A Review of InkGrabber.com

Hey there.  You know, it's kind of tough to find quality printer ink without paying a lot of money for it.  This is one of the reasons why I've been out of a printer for so long.  I simply refused to pay so much money for ink.  But you know what... I have realized that I need a printer.  Especially now that my oldest son is in JR High and there will be a need to print out reports and essays.  So I'm on a mission to check out websites that sell printer ink to see where I can find the lowest price.  I'm not looking for cheap ink, I'm looking for ink that's cheap.  First stop:  InkGrabber.com

Right off the bat, I'm liking this site.  They have a listing of ink by brand on the left hand side while showcasing major brands right in the middle.  And to make it even better, they proudly display a coupon code on the right hand side to save me money on printer ink.  If a store is willing to give discounts right off the bat, I'm  definitely interested.  Upon clicking on a brand, a whole slew of printer models come up.  If they don't have what you're looking for, I'd be extremely surprised.  They seem to have a vast array of inkjet cartridges available for all kinds of printers.  That is a huge plus.  I distinctly remember having to buy ink cartridges at a store for my mother's printer and it was hit or miss on whether or not the store carried it. 

After browsing around, I like how the site is organized.  You can clearly point and click on what you need and most importantly, the prices are more than fair.  And again, they offer discounts, not only through their ongoing promotions, but through Facebook as well.  Ordering is fairly simple and I like that there's a toll free number to call if you need assistance or looking for an update on your order.  All in all, a very decent online store for ink.  I definitely recommend you guys check it out for all your printing needs.  Later!

The Green Latern Arrives in the Metallman Home

Hey there friends.  How awesome is it that I was chosen to participate in this great promotion!  I arrived one day from work only to find these 2 great toys waiting for me:

How awesome is that?! That is the Green Lantern Colossal Cannon and Kilowog!  The boys were definitely thrilled with receiving new toys.  They started playing with them immediately and that's when I knew that this is definitely a toy that they would bond over.

The Colossal Cannon definitely got more attention that the Kilowog action figure.  Even the though the action figure came with it's own Green Lantern Power Ring, it couldn't convince the kids to drop the cannon to play with it.  lol  The only problem that I had with Kilowog is that when you attach his green, glowing attachment to his arm, and raise it, there was no way for his to stand on his own.  That was a huge downer since it made him seem weak in the heat of "battle".  lol  My young one would use him to fight with his other action figures and by him standing without his power made him an easy target for defeat, or so he said.  

My boy:  "Dad, it sucks that Kilowog can't stand with his green power thing.  If he's the Green Lantern and can make anything with that ring, maybe he should have made a cane to keep him up."

Kids...  lol  Once we figured out that he can stand with the attachment if we keep his arms down, the kids started to line him and others up for target practice.  The Colossal Cannon is a great toy.  At first glance, I thought that it would be a projectile shooting gun with the potential to hurt people.  Thankfully, the discs that the cannon shoots seem to glide though the air as opposed to being blasted out.  That is a huge plus!  The gliding motion minimizes risk of injury and the cannon has enough power to send the discs a good 15 feet or so.  The discs are made of plastic but are not heavy at all.  As my oldest son practicing his shot, my youngest son would run around picking up the discs.  I even caught my youngest daughter taking aim at Kilowog!

Kilowog the action figure is just that, an action figure and would be a great addition to a child's army of heroes.  The Green Lantern Colossal Cannon is an awesome toy that will bring much fun and excitement to kids.  I greatly recommend you guys check them out!  To find out more about these and other great Mattel toys, head on over to Mattel.com For more information.  Thank you, Dad Central Consulting, for the opportunity!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Dad Central Consulting on behalf of Mattel and received Green Lantern toys to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Being Smart About Credit Cards

Hey there. If you have a TV or a radio then you've heard many commercials to help build or repair your credit. Many of us have struggled with credit card debt. Especially when many of us were forced to use credit cards during the recession.  I'm not saying that we shouldn't use them, I'm just saying that we should be a little more smart about it.

One great way to know whether or not a credit card is a good one is to check out some credit card reviews.  This is an effective way to read up and get comfortable with the credit card.  Are consumers happy with the service?  Are the rates too high?  No grace periods?  Low balance?  Reward points?  You can get all of that answered by reading a few reviews and see if consumers are happy.  Happy customers usually means that it's a fair card.

Another thing you can do is check out the finance boards.  This is most effective when you do not have a particular card in mind.  The finance boards can have a wide range of topics and it can be overwhelming at first, but after reading a few topics, you'll be able to narrow your search and find what you're looking for.  Especially when many customers can pitch in and provide their 2 cents on a credit card that they own. 

Chase credit cards, Citi credit cards, any credit cards.  If you do a little homework before you apply, you are more than likely to know whether or not you really can afford to have a credit card.  Interest rates, grace periods, and whether or not they have reward points may play a factor in your decision but always remember that in the end, the debt will need to be paid and all the points in the world cannot pay it off.  Stay smart and good luck!  Later!

Motivational Monday - Stress Relief

Extremely handy!

April 2011 Give-a-way: Plants Vs. Zombies (Xbox 360)

Hey there friends.  Here is the item up for grabs: 

How do you win this awesome game for the Xbox360?  Here are the rules:

Open to US and Canadian friends only.  Give-a-way will run from the 15th of the month until the end of the month.  The winner will be announced shortly after the give-a-way ends.

Earn entries by:

Comment on the post of the giveaway (+1 entry)
Share on Facebook (+3 entries)
Share on Twitter (+3 entries)
Share on Google Buzz (+3 entries)
Subscribe to my feed (+5 entries)

For those of you that gain additional entries by sharing or subscribing, you only need to leave 1 comment for each.  I will keep tabs of the additional entries on a spread sheet so there is no need to leave 5 comments for subscribing or 3 comments for sharing.  

PLANTS Vs. ZOMBIES!!!  This popular game is now available on Xbox 360.  This awesome version also includes 2 bonus games: Peggle and Zuma.  3 games in one give a way!  Get your entries in today and score your free copy of this game!  Good luck!  Later!

I Think I'm Ready to Branch Out

Hey there.  I picked up the game for the monthly give a way last night (which will be posted shortly!) and my son was pretty excited about the game that I'm giving away.  He was hoping that it was for us to keep until I told him that it wasn't.  That's when he decided that he was going to enter the contest himself in order to win it for himself.  lol  After I explained to him that he can't win cause he lives in our house, he went on to say that he's going to get his friends to enter so that if they win, he can play the game there.  lol  Kids.  I told him to go for it, and that's when it hit me...  His friends love games and I like to give stuff away so I think I'm going to get some personalized pens to give out.  It would be awesome to have small tokens to give out that will have the Metallman name on it.  I think something like this would be awesome.  It matches my logo colors and it looks pretty cool.

It's been a long time coming.  I want to have t shirts made too, but I still need a logo.  Something a little more modern and something a little more catchy.  I'm still in the market for a good one so if you know anyone that can create one for me, send em my way.  Once I get that done, I was thinking of making some custom envelopes so especially made for the winners of the monthly give a ways.  It would be awesome to be able to send out prizes with style.  I was able to find good prices at Amsterdam Printing so I'm thinking of going with that.

What are your experiences in having your name out there in real world?  Did you provide pens, pencils, business cards, etc. etc.?  I would love to get the name out there but I know it would be foolish to do something grand without a grand following.  What do you think?  Suggestions are definitely welcomed.  Thanks!