Deals & Steals – 6/26/09

Here’s the information I’ve come across this week and want to pass along to you! 

Note: Most of these are not in my own words, but taken straight from the e-mail or press release that I received. I have re-worded or re-written where I thought it was necessary or helpful. I do not take any responsibility for the content on these sites, but simply am passing along information as it’s been presented to me.

Save on your next purchase(s) at Good For The Kids! Use promo code june22email for 20% off your order. NO MINIMUM PURCHASE. Coupon valid through Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 11:59pm EST. And don’t miss out on the current sales! Right now all in-stock Melissa & Doug items are 25% off, and all Zoobie Pets are 25% off.

“If you’re planning a July summer vacation, definitely check out Expedia’s list of significantly-discounted hotels (up to 50% off, and some even offer a 3rd night free).  Their “Biggest Hotel Sale Ever” includes accommodations in all star-levels, so no matter your traveling preference, there are fantastic options for saving!  Reserve your hotel rooms by Tuesday, June 30th, for travel by July 30th. Click HERE to reserve a discounted hotel in your vacation city!” (via iMommies)

Heading to the Windy City this summer? Chicago is a diverse and beautiful city that offers the gamut of exciting activities for all ages!  Its central location in the great lakes region makes Chicago a great summer destination.  Now is a great time for you and your family to explore the great city of Chicago.  Please visit Chicagosummerfun.com and your family could receive round trip tickets, hotel accommodations, and tickets to wonderful Chicago museums.

Have you been victim of bad photo tagging on Facebook? UGH! Now, you can have the last laugh, with the launch of the Staples I Shred U!™ Facebook application from Staples, Inc.  I Shred U! allows Facebook users to tell their friends how they really feel about those bad photos, by shredding it to bits via a virtual shredder and sending it back with a personalized message. I Shred U! also lets users “trick” photos by giving friends and family a hilarious new look.

The application is very simple. Once you have logged into Facebook to access the application, the user can select a photo from one of their albums or a photo that they were tagged in. The user then has the opportunity to virtually shred the photo complete with animation and sounds effects and send it to a friend with a personalized message. Users can also “trick out” photos from their Facebook albums by adding mullets, beards, speech bubbles and more.

It doesn’t delete or change the actual photo. The photo is the property of the person who originally uploaded it to Facebook and it will continue to live in his/her photo album. I Shred U! is just a fun way to make a statement about unflattering photos that you were tagged in.

With more than 200 million active users on Facebook uploading over 850 million photos each month, the Staples I Shred U! application is the first of its kind to allow users to virtually shred bad photos without actually deleting the picture from their friend’s Facebook album.

How many times have you been out somewhere, whether in your own town or on vacation, and one of the kids (or even you!) has got to “go” right now?  TENA has just launched the perfect resource for every family: an online Bathroom Finder that quickly and accurately locates dozens of the nearest public restrooms. Because there’s nothing worse than frantically looking for a place to go! Whether you’re jetting cross-country with friends, heading out on a family road trip with the kids, or just making the trek across town the TENA Bathroom Finder is sure to come in handy.

Parents magazine has revealed the exclusive findings from its first-ever 10 Best Fast-Casual Family Restaurants survey. At a time when many household budgets don’t allow for meals out at sit-down restaurants and fast-food places aren’t exactly known for healthy menus, “fast casual” restaurants, a hybrid of the two, are increasingly popular with families across the country.  Fast-casual restaurants provide quick meals, usually made from healthier ingredients, served in a more upscale setting.

The results of the 10 Best Fast-Casual Family Restaurants survey are the culmination of a two-month study which examined 50 restaurant chains nationwide. Parents focused on honoring restaurants with a variety of healthy kids’ menu offerings, family-friendly conveniences and overall value. The results of the survey appeared in the July 2009 issue of Parents magazine. According to the Parents survey, the 10 Best Fast-Casual Restaurants are:

1. Cosi  (147 locations in 19 states)
2. Jason’s Deli  (210 locations in 27 states)
3. Noodles & Company  (205 locations in 18 states)
4. Fazoli’s  (260 locations in 26 states)
5. Panera Bread (1,264 locations in 40 states)
6. Zpizza (91 locations in 16 states)
7. Atlanta Bread (103 locations in 24 states)
8. Corner Bakery Café (115 locations in 11 states)
9. Taco Del Mar (260 locations in 20 states)
10. McAlister’s Deli (283 locations in 22 states)

“These days, tight household budgets make going out to eat as a family a real treat,” said Dana Points, editor-in-chief of Parents. “The ten restaurants on Parents’ list are affordable, healthy and family-friendly.” Each restaurant answered a 25-question survey and submitted nutritional information for all of the items on their kids’ menus. Parents then examined the calories, fat and sodium in each dish on the menu. Healthfulness and range of choices on the kids’ menu made up 70% of each restaurant’s score. The survey, which made up the remaining 30% of each restaurant’s overall ranking, included questions about family conveniences, value promotions, and kid-friendly features.

For more information about Parents magazine’s Top 10 Best Fast-Casual Family Restaurants, visit www.parents.com/bestfastrestaurants.

Since our nation’s birthday is just around the corner and people all over the country are gearing up to celebrate, check out Invitation Consultants (www.invitationconsultants.com) for your invitation needs. Invitation Consultants is an online invitation and stationery company that offers over 9,000 unique and creative products.

Better Homes and Gardens magazine and BHG.com have come up with some great 4^th of July crafts and decorations. You can check out these 4^th of July ideas at:

• 4^th of July Crafts for kids and adults, including how to make fun flags for your home and yard
• Decorating Ideas with red, white and blue color schemes for just about everything in your home

Did you know one of Dyson’s vacs (Dyson DC25) is going to be in the new Transformers 2 movie coming out next week? Check out one of the stories here…  Just thought your husbands and sons might want to know. Now vacuuming can be cool!

For busy moms, it can next to impossible to find the time, the finances or most importantly, the motivation to make a trip to the gym. NuYu, an online fitness system that was created by a couple that wanted to share their weight loss success with others. With NuYu, you are able to receive the same rewarding experience and benefit of hitting the gym with a personal trainer, but in the privacy of your own living room and without having to shuffle your hectic schedule to fit in a workout. Best of all…it is completely FREE of cost!!

NuYu provides you with the motivation and energy that propels you to the results that you’ve always deserved, through an easily accessible library of hundreds of free, high-quality online workout videos featuring certified personal trainers. In addition, a developing online community lets you interact with top in their field personal trainers and other members, sharing information and successes and giving you the extra push needed to achieve your goals!

YouCanMakeThis.com knows you’ve been sewing, crafting, and crocheting up a storm! Now they want to see the projects you’ve made with books from YouCanMakeThis.com. From now until July 4, 2009, every photo submitted to the “I Made This!” section of the site will be put into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate. So snap a quick pic and let them know about your experience and/or which books you used.

That’s it for this week, happy Friday and check back next week for more ‘Deals & Steals’!