Winners!

Random.org has chosen our winners for the Pear Tree, Tutu Terrific, and Boogie Wipes Giveaways!!

Pear Tree - #18 leanne_mac

Tutu Terrific - #99 nat a.

Boogie Wipes - #29 Kim C.

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!

flipflop wines Review

I hope you all enjoyed this past weekends unofficial start to summer! The weather in my neck of the woods was gorgeous and I was thrilled to be able to kick back and enjoy the sun, food, and family with some fantastic flipflop wine!

I am a true wine drinker. When given the choice of a beverage I always select a wine. I typically prefer red, but on the hot days of summer a nice chilled white can really hit the spot. flipflop wines has me covered no matter what wine mood I'm in. The flipflop collection includes Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir.

We cracked open a bottle of the Riesling and passed it around. The first thing my mom said was that she wanted to take whatever was left home with her. There was nothing left. This wine is delicious and totally affordable! They retail for about $7.99... seriously, you can't beat that!

Aside from the taste, I love the bottle. While I love wine and drink a lot of it, I don't know much about it. On the back label they spell everything out from the flavor, to what food pairs nicely with it, to how it should be served. It even gives you a little scale to see if it is dry, medium dry, medium sweet, or sweet. It's easy to read and understand, quickly making you an expert!

So this wine has 2 amazing things going for it. Taste and price. But they are going to make the deal even sweeter. flipflop wines has paired with Soles4Souls to help bring free foot wear to those who need it most. For every bottle sold (up to 100,000 bottles) this program will give one pair of flip-flop sandals to someone in need. Now you really can't resist.... and the wine tastes even better knowing you helped someone in need.

This is the type of company that I love to support. They care about their customers by keeping a quality product at an affordable price. But they also give back to those in need. Look for flipflop wines in your local liquor store and enjoy! And are these bottles not perfect for summer?!?

You can also check out flipflop wines on Facebook!!

The Royal Wedding - William and Catherine DVD Now Available

I have been following the relationship of Prince William and Kate Middleton over the past few years. With any public couple, we have seen their ups and downs. But I was truly thrilled when they announced their engagement and looked forward to the wedding.

Once they announced a date I waited patiently for what I considered the most important part... the dress. All the magazines were making predictions. Everyone had their opinion of what it would look like. And of course, Princess Diana's dress was all over the place with everyone wondering how Kate's would compare. Judging by Kate's sense of style I had a pretty good vision in my head and couldn't wait to see her on that beautiful day.

The day of the wedding arrived and I fully intended to wake up early and not miss a moment. Well, that didn't happen. I woke up earlier than usual, but so did Little Miss. I caught moments here and there as we got on with our busy morning routine. But of course I missed all the big moments. I missed when Kate first emerged in her gown and I missed the vows. I was able to catch bits and pieces throughout the day on different channels, but it wasn't the same. I needed to see it in it's completeness without commentary of news reporters and cutting from scene to scene. So when I had the opportunity to review The Royal Wedding - William and Catherine on DVD I jumped at the chance.

Now I have the entire event on DVD and available for me to watch whenever the mood strikes. I can forever look back on this historical event and relive the love, the beauty, and the magic of a royal wedding. BBC released this commemorative DVD on May 24th, so you can get it today! I am excited to be able to share this story with my daughter when she is a little older and the DVD is the perfect way to do it.

The DVD is filled with those breath taking moments, such as their first kiss(es) on the balcony in front of thousands. The first time the public caught view of Kate's dress and the cheers that rose from the crowd. The parade of carriages carrying royals through the streets of London. It's truly a magical experience that should't be missed.

Of course Kate's dress did not disappoint and she looked stunning. From start to finish you felt like you were part  of a fairy tale. To watch two families come together was beautiful. William and Kate stayed true to themselves and kept things simple and elegant. They put their own spin on the day while staying true to tradition.

This DVD also includes a bonus, "William and Kate: A Royal Engagement." This is an interesting view into the relationship of William and Kate as told in interviews by family and friends.

Click HERE to purchase this commemorative DVD at an incredible price!

Little Miss Turns 2!

Wow, it has taken me all week to have a spare minute to get this post up! Spring is a busy time if year, but thankfully now that it has stopped raining it has been filled with fun things!

Little Miss had her party this past weekend and then turned 2 on Tuesday! I thought I would share some snapshots of a wonderful day.

I loved the decorations we got from Heart 2 Heart! It really brought our patio to life with butterflies hanging all over.

Little Miss looked fabulous in her pink dress with matching hat.... perfect for a tea party!

She really is my princess!!

And she made out like a bandit!!

And she got this awesome KidKraft kitchen from us on her actual birthday. She woke up to find it all stocked and ready for playing!!

We then spent the day at the zoo.

And ended the day with ice cream!

This birthday rocked!!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors

On May 24th Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will release Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors on DVD. As a great value for parents and a fun, portable play set for kids, Disney has packaged this release to include a DVD, a Digital Copy and a Mickey Mote –making this the ultimate Play Set. Get ready to camp, fish and explore nature with your favorite Disney pals.

My daughter loves "mouse," as she calls the very famous Mickey Mouse. We received Minnie's Masquerade a few months back and every day she asks for mouse. It's become a life saver that we can catch him on the Disney channel in the morning, but we've seen the same episodes a whole bunch of times. So when I learned that they were coming out with Mickey's Great Outdoors I jumped for joy!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors is a really fun DVD filled with 5 great episodes. I love how these episodes are fun, but also educational. Throughout the show Mickey and his friends have to trouble shoot different problems. They rely on Toodles and the Mousketools to help them. But they also rely on the help of your children, asking what they think they should use. 

The DVD is also available with a Mickey Mote. This makes the experience an interactive one and takes the learning to a whole new level. The Mickey Mote allows your child to answer questions throughout the show by selecting one of the four color coded buttons. 

This DVD is so much fun and perfect for the upcoming summer weather. Get your kids excited to camp, fish, and be outside right along with Mickey and the gang!

Gnomeo and Juliet - On DVD and Blu Ray

On May 24th Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will release Gnomeo & Juliet on DVD and Blu-ray. This fun twist on William Shakespeare's legendary Romeo & Juliet is great for the whole family! Enter the secret world of garden gnomes and meet two lovely gnomes from two completely different worlds who fight the odds to be together. This release includes some great bonus features such as two alternative endings, deleted scenes and more! Get ready to rock to new music from Sir Elton John when Gnomeo & Juliet comes to DVD and Blu-ray May 24th!

This is the perfect family film to bring home! I remember learning the story of Romeo and Juliet in high school. Now you can introduce your children to the tale at a much younger age, in a much lighter, happier, funnier situation.

These two gnomes and cute and lovable. The adventures they encounter would be foreign to Romeo and Juliet, but will make you and your children crack up. With every pink flamingo or lawnmower race come laughs! And to add to the fun is great music by Sir Elton John.

Our family had a fantastic time watching this hilarious movie. The characters are sweet and funny. The animation is fabulous. The music is great! It's just an overall fun experience.

And you can SAVE $5! Click the image below.

Verizon FiOS - Got it or Want it?

My grandparents recently came back from spending about a month with my aunt and uncle. While they were there they got the opportunity to experience Verizon FiOS. One of the first things they said to me was that they were finally able to view my family blog.

I write a family blog to keep close friends and family up to date on my daughter and how quickly she is changing. Since my grandparents still have a dial up connection they have never been able to view it. They complain about how slow their computer is and how the pictures never load. And forget about seeing the videos! They just don't have the speed to access the internet in an efficient way.

It took them actually using high speed internet to realize how fabulous it is. It's something I couldn't live without. It makes life easier in terms of accessing things faster. So my grandparents were hooked and came home and immediately signed up for Verizon FiOS.

We do have high speed internet in our home, but it's not Verizon FiOS.  Over the past few months we have looked into it as a potential switch because from what we see it looks like we could save money. And for me the biggest draw is the multi room DVR! I live for my DVR. As a busy mom there is no way I can watch all my favorite shows during real time. I watch everything the next day or even a week later. And I can only watch my shows on the downstairs TV, which isn't always the most convenient. I very often find myself sitting in bed at night wishing I could catch up on a show or two. This would solve this dilemma!

The high speed internet is second on my list of priorities. I definitely can't live without it. I very often have just a few minutes to check my e-mail and if my computer is running slow I get frustrated quickly. I know, it's sad. But we live in an age where we are used to having things immediately, so it's a tough adjustment to have to wait. And I get a lot of important e-mails and don't like to fall behind. I also do all my pictures online, so I like to be able to quickly upload and view. Basically I can't survive without my high speed internet!

While we are still discussing switching carriers, Verizon FiOS sure does have a lot of bonuses associated with it. It's definitely worth looking into if you're curious or interested. I can tell you my grandparents are thrilled and they haven't had any problems... which is amazing since they can't seem to operate their DVD player without some kind of problem!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Verizon FiOS blogging program for a gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Lemonade Mouth is Now on DVD!

On May 24th, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment releases LEMONADE MOUTH: Extended Edition on DVD! When five ragtag freshmen first meet in detention, it seems they have nothing in common. But, through music, they bond and find they have the makings of the greatest high school garage band in history! Bonus material includes music videos and Rock Along feature.

When I think of Disney I very often think of the amazing young musical talent they find. With the debut of LEMONADE MOUTH: Extended Edition on DVD we are introduced to a whole new group of young talent in a fun and heartwarming film. 

While watching this movie I kept thinking about The Breakfast Club. Basically this group of students is put together for detention. They each bring their own personality into an interesting mix. While they may not have much in common they do discover they all have a love of music. Each person brings a different talent and they are able to start their own band, Lemonade Mouth.

This unlikely group soon become friends and band mates. They are ready to show the rest of the school their talent and new found friendship. However, a more popular band may stand in their way. Check out this movie to see how differences can be accepted and friendships can be made. Discover hidden talents and cheer on the underdogs! 

This movie is a fun family movie night flick. Moms and dads can pull up a chair and enjoy the 10 original songs and cheer on their own kids as they sing along with the "Rock-Along" version.

5 Summer Getaways Your Kids Shouldn't Miss!

My family always made an effort to make sure we spent time together as a family. In most cases it really didn't matter where we were going or what we were doing. It was the quality time together that mattered, and my parents always included something special and fun even if it was just a stop at a local ice cream parlor.

Now that my daughter is reaching the age where we can do things as a family and she can really enjoy them, my head is spinning with all the places I want to take her. I want her to have all kinds of experiences and I want them to be wonderful memories with me and her dad there.

The number one on my list was a trip to the zoo. She loves to look out the window and gets excited to see squirrels. She chases birds in the backyard. And our bunny, Thumper, could entertain her all day. This is a must for kids of all ages! Zoos offer so much fun for not a lot of money.

My number 2 is Disney World. While this puts us in a new league of cost, it's something I don't want her to miss. My parents took us several times and I have the best memories! To me it really is the happiest place on Earth and definitely fun for the whole family. Add to that that my husband has only been once and barely remembers it. So it will be special for him, too!

A family tradition we started when she was born is to spend a week at the beach. We did this her first summer because we could rent a house and have all the comforts that infants demand. But now it's a family tradition that we don't want to miss. Last year we stayed in a hotel on the beach that had a pool and it was so much fun! We always go to the same town and have our favorite restaurants.

My fourth location may surprise you. It will definitely surprise my husband when he reads this! But I really do want to take my daughter camping. We are so used to the TV and toys that make noise and phones ringing. I think being out in nature is a great way to bond, make your own fun, and experience the beauty of the great outdoors. I hate bugs, rain, mud... all that stuff. But I do have great memories of camping with my dad and always wished that my mom had gone and it was more of a family event.

And my final must do getaway is..... take a BIG family vacation. I mean everyone. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. This is something I think every family should do. I don't care where we go... beach, camping, fancy hotel. The experience of everyone being together and making memories is priceless. I was never super close with any of my cousins, but we did do a family vacation when I was in middle school and we really got to know each other. We had a blast and I have some amazing memories. We happened to go to Hawaii, which would be GREAT! But I would truly settle for anything. Local works for me, as long as it's an adventure!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.