Movie night just isn’t movie night without a bowl of popcorn in your lap to munch on.  My 5-year-old never lets us forget that, so I was happy to have a sample of Pop Weaver’s new microwave popcorn on hand as we settled in for our most recent family movie night.  As soon as I announced we were going to watch a movie, I heard, “Yay! I want popcorn!”

I had recently received a sample Pop Weaver’s Light Butter microwave popcorn cooked in their newly formulated canola oil blend to try out so I tossed a bag in the microwave.  In addition to tasting great, the popcorn popped up light and fluffy with just two minutes in the microwave.  Plus, with only 210 calories per bag popped, it is a snack I don’t feel bad feeding my children.  That isn’t the only benefit though.

Pop Weaver’s Canola oil blend is primarily comprised of “heart healthy” polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and supply Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids, helping to protect against coronary heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. And the popcorn provides other health benefits, as well, since it is a good source of whole grains. Not only does it contain fiber, but a study released this summer found that popcorn also provides healthy antioxidants. In fact, because it is unprocessed, according to the study, popped popcorn provided more antioxidants than any other snack food tested.

What more can you ask for in a quick, tasty snack?  I have to admit that I would like a little more butter flavor on my popcorn, but Pop Weaver has that covered with the Butter and Extra Butter flavors for just a few more calories per bag.  I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for it the next time I’m strolling the aisles at the grocery store.  At only 21 cents per bag, it’s a great snack to have on hand!

Giveaway Time!

If you would like to try out Pop Weaver’s new microwave popcorn made with canola oil, you’re in luck!  I have two 8-count boxes of popcorn to give away to two lucky commenters! 

How to enter:
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment below. I’d love it if you would tell me what your favorite healthy snack is or what you like to munch on during movie night. Be sure to leave an e-mail address where you can be reached if you win!

Contest will close Wednesday, August 18th, at 11:59 p.m. CST. You must be a U.S. resident, or have a U.S. postal address to participate. Two winners will be chosen from all eligible comments via random.org and notified by e-mail.

Back in high school I had a friend who always had the best music.  He was the kid who always had a cd player and headphones in his backpack ready to pull out when there was a lull in the day.  He introduced me to a lot of music during the two years of high school that we shared, but the most lasting impression was the time he had me listen to Sarah McLachlan‘s Fumbling Towards Ecstacy.

I don’t remember what song he first played for me, but I know that I soon owned the album and listening to “Elsewhere” on repeat quickly became my outlet for teen angst.  I doubt there is any album in my collection that has been played more.

Since that initial purchase,  I have bought every album that Sarah (we’re on a first name basis here) has put out.  Her voice has carried me through half of my lifetime now, so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out Laws of Illusion was set to release.  I was even more thrilled when I found out that One2One Network was covering her release and I jumped on the opportunity to get my hands on a review copy.

Laws of Illusion is everything you would expect from a Sarah McLachlan album.  Her soothing, melodic vocals stand out over the instruments in the background as she pours her soul into each song.  In this album she brings a sense of maturity as she explores love, heartbreak, renewal, and the weight of the world around us.  Some songs, like “Out of Tune” hold a heaviness that you can feel as you listen to the lyrics:

It isn’t my heart that’s grown cold
The same mistakes are getting old
I’m lost for words, I don’t know what to do

But when I’m lying here with you
And the whole world’s out of tune
You’re the one and only voice that makes things right
So stay with me tonight

It is apparent that McLachlan has done a lot of soul searching in the years since her last album release.  Overall, the album was not as upbeat as I would have expected it to be, but that certainly hasn’t kept it from being on a nearly constant rotation since the day I received it.

I recently received a copy of One eskimO’s debut album to review from One2One Network.  One eskimO is a critically-acclaimed English band fronted by singer-songwriter Kristian Leontiou and includes musicians Pete Rinaldi (guitar), Jamie Sefton (bass, horns) and Adam Falkner (drums).

If you listen to pop or adult alternative radio stations, you’ve probably already heard the song “Kandi” since it has hit #1 on adult rock radio.  If not, you can check out the video on YouTube and give it a listen.  I think it is my favorite song on the album, although “Chocolate” and “Amazing” are both close seconds.  “Kandi” just tends to get stuck in my head a little more.

Billboard Magazine calls One eskimO’s self-titled debut album “…catchy, ambient pop.”  I call it perfect rainy day music.  Overall, it is pretty mellow with a nice pop feel to it.  It’s great to listen to in the office while I’m working, but I probably wouldn’t put it on when I need an energy boost.

If you want to catch One eskimO live, they are touring throughout May, June, and July supporting Michael Franti in addition to some festivals and headlining shows.  They’ll be at the Crossroads in Kansas City on June 13th if any local people want to check them out.

Want more One eskimO?  Get a free download of “Astronauts” by tweeting, visit the One eskimO  web site, connect on Facebook, or check out their YouTube channel!

Have you heard One eskimO yet?  I’d love to hear what you think of them in the comments!

Share and Enjoy:

Being a full-time working (out of the home) mom can be exhausting.  There is always something being left undone due to lack of time or energy.  After working all day, feeding, bathing, and chasing kids around all evening, all you want to do is sit and relax.  That’s why simple things like sending birthday wishes or a “just thinking of you” card to a friend often fall through the cracks.  Even if you remember to buy a card, you may forget to actually mail them (not that I would ever do anything like that).   Thankfully, I just discovered enGreet.com, an online greeting card store that sends out real cards through the mail.

Not only does enGreet send out the cards for you, but they print and mail them within one business day.  You can choose cards for all kinds of occasions – holidays, birthdays, sympathy, friendship, etc.  You can even find some fun non-traditional cards.  You can customize each and every card to suit your needs, upload your own photos, and there are even several handwriting style fonts you can use to write a personal message.

Want to send some special Valentine wishes out but haven’t had the time to shop for a card?  For only $2.99 plus postage, you can have it out in the mail tomorrow!  The even have St. Patrick’s Day cards!  You can also schedule your cards to be sent out on the date you specify if you like to think ahead.

EnGreet also had an e-mail reminder service so you never forget a birthday or special date.  Soon, they will be integrating with Facebook as well and will be able to import your Facebook contacts’ birthdays.  They will also have an option to sign up for text message reminders when it’s time to send a card or follow up with a phone call.

I have a feeling enGreet.com is going to change the way I send cards from now on!

A few weeks ago I received a copy of Ladybug from Butterflyfish.  When I put it in the cd player on the way to preschool/day care one morning, the kids fussed at me.  It wasn’t their usual Laurie Berkner that they were used to listening to during the morning ride.  Fortunately, it didn’t take long for them to adjust. After just a couple of listens they were singing along!

Matthew Myer Boulton, Elizabeth Myer Boulton, and Zoë Krohne formed Butterflyfish after chatting at a picnic about how to explore the spiritual side of life with their children in new ways. Agreeing that most spiritually themed music made for families were “pretty thin broth, both musically and spiritually,” they set out to create what they had been searching for.  Their first cd, Ladybug,  has gotten great reviews, even being called “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” for kids!

Ladybug is a great collection of folk/bluegrass style songs with a spiritual message.  Mixed in with a collection of Boulton’s originals, are new takes on some of the old classics such as “Jesus Loves Me” and “Deep Down In My Heart.”  The music is light-hearted and fun, while also introducing biblical stories and context. My 4-year-old’s favorite song is “What Jonah Learned Inside the Whale,” and I keep catching him singing it even when the cd isn’t on.  The best part though, is that it has him asking questions and wanting to know more.  After listening to “When the Spirit Sings In Me,” we had a long discussion about what “the Spirit” means and how it relates to our lives.

Don’t think this music is only for kids though.  I’ll admit to playing it (and singing along) even when I’m in the car by myself!  I can’t resist the harmony on “Music.”  Even my husband, who is not at all fond of Folk music, likes it and it’s rare that he’ll admit to liking anything that isn’t hard rock or metal.

For my family, this cd came at a perfect time.  We’ve been trying to re-commit ourselves to going to church and just started attending a brand new church in our area.  I love that the music is helping my son become more interested in God and to be quite honest, it really puts me in the mood to worship on Sunday mornings!

I was actually quite surprised at how much my family loves this cd.  We have all been singing the songs for a couple of weeks now and haven’t tired of it yet. Because we love it so much, I e-mailed Elizabeth and asked if she would be willing to provide another copy of Ladybug for me to give away to my readers.  She graciously said yes!

How to enter:
All you have to do to enter the contest is leave a comment below.  I’d love it if you would tell me what your favorite song (spiritual or otherwise) was when you were a kid.  Are there memories attached to it or did you just like the song?

Contest will close Tuesday, December 15th, 2009, at 11:59 p.m. CST.  One winner will be chosen from all eligible comments via random.org and notified by e-mail.

To find out more about Butterflyfish, go to www.butterflyfishband.com.  You can sample and purchase Ladybug in the store, or check out some of the other fun stuff, such as the yummy Strawberry Lemonade recipe!

Disclosure: I received a copy of Butterflyfish’s cd, Ladybug, for the purposes of this review.

I’m not sure how exactly it happened, but it seems we are already in the second week of December.  That would mean that Christmas is coming up in no time!  If I give it too much thought I’ll be in full panic mode.  I usually have pretty much all of my Christmas shopping done by now, but I’m sad to say this year it just didn’t happen.  Life just gets busy, you know?  Besides my usual holiday shopping, baking, etc., I also have a Bat Mitzvah to attend and will have 6 extra guests in my house for 10 days or so.

I’m still sorting out my lists and trying to come up with gift ideas for a few people, but if I don’t figure it out soon, I’m heading over to Snapgifts.com and taking care of them all in one swoop.  Did I mention that some of those gifts have to be mailed halfway across the country? I have friends and relatives in Oregon, Utah, Louisiana, and Alabama that I still need to buy for.  Fortunately, some of them are coming here to visit but the rest will have to be shipped.

Snapgifts.com is a website where you can buy gift cards and send them directly to your family and friends. They carry both local (only in select markets, but will be expanding soon) and national brands to suit nearly anyone on your shopping list.  You can purchase either traditional plastic gift cards or an e-Gift Card that is sent directly to the recipient’s e-mail to be printed out.

If you still can’t decide what to get that special someone on your list, you can let them do the deciding for you by sending them a Snapcard.  Snapcards are e-mailed directly to the recipient, along with your own personal message, and can be redeemed for any of the 600+ gift cards on Snapgifts.com.  It’s almost too easy!

So that I could try the entire purchasing process out, Snapgifts offered me a $25 gift card.  I redeemed my code tonight for a local restaurant that my family likes to eat at and it was so simple.  I just clicked on the card I wanted, selected the amount, and then filled in my information.  When I checked my e-mail, I already had notification that the gift card was purchased.

I’m anxious to see what other cities are added for local gift card purchases.  I never know for sure what stores are available when I buy gift cards for out of town friends and Snapgifts solves that problem.  I will definitely be using Snapgifts in the future!

If you still have gifts to buy, I highly recommend checking out Snapgifts.com.  For the entire month of December, they are offering free shipping on all gift cards! Just enter the code “freeshipping” when you check out!

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products.

Featured Reviews

Pouchees – Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.

Duck Hunter – Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.

CardStore cards- Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone’s to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.

Great Holiday Gift Ideas

Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry

Just Elfin’ Around

Card Cubby

Harumika By Bandai

Harumika Runway Showstopper

Harumika Style Starter

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo

Strawberry Shortcake Playset

Kota Monty Rex

Wall to Wall Basketball

Nerf Pocket Vortex

Busy Ball Popper

Talking Chuck Truck

Leapfrog My Pal Scout

Leapfrog Tag Jr

Leapfrog Scribble and Write

Animal Planet Polar Land Playset

Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat

Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack

OnionHead Children’s Feelings Pack

Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set

FotoboxPlus

MeTime Tees

Fun Holiday Giveaway!

For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here: http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw

Prizes include:

Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry

Pouchee

Elfing Around

Harumika

Onionhead Feelings Pack

Nerf Wall to Wall Basketball

Baby Alive Whoopsie Doo

MeTime T-shirt

Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.

Global Influence Member Guides

Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites! Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys

All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.

This giveaway has ended and the winner, Jamie P, has been notified. Keep checking back for more great giveaways!

It’s time for another fun giveaway from UPrinting.com. Just in time for the holidays, UPrinting is giving away 50 Custom Thank You cards and envelopes! These cards are perfect for thanking friends and family for all those holiday gifts or even giving away in a gift basket! Don’t need Thank You cards? Customize it and turn it into a greeting card instead. UPrinting cards are printed on high-quality paper and cardstock and are perfect for just about any occasion.

Here are the specifics of what you can win:

Prize Offered: (50 ct.) 7 x 5″ (folded to 3.5 x 5″) Custom Thank You Cards with plain envelopes
Shipping: Free UPS Ground within United States
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs.

Enter to win the 50 Custom Thank You cards by leaving a comment below telling me how you plan to use them! Be sure to leave a valid e-mail address with your comment so you can be notified if you win.

This contest will close on November 29, 2009 at 12:00 Noon (Central).  A winner will be chosen from all valid entries by Random.org and notified by e-mail.  The winner will receive an e-mail directly from UPrinting with a code for their 50 free cards on December 5, 2009.

Disclosure: In appreciation for hosting this giveaway, UPrinting is also giving me a set of 50 Custom Thank You cards with envelopes.

Entries are now closed. The winner of the 100 postcards giveaway is Average Jane!

It’s time for another fun giveaway from my blog sponsor UPrinting.com! This time UPrinting would like to offer one lucky reader a set of 100 custom postcards.

So, what can you do with a postcard? Only about a million different things! Postcards are very versatile. You could use them for party invitations, holiday cards, business advertisements, change of address, save the date cards, sale ads, thank you cards, and so many other things. There are so many options I don’t even know what I would use them for!

One lucky winner will receive 100 custom postcards as detailed below:

Size: 4×6
Paper: 14pt Cardstock Gloss
Printing: Full color both sides    
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US (Canadian residents pay shipping and taxes. Offer not available to residents outside of the US and Canada)

How to enter:

Got a creative idea of how you would use your postcards? Leave a comment below telling me how you would use them and you’re entered in the contest! Be sure to use a valid e-mail address as that is how you will be notified of your prize.

Contest is open until Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at 12:00 Noon Central. Winner will be chosen from all eligible entries via random.org and notified by e-mail. A coupon code for the postcards will be sent to the winner’s registered email by UPrinting.com on November 6, 2009.


Disclosure: In exchange for hosting this giveaway, I will also receive a set of 100 postcards from UPrinting.com.

It’s time for yet another music review (this has been a fun week!)!  This time it’s Michael Bublé’s latest release, Crazy Love.  All about the crazy rollercoaster ride that is love, Crazy Love is filled with new originals like the fun single, “Haven’t Met You Yet,” as well as covers of classics like “Georgia On My Mind” and the title track “Crazy Love.”

To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect when I cracked open this cd.  Despite his irresistible good looks, I somehow have not paid much attention to Michael Bublé.  I’ve heard his name thrown around a lot over the last few years bus still managed to somehow pass him by.

Thanks to the One2One Network, I finally got a chance to discover what Mr. Bublé is all about and let me tell you, I now understand the craze!  While I’m not a huge fan of jazz music, I found myself really enjoying his smooth voice.  He conveys so much emotion with his voice that you can almost hear him smiling through the lyrics at times.  I’ve actually found it to be a perfect cd to listen to at work over the last week. For some reason it seems just perfect for a cold winter day when all you want to do snuggle up in a warm sweater. I really enjoyed the cover songs, but I also found myself tapping along to his originals.  “Haven’t Met You Yet” has quickly become a new favorite.  If you haven’t heard it yet, check out the video below!



Crazy Love, released earlier than originally planned due to fan demand, is in stores now. For more information on Michael Buble, check out www.michaelbuble.com or become a fan on Facebook.

An advance copy of Crazy Love was provided by One2One Network for review purposes.