Well, really for both my daughters. My oldest daughter really loved that the cheese was inside so it was less messy "especially for the younger kids."  I agree with her on that, and they taste great! I really liked these a lot and would happily have them as an after school snack or for a party or to watch a football game, or for whatever other daily use you can think of! I would note that you need to make sure they are cooled off enough before giving them to kids after cooking them because the cheese can get pretty hot! Just to throw that out there. :)

Meatballs: This was the mom favorite for  making my life easier! What a quick easy way to make an everyday meal (for us Spaghetti with sauce) extra special for the kids! Just adding the meatballs to my sauce rather than using ground hamburger made the kids so much happier (and it was so much easier for me). My son that hates sauce, willingly ate it with the meatballs in it! And I would note that the flavor of the meatballs is fabulous! We tried both the original Meatballs and the Italian Style Meatballs, and liked both!

Where can you find Farm Rich products?

On the Farm Rich website you can find out who near you carries these great products. Just search for your area here.

There is a fabulous coupon right now...

Also on the Farm Rich website right now you can print a coupon for $1.50 off 2 Farm Rich products. Get the coupon here.

Anyone want a chance to win?

I sure hope so because one lucky Beckee's Deals winner will win 2 FREE Farm Rich product coupons (just like I got-$6.99 value each)!!  If you want to win, just enter on the Rafflecopter form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
As the Rafflecopter says "Please note that the giveaway will end on 11/14 at 12:01 AM EASTERN time. That means you have until 11:01 PM on 11/13 Central /time to get in entries (That is only 9:01PM here in AZ).  Please note that winners will be picked at random by Rafflecopter after the giveaway ends!  Giveaway sponsor will send prize out and I cannot be held responsible for getting it to you. Sorry. Also, Facebook is not affiliated with this giveaway and cannot be held responsible for it in any way"

By way of Disclosure, I was given 2 Free product coupons for the purpose of this review and 2 more Free coupons will be provided to my giveaway winner. I received no other compensation for this giveaway and as always, opinions expressed in this review are mine (and my kids).

YEAH!!! I was one of those teenaged girls that ordered a non-smelly, non-messy meal on a date. Not a salad, but something that would look "reasonable". Then later I would sneak off and eat my smelly seafood, and my messy Taco Bell food. You know, the stuff I REALLY liked to eat! :)

My point here is that I love Taco Bell (and to all those boys that took me to expensive restaurants, I am sorry-I could have saved you a lot of money by telling you this back then...) So, Taco Bell and I go way back and I have always been a fan, but I became a SUPERFAN when they started selling the Doritos Tacos Locos!! Oh.My.Gosh! HEAVEN in a shell!

That all being said, what I REALLY want to share is that TODAY ONLY (October 30, 2012) you can get a free piece of heaven (ie a free Doritos Tacos Locos). Check it out:

If you are not getting the picture (Or can't read it-I barely can), it says that since there was a base stolen duting the World Series, you can get your free Doritos Locos Tacos today (10/30/12) from 2-6 pm. SO excited!!! You can find a Taco Bell location near you here

Hey there friends!



Generally when I do a giveaway on Rafflecopter, I just announce the winner through the rafflecopter widget and I email the winner to get the prize to them. I wanted to announce that a winner has been picked for the Marlow and the Monster book (it is Melanie J and she has been emailed).

BUT I feel like you are all winners on this one because there is a sweet deal on Amazon right now where you can ALL download the Kindle version of Marlow and the Monster for FREE!! Just click here to go download your free copy!

Hey all! I recently mentioned that I love books, especially children's books! And one of my favorite companies to buy them from is Usborne. Usborne is an international company and have prints from other countries and cultures. Many of their specials are books that have won awards internationally. And recently my sister-in-law became an independant consultant for them! These books are fantastic, and she sent me a few to review. I am so excited to tell you about them!!

Let me just tell you about each one.

See Inside Your Body

From Ashley: "The See Inside the Body book is one in several 'see inside' books that are designed to spark children's curiosity in a variety of different topics (Space, Ships, Science, Dinosaurs, math, planet earth, world war II, Famous Buildings, Ancient Rome, Ancient Egypt, How Things Work.) They have short paragraphs of information that are easier to remember then if they were just reading a book. There is also a similar series called look inside which are also very fun."

What we thought:
Solace (age 9): It is a simplified version of your body. Kids could learn why they should take care of their body and what's inside their body.
Ender (age 8): I think it looks like mini x-rays in color and that makes it really fun learning for kids.
Armour (age 6) I want to be a doctor when I grow up and this book helps me know what I can do when I'm a doctor.
Mom (Beckee, age undisclosed): This is a great book with "over 50 flaps to lift." The kids like to lift the flaps and it has lots of fun facts about inside the body. My husband is a radiologist (meaning the MD/doctor that reads the scans/x-rays) so his job is all about studying the body. The kids love to read about anything they feel is "about dad's work." So, this was the perfect "See Inside" book for my family! And I would note that it is really well made, so although we have read it a number of times, so far none of the flaps are wearing or ripping off .

Wipe Clean 123

From Ashley: Each page has objects to trace that help develop coordination for drawing letters and numbers. so they are practicing those motions while having fun drawing other objects.

What we thought:
Kindle (age 4): I like to write my numbers over and over in the book. And it just wipes off to do again!

Mom: We have a lot of "Wipe off" type book that are supposed to be written in then erased and re-written in. Many of them don't really erase and are not good for rewriting on. This book is so much better! Kindle was able to write and rewrite in her book over and over. She is in Pre-K this year and we do "Mommy School" for her Pre K. She has been using it to practice writien her numbers and tracing her shapes for a couple weeks now, over and over!! It is GREAT!

That's Not My Plane

From Ashley: There are tons of "that's not my...." books. Anything kids are interested in is probably there. They have other great touchy-feely books as well. Animal Hide and Seek is one of my baby's favorites. It has many fuzzy things on each page. All the chicks on a page are touchable and the cow and the puppy and the pig (not just one thing touchable per page)

What we thought:
Mom: OK, I have to tell you all that this is the favorite book of all the kids even though it is geared to the younger ones. Everest (my 18 month old) Love, LOVES this book and asks for his "plane" all the time. He will listen to this book over and over and will sit on my lap reading it for hours. We also own the "That's not my Princess" book which has been Kindle's favorite book for a number of years. I plan to buy more of the "That's Not my..." books and highly, HIGHLY recommend them!

Huckleberry Finn

From Ashley: Huckleberry Finn actually just went out of print, but we have lots of chapter books for the older kids and series books. Conspiracy 365 is one that is being made into a movie.

What we thought:
Solace: It is an easy to read book, but better for older kids (Ender adds-it makes more sense for older kids). Older kids can understand it better.
Mom: This is like an easy read version of a classic story. It is written in a way that I think my 6-year-old could read it and would like it whereas the original Huckleberry Finn might be a bit above his reading level at this point. Great way to introduce your kids to some of the classic stories.


Usborne is an international company and have prints from other countries and cultures. Many of their specials are books that have won awards internationally.

SPECIALS

Here is my favorite part of these books-that I can get these awesome books at a GREAT price (You all know I love a great deal!!) There are always Specials going on. They have internet only specials and then they have customer specials for every $40 you spend. The internet specials do count toward the $40 to get other great discounts.

Ashley says: "The one discount I am most excited about is the Encyclopedia of World History IL C/V hard cover for $16 regularly $39.99. Their encyclopedias are very colorful and well done. They also have That's Not My Dolly for $4 right now!

How to Buy these AWESOME products

If you are interested in buying these books, checking out the special or finding other awesome items from Usborne, please order from Ashley! She set up a "party" for Beckee's Deals readers to purchase through. Once you go to the website here, just click on the Beckee's Deals link then you can continue shopping from there. After you click on the party, you can find a link to the Specials on the left side of the page under the "Categories" heading.

By way of disclosure, I was provided the 4 books above free of charge for the purpose of this review. I received no other compensation for this post and as always, all opinions expressed are my own (and my kids since they helped).

I should also disclose that if you do buy through the party event I could potentially get party hosting benefits. If you want to purchase and do not want to go through the event that is not a problem, but please buy it from Ashley and help out my sister in law! That would be awesome!!

I just got home last night and I have a ton of cleaning and recovery to do, but I wanted to make sure to post this sweet freebie before I get going on all I have to do. (I will also be posting a review and giveaway later today so stay tuned for that!) Today only, Maggiano's restaurants is haveing an "On the house Classic Pastas day. See:
The postcard I got int he mail says "Come Celebrate 'On The House Classic Pastas' Day. Free Pasta for all! On Monday, October 22nd, anybody who visits Maggiano's gets a free classic Pasta to take home! There's plenty to go around, and nobody will go home empty handed!" I am not sure if you have to buy anything to get the deal, but I will be checking it out!

Just a reminder that this giveaway ends tonight! Get your entries in: http://beckeesdeals.blogspot.com/2012/09/new-school-years-resolutions-vans-foods.html

I love to read. I really do. I especially love children's books. I LOVE them.

Many of you know that I was a drama teacher as a career (in a previous life before kids). But you probably don't know that my minor was is reading. That's right, reading. When I found out I had to have a minor for my degree, I looked around and discovered that with a reading minor I got to study lots and lots of children's books and tactics to teach them. SCORE!!

So, I have read a lot of children's books in my day. And as I said. I love them! I am always excited to discover new children's books which is why I was SO excited to be contacted by author Sharon Cramer to review (and give away) her new book Marlow and the Monster.

First, let me tell you about the Author and the book, then I will tell you what I thought and tell you how you can enter to win your own copy!!

Who is Sharon Cramer?

Sharon Cramer is the author/illustrator of the award winning children's series called Cougar Cub Tales. She has also written and released a full length novel and is currently working on another YA title, due for release in December! She owns Talking Bird Books, and is an indie published author. Marlow and the Monster is here newest children's book release.
She is also so great to work with! So nice-she signed our copy of the book with inscription to my 5 kiddos! They LOVE that!!
What is Marlow and the Monster about?

Marlow and the Monster is about a boy, Marlow who has a monster pestering him nightly in his room. His parents do not see the monster and (as we all say to our kids) they are always telling him there are no monsters! One night Marlow gets so fed up that he brings the monster into his 4-year-old sister's room. She is scared at first, but ultimately, she helps him figure out what to do with his monster!

What did I think?

And as a mom, I am always glad to find a book that can help a child deal with a problem. We have a lot of monster problems at this house, especially with my oldest son and his VERY active imagination. As a younger child, he had a different monster in his room every night. And to him, his monsters were every bit as real as Marlow's monster is to him. As parents we just told him things like "Well, talk to the monster and try to be his friend then he won't seem so scary." We wanted to give him strategies to deal with his monsters. I love that this book also gives the child (Marlow) a way to deal with his monster. And I especially love that it is his little sister that helps him find a way to deal with the monster. That really made my Kindle (my 4 year old girl) happy! The story is sweet and gives children a way to think about dealing with their monsters that should make them less scared.

Without giving away the whole story, I will say that my only criticism of the book is that I felt there was a transition missing from the second to last page to the last page. I can make the leap in my head, but it just feels like there is a transition missing. The point is made that the problem is solved, but I just felt there was a leap there like I missed something.

One more fantastic thing I want talk about is the illustrations. They are fabulous! Just look at this page where Marlow brings the monster into his sister's room:

Isn't it fantastic?!  To quote the info I was sent, Cramer said that the book is "My first trip onto the wild side!" It is illustrated with quill pen and ink and the only splash of color is the monster because "Only the children can see him."

Where can you get Marlow and the Monster?

You can get the book on the Talking Bird Website here or you can find the Kindle eReader edition and hardback copy on Amazon (just click the links to get to them). (The Kindle eReader edition is only $.99!!!)

Can you win a copy?!

Well, yes! In fact you have a chance to win a copy! One lucky Beckee's Deals reader will win a hardback copy of Marlow and the Monster. For your chance to win, just enter on the rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Please note that the giveaway will end on 10/27 at 12:01 AM EASTERN time. That means you have until 11:01 PM on 10/26 Central time to get in entries (That is only 9:01PM here in AZ).  Please note that winners will be picked at random by Rafflecopter after the giveaway ends!  Also, Facebook is not affiliated with this giveaway and cannot be held responsible for it in any way.

And by way of disclosure, I was given a hardback copy of this book for this review and a second copy will be provided to my giveaway winner. No other compensation was received and as always all opinions expressed are my own! Good luck!

Here are my favorite deals in Scottsdale grocery this week:

Albertsons Market

• Petite Sirloin Steak Buy 1 get 2 free (8.99/lb reg price)
• Boneless Pork Loin Chops Buy 1 Get 2 Free ($5.99/lb reg price)
• Navel Oranges $.77/lb
• Bartlett Pears $.77/lb
• Albertsons Milk Gallon $1.77 (limit 2)
• Fresh Broccoli Crowns $.77/lb
• Alberstons Butter 1 lb quarters $1.99 (limit 2)
• Albertsons Large Eggs dozen  $1.27
• Snow Crab Clusters 8 Up $5.99/lb
• Whole Cooked Lobster 12-14 oz $5.99 each
• Chex Cereal 13.5-14.25 oz $1.99 each when you buy 3
• Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms 6 pack $3.99
• Fresh Made Guacamole 12 oz $3.99 (and folks, this Guacamole is AWESOME!!)

The following items are on sale 10/$10. At Albertsons you do not have to get 10 items to get this price. BUT this week, if you buy 12 of any combination of the following items you get them for $.83 each. Essentially they are $1 each unless you buy at least 12, then the price drops to $.83 each. Here are the items:

• Banquet Value Meals 4.66-10.25 oz
• Banquet Pot Pies 7 oz
• Hunts Pasta Sauce or Ketchup 24 oz
• Hunts Diced Tomatoes 14.5 oz
• Hunts Tomato Sauce 15 oz
• Hunt's Snack Pack Pudding 4 pack
• Rosarita Refried Beans 16 oz
• Blue Bonnet Spread 1 lb quarters
• Chef Boyardee Pasta 7.5-15 oz
• Ro Tel Diced Tomatoes 10 oz
• David Sunflower Seeds 5.25 oz
• Van Camp's Pork N Beans or Ranch Style Beans

Bashas (Bashas deals are almost always WITH their card! Just a reminder)
****Note that for a limited time, Bashas has "Coupon Magic" going on where all Manufacturer's coupons will be worth $1. So if you have any of those lower value coupons (like $.10 off) this is the week to use them at Bashas! They will be worth $1!!****

• Bashas' Hometown Grocer Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb (first 4)
• Pork Loin (whole bone in) $.99/lb (first 1 only)
• Bashas' Large Eggs dozen $1.29
• California Grown Strawberries $.97 (for 16 oz package, first 3)
• Large Tomatoes $.77/lb (first 5 lbs)
• Large Navel Oranges $.77/lb (first 10 lbs)
• Food Club Cheese 6-8 oz chunks, shreds or cubes $1.88
• Doritos 10.5-11.5 oz $1.99
• Russet Potatoes 5 lb bag 2/$3
• Dole Ready to go Salads $.99 (Classic Iceberg 12 oz, shredded lettuce 8 oz, or classic cole slaw 14 oz)

The following deals are available with in ad coupon (Price listed is the price AFTER the coupon:

• PF Chang's frozen meals 22 oz $4.99
• Jose Ole Taquitos or Minis $1.99
• California Pizza Kitchen Pizza $2.99
• Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream 14 oz $1.99
• Eggo Waffles 9.8-12.7 oz 2/$3
• Farm Rich Appetizers 20-28 oz $3.99
• PF Chang's Appetizers 12-12.5 oz $3.99
• Yoplait Frozen Yogurt or Yogurt Bars 16 oz, 6-10 ct packs 2/$5

In addition to their regular week long special, Bashas also has a 4 Day Sale Friday 10/5-Monday 10/8 that includes the following:

• Bananas $.33/lb (First 6 lbs)
• Haas Avocados 3/$.99 (first 6)
• Bashas' Drinking water 24 pack 500 ML bottles $1.99 (first 4)

Fresh & Easy

• Lays XXL 10-10.5 oz Buy One @$4.18, get 1 free
• Gala apples $.79/lb (sold in 3 lb bag for $2.37)
• Rainbow pears $.79/lb (sold in 3 lb bag for $2.37)
• Fresh and Easy sparkling cider 25.4 fl oz Buy 1 @$2.98 get 1 free!

Fry's (Remember their sales are almost always WITH card)

• Cook's Shank Portion Ham Bone in $1.29/lb
• Pepsi Product 20 packs $4.99
• Fry's Milk half gallons $.88 (limit 4)
• Red or Yellow Bell Peppers $.88 each
• Mini Peeled Carrots 16 oz $.88
• Kroger Cheese bar or shredded 8 oz $1.88
• Gala, Granny Smith, Red or Gold Delicious Apples $.77/lb

Safeway (Remember their sales are almost always WITH card)
****If you spend $75 or more in a single transaction using your club card between 10/3 and 10/7, you get a $10 rewards coupon for use on your next trip to Safeway.****

• Ranchers Reserve Boneless Beef Bottom Round Roast $2.99/lb
• Tomatoes on the vine $.88/lb
• Pantry Essentials Milk gallon $1.77
• Coca Cola Product 12 packs $3.29
• Gorton's frozen fish products 6.3-24.5 oz Buy 1 get 1 free
• Pepsi Products 2 L $.99

Safeway has a Just for U card where you can load coupons onto your card. There are always great coupons. You can use the coupons by loading them on your card or by cutting out the coupons from the ads. The following items all have coupons from this weeks add that can be clipped or just loaded onto your card. Prices listed below are the Price after the coupon:

• Hilshire Farm Ultra thin Lunch meat $2.49
• Russet Potatoes 5 lb bag $.99
• Chex Mix, Gardettos, or Bugles 7.5-8.75 oz $1.50
• Ocean Spray 100% Fruit Juice & Veggie or Cranberry Juice 64 oz $1.79
• Fritos or Cheetos 9-10.5 oz $1.99
• Mr Clean 40 or 48 oz Multi Surface cleaners limit 2 $1.99
• Swiffer WetJet 1 Starter Kit Limit 1 $14.99
• Safeway Select Salsa $1.99 24 oz
• Safeway Select olive Oil 25 oz $4.99 (limit 4)
• Ken's Salad Dressing 16 oz $1.19 (limit 3)
• Mt Olive Pickles 24 oz $1.49 (limit 3)
• 7Up Product 2L $.88 (limit 4)
• Kleenex Facial Tissue 100 ct $.79
• Quaker Rice Snacks 3-3.52 oz $.99 (limit 10)
• Silk Soy Milk 64 oz $2.89 (limit 3)

In addition to their regular week long special, Safeway also has a $5 Sale Friday 10/5-Saturday 10/6 that includes the following:

• Sabra Hummus 2/$5
• The Snack Artist Roasted Pistachios with sea salt 16 oz $5
• 7Up Product 12 packs 2/$5
• Nice N Easy, Garnier Fructis or Pantene Hair Care $5
• StarKist Solid White Tuna 5/$5

Sprouts

• Yellow Onions 2 lb/$1
• Green Bell Peppers 2/$1
• Roma Tomatoes 2 lb/$1
• Haas Avocados 2/$1
• Red Bell Peppers 3/$1
• Baby Carrots  1 lb bag $.88
• Mild Cheddar cheese bulk cut $2.99/lb
• Almond Breeze Almondmilk 64 oz 2/$5

***Remember that I generally just price match at Walmart as much as I can rather than go to all the stores separately! I LOVE being able to do that. You can also pricematch at Target, but I find it easier to pricematch at Walmart.

I am so excited to introduce you to an awesome blog written by an old friend of mine! Brady writes the blog "The Songs Stuck In my Head." His blog, like Brady himself, is funny and fun! You should read it just because it's awesome, but in case you need a little extra motivation to head over there, I thought I would steer you toward the giveaway he has going on right now. It is fun! Go here to enter it, but do it soon because it ends Saturday (Morning)!

I got the awesome opportunity to try out and review the NEW Hasbro Rocktivity Walk N Roll Rider toy a while ago through EXPO Tv. Now that the Rocktivity toys are coming out I can tell you how much we loved it! Check out my video review here:

  You also watch my review here and see all the other Rocktivity toys and reviews as well!

Hey all! I love books, especially children's books! And one of my favorite companies to buy them from is Usborne. And recently my sister-in-law started selling for them, so now I have an inside track to the best deals and steals they have going on! I am so super excited to share this one with you!

Usborne has these incredible bookcases for boys and girls and rocking chairs that match. They are awesome and they are on special right now. (It is a good enough deal, in fact that the boy version appears to be gone already). Comparable book cases are currently online for about $160 and right now the bookcases are only $72.34 on Usborne. WHAT!!! They are so super cute. I am thinking of getting one for my 4-year-old for Christmas (don't tell her...).

If you are interested in buying this or any other awesome items from Usborne, please order from Ashley! She set up a "party" for Beckee's Deals readers to purchase through. Once you go to the website here, just click on the Beckee's Deals link then search for "bookcase" to find this great deal!

(I should disclose that if you do buy through the party event I could potentially get party hosting benefits. If you want to purchase and do not want to go through the event that is not a problem, but please buy it from Ashley and help out my sister in law! That would be awesome!!)

Hey guys! One of my favorite FREEBIE samples is the Target beauty bags, and they are available right now!! Just go to the Facebook page here to sign up and you will get your bag in 6-8 weeks. LOVE this one!! Go claim yours now!

I love FREEBIES! And I love food, so nothing is better to me than free food! :) One of my favorite places to get a treat has always been Mrs Field's. So I am duper excited to let you know about this:

For those missing ht eimage, today is FREE Cookie day!! Stop by your Local  Mrs Field's today between 11am and 1 pm to get a FREE Chocolate Chip cookie! Yum Yum!!

Thanks Rate the Plate Utah for posting this deal! (Readers, you should absolutely check out this Rate the Plate Utah post for TONS of deals on restaurants and food!! Even if you are not in Utah, lots of these places are national! Go check it out!!)