Forever and Always

Shandle Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:49:00 +0000

Being the only female in a house full of germy boys is hard work! Especially when it comes to the bathroom. I am always having to check if they put the lid down, flush the toilet and wash their hands- in that order. Such an energy drain!

When I was contacted by the people from The Shandle I had to say yes. The Shandle has been a real help in our home! The boys have been using it as a helpful reminder in their bathroom steps. Once they use their fun handle to put the lid down it helps them remember to then flush and wash their hands. Seriously- it can be too many steps for their young minds to remember (nevermind that they know how to operate the dvd player just fine). I love how cute the pics are on the Shandles and how they encourage healthy habits.

Even though my boys are too young to read, I told them what their Shandle says and now they are able to remember it and love the cute bear dressed as a frog! To see all of the cute Shandles visit theshandle.com.

GE Appliance is Famous and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:32:00 +0000

Not only are the hottest dishes coming out of the Top Chef kitchen, these pros are working on some of the hottest appliances out there.GE Appliances has been featured on the hit Bravo show since Season 3 and even awarded Stefan Richter, the fifth season runner-up, a suite of his own GE appliances after he beat everyone in the famous restaurant wars challenge.
If you want to get one step closer to cooking like a pro, enter for a chance to win one of five brand new GE Appliances in the Strong As Steel sweepstakes and in no time you will be the hottest dish in the kitchen!

Top Chef Official Site

I am also now including an extra chance to win on my giveaways. Enter daily for your chance to win your own GE Appliance on my sidebar and leave a comment on the giveaway letting me know you did. That can mean a whole lot more chances of winning!

ShopDownlite Tommy Bahama Primaloft Pillow Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:33:00 +0000

I have really had a hard time sleeping at night on my super cheapo flat pillows. I often wake up with a sore and stiff neck. Then I received my Tommy Bahama Primaloft® Pillows and I have been sleeping great ( aside from the boys bad dreams and having to go potty- I don't think they make a pillow for that). The pillow is super soft and is made out of a Down like product called Primaloft. It is a high quality polyester made by Albany International. It feels just like Down! I love my new pillow and how cool it keeps me.

After a long day you need a blissful night's rest with our cool to the touch pillow. This medium density pillow is great for most sleep positions and features PrimaLoft our Luxury Down Alternative. Aside from feeling incredibly silky - this 400 thread count pillow features a special fabric made from silky soft Tencel Lyocell. Tencel Lyocell is an amazing miracle fabric that will stay cool through the night and help reduce moisture.
Additional Information:
400 Thread Count
Tencel Lyocell Stripe Damask Fabric
Medium Density - Great For Side Sleepers
Gusseted Side
Hypoallergenic PrimaLoft (Antimicrobial Down Alternative)
Easy Care Machine Washable

To win your very own Tommy Bahama Primaloft® Pillow visit the site here and tell me what item you would like best.

For additional entries please leave a separate comment for each of the following:
If you are an email subscriber
If you are a feedburner subscriber
If you are a follower
If you have my button
If you follow me on twitter
If you post this on twitter
If you have my button
If you tweet this and leave me the link
If you post this and leave me the link

Enter to win a GE Appliance Daily and leave a comment for each entry

Giveaway ends Nov 6th 11:59 pm Open to US

Thevi High Impact Lipstick Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

I have a new makeup love. It's Thevi Cosmetics and they are all about color found in nature. Thevi Cosmetics have so many shades in all their makeup for all types of skin color and all types of preferences. I had the chance to review Thevi High Impact Lipstick, Liquid Powder Mineral Foundation in SPF 15, and my personal favorite Thevi Lush Mascara.

All of the products made my face look natural but with the right amount of color and I love how the mascara makes my eyes pop. The High Impact Lipstick goes on really smooth and is just the right amount of color for me.

One lucky winner will receive their own Thevi High Impact Lipstick in Ripe Fig- retail value of $13 which is also 25% off this week! To enter please visit Thevi Cosmetics and tell me what product you would like to try out.

Sensual lip color. Advanced formula lipstick with unique chroma-shine technology provides rich color intensity with a super glossy finish that’s virtually weightless, yet won’t wear off. Plus it’s packed with Vitamins A, E and C for anti-oxidant protection and conditioning. In an array of gloriously colorful shades. Hypoallergenic.

For additional entries please leave a separate comment for each of the following:
If you are an email subscriber
If you are a feedburner subscriber
If you are a follower
If you have my button
If you follow me on twitter
If you have my button
If you tweet this and leave me the link
If you post this and leave me the link

Enter the GE Appliance Giveaway Daily and leave your comment saying you enter each time!

Giveaway ends Oct 15th 11:59 pm Open to US

mydaisydreams etsy shop review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:13:00 +0000

This next shop is so much fun. If you have seen the glass tile art jewelry that is out nowadays then you know how popular it is and how many options there are! At mydaisydreams you can find over 270 items of pure creative bliss! They also have bottlecap jewelry and there are so many options to their jewelry. Just look at these Blue Dangle Earrings. I want them so badly!

I received two beautiful necklaces. My favorite one is And So the Lion Fell in Love with the Lamb

mydaisydreams also offers keychains. For all of you Twilight fans, there is quite the selection of Twilight and New Moon pieces you have to check them out.

My necklaces were each wrapped in a beautiful tin which gave me a boutique feel. These make excellent gifts for Christmas especially since they are so affordable start around $6.50! To view the entire collection visit mydaisydreams today!

Momagenda Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Before school started I was a stay at home mom full time and had both of my boys at home. I never really left the house unless it was to go to play dates or walk to the post office. I kept all of my notes, numbers, and the few appointments I had on scrap pieces of paper and our calendar. Fast forward to today- our whole entire family is in school, soccer practice, my husband's coaching gig, my callings in church, not to mention all of our appointments- all to keep track of!

After the few first days of school I started to panic not knowing how I was going to keep it all straight. I went in search of the perfect planner for me. One that I could keep track of every one's schedules including my own. That's when I found momAgenda. It is a planner that is perfect for what I need.

It has spaces for your children's schedule (I use one for my husband) and even has a planner for dinner. It has motivational quotes and a pullout "Mom Essentials" book where you can store addresses, birthday and anniversary dates and so much more. I love that it is removable because I hate having to transfer all of that information over when it is a new year.

It is also very stylish. I chose a pink one to review and it is so cute! It is very professional looking. It looks like a hardbound book but is flexible like a planner with ribbon dividers.

I have found it so much easier to keep track of everything with my momAgenda ( including my blogging stuff) and would recommend this to any mom who needs a little more order in her life! To view the entire collection and all the other organizational products visit http://www.momagenda.com/

Night at the Movies with Turner Classics

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 06:41:00 +0000

If you like the old classic movies then you will want to make sure you watch Friday nights A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers on TCM. What a perfect way to get in the mood for Halloween! Some of these movies are so great because they don't show all the guts and horror that are in scary films nowadays. These are way better!

A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: THE SUSPENSEFUL WORLD OF THRILLERS will look at thrillers from all sides, including different types of thrillers and the stylistic tools filmmakers use to give their audiences a shot of adrenaline. The special will feature interviews with such figures as TCM host Robert Osborne; Ken Follett, author of Eye of the Needle; Bryan Singer, writer and director of The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie; Diablo Cody, writer and producer of the upcoming film Jennifer’s Body; Kenneth Branagh, director and star of Dead Again; Mel Brooks, writer, director and star of the Hitchcock spoof High Anxiety; David Koepp, writer-director of Stir of Echoes; Norman Lloyd, star of Hitchcock’s Saboteur and producer and director for the Alfred Hitchcock television series; Martin Landau, co-star of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest; Ileanna Douglas, co-star of Cape Fear and Stir of Echoes; Scott Frank, screenwriter of Minority Report and director of The Lookout; Heywood Gould, screenwriter of The Boys from Brazil; Paul Hirsch, editor of Brian De Palma’s Obsession and Blow Out; Hawk Koch, assistant director on Marathon Man and The Parallax View, and producer of Untraceable; Guy Hendrix Dyas, production designer for Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; and John McCarty, author of the books Thrillers and Bullets Over Hollywood.

A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: THE SUSPENSEFUL WORLD OF THRILLERS will explore such topics as the origin of thrillers and development of stylistic conventions; the use of a wrongly accused everyman as a protagonist; the range of female roles, from damsel in distress to femme fatale; the creation of classic villains and the actors who relished playing them; the impact of World War II on the genre; the emergence of more violent thrillers in the 1960s; the rise of the paranoid thriller in the 1970s; and how the genre continues in popularity by latching onto the current zeitgeist.

The following is a complete schedule of TCM’s salute to thrillers (all times shown are Eastern):
Friday, Oct. 2 – Thrillers and Hitchcock
8 p.m. A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009) – premiere.
9 p.m. Rear Window (1954), starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly.
11 p.m. A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009) – encore.
Midnight Shadow of a Doubt (1943), starring Joseph Cotten and Teresa Wright.

Friday, Oct. 9 – Political Thrillers
8 p.m. The Manchurian Candidate (1962), starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Angela Lansbury and Janet Leigh.
10:15 p.m. The Parallax View (1974), starring Warren Beatty and Hume Cronyn.
Midnight The Boys from Brazil (1978), starring Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck.

Friday, Oct. 16 – Crime Thrillers
8 p.m. The Narrow Margin (1952), starring Charles McGraw and Marie Windsor.
9:30 p.m. A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009) – encore.
10:30 p.m. Lured (1947), starring George Sanders, Lucille Ball and Charles Coburn.
12:30 a.m. The Lodger (1944), starring Merle Oberon and George Sanders.

Friday, Oct. 23 – Gothic Thrillers
8 p.m. The Night of the Hunter (1955), starring Robert Mitchum, Lillian Gish and Shelley Winters.
10 p.m. Dragonwyck (1946), starring Gene Tierney, Walter Huston and Vincent Price.
Midnight Rebecca (1940), starring Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier and Judith Anderson.

Friday, Oct. 30 – Psychological Thrillers
8 p.m. Gaslight (1944), starring Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and Angela Lansbury.
10 p.m. Night Must Fall (1937), starring Robert Montgomery, Rosalind Russell and Dame May Whitty.
Midnight Psycho (1960), starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles and Martin Balsam.

Rosa's Fudge Review and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 05:50:00 +0000

If you love chocolate as much as I do then you will love Rosa's Fudge! They make their delicious fudge fresh in New England and have 22 flavors to choose from! I received a box of assorted fudge and loved all so many of them! My favorite was the mint chocolate. So rich and creamy! These make great gifts and you can even create your own assortment of fudge.

Our Handmade Fudge is crafted with premium butter, real vanilla, and heavy cream. We individually wrap each piece of fudge to seal in the most freshness possible. Our fudge is shipped daily and is guaranteed fresh, guaranteed delicious.
Our store is a one-stop shop for those looking to buy premium fudge online. Our gourmet fudge is made with utmost care and our service is unmatched We offer a wide variety of products, from individual fudge flavors to create-your-own assortments. Please visit our store to check out all our products.

6 winners will receive their own 6 piece box of Rosa's Fudge! To enter please tell me what flavors you would choose.

Enter to win a GE Appliance daily and leave a comment each time

Ends Oct. 15th 11:59pm Open to US

MiLuCouture Etsy Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:52:00 +0000

This is one shop that is super cute! The items are very unique and of course handmade with love! MiLuCouture sells baby blankets and the most adorable toys. The blankets are amazing. I received a stroller blanket and it has the softest Minky fabric on the reverse side. The are such a large variety of fabric options to customize your own blanket.

I love how different the fabric choices are- high quality baby! This shop is high quality items that are affordable and great for baby showers or new mom. The blanket I received makes me want to have a baby right now! To view the entire collection visit here.

Koku Cutting Board Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:17:00 +0000

When I cook dinner and have to chop vegetables, I generally have to chop or cut more than one thing. That leads to me having to find a place to put what I just chopped to make room for the next item. It's really not my cup of tea. The Koku Cutting Board solves that and other problems. It has two cutting boards. One on top and the other one is hidden on the bottom. It also has a grater underneath the cutting board as well as a 2 drawers and one has compartments to put your chopped food into. This has helped me so much when preparing dinner!

I love products that make my life easier and this is one of them. It saves me time and also space which is so important in a tiny kitchen. I also like the durability of the cutting boards. They don't stain and do not get marked up from the knife. The Koku Cutting Board makes a great gift for any mother, or cook out there as well as a great wedding gift! To learn more about the Koku visit kokuboard.com.

Are You Washing Your Hands Properly?

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:27:00 +0000

I know it is a silly question but you might be surprised at how many people are not. As I have posted before my whole family has been sick with the flu. I am actually still sick and am starting to get upset! Not only is it miserable but I am so behind on school, housework and of course blogging. Maybe if I had been a little more diligent in making sure my family and I were washing our hands properly this all could have been avoided. Lesson learned!

I recently had the chance to chat with Mike Kapalko, SCA Tissue’s Environmental & Tork Services Manager and he was able to share some great information with me. First of all, did you know that it is better to dry with a paper towel than an air dryer? I always used to think that an air dryer is better because it doesn't require the use of paper which helps save trees. However, when you use a paper towel you are creating friction that gets rid of 99% of germs.

I also learned that antibacterial soap isn't necessary, any old soap will do as long as you wash your hands long enough. Encourage your kids to wash as long as it takes to sing " Happy Birthday". That is something I have been trying to work on with my boys.

Did you know that a study was done at a daycare where they washed children’s hands every morning when they arrived and disinfected any area a parent may have touched and decreased illnesses by 50%. I know that the daycare that my boys attend disinfects everything very thoroughly. I was worried at first that it might be too much (worried they could weaken rather than strengthen their immune system) but after talking with Mike and after seeing how awful and long this flu made us I am thankful for any form of getting rid of germs!

Below is a great article with even more helpful information on proper handwashing to help you stay healthy this winter. Enjoy!

DRY HANDS ARE 1,000 TIMES SAFER THAN DAMP HANDS
Washing Hands Properly Becomes Increasingly Important During the Flu Season

PHILADELPHIA, PA (September 14, 2009) – Countries around the world are trying to tackle the escalating H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic in different ways. Advice from all authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), remains the same: good hand hygiene, particularly in public places. Despite this, there are still too few people who know how to wash and dry their hands in the most hygienic way.

“Our hands touch 300 different surfaces every 30 minutes. And, according to the CDC, up to 40 percent of Americans could contract the H1N1 virus through 2010. So properly washing and, equally important, effectively drying your hands is a simple way of dramatically decreasing your risk of being infected,” says Mike Kapalko, SCA Tissue’s Environmental & Tork Services Manager. “As a leader in hygienic solutions, Tork provides businesses and consumers with handwashing resources such as posters and educational videos through our website.”

The WHO estimates that two billion people [1], one third of the world’s population, could be infected before the end of the pandemic and North American college and university campuses have begun to report hundreds, and in one case thousands, of potential H1N1 cases over the past two weeks.

Viruses can survive on common surfaces like faucet or door handles for up to 72 hours, and considering that we use our hands for almost everything, good hand hygiene is essential to minimize the spread.

Dry Hands Help Reduce the Risk
Damp hands spread 1,000 times more germs than dry hands [2]. It is therefore as important to dry your hands as it is to wash them carefully with soap and warm water. When away from home, a single-use paper towel ensures that hands can be completely dried and are virtually germ free.

Paper towels also help the cleaning itself, due to generated friction. Up to 99 percent of the germs can be removed by drying your hands properly [3]. The drier your hands, the safer you will be.

Paper Towels Are the Key to Hygienic Hands
Getting from 90 percent dry to nearly 100 percent dry is extremely important. A single-use paper towel is the most effective option, as it only takes a few seconds to dry your hands completely and removes close to 100% of germs in hand drying. A warm air dryer takes an average of 43 seconds to get your hands only 95 percent dry.

A 2008 University of Westminster study shows paper towels are the only option that actually reduces the number of bacteria on your hands (by up to 77%). Many people believe incorrectly that hot air drying is the most hygienic way to dry your hands, but compared to single use paper towels, warm air dryers can actually increase the bacteria on your hands by up to 254 percent [4].

Paper towels are also the preferred way of drying hands in public washrooms, as demonstrated in a recent Harris Interactive Consumer Poll, comparing user’s attitudes toward different hand-drying solutions. A clear majority (55%) prefer single-use paper towels to jet air dryers (25%), warm and hot air dryers (16%) and cloth or linen towels (1%)[5].

Advice from Tork on taking care of your hands during the flu season

When should you wash your hands?

Good hand hygiene is especially important during flu seasons and when you are in public places. Wash your hands often and dry them thoroughly. If available, use an instant hand sanitizer as a supplement between washes. To prevent infection and cross-contamination you should wash your hands:
• After arriving at work.
• Before meals or eating any food.
• After visiting the restroom.
• After sneezing.
• Before preparing food.
• Before and after visiting a sick person.
• After arriving home.
• When hands are visibly dirty.

After washing and drying your hands:
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Avoid close contact such as shaking hands and kissing people on the cheek. Especially with people who are sick.
• Cough or sneeze against your sleeve or in a paper tissue that you throw in a waste basket.

The best way to wash and dry your hands

Hands are full of surfaces that can be difficult to reach, which means that many people tend to forget certain parts. When you go to a public washroom, washing your hands properly should take about as long as singing “Happy Birthday” twice.

1. Wet hands with clean warm water.
2. Apply soap.
3. Rub hands together vigorously and scrub all surfaces for 20 seconds. Remember to wash both of your thumbs as thumbs are quite often skipped in the handwashing process!
4. Make sure to wash under nails, watches and jewelry since millions of germs gather there.
5. Rinse with clean water.
6. Dry hands with a single-use paper towel until they are completely dry.
7. Use the paper towel to avoid contact with frequently touched surfaces while leaving the washroom, such as the faucet and door handles.
8. Since hands are to be washed frequently, use mild and gentle soaps.

Tork has created an informational video on proper handwashing.
Check it out at www.torkusa.com/handwashingvideo to view.

Pantry Makeover Challenge $250 GC Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:44:00 +0000

As much as I organize and reorganize my kitchen it never seems to stay in order. I have limited storage and it honestly can be just plain ugly. When my kitchen is a mess then I seldom want to cook. That means my family suffers and I hate that they don't always get a nutritious meal that we can sit down to.

Well things are starting to change! The Canned Food Alliance’s At-Home Economics campaign encourages families to start making more meals at home together as a family. At Mealtime.org there a number of tips and checklists to help you get your kitchen more organized if you are looking to have more homemade meals. Let's face it, it's hard with every one's schedules to even think of making dinner let alone doing it. If you can keep a list of meals on hand along with convenient ingredients ( no crazy things that you have to buy at some specialty shop :) then you might be more motivated to start cooking!

I was so excited to have the opportunity to do my own Pantry Makeover Challenge. I received a Pantry Gift Basket that included a $100 GC to my grocery store. I used it to purchase things for my kitchen and pantry that I knew would help me to want to be in the kitchen. Here is what my pantry looked before the challenge (ok I may have tidied it up a little so you don't see how super bad it was!):

Here is the after:

I used my Gift Card at Walmart and was able to get so many things that I needed. I got more dish rags since I always am cleaning up spills as I cook, some pantry shelves to double my space, a salad spinner to encourage me to serve more salad, an apple slicer to serve more apples as a snack to my boys while I am making dinner, a container to hold all of my recipes that I tear out of magazines, and lots of canned foods to have on hand so I don't have excuses for not having an ingredient on hand. I love all the new room I have in my pantry and organizing it gave me the bug to organize other areas in my kitchen.

So here is the really fun part- one winner will receive a $250 GC of their own to get their kitchen organized! I know- I wish I could enter! So what are you waiting for? To enter to in please visit Mealtime.org and tell me a tip you learned while on their site. They have some really helpful ones!

Many thanks to the Canned Food Alliance for this opportunity!

Enter to win a GE Appliance daily and leave a comment each time

Giveaway ends Oct. 8th at 11:59pm Open to all!

Young Living R.C. Essential Oil Blend Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:09:00 +0000

My Young Living Essential Oils Consultant, Jennifer Nordin, read my mind when she sent me the Young Living R.C. Essential Oil Blend to review. I have asthma and is always it's worse when the weather gets cold. As I have posted before my family has been sick and it has taken it's toll on us. My coughing and congestion has really made me nervous. That is usually when an asthma attack comes. My son has also had some problems with his chest being congested.

So what is a mom to do? Put this stuff to the test! I put the Young Living R.C. Essential Oil Blend in our diffuser at night in my son's room and also rubbed it on his chest and mine as well as our throats in place of vapor rub. It has been such a blessing! So far I have had no asthma attacks and I have noticed the congestion go down when it is on. I also have noticed a decrease in use of my inhaler.

The smell is also very pleasant. It has a nice citrus scent to it. I highly recommend this oil to anyone suffering from asthma or any other respiratory problems. The oil can be purchased here and if you need a diffuser for your home (trust me you want one) then you can find one here. If you are looking to purchase essential oils to help your family heal naturally and support your immune system then you have to order from Jennifer. She truly continues to meet my needs and is very knowledgeable and not to mention has great customer service!

Jennifer Nordin, Independent Young Living Distributor #329194, provides practical aromatherapy tips and private consultations through her blog, Oils For Wellness. Be sure to subscribe to her e-newsletter for more ways to experience the amazing healing benefits of essential oils. Start living well today- purchase pure Young Living aromatherapy products from the Oils For Wellness website!

Jennifer Gardner is the New Frigidaire Spokesmom!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Frigidaire just announced Jennifer Garner as their new celebrity ambassador! Jennifer has introduced Frigidaire’s new line of appliances, designed with features that help us Moms save time in our busy schedules, and challenge us to pledge a bit of our own time to help children in need.

Frigidaire’s new “Make Time for CHANGE” campaign supports Save the Children’s U.S. Programs, dedicated to making a difference in children’s lives. Frigidaire and Garner are asking Moms to think ahead to November 1st – the day all of us change the clocks and get an extra hour – and pledge to use that time to help make a difference in the lives of children.

Save the Children created the CHANGE program (Creating Healthy, Active, and Nurturing Growing-up Environments) to promote healthier lifestyles for children living in poverty by providing nutritious snacks and regular opportunities for them to be physically active. Starting today, everyone who goes to Frigidaire.com and raises her hand with a pledge to make time for a child, will commit Frigidaire to donate $1 to support the CHANGE. As an added bonus, everyone who pledges her time will be entered for a chance to win a new Frigidaire Professional double wall oven. We also have a Frigidaire Professional double wall oven to give away to our Mom Central Community!* To enter to win, simply go to http://www.momcentral.com/reviews/frigidaire-giveaway-and-celebrity-ambassador.html and tell us about your pledge and how you would give back your time to children in need. Mom Central will pick one lucky winner in a random drawing from all entries received!

To find out more info visit Frigidaire.com

I know that I am pledging to read more to my boys. It is so hard for me to say tomorrow when I am tired but it is one thing that doesn't require a lot of energy and is so meaningful to them. What do you pledge?

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Mickey's Christmas Carol and Winnie the Pooh Seasons of Giving on DVD

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:51:00 +0000

Just in time to get in the mood for Christmas- I know Halloween isn't even here yet! Mickey's Christmas Carol is out on DVD and so is the Winnie the Pooh Seasons of Giving. I can't say that I have watched these ones yet because I am waiting to give these to my boys on our car ride to see our family in Phoenix for Christmas! How much fun will it be for us to pop these in the dvd player to help us survive the 24 hour long car drive while getting in the festive spirit.

Celebrate the holidays with Mickey’s Christmas Carol, a beloved classic short film that is now part of the Disney Animation Collection! Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and many more of your favorite characters join the cast in this delightfully charming adaptation of a classic holiday tale. Ebeneezer Scrooge (Scrooge McDuck) is far too greedy to understand that Christmas is the time for kindness and generosity. So, with the guidance of some wise ghosts (with Goofy and Jiminy Cricket), and the examples set by his clerk Bob Cratchit (Mickey Mouse) and nephew Fred (Donald Duck), Scrooge learns how to embrace the true spirit of the season. Each volume in the Disney Animation Collection series is packed with classic Disney short films that will bring laughter and merriment into your family’s home.

Bonus Shorts
Pluto’s Christmas Tree
The Small One
Santa’s Workshop

Set in the Hundred Acre Woods, Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving 10th Anniversary

Edition follows Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Rabbit on a brave quest to find a favorite season they

have seemed to miss – winter. Accompany them on a wild search for the perfect ingredients to

creative a festive Thanksgiving feast and share in the warm glow of a Christmas that brings a

surprise from a very special friend.

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving 10th Anniversary Edition includes two new-to-DVD (U.S

only) Pooh episodes (“The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Magic Earmuffs,” “The New

Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Wishing Bear”) plus five heartfelt songs and a collectible

Christmas stocking.

BONUS FEATURES

*“The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Magic Earmuffs”

*“The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Wishing Bear”

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving 10th Anniversary, is available for U.S. $29.99 (SRP),

Canada $35.99 (SRP) from Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Making Healthy Eating Fun for Your Kids - A Recipe Swap

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I love recipe swaps! Even better when they are healthy. It can be so easy to rely on prepackaged items to give as snacks that are filled with no nutrients. It is my goal to start making more healthy treats. That means from scratch. That means I have to make time to do it. Sigh. Well here is a recipe that sounds super healthy. I have no idea where I got it but am excited to try it out. Breakfast has been a struggle in my house lately. This will hopefully fix the lull for awhile!

Giant Breakfast Cookies

1 cup melted butter
3/4 cup honey (yeah no sugar!)
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (that's healthy right?)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Mix butter, honey, eggs, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir in flour and oats. Fold in raisins or choc. chips. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15- 20 min.

Be sure to check out all of the Momlogic.com articles on getting your kids to eat healthy with tips and recipes here.
What is your favorite healthy recipe? I need all the help I can get!

Making the Grocery Store A Fun & Nutritional Endeavor

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Getting your kids to eat right is of course important, but so is knowing how to shop. I have read before that if you take your child to the grocery store with you and have them pick out the healthy items they will be more willing to eat it.

I know that with my toddlers it can be a challenge just even taking them to the store with me. The times that I do have them help me I make sure to stick to my list and not get easily swayed when they want extra items. We always start in the produce section and my oldest is really good about helping pick out fruits and vegetables. His favorite is asparagus and I always know that gets him started. Then I ask what next? Then he usually is willing to throw any fruit or vegetable in the cart!

I also try to explain to them why we are not buying certain items. For example they always want of course, sugary cereal. I let them know that the cartoon character might look fun and cookies might sound like a well balanced breakfast but that our bodies can't have all that sugar. I haven't had a melt down yet!

Lastly, I always make sure not to be too strict with not buying any treats. I always get at least one yummy snack. Otherwise I would be going through withdrawals as much as them!

How do you navigate the grocery store with your kids?
Don't forget: Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy is answering questions about nutrition. Send her your questions to eatingright@wb.com. She will post answers starting this week.

Disclosure: I have been hired by Warner Bros. to share about healthy eating habits.

Yo Gabba Gabba On Tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:38:00 +0000

I wish I lived closer so that I could take my boys to see this! Here is info for the Yo Gabba Gabba Tour!

KICKS OFF FIRST EVER U.S. TOUR
YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY
ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 IN LOS ANGELES

SPECIAL GUESTS WILL JOIN THE PARTY ON STAGE, ROCKING THEIR FAVORITE ‘DANCEY DANCE’ MOVES
ADVANCE TICKETS FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARDMEMBERS
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
PUBLIC ON-SALE BEGINS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9

BEVERLY HILLS, CA & MIAMI, FL -- (September 24, 2009) –W!LDBRAIN, the award-winning animation and entertainment company and S2BN Entertainment are proud to announce the launch of YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY, the first live U.S. touring show for the hit children’s program Yo Gabba Gabba!. The show will feature DJ Lance Rock, and everyone’s favorite cast of characters– Brobee (the little green one), Foofa (the pink flower bubble), Muno (the red Cyclops), Plex (the magic robot), and Toodee (the blue cat-dragon) as well as lots of surprise guests. The tour comes on the heels of the first YO GABBA GABBA! CD release YO GABBA GABBA! MUSIC IS AWESOME, hitting the shelves nationwide on October 20.

The tour will kick off in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 14, at the Shrine Expo Hall. YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY will also appear at the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Saturday, November 21, and the Rosemont Theatre outside of Chicago on Saturday, December 5. There will be two shows in each city -- in LA and Chicago they will be held at 11 AM and 3 PM and in NY 11 AM and 2PM.

Tickets will be available to American Express Cardmembers from Wednesday, September 30, at 9 AM through Thursday October 8 at 9PM. There will also be a special pre-sale for Gabba Mail members on Tuesday, October 6th at 10AM EDT. The public on-sale will begin October 9 at 10AM. Tickets will be available via Ticketmaster.com and YoGabbaGabba.com.
A one-of-a-kind live event, YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY will feature music, animation, games, singing, dancing, and special musical guests. Favorites such as “Party in My Tummy” “Hold Still” and “Get the Sillies Out” will be featured in the show. Special guests will also join the party on stage rocking their favorite ‘Dancey Dance’ moves. Presented using state of the art production elements, YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY will offer audience members of all ages an unparalleled experience.

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY
Los Angeles, CA
Shrine Expo Hall Saturday, November 14, 2009 11AM and 3PM

New York, NY
Beacon Theatre Saturday, November 21, 2009 11AM and 2PM

Chicago, IL
Rosemont Theatre Saturday, December 5, 2009 11AM and 3PM

Winners

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

It's no fun being sick! I have pink eye and the flu and the rest of the fam has been sick as well. Then my computer crashed! Anyways it is back up and I wanted to post winners- I know the list is getting short for giveaways but there are more to come including one big one you won't want to miss! Speaking of big giveaways- I don't have very many entries for the GE Appliance. Come on people this is the HUGEST giveaway I have ever had! Enter to win on the widget on my sidebar. So many of you are lucky on here- so now is your chance to make it happen- enter everyday!

The winner of the RCA camera is Cherdon! By the way you can purchase the RCA camcorder at amazon.com here

The winners of the My Gym DVD are Alice H and joannamarieprice

The winner of the Addie bugs banner is tylerpants

The winner of the $50 GC to Bei Bambini is Belinda M

The Hoopnotica winner is Annie1

The Shelf Reliance winner is Baba

The anytimecostume winner is Jolynn_Reeds

The winner of Your Baby Can Read starter kit is Krystal

The aden+anais winner is Carli!

The 3 winners of the Hallmark giveaway are Carla, JoeyfromSC and PlumValleyDesigns!

Body Systems Bath Treatment Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Here is another great product from Body Systems that I got to try out. The Wasabi Hangover Bath Treatment. Now I don't drink so I don't have hangovers but this stuff is also great when you have the flu or a cold. Lucky for me I got to try this out since I have the flu :) ! I used this yesterday in my bath and enjoyed the relaxing feeling it gave me. The vapors helped relieve my aches and pains and my congestion. Just another great all natural alternative from Body-Systems!

Jesse Steele Apron Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:44:00 +0000

Vintage style aprons are all the rage these days. Jesse Steele offers a large range of aprons with a retro feel in both the fabric and the design. They have aprons that cover the whole body as well as just the half sized ones. They also have a ton of matching potholders and dish towels so you look super cute while cooking! To view the entire collection visit Jessesteele.com.

Nature's Notebook

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Have you seen those beautiful pictures of a word or name written in the sand on the beach? I have always admired them and now I know where to go anytime I want one! At Nature's Notebook artist Courtney Noelle offers such a large range of words to choose from and can even personalize it for you! These make great gifts for anyone. It also makes a great decoration for your home that is so unique! To view the entire collection from Nature's Notebook and to make a purchase visit Naturesnotebook.com.

Curious Chef Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:58:00 +0000

I have a hard time letting my toddlers help me in the kitchen with cooking and baking. It just is so much work. So many messes and extra ingredients added to the recipe when I am not looking that I really try to avoid it whenever possible. I know so bad of me! Recently however I received some great kitchen utensils made just for kids from Curious Chef that has been changing my mind.

We received a large assortment of utensils to get my kids motivated for cooking and keep them busy too! The boys favorite at the moment is the pizza cutter. You would think that would be too dangerous for a child to use but not with Curious Chef! The pizza cutter is plastic and completely safe. They love me serving them their slice of pizza and then cutting it themselves.

Another favorite from the set is the 6 Piece Cookie Gift Set. It has everything we need to make yummy cookies. We made sugar cookies with our set which comes with adorable cookie cutters, stickers, and of course a child sized rolling pin! I made the cookie dough while they were at preschool and when they got home we went to work with our creations. It was such a fun after school activity.

I also appreciated how the utensils were so easy for my boys to hold and maneuver. The spatula is just their size to help me mix and scrape and the measuring cups help them to have a good grip as they pour. Now I am a little more eager for them to help me out! To view Curious Chef's entire line of products visit Curiouschef.com.

Confessions of A Completely Insane Mother Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:45:00 +0000

Every mom needs a good laugh from time to time. I loved reading Confessions of A Completely Insane Mother by Kersten Campbell. It is full of short little stories of insane and hilarious moments of motherhood that so many of us can relate to.

I keep my copy in the car with me and read it when waiting to pick the boys up from school or if I get to one of my classes early. It always puts me in a good mood! I even laughed out loud a couple of times. It is especially encouraging to see a mother get through the challenging times with a sense of humor instead of being stressed out all of the time.

From her site:

Overwhelmed? Stressed? Discouraged? You need the laughter therapy that is in this book! Hey…it’s better for you than the five pounds of chocolate you were about to devour…
Discover the power of laughter, perspective, and love when you read how one family works
together to overcome their laughable daily problems such as a church bag that hasn’t been cleaned since 1970, thousands of pens disappearing for no reason, and a dog that escapes into the neighbor’s house and begs for chicken.

With subjects ranging from zucchini crime to selling rocks to the neighbors, this book is sure to
win the hearts of mothers and grandmothers everywhere.

These humor essays are designed to lift you as a mother and make you laugh and enjoy the ups
and downs of your divine calling. You will find comfort in knowing that nobody is perfect and that’s okay. We all struggle with similar issues and problems. Caution: Eating and drinking while reading this book could be hazardous to your outfit. Get ready to laugh and love your job as a mother.

To learn more about Kersten Campbell and her book visit her site at http://www.kerstencampbell.com/index.html

Perseverance Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Mia) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Cancer is such a scary word. To be able to have lived through it is such a triumph! In Carolyn Rubenstein's book Perseverance: True Voices of Cancer Survivors, Carolyn shares with us 20 stories of young people who survived cancer. The book isn't just about cancer though, it is about having hope and never giving up. An excerpt from the book can be found here which can also be found on her site carolynrubenstein.com.

What is even more amazing is how much Carolyn has accomplished for cancer patients and survivors. She was six when she visited a camp for cancer patients and at the age of 14 started her own non-profit organization for cancer survivors to provide scholarships and support for survivors wanting to attend college. She is 24 and already has her BA in Psychology. Wow! I wish I was that productive and charitable! This is an amazing and inspiring book that would be great for anyone who likes happy endings.