What is a laundry bar?

I have never seen or heard of a laundry bar but I'm all for trying anything that will get my clothes clean.  If I really want to put a product to the test then I try it out on the boyfriend's clothes.  He works hard in dirt everyday so his clothes (especially his pants) are so filthy by the end of a long day.  

Check out this monstrosity:

I mean... what is he doing during the day?  Gross.  

That's when the Fels-Naptha laundry bar and stain remover comes into play!

Fels-Naptha to the rescue!

So you wet the clothing and rub the bar all over it then let it sit for a few minutes.  The bar smells great!  It's super refreshing. I could actually smell it in the box before I even opened it.  I'm sure the postal truck smelled wonderful too! So I rubbed the bar all over the pants.  Now it looks even worse right?

I threw the pants in the washer and dryer and ta da! They are far from perfect but much better! Obviously boyfriend's work pants were a ridiculous level of nast but I think it was a good test to see if it worked.  I will definitely continue to use it on his pants and other items like when I drop food on my shirt.... which may happen quite frequently. 

Here is a side by side comparison for you:

You know what else is for you?  A coupon so you can try it out for yourself of course!  If you are like me and aren't sure if a laundry bar is for you or if you have tried it before and already know how awesome they are then enter below and I'll pick 2 winners to receive a coupon for a FREE Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar!

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An Extra $1000? SIGN ME UP!

Purex is always giving stuff away!  Now, you can enter to win $1000 and a year's supply of detergent!  I feel that for some of us the detergent might add up to more than $1000 with the number of loads you do.

Enter the Step into Fall Dirt Lift Sweepstakes HERE for a chance to win $1000, plus a year's supply of Purex with Dirt Lift Action Detergent!

What would you do with an extra $1000?  How much do you think you spend on year's worth of detergent?

Happy National Coffee Day!

Free printable from DIY Playbook

There are a ton of deals today on FREE coffee!  Check these out:

Starbucks: Customers can sample Ethiopia coffee at participating Starbucks® stores in the U.S. on National Coffee Day, September 29, and those who purchase a 1 lb. bag of Ethiopia whole bean will receive a commemorative Ethiopia tasting cup, while supplies last. More info

Krispy Kreme:  Get a FREE 12oz cup of hot coffee at participating Krispy Kreme US and Canada locations. No purchase necessary.  Fans of fancier specialty coffee drinks can also get any 12oz mocha, latte, or iced coffee including Krispy Kreme’s delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte, for just $1 at participating Krispy Kreme locations. Excludes Puerto Rico.  More info

Dunkin Donuts:  guests can receive a FREE small hot or iced Dunkin’ Donuts coffee at participating DD restaurants throughout the United States. The offer is available and redeemable only on National Coffee Day through the “My Offers” tab of the Dunkin’ Mobile® App, which is available for both iPhone® and Android™ mobile devices. - More info 

Caribou Coffee: Print the offer here (or show on your mobile device) to get a FREE small coffee 

Wawa: Sign up here to receive a free 16oz coffee

Enjoy!!!

Purex UltraPacks plus OXI Giveaway!

If you are like me then it seems like you can never stay on top of the laundry. There are only 2 people in our house and I am baffled at how many articles of clothing we can go through in one day. It's ridiculous. I haven't changed clothes this many times a day since I went to Girl Scout camp. All fashionistas know that you can't wear the same outfit you wore to rope tying class to dinner or to the camp fire sing along. Come on. Get serious. Tim Gunn would not approve of that.

My grown up budget does not approve of all this washing! I'm looking for the best bang for the buck so I'm all for trying a detergent that includes OXI. Sometimes I have to wash the boyfriends stinky and filthy socks twice before I'm satisfied. I'm starting to wonder if he's running around in the dirt in his socks during the day. Luckily for me (and now for you guys) Purex sent me a bag of Purex UltraPacks plus OXI detergent packs. I'm a big fan of the detergent capsules. I don't have to measure anything with these. 

I just throw in one of the cute green laundry pods (they remind me of something out of The Green Lantern... I'm a bit of a nerd.  Did I forget to mention that?), start filling up the washer with water and throw the clothes in. The combination of detergent plus OXI fights over 101 stains and the DirtLift Action formula has twice as much cleaning power as traditional liquid detergent.  Can I get a "Woot! Woot!"?

Gross, dirty socks clean in one go! Ready to fight another day! Poor socks. What is the hardest thing for you to get clean in the washing machine? Would you like to put Purex UltraPacks plus OXI to the test? Register below for a chance to win a coupon for a FREE full sized bag of UltraPacks plus OXI!

You can also go HERE to participate in the red football jersey giveaway and be entered to win $50!  Just find the jersey on the Purex website and fill out the form. What would you do with an extra $50?

Good luck!

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Crock Pot Greek Chicken with Red Potatoes and Onion

Crock pot lunch week #2 is in the works.  I put everything in the crock pot this morning and will divide it up in my new little purple containers this evening.  I love knowing that a healthy lunch is taken care of for the entire week!  Here are the ingredients:

I quartered 6 red potatoes.  They were all about 2.5 ounces each. I put those in the bottom of the pot. Then I put in the chicken. 890 grams of chicken is about 2 pounds.  I bought a pack of 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast. Then added the sliced onions and finely shredded garlic.  I squeezed the juice of one whole lemon on top of everything and then sprinkled in 1 tablespoon of oregano.  There are more carbs in this weeks recipe but it still fits with in my plan.

Crock Pot Turkey Chili - A Low Carb, Low Fat and Low Calorie Wonder!

The end of summer is upon us and we've had a bit of cool snap in Columbia, SC.  I was looking around for a good crock pot recipe so I could make lunch for the week.  I'm trying to eat out less and I'm carb cycling again.  I'm also lazy in the kitchen and the most anti-morning person you will ever meet.  Making a vat of something on Sunday and dividing it up for lunch for the rest of the week seemed the most logical thing to do.

A friend posted a pretty simple chili recipe so I thought I'd give it a try.  Chili typically has beans in it but beans are not low carb and like Sheldon points out... "real chili has no beans in it" so out those went.



Tomato sauce has more sugar than I was looking for so I substituted some beef broth and reduced the amount of sauce. Hamburger was too fatty so I switched it out for some ground turkey.  Then I threw in a diced green bell pepper and some onion along with a handful of seasonings.  I thought it was tasty on Monday but now that it is Friday?  Oh the flavors have blended together beautifully and it's now one of my favorite dishes.  Everyone at the office tells me how wonderful it smells when I heat it up in our work kitchen. It tastes even better!

The recipe below is for the whole crock pot.  I just divided it up into 4 Tupperware containers (a little less than 2 cups in each) and put it in the fridge. Then I grabbed one each morning on the way out the door. Sadly, even remembering to grab that was hard for me. The morning and I are so not friends. At all.

I hope you all enjoy the recipe! Brown the turkey and drain juices, dice the pepper and onion and throw it all in the crock pot for 7-8 hours on low.  Done!  I topped each plate with 1/4 the cheese and scallions listed below.  (numbers taken from MyFitnessPal)

Freshly Made Sketches #103 Card Challenge

I am participating in the Freshly Made Sketches Card Challenge this week (#103). Here is the card sketch:

And here is the card I created:

It's a bit more square but I like it! I hope the recipient will like it too.

Soft Scrub Giveaway!

As the summer comes to a close I always think about preparing my home for the whirlwind of approaching holidays... Labor Day cookout, Halloween party, Thanksgiving dinner and of course Christmas. Before I pull out any decorations, prepare a menu or even THINK about inviting people over I want to make sure my home is clean. A clean home is a solid foundation on which to build awesome celebrations! I especially want to make sure that my bathroom and kitchen are spotless so I'm constantly looking for household cleaning products that can help me out. I received a bottle of Soft Scrub Mold & Mildew Stain Remover Gel and couldn't wait to try it out in my bathroom. It's my least favorite chore so anything that makes it easier is totally appreciated.

We have tile all over our bathroom.  It's obnoxious and I hate it but we rent so I deal with it.  I'm certain I do not want tile in the bathroom of my dream home (you know I have a Pinterest board for that) just as much as I am certain I do not want pine trees anywhere in the vicinity of my dream home.  Cleaning grout and raking pine needles/picking up pine cones are the bane of my existence.   So on to the Soft Scrub...

Right away I noticed the pleasant smell.  It's clean without being harsh.  I'm not going to fib... I've found a cleaner that works wonders.  Spray it on, RUN away, rinse it off and it's all done.  But it smells HORRIBLE.  My poor little sinuses are in a bad state by the time I get out of the bathroom and shut the door behind me.  I'm also terrified one of our cats will jump in there.  I can't imagine what it would do to them.  Currently my laziness out weighs my concern for my sinuses.  After using the Soft Scrub Mold and Mildew though... I might be a convert.  I sprayed it on our bathroom tiles and on a few places on the floor where there are what?  You got it!  More tiles!  YAY!  Ugh.  I let the gel sit for a bit and then came back to rinse it.  I scrubbed a bit on the floor tiles.  The shower looked pretty clean and smelled good to me.  Success!  The floor tiles are a little bit more difficult.  They are smaller and even after I scrubbed a bit they didn't really seem totally clean.  The grout wasn't as white as I would have liked but there was improvement.  

Would you like to try it out for yourself?  I'd love to hear how your experiences go!

Register below to win one of 2 coupons for a FREE Soft Scrub product of your choosing! (Maximum value $3.39)  

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Freshly Made Sketches Card Challenge (FMS97)

Time for another card challenge from Freshly Made Sketches! I like making a card every now and then and I thought... why not enter these challenges each week and then I could send someone a card every week. Who doesn't love "real" mail that isn't a bill? And handmade! So here's the sketch for this week's challenge:

and here is my entry:

I turned the sketch on it's side and I put a little baby bottle embellishment inside on the bottom right.  I'm pretty pleased with it and hope my friend who just had a new little one will like it too!

31 Days of Fun Giveaways...and a Bonus Amazon.com Giveaway

You all know I love a good giveaway so what could be better than 31 DAYS OF FUN GIVEAWAYS! Yay! My heart sings. Purex is hosting this giveaway extravaganza everyday in August. Check out the AMAZING prizes:

Which one is your favorite? I can't decide - they're all so awesome!

 I guess since we've been trying to upgrade our back yard from drab to fab I would have to say that the Patio Gazebo (Aug. 5th), Patio Furniture Set (Aug.11th), Outdoor Fireplace (Aug. 21st) and the Gas Grill (Aug. 31st) are tops on my list. I can just see us having an amazing time grilling out and having fun with friends! We are also trying to eat healthier and that gas grill would certainly be useful for that. 

LIKE Purex on Facebook and enter the 31 Days of Fun Giveaway HERE!  

Be sure to enter every day so you can have a chance to win all the wonderful prizes!

Purex has offered to let me host my own giveaway!  Are you interested in winning a $10 Amazon.com gift card?   Well, fill out the form below and you will be entered!  Be sure to answer all the questions completely so your entry will be counted.  Good luck, everyone!

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Happy National Hot Dog Day!

Check out this great deal from Sonic Drive In!  $1 All American of Chili Cheese Dogs all day tomorrow and if you instagram a photo with #DollarDogDare and tag @sonicdrivein then you could win a $100 Sonic gift card!  So what kinda dog do you love?  All American or Chili Cheese?

Freshly Made Sketches Card Challenge (FMS95)

A friend from my card and crafts group told me about Freshly Made Sketches, a blog that posts weekly card challenges using "clean" sketches.  I am new to card making but I thought I'd take a shot at it!

Here is the sketch that was presented for this weeks challenge:

And here is my design based on the sketch:

Each week they pick one "queen" and each design team member chooses a "princess".  It was fun to put together and I think participating in the challenges will help me learn and feel more comfortable making cards...plus I'll have a good stockpile of cards when a special occasion arises!

Join the Purex Insiders team!

People often ask me how I get so many amazing coupons to give away on my blog.  The answer is Purex Insiders!  Lucky for you guys... they are accepting applications for new Insiders!

Why Become a Purex Insider

• Receive exclusive offers
• Participate in productive collaboration
• Influence product innovation
• Have your voice heard

How It Works

As a member of this elite group, you allow brands to extend their influence in the social media space. That means you learn about new products or promotions first and are able to share them with your community.

Are you a good fit for the gig?  Are you a blogger that:

• blogs about savings, product reviews and giveaways
• enjoys using social media
• blogs about family friendly content

If that sounds like you then go HERE to sign up and be among the first to try wonderful products and share info with your readers!  It's been a wonderful experience for me and the BEST program I have signed up for since I started couponing and Savings Spotting!  

Purex Crystals for Baby Giveaway!

Welcome to March Monday Mania Giveaway #2! As part of the Purex Insiders program I receive tons of free products to test and tell you guys all about. I am a firm Purex laundry detergent convert. It does an amazing job cleaning our clothes, it smells fabulous and is the most affordable detergent that delivers! Then came the Purex Crystals which are amazing. Now we have Purex Crystals in one of my favorite scents - BABY!

   

Purex Crystals for Baby is hypoallergenic, dye free, and safe for use on all clothes, including children’s sleepwear. There is a light fragrance of florals and powders. I love washing all of our linens and towels with the Purex Baby Crystals. I makes curling up in bed or under my favorite blanket extra cuddly! Just add a scoop full of the crystals to the start of your wash and let it infuse your items with freshness that lasts for more than a week!

 Want to try it out? Enter now to win a coupon for a FREE 28oz bottle of Purex Crystals for Baby! Winners will be chosen on March 17th at 8pm EST. Good luck everyone! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dry Idea AdvancedDry® Fresh Giveaway!!!

Welcome to the first March Monday Mania giveaway!

Not too long ago we hosted a giveaway for Dry Idea AdvancedDry®. Now I have received a Dry Idea AdvancedDry® with a new scent - FRESH! That's our goal right ladies? I want to smell fresh! I learned last time that Dry Idea AdvancedDry® works like a charm and so I was even more excited to try it out in the new Fresh scent!

After my morning shower I applied Dry Idea AdvancedDry® Fresh roll on. Did you know that studies show roll-ons and gels are highly effective. Dry Idea® antiperspirant's roll-on is silicone-based to provide superior efficacy. The clear gel provides the added benefit of gliding on super-smooth without ever leaving a residue. Here I am... using an invisible solid most of my life. I also didn't know that you can become immune to your deodorant? Anecdotal evidence suggests that changes in diet, activity or stress can affect a product's performance. If you feel your antiperspirant or deodorant is not working as effectively as it had, consider switching forms or fragrances. (Just note, all antiperspirants are considered Over The Counter (OTC) Drugs and are therefore regulated by the FDA. So they have passed tests to assure clinical effectiveness.) There is so much you can learn from a little research on the web! You can learn more about deodorant myths and facts on the Dry Idea website HERE.

Anyway,  I put on the roll on and went off to work.  I work in an office building that can't ever figure out if it's supposed to be hot or cold and today we were on the warm side.  Also had to rush through a lunch at my desk because we were so busy.  After work I had to stop by the grocery store to do the shopping for the week because I never got around to doing it on the weekend. I love grocery shopping in heels - don't you? :-(  Then home to put everything away, make dinner, clean up a bit, have a minute to breathe and then hop in the bed.  You know what I remembered at that point?  That I had not thought about my deodorant or sweat all day.  Still fresh as a daisy!  The bottle also claims that the product provides 72 hour protection. I like to take showers daily so while I did not test this 72 hour claim out I can attest that I was still pleased with the performance and fresh scent after a full day of running crazy.

Are you interested in trying it out for yourself?  Register now to win a coupon for a FREE Dry Idea roll-on, gel or aerosol product (up to 6oz).  3 winners will be chosen at random on Sunday, March 10th at 8pm EST.   Good luck everyone and remember - Never Let Them See You Sweat®!


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Soft Scrub Giveaway!

I recently received a free bottle of Soft Scrub Total All Purpose Bath and Kitchen Cleanser to try out.  Thank goodness because I was running low on cleanser and I don't think there is a brand I trust more than Soft Scrub.  It always gets the job done!  I couldn't wait to try out this new product.

There is a new bottle design which is pretty snazzy.  It's easy to hold now that some texture has been added into the bottle - reducing the likelihood that you will drop the bottle.  I'm clumsy in a Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy kinda way so that was cool to me.  It also has a new cap which made dispensing it easy.  No leaks or drips. 

The thing I like the most is that I can use it anywhere!  No dragging different products all around. It is an all purpose cleanser so I can use it on the bathtub, tiles, grout, sinks, faucets... anywhere!!!  It also has a refreshing lemon scent.  I love cleaning with lemon. It is the perfect scent for the bathroom or the kitchen.  I also used it on my stove top which is always hard for me to clean and the spills came right up with no problem.  I'm sold!  I can't ever keep that stove top clean!

You know I wouldn't keep this fabulous product to myself.  I have 3 beautiful coupons to giveaway - each valid for one FREE Soft Scrub product of your choosing!  I'd recommend trying out the new Total All Purpose Cleanser.  You know you want your stove to shine too!  Enter below for your chance to win.  Good Luck!

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Honey Bunches of Love!

I was chatting with a friend online one night and she mentioned that she was just going to have a giant bowl of cereal for dinner.  As soon as she said it I knew that was exactly what I wanted too but alas, we were out of milk.  This was clearly a blessing in disguise because the next day I stopped by the store to pick up some milk and when I got home guess what was at the door waiting for me?

Excellent timing!  :-)  I'm always excited about a box from Purex Insiders but this one couldn't have been more perfect.  I didn't even get to the milk!  As soon as I got in I started chatting with the boyfriend so I just opened it up and started snacking.  It's delicious.  I LOVE the crispy mango clusters and I'm not even going to lie I started digging around in the box for them. There are also tasty flakes of coconut! I did eventually get around to pouring milk over a big bowl of it and it was just as yummy but I wouldn't recommend letting it sit.  It does get a bit soggy if you happen to wander away for a few minutes like I did.  

"Human, these are my coupons!"

So for our second February Friday Freebie I have a few extra coupons for a free box of Honey Bunches of Oats Tropical Blend cereal so be sure to register below so you can try this out for yourself!  I'll wrestle them away from Artemis and put them in the mail for 3 lucky winners!

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February Friday Freebies! #1 - 20 Mule Team Borax

To celebrate the month of LOVE The Savings Spot will have a giveaway every Friday for the rest of February!  The giveaway will be posted on Friday & winners will be chosen at 8pm EST on Thurs. nights.

Up first in the February Friday Freebies is 20 Mule Team Borax!

Many of you are probably saying "Huh?" and I'm not going to lie... I said the same thing.

What is Borax?
Borax is the common name for sodium tetraborate: a naturally occurring substance produced by the perpetual evaporation of seasonal lakes.  20 Mule Team Borax is a 100% natural mineral from the earth. Once it is removed from the ground it is washed, dried and boxed for consumers. Absolutely nothing is added - no phosphates, chlorine or other additive chemicals.

Now you are saying "Thanks for the science lesson but huh?"  Again, I thought the same thing!

What can I do with this stuff?
20 Mule Team Borax naturally softens hard water (water that contains calcium and magnesium ions).  Did you know that over 85% of homes have hard water?  I didn't.  I'm learning all kinds of things this time around!!!  How does hard water effect you and your laundry?  When you add detergent to hard water, some of the compounds attach to calcium and magnesium granules that settle on the bottom of your washing machine, eventually retreating down the drain without actually cleaning your clothes. Borax naturally softens the hard water which can protect your detergent - maximizing cleaning power!  This means that using 20 Mule Team Borax with your regular detergent will leave you with cleaner clothes and it helps keep stains from being re-deposited back onto clothes.

Awesome! I love clean clothes!  What else can I do with Borax?
Funny you should ask!   Check out this link HERE for info on how to use Borax for all kinds of things!  Use it for not only cleaning other areas of your home (including kitchens, bathrooms and carpets) but also for arts and crafts projects.  It also outlines how you can use 20 Mule Team Borax to get your candles to stop smoking!

So how do I get my hands on some of this 20 Mule Team Borax?
I just so happen to have 3 coupons to give away!  Each coupon is good for one FREE box of 20 Mule Team Borax.  Sweet right?  Enter now for your chance to win.  3 winners will be chosen at random at 8pm EST on February14.  Ahhhh... love and borax.  :-)  Good luck everyone!


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Peace of Mind in 8 Weeks and a Pack of Batteries

I've found that the little things drive me the craziest...

• We run out of batteries so when I want to take a picture (usually of one of the cats) with my digital camera I have to take the batteries out of the Wii remote and put them in the camera so I can take the photo (but you know the cat has moved by then) and of course I forget to put the batteries back in the Wii remote so when I go to watch another episode of Downton Abbey on Netflix through the Wii I then have to hunt down the batteries again.  Why don't I just buy more batteries?
• I misplace my keys on the regular.  I need a "landing pad" for things when I walk in the door.
• I spend at least 20 minutes every morning trying to figure out what to wear.  I know I should just pick out something the night before.
• I spill coffee all over whatever I did decide to wear because I did not wash out my travel mug the night before so I thought "Hey... I'll just use one of these big, regular mugs and not fill it up.  It will be fine."  Nope. Not fine. 
• Everyday I have to answer the question, "What do you want to do for dinner?"  Some days I'd rather go hungry than answer that question one more time.

I think it's these little things that cause me the most distress because I could have prevented all of them with a little planning and organization.  I'm really irritated with myself.  For this reason I've decided that my home will become the haven that it should be.  I'm going to pick 3-4 projects this year that I think will make our home more functional and less frustrating.  Of course for this I turned to... Pinterest!  I'm obsessed and I know it.  I actually asked some friends one day, "At what point do you stop pinning things and actually start DOING them?"  Ah!  Today!  Well... actually tomorrow.  :-) 

I found this fabulous piece on 8 Weeks to a Less Cluttered Home one day and knew I could commit to it. The overall idea is that you spend 30 minutes a day for 40 days (weekdays only) to clean a specific area in your home.  During that 30 minutes you are to get rid of 10 items.  8 weeks later you should have at least 400 items to remove from your home. (Yard sale, anyone?) The nice thing about this plan is that while it does outline what to work on each day you have the option to adjust it.  We do not have kids so all those days allotted for cleaning out children's closets or books will be redirected at our hot mess of an office.  As embarrassing as it will be, I will post before and after shots of it.  You will be horrified and then amazed.  I promise.  

So tomorrow I begin the process of cleaning out the house.  But tonight... I have to put away all my holiday decorations.  I know. I know.  Sad. Not only is it sad that they are still up but also sad that the twinkle light s have to go away.  I do love me some twinkle lights... but I digress. As I move forward in my goal for a less cluttered home that brings me peace instead of frustration I will keep this in mind: 

Now I'm off to buy more batteries.

New Year? New Giveaway from Purex Baby!

The people of Purex Insiders sure do know how to treat a girl!  I received a full bottle of Purex Baby liquid laundry detergent to try out.

Purex Baby detergent is hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested and formulated to be extra gentle on your little one’s sensitive skin. Purex Baby detergent leaves your baby’s clothes smelling fresh and clean, and won’t harm the flame resistance of sleepwear.

While I do not have a baby or infant myself, the boyfriend can be a bit... how should I say... a bit of a mess at times.  He constantly has stains on his shirts and I thought surely a detergent made for babies would not be able to get those food and ink stains out.  I was pleasantly surprised that not only did his clothes come out clean and without stains but also smelled wonderful. Boyfriend actually liked the smell and didn't think it smelled girly or babyish.  It is very light and refreshing. I love to wash towels and linens with Purex Baby, not only for the wonderfully cozy smell but also because I'm confident that the Triple Action detergent will leave me with a clean I can count on.

Purex Baby comes in 50oz bottles that will last you about 33 loads of laundry. Purex sent me 3 coupons to give away to my readers so you can try out this new product for yourself!  

Enter now to win a coupon for a FREE full sized bottle of Purex Baby!*  3 winners will be chosen on January 15, 2013.  Good Luck!

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* Coupon is valid for 1 FREE bottle of Purex Baby detergent with a maximum value of $5.00 USD.  Offer is not subject to doubling and expires 12/31/14. Contest open to US residents only.  Purex provided me with a sample of Purex Baby detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all opinions expressed here are my own.