Great Customer Support – The Loft

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Jackie

Every once in a while I come across customer support that is extraordinary and I am surprised and pleased by it. This is exactly what happened this week.

But let me start at the beginning….

I got an email from the Loft and this time I opened it because in the subject line it eluded to a flash sale. Of course I had to open it! Flash sale from one of my favorite stores… no brainer there because they might have something really good. Well, they did have a great deal to offer.

I went through the site and found all of the things that I loved and then some but narrowed it down to just a few… essential items. And because I wanted that extra $10 off I applied for the credit card and was given a decent credit line. WOOHOO! So on top of the $60 off I also got 15% off for using my card. I call that a big win!

With my shopping bag full of my top picks I tried to get through the check out. And failed. Again. And again. And again until I finally gave up.

The next morning I was determined to get through because the sale ended at 10am. And again I failed. Not only that but it didn’t have my new credit card info saved. Fail.

I tweeted (no response) and checked out their Facebook page where I quickly learned that they were having issues and that many people were slightly bent out of shape. At this point I was hell bent on placing the order and called customer support line and waited for almost 45 minutes before I spoke with a person.

I was annoyed and was going to let the person that I spoke with know it. But then I remembered what it was like to be the person taking the calls from angry or upset customers and how tough it could be especially first thing in the morning.

I knew that their support team had to know that there were issues and that calls were coming in faster than they could deal with them and they were getting more than an earful from angry women who were trying to place their orders. So instead I calmed down and explained what I wanted, she placed my order, and then she gave me the 15% off and the $60 off of my order in addition to free shipping. She was nice about it but I could tell that she was already stressed at 9am.

I wish that I would have remembered her name so I could let them know how incredible she was. But I thought about it just a little too late and didn’t want to wait another 45 minutes to get through to someone on the phone again.

It was later that the Loft acknowledged the issue and remedied it.

Now, not only did they solve my issues quickly & efficiently they went above and beyond because my order was on my doorstep when I got home from work on Wednesday afternoon. Next day shipping for free!

They acknowledged the trouble that they had on their Facebook page in addition to emailing all of their customers. As well as fixing the server issue they had so people could once again place their orders with ease.

Thank you Loft for your great customer support and the awesome clothes! I’m in love with my new shirts and they’re perfect for the fall.

Doodle Roll Review & Giveaway!

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Jackie

My kids have always loved to color, draw, and do crafts. I have a closet full of all sorts of coloring books, crayons, and the like but the majority of isn’t travel friendly. If they decide that they want to take something with them we have to pack a big bag of stuff and hope that we don’t lose anything along the way.

Doodle Roll is the perfect way to take coloring on the road! It has the paper all rolled up neatly and a place to store the crayons. Super easy! But it’s not enough that I like it…. the kids have to like it too. So we put it to the test!

We rolled out a few pieces and the kids spent the morning one weekend drawing all sorts of pictures & making banners to hang up. Lauren made a banner with her name on it for her bedroom door.

Natalie drew a few different pictures… the one she’s working on above was her brother’s name for his wall.

Andrew isn’t much for sitting still and coloring so it surprised me when he sat down with his sisters! I loved that it came with the larger crayons… perfect for little hands!

The only thing that the kids didn’t really like was the quality of the crayons. They weren’t as smooth as regular crayons but it didn’t stop them from using them.

Doodle Roll is a lot fun! It’s a great activity that you can do with your kids or one that you can take on the road with you. The Doodle Roll is also the perfect stocking stuffer for the upcoming holiday season or party favor for your next birthday party.

You can win it!

One lucky winner will win their own Doodle Roll.

Mandatory

Check out there characters on the Doodle Roll website and then come back and leave a comment which your favorite one is.

Want an extra entry or two?

Like Doodle Roll on Facebook

Follow Doodle Roll on Twitter

Follow With Just a Bit of Magic via Google Friend Connect

Like With Just a Bit of Magic on Facebook

For each entry leave a comment telling me what you did.

The giveaway will close on November 25th at 11:59pm and a winner will be selected via random.org. I will then contact them and they have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

This is a MamaBuzz Media review. The product was provided by Doodle Roll for this review. All views/opinions are my own.

Mom Agenda Review & Giveaway

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Jackie

To say that I’m a disorganized mess is an understatement. If it weren’t for my kids reminding me daily of things that they had going on I’d forget for sure and don’t even ask how I knew what I was posting on my blog and when…. one hot mess.

I had a Mom Agenda planner once upon a time and of course at the end of the year it ran out but being the disorganized mess that I am I didn’t use it to it’s fullest potential when I had it. I know…. that’s wrong.

One day I finally decided to get things organized… I needed to get things in control and using a Google calendar wasn’t going to be the answer I was looking for and I tried it. Yes, I know it’s everywhere I go…blah…blah…blah. But I’m a paper sort of person. I like to be able to write things down, make notes, compare this month to last month quickly and turning a page allows me to do that. I started making notes on 3×5 note cards and holding them together with a paper clip and it helped but not ideal.

A planner was a much better idea and it’s something that I can take with me!

In comes my awesome Mom Agenda desktop planner. It really is the answer to my lack of organization and I make sure that I have it with me all the time.

My Mom Agenda Desktop Planner

One of the features that I really love is that I can look at the entire month or just a week because the planner is separated into two sections. This allows me to fill in important dates like birthdays, anniversary’s and family events and then the weekly view to focus on blog posts, daily appointments, and activities that my kids have going on.

This is really important now that I have one kid in elementary school, one in middle school, one in high school, and one still at home! With all of the activities that they’re involved in I need to keep track of everything so I don’t forget to pick on of them up!

Filling in my Mom Agenda Planner

Are you organized? Or are you a mess like me that could use some help?

Well either way today is your lucky day because one person will win their very own Mom Agenda Desktop Planner in fuchsia! Now you can be incredibly organized too!

Mandatory Entry

Tell me why you need a Mom Agenda planner and how it’ll keep your organized.

Looking for some extra entries? Leave a comment for each.

Follow me via Google Friend Connect. Leave your email address in your comment if it’s not in your profile.

Follow me on Twitter. Leave your Twitter name in the comment.

Use one of the handy Tweet buttons to share this on Twitter. Leave a link to your Tweet in the comment!

Like With Just a Bit of Magic on Facebook

The giveaway will close on November 1st at 11:59pm and a winner will be selected via random.org. I will then contact them and they have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I was provided a Mom Agenda Desktop Planner to review but all opinions are my own.

Simply Bags

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Jackie

Every year when the girls go back to school there are lists and lists of supplies that we have to get. And then of course there are the things that we don’t really ‘need’ like the special pencils, the new Sharpie pens, and of course a new backpack even though the one from last year is perfectly fine.

Yes, I cave in. More often than I should.

I was pretty lucky when Simply Bags contacted me about checking out one of their bags!

I was a little hesitant because there are backpacks out there that are cheaply made and don’t usually make it through the school year. More often than not what happens is the zipper breaks or the sides rip.

When I got the backpack I was really impressed with it! It was really well made, the fabric was heavy, and there were a lot of pockets to hold all of my daughters little things she smuggles to school.

I love the embroidery!

Honestly… I want to check out some of the other bags now!

So, I figured that since I don’t use the backpack on a daily basis I’d ask my daughter to write something about what she thinks of the backpack.

Lauren’s Thoughts….

I think that my new backpack is really cool! It’s creative and the color green is one of my favorites. I also like pink so it’s an awesome choice.

I just love the backpack and all of my friends do too. Thank you.

Well, there you have it!

Take a few moments and check out them out on their webpage, Facebook, and of course Twitter!

Boumy Shoe Review!

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Jackie

I love shoes! And because of that love I try to get my kids lots of them too! Well, they need more than the basic pair of tennis shoes, right? Because not everything goes with tennis shoes!

Now that I have a little boy I’m finding it harder and harder to find those cute shoes since it seems that most everything is geared towards girls. Whether it’s clothes or shoes what they have to offer for boys are simple & basic. But when I saw these shoes I was pretty impressed! Boumy has done a great job creating a durable leather shoe for kids.

The Boumy brand was created by Anouk Henderson in 1998, a mother of 2 boys, who had trouble finding stylish, high quality shoes that would stay on her son’s feet.

The shoes, which come in a wide variety of colors and styles, are made of 100% soft leather and have an elastic ankle that makes it easy to slip on and off. The shoes are flexible with a rough leather sole for gripping floors and allow they your child’s feet to move freely. I love the way they look and how easy they were to get on, the only trouble that I had was that the elastic seemed a bit tight and left a mark on my sons foot. He didn’t seem to mind them and ran around in them easily!

While looking through the site I had a hard time deciding which pair I wanted… there were so many that I wanted! I finally settled on the Sportstripe Navy because it looked like the pair that would go with most of his outfits. As soon as we got them I immediately slipped them on my son’s feet and he didn’t squirm or push them away as he’s done with other shoes. If they’re not on his feet he likes to play with them & wear them on his hand while he waves to me!

You can get these shoes or another pair for around $32.00 each. Right now you can use a coupon code: MAB072011 for 20% off your total purchase at Boumy Shoes through July 31, 2011, limit one per person.

Be sure to check out their site and their Facebook Fan page too!

This review was provided through MamaBuzz. The product was provided by Boumy Shoes for this review and the opinions are all my own.

Scrabble Flash Giveaway!

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Jackie

Are you ready for a great family fun night game? Hasbro has a new game out called Scrabble Flash and it’s a ton of fun! It’s a fast paced game where you have to line up the five tiles to form as many words as possible in 75 seconds! I’m here to tell you that it’s not as easy as you may think!

You don’t need the traditional board or any of the little letter tiles (that always seem to get lost) to play either. All you need is paper and something to write with if you want to keep score and of course the game.

My daughter and I have played many times (it’s really addictive) and have found that we’ll only get about 1/4 of the words that are possible!

The game can be played in three different ways.

Flash: Find as many three, four and five-letter words before time runs out.
Five-Letter Flash: Find the five-letter word for each letter mix until time runs out. Each tile will display one letter, and as the countdown begins, players will quickly form the one five-letter word that uses those letters. If you find the right word in time, the game will continue. When the game ends, the tiles will display the five-letter words that you missed.
Pass Flash: Players take turns forming five-letter words with the letters on the tiles. If a player is successful in forming the word, the tiles will display “N-E-X-T”, and the player to their left quickly tries to form a new five-letter word. Players drop out one by one as the timer seeds up – the last player left playing is the winner.

This is a game that the entire family can get in on since it’s for ages 8 and up! I will say that my daughter who is 9 (as of yesterday) had a difficult time especially with the time limit, but she still had fun with it.

Scrabble Flash

Are you interested yet?

Well, I have one game that is up for grabs!

And I’m going to make it really easy for you to win! All you have to do to enter is follow me via Google Friend Connect and leave a comment that you do AND tell me why you want to win this game!

A winner will be chosen using random.org first thing in the morning on April 1 and their information will be passed on that same day so their game can be sent out to them! So make sure that your email is visible in your profile or leave in your comment!

CSN Gift Card Giveaway!

Posted on March 9, 2011 by Jackie

Do you have a special room in your house that you’re trying to redecorate or maybe just trying to get it organized? I know I do. It’s my office/laundry room. Yes, I share my office space with the lovely laundry. Not the best set up but it’s really the only option right now!

My space is slightly cluttered and could use some organization. One thing that would help with that is a L Shaped desk from CSN stores. Aside from that I could something to better organize my scrapbooking stuff, magazine holders as well as a curtain of some sort to cover the storage shelves that are in my office.

All of this stuff I can get from CSN! They have a wide selection of items for your home, office, and yard that you can choose from.

I have a great giveaway for you so you can get organized! I have a $55 promo code for you to spend on anything you want at CSN!

Here’s how you enter!

Tell me what you need to organize in your home and what you’d use the money for! Super simple right!

For extra entries you can do any one of the following and leave a comment for each.

* Follow me via Google Friend Connect

* Follow me on Twitter

* Like me on Facebook

* Tweet about the giveaway and leave me a direct link to the tweet.

Enter a great #giveaway from @JackieCross & CSN Stores http://www.withjustabitofmagic.com/csn-gift-card-giveaway

This contest ends on Wednesday, March 16th at 11:59pm and the winner will on Thursday, March 17th via random.org. The winner will be notified and have 24 hours to respond.

Good luck!

Simple Green Pet Products Review & Giveaway

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Jackie

Like many people out there I have a dog and she believes that she is human and must sit on the furniture all the time. I must mention that this is my husbands fault and that the dog does have two of her very own dog beds.

Because she loves our couch so much it tends to get dirty often and smells like dog. This is something that I do not like at all and you can often find me vacuuming the couch to get the dog hair off of it so it doesn’t transfer to our clothing (another pet peeve).

Kara

I have had the opportunity to test out one of Simple Green’s pet products, Bio Dog. It has worked wonderfully on my furniture. It’s cleaned it up and left it with a clean, fresh scent!

All I do is spray it on my furniture, let it dry, and then simply vacuum it. Easy! Other times I just lightly spray it to freshen it up and it’s smells clean again.

Simple Green’s Bio Dog is safe for people, pets, and most surfaces, you can’t use it on silk, velvet, or leather. One of the best features is that it works on old stains too! This is great since most of the mess on my furniture isn’t new!

No, dog you say! Not a problem because they have the same type of product for those of you with cats!

Here’s the giveaway part!

One lucky winner will get to select from one of the three Simple Green pet product line.

Bio Dog – best for carpets, rugs, upholstery, etc.
Oxy Dog – best for hard floors and surfaces, including crates and kennels
Cat Stain & Odor Remover – great for all surfaces including litter pans

There are a couple of rules.

The winner must be in the US
The winner must be age 18 yrs. or over
The winner must provide a “real” street address (no PO boxes because they ship via FedEx.)

Here’s how you enter!

Tell me about your pet! Yup, it’s that simple!

For extra entries you can do any one of the following and leave a comment for each.

* Follow me via Google Friend Connect

* Follow me on Twitter

* Follow @simplegreennews on twitter

* Like me on Facebook

* Tweet about the giveaway and leave me a direct link to the tweet.

Enter the @simplegreennews #giveaway from @JackieCross http://www.withjustabitofmagic.com/simple-green-pet-products-review-giveaway

This contest ends on Tuesday, March 15th at 11:59pm and the winner will on Wednesday, March 16th via random.org. The winner will be notified and have 24 hours to respond.

Good luck!

Purex Crystals ~ A Review & Giveaway!

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Jackie

I’ve recently had the opportunity to try out the new Purex Crystals Softener and I have to say that it’s pretty good!

I was really hesitant when I first got it because you are to put it in the washer when you put all the clothes in it. My first thought was how is that going to soften and freshen my laundry… it’s going to dissolve as soon as the washer fills with water. Now my second thought was more of a concern really because I have a front loading washer and at first I wasn’t sure if I could use the Purex Crystals with my machine. I soon found out that they’re completely safe for my front loader and soften my laundry!

What’s different about Purex Crystals is that it is not on oil based softener like the others on the market. It is safe for all your laundry and will preserve the flame retardant of your kids clothes, retain athletic wear’s wicking ability, maintain your towels’ built in ability to absorb water, and keeps your white clothes from yellowing or graying.

In case you’re wondering it comes in three different scents; Fresh Spring Waters, Lavender Blossom, and Tropical Splash. I’ve tried the first two and find that the scents aren’t to strong and lasts!

I want to share this great product with you! I have 3… yes, 3 coupons for a free full size Purex Crystals for you to win!

To make it simple all you have to do is tell me why you want to try Purex Crystals.

For extra entries you can do any one of the following and leave a comment for each.

* Follow me via Google Friend Connect

* Follow me on Twitter

* Like me on Facebook

* Tweet about the giveaway and leave me a direct link to the tweet.

Great #Giveaway!! Win Purex Crystals Softener from @JackieCross http://www.withjustabitofmagic.com/purex-crystals

This contest ends on Monday, March 14th at 11:59pm and the winners will on Tuesday, March 15th via random.org. The winners will be notified and have 24 hours to respond.

Good luck!

Day 19 ~ Religion and Politics

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Jackie

Day 19 — What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?

Well, these topics sure are starting to get interesting!

First of all I am going to say this just once, religion and politics do not mix. Ever. They’re like oil and water. And because they don’t go well together I’ll only write about one.

I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about religion and I should tell you that I am not a Christian and don’t follow any prescribed religion.

I find that in religion there is a lot of hypocrisy, condemning, confusion, and stories of fantasy. Now, while I don’t doubt that some of the people from the Bible existed at some point what I do doubt is the things they supposedly have done. I also consider the Bible to be more of a work of fiction because of all the versions, changes, and because of things that get lost in translation.

I have a hard time believing everything about the Christian religion when much of it is based on the Pagan religions that were around before it.

I don’t think that one religion is superior to another. I don’t think that believing in a particular religion will make you a better person and I don’t think you can pick and choose what parts of your religion you’re going to follow and then simply ignore the other parts because they don’t apply to you at the moment.

I don’t expect to win friends with this post and on the same note I don’t expect to lose friends either. This is simply my opinion and while I respect and understand others points of view I would hope that they would do the same for me.

———-

I felt that I should update this after talking to my husband a bit.

You see I didn’t mention other religions that are out there and this is because I don’t know enough about those religions to intelligently hold a conversation about them. This is not to say that I know nothing of them, just that I know to little to make a judgment call.

I respect a person’s choice to believe whatever they want and to go to the church of their choice. In return I only ask the same.

Respect and tolerance are extremely important in this world and a little would go a long way.