Props and Pans » Retail

Pledge Giveaway & Target Gift Cards!

Emily — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Pledge is giving two lucky Props & Pans readers two bottles of Pledge (one regular furniture polish and one Dust & Allergen formula cleaner). They are also giving each winner a $25 gift card to Target. You can read our review of Pledge’s new Dust & Allergen formula here.

To enter go to the Pledge’s website and look over their large line of cleaning products. Then, leave a comment here telling us which product(s) you would purchase with your Target gift card. Entries will be accepted through December 21, 2008 at midnight (C.S.T.).

You can receive a second entry by blogging about the contest (linking to it) or adding us to your blogroll. Just e-mail us with a live link or let us know you have it posted on your site. You do not need a blog to enter, just leave us your e-mail address so that we may contact you. As always, it is Props & Pans policy NOT to distribute any information you give us (including your e-mail). Thanks for entering!

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Holiday Picks from Props & Pans - FOR HER!

Emily — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:00:28 +0000

Microwave Popcorn Popper
What girl doesn’t like popcorn? Pair this gift with her favorite DVD and you’re set for a date night. You can make popcorn in the microwave without oil using the Catamount MIcrowave Popcorn Popper. Simply fill the bottom of the popper with one layer of kernels, add desired amount of butter into the melting lid, set lid on top of the popper and place in the microwave on high for approximately 2 minutes 45 seconds. The butter lid with strainer melts the butter over your freshly popped corn.

Visit Sur la table for other great gift ideas!

Yoga Toe Socks
If the woman you’re buying for loves Yoga and other floor excercises, then this will be a real treat! The Yoga-Pilates Toe Sox seperate the toes and have a patented non-slip sole - meaning you don’t need a mat. They are a hygenic alternative to going bare foot and they are made with 90% organic cotton. They retail for $13 a pair and come in a variety of colors.

Visit Toe Sox for other great gift ideas!

Swarovski’s Sparkle
Let’s face it, you can never go wrong with a little bling. For a little sparkle look at the delicate crystal Charmed Pendant from Swarovski. This $45 rhodium-plated pendant flaunts a small clear crystal pavé circle fixed into a larger circle that is partially set with clear crystal pavé. The lower part of the pendant can be used to create variations by affixing charms.

Visit Swarovski for other great gift ideas!

Salt Crystal Lamps
Solay’s beautiful salt lamps, from the foothills of Himalayan Mountains are more than just pretty to look at - they’re good for you. Salt crystal lamps generate healthy negative ions that cleanse the air. Ever experienced the change in the air after a good rain? That’s from negative ions and that’s what these lamps do. Every woman needs a Himalayan Salt Lamp that expresses it’s beauty and soothes the soul. Prices vary by the weight of a rock from $29.95 - $140.

Visit Solay Wellness Inc. for other great gift ideas!

Kohl’s 25 Days of Deals
You can find whatever you are looking for this season for her at Kohl’s. They have something to fit every budget. Check out the 25 Days of Deals each and every day through Christmas to see what item is being displayed at slashed prices. Kohl’s is giving away a $50 and $25 gift card to Props & Pans readers through our Holiday Picks & Cash For You giveaway.

Visit Kohl’s for other great gift ideas!

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Target Angers Customers Who Ordered the Britax Marathon Car Seats

Helene Slutsky — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:00:27 +0000

I am one to get fired up when I am wronged, and this time I am beyond fuming mad. Like many Target shoppers last week, I ordered the Britax Marathon Car Seat in the sale color, Granite Grey. Target.com often marks down merchandise and offers free shipping so I was totally on board with the offer to get a great product at a sale price. Assuming they were this color or were overstocked with inventory on it, I took advantage of the clearance price of $42.99 with free shipping. While you can’t put a price tag on the safety of your children, buying this seat at the full price of $279.99 may have prevented parents from choosing to go with the Britax Marathon in any other color from other vendors.

Imagine my disappointment when two days later Target randomly canceled the order. Apparently they made a pricing mistake. While pricing mistakes are bound to happen I find this particular situation hard to believe since the item was listed at $42.99 for 3 days before the error was supposedly “discovered.” Amazon.com also offered these seats on behalf of Target and honored the advertised price, shipped the merchandise and kept their customers loyal.

Instead of offering a good will coupon for a future car seat purchase or a discount on the Britax Marathons, or even a small gift card to use on an in store purchase, Target is just pretending the transaction did not happen at all. No accountability, no sense of a “make good” or genuine concern that they disappointed their loyal shoppers. From a business standpoint Target has a lot to learn!

Written by Helene, who is a “fly by the seat of her pants” mom with 6 kids, well really 7 if you count her husband. She is a die-hard bargain shopper, designer-clad domestic diva who writes reviews to maintain a sense of sanity and unleash her creative side. You can also keep up with their busy family at their blog.

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Avon: Fashion Forward and Not Your Mother’s Makeup Line

Leticia Barr — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:00:47 +0000

While the name used to be synonymous with the ladies that came door to door peddling makeup, the Avon of today is so much more. I recently received some items from their fashion and accessory line that shattered any preconceived notions I had about Avon.

As a working mom, I’m always looking for fashion forward pieces for my wardrobe that won’t break the bank. I was thrilled when I received Avon’s black Shirred Knit Top. The fabric was soft, cut was extremely flattering, versatile since it can be dressed up or down, washable (always a plus for any mom!), and a bargain for $24.99.

With designs to complement anyone’s personal style, Avon’s jewelry line can add some pizzazz to items already in your closet or bling out your look without breaking the bank. Check out the Crystal Rhinestone Lace Ring on sale for $14.99 which is fun cocktail ring for holiday parties without the fine jewelry price tag.

Also, if you are searching for a gift for a MTV The Hills obsessed tween or teen this holiday season, check out Avon’s Mark line for Hills star Lauren Conrad’s picks for glam makeup, jewelry and fashion. Shop by price, category or by look to select gifts for everyone on your list!

Written by Leticia, a part time working multitasking mama who loves spending time with her husband and two children, exotic vacations, and cooking great meals. Leticia writes about technology products and technology issues affecting children through her blog, Tech Savvy Mama.

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Utterly Yours Pregnancy Pillows At 10% Off!

Emily — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:27:59 +0000

You’ve heard of body pillows right? Well did you know they create special pillows for pregnant women at a company called Utterly Yours? You do now so there is no excuse not to buy one for yourself or a friend. In case you missed it Props & Pans reviewed this product and loved it! Read the review here.

From now until the end of November 2008, Utterly Yours is offering Props & Pans readers a discount of 10% off your purchase. Just use this coupon code when checking out online - UYPP1008 - and you can enjoy the same comfort we did.

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Kohl’s Back to School Campaign Introduces Celebrity Inspired Lines

Emily — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:00:17 +0000

It’s that time of year again when you see mom’s in department stores with piles of clothes and kids whining about having to try on things. By the time you factor in all the school supplies and clothing costs, it adds up to a hefty amount! Kohl’s is one of my favorite places to shop (next to Target). I love that the whole family can get almost everything they need in one stop. For us it was the perfect back to school shopping spot.

Kohl’s is unveiling six brand new celebrity-inspired clothing lines that celebrate music, life and really great jeans. I can see where teenagers will be drawn to the celebrity images and the style of these new lines. Here’s the list of celebrities and their clothing lines.

Avril Lavigne and Abbey Dawn
Lenny Kravitz and Levi’s
Hayden Panetierre and Candie’s
Vanessa Carlton’s and So
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Tony Hawk
Plain white T’s and Urban Pipeline

For the most part I found the new lines to be a combination of comfortable jeans and t-shirts. There are some women’s clothing that push the envelope on being too revealing, but overall the styles are mostly respectful. Obviously, they are aimed at teenagers and young adults, but since a few of the celebrities appeal to the younger ages I would hope the young girl’s steer away from purchasing a few of the items designed for more developed bodies.

Kohl’s is also rolling out the “Rock Like a Star Contest” on Facebook, where users have the opportunity to submit pictures and videos describing their special “Denim Moments” for a chance to win some great prizes, including cash!

Written by Emily, who is a married working mother of a very energetic 6 year old son. They recently moved out in the country and live on a rock road. Emily had to give up high-speed internet and she blames the realtor for not informing her ahead of time that it was not available. She writes at her personal blog, Fenicle and loves to review new things.

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Cotton Ginny Offering Eco-Ganic Clothing

Nicole — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:21 +0000

My son has quite a bit of organic cotton clothing and 99.5% of it has been ordered online. This means I’ve paid shipping charges through the ying-yang and wasted environmentally toxic fuels to get it to our house. So much for being a green mama.

At my newborn daughter’s baby shower this past weekend she received some amazingly adorable and thoughtful gifts. I really do have the best friends and family. My best friend gave her a huge box stuffed full of clothes made of organic cotton. Most of them were purchased on a shopping trip to the US but a few things jumped out at me because they had Cotton Ginny “Eco-Ganic” tags on them.

Cotton Ginny is a strictly Canadian clothing retailer and they have a store in many of the crappiest little malls in Canada. Most of their clothing isn’t anything I’d wear very often. A lot of it is t-shirt material and styles that I’d call “fat-chick clothes” if I was seventeen and skinny, or “Grandma clothes” if I was thirty one and kind of a fat-chick myself. If I was more politically correct, I’d just call them casual and comfortable.

I was so pleased to see that they had launched this “Eco-Ganic” line that I’m off to the mall this week to buy some more clothing for both of my kids and maybe even myself. After all, a stay at home mom that doesn’t fit into any of her nice clothes has to have some casual and comfortable clothing to wear while she sits on the couch and eats bon bons with the kids all day, right? (Actually, I’ve been told they’ve updated their styles a lot since I was in high school and I’m sure they’re quite lovely now.)

More info can be found in this article from theGreenPages.ca from Fall 2006 when the line launched. Laurie Dubrovac, Director of Marketing and Communications for Cotton Ginny says: “The new line is doing extremely well. Our goal is to make all of our products Eco-Ganic within the next three to five years.” In March, Cotton Ginny is launching a Sustainable Signature Collection, featuring hemp clothing. I send huge props to Cotton Ginny for taking this step!

Written by Nicole, who blogs about whatever strikes her fancy at Much More Than a Mom. She’s a mom first, and then a whole bunch of other crazy stuff, including a teacher, fitness & yoga instructor and a pregnant mom of 1.5 kids. She is also the founder & senior editor at The Opinionated Parent, where one of her favorite things to do is give great stuff away.

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Must Have Monday’s 09

Emily — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:00:36 +0000

Welcome to Must Have Monday’s. Every Monday our reviewers will let you have a sneak peak into what we use in our homes and our lives. Here we will tell you about the things we can’t live without. If you have a “must have” item to pass along please e-mail us. We welcome contributions from our readers and are always looking for new reviewers.

I was in the marching band in high school and college. What this entailed was playing a horn in the freezing cold at football games. Your lips would crack and bleed from the cold and spit. The only known cure was Carmex lip balm and it was a magical cure. You would smooth it on your lips and it was as effective as shields against a Klingon Bird of Prey (shields at full power, of course).

Life moved on and I quit playing the horn, which improved the winter chapped lips occurrences, and I eventually moved to Florida where the 100% humidity made things like Carmex a thing of the the past. Then, I moved back to a place where winter exists and for the past few weeks I’ve had cracked scaly lips. My 5 year old even mentioned how cracked and “poky” my lips felt. He asked to me to put medicine on them!

And then I remembered Carmex. Again, I smoothed on the waxy yellow goop and felt the wonderful healing burn. After a few days the lips started to smooth out again. Carmex, I have missed you.

by Gidge

The package is small, shiny green and looks like it would contain fine chocolates. In addition to claiming that ingestion will increase my hair’s growth and shine, Kerastase Nutrients are beautifully presented. In fact, I kept the unopened box on my desk for three days before I tore into the vitamins that promised to transform my fine, mousey hair into long luxurious locks that will shine brighter than the stars.

Once inside the posh Kerastase box, the vitamins themselves are beautiful. It is my great pleasure to ogle the petite, kelly green pills before swallowing them down the hatch. Has my hair gained volume and blinded innocent bystanders with its luminous glow? I would love to answer yes, but the truth is that I can’t really tell much of a difference yet. Taking the attractively vitamin packed pills makes me feel pretty, so for now lets leave it at that.

by Bitsy

I knew I loved Target for a reason. If your local store has a pharmacy and you have kids who hate the taste of yucky medicine, then listen up. Target Pharmacy is now offering 19 flavors through FlavoRx for free. Yes, the same service that places like Walgreens are charging up to $3 for.

Of course you are adding a little bit of sugar to the medication to change the bitter, chalky taste, but anyone who’s fought with a sick child to take a dose of medication knows this is totally worth it! FlavoRx can be added to nearly any liquid medicine, including asthma medicine, inhalers, cough medicines and antibiotics. Their best selling flavors are grape and bubblegum, and they also sell take-home kits.

And, if your baby has four legs instead of two, there’s a tastier solution for pet medications, which are sometimes filled at traditional pharmacies. FlavoRx’s pet flavors include cheesy cheddar, chicken, bacon, tuna, beef, and peanut butter. Can you say yum?

by Emily

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Lane Bryant’s “Right Fit” Jeans Are Delusional

Emily — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 12:00:42 +0000

I’ve always had hips, even before having a child. I’m also tall, so that creates a few issues when finding jeans. In the past I’ve found several favorite pairs that fit just right at Lane Bryant.

Imagine my surprise this weekend to find they had changed their jeans line and had a new measurement system. I was bombarded by an over-friendly saleswoman asking if I had tried on their new “Right Fit” jeans. Before I could say anything beyond the word no, she had a tape measure wrapped around my waist.

Now get this - she said in their new styles (which came out in early August) I would be a size 1 blue circle. Never mind what the colored shapes mean, I was still trying to pick my jaw up off the ground after she said a size 1. My response was, “Lady, I haven’t been that size since elementary school.”

The well trained woman proceeded to explain the “Right Fit” jeans in detail. Apparently after an extensive research study they developed fashionable jeans that would fit your body and flatter your curves. The new system includes sizes that begin with 1 and end at 9. It also is coded according to a colored shape and your waistline. Yellow squares indicate a straight fit, red triangles are for the curvy woman and blue circles (like myself) are all hips.

Being the intelligent person I am, I quickly realize this new sizing system is made to make me feel better about myself, but it’s also a form of deception. There is no standardization in jean sizes, which is why I can wear a size 14 in some styles and a size 16 in others. So it really doesn’t matter how you label my jeans, they will still fit completely different from brand to brand.

All this aside they didn’t fit my body very well. The material was super stretchy and felt like burlap. I did not care for how form fitting it was, and it didn’t flatter my body style or ~~hips~~ curves. The waist gapped in the back and they were far too tight in the thighs.

What made me angry was that when I asked the saleswoman to try on a different style (besides the blue circles), she wasn’t going to let me. How crazy is that? Who’s the customer? I ended up leaving disappointed in both the service and the new clothing line.

Your experience may be totally different. After all we are unique individuals in all different shapes and sizes, but in my opinion Lane Bryant is just playing with our minds.

Written by Emily, who is a married working mother of a very energetic 5 year old son. They reside in Southern Indiana (a little too close to the Kentucky border). Someday she’d like to visit Intercourse, PA and have her picture taken with the welcome sign. She writes at her personal blog, Fenicle and loves free samples and trying new things!

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.

Black Friday Shopping Deals

Emily — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 08:00:09 +0000

If you are brave enough (or crazy enough) to fight the crowds in the early morning hours on Friday to get in on some good deals, then you’ll need to pay close attention to some of the steals we’ve gathered.

Toys R Us

“Jr. Scene It” game - $9.98
Huffy Boys 20″ Bicycle $29.99
All Kid K’Nex sets - Half Off!
All Thomas & Friends Wooden Railway Engines - Buy 2 Get 1 Free
Bee Movie game for Nintendo Wii - $24.99
All licensed sleeping bags - $9.99
Assorted Cranium games - 50% off
Dora’s Magical Castle & Accessories - 50% off

Old Navy

Aside from all the fleece on sale, they are giving away FREE MP3 players with any $20 purchase (while supplies last)

Wal-Mart

Dell 15.4″ Inspiron 1501 Laptop PC - $598
Bissell EasyVac Upright Bagless - $25
Assorted Hit DVD’s (Flicka, Ice Age, Etc…) - $5.88
Kid’s Walk & Roll Spinner Sneakers - $20
Little Tykes Cook & Learn Kitchen - $79.88

Target

25 pack of Imation DVD+R’s - $4.99
Hasbro Candyland game - $3.99
Fischer Price Star Station entertainment system - $47
Braun 360 Complete Shaver - $129.99
Shark Vacuum - $10
The Office season 1 DVD set - $9.98
Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS Navigation System - $149
Vinotemp 28 bottle wine cooler - $139

Circuit City

Sirius InV 2 in-dash satellite radio - $19.99
Fuji Mini DVD-R’s 10 pack -Buy 1 Get 2 Free

Best Buy

Panasonic 42″ 720 flat-panel plasma HDTV - $899
Guitar Hero II with X-box 360 system - $349.99
S ony Cybershot 7.2 megapixel camera - $149.99

Check out more online specials at Buy.com, Overstock.com & Amazon.com.

Happy Thanksgiving from Props & Pans!

Thank You For Subscribing to the Props and Pans RSS Feed.