Milson Road - The Daily Portrait Review and Giveaway

I am so honored to be able to share something truly beautiful with you. I was recently introduced to a company, Milson Road, that creates The Daily Portraits. What is a Daily Portrait you ask?

The Daily Portrait™ — a PERSONALIZED, COMMEMORATIVE, FRAMED PRINT that captures and celebrates a milestone or special occasion within the context of the news of the day. A one-of-a-kind gift that only gets better with time…

I was given the amazing opportunity to review The Daily Portrait. I decided that the date I wanted to capture forever was my daughter's birth date. The process of creating it online was so simple. They walk you through inputting all the important information (date, weight, height, time of birth, etc.), upload a photo, and then walk you through choosing your colors for the mat and the frame. I was done in just a few minutes.  Then you receive a proof in your e-mail to check it over and make sure all the personal information is correct. Once you approve it all you have to do is try and wait patiently until it arrives.

The day I found the large box on my front step my entire body got excited. This is one of the items that is so personal and means so much. I anxiously opened the box and found the frame packaged with great care. I unraveled lots of bubble wrap that ensured the safe arrival of my frame. And under all that bubble wrap was... pure perfection.

My photo does not do it justice!

My Daily Portrait is beautiful. The top of the page has a beautiful picture of my daughter as soon as she was born and all the important information about that day. The rest of the page is filled with all the news worthy events from that day. What was happening in sports, the stock market, her astrology information. And then a little note at the top that says this was created for my daughter from her mom and dad. This is something that I will treasure forever, or until I have to hand it over to my daughter for her to keep and treasure.

Looking at this portrait makes me smile and cry at the same time. I could not be happier with it! This is absolutely something I will have done for every child we have. It's priceless. I have it hanging proudly in the hallway and have gotten so many compliments on it.

And now here is the really exciting news! Milson Road is offering a giveaway!!  You could have a Daily Portrait created for a special date in your life... a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, a new baby gift!

GIVEAWAY: 1 Lucky Reader will win a Daily Portrait!
 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me what special date you would have done.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways (1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)
6. Subscribe to my blog via e-mail (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to US only.
This giveaway ends on November 14, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Who Said Coo? - Book Review and Giveaway

Who Said Coo? is written by Deborah Ruddell and illustrated by Robin Luebs, twin sisters who are collaborating for the very first time!

This picture book is truly adorable! The short-rhyming story is about a very cute little pig who is all ready for bed when someone says coo and keeps this poor little pig awake. The antics continue as pig tried to find out who is making all that racket! It's a fun little tale that's great to read at bedtime, but it also teaches about manners. Pigs friends learn to respect their friend and pig learns how to speak to his friends. 

This story is a lot of fun and has wonderful illustrations! You can check out the illustrator's, Robin Luebs, website here. It's really beautiful and you can learn about more of her books! You can also check out the author's, Deborah Ruddell, website and get some fun activities! And be sure to check out the book trailer on YouTube to learn even more and get a sneak peak at the illustrations!

GIVEAWAY: 1 Lucky Winner will receive a copy of Who Said Coo

 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Just tell me you want to win!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways(1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)

This giveaway is open to US and Canada.
This giveaway ends on November 13, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Gifts from the Heart - Book Review and Giveaway

Around our house the holidays get kind of crazy. I usually start thinking about shopping in October and worry and stress about it until Christmas Eve. How many people am I shopping for? What will they like? Will someone else get them the same gift? Will they spend more on me than I did on them? It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle.... especially with all the ad's, specials, coupons and more! Sometimes it's hard to keep things in perspective and remember that the Holidays are not about gifts. They are about family, being together, having fun and making memories.

When I was given the opportunity to review a children's book by Victoria Osteen titled Gift from the Heart I knew it was a book we needed in our home.

Gifts from the Heartis a royal adventure fit for the most rambunctious of princes and princesses. A brother and sister, Jon and Sue, take an imaginary journey into a medieval world of kings and castles. They find themselves in a bustling town that’s preparing a party for their king. While the townspeople are busy looking for fancy gifts to buy, Jon and Sue—with the help of their new friend Mary Anne—remind everyone that the talents they are given are the most precious gifts of all. At the end of the day, the king’s celebration is a success because each person gives a gift from their heart.

Wow, what a great message to share with your children... or let them share with you. Sometimes it the children who remind us of what's important. The illustrations in this book, done by Diane Palmisciano, are so vibrant and help to bring the story to life.

I truly enjoyed this book. The story is heartwarming and fun. I am excited to share this with my daughter for many years to help reinforce the message it brings. 

GIVEAWAY: 3 Lucky readers will receive the book Gifts from the Heart.
 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Just tell me you want to win!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways(1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)

This giveaway is open to US and Canada.
This giveaway ends on November 13, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Smashburger - Clifton, NJ

I had another awesome opportunity this week. I was invited to a sneak peek at 

the new Smashburger opening in Clifton, NJ.

As I predicted, I was really happy with the food. The last time I went to Smashburger I went with the smashuburger and smashfries. So I wanted to try something new. This time I ordered the classic smashchicken, friend pickles (of course) and haystack onions. My husband taylor ham, egg and cheese which comes on top of a burger... whoa! And the little miss got the kids chicken strips. And we topped it all off with oreo shakes. Yeah, we were full!

I was really happy with the smashchicken. The first thing I said to my husband was that it wasn't greasy at all. It was crispy and light... and so delicious! And my husband truly enjoyed his taylor ham, egg and cheese. I tried a bite and it was really good... but there's no way I could have eaten a whole one.... it was huge! and of course little miss enjoyed her chicken, though she preferred to just have the oreo shake!

What really impressed me at this Smashburger was the service. Everyone was really on top of their game. I placed my order to a very helpful woman who was perky and seemed happy to be at work. Then I turned around and a young man was waiting for me with a highchair in hand. How nice! Our food was delivered to our table within the 4-6 minutes that they had told me, and our places were cleared as we finished things.

We all had a great time and will definitely be returning to Smashburger for fun family nights out!

Scentsy Giveaway!

The fabulous Scentsy consultant, Katie Jones from Wickless in Seattle,

is offering an amazing giveaway for all of you!

If you're not familiar with Scentsy now is the time to learn about it! With the holidays right around the corner you should know all about their wonderful products that would make great gifts! Here is a little about Scentsy from Katie's site:

Scentsy is a rapidly growing party-plan company offering a variety of scented, wickless decorative ceramic candle warmers, and other fragrant Scentsy Products, including Scentsy Bars, Bricks, Scent Circles, Room Sprays, Travel Tins, and the newly introduced Scentsy Buddy, Scent Pak, Scentsy Fragrance Foam (hand sanitizer), and more.  Scentsy offers over 80 high quality scent fragrances and has something for every mood and every budget. 

Scentsy's flagship product is the Authentic Scentsy Bar, an impressively fragrant wickless candle bar that is warmed in a warmer rather than burned with a flame.  Scentsy wax is melted by a low wattage bulb and has a melting point just above body temperature, making Scentsy safe for anyone, especially children and pets.    

Scentsy offers over 75 beautifully designed warmers.  Scentsy Candle Warmers are safe and offer all the benefits of a traditional candle without the worry.  Finally, a safe way to scent your home, car, office, dorm, anywhere.

With a toddler in the house wickless candles really appeal to me! I love candles... they way they look, the way they smell... but I don't burn them often because I worry about my daughter (who gets into everything) finding it! Scentsy offers a great solution!

Katie is offering to giveaway one of the adorable 

Scentsy Buddies! 

Scentsy Buddies are cuddly friends for kids of all ages. All you have to do is insert a scent pack and the little guy will smell amazing! The winner will get a Scentsy Buddy of choice and a scent pack of choice! What a great Holiday gift!

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Katie's Scentsy site and tell me which buddy you would pick!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways(1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)
6. Like Katie on Facebook and tell her Momma Drama sent you! (2 entries)
7. Sign up for Katie's monthly newsletter (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to US and Canada.
This giveaway ends on November 20, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Touch the Art Books - Review

I am so happy to share with you two fabulous books that are part of the Touch the Art series. Count Monet's Water Lilies and Find King Henry's Treasure are fantastic books that provide children with fun and education while exposing them to famous pieces of art!

Authors, Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo, have created this interactive series that allows children to touch and explore beautiful pieces of art.

Count Monet's Water Lilies is set up with short rhymes on each page encouraging the child to look at each painting closely to count particular things. What a great learning tool and a fun activity for parents to do with their children!

Find King Henry's Treasure is set up as a story to take you on an adventure. Each page is "illustrated" with images of sixteenth century art and artifacts that support the story line. It's very unique and a well rounded learning experience.

You can learn more about these books and the others in the series at the authors website.
You can also check these books out at your local Barnes and Noble or purchase them online (Count Monet's Water Lilies and Find King Henry's Treasure).

Winners!!

Random.org has chosen our winners for the Poppy Clementine and Little One Books Giveaways!!

Poppy Clementine- #10 Shiela
Little One Books- #64 Dana

Congratulations to our winners! E-mail notifications have been sent. The winners will have 48 hours to respond or we will have to choose another winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

The Search For Santa Paws - Coming Soon!

A great Holiday Gift idea!

On November 23rd, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment kicks off the holiday season with the release of THE SEARCH FOR SANTA PAWS on Blu-ray & DVD! A heartwarming prequel to 2009’s Santa Buddies, this film reveals how the legendary friendship between Santa Claus and Santa Paws began. Bonus material includes a Sing-a-Long mode, deleted scenes, and more!

Let's Hear It for the Laurie Berkner Band - DVD Review

My daughter is a HUGE Laurie Berkner Band fan! When she appears on Jacks Big Music Show she squeals and stands up because she knows she's going to dance to the beat! We have The Best of the Laurie Berkner Band CD and it makes car rides a fun experience. I enjoy it because it's music my daughter loves, but it's also music my husband and I can enjoy.

We were so exited to receive the Let's Hear It for the Laurie Berkner Band DVD because now we can watch Laurie whenever we want. I love the variety of songs on the DVD. We recognize some, but some are new to us (I guess since we've only been watching the Laurie Berkner Band for a few months now). It also includes Moose and Zee from Nick Jr., who are also familiar to my daughter.

One of the main reasons that I enjoy putting the Laurie Berkner Band on for my daughter is that the music is not only enjoyable, but it also sends good messages to children. Every song is upbeat and happy while teaching in a fun and catchy way. This DVD has a spot on top of our TV as we watch it so often!

You can check out the official Laurie Berkner Band website for news and products!

Ten on a Sled - Book Review

Winter is coming! I love cuddling up under a blanket and reading a fun book with my little one. Ten on a Sled, by Kim Norman and illustrated by Liza Woodruff, is a perfect book for just that scene. Imagine a snowy winter day and you and your little one cuddled up reading a rhyming tale about a fast trip on a sled.

This story is based on the classic Ten on a Bed, but takes on a new twist a sled full of 10 adventurous animals. This story promotes important skills; such as rhyming, making predictions and counting. The illustrations are beautiful and take you away for a wintery adventure.

I had a blast reading this story with my daughter! It's definitely one of those books that you could read over and over again. This would make a great holiday gift and can be purchased from Barnes and Noble.

Think Smart Games Review

My husband and I love brain puzzles and we love to play video games, so when the opportunity arose for us to review the Think Smart Games I jumped at it! Playing video games is one of the things we like to do together at night after our little one is asleep, so we were very excited to try them out!

We started by playing the Wii version since it was something we could do together:

I had a great time playing this game... my husband, not so much. But that's simply because I BEAT HIM! He doesn't like to lose... especially with video games because he is usually much better than I am. I think the game is pretty cool because it tests your knowledge and allows for you to get competitive. But there were also a few things I didn't like about it.

Maybe I set it up wrong, but we had to share one remote for two players. I had my husband take a look and he doesn't think you can change that (but if anyone knows how please share!). This was totally manageable, but I prefer to each have our own remote.

The other thing was that the images were kind of small on the screen, so you really had to be exact with the remote. I had a hard time because my hand isn't that steady. So I would get a lot wrong when I was trying to aim for the correct answer but my hand shook and I hit the wrong answer. So I had a little trouble controlling the remote.

Here is an example: You had to find the coordinates and the grid lines were really close together.

Those are really my only complaints. I think the questions are a lot of fun and really vary in levels. There were some that I thought we really easy and some where I didn't have clue! We got very into it and busted each others chops a lot.

Then I played the DS version:

This I LOVED! I had so much fun with the puzzles. I played it in the training mode for an hour. I kept trying to beat my previous scores! I think there was a really nice variety of questions in each subject category and they were all things that I could do on my own without having to ask for my husbands help.. hehe.

One section challenges you to solve simple math problems as quickly as you can. It's amazing how easily you can make mistakes with simple addition!

I really like the set up of this game and how you can view your progress. I think younger children would have more success and less frustration with this version than the Wii version.

I think that both games were a lot of fun in different ways. I like being able to play with someone on the Wii, but I prefer the DS game. You can check them both out at your local major retailer or on Amazon.
                  

Wordless Wednesday

This is a flashback to last Halloween! She was so tiny!!

Meet The Squeegees - CD Review

My daughter is a boogier. She LOVES music and LOVES to dance, so we are always ready and willing to review children's CD's. But when I was asked to review the Squeegees CD I was interested in more than just the music and dancing experience for my daughter. I was interested in hearing the messages behind the songs.

The SqueeGees set themselves apart from the traditional genre of children’s music by creating meaningful music with themes such as saving our planet and healthy living that is fun, entertaining and playful.

As you know, we are working on being "greener" in our home, so passing along the message of doing our part to my daughter is important to us. But she's 16 months old so explaining it to her doesn't do too much. We model it for her, but we are always looking for new ways to impress these important lessons on her at a young age. This CD is a fantastic way to do it!

The songs on the CD are very upbeat and modern, which will help to make this a CD that will grow with my daughter. It encourages eating healthy foods, loving and taking care of animals, realizing the beauty in nature and more.

My daughter and I both enjoyed this CD. I love that the songs are very different from what you usually find on childrens CD's. The songs are very unique and fun.

Meet The SqueeGees is available exclusively at Target, Target.com and Target at iTunes. For more information about The SqueeGees visit http://www.meetthesqueegees.com.

GIVEAWAY: 1 Lucky Winner will receive a copy of Meet the Squeegees!
 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Just tell me you want to win!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways(1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)

This giveaway is open to US only.
This giveaway ends on November 8, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Lego Universe Review

Lego Universe is a massively multiplayer online game. 

I recently had the opportunity to review Lego Universe and share with you my thoughts and experiences.

The set up for the game is very simple. You create a character (choose hair color, facial features, clothing) and then name it. I love that they provide the name choices so no one can use their real name or an inappropriate name. And there are a ton of name choices. My name in the game is Mocha Cuddly Pickle... hehe!

Once your character is created they kind of walk you through an introduction on how to move, smash things, jump, etc. I'm not a gamer and it was pretty easy for to catch on and get around. They give you missions and point you in the right direction, so things are pretty clear.

You can chat with friends and people you don't know. But what's great is that it doesn't allow you to say certain things. In fact, it might be a little too censored.  At one point I was trying to send someone a message with the word "submitted" and it wouldn't let me use that word. So it seems very safe.And it's pretty cool that you get to interact with other people. I was messaging people for help to complete a mission.

The graphics are great. I also love that there isn't any real violence. You have to "smash" the bad guys, but they are made of Legos so they just fall apart. There are tons of things to do other than battle. You complete missions and challenges, build things, train animals. I had a lot of fun playing.

The game is rated E for everyone 10+ and can be purchased at your local major retailer. When you purchase the game you receive one month of play, but you must subscribe after that for $9.99 a month. I personally think the subscription price is a little high. It comes out to be $120 a year, but it does provide new content.  They also have an option to commit to the whole year at a discounted price. Basically your child isn't going to "beat" the game like they would with games that aren't played online. So I guess it would depend on how much your child enjoys the game for you to decide if it would be worth it. That's where the one month included comes in handy!

This would make a great holiday gift for a child who loves Legos and video games! And it is available TODAY! You can find more information on the official website.

eebee's Peek-A-Boo Adventures - Book Review

Eebee is a popular character in our house. We have all the DVD's and spend a lot of time interacting with eebee. Eebee has been designed to promote natural play. They help to show how you can use things around the house to interact with your child while promoting development. You can check out this great article to learn more about eebee and the purpose behind this colorful puppet!

When Sterling Publishing gave me the opportunity to review one of the eebee books I was so excited! I love this puppet on the DVD's, so I was interested to see how they carried the fun over to books. I received eebee's Peek-A-Boo Adventures, which is a cloth activity book geared towards children between 9 and 36 months.

The book is full of fun peek-a-boo activities where your little one can find eebee hiding in everyday situations, such as under a big sun hat or behind some blocks. Every page is an interactive experience that involves bright colors, different textures and things to lift or move. It's a fabulous interactive learning experience!

I enjoy looking at this book with my daughter, but she also loves to play with it independently. She loves to sit and lift flaps and get excited when she finds something hiding. It's a great book!

You can find this book and the other books in the eebee series at Barnes and Noble.

Holiday Gift Guide Starts One Week From Today!

Can you believe that November starts next week?!? I can't! But I have already started my Holiday shopping!

Starting on Monday I will be sharing with you some of the most fabulous companies and gift ideas for this holiday season. There will be everything from unique stocking stuffers to toys and children's items to decorations and items for the home. Some will be reviews and some will be giveaways. We have over $300 worth of prizes! This will be a great way to give you a head start on your Holiday shopping and give you some great ideas!

ChristmasOrnaments.com Review

Christmas is right around the corner and what says Christmas more than Christmas ornaments? Exchanging ornaments is a big tradition in our family. Every year I look for ornaments that fit someone's personality or interests, or is special because of a big event that happened that year. ChristmasOrnaments.com is the perfect place to find a huge variety of ornaments.. something for everyone!

I was fortunate enough to receive an adorable Penguins ornament for review. It's a very cute ornament with vibrant holiday colors! And it's offered at a great price - only $14.95!

I had a fantastic time browsing through their wonderful selection. There really is something for everyone on your list! They even have an Abby Cadabby ornament! Take a look and get a jump start on your shopping! You can even get FREE Shipping when you buy 5 or more ornaments!

Preschool is Cool! Counting With Elmo DVD Review

We are huge Elmo fans in this house! My daughter gets so excited when she hears his voice, so when we had the opportunity to review on of the newest Elmo DVD's we were excited!


Preschool is Cool! Counting with Elmo was released on September 10, 2010 and has a run time of 50 minutes. As always, Sesame Street takes a humorous route with Professor Grover having trouble remembering his numbers. So he turns to Elmo and the class to help. It's very cute and fun.

The DVD focuses on simple counting, but also talks about skip counting which is definitely above what we are working on with my 16 month old. She is used to us counting things and recognizes that skill, but I don't think she could follow along with the skip counting. I don't really see that has a problem though. She is getting reinforcement with her counting and being exposed to something new that may spark something with her down the road.

I love that my daughter enjoys watching Elmo and all of his friends from Sesame Street because they provide a fun learning experience. I will be showing my daughter this DVD for the next couple of years as she builds math skills and gets ready for preschool. It also sends a positive message about preschool and could be helpful when getting ready for that transition.

 You can also check out the other great DVD's featuring Elmo and the Sesame Street Gang!

Winners!

Random.org has chosen our winners for the TimeBuddy and Betty Crocker Giveaways!!

TimeBuddy-#18 Life with the Lebedas
Betty Crocker-#5 Show Me Mama

Congratulations to our winners! E-mail notifications have been sent. The winners will have 48 hours to respond or we will have to choose another winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

The Difference Between Men and Women at Halloween

My husband and I love fall! We have been apple picking (twice), pumpkin picking (twice), and to two fall festivals! So last night we were in the fall mood and decided we would paint and carve pumpkins for our daughter.

This is what I created:

And this is what my husband created:

I like costumes that are all cute and cuddly... my husband prefers scary. The scarier the better. Luckily my daughter isn't at the scaring age yet. I hope he calms down by then!

Energizer: Change Your Clocks Change Your Batteries

Growing up in a house with a fireman the importance of smoke detectors and testing them has been embedded into my brain. My husband and I do follow the soon-to-be 23 year old tradition of Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® program, created by Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), which reminds people to check and change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors during the fall time change.

This simple action could be life saving. Having the smoke detectors in your home is not enough. You need to make sure that the batteries are working and replace them when needed. It only take a few minutes to change those batteries... and you will have a whole extra hour to do it!

I know how hard fire fighters work to spread the word about fire safety and the importance of checking your smoke detectors. And, like my dad, many of our firemen are volunteers. Why not give them a hand and remind your friends, family and neighbors to Change Your Clock Change Your Batteries!

Each year, Energizer donates 200,000 batteries to help local fire departments nationwide.  This year everyone has the chance to help double the donations, up to 400,000 batteries. Participation is easy. Visit the CYCCYB tab on the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page, www.facebook.com/energizerbunny, and pledge to change your smoke alarm batteries, share the life-saving Change Your Clock Change Your Battery message with others and create your family’s home escape plan so you have an exit plan in place.  Each action will trigger a donation of batteries.
GIVEAWAY: 1 Lucky Winner will receive a First Alert Smoke Alarm along with a 2 pack of 9volt Energizer® Max® batteries.
 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me how you will help promote Change Your Clocks Change Your Batteries!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Follow my blog
2. Take the Energizer Pledge on Facebook

This giveaway is open to US only.
This giveaway ends on November 5, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game Review and Giveaway

I love card games. I think they are easy way to break the ice with a new group of friends... or do something fun with your family. Card games are easy to bring places and typically don't take too long to play. So when the opportunity arose for me to review the Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game I was excited.

This game is really easy to play but had some tough questions! It's time to test your knowledge... and see what your friends know. My husband and I had a blast with this game. We got competitive with stealing each others wedges and teased each other when someone got something wrong. We are very excited to play with our friends as I think it will only be more fun with more people!

Product Description:

STEAL is the perfect trivia game if you have just 15 minutes to spare.
This fast-paced game is the first ever Trivial Pursuit card game that combines questions and answers with the strategy of winning your wedges by stealing your opponents' - all in a quick-play card game.
Contents: 55 question cards, 54 play cards, and 1 category reference card.
For 2 or more players.
Approx game time 20 minutes
Ages: 16+

Look for it at a store near you... or grab it on Amazon: Trivial Pursuit Card Game

GIVEAWAY: 3 Lucky Winners will get this game!
 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Just tell me you want to win!

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways(1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)

This giveaway is open to US only.
This giveaway ends on November 5, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

Hopping Along on the Wonderful Friday!

I LOVE Fridays!

Chloraseptic Review

The weather here is quickly turning. I am finding myself snuggled up under a blanket throughout the day. Winter is around the corner! And one thing I always associate with winter is sore throats!

I was always a pretty healthy child. Didn't get the flu often or any real illnesses. But I was always getting sore throats. To this day, sore throats are just a part of my winter. It might have to do with working in a school... or it might just be me. But I always have Chloraspetic spray in my medicine cabinet. So when I was given the opportunity to review their children's spray and their lozenges I was definitely interested!

Chloraseptic^® Sore Throat Lozenges provide fast, effective relief for your sore throat and mouth pain. Chloraseptic^® also goes beyond sore throat relief with lozenges that cool nasal passages, targets cough and has a soothing liquid center. And, Chloraseptic^® offers a diabetic-friendly, sugar free solution.

Chloraseptic^® Sore Throat Sprays provide relief from sore throat and mouth pain on contact. Chloraseptic^® Sprays allow you to target the pain right where it hurts.

Chloraseptic^® Kids is formulated for kids 3 years and older with just the right amount of medicine in the flavor they love - grape! And it has no alcohol, aspirin or sugar. Available in two forms, spray or Relief Strips^™, which allow you to target the pain right where it hurts and get relief from sore throat and mouth pain on contact.

I love when you can feel the medicine working. That cooling sensation just immediately makes me feel better. I have been a fan of Chloraseptic for awhile and am even more of fan now with their wider selection of products. The lozenges are in my medicine cabinet and in my desk at work. I am ready for this winter!

Winners!

Random.org has chosen our winners for the Ecomom and Guidecraft Giveaways!!

Ecomom - #22 Jeannine
Guidecraft - #97 Sarah

Congratulations to our winners! E-mail notifications have been sent. The winners will have 48 hours to respond or we will have to choose another winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Pear Tree Greetings Giveaway

The Holidays are quickly approaching! One thing I always try to do is write each person who gives me or my family a gift a Christmas thank you card. Back in the day before kids I would make my own thank you cards. Each one would be hand stamped and decorated with different color card stock and ribbons. I don't have time to hand make my thank yous anymore, but I want to send quality thank yous that show how much I appreciate being in someone else's thoughts.

Pear Tree recently sent me a selection of some of their thank you cards and I was blown away. The cards are so well made with thick paper and gorgeous designs.

They have such a great selection of thank yous in every category you could need; baby shower thank you cards, holiday thank you cards and more. I think that sending thank yous says a lot. I always appreciate getting them. While the best part is definitely the gift giving, the thank you shows that your thought was appreciated. And who doesn't love getting mail?!?

Shop the Pear Tree Promo Code page for the latest discounts and promotions on everything from Christmas Cards, Halloween Photo Cards, baby announcements and even a code valid on ANY purchase! Happy shopping!

GIVEAWAY: One Lucky Reader will win a set of up to 16 Personalized Thank You Cards from Pear Tree Greetings.
 
HOW TO ENTER: Leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to leave your e-mail address!

MANDATORY ENTRY: Tell me about a special thank you note you received or why you like to send thank you's.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
1. Enter another one of my current giveaways(1 entry per giveaway)
2. Follow my blog
3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet (1 entry per tweet - 1 tweet per day)
4. Fan me on Facebook
5. Grab my button and tell me where it is (3 entries)
6. Subscribe to my blog via e-mail

This giveaway is open to US and Canada.
This giveaway ends on November 4, 2010 at 5:00 pm EST. One winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by e-mail. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Good Luck!

News from Good Earth Tea

GOOD EARTH TEA SERVES UP FREE EMI MUSIC DOWNLOADS WITH 

"BOLD TASTE - BOLD SOUNDS" PROMOTION

(October 7 - Montvale, NJ) - Good Earth Tea is teaming up with EMI Music to offer consumers free music with every purchase of specially marked boxes of Good Earth Tea.  Now through May 17, 2011, Good Earth Tea consumers can download a free song from EMI's long list of well-known artists. With over 25 different varieties of Good Earth Tea and more than two hundred thousand songs to choose from, consumers can enjoy both tea and music to suit almost any taste.

"At Good Earth Tea, we are all about creativity and imagination. That's why every tea we make is so full-flavored and distinctive. And that's what inspired our connection with creative, one-of-a-kind artists," says Deborah Glasser, Marketing Director for Tata Global Beverages, which owns Good Earth Tea. "Music offers yet another way to celebrate the uniqueness of our customers, and EMI's musical line-up is as distinctive as our teas."

Mauro DeCeglie, Senior Director of Brand Partnerships for EMI Music commented: “We’re always looking for ways to connect the artists we represent with music fans in new and interesting ways, and so we’re really excited about this new partnership with Good Earth Teas.”

Consumers can download one song for each purchase, with no purchase limit. The "Bold Taste - Bold Sounds" promotion will be supported via point-of-purchase displays and social media efforts, including music-related giveaways on Good Earth Tea's Facebook and Twitter pages. Fans of the brand can learn more by "liking" the brand on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/GoodEarthTea and following them on Twitter @GoodEarthTea.

For more information about Good Earth Tea and the "Bold Taste – Bold Sounds" promotion, please visit http://www.goodearth.com/.

Family Time Fun Review

I am a huge fan of family dinners. I feel like it such an important time for families to sit down and share what's going on in their lives. When I was growing up we tried to sit down together every night. Of course sometimes it wasn't possible because of schedules, but I appreciated the effort that my parents made. And I think it contributed to our relationship and communication.

I know how hard it can be to get everyone together around the table. There are so many things going on these days with work schedules and kids are often very involved in different activities. So when you can get everyone together it's important to make the most of that time and make sure it's a truly enjoyable experience so everyone will want to make it happen again!

Family Time Fun had all those things in mind when they created their games. These games are designed to create a fun and enjoyable dinner time experience! I had the fantastic opportunity to review their game, Gather 'Round Dinner Game. This game is designed for ages 5 and up and is easy to play. There are no pieces involved.... just a push button that spins and lands on a fun activity. This leaves you with the freedom to do it just a couple of times or to play for as long as you want! This design also makes it easy to take it along with you to restaurants or family/friends houses. But it does make noise when it spins, so make sure it's an appropriate place for it! But they also have a special restaurant version you might want to check out!

Wordless Wednesday

Ok... this one might need a few words! This was a ride at the pumpkin patch. 

It was pulled by a tractor and everyone sat inside a cow. It was so much fun! 

Shown here is my husband, me holding my daughter, and my sister.

eebee's Adventures Review

I LOVE the eebee DVD's. These adventures for babies are about learning real life skills!

Every day and every waking moment, babies work at figuring out how the world works and they work in their world. From babbling to chatting; from rolling to running; from stacking to building; from my turn to your turn: these are a child's first real-life learning adventures—adventures that lay the foundation for all future learning. These are eebee moments, the basis of the learning that lasts...for every baby, with every parent.

We were fortunate enough to receive all three of the eebee DVD's for review: Exploring Real Stuff (6 months and up), All in a Day's Play (6 months and up), and Figuring Things Out (12 months and up).

These DVD's are really designed to support natural development in babies. The DVD offers bright colors, an engaging puppet, music and other babies. All of these things are things that babies enjoy and can relate to. But what I love most about these adventures is that everything they show in the DVD is things that can be done at home and supports social interactions with kids. This isn't one of those plop your kids in front of the tv and let them be entertained. This encourages babies to explore the world around them with a parent or another care giver.

Grab a ball and as eebee shows how to roll a ball... do it too! It will have so much more meaning for the child and will get them engaged in an activity with you! There are tons of "toys" around the house that encourage exploration. Play with laundry... bang on some pots and pans... build a pillow mountain! The adventures are endless! These DVD's are great supports in getting interactive with all the wonderful things around you. It also encourages language development and sets parents up for easy carry over of activities and skills throughout the day.

My daughter is 16 months old and loves it! She quickly began to recognize eebee and get excited when it was time to watch and play. And she knows... she will go and grab a ball when eebee comes on because she knows mommy is going to play with her and eebee. It's so fantastic!

Aside from the DVD's, you can also find books, toys, clothing and music to go along with this great program. I think an eebee doll will be a must in this house!

And you can check out eebee's Adventures and keep up to date on new products and news by following them on Facebook and Twitter!

Winner!

Random.org has chosen our winners for the Rosy Bows Giveaway!!

#87 Jakiesmom

Congratulations to our winner! An e-mail notification has been sent. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or we will have to choose another winner.

Thank you to everyone who entered!

Little One Books - FREE Shipping Offer!

Little One Books is offering FREE Shipping 

on all orders placed between now and November 15th.

Perfect time to start Holiday shopping!!

Shout Fall Play Product Review

Fall has arrived... and you know what that means. Dirt, dust, grass stains, mud and all that wonderful stuff that seems to just draw kids. But I love being able to get outside and just explore. Play in the dirt... find some cool bugs... run around and have fun! You can deal with the laundry later.

Shout has started a Go Play initiative with just this in mind. They are promoting unstructured play and getting outside!

Shout knows play is so much more than fun and games. Studies show that unstructured play helps kids build fundamental skills like problem solving, coping, and conflict resolution. In other words: play is how kids become happy, healthy adults. Fall has arrived with crisp, cool air and new reasons to go out and play. So, let your kids take that rewarding jump into a pile of leaves. Take at trip to the park and watch their imaginations run free. The one thing you won’t do is worry about their clothes; play should get messy and Shout can help.

You can check out all the details on their facebook page. But the great thing is that Shout is thinking about our kids and us moms. They want our kids to be able to have fun and explore but giving us moms the tools we need to get their clothes the cleanest with their Shout Products.

Shout sent me a fantastic selection of their products along with a 52 Nature Activities card set. These cards are full of great activities for getting out in nature and having fun! The activities are simple and fun and all you need is what you find in nature. Use a tree or a rock and some sticks to make instruments, look under a rock and see what you find, find different letters of the alphabet in nature. Have fun, learn, and don't worry about getting dirty.

During the fall we take full advantage of the outdoors. We apple pick and pumpkin pick, jump in leaves and go for hikes. And of course take a trip to the farm to see all the cool animals!

Check out the fuzzy caterpillar! 

So as you can imagine... with a toddler toddling around the fields we have had lots of dirt and grass to get out of our cute clothes and Shout has been there through it all! I love the way it lifts the stains but leaves the bright colors!

And while nature provides us with a ton of activities, sometimes we need some inside activities or some new and exciting things to do outside. A great place to find learning toys is Growing Tree Toys.  They have great products for inside learning as the weather gets colder and fun outdoor toys like ride ons. Be sure to check them out!