We’re having a heat wave here, but, time is flying, and I know the school year is just around the corner. That means school supplies, new shoes and clothes shopping!

We are lucky to have the Children’s Place nearby and it’s one of our favorite stores, but, even if you can’t just pop in, they have a wonderful website! What’s great is that you can order from the comfort of your home with a glass of iced tea in hand. The Children’s Place has some of the cutest school uniforms I’ve seen and the prices are very reasonable.

The girls’ selections are quite varied and range from casual to more dressy and I love the boys’ selections as well. They are trendy yet classic and your children will look super sharp.

For the girls, they have adorable pants, skirts, shorts and skorts as well as vests, hoodies, sweaters and all manner of beautiful shirts. I love the embellished knit blazer!

For the boys, polos, cardigans, Oxford shirts and more, along with shorts, chinos and cargo pants.

You’ll also find socks, shoes, belts, ties and backpacks, to make shopping easy.

The Children’s Place is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway where you can win a $500 gift card which will go a long way towards getting your children looking great from head to toe as they begin the next school year.

This giveaway is open to both Canada and the U.S. (void in Quebec and Hawaii) and will run from 7/15 to 7/30.

Disclosure: This giveaway has been sponsored by The Children’s Place and hosted by Kidsumers. I have not been compensated and all opinions are my own. 

Welcome to Bay Area Mommy‘s 2nd anniversary iPad Mini Giveaway! Cohosted by Milk and Cuddles, Shortcut Saver, and Java John Z’s!

I don’t know about you, but this is on my wishlist! It’s just the right size to take anywhere.

One lucky reader will win an iPad Mini (in the winner’s choice of color)! This giveaway runs from July 10, 2013 at 12:01am EST through August 4, 2013 at 11:59pm EST.

Open worldwide. Void where prohibited. Must be at least 18 years old to be eligible. No purchase necessary. Please see full terms in the widget below.

To enter, use the GiveawayTools widget below.

Disclaimer: Strange Daze Indeed is not responsible for prize fulfillment. For questions regarding this giveaway or if you notice errors in the links, please contact Bay Area Mommy at isis@bayareamommy.net.

This is a sponsored post by me on behalf of Lifescript.com.

When I was living in California, I had symptoms that I could not explain. Fatigue, muscle and joint pain, weakness. I was working and often came home feeling like I had been run over by a truck. I wasn’t sleeping at night, and even when I did sleep, I would wake up exhausted. When I looked in the mirror, I looked pale. I went to a doctor who had no idea what was going on, but, from a friend’s recommendation, I tried a new physician. She was incredibly kind and compassionate. She tested me for lupus, cancer, and a host of other frightening diseases.

The tests came back negative which was a blessing, but then she began pressing different trigger points to see if they were sensitive. I almost went through the ceiling. She asked a lot of good questions and spent time listening. She diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia Syndrome and made some suggestions.

Since then, and since moving to the Boston area, I found it difficult to explain to people. When they look at you, they can’t really see anything wrong so they have a hard time understanding. They think you look fine. That’s why this can be so frustrating and one of the reasons I searched online for helpful information and support for Fibromyalgia.

I have a good friend in Vermont with Fibro and we talk often about what’s going on. I completely understand it when she says she’s having a good or a bad day. My biggest challenges are not being able to do as much as I used to! I am so used to pushing through everything and just working my tail off to get things done – superwoman! But, since Fibro, I have learned that I have to budget my energy, that I can’t do everything I used to, and that when it’s time to rest, it’s really time to rest. If I overdo, there are flareups that are intense.

What I love about Lifescript.com is that they have a plethora of articles that address my needs and provide incredible support. For example, they have articles from the patient’s viewpoint, from doctors, nutritionists, and other health professionals. I found some delicious looking recipes that are geared towards those of us with Fibro that will help with energy and I can’t wait to try them.

On Lifescript.com,  I also learned some alternative therapies can help such as Acupuncture. I used to go and I am definitely going to go back. I read about how exercise is really important and especially some of my favorite types: Yoga and T’ai Chi. I read about the positive effects of reducing stress and meditating. While I can’t always follow the advice with a busy lifestyle, I am soaking all the information in like a sponge and know that I will be using this site as much as possible.

After all, one of the worst things about Fibromyalgia is the isolation, but with support and great information at the Lifescript.com Fibromyalgia Health Center, you really are not alone. With that knowledge, making some lifestyle changes, and realizing that you are not your illness, you can get through it! I have adapted my schedule, but I still live a full and happy life. You can too.

Visit www.lifescript.com for useful information on Fibromyalgia and other prevalent medical conditions related to women’s health.

Lifescript’s Fibromyalgia Health Center features tips, quizzes, recipes and articles – all by professional health writers, experts and physicians – covering new fibromyalgia research, the best foods to fight fibromyalgia, how to get a correct diagnosis, management tips for moms and more.

Want to find more posts relating to Fibromyalgia? Then be sure not to miss these articles:

 Nutrition and Exercise: 7 Healthy Recipes to Help Fibromyalgia Sufferers  
 6 Ways to Beat Fibro Fog How to Stop Cognitive Problems for People with Fibromyalgia 
The Secret to Living With Fibromyalgia Pain How One Woman Found Relief 

And to check out this free website, click here!

This is a sponsored post by me on behalf of Lifescript.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Strange Daze Indeed is not responsible for the prizing.  If you have any questions about the giveaway, please send an email to nysavingspecials@gmail.com.

The basic function of credit cards is to give you access to a limited amount of credit, which you can spend and then pay back when your monthly bills comes in. However, if you compare credit cards available at the moment, you’ll find that many offer so much more than this. So, if you only have a standard credit card and you want to get more from your spending, you might want to read on.

Common credit card perks

The following are just a few of the perks, benefits and bonuses offered by rewards credit cards currently on the market:

    •    Cashback. This is one of the most widely available credit card perks, and it can also be considered one of the best. It works by giving you a pre-agreed percentage in cashback on your spending. The amount you will get may vary from retailer to retailer, so you might get 1% on groceries and 2% on fuel, for example. Cashback is a great perk, as you can earn money back simply by doing your normal spending, which automatically makes all of your purchases cheaper. 

    •    Loyalty points. Rather than giving you cashback, some rewards cards allow you to collect loyalty points on your spending. These points can then be used at certain stores, and most of the big credit card companies have hundreds to choose from. This is essentially the same as cashback, expect that you have slightly less freedom in where to use your rewards.

    •    Travel rewards. Credit cards offering travel rewards usually give you points every time you spend, which can then be turned into everything from frequent flyer miles to complimentary hotel nights and upgrades.

    •    Discounts at certain retailers. Some credit cards offer you a percentage discount for using your credit card at a particular retailer, or a chain of stores owned by the same retailer. These discounts can be quite impressive, but you should go for these credit card perks if you actually shop at the store regularly and can use the discount.

    •    Support for a charity or favorite organization. For those who want to give a little something back, there are credit cards which help you to support your favorite charity, organization or school as you spend. For example, when you make a purchase on your credit card, a percentage of what you spend might be put towards supporting your children’s school, a chosen charity or a local sports team.  

We’re having a heat wave. Although I love the warm weather, I hate the mugginess. It’s so important to stay hydrated on days like this. Luckily for me, I recently got to sample Rooibee Red Tea because it’s one of my new favorite Summer finds! And because Rooibee is naturally caffeine free I can drink as much of it as I’d like without worrying about being wired or not being able to sleep.

I’m a tea afficionado and I adore iced tea. I drink it winter, spring, summer and fall.  It’s interesting how different blends have such different tastes and since I love the earthy taste of Rooibos tea in general, these iced tea blends are ideal, tea-riffic even.

I’m always on the lookout for natural products and Rooibee Red is the only bottled  USDA-certified organic rooibos red tea on the market and the only bottled organic red tea made from the South African rooibos bush.

For generations, South African families have known red tea made from this bush to be high in antioxidants, calming and rejuvenating. This was the feeling I got from the tea, not a caffeine-type of buzz but a natural sense of well-being. It’s also gluten free and low in calories, unlike my favorite coffeehouse beverages.

Founded in Louisville, Ky in 2009 and now a certified Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) company, Rooibee Red Tea believes in creating delicious healthy drinks for the whole family, in providing wellbeing for the body, soul and planet as well.

Rooibee Red Tea comes in 5 flavors:

First of all, Unsweetened for the purist. I enjoyed this one with a slice of lemon and a mint leaf.  The tea itself has an inherent sweet character, but it’s really not too sweet.

Next, the Vanilla Chai. I found this one to be different, not my favorite, but if you like chai, I really think you will enjoy it.

Third is the Peach. This is delicious and the fruit flavors blend and balance really well. Again, nothing artificial or too sweet. Just right in my estimation.

I really liked the Cranberry Pomegranate because of the subtle berry taste. All of the flavors are not overpowering, but just lightly balance and blend with the rooibos tea. I love the scent of this one.

And, now, Watermelon Mint. This is one of my favorite summer finds that I will be drinking a lot of.  If I were to create a tea, this is probably what I would envision. I am really crazy about this! It has just the right blend of watermelon with a mint finish. I could seriously drink this all day. The flavors are so incredibly refreshing.

So, if you’re looking for a healthier alternative and a delicious iced tea, why not try Rooibee Red Tea.

You can find Rooibee in Whole Foods, Kroger stores and other grocery chains and independent retailers. Here is a store locator.

You can also stay in touch with Rooibee by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Disclosure: I was provided samples to facilitate this review, however, all opinions are completely my own.

But seriously…

The LeapPad2 Explorer is the Winner of the 2013 Educational Toy of the Year and People’s Choice award for toys and now GradSave is having a fabulous giveaway where you can win one.

The sooner our children begin learning, the stronger the foundation for the future.

 It takes about a minute to enter on Facebook, right here.

Official Rules

Wishing everyone lots of luck and lots of fun learning!