Marie Callender's Multi-serve Bakes - Review and Giveaway

I'm a working mom. My husband is a working dad. Between school, daycare, preschool, and our jobs, we're not home a lot during the day which makes getting meals on the table more than just a little challenging some days. We manage to have dinner as a family at least three times a week, but I'll be honest and admit that one of those times is out - usually at a fast food joint. 

So when I heard about the new Marie Callender's bakes, I was not just interested, I was downright intrigued. Good meals that I could microwave and that came with better nutritional stats than our fast food dinners? Sign me up. 

First I sent my husband to the grocery store and he came home with the wrong meals. (Who knew Marie Callender's had so many frozen meal options?) Then I went and surveyed the "bakes" options. The trick, which I did not know when I dispatched my better half, is to look in the family meals section of the freezer aisle, not the single entree section. 

I looked at the options offered by our grocery store - I really wanted to try the three meat and four cheese lasagna, but it was not meant to be. Instead I brought home the Vermont White Cheddar Mac&Cheese. It wouldn't do for a family dinner, but if it meant I could get dinner on the table for the girls in under 10 minutes, it was definitely worth a try. Plus, the box made the Mac&Cheese look both harmless and delicious. 

Tonight, at long last, I finally pulled the package from the freezer and popped it in the microwave. 5 minutes later I was drooling as the smell of melted cheese filled the kitchen. Another 4 minutes later and I was pulling dinner out of the microwave. I added some turkey slices and fruit to their plates and served up dinner. 

I wish I could tell you that both children fell over themselves as they gorged on mac&cheese. Sadly that wasn't the case. At first I thought it was because I've spoiled my kids with homemade mac&cheese (they won't even eat the stuff out of the box any more...), but after tasting it I understood. 

The benign dish pictured on the box had an unexpected kick to it. 

I sat down at the table and grabbed a bowl. The cheese was perfectly cheesy and the red pepper flakes gave the creamy noodles a tasty - somewhat more grown-up - twist. 

My own dinner was cooking so I regretfully put down my fork. The kids won't want this dinner again, but I'm putting it on the shopping list for those nights when my husband is out of town I'm so crazed I don't have time to cook a meal for myself. (He doesn't do so well with cheesy dishes...)

Side note: I'm an avid nutritional content checker and this dish compared admirably with other leading brands of frozen mac&cheese. It even bested them in the protein and vitamin department.

Marie Callender's Multi-serve Bakes Giveaway

Want to try for yourself? You're in luck! I have two sets of Marie Callender's coupons - one free dish and a few discounted dishes - to give away to two lucky readers. 

To enter leave me a comment sharing a quick dinner short-cut that works for you. 

Bonus entries: Tweet or Facebook this giveaway. Please be sure to come back and post the direct link to your tweet or Facebook post.

Giveaway will close at 10pm Tuesday, Dec 7th.

Please note, I was compensated by Marie Callender's and TheMotherhood for this post, but all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone. 

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Petz Fantasy - Moonlight Magic Review

This post is part of a sponsored series from Ubisoft, celebrating "12 Days of Giveaways." See below for how you can enter up to 12 times to win fun and family-friendly video games.

I have a love hate relationship with the Nintendo DS. I love playing with it and hate it when the kids play. It's not that I'm loath to share my toy, it's more that neither child can read so I constantly have to stop what I'm doing to read what it says on the screen.

Since we opened Petz Fantasy, I'm changing my tune. 

First of all, this game is cute. Seriously adorable. The little magic pet makes cute little noises and has a sweet little face. 

Second, this game is manageable for my 5yo. She still needs me to  read some of the messages, but she can sit and play without needing my help every three seconds. Even better, she's actually having fun! She loves taking care of her little beast and is even tackling the more challenging magical realm games with glee. 

As a mom I'm quite impressed with the different skills she's mastering. Even though her hand/eye coordination is quite good, since she's learning to write, extra practice is never a bad thing. To feed her little pet she has to color in his food being sure to stay within the lines (Harder than it sounds!), to console him she has to burst his tears before they explode. And that's just the start. Each level offers up a new challenge and I, like my daughter, can't wait to see what's next!

To Purchase Petz Fantasy:
Visit Toys R Us where you can find it for $29.99.
Visit Amazon.com where you can also find it for $29.99

Want to win your own copy of this game? 
Easy enough!

Leave a comment below telling my why this game sounds perfect for your child.
Get an extra entry by tweeting or promoting this giveaway on Facebook. Please make sure to come back and leave a comment with a link to your tweet or FB post. 


Winner will be drawn at 10:00pm Friday, December 3rd and will be announced Saturday, December 4th. 

This giveaway is now closed! Thank you to everyone who entered and tweeted it out! 
Congratulations to Rhoneygtn, #35, winner of the Petz Fantasy Moonlight Magic game! 

Want more ways to win great games for the whole family? Visit each of these blogs during our 12 Days of Giveaways from now through December 3!

I was selected to participate in this sponsored series by Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective. I received a video game and compensation for my participation in this program. We believe in Blog With Integrity.

Please visit these participating bloggers for more chances to win games, including Just Dance 2 (Wii), Battle of Giants: Dinosaur Strike (Wii), Petz Fantasy (DS) and Petz Nursery (DS)!
Rookie Moms
motherbumper
DaDa Rocks
Crash Test Mommy
Scraps of My Geek Life
Mommies With Style
The Fairly Odd Mother
All Things Fadra
Mom to the Screaming Masses
Beccarama
Romy Raves

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Insect Lore Buzzerks Review and giveaway - Updated with winner!

I am not a bug lover. To be exact, I'm not a huge fan of anything with wings, bugs don't bother me beyond that. In fact, if I'm honest I find them somewhat fascinating. I often find myself wondering what it would be like to have one day, or one week be a whole lifetime. Then I ponder what it would be like to see the world through a kaleidoscope. 

Thanks to the Insect Lore Buzzerks my girls have been able to experience what it's like to "see" the world like an insect. The insect "goggles" - shaped like a fire and, mantis, and hornet - are a fun way to dress up like an insect. A neat lens inside the masks allow the kids to see the world through the multiple "eyes" of an insect.

C instantly wanted to be a fire-ant, insisting on a full outfit change so she could dress in all red to fully embrace the role. Little L donned the green glasses of the mantis and the two of them crawled around the house all day. It's a nice change from playing princess all day long! Even better, it's led to a lot of fascinating conversations about insects and what life must be like when it only lasts a day or two.

Insect Lore Buzzerks Giveaway

We've been having so much fun with our Buzzerks, we want to share the fun with you!
Insect Lore is giving away two sets of Buzzerks to one lucky winner - one set for your family, one set for your child's class.

To win leave a comment below telling me what your child would love about the Insect Lore Buzzerks or a funny story about bugs. Giveaway will end Monday, Nov 15th and the winner will be announced at 10pm PST.


Congratulations! We have a winner!

Commenter #7 was.... Nicole! Congratulations Nicole! I'll be in touch via email to get your address.
Stay tuned for more exciting Insect Lore giveaways. There's going to be one a month for a whole year!


I'm participating in a long campaign for Insect Lore. I was sent Buzzerks for review and am being compensated for participating in this campaign. However the thoughts contained in this post are mine and mine alone. Stay tuned to see what else we have in store for you!

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Disney Mickey Mote Review

Kid shows are very inventive when it comes to trying to get children to interact with the action. There are varying degrees of questions and comments directed at the child. Some shows carefully build in "wait time" to give the child a chance to react and answer before the show moves on. But until now, there were few if any shows that put an interactive tool directly in the child's hand.

I was really excited to receive and test the new Disney Mickey "Mote." I loved the concept from the get go. Anything that can turn a predominantly passive activity into an active thinking one can't be bad.

First things first though. Before being able to test out the Mickey Mote I had to set it up, which meant I had to find the DVD remote. I located it in the last place I thought to check (The empty packaging for the new TV that was heading to the trash. Thank you Mickey Mote! I would never have searched for it if it weren't for you!) and started the set up.

I set the two remotes head to head on the floor and followed the instructions carefully, pushing the buttons in order. Clearly I've been working too hard because it took me a good three times to get the set-up right. Had I read the instructions exactly as they were written I would have gotten it right the first time. It really wasn't that hard. 

With the remote set up the girls were ready to play. The timing was perfect, Little L was ready to be set up for her nebulizer treatment. I usually sit with her on the couch to read to her as the medicine does it's thing, tonight I sat her in front of the TV and handed her her Mickey Mote.

We're big fans of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so they were delighted to see the familiar opening credits, not to say a new episode they'd never seen.

A few things to note:
The Mickey Mote doesn't come into play during the usual episode. You have to select the bonus material to have access to the interactive portion of the DVD. For a child who's been handed a fun red remote, it can be a bit hard to be patient until playtime starts. Even if you go straight to the interactive section, there's still a bit of wait time before the questions start.

The first level of play was perfect for my 3-year-old. She was able to easily answer the questions, but they made her think. The second level of play was a bit easy for the 5-year-old, though she did enjoy the interactivity.

All in all I'm a fan of the Mickey Mote. I like the fact that it teaches the children to be active observant viewers. I wish the integration of the interactive parts was a bit less choppy and a bit more seamless. But all in all, this is a nice little product that will entertain preschoolers and help them feel like they're part of the action.

I received a copy of the Disney Mickey Mote and an extra DVD for review. I received no other form of compensation. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Eddie Bauer Yukon Classic Down Jacket - Review

I live in California. Let me start with that. So when my new BFF at Eddie Bauer reached out to me to ask me to review a down jacket, I balked. I usually get by with wearing various sweaters and fleece jackets except for the couple days we spend in Lake Tahoe every Thanksgiving and the week we spend out East with my sister and her family when Christmas rolls around. 

But my new friend convinced me that the Yukon Classic Down Jacket, while being rated for temps all the way down to 0F, wasn't too warm for more chilly California nights. 

I bit and ordered it in red.

Back in college I bought myself a bright pink very puffy down jacket. I loved everything about that jacket except for the fact that my school friends promptly nicknamed me The Raspberry. When I put it on I felt cozy, warm, and just plain comforted. 

My Eddie Bauer Yukon Classic Down Jacket brought back that exact same feeling... without the unpleasant nickname. The fleece lined collar and cuffs are extra soft and the down is warm without being unflatteringly puffy.

It's the middle of October and I've already worn my jacket twice. And no, I haven't been out East or up to Tahoe. It's a light enough jacket to work for the cooler CA temps, but I'll also definitely be packing it when we head to the snow. Like all of my other Eddie Bauer duds (pretty much my entire closet...) I love that it's classy, fashionable, but utterly comfortable and functional. Plus, you know, should I ever be caught out in almost sub-zero degree weather, I'll be warm and toasty. Though I better not, I do live in California for a reason after all, namely because I enjoy not being cold. 

The Yukon Classic retails for $129-139, but right now Eddie Bauer is having their 70th Annual Down Sale and the jacket is $40 off until 11/7. It's an unbeatable deal for a jacket you'll have for years.

Just so you know, I was sent a jacket for review purposes, but I was not compensated in any other way to write this post. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. I adore Eddie Bauer and will happily model for you whatever I'm wearing when we meet. 99% guaranteed it'll be from there.  

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Vtech Mobigo Review

I have always been skeptical of gaming consoles for kids. They're either too complicated (which leads to crying) or too simplistic (which leads to boredom). I have seen kids (and adults) addicted to the Nintendo DS and Sony's PSP as well as other gaming systems which are great fun, but really fail when it comes to education. Frankly, I thought no one could get the right mix of playability and education into one box. And then we tried the MobiGo by Vtech.

Let me begin by voicing loudly my biggest complaint. We were only provided one MobiGo to review and now my kids (5 and almost 3) fight constantly to play with it. In the last three days the MobiGo has had to go in time out a good five times while they figure out how to take turns.

At first glance the MobiGo seems like all other portable electronic gaming systems. It's got a 4-directional button on the left, a screen in the middle, and a big button on the right. It's got a cartridge on the top. Seen it. Done it. Yawn.

Ok, fine. So I plug in the "Touch & Learn" cartridge and turn on the thing. It wants you to put in your name.  Seen that before too, right? Oh wait the whole screen flips up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard! (Those who play with a Sidekick or other flip phones know what I'm talking about). OK that's pretty cool, but come on my kids are 5 and 2. Seemed a little excessive for me at first. But I'll get back to that later.

So then I get to select different games to play from the Touch & Learn cartridge. I can immediately tell there are letter games, number games, and other games to try out (actually 6 games in all). I tried to select one with the directional button but it didn't work. I have an iPod Touch, so my instinct was to touch the screen. It worked! The entire screen is touch sensitive! It turns out that (duh) the Touch & Learn cartridge relies heavily on the touch screen.

So the technology is there, but I was still skeptical about playability and educational value. I tried out what I call the "Squirrel game" first. In this game you simply use the touch screen to help a squirrel get nuts. The game directs you to basically connect the dots to move the squirrel. Pretty simple, but very intuitive especially for a 2 or 3 year old. The graphics are fantastic and the squirrel makes a cute noise every time he reaches a nut.

I moved on to the letter game. The goal of this game is to shoot rubber ducks with a water gun. Each duck has a letter on it and you shoot by finding the letter on the QWERTY keyboard. This is great! After about 10 minutes my 5 year old had a pretty good grasp of the location of many of the letters on the QWERTY keyboard. This game was actually both fun and educational. My 5 year old was reviewing her letters and was learning about the QWERTY keyboard all while being sucked into the fun graphics.

I like music so I had to try the music game. I was shocked to realize that this was Rock Band/Guitar Hero for little kids (except instead of Megadeath, you play Oh, Susanna). The guitar (or more aptly ukulele) has only four strings and a little note falls down each string for you to "pluck" it at the right moment. Brilliant! As I played more, the sophistication of the system revealed itself and you can also play piano and drums.

OK the technology is great, the games are fun and educational, but my last concern was would it hold the kids' attention for more than a day. Each game has an "easy" or "difficult" mode. The "Easy" level was easy for my 5 year old on some games (the squirrel game) and adequate on others (like the letter and number games).  If you do well on the easy level, then you're invited to play the difficult level. Frankly, the games are so much fun that both kids are still having a great time and my 5 year old is really learning her keyboard. She's even making distinct progress with her numbers, something we only recently realized she needed to work on.

The system is marked as being good for kids to 3-8-year-olds. The "Touch & Learn" cartridge supplied with the console won't keep the attention of the older kids for long, but VTech is releasing a large array of affordable games ($20 or so)  to go with the console.We only played with the original cartridge which didn't use any of the directional buttons on the console, but we're beyond impressed with the technology and functionality of the system and we can't wait to test out some of the other games.

So, in short, great game console with amazing potential. I love the fact that some of the mini-games are harder than others so that the kids have something easy to fall back on when they get frustrated with the more challenging tasks. The fact that they've still gone back to try the more challenging tasks after speaks volumes. The fact that they haven't stopped playing for the last three days and have made noticeable progress with numbers, letters, and problem solving speaks even higher to the quality of the educational content of this game system.

Pre-purchase the MobiGo at Amazon for $59.99. (Release date is supposed to be June 7th, though the date there says July 1st.)

Or Purchase the MobiGo at ToysRUs now for $59.99 and games for around $20.

Please note, I did receive a MobiGo console from VTech for review (and we get to keep it thank goodness or there would be a mutiny) however the opinions contained in this post are mine and mine alone, except for the parts written by my husband who was so taken with the device that he felt the need to write this review. His opinions are his and his alone too.

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Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café - Review

I was such a Strawberry Shortcake kind of kid that I even dressed up as Strawberry herself one Halloween. It was the cheapest, most plastic-y costume you could possibly imagine, but I cherished that thing. But aside from what I remember about that sheet of plastic costume, what I loved best about Strawberry Shortcake was her intoxicating smell. They say it was Strawberry, but I'm not sure it wasn't crack.

Since I was such a Strawberry Shortcake fan as a kid, I was thrilled to see her make a massive come back this year. I'm getting a kick out of watching Little L and C play with my little fruity friends.

I have two girls so it almost goes without saying that they go ballistic whenever I present them with a toy that has lots of tiny components. Anything cute, pink, and tiny is an instant hit in our home. My husband goes ballistic also, but for completely different reasons. The tiny bits drive him up the wall.

The Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café is exactly the kind of toy my girls love. It's adorable, comes with a doll, and lots of teeny tiny pieces for lots of fun pretend play. Little L likes that Strawberry can sit on a bird and go for a spin. C likes to set up the café and have Strawberry be the perfect little hostess. I like watching them take a trip to my childhood. And M? Well, he's not a fan of the little pieces, but he does like it when the girls play on their own.

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café Pros:

- Fun retro toy with an up to date twist. Lots of fun details, like a blender for iced coffee drinks and a cute little oven to bake the tiny baked goods. Strawberry Shortcake even has a bed in case she needs to take a nap after a particularly crazy morning!

- Not a bad price point for such a large toy - $28.42 today on Amazon.

- Great potential for imaginative play. Since Strawberry Shortcake is the only doll supplied with this set she might have to get to know some of your kid's other dolls!

Strawberry Shortcake Berry Café Cons:

- I don't know if my kids are singular in this or not, but they don't tend towards mixing and matching their toys. So there's a big chance that in our home Strawberry won't be making any friends until her creators start selling more of her fruity palls.

- The windows and doors on the café don't seal shut so the tiny little pieces can't be stored in it for safekeeping. A ziplock bag takes care of that issue, but it would have been nice to have the set be self-sufficient.

- My treasured childhood smell isn't here for the ride. (It is on some of the Strawbery Shortcake coloring books that we have found.) But the girls don't mind. I'm the only one who noticed!

All in all this is a lovely toy and will make many little girls grin with glee this holiday season!

Please Note: I am in no way affiliated with Hasbro. I was given a Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cafe for review purposes and was in no other way compensated for this review. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Sprig Toy Review - Dolphin Explorer Boat

 I'm just going to come out and admit it. I am that mom. The one who lies to her kids. I may have, on many occasions, lied about the fact that a toy didn't make noise. I have yanked batteries before they noticed how it was supposed to work, or let batteries die without replacing them.

What? I believe in the power of imagination!

And then, sometimes I'm delighted to discover toys that don't require batteries and that, by their simple, ingenious designs, are all about promoting the power of imagination. When they happen to be green toys, well, that's just icing on the cake.

All Sprig Toys are eco-friendly and unbelievable adorable. I guarantee that you won't be able to resist picking up the cute little people and I doubt that you'll leave their site without thinking of a few little people in your life who would love to create their own adventures with these toys.

I was fortunate to receive our buddy Captain Owen and his rugged little boat. Is he a fisherman? Is he a dolphin watcher? Depends on the day and who's telling the story.

Sprig Toy Dolphin Explorer Pros:

- Parents will love the eco friendly, made from recycled materials toy. Kids will adore the tough little boat and the adorable dolphins.

- The toys are made from Sprigwood, a mix of recycled plastic and reclaimed sawdust. It's smooth to the touch and very pleasant to handle.

- Two boats! For even more imaginative play.

- Waterproof, so great for pool, beach, or even tub time. Dolphins are the only hollow creatures, but they are well designed with no place water can stay trapped and make the toy moldy. Everything else dries nicely.

- The box is more than just a box! It has cut-outs that add a whole other dimension to the toys inside. 

Sprig Toy Dolphin Explorer Cons:

- Our kids aren't used to having toys that have to be fuelled so far by their imaginations. Captain Owen doesn't even have a face. It takes a while for them to get engaged and start having fun with this, but once they do it's hard to tear them away!

- Price point - $29.99 - is a hair higher than I'd go for a basic birthday party toy, but for a toy with this quality and ingenuity I'd invest for my own children, a close friend, or a family member. (Many toys on the site are more in my birthday party price range!)  

I am a huge fan of Sprig Toys and I was delighted to see that they're easy to find. I even spotted one of the trucks at Baby Gap the other day! They have trucks and princesses and even fun book/toys for interactive reading play. I know quite a few kids who will be getting some rugged chunky little imagination boosters in their stockings this year...

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Sprig Toys. I was given a Dolphin Explorer Boat for review purposes and was in no other way compensated for this review. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Play-Doh Burger Builder

If I ask you to name one Play-doh set you used to play with as a child I bet you're only going to hesitate for a moment before you answer. (Mine was that nifty set where the people grew hair.) For my kids that memorable set is going to be the Play-doh Burger Builder. Without a doubt.

As soon as I pulled out the box their eyes lit up and their smiles broadened. I mean, they love Play-doh, but this promised extra fun.

Little L contemplating the possibilities.

We broke out the kit and got to work making burgers. Within moments even I was transported to childhood as we made patties and buns, lettuce, and tomatoes, and even perfect little pickles. But the most fun was had when we tried the potato chip maker. Seriously, get this kit just for the fun you'll get from this little hand cranked tool. It spits out potato chips and sends them flying everywhere. Way too much fun.

C's masterpiece.
If you squint you can see the cheese she included.

We built a ton of burgers and made miles of fries before the girls got sidetracked and the Play-Doh session ended the way they all do, with them making mountains of spaghetti and mommy picking up tiny pieces off the floor. It was a real hit.

Play-doh Burger Builder Pros:
- Great variety of options. Aside from all the usual spaghetti shapes that you can press out, you can also press out burger, bun, and condiment shapes, and of course there's the fabulous potato chip maker.
- Affordable. For around $20 you can have one great kit that will net hours of play and five small tubs of Play-doh.
- Easy to manipulate even for little hands. Little L (2yo) was able to press out some burgers with a bit of help.

Play-doh Burger Builder Cons:
- If you happen to be a bit anal about your Play-doh colors not mixing or your burgers being the right color, this might not be the set for you. At first our burgers were picture perfect (see first picture), by the end they looked more like questionable veggie burgers than prime Angus beef burgers. The girls didn't mind. A more anal person might have noticed cared.
- The colors needed for making traditional looking burgers and condiments aren't part of the small packs of refills. You'd have to get the big pack or find the colors individually.

Major thumbs up for this little gem of a Play-doh kit!

***
Has your child created a Play-doh food masterpiece? Enter it in the big "Ready Go Play-doh" contest and you could win $10000! Contest ends Sept 30, 09, so hurry!

Hyde Organics Yoga Clothing

I am that person who has always scorned fancy workout clothing. I mean, you sweat in the stuff. You feel gross in the stuff. You're not going to like what you see in the mirror anyway, so why spend buckets on things that you're going to wear for all of an hour?

You're hearing it here first. I was wrong. I was so, so, so very wrong.

If the clothes make the man well, the workout clothes make the workout.

I was approached by Hyde Organic to see if I'd be willing to review their line of yoga wear and I said, sure, why not. I love yoga. Granted, I usually wear my grubbiest of 'yoga' pants bought from Costco three years ago when I do yoga, but I'm willing to look the part once in a while.

When I got the clothes I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. I'm rather well endowed and it's not exactly easy for me to find form fitting workout type tops that fit my ample bosom, let alone form fitting workout type tops with built-in shelf bras. But Hyde Organic came through for me. Tops that not only fit, but are comfortable and look great.

And the pants? Well, I don't even know if I can do the pants justice. Let's just say that when people say that they work from home so they can work in yoga pants? These are the pants they are talking about. And yes, I have done more than just sit around on my couch wearing these, I have also exercised in them and they do not ride up, slip down, bunch up, shift around, or do any of the other million things that some less well designed clothes tend to do when put under stress. Instead they feel just as great as they make me look - not an easy task when I'm running up a hill looking like a sweaty beat red tomato.

Hyde Organic Yoga Clothes Pros:

- All the clothes are made from predominantly organic fibers and are made in a sweat-shop free environment.
- Exceptional comfort and fit. (I'm no super model and I've worn this outfit to a coffee shop and to take my kids to school. And people complimented me!)
- Nice range of options from capris to ankle length pants and various top options. Click here to see the full line.
- Resistant. Despite the warnings to wash in cold water and line dry, I might have maybe washed in warm water and dryer dried, but the pants are still as stretchy, soft, and comfortable as ever.

Hyde Organic Yoga Clothes Cons:

- No matter what side of the fence you come down on $68 for a pair of yoga pants is a lot of money. Now when you consider the fact that I spent almost as much on a pair of jeans that I now wear less often than these pants... well that puts it into perspective.
- They might not be in your local neighborhood yogawear store quite yet (click here for a list of distributors), but the website is comprehensive and they do have a good return policy. Of course you could always just tell your yogawear store about Hyde Organic and have them start to carry them...


Disclaimer: I received two tops and a pair of yoga pants from Hyde Organic for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Jolly Llama Sorbet Review

It's summer time. It's hot. And what's the thing you crave most when it's hot? Well, duh. Ice cream!

Or if you're me, sorbet. Yummy, fruity, light sorbet. Only sorbet hasn't always been the easiest thing to serve up to a crowd, to kids, or even on the go.

You know, until now!

Jolly Llama made my summer when they contacted me and asked me if I wanted to test their brand new sorbets. In instantly said "Yes, please!" and sent them my address. Little did I know they were going to send the package right away and that I was going to get a frantic call from M while I was in Chicago.

"There's a big box here and it's marked perishable. Should I open it?"

He opened it and found lots of sorbet. I instructed that he was to find a way, any way, to fit each and every ounce of it in our freezer. He did. I don't want to know what had to be sacrificed. It doesn't matter, it was all worth it.

I tore into my first Jolly Llama sorbet when I got home and I was delighted to discover that they more than lived up to my expectations. Tasty, healthy, fun to eat, and best of all, utterly practical.

The four flavors (Strawberry, blueberry, acai berry, and mango) are all-natural, made without corn syrup, no juices or concentrates, and as a bonus happen to be a good source of fiber!

Even better, the girls, my delightfully picky eaters, love them! As for me, I keep being torn between wanting to hand them out to each and every one of my friends so they can taste the goodness for themselves and wanting to hoard my stash for myself.

Jolly Llama Sorbet Pros:

- Each sorbet is a great source of fiber - 10% RDI or better depending on the flavor.
- Each sorbet is a fantastic source of Vitamins A&C. 50%!
- All the sorbets are low-fat or no-fat, gluten free, contain no allergens, and average about 85 calories per tube. (Each sorbet ranges from 22-25g of carbs.)
- The blueberry and acai berry are also loaded with antioxidants!
- Jolly Llama fruit is allowed to ripen on the vine and is pureed and frozen immediately. No fruit cooking here and you can really taste the difference!
- The tubes are easy to handle, even for little 2 year old hands. I can hand her one and send her outside and she doesn't need me to help her with her treat.
- Suggested retail price of each tube is $1.49

Jolly Llama Sorbet Cons:

- There's only one con, and you're going to be sad to hear it. Since Jolly Llama sorbets are brand new they're only available in select stores... on the West Coast. OK. In Northern California. I'm sorry. You'll just have to come visit me and I'll share mine with you. If you're nice.
East Coast expansion is planned and coming soon.

Jolly Llama treats are currently available in:
Whole Foods Northern California
Nugget Markets(Sacramento area)
New Leaf (Santa Cruz County)
Berkeley Bowls (Berkeley)
Oliver’s (Sonoma County)

In conclusion, run, don't walk to your local store and grab a Jolly Llama sorbet or ten. You'll be glad for the new healthy treat or desert option!

Disclaimer: I received a few boxes of Jolly Llama sorbets for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Nectar Essences Review and Giveaway

Lavender helps you sleep better, Jasmine reduces stress, lemon and grapefruit revitalize you, sequoia makes you feel grounded, and rose inspires love and connection.

Which is all fine and dandy in theory, but not always easy to procure on a day to day basis, or when you need it most.

At least it wasn't until now.

The brilliant creator of Nectar Essences has found a way for you to benefit from all the healing and life enhancing properties of flowers on a daily, if not hourly basis.

What are you looking for? Something to help you get a good night's rest? Something to help ease your child into a good night? Work a spritz of Sleep into your evening routine and enjoy the rest that the lavender and jasmine mix will bring.

Are you looking for a scent that will bring you and your partner closer at the end of the day? Balance will do just that. Particularly effective if used after Sleep has sent the children to dreamland...

A quick spritz of Awake when you sit at your computer to start your day will help you focus your energies and awaken your senses helping you be instantly more productive.

And if you're traveling, grab your bottle of At Home and enjoy feeling grounded and connected to the earth so you can banish that unnerving feeling of being away from home.

Smells control our moods more than we can ever imagine. With Nectar Essences you don't have to wait to be in that particularly fragrant backyard to be transported to a place of serenity or joy.

Little L and C love when I spritz them with a little Sleep just before bedtime and I'm very prone to alternating the use of De Stress and Awake when I'm having trouble getting to work. I find the simple act of spraying and then basking in the smells to be therapeutic, like I'm doing something good for us.

Nectar Essences Pros:

- Light, not overpowering fragrances that never seem to become cloying.
- Bring a whole new level to your daily routines by calling another sense into action - smell!
- Scent for pretty much any need - rest, action, love, sleep, de-stress.
- Affordable - each spray is $28 - great for personal needs and for gifts.
- Scents work in tandem to suit your needs (Sleep+De Stress...) and the smells meld beautifully.
- Contains only organic materials.

Nectar Essences Cons:

- I wish that I could leave Awake in my car so we can use it every morning, but I'm worried that the heat would alter the fragrance and diminish the effect.
- I wish the smells would linger a little longer, but it's not designed to be an air freshener. Bummer.

Nectar Essences Sleep + Balance Giveaway!

With a little Sleep to get your children off to dreamland and a little Balance to rev you and your significant other up, you're bound to have a great night.
I have one set to give away to a lucky Lemonade Stand reader. Can't wait to get your hands on some Nectar Essences? Scroll down for a time sensitive 20% off coupon code!

To enter:
1) Leave a comment telling me which Nectar Essences Spray you would be most likely to try and why.
2) Visit the Nectar Essences Blog and let us know something useful or interesting you learned or subscribe to that blog's feed.
3) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
4) Subscribe to my other blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
5) Tweet, email, blog about this giveaway.

That's a grand total of 7 ways you can enter! Please remember to leave me a way to contact you. And please, please, please, leave a separate comment for each of your entries. I can't credit you for each of them if you don't.

Giveaway ends Friday, July 17, 2009 at 10pm PST.

Nectar Essences Discount Code:

For a limited time only use Discount Code BALANCE to receive 20% off your Nectar Essences order. What are you waiting for? Hurry up and relax!

I received a set of Nectar Essences sprays for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. Even though I do know the creator personally and think she's awesome, all opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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ActiveIon Pro Review and Giveaway

What do Bill Nye the Science Guy and cleaning have in common? Well nothing really, except for the fact that he's the spokesperson for simply the coolest cleaning tool you will EVER own. Even maybe the last cleaning tool you will ever own, the ActiveIon Pro.

Imagine a cleaning product as pure and chemical free as water. Doesn't exist you say? You're right. ActiveIon isn't as pure and chemical free as water, it is water. Yup, water. Nice healthy plain ol' tap water. I'm not kidding. (See? It's so pure that that's a picture of Bill Nye squirting it into his mouth!)

You fill up your slightly E.T. looking ActiveIon Pro with tap water, squeeze the trigger, and through some electrical magic that water becomes ionized. Or rather the electricity infuses the water with positive and negative ions, that attract dirt like teeny tiny little magnets.

That could very well be a completely wrong analysis of what the little magical tool does. I don't know, I was terrible at physics in school. Bill Nye and the ActiveIon people are probably shaking their heads a lamenting the fact that they asked me to blog about this. But whatever, I don't care, and I'm not giving back my ActiveIon Pro, even if I failed the science explanation, so there.

Here is what I do know. I have used my ActiveIon Pro every day for the last week or so and I still love it as much as the day I took it out of the box. I love not using cleaning products and getting a better result than I did when I used them. I love that I'm not exposing my asthmatic girls to more chemicals. I love how clean everything is looking. And I love that I still think this is fun. Oh, and every time I use my tap to fill up the ActiveIon Pro I love the fact that I'm not spending mega bucks on cleaning solutions!

In the last week I have cleaned windows - ActiveIon ROCKS the window cleaning, I have cleaned the stove top - swoon on the easy wiping up of food spatters, I have cleaned the bathtub, I have cleaned the kitchen counters, the kitchen cabinets, the nasty corners on the kitchen linoleum, the TV screen, the computer screen, the bathroom mirror, and yes, the window frames outside the house. The only thing that the ActiveIon didn't rock was the grease build-up over my stove. It's not a huge fan of grease. Then again, neither was the Clorox Greenworks Cleaner.

Armed with my ActiveIon Pro and my brand new 36 pack of microfiber cloths (microfiber cloths! ActiveIon Pro's BFF!) I am making dirt and dust my... uh, I am mastering the cleaning of my home. Ahem. Even better, even M thinks that the thing is fun so the house is getting really clean. (Also, yes, our house is really dirty. There is much dirt to be mastered.)

It's a pricey investment, I won't lie to you, but it seriously will replace most of the cleaning products in your home. Plus, rumor has it that you can also use it to remove your make-up at night. Which I would have tested, except that I tend to forget that step and end up removing it in the shower the next morning. But that's entirely besides the point.

So, if you're very green conscious, or just looking to reduce your family's exposure to cleaning chemicals, if you really like to clean or need a fun gimmick to get yourself cleaning, and yes, if you have a couple hundred dollars lying around, hurry over to the ActiveIon website and purchase one of these babies for yourself! Or, you know, scroll down to see if you can win one.

ActiveIon Pro Giveaway!

To enter:
1) Leave a comment telling me how much you love or hate cleaning.
2) Leave a comment telling me how many times I wrote ActiveIon up there, cuz dude, it was a lot!
3) Visit the ActiveIon website and come rave about how cool and revolutionary this is and how you would use it.
4) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
5) Subscribe to my other blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
6) Tweet, email, blog about this giveaway.

That's a grand total of 8 ways you can enter! Please remember to leave me a way to contact you. And please, please, please, leave a separate comment for each of your entries. I can't credit you for each of them if you don't.

Giveaway ends Friday, June 19, 2009 at 10pm PST.

I received an ActiveIon Pro for review, but I was in other no way compensated for this giveaway. All opinions included in this post are mine and mine alone.

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Graco Blossom Highchair Review

Your baby's highchair needs are going to change radically over the years. Your infant needs to recline and your bigger baby needs to be strapped in tight and well supported. Your toddler is going to want to sit in a booster, not a highchair, and your preschooler, well, let's not even go there.

What if I told you that Graco had designed a single highchair system that fulfills every single one of those roles? Nope, no kidding, they have. The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System is hands down the most versatile highchair I have ever seen or had the luxury of trying out.

The infant insert turns the impressively reclinable chair into a cushy haven for even the tiniest baby. Set up the chair long before your baby will even try his first solids so that he can enjoy sitting at the table with the family.

When your little one is ready to try finger feeding herself, put the seat in it's upright position and put the really large and easy to clean tray to work. The five point harness and padded sides will help even wobbly sitters sit up properly.

Toddler tired of the tray and wants to join the family at the table? No problem, remove the tray and pull up the chair. The six height adjustment options mean that you'll be sure to find the perfect position for your baby to eat comfortably with everyone else.

Ready to graduate to a simple booster? Need an extra chair for a visiting toddler? No problem. The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System comes with a booster. Yes, a second seat. Meaning that it's the only chair on the market that can be used by two children at once. Trust me, until you have a second child and are faced with needing to buy a second highchair you won't quite grasp the awesomeness of this feature.

Preschooler shunning all things highchair or booster related, but can't quite reach the table? The Blossom turns into a youth chair that your child can use comfortably until he's really ready to graduate to a grown-up chair.

The Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System is an amazing product that was easy to assemble and easy to clean. We're obsessed with it and we're telling all our friends to put it on their baby registries.

Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System Seating System Pros:

- Easy to assemble.
- Insanely versatile - useful from infancy through childhood.
- Comes in 3 classy patterns.
- Safe, sturdy, and great looking.

Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System Cons:

- The footrest was a bit tricky to install, something that I'm confident was just a fluke with out model because I haven't heard of any other users complaining from that issue.
- The section of the tray that goes between the child's legs is a bit big and if the child is slouching when you put them in it can compress their crotch area a bit uncomfortably. Making sure the child sits up properly resolves this issue. Great for posture! Not so great for sensitive children.

If you're looking for a highchair/feeding system you really can't go wrong with this product. It's made by Graco so you know it will stand up to the test of time and you will be able to really appreciate all its versatile options.

I was in no way compensated for this review and I am only affiliated with Graco as a Brand Ambassador which is a non paying position.

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For My Mother - Reflection Journal - Review

The best gift you can ever give your mom is memories. Pictures of favorite moments, beautiful Mother's Days, or, even better, a journal compiling stories, thoughts, and reflections on your relationship.

Now, not all moms are into sentimental stuff. My mother for one might possibly roll her eyes if I ever sent her something as touchy-feely as a journal filled with reflections on our relationship. But I know quite a few moms who would cry over this adorable book created by Lil' Angels Gifts.

Each page of the For My Mother journal features a writing prompt like "I'm proud to have you as my mother because..." or "A hard lesson you've taught me, but I'm thankful for..." and plenty of space, three whole pages of space in fact, for you to write in the answer. It won't take you just five minutes to fill out this journal, but when you're done you'll have a lovely book compiling all the positive aspects of what might be one of the most complex relationships in your life.

For My Mother journal pros:

- The book is made with lovely quality paper - smooth and thick.
- The writing prompts are basic, but cover everything you'd ever want your mom to know, but probably never get a chance to say.
- The table of contents located at the front and the numbered pages make it easy to quickly skip to the section of your choice.

For My Mother journal cons:

- I wish that the book weren't just spiral bound. Even though it's a thick substantial spiral, I feel that a journal like this would benefit from having a real book binding.
- This really is a very sentimental look at the mother-child relationship, some funny prompts might have made it a bit more palatable for moms like mine who get a bit uncomfortable when stuff gets too touchy-feely.

Where you can find the For My Mother journal:
This journal is sold on the Lil' Angels Gifts site for $23.99.

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with Lil' Angels Gifts and I was not paid for this review though I did receive the product for free. I won't be sending it to my mother. She'd roll her eyes. But I might be sending it to my mother-in-law. She won't roll her eyes, instead she might cry. They're different like that.

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Corneille - The Birth of Cornelius CD review & Giveaway

As a busy working mom I don't really have a ton of time to go browse around in a record store or in iTunes for new and exciting music. I mean, I'm all for the latest Sesame Street CD, but Elmo's duos with Ernie do get a little old some days. So our usual non-kid centric CDs tend to get played over and over again until one of us flips out and turns on the radio or TV just to get a change of pace.

Every so often I do get my hands on a new CD, and you should see the excitement around here when I pop it into the machine. There's usually much dancing and rejoicing, some of it is even the kids!

This latest CD wasn't so much the kind you dance to, but it's definitely staying in the rotation anyway. As soon as the new Corneille CD, The Birth of Cornelius arrived I ripped into the packaging and popped it into the player before even reading about his back story. Then I sat down, started the CD again and really listened.

You don't need to know Corneille's back story to enjoy his Motown vibe or amazing lyrics, but it does bring your appreciation to a whole other level when you know that when he sings

Oh... father, father I wish you were here
I wish you were here so you could see the man I've grown up to be
Mother, I wish you were here so you can see the girl I married
Brothers I wish you were here so I can have somebody I can call "my brother"
Sister, I wish you were here so I can see the girl you'd grow up to be
Yes, I remember your love
See, if I'm here crying, if I'm here loving, if I'm here caring
It's for one reason only
It's 'cos I remember your love

he's speaking to his entire family, massacred in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Once you understand the hardships that this singer has overcome it's impossible not to be moved by the beauty of his lyrics and songs. There's not an ounce of bitterness, it's all poetry and love.

Corneille - The Birth of Cornelius - Autographed CD giveaway

I have one autographed CD to give away to one lucky winner!
To enter:
1) Visit the Amazon page for The Birth of Cornelius (click on the link to get to it) and scroll down to the "Listen to Samples" section. Listen to the samples and let us know which is your favorite track.
2) Leave a comment letting me know about your latest favorite album.
2) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
3) Subscribe to my other blog's feed. Leave a comment telling me you subscribed.
4) Tweet, email, blog about this giveaway.

Please remember to leave me a way to contact you. And please, please, please, leave a separate comment for each of your entries. I can't credit you for each of them if you don't.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, April 8 at 10pm PST. This giveaway is officially closed! Thank you for stopping by. Make sure to check out all my other great giveaways!

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