A Night Out with Applebee’s *New* Wood Fired Dishes + {Giveaway}

I was so excited to check out some of Applebee’s new Wood Fired Dishes a couple weeks ago! They have hand-cut quality meats (USDA Choice Hand-Cut Wood Fired Steaks and Bone-In Pork) and a new way of cooking with a literal piece of wood they are grilling this on!! Let me tell you, you can smell it when you walk in. A yummy smell that I don’t remember ever smelling when I’ve gone to Applebee’s before. YUMMM!!!!!!!

                    

The new menus are very nice and really play up the new additions; as well as adding in a new feature that I’ve not seen before – drink pairings of red and white wine, and beer. I think that is very cool, especially for someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience pairing drinks. We like what we like but will it taste good with any given meal? Who knows, so having something like this really takes the guess work out of it. 

 They have also included many new sides that they are also wood firing, or adding wood fired meat to ( like my quesadilla I had!). The sides are all really fresh and unique, and the ones we had were amazing!! The items really reminded both Mr. Air Force and I of choices we would find at a high-end restaurant. But these are so much more affordable and it is a comfy and relaxed atmosphere that you have come to know when dining at your neighborhood Applebee’s.

 Mr. Air Force went all out with the 12 oz steak, garlic mashed potatoes and some wood fired squash! He’s kind of a steak snob, the hubbs is. He doesn’t eat a lot of meat in general, so when he does he’s going to order a quality steak. Trust me when I say he would really let me know if wasn’t good. He said it was cooked well, the cut was great and it was on par with what you would probably pay double for a four-star restaurant.

I chose another new item for them – their cedar-grilled salmon on a bed of spinach. I added to that garlic fries and their new rice side dish. The portions were great and the all of it was yummy. Just the right amount of garlic on the fries and the rice was amazing! The salmon cut smoothly with my fork, just the way I like it.

If you are looking for a inexpensive date-night, or perhaps a place to eat out with the whole family, I would absolutely recommend Applebee’s. Check your local restaurant because they may even have a kid’s eat free night like ours does! One kid per adult entree ordered, so that really does help you save some dollars.

Now, I’ve got a surprise for one lucky reader! Applebee’s was so generous and decided to giveaway a gift certificate to one of you!! So if you win you can definitely go grab yourself some of these delish Wood Fired menu items! All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know if you would use it for a date night or a special family night out….or maybe even give it away to someone. Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

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Give your child gift of Math this festive season, Kindergarten to Grade 5! *Discount and Review*

Splash Math is an award winning math program for kids of ages 5-10 which can be used both at homes and in schools. Splash Math has benefited over 9 million kids and has been used in over 50,000 classrooms. Available on iPads, Android tablets and web, Splash Math works across multiple platforms and devices.

Splash Math is an adaptive program. It personalizes math practice depending upon the child’s level of mastery and covers all math skills for all grades – Kindergarten through 5. Splash Math collects the practice data and shares analytical reports with the parents/teachers.

Splash Math combines the best of both worlds. For a child, Splash Math appears to be like a game which rewards on getting answers correct, keeping them engaged all the time. For a parent, Splash Math covers all necessary math skills for their grade levels and provides crucial insight on the child’s performance.

Review: 

So, there is a limited access free version of the apps (both for elementary age level, and preschool ages) so we downloaded it and I had my oldest check it out. School can be rough for him. He’s a wiggly, easily distractable boy that definitely struggles. He’s also extremely bright and does well when focused. He gave this app two thumbs up. As a parent I also liked it. The problems were right on with what he is learning at school, he was excited with the reward system and it appeared to be very easy for him to follow (instruction wise). I would like to see long-term what it does for him, and how effectively it aids his math skills. But all in all, it seems like a great app. Pricing is affordable, especially if you are looking for just math help. It does one thing and does it well, sort of like Chick-Fil-A you know? There are other learning games out there, that also cost money, but they cost more because they are covering more areas of learning. So if math is where you need help this might be a good alternative for you.

Special 20% discount – This holiday season, Splash Math is offering a Special 20% discount. Go to Save 20% Off Splash Math to access the discount.

Here’s a little video preview of the app

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Make-Up by One Direction *review*

If you haven’t heard of the new make-up line recently put out by One Direction, you can check out this post for all the details on the different collections and where you can get them. In the meantime I have one of the sets to share with you here on the blog.  After getting over my initial disappointment over the fact that whoever packed my set smooshed the perfect point of my lipstick (is that not the worst ladies), I will admit that I was pleasantly surprised by this set. I will say that some of the items are a bear to get out of the tin, and what the heck am I going to do with the stencils (clearly designed for a younger market, although I might use it for Halloween); but overall the make-up is excellent quality and the mix of colors in my particular set was great.

So above we have the tin and my smooshed lipstick {sad panda}. The tin is cute, but it makes getting the make out kinda hard.

 
 The eyeshadow comes in this cute little compact and I’m loving the top right and the gold.  The top right looks brown, but as you can tell in the picture on the right {bottom color} it’s got a coppery tone to it. Gorgeous!!! The gold color in the middle is strange.  It isn’t a powder shadow like the others in the set.  It has a putty type texture and goes on with a definite shimmer.  It doesn’t feel heavy after it is applied, and has a wet feeling at first.

Above is the lipstick {top color}, the lipstick with the gloss over it {middle} and the eye liner/shadow pencil.
The eye-liner/shadow pencil is a wider pencil, so its not really designed for lining. The lipgloss and lipstick have a more orange-y appearance, but on my skin-tone appears more pink-y.  The lip gloss comes on a flat brush, which is kinda odd (my first experience with that), but it goes on really nice.

 Lastly, the nail polish. I’m a polish snob, and I am also a little bit of a hoader. This polish seems clearly designed to be an overlay, as most glitter’s appear to be.  However, it has some decent coverage and I didn’t mind it as a simple, all by itself, polish. The set also comes with mascara, which is a black color and is really nice.  I wouldn’t have expected such a nice mascara to come in a set like this. I recently purchased a terrible mascara, from a really nice brand, that wasn’t cheap.  1D Mascara saved the day.

Here I am with the ever-adorable Mr. Air Force modeling the make-up.
As you can tell it definitely gives off a natural vibe, at least the set that I have. The tin includes
several options for the make-up, and how to apply the shadow. I used one of their suggestions.

Find out more info, and pictures, by visiting Make-Up by One Direction on Facebook!
This is a sponsored post brought to you by BrandBacker and Markwins. I was compensated with product, but as always my thoughts and my opinions are my own.

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Apps for Kids: Kids Academy Educational Apps

I love apps, I’m addicted.  Having an Iphone obviously feeds that habit, or created it.  I’m not really sure at this point. None the less, here we are.  With a huge amount of Apps out there you could spend days picking and choosing apps, trying to decide which one is a good one for your child. When I have the opportunity to check them out I make sure to share that with other moms; make a little dent in the mom to-do list.

Kid’s Academy is the creator of apps made just for the education of our little ones. These apps are highly rated, including being an Editor’s Favorite from Appysmarts, which has lots of great app reviews. The apps are available on IPhone/IPad, Adroid, as well as through Amazon and for Nook.

I was able to review their Kindergarten Learning app, Learn to Read and Write app and Kid’s Puzzles app.

All of the apps have wonderful colors and imagery.  An adorable dog and owl take the kids through mazes, rhyming words and their letters.  Kids learn to shape the letters in an easy and fun way. My two year old was able to navigate the app, with only minor instruction and assistance throughout.  They also kept the attention of my five year old. The large age range in an app is important for me.  Its something I typically look for before a) I’m cheap and can’t go around throwing money at apps – and frankly I don’t want to; and b) I’m not going to eat up all the room on my devices with stuff for my kids.  Not only do the apps have to be affordable, but accomplish a lot to be something I will download.  Even if its free, if it doesn’t meet the second criteria its not for me.

Kids Academy apps meet both requirements and I appreciate that.  You get a lot of bang for your buck in a free app; and if you are typically someone who looks to purchase educational apps for your kids, then Kids Academy provides you those at a relatively good price-point. It also keeps track of what your kids are doing and keeps you up to date on how they are doing as their playing.

These apps get a five out of five rating from me for a couple of reasons:
1) price is good -the paid version is affordable at $2.99, however you get a 
reasonable quality for the free version if that’s what you choose.
2) the sound is pleasant and not annoying – I can’t tell you how many apps I’ve deleted
because I cringe every time I hear them come on.
3) It is user friendly for a wide range of ages
4) the animation and colors used are fun and interactive for kids
More apps I’ve reviewed 

**This post contains affiliate links
**this review was done in partnership with Sverve. This is sponsored post and review, and I was compensated for my time. As always my reviews containing my thoughts and opinions are my own.

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My Candle Addiction Continues with Prize Candle *review and reveal*

 

I love me some candles, and even more when there is jewelry inside.  Who wouldn’t right?  Of course winning the jackpot, with the most expensive ring would be the cherry on top of the sundae; but I had no doubt that whatever Prize Candle delivered would be beautiful.

Prize Candles are eco-conscious, all natural, soy candles, which smell absolutely divine.  I received Adriatic Fig, which is a very subdubed but nice scent.  I love that the smell wasn’t overwhelming and didn’t give me a headache.  They are a nice size and pleasant to look at, fitting in with your decor.  I also love the little pink and white striped boxes they come in.  So cute right?

Now my favorite part!  I didn’t really have to burn the candle all that long to get the ring out.  It did however require some digging, because it wasn’t just in a little plastic baggy with protective covering.  It was in this plastic shell sort of thing, which was a lot bigger, and harder, to get out then I thought it was going to be.

 there it is!!  oh man, I’m so excited.

so I maybe should have waited a little longer because I took out a good chunk of wax.  But I just couldn’t wait yo!
there it is!!!
Despite it being something I probably never would have purchased by just looking at it, I really liked it. It’s unique and very interesting.  And I’m not sure how it’s possible, but it fits perfectly.  How did they know?!! Perhaps the coolest thing about Prize Candle is that you get a little code with your ring so you can know 100% how much your ring is worth.  This little gem is only the $10.00 version but its still beautiful and I’m really happy with it.  Prize Candles are also super affordable at just $24.00.  I think its a really good deal and perfect for gift giving.  Its kind of two gifts in one, and what kind of awesome friend would you be if your friend landed the $5,000 prize.  I would only be a little bit jealous…..okay, maybe a lot jealous.  They might owe you big time.
**I received this in partnership with Tastemaker Moms.  I was not compensated in any other way.  As always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.  Take them or leave them.

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