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Thursday, December 13, 2012

Quick Giveaway-Foster Farm Corn Dog & Nintendo Scribblenauts giveaway!

Are you ready for a great holiday giveaway? Right now you have a great chance to win delicious foster farms corn dogs (one of our personal quick family favorites) and Nintendo Scribblenauts game!

About Foster Farms

Family-owned and operated, Foster Farms continues its legacy of excellence and commitment to quality
established by its founders, Max and Verda Foster. Foster Farms Corn Dogs can be found in the following varieties: Honey Crunchy Corn Dogs, Mini Honey Crunchy Corn Dogs, Jumbo Honey Crunchy Corn Dogs, Chili Cheese Corn Dogs and Family Fun Pack. Foster Farms also produces a new Lower-Sodium, 100% Whole Grain Chicken Corn Dog for foodservice that was awarded the Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Winner’s Seal of Approval in 2012. Foster Farms offers delicious fresh, pre-marinated, ready-to-cook and fully cooked poultry products that meet the quality and convenience needs of today's home cooks, retailers, warehouse clubs and
foodservice customers. Visit www.fosterfarms.com to learn more.



Another great rebate offer-anyone who purchases specially marked boxes of Foster Farms Corn Dogs and the new Scribblenauts Unlimited game are eligible for a $5 cash rebate.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Hoppin' For the Holidays Giveaway Event

Welcome to the Hoppin’ For The Holidays Giveaway Hop hosted by MamaNYC! Christmas is fast approaching and we’re all starting to think about holiday gifts, decorating, and snuggling up under the mistletoe. We’ve all gathered together to bring our readers some amazing prizes that would surely make fantastic holiday gifts this year, so start hopping down the linky below!  This event will run from December 13-29th, which means you will have plenty of time to enter all of our giveaways. Good Luck & Happy Holidays!

Enter to win 1 of 6 amazing prize packs using the rafflecopter form below! 
1. $25 Giftcard to FunSlurp

2. Small Monkeez Character of Choice
3. Speckled Frogs on Log 

4.  Wits Party Game

5.20x30 print from collagedotcom



Friday, December 7, 2012

Will you be traveling this holidy season?

While I love going away with my family I find traveling to be a bit stressful. Here is when I began to dread hotels....my daughter was 10 months old and just starting to crawl. We went to Connecticut and quickly set up the pack and play and began to get ready for our trip to the zoo. Somehow the person cleaning the room missed this weird metal cap or coin thing in the corner and little miss crawled right over and in her mouth it went. After that I began obsessing-what about the cords, light sockets, door knobs? At home we had baby proofing things our but here we were not prepared for our crawling little angel. Well years have gone by and I still stress every time we travel-that is until we met the Travel Tot company in Louisville. So what is Travel Tot? It is a childproofing kit that quickly travels with you wherever you go. We actually keep ours in our diaper bag so it is with us at all times....after all you never know when you need a bandage!

Travel Tot has been featured on the Today Show and I am excited about more exposure for the company. Think of all the times you may have had a close call while traveling-how nice would it of been to quickly pull out a small kit and have piece of mind. I think this is a must have for anyone traveling this holiday season and would be a great baby gift!
You can purchase your Travel Tot kit online here-happy and safe travels this holiday season!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

California Wine Club-still time to order for the holidays!

Can you believe that we are a short few weeks from the holidays! I know the next couple weeks will become frantic as everyone searches for that perfect gift. I know I mentioned it before but the California Wine Club really is a great gift idea! I received my second shipment and am in love with the white wine. It is something from a small vineyard that I would of never had the chance to try on my own because it is not sold in my state. My wine even came in holiday wrap which was a pleasant festive touch. I love how the wine is shipped and arrives in one piece thanks to the great styrofoam shipping container. I also love the fact that you never know what will arrive....I mean it is like a fun present each month. What will be in the package this month? So far every wine has been spot and I loved the light taste of this months wine. Be sure to get your order in soon and begin a great holiday tradition!


Shipping Alert!  Ground Shipping Deadline is December 12th.  Any orders placed after Dec 12 incur expedited air charges for Christmas deliveries.

This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. I received a 2 month Membership to the California Wine Club for the purpose of this review.

Win Prima Princessa for your Princess!


Did you ever go to the Nutcracker as a child? It was one of my ultimate holiday memories with my mom and I am hoping to pass on the tradition to my daughter. She has been in ballet for a few months and loves everything pink and sparkly so I knew the Prima Princessa presents the Nutcracker would be a huge hit! As soon as I turned on the dvd it was perfect. The story is narrated so you can easily understand the plot of the story. Little miss loves that you get to take "lessons" from the ballet lady on the screen. The steps are very simple and really make the dvd a great interactive show instead of one of those just sit there and try to follow along. The Nutcracker will be sure to get you into the holiday spirit and is being aired this holiday season on PBS across the county and is available for purchase on Amazon. Want to make sure you get to see the show? Enter to win using our rafflecopter form below!

For ballerina coloring pages, on-line ballerina games and more visit PrimaPrincessa.comInformation courtesy of Prima Princessa. 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Gift Guide Highlight Kwid Kids Learning Watch

Is your child at that age when they are determined to be completely self sufficient? I know our new obsession is watches. My husband wears a watch, I wear a watch, and my daughter wants to wear a watch. The frustrating part is that the kids watches available are either digital or the face of a clock and she wants to feel "grown up" but still be able to understand time. Luckily I stumbled across the Kwid Learning Watch! It shows both the face of the clock and the digital time-such an amazing idea! My daughter has grown in leaps in bounds with her new watch because she can easily check her "answer" and find if she is correct.
The watch is also the perfect solution for so many other things then learning time. Just look at all the great things the watch can help your child learn:
Our other favorite feature is learning to organize your time. I like that my daughter can see how much time is left in a certain task and when the time is over it is over. This has caused us to really change how we parent and encourage our daughter to take more responsibility. How many times have we fought over how much 5 minutes is when leaving the playground! No more thanks to the Learning Watch...when time is up we both know that it is time to go! The Kids Learning Watch is the perfect stocking stuffer and available here on amazon!
Watch the watch in action:



Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight-Wise Alec Junior

Looking for a great game that your kids can play together? Griddly Games has a great new game called Wise Alec Junior. The game is actually four games in one which means you can play a different game each night and the kids won't be bored of the same game day after day.

The games focus on building memory, matching and action. It has also been approved by teachers and has a great storage center including a magnetic closure that makes things easy for cleanup. So what did we think of Wise Alec Junior? My daughters ultimate favorite game was the story telling game. You pick different tiles and create your own story. I love how my daughters imagination goes to work and each time we play she comes up with a new fantastic story. We also enjoy the memory game which has helped her number recognition and helped count. Before she would count the people on the card and usually add a few extra people...since we have been playing the game and not drilling her with counting little miss has improved beyond my wildest dream. I absolutely love games that help with learning!

Here are a just a few of the great things that Wise Alec Junior can do:

Holiday Gift Guide Squaredy Cats-Enter to Win!

Have you ever been just a little nervous to try something new? I know my daughter can be a bit nervous when it is time to perform in front of any kind of audience. What better way to encourage my daughter then with a fun loving Squaredy Cat. We have Dazzle who is not "squared" of the spotlight.
Each and every cat is unique and comes with a great message. Little miss loves to "practice" her dancing in front of her cat before trying it in front of us. The cat is super soft and we love the unique square shape. Little miss says the cats are perfect for stacking and wants to build a whole "kitty city" tower. I think that the Squaredy Cats make great gifts for any occasion or for any cat lover.
They are available online and at select retailers including build-a-bear and toys 'r' us. Be sure to visit the site and find all the great cats available. Want to win your very own? Enter using the rafflecopter form below! 

Monday, December 3, 2012

Holiday Gift Guide Highlight- Life on the Farm

So are you looking for something a little different to give the person that has everything? I know each year we end up drawing my cousin's name and he always wants "a game". The problem is all of the games he either has or is not super appropriate...his mom does not like the "make the dog poop game" or "let's pick our nose" games. So when I went to the Chitag Game & Toy fair I knew I would find the perfect something.
So imagine a game that develops business skills, money management (yes with actual toy money and not fake credit cards!), and critical thinking skills, all while doing something a little different. Life on the Farm is just the award winning board game you are looking for! The goal game is about running a small business  and being the first to "retire".

The game has won numerous awards including first place at the Brainerd Inventors Fair, the 2012 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, and Tillywig Toy Awards Best Family Fun. WE loved moving along the path and going to cattle auctions and incurring farm expenses. The game is perfect for  family game night and ages eight and up.

So as you know I have kids of various ages. So what about our little preschooler that always wants to be included? They have Life of the Farm Preschool Edition! I love this version because no reading is required and the graphics are so bright and kid friendly. The game is a puzzle combination where kids play the game and get a matching animal puzzle piece. The first to fill their "barn" with seven animals wins. The game is the perfect playing length without getting board and was a great mix for everyone to play together-not completed for the little one but kept the big kids engaged.
So where can you buy Life on the Farm? It is available online and at toys 'r' us. A perfect something different for the game lover on your list!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Make a difference when you shop this holiday season

Have you ever heard about Monkeez Makes a Difference? It is a great program that empowers children to help others. The company turns giving to others into a game that is innovative and interactive. Once you purchase a genuine Monkeez or Monkeez friends you can online to play games, participate in real life do good challenges and make a special donation on your child's behalf to one of three nationally renowned charities of your child's choice. Each friend comes with a unique code on their tag and are available and many independent retailers across the country. Just look at how adorable the Monkeez & Friends are:

There are more than 90 plush designs to choose from-we have a kangaroo & joey and a hedgehog. I love that there is large range of price points and tons of animals to choose from! You can find the large variety of friends available here:

So how did Monkeez & Friends change our lives? Before we brought our two new friends home my husband & I were not sure how to make our preschooler aware of those less fortunate. As the holidays were approaching we wanted to have her help someone in need but did not know a great way to bring up giving back in a way that she could understand. The Monkeez friends were the perfect way to explore online and teach her about all the organizations available to help children less fortunate. So what was little misses favorite part of her new friends? Hands down the magnetic hands and the fact that the kangaroo had a removable joey. She loves to have her new friends "help" around the house by carrying different things in their paws. The Monkeez Friends really are something unique that will bring a smile to your child's face.You can find all of the Monkeeze Friends here plus other great products for everyone on your list!

Gift Guide Highlight Sili Squeeze

Are your kids into the squeezers? That is what we call them at least and at $1.49 a piece I am always a little reluctant to buy them-I know its fruit and great for you but the price gives me a bit of sticker shock. Now my daughter has to have these ones because you guessed it Tangled is on the package:
While I love the fact that she is eating more fruit/vegetable combinations I was still a bit concerned about the content and the harm of the packaging as well as price. So I decided I was going to create my own fruit puree which was a huge hit. My daughter loves to help make her snacks and feels like she is really part of the process but it was not the same eating the puree out of a cup. Lucky me I found my life saving, go to snack device-the sili squeeze!
The sili squeeze is available in two sizes 4 oz and 6 oz and made for a wide range of ages. The patent pending spill proof spout is a real life savor-ever had your preschooler jump down on her half eaten squeezer pouch? We have she jumped right out of the seat and onto the package with caused a huge sticky, smelly mess. The sili squeeze is perfect for those of us concerned with the crazy amount of trash produced each year as well-no more throwing out three pouches each day that will take forever to decompose in a landfill. When you child is done with their snack either wash by hand or in the dishwasher-so simple! My favorite part of the sili squeeze is that the cap is attached and I do not have to hunt for it to close up whatever my remain in the bottle. If you have an older preschool child like my squeezer loving daughter you will want the Sili Squeeze with Eeeze. It is the second-generation of reusable squeeze pouches from The Sili Company. The difference in the Sili Squeeze with Eeze is that the resistance free nipple spout is no longer spill proof which my daughter loves! She likes to feel like a big girl and not a baby-because we no longer use sippy cups she things anything you really need to manipulate with your mouth is for babies. Sili Squeeze offers tons of great recipe ideas here. Not really into making your own snacks? Think of how great it will be to buy in bulk and portion our appropriate snack sizes of yogurt or to be able to buy a large tub of vanilla and easily change the flavor by adding whichever fruit for the day. The sili squeeze is really a great baby shower gift idea or snack idea for your favorite preschooler! Be sure to follow sili squeeze on Facebook, twitter, pinterest. 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Alma's Design-Five Green & Speckled Frogs

Ever heard the song Five Green & Speckled Frogs? It is one of my daughter's favorite songs and we love to act out all the motions. While walking around the ABC Expo I came across Alma's Designs and look what I found:
It is the Five Green and Speckled Frogs on their log! This makes reading and singing our favorite story so much more than I could every imagine. My daughter can easily manipulate the frogs and the log each time we read the story and it really brings it to life. My favorite part of the frogs is the help with number recognition. Each is labeled with a number and I like to challenge her to put them in number order and name each number on the frog when she puts them back (also great for counting!). Alma's Designs also offers Storytelling Activity Sets for other classic stories including 5 Little Monkeys on Bed, Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Caterpillar Doll and so much more! 
Along with the great Storytelling Activity Sets Alma Designs offers Cloth Activity Books, Reversible Storytelling Dolls, Imaginative Play, and my other favorite Learning Wall Charts. 
What a great addition to any holiday list to have toys that allow our children to be creative and unplug from all the electronics. Our speckled frogs have become so much more than an interactive tool for a story book....we use them for counting and creating our own frog stories. I challenge each of you to find a toy this holiday season that encourages interactive play and imagination without electronics. I am very excited to continue our journey with the help of Alma's Design and find more ways to bring my daughter's books and imagination to life! Be sure to keep up to date on Alma's Design by checking their facebook & twitter pages! 



Thursday, November 29, 2012

Winner Wonderland Hop December 1-15

 
Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Blog It Forward, Taking Time For Mommy, And The Little Ones Too, Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink, and My Mommy's World. This event features giveaways with a value of $25 or more at each of the participating blogs! Be sure to visit each blog from the linky below and enter for your chance to win! This event will close on December 15th at 11:59 pm EST. Good Luck and have a winning holiday season!

Want to win an amazing prize pack? I have two to offer-enter using the rafflecopter form below!

Prize Pack #1
MessMatz

Gamer Grub

Pixie Promise Melter Gems

YumEarth Gummy Bears

Bangls Bracelets

Prize Pack #2
Telestrations Game

Chickfila Calendar

Sponsor Highlight Clevamama

I would love to introduce you to one of my new favorite must have products made by Clevamama. Never heard of Clevamama? It an Irish company that is making a big splash in the USA with a product line full of innovation that every mom to be and current mama should have in their home. I had the pleasure to meet the company at the ABC expo and was thrilled to see the products in use...my ultimate favorite is the Splash & Wrap Baby bath Towel.

The towel is very large and keeps mom and baby dry. Not going to lie I even used this when I give our Chinese Crested a bath and it is perfect. My clothes stay dry and wriggling little puppy gets warm and completely covered. We even take ours to the pool because it has a hood and I can carry little miss "like a baby" while keeping my clothes dry. It really is the must have towel for all moms that do not like changing their clothes a million times a day!

Staying with the bath theme Clevamama also has an extra long bath mat that comes with a cushion for mom to use while kneeling giving baby a bath. I love the bath mat because my daughter would always complain that the decals on the bottom would "bite her bottom" and the traditional bath mat never quite reached the back of the tub. The mat is great for anyone that washes two at once since both will get to sit on the cushy mat. The material really does add a little extra cushion to the tub and feels great on bare bottoms. Now back to the cushion-how many times have you washed your child and dealt with the hard floor of the tub? I have tried kneeling on towels but trust me this do not feel great for very long! The cushion included in the bathmat is just the right size to fit next to the tub and is the right amount of "squishy" to keep knees happy...I have even used mine as a pillow while soaking in the tub and it is heavenly.

So the last few highlight products are great for mom and baby but what is bath time without a little fun? The ClevaBath Bath Toys and Tidy Bag make the perfect addition to any tub toy bin. Each is shaped like a certain animal with colors and numbers. We like to make a game of tub time by having our daughter match the colors or find a certain number. It even helps teaching animal sounds by asking what sound the shape makes. I love that they stick to the tub easily and the mesh bag is a quick clean up. At the end of the night we call all animals back to the "barn" and that is it-the bag is suctioned to the side of the shower and dries overnight.

Clevamama has so many other creative products for toilet training, sleeping, safety, and just about anything else you may need for baby! Be sure to enter the giveaway to win your very own Clevamama bath towel, toy & tidy bag, and extra long bath mat!

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Beam N Read Hands Free Light-Great Gift Idea!


Have you ever tried reading at night without waking up everyone in the room? I know in my house we are all book worms and love to read before bed....the problem is that once you get super tired you either have to get up and turn off the light or have the side lamp on keeping the other person awake. In my daughters case she would have to climb out of her bunk bed and try to reach the light which could be disastrous. We have tried it all...the lights that clip on the book that fall off easily and  the bendy light that you attach to the wall that just doesn't give enough light once your head blocks the bulb. So when we were offered a chance to review the Beam N Read Hands Free Light I was super excited. The light is valued at $29.95 and is available on Amazon. There are so many great uses for the light including knitting, reading, checking on your child in the night, reading, traveling, and camping. You can find the entire list of uses here.

So what do I think about the Beam N Read LED 6 Deluxe hands Free Light? I think that it has been a life savor for my daughter! She is able to read while in bed without me having to hear her scream that her book light fell off or she just doesn't have enough light. I also love that with a quick flip of the light it turns off and is easily to manipulate for anyone-even my old bones with arthritis! 

How great to have a light without having to worry about carrying around a heavy flashlight....I cannot wait to take ours on the midnight nature hike this weekend! 
Want to win? Use the rafflecopter form below for a chance to win your very own Beam N Read light- 10 winners will walk away with this amazing prize! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 Disclaimer-- I participated in a campaign on behalf of Fashionista Events hosted by Still Blonde after all these Years and Modly Chic for Fashion:  I received a review product as a thank you for participating. Fashionista Event bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Holiday Shopping delived to your door!

So as you know holiday shopping can be a nightmare for me especially when it comes to my sister in law. Last year I finally gave up hope and went with a thoughtless last minute gift card...which I could tell was received with a little bit of anger. I know I am one of the hardest people to shop for and so is my sister in law so I think she felt that if she was going to but in the effort then so should I but I literally could think of nothing! Well this year was going to be different-I was determined to find something Eco-friendly and practical for her every day life. Lucky me I was introduced to Soylicious dot com Soy Candles. I know what you are thinking-a candle is a candle right? Not so much these are by far the best smelling scents I have come across in a LONG time. Just look at all the great possibilities:
I personally love the Dickens Christmas scent that is available in candles and in melter gems for the month of November-that means you can get this if you order from Aimee by weeks end so hurry as I am sure you won't be disappointed! Here is a great deal if you order by the end of the week you will get $5 off $25 or more before shipping (just email soycandles@isp.com).
So what is a melter gem you ask? Only the greatest gift idea ever for those that want something a little different from your traditional candle. They are crystals that have been colored and infused with high quality fragrance oil. You put the gems in a melter or warmer and the smell just fills the home in a pleasant not overpowering way. Melter gems also have a ring in each pack valued between $10-$1000. Can you imagine not only giving a wonderful smelling gift but also a fantastic ring.
There are just so many possibilities at Soylicious dot com including the Country Kitchen Collection which will be great for my mother in law and the elementals collection that is great for someone that wants a little bit of pop to their candle. I know that Soylicious dot com is a quick growing company that will be well received because it is not only functional but quality products. Right now Aimee is even offering a great special where you can join her team for $0.99! What a great way to get in the door and start making money working for yourself. Wishing you all a happy holiday and eager to hear what scent you choose from Soylicious dot com!


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Holiday Turkey Hunt


It's that time of year again... the great Holiday Turkey Hunt brought to you by the wic project! This year I will be giving away an amazing magnetic bracelet worth $75 that you get to custom make-what a great holiday gift!

Be sure to enter using rafflecopter below and enter for the grand prize a $120 Amazon gift card!

12 Days Gifts Galore


Welcome to 12 Days of Gifts Galore hosted by Tales from the Nursery & Mama's Baby Cupcakes.

Enter below using the rafflecopter from two great games:

1. Sonny the Seal 

2. Stop N Go 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

No Thanksgiving toddler mess this year!

So let me flash back to the end of August....the first day of school to be exact. I had the perfect outfit picked out for all the great pack to school pictures and was eager to get that perfect shot of my daughter entering her classroom. I am not sure what I was thinking but I got her dressed BEFORE breakfast-I good not have made a bigger mistake. Milk, cereal, juice and some sticky marshmallow thing my husband gave her was all over the outfit within minutes. Since we just got back from vacation and had a mile high pile of laundry my outfit replacement choices were slim. Whey did I not just put her in a bib you say? Well she is a big girl and refuses to wear anything that could remotely resemble something for babies so my choices are cover her in a towel or go without-that was until I attended the ABC Expo. While wandering down an isle looking for an appointment I happened to stumble across kiddologic. The product was just being launched at the expo so this is a real up and coming hot of the presses kind of must have. The bibit-all will be your ultimate lifesaver-it is lightweight, has sleeves, and best of all 100% water proof.

I love that the bibit all has no straps, snaps, or Velcro. It easily pulls over the head and stays put until you are ready to remove. No more sleeve edges stained in sauce thanks to the ribbed cuffs on the sleeve. We have used our bibit all at mealtime and for all the fun little art projects. My daughter also loves to help cook so this is perfect to protect her clothes while she bakes or cooks in the kitchen. I am very excited to use our bibit all at Thanksgiving this year-just imagine I can put little miss in a dress and keep it clean! We have always had to change her dress before eating on special occasions and some family member always gets a photo of her eating in jammies or play clothes-no more thanks to the bibit all! Be sure to visit our holiday gift guide for features of all the must have products this year!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Have you ordered your holiday cards?


Ok so I must admit I am a little into the holidays this season. Usually I am just eh about Christmas but for some reason this year I feel compelled to get into the holiday spirit. Maybe it it because all the kids are the right age and really love all the lights and sparkly decorations. One of my favorite thing to do every year is make the Christmas card...it is my chance to show our extended family what we have been up to during the year. Now I used to go to the mall and get family pictures done and printed on cards but it gets so expensive and we ALWAYS look so fake and posed. Last year we decided to use Tiny Prints and were able to make a great card full of our vacation memories. This year we are doing a card with three photos-one of the family and two of the pets...even thinking of dressing up the pups as elves. If you are still on the look out for a great deal visit the special offers page and see the endless holiday card possibilities! 



Black Friday & Cyber Monday- are you ready?


Are you going black Friday shopping this week? I have gone back and forth deciding if the crowds are worth the deals but in the end will probably be out bright and early. Now even though the deals are great I will be using coupons this year....I know it is something I have never thought of until I received and email from RetailMeNot about their Black Friday Page and Cyber Monday Page. RetailMeNot is the largest online coupon site in the US and is the number one resource for online shopping this holiday season....you have no idea how many times I have gone to buy something online and searched RetailMeNot for a coupon and usually end up with a nice percentage off or free shipping. A very recent example is a bridesmaid dress I needed for a friends wedding- dress retails at $250 so I search quickly for a coupon and get 30% off and free shipping making my cost $172.

Now I know some of you don't like to search for coupons or forgot where you found them....happens multiple times a day in this house- I bookmark things only to lose the bookmark! RetailMeNot offers a great Deal Alerts program and newsletter so you will never miss out on any of the new coupons. My favorite part of the entire site is the free shipping tab. It is an entire tab of the website dedicated to available free shipping offers which is great when you are shopping for something available at multiple locations like that crazy little fijit on my daughters list! With the average shopper spending $171 per person you need to find a way to save a little anyway you can. Happy shopping this week weather it be online or in store and don't forget your coupons!


Disclosure: “This is a sponsored post from One2One Network and RetailMeNot.com. All opinions stated are my own.”