Giveaway: éclos Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter Kit by #EclosBeauty

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don’t know about you but I do spend quite a lot of time trying out different skin care and anti-aging products. It’s not that I enjoy doing so but it’s because I cannot seem to find the right products that fits my needs. Most of the time, I am stuck with products laced with a whole lot of chemicals, something that doesn’t really work or stand up to all the hype. Not only that, they are usually really expensive too!

In my constant quest in trying to find the perfect product for me, I came across some products by éclos Skin Care  not too long ago. What really caught my attention was that its products are plant based. That’s right. Products from Eclos feature Apple Stem Cells which are extracted from a rare Swiss apple. It is shown that it has tremendous ability to stimulate skin stem cells, thus encouraging aging skin to behave like younger skin. In addition to the Apple Stem Cell technology, Eclos products are enriched with PhytoPlex24. That’s a property complex of plant extracts, vitamins and anti-oxidants helps minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and tired skin. Also, their product does not contain parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes and petro-chemicals. Yup, all those nasty stuff that we would want to keep away from.

Apart from it being plant based and natural, it is also similar to products were once only available from specialty brands at department stores. Yes, I’m talking about those high price tag items! You do not need to pay premium price for premium products. Eclos is the first brand to bring this active ingredient to mainstream stores at a fraction of the cost- making beautiful and younger skin available to women everywhere. You can find Eclos nationwide at food, drug and mass stores which include Target, Ulta, Duane Reade, Walgreens, Rite Aid and Fred Meyer.

Now that we know about all Eclos, let me introduce you to some of their products.

Facial Cleanser Skin Prep – This product is gentle enough for all skin types, yet it purifies skin deep down by removing makeup and daily debris.

Cellular Activator Face Serum – This lightweight liquid awakens dormant skin cells, increases their longevity and helps to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream – This facial cream helps protect your own skin stem cells, thus promoting the self-renewal capacity of the skin and helps slow signs of aging.

Restorative Eye Cream – This product encourages your skin stem cells to function more efficiently. It results in dramatically firmer skin and a reduction to fine lines around the eyes.

Instant Radiance Facial Scrub – The microdermabrasion found in this facial scrub helps polish away dry, flaky skin, while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.

Skin Renewal Clay Mask – This multifunctional mask cleanses absorbs impurities and unclogs pores while helping to restore skin to its youthful prime.

Don’t they all sound awesome? I am so excited to introduce this line of products to you. I know it’s difficult to know if a particular skin product is good for you unless you try it yourself. So, together with Eclos, The Podanys will be hosting a giveaway. One of our lucky readers will have the opportunity to win an Eclos Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter Kit containing sample sizes of the complete product line! The kit is valued at $19.99 and it contains the following.

• Facial Cleanser Skin Prep

• Cellular Activator Face Serum

• Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream

• Restorative Eye Cream

• Instant Radiance Facial Scrub

• Skin Renewal Clay Mask

• éclos Terry Cloth Head Band

All you need to do is to a leave comment before 11:59pm (EST) on June 14^th, 2012 on this blog post, stating which product in the kit you are most excited to try. Kevin and I will then randomly pick a winner after the closing date. So, what are you waiting for? Leave a comment and be in the running to win your very own Eclos Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter Kit!

Uno Chicago Grill - Clifton, NJ

It was another lazy Sunday afternoon for us and we spent the entire afternoon lazing on the couch, watching TV. We were watching some program on the Food Network about various types of pizzas around America and I realized that I've never tried the Chicago style deep dish pizza before. Yeah, I've been to Chicago before don't ask me why, I just never got around to trying the deep dish pizza. Now, I totally love our NY style pizza and I really think that it's the best pizza ever. Hands down. However, how can I make such a statement without even trying the Chicago style pizza, right? So, I told Kevin that we should go have some Chicago style deep dish pizza for dinner that evening. Now, the big question. Where can we find Chicago style deep dish pizza in the middle of Northern Jersey?
Uno Chicago Grill, of course! After all, they were the ones who invented the Chicago deep dish pizza! We have always driven past this place whenever we go grocery shopping in Clifton, but we never got around to checking it out. I guess today is the day! Since it's located in a shopping/commercial area of Clifton, parking was no problem at all. There were ample free parking spaces available all around the restaurant. I guess we were a little bit early for dinner, so we lucked out and didn't have to wait for a table. I can tell that Uno Chicago Grill is a pretty popular spot, cos all the tables were filled and there was a line when we left.
Before we left for dinner, I went online to see if there were any in store coupons and/or promotions for Uno Chicago Grill. I found out that if we sign up for their Insider's Club, we will get a coupon for a free appetizer. So, I did just that! We ordered the 1lbs of the Honey BBQ Wings ($9.79) to share as our appetizer. Of course, we got that free...so...YAY! The wings were really huge and juicy, just the way I like them! The honey BBQ sauce was also really yummy. Who would have known, that you can find such awesome wings in a pizza place.
For our mains, we of course ordered the deep dish pizza. Since we couldn't agree on a what pie to try, we decided to go with two personal pans. When they brought out the pies, the waiter told us that the pans are super hot. They then helped us remove the pies from the pans and placed them on regular plates. It smelled so good and yummy, we couldn't wait to dig in. Kevin ordered the Chicago Classic ($10.79) and I had the Numero Uno ($10.99) . Kevin's Chicago Classic is crumbled sausage, chunky tomato sauce, Mozzarella and grated Romano cheese. It looked yummy and Kevin said it tasted great too.
My Numero Uno pizza is their all time favorite and one of the most popular pizzas on the menu. It's basically a 'the works' pizza. It had sausage, pepperoni, onions, peppers, mushrooms and their signature chunky tomato sauce, all topped with Mozzarella and grated Romano cheese. Look at how deep it is. It's so thick, you can't just pick it up to eat, like the NY style pizza. You have to use a fork! It was just packed with all kinds of toppings and it was soo flavorful too. Another thing that stood out was the crust. It was so buttery and flaky, mmmm mmmm mmmm.
Our total bill came to $28.85 for 2 drinks, 1 appetizers (which was free) and two pizzas. We had plenty of pizza left over, so I would say that it was enough to feed 3-4 people. Not too bad at all. So, the answer to the question we have all been waiting for. Which is better? NY style of Chicago style pizza? I really love the Chicago deep dish pizza from Uno Chicago Grill. In fact, I am already making plans to return real soon. However, I must say that nothing can beat our greasy and huge sliced NY style pizza! Pick up a huge slice of pepperoni pizza with cheese and grease dripping from the sides, fold it in half and stuff it in your mouth. Ahhhh heaven! Now, that's what I call good pizza! :D

Uno Chicago Grill - Clifton, NJ
426 Rt. 3 West
Clifton, NJ 07014
Tel: (973)574 1303
Web: http://unos.com/

SALE: Lenovo speakers for only $11.99!

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

I’m sure many of you know that I spend a lot of time working on the computer. On an average day, I would be in front of the computer for at least 12 hours, if not more. When I’m on the computer, I would usually listen to music. What kind of music? All kinds of music! I love music and it gets me going when I am on the computer. What I don’t like is the sound quality of the speakers on my laptop. It’s really bad and I can hardly hear anything. Sure, I do occasionally plug in my headphones but it hurts any ears after a while. So, I decided to buy some good speakers that I could plug into my laptop.

After searching the web for quite some time, I came across the M0520 Lenovo speaker! They were truly the answer to all my problems! The first thing that caught my attention was its size and beautiful bright red color! Not only was it small, but it looked awesome! Not only did it look great, it’s sound quality is great too! The Lenovo speaker M0520 is a 2.0 speaker system which includes a main speaker with built-in amplifiers and a sub-speaker. That’s right, don’t be fooled by its size. It might be small but it packs 4 watts of power for high-quality full sound! Another thing I love about these speakers is its convenient USB-powered connection with energy saving function. I just hate it when you have to plug in your speakers into a plug point. I have so many devices around me all the time; I hardly have space to plug in another thing. This works perfectly for me!  Also, it has speaker wire spools for easy storage. I don’t know about you but I am very anal when it comes to messy workspaces. With the speaker wire spools, it makes your workspace look neat and tidy!

I’m so glad that I found the Lenovo M0520 speakers. Not only does it look great but it has a high quality full sound. Another thing that I love about it is that I can use it on many of my other devices. Of course, the main purpose of getting it is to use it with my laptop but I can also use it for our desktop as well as my smartphone or MP3/MP4 player.  For those of you who are thinking of getting yourselves a pair, boy, do I have some news for you! From now until May 21, 2012, these speakers will be on sale for $11.99! That’s right, that’s a saving of $18 from its original price of $29.99! That’s just too good of a deal to be missed. I have already ordered mine. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to their website and order yours today!

Celebrate with a #CoronaRita at Chili's!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Chili’s Grill & Bar. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve just finished packing away our thick winter jackets and I’ve started wearing flip flops outdoors. The weather is definitely warming up and summer is almost here. I can’t believe the year is just flying by! April is almost over and May will be here in less than a week. Oh, I love the month of May. Not only is it the beginning of summer, but it’s also my birthday month and of course, Cinco de Mayo!  Oh yes, it’s one celebration after another!

Whenever I think of celebrations, I think of having fun and sharing of good food and drinks with good friends. There is no better place to do all that than at Chili’s! That is definitely my go to place when I am looking for a fun night out with the girls, a huge celebration dinner with the extended family or even date night with Kevin. With their vast selection of delicious food and drinks, there is always something on the menu to make everyone happy!

Cinco de Mayo is a week from now and guess where I’ll be going? That’s right, Chili’s! I can’t wait to order the Tripper Dipper as well as the Chicken Club Quesadillas. The Tripper Dipper is an awesome dish to share with everyone at the table. I would usually get the Southwestern Egg Rolls, Wings over Buffalo and the Loaded Potato Skins. They are just so so so good!

When you think of Cinco de Mayo and drinks, you think of Margaritas and Coronas, right? Mmm mmm mmmm, two of my all-time favorite drinks.  I love it so much, I have always hoped that someone would serve them together. Guess what? They do at Chili’s! I am so excited to try the new CoronaRita at Chili's. It’s made with Jose Cuervo Especial Tequila and a Coronita. Can’t wait to try it. I bet it would taste so good with my Chicken Club Quesadillas! Now that you know what I love from Chili’s, what’s yours? What do you think of Chili’s new CoronaRita Margarita? Are you as excited as I am to try it? Leave me a comment and tell me all about it!

*You must be 21 years or older to drink alcoholic beverages and as always, please remember to drink responsibly

Argyle Restaurant - Kearny, NJ

Each time we visit our doctor's office, we would park in front of Argyle Restaurant or Piper Cove (his office is located directly across the street), where are there always ample metered parking spots. From the signs outside the restaurant, we sort of figured out that it was a Scottish restaurant. After some research online, I found out that Argyle Restaurant and Piper Cove is actually under the same management. Pipers Cove is a specialty shop that carries all kinds of Irish and Scottish products, from candies to highland regalia, kilts and bagpipes! Each time we passed by, we would say that we need to check it out someday, but we never got around to doing so.
I was looking at some Living Social deals there other day (yes, I do that religiously every morning! :P) and saw a deal for Argyle Restaurant. Only $15 for $30 worth of food. I had some left over Living Social credit, so we ended up paying only $5 for $30 worth of food. A very good deal indeed! After reading some reviews on Argyle Restaurant, I found out that it was featured in the NJ Monthly magazine not too long ago and many claim that they serve the best and highest quality Scottish fish and chips in the whole of NJ! Wow, so yeah, we were really excited to check it out.
We decided to go for an early dinner and the the dining room was practically empty. Just us and two other tables. I guess it's a lunch and late dinner place, who knows. The decor of the place was nothing to shout about, just basic furniture and they had Scottish themed photos lining the walls. However, there was a certain charm to the place. Since it was a Scottish place, Kevin thought that he would try the Shepard's Pie ($14.95). Kevin is a huge fan Shepard's Pie, so he was quite eager to try it. I didn't get a chance taste the Shepard's Pie but Kevin said that he totally loved it! He said that it was really flavorful and yummy. From his almost licked clean plate at the end of the meal, I am guessing it must be really good!
Now, the piece de resistance, my Scottish Surf and Turf ($16.95)! A large portion of Fish and Chips, Coleslaw and a Meat Pie. Firstly, let me start with what I didn't like. The coleslaw wasn't really my favorite, it had a weird taste to it. I let Kevin try a little and he agrees with me. There is just something not right about it. Now that the coleslaw is out of the way, I must say that the rest of the meal rocked my socks off! The fish and chips was really one of the best fish and chips I have ever tasted. The batter was light and really good. Add in a little vinegar, and you will be in fish and chips heaven! For an additional $1, you could get curry on your chips. Trust me, that would be a dollar well spent. The mild curry goes so well with the freshly made chips, mmm mmmmmmmm goood! The meat pie was really yummy too. It's crust was flaky and the meat filling was really delicious. I ate that with some HP sauce and boy oh boy, it was good!!

Overall, we had an awesome meal. I have never been to Scotland before (so that I could compare) but I think we had some really authentic Scottish food that day. It doesn't really matter even if it wasn't authentic, because it was really yummy! The fish and chips was seriously one of the best fish and chips I have ever tried. No wonder so many people swears that Argyle serves the best fish and chips in the whole of New Jersey. I wouldn't go that far (since I haven't tasted all the fish and chips in NJ), but I can say that yes, the fish and chips there is mighty awesome!

Argyle Restaurant
212 Kearny Avenue,
Kearny, NJ 07032
Tel: 201-991-3900
Web: http://argylerestaurant.com/index.html

Giveaway: Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix

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

The days are longer and the weather is getting warmer. The frost is gone and you can see life beginning to sprout everywhere. Yup, spring is finally here! I don’t know about you, but each time spring comes around, it always signifies the beginning of gardening season in this household. I am not much of a green thumb but Kevin totally enjoys gardening. He would spend hours at the garden center each spring, making sure that he has the best products in order to get the best results.  He always says that the soil is the most important thing, if we want big and beautiful plants. I totally agree with him. That is why we only use Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix.  It’s a no brainer, really. We plant most of our plants in pots, so we would need the best possible soil. From our experience, this is definitely the best planting mix from Miracle-Gro®.  It expands up to 3 times when mixed with water and it feeds plants for up to 6 months. It’s really easy to use! Not only is it the best planting mix and easy to use, it is also hassle free. Since it’s a concentrated planting mix and expands only when water is add, its packaging is way smaller than all the other brands. No more lugging around huge and heavy planting mix bags! Who says maintaining a beautiful and luscious garden is difficult?
Now that I have told you how easy and hassle free Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix is to use, let me tell you about how it is different from basic potting and garden soils. Firstly, has a unique blend of Miracle‐Gro plant food and coconut coir fiber which comes in a compact, lightweight, easy‐to‐carry and easy‐to‐store bag. In short, Expand ‘n Gro can do everything a big, heavy bag of soil can do, only better! Also, this concentrated planting mix expands up to 3 times when mixed with water. Not only that, it also feeds plants for up to 6 months, makes native soil more workable and retains up to 50% more moisture than basic potting soil! With all that, it significantly improves soil for multiple years. Now, it’s this an awesome is that?
Now that I have told you all about the Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix by Miracle-Gro®, here’s your chance to try it yourself. How? All you need to do is watch the video below and leave a comment about what you think about Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix or how you would use it. I’ll randomly pick a winner from all of the comments after April 30^th, 2012 and I’ll send you a sample size to try out! Remember, get all your comments in by April 30^th, 2012, 11:59pm EST in order for you to be in the running to win this giveaway!

Giveaway: Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix

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

The days are longer and the weather is getting warmer. The frost is gone and you can see life beginning to sprout everywhere. Yup, spring is finally here! I don’t know about you, but each time spring comes around, it always signifies the beginning of gardening season in this household. I am not much of a green thumb but Kevin totally enjoys gardening. He would spend hours at the garden center each spring, making sure that he has the best products in order to get the best results. He always says that the soil is the most important thing, if we want big and beautiful plants. I totally agree with him. That is why we only use Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix. It’s a no brainer, really. We plant most of our plants in pots, so we would need the best possible soil. From our experience, this is definitely the best planting mix from Miracle-Gro®. It expands up to 3 times when mixed with water and it feeds plants for up to 6 months. It’s really easy to use! Not only is it the best planting mix and easy to use, it is also hassle free. Since it’s a concentrated planting mix and expands only when water is add, its packaging is way smaller than all the other brands. No more lugging around huge and heavy planting mix bags! Who says maintaining a beautiful and luscious garden is difficult?

Now that I have told you how easy and hassle free Miracle-Gro® Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix is to use, let me tell you about how it is different from basic potting and garden soils. Firstly, has a unique blend of Miracle‐Gro plant food and coconut coir fiber which comes in a compact, lightweight, easy‐to‐carry and easy‐to‐store bag. In short, Expand ‘n Gro can do everything a big, heavy bag of soil can do, only better! Also, this concentrated planting mix expands up to 3 times when mixed with water. Not only that, it also feeds plants for up to 6 months, makes native soil more workable and retains up to 50% more moisture than basic potting soil! With all that, it significantly improves soil for multiple years. Now, it’s this an awesome is that?

Now that I have told you all about the Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix by Miracle-Gro®, here’s your chance to try it yourself. How? All you need to do is watch the video below and leave a comment about what you think about Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix or how you would use it. I’ll randomly pick a winner from all of the comments after April 30^th, 2012 and I’ll send you a sample size to try out! Remember, get all your comments in by April 30^th, 2012, 11:59pm EST in order for you to be in the running to win this giveaway!