Milkshake - Review and Giveaway!

As some of you may remember, all that my son Brendan wanted for Christmas this past year was a guitar. Music is his "thing". He gets it. He loves it. If you ride in my car, you will more than likely be listening to some sort of childrens CD. We have a variety to choose from, from the Little People Nursery Rhymes to the Doodlebops. I knew that when I was asked to review the Milkshake Band's CD and DVD, that Brendan would be thrilled to see this come in the mail! From the minute I hit play, the music captivated my boys. Milkshake sings about things that children can relate to. It catches their attention and the lyrics are catchy! By the time I heard the songs for the second time, I couldn't help but sing along! ... "We got a band yah yah... singing na na na na na na hey hey hey".

A little bit about Milkshake:

Milkshake is a band on a mission: to create great rock music for kids. Led by singer Lisa Mathews and guitarist Mikel Gehl, whose songs for grown-ups have been featured in movies and prime-time television, and whose indie rock group Love Riot garnered critical praise during its 10-year run, Milkshake has won over preschoolers without compromising songcraft, stagecraft or their authentic rock&roll spirit.

Milkshake's new CD, Play has 12 wonderfully playful songs on it! You'll be sure to love their style. You can even sample their music on their website, which is a wonderful feature!

1. WE GOT A BAND


2. IMAGINATION NATION


3. PIRATES


4. SUPERHERO


5. BOWLING WITH YOU


6. HOME ON THE RANGE


7. GO WILD


8. PLANT A GARDEN


9. PARADE


10. BASEBALL


11. MAGIC RIDE


12. PLAY

Their DVD, Screen Play, is fun on a whole other level! My boys love to dance around to the music in the living room and play their instruments just like the band does. The silliness just does not stop as long as the music is playing!

The first DVD from Milkshake! Featuring live action videos, animations and backstage interviews with the band. Bonus tracks include two videos created for PBS KIDS, and in-concert footage of the Noggin hit "Bottle of Sunshine."

Get your copy of the CD Play!, DVD Screen Play, or any of their other fun stuff today by going online and ordering through Milkshake's online store. For a limited time, you could receive a FREE Milkshake Beachball Baseball with your order!

How would you like to WIN a copy of both the CD Play! and the DVD Screen Play?!?

• To enter, first go to Milkshake's website and come back here and tell me either one of the band member's names, or if there is a show playing soon in your area (date and location).

After you have your initial entry, you can do the following to earn extra entries (please post a seperate comment for each entry):

• Tweet about this (1 entry per day)
• Blog about this (3 entries)
• Follow my blog (1 entry)

Make sure that your email address is either in your profile (Blog owners) or included in your comment.

This contest will end on February 13, 2009 and the winner will be randomly chosen.

The Importance of Fiber

With my new weight loss goals, I want to learn more about healthy eating habits so that I don't end up re-gaining the weight that I lose again like I have in the past. I'm trying to create a good balance of foods for me; something that I can stick to and not feel deprived. I know that fiber is a very important ingrediant to any healthy diet and I have found a delicious way to help me reach my daily fiber goal!

Have you all tried the Fiber One products lately? One word - YUMMY!! My favorite are the Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bars. They each have a whopping 9 grams of fiber in them, which is 35% of the recommended daily fiber. They are so chewy and chocolatey that I was sure that they were absolutely sinful when I first tried them. After I checked the nutritional values on the back I was stunned! How can something that tastes so good, be good for you? That was a breakthrough moment for me in my new venture! I realized that healthy choices doesn't necessary mean eating bland and boring food. Check these out the next time you go to the grocery store, you definitely won't be disappointed! Oh, and for all you Weight Watchers gals (and guys), they're only 2 Points! What a great option to keep in your cupboard for when you crave something sweet.

In addition to the Granola Bars, Fiber One offers a variety of wonderful, high fiber products including:

• Cereal


• Yogurt


• Ready to eat muffins


• Toaster Pastries


• Pancake Mix


• and More!

Don't Make Me Do It!

One of my New Year Resolutions this year (and every year it seems) is to lose weight. I finally stepped on the scale yesterday. It's time to be accountable for the un-healthy choices that I've made. I'll spare you the number, but it wasn't pretty :( Be sure to stay tuned for posts about my weight loss journey. I'm going to shed 50-60 lbs this year and get healthy and fit! I'll need all the support and motivation that I can get to help me through this as well. Anyone want to be a cheerleader?

I REALLY want a new flat iron!

I have what I call "high maintenance" hair. It's thick, naturally wavy and requires some sort of attention daily. I can't just get out of bed and go. I can't just pull it back in a pony tail either, because it's too short to do that now. My cousin does wonders with it at the salon, but I'm on my own every other day of the month. If only I could take her home with me to be available to me each morning as I roll out of bed. There I go dreaming again! LOL! I think that one thing that would help me is getting better products. I just upgraded my blow dryer (Thanks MOM! for the wonderful Christmas present) and now the one thing I covet is a new flat iron. I need one that gets much hotter than the one that I already have. My current iron only gets up to 395 degrees, and my hair needs 450 degrees to get that nice smooth consistency that I desire.

MomDot is hosting a giveaway through Misikko for a new Hana Elite Flat Iron and I want it soooo bad! Check this bad girl out! It's got everything a girl could want and more. Seriously. I NEED this flat iron! Here is a list of it's features:

100% Solid Ceramic Plates Never Peel or Degrade
Large Integrated Ceramic Heaters with Full Plate Coverage for the Most Consistent, Conditioning Far Infrared Heat Possible
Ceramic is naturally hygienic, protects color & retards fading
Unique black ceramic plates won't discolor with use of products or hair dyes
1.5" plates make it easier and faster to straighten & style longer, thicker and unruly hair types
Adjustable Temperature Dial - 5 Settings from 140-450° F for All Hair Types
Flash Heats in Seconds with Instant Compensation for Heat Loss
Safe to use on Damp to Dry Hair
Beveled Edges mean Easy Curled, Flipped, Spiked or Straight Styles
Ergonomic Handle Design with No-Slip Grip
Smooth Grooves Keep Hair Strands Separate and Snag-Free
Sleek luxury matte finish
Tangle-Free Salon Quality Cord Swivels 360°; Convenient Hanging Loop
Energy Efficient at 38 Watts
Independent On/Off Switch
Includes Luxe Heat Proof Storage Pouch, Heat Proof Silicone Mat, & Special Edition Tin Case
Made in Korea
Two Year Warranty

Dreaming...

As I sit here watching my two boys throw pieces of their dinner onto the carpet, I dream about being chosen by MomDot to be a Dyson Domestic Diva! I'm in dire need of a new vacuum cleaner, but can't seem to convince my husband that the Dyson is worth the money that they cost. I would LOVE to be able to test out the Dyson Animal so that I can show my skeptical hubby how wonderful and magical these machines are. I'm of course hoping that the vacuum will live up to my every expectation, as I have never actually used one. But in my dreams, the Animal is light-weight and glides across the room with little effort picking up every piece of dirt, food and lord only knows what else off of my floor. In my dreams, the Animal is fearless, taking on any job large or small. In my dreams, this vacuum can actually keep up with the continuous mess that my children make, and makes the dirt and grass that my husband brings in on the bottom of his work boots disappear in the blink of an eye! Oh Dyson Animal.... please make my dreams come true!

Are my expectations too high? My husband thinks so. I would LOVE the chance to prove him wrong (insert sinister laugh here)!

Bloggers Give!

Have you all heard of the wonderful charity that MomDot has set up called Bloggers Give? Wow! What a way to give back to the community! I applaud them and all of their sponsors in their efforts!

As a review blogger, how can you help? This is simple!

• For every product that you request to review or get offered for review, ask the company to send you a second product and tell them that it will be donated to Bloggers Give. Trisha Haas, the owner of Bloggers Give and MomDot, has even derived a letter for you to send to sponsors, after you've made the initial contact with them. She's worked with so many different sponsors and realize that it may be hard or awkward to ask for additional items for review. But, when the sponsors hear about what a great program Bloggers Give is, they'll definitely want to get involved!

Every time Bloggers Give receives a product donation on behalf of your blog’s giveaway or review, we will do the following:

• Promote the giveaway on your site of participating product in a post we run once a week
  
• Promote the review on your site of participating products in a post we run once a week
  
• A list under our Blog Listings that is permanent
  
• The blogger who donates the most product throughout the month will receive our Blogger of the Month award and be permanently listed on our sidebars the rest of the year
  
• The blogger who donates the most product at the end of the year will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to any store of their choosing

As a sponsor, how can you help?

• Contact Trisha Haas through the Bloggers Give site and let her know that you would like to participate in this wonderful cause!
• I would love to offer a review of your product. If you are interested, send me two items and I will do a full review on my blog of the item and send the second item to Trisha personally.

The companies that dropship an extra product to Bloggers Give will
receive:

• A link listing permanently under our donating companies
  
• A 125/125 banner on the sidebar (if sent to us) for the month they donate
  
• The Companies that donate the most product via a blogger per month will recieve a banner ad that rotates throughout the 4 Bloggers Give blogger sites (Mom
  Generations, Simbaco Lifestyle, MomDot and Accideintal Mommies)

Free Parents Magazine Subscription!

If you're anything like me, you love a great parenting resource. I've had a subscription to Parents magazine since I was pregnant with my first son. The articles and advice in this magazine is always helpful!

How would you like a free 2 year subscription to Parents magazine? Click here for details. Hurry, this offer won't last long!

What's for Dinner?

Have you ever been stumped about what to make for dinner? I have found myself completely bored with the recipes that I know and make all of the time. I'm dying to try some new things, but don't have a lot of time in the evenings to spend on elaborate meals. If you have found yourself in the same situation as I am in, then you have to check out Kraft's website for easy recipes using the items that you already have in your kitchen!

They have so many options on this website and so many ways to search for recipes that I can always find what I'm looking for! With easy, step-by-step instructions, reviews and beautiful pictures I can easily re-create any dish that is listed.

Sign up for their weekly emails! I look forward to my email each week, which helps me plan my menu for the following week!

Kraft First Taste

Have you signed up for Kraft First Taste? In my house, there are several Kraft products that are staples in my cupboards and refridgerater. From salad dressings to desserts, Kraft is a brand that I trust! Now, you can be the first to try their new products and you can try them for free! Just sign up for Kraft First Taste and they'll send you offers periodically via email and you can choose to have the product (or a coupon for the product) to your home! It's that easy! I just received a couple of samples of the Jello single serve chocolate pudding packets that I can't wait to try out. My boys and I will be trying those out after dinner tonight!

What are you waiting for? Get over to Kraft First Taste and try it out!

My Fruit Rollups - Review and Giveaway!

I was recently offered the opportunity to try out My Fruit Rollups. What great timing as I had my son's 3rd birthday party approaching and knew these would be a great favor for the kids' goodie bags! Creating my personalized Fruit Roll-up was super easy and the product came quickly. With 30 Fruit Roll-Ups in the box, there were plenty for me to pass out at Brendan's birthday party and still had leftovers to eat at home.

Here is the image of Brendan that I used:

My son's reaction to seeing his face on the Fruit Roll-Up was PRICELESS!! He was so shocked and excited as he exclaimed "That's me!"

My Fruit Roll-Ups are perfect for all sorts of occasions:

• Birthday Parties
• Valentines Day
• Sports Teams
• Christmas Parties
• Halloween Parties
• Graduations

Check out My Fruit Roll-Ups for design examples or to create your own!

How would you like to enter to win your own box of personalized My Fruit Roll-Ups?

To Win, check out the My Fruit Roll-Ups website and come back here and comment telling me how you would design yours!

• Please make sure to include your email address in your comment, unless you are a blog owner and your contact info is in your profile.
• Winner will be chosen at random
• One winner will be chosen
• Winner will be notified via email. If no response in 2 days, another winner will be chosen.

This contest will end at 11:59 p.m. EST on 1/31/09

Potty training?

Pull-Ups is offering a free potty training DVD while supplies last! I just ordered my copy as I will soon begin to potty train my youngest son. Since no two kids are alike, I'm sure that I will have to tailor my approach with Keegan from what I did with Brendan. I'm hoping that this DVD will give me some useful tips!

Have you been looking for a way to make potty training easier?
Finally there's a potty training approach that's flexible and fun. You can tailor it to fit the way your child learns best, so you can keep your Big Kid® engaged from start to finish.
No matter what your child’s phase of training, you’ll love the Pull-Ups® Big Kid® Central Potty Training Success DVD. You’ll discover techniques, tips, songs and games to help you and your child succeed. Order your free copy today.
Available while supplies last.

Stride Rite - Review

The other day I came home to a wonderful surprise box waiting for me. Two beautiful pairs of shoes from Stride Rite! I opened the box with my 3 year old beside me, curious to see what was inside. He loves new shoes almost as much as I do, so he was anxious to get his pair on his feet and run around in them! My boys have been wearing their new shoes for 3 days now and absolutely LOVE them, and so do I. They are so stylish and go with just about everything that is in their closets, which makes them extremely versitile! My younger son, Keegan, has a wide feet which can make it complicated to get shoes on his feet. His new shoes slid right on, just like butter. Ahhh, no more fighting him to get shoes on his feet!

For Brendan, we received these shoes in the color shown in a medium width. He has slightly narrow feet, and these shoes fit him perfectly!

For Keegan, we received these shoes in the color shown in a wide width. I feel awful because not having dealt with wide feet with my first son, I never knew the signs of shoes not fitting a toddler properly. Keegan used to stumble quite a bit and I thought he was just clumsy and new on his feet. I never thought that it was because his shoes weren't fit just right. Since he's been wearing these I can't say that he hasn't fallen at all (he's 18 months), but he certainly isn't as clumsy as I once thought he was! Poor guy!

Baskin-Robbims BRight Choices

With the New Year under way, I know many people resolve to be healthier. I am definitely one of those people! My weakness though is ice cream, especially Baskin Robbins! There is a location right by my work and every once in a while I like to stop in for a special treat. Now, I can stop in and have a treat and not feel bad about it! Baskin Robbins just introduced a new line called BRight Choices! They have different flavors to choose from and you can even choose to create a cake, shake, or sundae out of their BRight Choices, making your options even more appealing!

• Their new Premium Churned Light Ice Cream has 50% less fat and 20% fewer calories than the regular ice cream. So, with only 130 or 140 calories and 4.5 grams of fat you can indulge in a scoop of their vanilla, chocolate or raspberry chip ice cream without feeling an ounce of guilt!

• Is sugar a no-no in your diet? Then try their Premium Churned Reduced Fat Ice Cream with No Added Sugar! Wow! My dad is a diabetic, so he'll be super excited to hear about this! I think I'll take him out this weekend for a nice scoop of Butter Almond Crunch Ice Cream.

• How about Frozen Yogurt? I love frozen yogurt, it's definitely a healthier option and just as tasty as ice cream. Their Fat-Free Vanilla Frozen Yogurt only has 90 calories per serving!

• If you want a Fat Free & Dairy Free option, then the Strawberry Sorbet is the way to go. This yummy treat only has 80 calories per serving.

"Diets" are always daunting. But changing my lifestyle and the choices I make when it comes to eating will be much easier with this delicious treat as a guilt free option!

Best Bathroom Cleaner EVER!

I have to tell you all about a product that I've been raving about for almost a month now. Arm & Hammer's Scrub Free Bathroom Cleaner with Oxy Foaming Action is the best bathroom cleaner I have ever used! As I was perusing the cleanser isle one day I saw this item and I was skeptical, to say the least. I've used other supposed "scrub-free" cleansers that are definitely NOT scrub-free, but this one actually is. It truely makes the job of cleaning the soap scum off of the shower walls and tub a cinch! I'm amazed by it every time I use it.

Product Details:

Arm & Hammer® - The Standard of PurityCuts through soap scum on contact!
Cuts through soap scum on contact
Cleans and deodorizes
No scrubbing, no scratching
Premium performance - premium value
Arm & Hammer® Scrub Free® Bathroom Cleaner quickly cuts through soap scum, hard water stains and dulling film. Recommended for use on ceramic tile, shower doors, fixtures, plastic, chrome and on porcelain, acrylic and fiberglass tubs and sinks. The unique non-abrasive formula won't scratch as it cleans, shines and deodorizes. And it gives you the premium performance you desire - at a premium value

Warnings
Keep out of reach of children.
Contains sulfamic acid. Do not mix with bleach, mildew removers or other household cleaners, as toxic fumes may result.
Eye irritant. May be harmful if swallowed.
If swallowed: Immediately rinse mouth with water. Have person sip a glass of water if able to swallow. Call poison control center or doctor for treatment advice. Do not induce vomiting unless told to do so by poison control center or doctor. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
If in eyes: Hold eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15-20 minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present, after the first 5 minutes, then continue rinsing eye. Call poison control center or doctor for treatment advice.
If on skin: Rinse skin immediately with plenty of water. Seek medical attention if irritation develops.

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion + Sunscreen SPF 15

I'm a natural red-head, and as with most red-heads I have extremely fair and sensitive skin that requires a lot of maintenance. I'm always in search of a better skin-care product, so when I was approached to try Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion with Sunscreen SPF 15 I was thrilled! I found it is a wonderfully light lotion with a very mild scent. It's so light that I actually apply a little to my face each morning (yes, you read that right, I apply it to my face!). I usually have dry red patches on my cheeks and this lotion has really reduced those patches. Even though the lotion is lightweight, it still provides enough moisture to take care of the rough skin that this cold, dry weather has left on my hands and elbows. The added plus is that it's protecting me from the sun, which is extremely important to me and my fair skin. This product has definitely made it's way into my daily skin-care regimine!

Everyday skin care routine should provide complete protection and hydration to the skin. To achieve this goal, harsh environ­mental irritants along with excessive sun radiation should be kept away from the skin so that it remains youthful and healthy.We would like to introduce the unique product that combines the most beneficial features of shielding and sunscreen lotions - Skin MD Natural + SPF15.This product helps prevent loss of natural oils and moisture, doesn't allow irritating substances to penetrate the skin and absorbs the part of UV spectrum that contributes to premature skin ageing and development of skin cancer.

Check out Skin MD Natural's website for information on where to purchase this wonderful product, user rave reviews, before and after pictures and much more!

Wow, it's been a long time!

Since I've posted! The holidays were more hectic than ever this year with office parties, after hour meetings, family parties, hubby's birthday and then the New Year. Whew! I had a great time and a wonderful holiday but it feels good to have things back to normal again. The tree and Christmas decorations are down, and the mess that Santa left is just about cleaned up. Next week is my older son's 3rd birthday, so now I am preparing for his party and another load of stuff to find room for. I have a few reviews to get done, so you'll be hearing from me plenty in the next few days!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and here's to a very prosperous 2009!!