You What? uKloo!

Friday, 6 December 2013

uKloo (pronounced You-Clue) is a fun, engaging, early reader treasure hunt game for kids ages 4+. It was created by Doreen Dotto who has 2 boys that were reluctant readers and tried to avoid doing reading homework. She wanted to create a fun way to get them engaged in reading with a bonus of being active while doing it!

So what exactly is uKloo and how do you play it? The game comes with 4 sets of cards (3 reading levels and a set of blank dry-erase cards). You set the cards up in various locations throughout the house according to what is on the card. Once they find one card it will tell them where to find the next card and so on. The last hiding spot reveals their surprise.

The surprise can be anything you want it to be. A dollar store toy, a certificate to get ice cream, a sticker, a card from mom or dad, a lollipop, etc. It doesn't have to be complicated at all!

Examples of each level of the reading cards from early readers to more detailed readers:
1) Look beside the milk
2) Find it in your helmet
3) Search on the bed under your dad's pillow

For early readers there is also a poster of all the words that are used on the card. If a child gets stuck on a word they can refer to the poster that has a picture with each word to help them figure it out. The poster is also sorted by verbs, preposition, helper words, and nouns. The words in each category are also listed alphabetically.

My kids love this game and frequently ask to play it. Sometimes I use it as an incentive when Kayla is a bit slow getting ready for school. I'll ask her if she wants to play uKloo when she gets home and that usually perks her up! She even tried telling her aide as school about a game she was going to play at home, but he had no idea what she was talking about.

They both enjoy running around to the next spot and seeing where that card is going to take them ... and wondering when they are going to find their surprise!

Here are 2 quick videos of each of them playing the game.

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A short clip of Kayla. I had a couple more video clips of her reading her cards and finding her surprise, but they've mysteriously disappeared from my phone ... coincidentally after Kayla was looking through the videos!

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uKloo has won 9 awards (3 from Dr Toy categories), is available in Canada, US, and International, and available as a free app.

uKloo2 - Riddle Edition Treasure Hunt Game for ages 7+ was recently released and that is on my to-get list for Lucas's birthday. While Lucas does have fun with the Early Reader game, the Riddle Edition will be more challenging for him and I'm sure he would enjoy figuring out the riddles to find the next clue.

Disclaimer: I received a uKloo game for free to review, but all opinions on the game are mine and my children's!

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We Sing 80s Review and Giveaway

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

A Wii video game featuring 80s music? Growing up in the 80's I say: Yes, please!

I received a bundled pack of the Nordic Games We Sing 80's (to include 2 microphones) for review. 

Since my husband is also a child of the 80's I figured this would be a fun game for us to have for the Wii. If you were a child of the 80's you know you loved the music from that decade! This game has 30 songs including 21 that were worldwide number 1 hits. There is a good variety of mixed genre including songs by Cyndi Lauper, Paula Abdul, Smokey Robinson, Cameo, Queen, Tears For Fears, Lionel Ritchie.

There are a couple of big names not on the list - Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson - but maybe there are copyright issues and they couldn't use their songs.

I thought I knew a good amount of 80's songs, but there were several songs I didn't know.

I figured this would be a game that only Joe and I would enjoy ... not our kids. Of course we couldn't try it out after they went to bed because they probably would have woken up from our singing!

Even though my kids know nothing of 80's music they were very anxious and excited for us to break out the game ... and they wanted to play it too ... even though we kept telling them these are EIGHTIES songs and you DON'T KNOW THESE SONGS!

That didn't matter to them. They wanted the microphones and they wanted to sing. They had a blast. Since they lyrics scroll through on the bottom of the screen this is also a great way to increase reading skills and reading fluency. It's so funny to hear Lucas trying to keep up with the lyrics of the song as he's reading the words scrolling through the screen.

Kayla's favorite song seems to be "Boys (Summertime Love)" by Sabrina (one of those songs that I didn't know). It's not easy for her to keep up with the flow of singing the lyrics, so this one she can easily sing "Boys, boys, boys" over and over!

They've asked to play this several times and Lucas has told me that his favorite songs are "True Colors" and "Smooth Operator"! Another day we were driving and he hears on the radio station "the best hits on" whatever radio station it was and he says, "No, that's not right! The best hits aren't on that station. The best hits We Sing 80's!" I guess he's turning in to an 80's music fan?

You can play up with up to 4 microphones and there are several ways to play - solo, party, karaoke, 8 multiplayer modes, original artist with video plays on the screen. There are singing lessons, replay features, and 3 difficulty levels.

I already know that I have no musical talent and should only be singing when I'm driving (ha!) and this confirms that, but it also made me realize how many of the lyrics I actually don't know! I find it much harder to sing along as I'm trying to read the lyrics.

All in all my family has been having fun with this game and enjoying 'singing' together ... but I won't embarrass my kids (or myself!) with a video showing our non-singing skills. You can watch a trailer for the We Sing 80's game here.

Giveaway! You can win your own copy of We Sing 80's by leaving a comment stating what your favorite 80s song/musician/group is. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner. Winner will be chosen by random.org

 

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Put Some Wiggle in That Ziggle

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Thanks to House Party's Chatterbox feature my kids received an early Christmas present.

The Radio Flyer Ziggle is the fun way to get the wiggles out and provides for outdoor (and even indoor!) fun activities. 

When I first pulled it out of the box I sighed thinking it was going to be cumbersome to put together. By the time Joe got off the couch to help me, I pretty much had it all done. It really was pretty easy to assemble! The seat is adjustable to grow with your child, but unless I missed something, the only way I could see to adjust it was to unscrew it and put it on the next setting. It would be nice if there was something you could click together to move the seat forward/backward instead of having to unscrew it ... but other than that ... no complaints!

The suggested age is 3-8, but since Kayla is a little on the smaller size for a 10 year old she is able to comfortably use this too. Her legs are a little bit long for it, but for now she can still fit without her knees hitting the handlebars.

It doesn't take much for kids to figure out how to use it - you just move the handlebars back and forth and just wiggle!

It glides smoothly and easily and when you can gain some speed you can drift into 360 degree spins.

Joe and I both commented, as we were watching Kayla and Lucas try this out, that we wished there was one for bigger 'kids' because we wanted to try it out too!

Lucas' review, "That was amazing!" Kayla thought it was pretty easy to use and she liked it too.

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America's ToothFairy and SparX Candy Giveaway

Sunday, 20 October 2013

America's ToothFairy and Xlear have teamed up to provide a SparX candy giveaway just in time for Halloween.

America's ToothFairy mission is to eliminate children's preventable suffering from pediatric dental disease by providing programs and resources to communities including preventative, educational, and treatment services.

Trick or Treat with America's ToothFairy and find an activity calendar, and a word search among other ideas for fundraising to provide funds for kids to receive dental care and preventative services.

You can also sign up for the Kids Club where your child can receive personalized letters from the tooth fairy.

The giveaway is for a 30-pack bag of Halloween SparX candy. SparX is naturally sweetened candy dots made with Xylitol. Years of clinical testing shows that xylitol may reduce the risk of tooth decay and six national dental associations have officially endorsed sugar-free gums and candies made with xylitol.

This candy comes in 3 flavors: Berry, Citrus, and Fruit. To enter the giveaway leave a comment with which flavor you think you would like the best. Contest ends on Oct 23; winner will be chosen by random.org.

Speaking of dental health and preventative services; America's ToothFairy and Oral-B provided Kayla with a Pro Health For Me Rechargeable toothbrush for review. This toothbrush comes with 2 brush heads and a rechargeable battery that can't be overcharged. It has a waterproof handle and is compatible with multiple brush heads.

I like the timer on the brush that is set for the recommended 2 minutes of brushing time. Kayla will know when she's finished brushing instead of constantly asking me, "Can I be done now?" while she's brushing her teeth.

She also has a tendency to hold the toothbrush in her mouth and chew on it instead of brushing. The Pro Health for Me toothbrush has a rotating-oscillating brush head which is better at plaque removal than a manual toothbrush. So now while Kayla might still be holding the toothbrush in her mouth, it is doing all the work for her since the round shape of the brush head surrounds each tooth for individual tooth cleaning. I might have to still remind her to move the tooth brush all around her mouth, but at least now if she's not doing the actual brushing motion I know her teeth are getting well-cleaned by the electric brush doing it's job.


 

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Switch & Go Dinos Giveaway

Tuesday, 3 September 2013

Contest is now closed! Congrats to the winner of the prize pack: Heather! 

I have a 5 year old boy. 5 year old boys usually go hand in hand with dinosaur fascination. So when there was an opportunity for bloggers to review, and host a giveaway, of VTech's new Switch & Go Dinos I knew this would be something fun for Lucas to try out and give his review of the products.

We received Jagger the T-Rex and 3 assorted smaller dinos.

All of the Switch & Go Dinos transform from a dinosaur to a vehicle. They have an LCD screen for customizable animated faces; and in dinosaur mode the action buttons make dinosaur noises and state interesting facts about each type of dinosaur.

Jagger does all that and more. He is the only one that responds to specific voice commands in both dinosaur and truck mode.

I pulled T-Rex out of the box to get it all set up and figure out how to use it before I showed it to Lucas. In other words ... I played with it first!

It took me a little longer than I thought it should have to change the dinosaur to truck mode, but admittedly I didn't read the instructions first! Once I read through those I was able to quickly get the hang of it.

I tried out several of the specific voice commands that Jagger responds to (Roar with me! Make me laugh! Go forward! Go Back! are among several commands it responds to). After listening to the Jagger voice throughout all of this I tried the command for "Change your voice!" Even though I was alone in my house trying this out - it made me laugh out loud when I heard the voice change for the first time.

When Lucas came home from school I brought Jagger out. He was impressed with Jagger just as he was, but when I told Jagger to "Go forward!" and the dinosaur followed my command, Lucas was even more amazed. His eyes got wide as I tried out several other commands.

He also got a kick out of "Change your voice!" and "Go wild!" I think that one is his favorite.

Unfortunately Lucas thought Jagger would respond to anything he said and tried to get him to do other things. I gave him the card that comes with it that shows the list of commands and he was good with that!

I do wish that you didn't have to say "Hello T-Rex" and wait for a response before you give each command. It would be nice if there was a time limit for saying "Hello T-Rex" and you could do several voice commands one after the other, before having to say his name again. So far that doesn't seem to bother my kids when they've been playing with it - occasionally I have to give them a reminder to say "Hello T-Rex" when they say the command over and over and wonder why there isn't a response.

There are times when the response you get from T-Rex doesn't match the requested command ... but it is all computerized. I'm sure it has something to do with how slowly and clearly you're speaking and the tone of voice. If T-Rex doesn't understand the command he'll respond to try again later. Again, this doesn't seem to bother my kids when that happens. They just try again! And they laugh if he does something they didn't say to do. Kayla has been having just as much fun playing with Jagger as Lucas is.

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You have the chance to win the complete line of Switch & Go Dinos just by entering a picture of your child doing their best dinosaur impression on VTech's Facebook contest. (You have to 'like' the page first to get the contest details.) Contest ends on Sep 9 at 8:00 am ET.

You can also enter my blog giveaway for 1 winner to win a set of 3 assorted smaller Switch & Go Dinos. Just leave a comment on this post saying which of the dinosaurs (besides the obvious Jagger!) you think your child would like the most.Winner will be picked by Random.org on Mon, Sep 9. (Must be US resident).

Lucas kept thanking me for 'buying me this dinosaur!' and I had to explain to him that I didn't buy this one. We received Jagger, and the 3 assorted smaller dinos, from VTech to review on my blog. Then I had to explain what a review is and what my blog is! Lucas gives this 2 thumbs up!

Disclosure: "The VTech product, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by VTech." All opinions are mine and my children's. 

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Superbook Review

Sunday, 7 July 2013

I was recently asked if I would like to receive DVDs of episodes from the Superbook Summer Series to review.

I hadn't heard of Superbook before, but was intrigued by the description and went to the website to check it out further.

This series is based on CBN's classic cartoon with the new series featuring Bible stories brought to life using state-of-the-art animation. This is an award-winning series that engages children and teaches them about the truths in God's word. 

Lucas has been soaking up all the info he can on what God and Heaven are all about since he started attending preschool at a local church and during Vacation Bible School. He enjoys reading his children's Bible (actually one day after VBS he asked me if we had any Bibles in the house and when I reminded him he had 2 of his own he said, "No I mean one without any pictures.") He is so curious and has been asking a lot of questions.

My kids don't watch a lot of TV and with Lucas's interest in Bible stories, and this being something neither of my children have watched before, I thought this would be a great series to review.

We received 14 episodes to include In the Beginning, Let My People Go, The First Christmas, The Last Supper, The Ten Commandments, Jonah, and A Giant Adventure.

We haven't watched all of them yet, but what we have seen so far both Lucas and Kayla have thoroughly enjoyed and have asked to watch one every day. These are great videos to watch with your children and talk to them about the lessons and morals Chris and Joy learned about and how to apply them to their own lives. I anticipate this being a series that my children will enjoy watching over and over.

The animation is well done. The story lines are fast-paced enough to keep the attention of most children. Kids can identify with the main characters as they are (mostly!) modern-day characters - Chris (and his robot Gizmo), and his next-door neighbor Joy. This trio find themselves in everyday situations that take them through a portal back to biblical times to learn the lesson from each episode.

You can see video clips here.

Not only will members of the Superbook DVD club receive the newest episodes as they are released, but they will receive two free copies of each episode to share with friends.


Disclosure: We received the 14 DVDs, trading cards, and a t-shirt to facilitate this review from CBN and MomSelect. Opinions are mine (and my children's!)

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The day I attempted to be a fashion blogger.

Monday, 21 January 2013

Recently I was the given the opportunity to learn about The Shine Project which is not only a blog but also a company ran by a beautiful (no really, she's absolutely stunning) woman by the name of Ashley. The Shine Project is a company who employs at risk youth in America, to help them go to college. Let me tell you, these kids make some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry. These kids have got some serious skills!

When I loaded the store's online shop I was completely floored. Not only is this an amazing company but the jewelry was gorgeous, I couldn't believe kids in high school were making them. To say I was having trouble picking out my favorite pieces would be a vast understatement, I wanted one of everything for me and every single one of my girl friends.

Once I made my choices and let it all sink in, I realized this would be the greatest excuse ever to pretend to be a fashion blogger for a day. So, my beauties arrived, I put some paint on the barn, got some help from a sweet man companion, and did the fashion blogger thing. Unfortunately I've yet to nail down the classic look away pose. Baby steps, guys, baby steps. 

 Fashion blogger, I am not. We all know this. Ashley must be a little crazy but hey, I'm a lot crazy, so let's roll with it.

[Dress & Ring: Forever 21, Shoes: Target, Watch: Michael Kors, iPhone Case: Casemate]

I can not wait to order myself a few more items from The Shine Project store, I've got my eye on enough items to suck up half a paycheck. I don't mind breaking my budget diva lifestyle for this company because it's a purchase I can feel good about.

What are some of your favorite items from The Shine Project store?

If you found a couple of things you couldn't decide between I have a surprise for you:

Use the code 'Valentines' and get an item for free when you buy 2!

Oh, and for those of you here to see me fall flat on my face as a fashion blogger...

Don't forget to linkup with me tomorrow and share your fun facts!

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Talk weavy to me.

Friday, 21 December 2012

Heyyyyy you guyssss, since we all made it another day I'm here today to talk serious business.

And by serious business, I mean WEAVE. 

It's no secret I love to rock locks of other people's hair on my head and I've even admitted that it's somewhat of a dude magnet. My secret weapon, if you will.

Well, when Best Hair Buy contacted me asking if I'd review some weave for them I heard the blogging angels singing from high above.

Finally, this damn blog paid off. Just kidding, I love this blog, we know this.

Here's the hair I'm talking about today, if you missed my post on Monday.

When I was browsing BestHairBuy.com I decided to get a little crazy and order the 22 inch clip-in human hair extensions, which are 4 inches longer than the previous weave I'm used to.

Once they arrived I was really excited because they were great quality and definitely the best type of human hair extensions! 

Moving on, let's talk about the additional products you'll need to achieve this look.

1. Obviously, you need to get you some weave. Again, mine came from Best Hair Buy.

2. Moroccan Oil. You don't have to use this exact brand but get you some lube hair oil. 

3. Hair spray. I'm a big lover of the Moroccan Oil hair spray, too.

4. Chardonnay. You already know.

5. Curling iron/wand. I'll explain this in the vlog.

Here is a vlog to give you the step-by-step instructions.

Except the Chardonnay turned on me and I forgot to say good bye at the end. I hope we can still be friends.

Let me know if you have any questions and don't forget to check out BestHairBuy.com for all of your weavy needs.

Like it? Love it?

Website / Clip-in Link / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

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Step in to Ella's Office {A Lifeguard Press Review}

Thursday, 27 September 2012

Hello, sweet friends. Today I am faced with a new challenge here on my blog. A beautiful company, by the name of Lifeguard Press, has been so sweet and sent me a some goodies for me to review here. (yay, goodies!) Why is this a challenge, you may ask (bitch, you just got free stuff... stfu)? Well, I have yet to figure out how to review a product without sounding like a used car salesman. 

So, I decided to hand the reins over to my educated K9 companion, Ella, to help me out with this task.

Because she knows a lot about shopping and darling preppy items. After all, she was a Florida State girl with me.

Step into her office, wont you?

From what I've been able to decipher, Ella's thoughts towards this sweet Lilly Pulitzer notebook and matching pen are all positive and upbeat.

She really enjoys the durable feel to this fancy pen, as it rests against her thumbless paw, and how nicely she can jot down all of her HTML coding notes for blog designs in this handy dandy book.

Yeah, you all thought I was the mastermind behind Gettin Whitty With It didn't you? (suckaaas)

Homegirl buys her own dog food and supports her uneducated little brother. She's really going places.

In addition, I pick up the vibe that she is loving the designs on each page and how fun they make writing on a new page. 

Ella also appreciated that she can bring her notebook along to the dog park and doesn't have to worry about the cover getting messed up because it's nice, hard and protected.

That Lilly thinks of everything!

Lilly Pulitzer A Day In The Life Journal   |    Lilly Pulitzer Ink Pen

We give Lifeguard Press a big thumbs up (well, I let Ella borrow one of my thumbs so she could) and think you should go spend your paycheck this week at their store. Ella's thinking about spending her paycheck on some things from the Dylan's Candy Bar section of their shop.

Can't kick that dogs sweet tooth.

Anywho, that's all we've got for you today, friends. Happy it's-almost-Friday-day!

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ReJuvenescence Review & Giveaway

Tuesday, 4 September 2012

Congratulations to winner Mel J!

ReJuvenesence is a patented new line of scented toilet tissue holders specially designed to mask unpleasant odors and leaves your bathroom smelling great. The fragrance is diffused when the roller is set in motion. The long-lasting scented oils inside ReJuvenescence are made from 100% natural essential oils and include no additives. ReJuvenescence is made in the USA from recycled material.

Who doesn't like a little fresh-smelling scent in their bathroom? With fragrances like these you're bound to find one that will suit your taste for freshening up the bathroom. My favorite is Spice (a refreshing blend of clove, cinnamon, sandalwood, frankincense, china musk, mulberry. Blue Nile, and peach), followed by Moonflower (a floral mix of moonflower, yellow rose, grapefruit, raspberry, pomegranate, mandarin and frangipani.) and then Wild Orchid (a delicate infusion of orchids, red currant, birds of paradise, peach and persimmon.)

ReJuvenescence is easy to use -just give it a little shake to stir up the beads and replace your regular toilet paper holder with this cylinder instead.

The scent isn't overwhelming, and if the toilet paper doesn't fit well enough over the cylinder to make it roll and release the sent, you can take some scissors and just trip the 'fins' that are on the cylinder. I need to try that because I don't smell the scent as much as I thought I would, so the cylinder isn't quite spinning enough to release the scent.

These would make a great gift for students going off to college to use in their dorm rooms or apartments. I've got a set of 3 (one in each scent) to give away to 1 winner. Winner will be picked next week.

Please leave a comment, making sure I have a way to contact you if you're a winner, and tell me which scent you think would like the most. The giveaway also includes a "follow thru" tee and hat, all valued at $55.

Disclosure: I received 3 free ReJuvenescence products to facilitate my review and to offer as a giveaway.

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Almond Breeze Review and Giveaway

Sunday, 29 July 2012

Congrats to the winners: RK, Mom24, and Kim!

With all the traveling we did over the past month it was inevitable that upon one of our trips home we would be without some essential ingredient. Of course that would be milk and it was discovered on the morning that Joe planned to make pancakes for breakfast.

Then I remembered I had some Blue Diamond Almond Breeze in the fridge that I needed to try for a review from Moms Meet and this was a perfect opportunity. I received a sample of the new Coconutmilk (Unsweetened) blend.

I've tried the Blue Diamond Almond Breeze a few years ago (Original and Vanilla) and liked the nice creamy taste. It is a great alternative for dairy and soy milk. The Almondmilk is calcium-enriched and contains only 60 calories per glass (half the amount of 2% milk). No one in my family has a dairy allergy so I'm in the habit of picking up regular dairy milk; although I'm going to start buying the Almond Breeze more often after being reintroduced to it.

The Coconutmilk blend is a blend of almonds and real coconut that is also available in Original, Vanilla and Unsweetened Vanilla. I didn't prefer this variety straight out of a glass, and probably wouldn't like the flavor in my cereal, but it worked fine for the pancakes Joe made and in the smoothies I've made since then.

If you're looking for some ideas on what else to use the Almondmilk, or Coconutmilk blends with there are plenty of recipes available from smoothies to breakfast items to soups! All of the products come in refrigerated or shelf-stable and are free from dairy, soy, lactose, cholesterol, peanuts, casein, gluten, eggs, saturated fat and MSG. The products are all natural with added vitamins and minerals.

I have 3 coupons for a free carton of Blue Diamond Almond Breeze to give away to 3 readers. Leave a comment, making sure I can contact you if you're the winner, stating whether you already use Almond Breeze. If you don't, check out the recipes and leave a comment of which one you'd like to try with the Almond Breeze.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed
to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

 

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Wendy's Nutritious Salad & Giveaway

Friday, 29 June 2012

Earlier this month, to kick off the summer season, Wendy's brought back their popular seasonal item - the Berry Almond Chicken Salad.

The salad is filled with 11 kinds of greens, warm grilled chicken, blueberries and strawberries, and Asiago cheese. It comes with a packet of natural, slivered, roasted almonds and an all-natural fat-free raspberry vinaigrette made with juice from acai berries.

I was surprised by how much I liked the flavor of the the raspberry vinaigrette - it wasn't overpowering and it has a nice thickness to it with a rich purple color.

I wish there was a little bit more of the berries and Asiago cheese in the salad, but overall I thought it was very tasty and will be ordering this again before it's off the menu.

The salad comes in full-size (360 calories w/out the dressing) and half-size (230 calories). I had the half-size and that was plenty big enough for a lunch for me. It had plenty of chicken to make it a filling meal.

The salad is prepared fresh, every day, in every Wendy's restaurants and is available for a limited time.

I have 3 $10 gift cards to Wendy's to give away. Simply leave a comment (making sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner) and state whether or not you've tried this salad.

Disclaimer: I received a gift card to try the salad; opinions are my own.

 

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Photos on Canvas

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Congrats to Crittle for winning the canvas!

Easy Canvas Prints is exactly what the name implies - an easy way to turn your photos, or artwork, into a beautiful canvas print.

In exchange for a review of their canvas prints I received an 8x10 canvas of a photo of my choosing. That was the hard part - deciding which photo I wanted transformed on canvas!

I decided to go with one of the family photos taken on our trip to Chicago. Once I decided on a photo it was very easy upload it to the site and chose the size I wanted. I received my canvas in about a week and was very pleased with the results ... so were Kayla and Lucas!

In the last 2 pictures you can see that the canvas wraps on the side so the picture continues throughout.

Right now you can receive 25% off all canvas and free shipping in the U.S. This would make a great present for Father's Day! (Um, Joe? Happy Early Father's Day - this was your gift!)

If you'd like to win a free 8x10 custom canvas (in the US only) please leave a comment below making sure I have a way to contact you if you're a winner.

 

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Annie's Organic Pizza Review & Giveaway

Monday, 2 April 2012

Contest is closed. Congrats to AubreyLaine, Kristen, and Mom24.

Since Kayla was diagnosed with Celiac disease I try to make most of our meals all gluten-free so I'm not cooking two different meals and using twice as many pots and pans. It usually works out for us and is just easier that way.

Except for pizza. Gluten-free pizza crust is small and wouldn't feed a family of four. Most seem to be a single serving size, so we would be buying a lot of crust - and if you buy gluten-free you know it is expensive!

So we still like to have pizza nights at least once a month. We just make Kayla her own pizza and the rest of us have 'regular' pizza. Thanks to Moms Meet we tried Annie's Certified Organic Rising Crust Pizza for our pizza night a few nights ago.

This was available for purchase at Whole Foods - which is about a 30 min drive for me - so I don't go there that often for grocery shopping. When you don't have one close by, and you need to buy gluten-free foods, this can be dangerous on your wallet! I had to resist the urge to pick up every gluten-free item I saw and stock up for Kayla :)

Kayla does eat some of Annie's Gluten Free Pasta and Snack products (and they are yummy!) and I'm so thankful for these options!

Even though their pizza isn't gluten-free I was looking forward to trying it. I picked out the Uncured Pepperoni Pizza.

The pizza was very tasty - it didn't have a frozen pizza taste to it, more like a fresh/homemade pizza. The flavors were just strong enough and complimented each other. The crust was nice, soft, and chewy. The 11.5 inch family size was enough to feed the 3 of us.

We enjoyed our pizza night as an impromptu picnic in the backyard.

Annie's Certified Organic Pizzas have no artificial colors or flavors, 100% real cheese made from milk that came from cows not treated with the growth hormone rBST, pepperoni has no nitrates or nitrites added (only naturally occurring nitrates in sea salt and celery juice powder.

It is available in 4 flavors: Uncured Pepperoni, Supreme, Spinach & Mushroom, and Four Cheese (I would've tried the Spinach and Mushroom, but I don't care for mushrooms!)


I used this $2 off coupon to pick up another pizza to have on hand for our next pizza night; especially because I don't know the next time I'm going to venture out to Whole Foods!

I have 3 coupons for a free Annie's Certified Organic Rising Crust Pizza to give away to 3 winners (coupon is only redeemable at Whole Foods.)

To enter just leave a comment (making sure I have a way to contact you) saying if you've tried any of Annie's products before and what pizza flavor you would choose.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet SM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet SM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

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Chore Chart

Monday, 16 January 2012

I haven't yet used a chore or behavior type chart with Kayla, or Lucas, but there's no time like the present to start!

I think the biggest issues we're having right now is keeping their playroom clean, and getting through the pre-bedtime routine. It feels like it's just a constant verbal reminder from us ... "ok get your pjs on ... stop doing that...stop fooling around... time to brush your teeth...pick up your toys...put this away...you know where this goes....you know that doesn't go there..." We sound like a broken record.

So we're trying this Chore Chart in the hopes that a visual chart will help them follow through on what they need to do without falling in to the 'nagging parent' trap. I know I could've tried this a long time ago by just creating my own chart, but I'm lazy (and not creative) like that. Besides, why re-create the wheel when this 100% free, pre-made chore chart is out there for me to use!

I can select a theme based by age and then there are different options for the chores you want filled in on the chart. You can also assign each chore to certain days of the week each one needs to be one. It can either be printed off or used online. When used online there are different sticker options that can be used when the chore is complete.

At the end of the week you pick the result of whether they did a great job or need improvement based on how well they did completing their chores. There is also an optional point system for additional rewards. You can assign each chore a 'moolah' point - the points go in the 'moolah bank' where you can assign different rewards based on their points.

Here's hoping this will bring about a positive change in helping Kayla and Lucas be more responsible for doing what they need to do ... without us calling after them every 5 seconds.


This is a sponsored post from Mom Select and Goal For It.

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Hickory Farms No Kid Hungry Campaign

Monday, 19 December 2011

One of my favorite holiday traditions is indulging in some sausage and cheese from Hickory Farms. As soon as I see the Hickory Farms stores or kiosks open in the mall I know the holiday season has begun!

I recently had the opportunity, thanks to Hickory Farms and Mom Central Consulting, to host a yummy party from some friends. It was a great time to enjoy the company of friends, let our kids play together, let the husbands watch some football (one of the husbands, upon hearing it was a HF party, stated he was so there! Guess he likes their products too!), take a break from the rush and craziness the holidays can bring, and sample some yummy sausage and cheese!

Hickory Farms does more than just produce some delicious foods - they give back to the community as well. This holiday season they will donate $5 from each party planner gift box to Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign - a national non-profit working to end childhood hunger in America.

They are also a supporter of the military. They provide free shipping on APO/FPO military addresses across the globe. This came in handy for us a couple years ago when Joe was deployed. It was hard to come up with ideas of what to send him for Christmas and this turned out to be a great gift idea. Something he didn't need to worry about packing up and taking back with him when he came home.


My favorite dip was the Cranberry Mustard dip. The Honey Pineapple Mustard was a close second though!

 We sampled 7 different cheeses - and thanks to Joe for labeling each cheese so we knew which flavors we were tasting! (Parmesan Herb Blend is one of my new favorites; along with my old favorite of Cheddar and Havarti blend).

Hickory Farms provided gift boxes for guests to take home - which of course is the real reason they all came over! Ha!

Right now on Hickory Farms online you can get 40% off select items and Free Shipping on orders of $35+.

Hickory Farms will always be a part of our holiday traditions!

 “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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Crunchmaster Crackers (GF!) Review & Giveaway

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Congrats to Cindy for winning the case of Crunchmaster crackers!

When Kayla was first diagnosed with Celiac disease I wondered what snacks she would be able to eat. I knew all her (then) current favorites would be out.

My first experience in going shopping for her at the local grocery store didn't turn out too well. There wasn't much of a selection and what there was didn't sound too appealing. Nevertheless I picked out some crackers that seemed like they would work; at least according to the very deceptive description on the packaging. Let's just say the whole package ended up in the trash. My mom and I both made a face at the first bite of the cracker which seemed like dry, seasoned cardboard. I still offered it to Kayla because, hey, her taste buds are different and she might like it! No such luck. She didn't care for them either.

Since then we have found a few brands of crackers that we rotate out but it isn't much of a selection ... and the ones we have been using don't seem to have any flavor variety.

A while ago I signed up with Moms Meet. Its an "...online resource that empowers moms to come together in an informal setting and talk about the latest on raising healthy families and living green." One of their opportunities is for Mom Ambassadors to sample the latest healthy, and/or green, products.

It was through this opportunity that I received Crunchmaster Multi-Grain crackers to review. These first thing about these crackers is they are certified gluten-free, all natural, saturated fat free, cholesterol free, and the Sea Salt is also vegan/dairy free.

I had seen them in the store but hadn't yet tried them; so this was a perfect opportunity to try them out and see if Kayla approved - then we could add them to our cracker selection.


We sampled the White Cheddar, Sea Salt, and Roasted Vegetable. The verdict? A big hit! These will now be among the rotating boxes of crackers we keep on hand for Kayla (and I imagine the rest of the family will be sharing in these as well!)



All of the crackers are sturdy, not crumbly (like a brand of crackers that Kayla likes, but is always broken up in the bag), and hold up well with dips. They also have just the right amount of flavor and variety to the crackers.

Kayla's favorite seemed to be the Sea Salt and White Cheddar. She didn't care too much for the Roasted Vegetable. I didn't care as much for the Sea Salt by itself, but really liked it with a dip such as salsa, hummus, or cheese. White Cheddar was my favorite. Joe's favorite was Roasted Vegetable. Lucas's favorite seemed to be the White Cheddar as well.

Crunchmaster has other products in their line as well including, but not limited to, Multi-Seed Crackers (in 4 varieties), Multi-Grain Crisps, and 7 Ancient Grains crackers.

You can follow them on Facebook and also save $1 on your purchase.

I have a case, yes a CASE, (12 full-size bags) of Crunchmaster Multi-Grain White Cheddar Crackers to give away (limited to US addresses only). Just leave a comment on this post (making sure I can contact you if you're the winner!) letting me know if you've ever tried Crunchmaster before, and what variety you like, or think you'd like.

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

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Whirpool Water Filter

Monday, 7 November 2011

We've been using the Whirlpool Water Filter (that I previously reviewed here) for our refrigerator's water dispenser for several weeks now.

It still works great and we are still drinking fresh, filtered water! I love that my kids ask for water throughout the day when they are thirsty ... and can be more independent by filling up their own cup with water from the dispenser.

Whenever we leave the house and know we're going to be gone for any length of time, we always fill up the kids' reusable water bottles as well. Seems they always ask for water as soon as we're on our way driving somewhere! We fill up the water bottles and take them to the park, playground, ball games, sightseeing, and just for traveling.

I also use the filtered water dispenser whenever I make orange juice from concentrate, or if I need water for a recipe - such as soups, oatmeal, boiling water for vegetables or potatoes.

I like knowing that the water I'm using comes from a water filter that is certified by NSF International to reduce cysts, chlorine taste and odor, particulates (Class 1), lead, and mercury. These contaminants aren't necessarily in all users' water, but replacing the filter every 6 months ensures clean, safe drinking water.

Having fresh, clean, filtered water isn't something I take for granted!


 “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

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Fresh, Filtered Water

Friday, 14 October 2011

When we bought our house last year the only appliance we bought was as refrigerator. Living in base housing or an apartment pretty much all my life I never had to buy a fridge before. I was always stuck with the standard issue basic model.

Oh the choices! I wanted double-doors for the fridge with the freezer drawer on the bottom and a water/ice dispenser on the outside of the drawer (so we could finally free up room in the fridge by not having the big filtered pitcher we were using.)

We're big water drinkers so having the dispenser easily accessible for the kids to get their own water throughout the day was a big plus.

A few months ago Mom Central was looking for bloggers to review a water filter for owners of Whirlpool refrigerators. We have a Whirlpool and it was time to change out our water filter; so I signed up.

We knew our water filter was at the end of its life cycle because the water was coming out in a slow trickle. It was obvious that it was taking longer to fill up our cups, water bottles, and pitchers.

Thank goodness when our new water filter arrived! It was easy to pop the old one out and put the new one in - and boy what a difference. The water came out fast and I could tell a subtle difference in the taste ... almost more ... refreshing. It had definitely been time to switch out the water filter.

The water filter is certified by NSF International to reduce cysts, chlorine taste and odor, particulates (Class 1), lead, and mercury. These contaminants aren't necessarily in all users' water, but replacing the filter every 6 months ensures clean, safe drinking water.


 “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Whirlpool and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”



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FyrFlyz Review & Giveaway

Saturday, 8 October 2011

Via Random.org the winner is Clenna. Congrats!

Have you heard of FyrFlyz yet? I hadn't until I received a review opportunity from Mom Select, but it's quickly becoming the latest toy craze.

FyrFlyz are spinning light shows that you create with your hands. They are small toys with lights attached to each end. Strings are attached to each end and you hold the handle in each finger and spin it to create rays of streaming light.


One night when the sun went down I brought these out as a surprise for the kids and they were a big hit. Although when I first started spinning it I thought I was going to hit myself in the face (but I didn't)! Just make sure you keep your arms stretched out in front of you and hold your head back.

Last night we took a 'night time flashlight' walk. They kids had their flashlights and my sister and I had the FyrFlyz spinning the whole way. I have to say it was a bit addictive and gave me a bit of an arm work out as well! What a fun way to exercise your arms!

I attempted to take a video of the kids using then, but it didn't come out well at all - so check out these videos instead - you'll see exactly how these toys works and the neat light shows that are created!

This toy was recently awarded the The Oppenheim Toy Porfolio Award and has been nominated for Time To Play's People's Play Award.

I'm thinking these will make great stocking stuffers!

If you'd like to win your own FyrFlyz and see what all the buzz is about, please leave a comment on this post. Let me know if you've heard of this new toy before and make sure I have a way to contact you if you're the winner!


Disclosure: I received the product to facilitate my review and giveaway thanks to FyrFlyz and Mom Select.

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