Get Ready for Spring with Vera Bradley!

I have a true love for all things Vera. The obsession kicked in about 3 years ago and has since grown to an almost unmanageable state. The thing about Vera Bradley is that they are always coming out with new colors/patterns and new styles. So you can keep adding to your collection without repeating!

As many of you know the new colors for spring have already hit the shelves. I was super excited about this new line because of one color in particular. While all four are gorgeous in their own way, Camelia was exactly what I was looking for.  The subtle colors go with pretty much everything and the flowers just scream spring!

I am extremely lucky in that I got to check out this pattern in person! Vera Bradley kindly sent me the fabulous Grand Traveler bag and a matching Brush and Pencil bag. The Grand Traveler is exactly what I was looking for in terms of a good size bag for weekends away. I have the small duffle, but I am often finding that I need to pack a second bag when I'm going anywhere for more than a night. So the Grand Traveler gives me that extra room that I so desired.

This bag arrived just in time for a wonderful event. Over Valentine's weekend my husband and I planned a weekend getaway. My birthday happens to fall on Valentine's Day, so my wonderful hubby always tries extra hard to make it a special day and drag it out a little in terms of celebrating. So I was anxious to pack up and head to a bed and breakfast for a few days of relaxation.

The Grand Traveler really was grand. I was able to pack for three nights with no problem. I love that it has inside pockets to help keep me organized. It also has pockets on the outside. I love that it has a shoulder strap and a trolley sleeve for slipping onto the top of rolling luggage. Once the bag was fully loaded up it was pretty heavy. So if I were traveling by plane I would either try to keep it light by not packing my cosmetics and such in that bag, or I would plan to use it on top of a rolling bag. But since we were traveling by car and my time actually carrying it was limited it worked great! And I loved having a matching bag for all my make-up brushes to be kept separate.

We are planning a trip where we will be flying and I am planning on bringing the Grand Traveler as my carry on. It meets the size requirements for a carry on and will allow me to pack a change of clothes, activities for my daughter, some diapers and wipes, and her blankie and favorite stuffed animal. I love that I will be hands free walking through the airport so I can push the stroller and tend to her needs.

I am really pleased with my new bags. Vera Bradley really makes quality products that have style and function in every design. I would highly recommend you check out all of their great colors and styles to find something that is just right for you!

Kiddie Cooking with Clorox!

One of my favorite things to do with my daughter is cook! We have the best time finding the ingredients in the cabinet, measuring them out, mixing things up, and eating the final product. It's a great way for us to spend some time together and have a lot of fun.

Clorox has launched a brand new website where you can find all kinds of fun recipes to do with your kids. They have everything for creating science experiments with food, arts and crafts projects, and cooking ideas. Of course we all know that cooking with kids is not the neatest thing, but making a mess is half the fun. Let loose and have a ball knowing that the clean up will be a snap with Clorox! Visit CloroxRecipesforFun.com to learn more!

To celebrate this new website and all the fun to be had with it, Clorox is hosting the Ultimate Mess Sweepstakes! You can tell just by the name that it's got to be fun. Sign up today for your chance to win $10,000 towards the Ultimate Mess Party... you could really make a mess with that! Plus, you will have the chance to win instantly daily. By sharing recipes you could win great prizes; and just for sharing you'll receive a coupon for $1 off Clorox Cleanup.

The new website and the sweepstakes are great ways to get started with sharing your awesome recipes and trying others. Cooking isn't only fun, it's educational too. It's a win win for you and your kids.

To kick things off I am going to share a fun recipe with you that I love to make with my daughter. She's a baker at heart and just adores using the mixer. This recipe doesn't really call for the use of the mixer, but we use it anyway because she loves it so much! This is a super easy, super delicious, and super messy treat! It's a huge hit in my house.

Sticky Bun Breakfast Ring:

2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1/2 C. pancake syrup

1/3 C. packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 C. chopped pecans, opt.

1/4 C. chopped almonds, opt.

Spray a fluted pan with non-stick spray.

Combine your butter and syrup in one bowl. In another bowl combine your sugar, cinnamon, and nuts (I didn't use any nuts in mine).

Pour half of your syrup/butter mixture into the bottom of your pan. Then sprinkle half of your sugar mixture on top.

Lay your biscuits on the bottom of the pan, overlapping to form a ring.

Pour the remainder of your syrup/butter mixture over the top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375. I started checking at 15 to see when they were golden brown and ended up taking them out at 18 minutes... so keep an eye on them.

Let them cool for one minute in the pan and then invert them onto a serving platter. Enjoy!

These are super easy and incredibly delicious!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox Clean-Up Recipes for Fun blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on this program, click here and see the Terms link.

Wordless Wednesday

Ok, I know this is supposed to be "wordless" but these are the first flowers my daughter has ever gotten... and they were from her daddy! i just think it's the sweetest and cutest thing. Her face lit up! Such a daddy's girl :)

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love

101 Stories Celebrating Special Times with Family and Friends... and Recipes Too!

Food is an expression of love — both the romantic kind and the comforting kind between family and friends. With its savory, sweet, and sometimes spicy stories, this delightful collection will sprinkle in laughs, warm hearts of readers, and stir up memories that certain aromas and tastes always bring. Readers will relish the stories on how love and food together played a flavorful part in life. Some recipes included too!

I am a big fan of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I love that they are made up of short stories that you can quickly read one or two. I often find myself getting so wrapped up in the inspiring stories of others that I can't put them down! A major bonus with these books is that there is one (or more) for everyone. From kids to adults, cat lovers to football fans there is a book for you.

This latest addition, Food and Love, is a great one for me. I love to cook and cooking for my family is the best. From hosting big holiday meals to a quiet night together, there is something special about sitting down to a meal made with love. This book is full of stories about special traditions, cooking together, memories, and more. And some of the stories even include recipes.

This is a great book to warm your soul and your belly! 

Dora The Explorer: Dora's Easter Adventure on DVD

My daughter is a huge Dora fan and so am I. There aren't too many shows that I feel comfortable putting on and letting my daughter just sit and watch. But Dora has so much to offer in terms of educational value and lessons about friendship.

Dora and her buddy boots are great examples for children on how to be good friends, cheer each other on, and be there to lend a helping hand. In this special Easter DVD they team up to help save the day when Swiper swipes the Hip-Hop Bunny's basket filled with treats for the big egg hunt.

Dora and Boots are great about involving the audience in their adventures. From figuring out which way to go to picking the right tools from their backpack, they keep the viewers engaged and involved. Dora is geared towards preschoolers and supports a lot of the skills that they are learning. From counting to shapes to ABC's. They even solve puzzles and complete patterns. And the kids just love it!

This DVD is a ton of fun and gets kids in the Easter spirit. It also offers two bonus episodes; The Grumpy Old Troll Gets Married and Dora in Troll Land. With these 3 episodes on one disk you get about 66 minutes of adventure! And you won't want to miss the special features where you can sing karaoke.

The suggested retail price for this DVD is $16.99 and can be found at most major retailers. And starting on March 30th until April 8th you can score a $3 off coupon HERE.

Happy Toy Machine Review and Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago I had the most unique opportunity. I had the chance to sit down at the computer with my daughter and build a friend on a website called Happy Toy Machine.

She was able to start by picking what type of friend she would like; bear, puppy, bunny, monster, are a few among the choices. Once she chose her critter (she picked a kitty cat) she then got to completely customize it. She picked the colors for the feet, legs, hands, stomach, head, tail.. the whole nine yards. She decided that she wanted to add wings and she wanted her name on the front. She even picked what kind of eye and the color of them. From head to toe this friend was completely created by her.

The Adventures of Chuck and Friends: Friends to the Finish on DVD Today!

I thought this DVD was perfect for preschoolers! I was surprised when I put it on that it had 10 episodes on one disk and runs for almost two hours. It's great because it's easy to watch one or two and then pick up where you left off for another couple of episodes. It keeps it interesting and exciting for several days as you work your way through the DVD.

Chuck and his buddies, Digger, Boomer, Rowdy, Soku, Biggs, and Handy, all have such big personalities. Chuck is the leader of the pack and takes his pals on all kinds of adventures. Boomer is my daughter's favorite! Her grandpa is a fireman, so she is really drawn to fire trucks. Boomer is also a little like my daughter. He can be shy and need a little encouragement to join in the fun, but he never hesitates to help when help is needed!

This group is one tight group of friends who are there for each other at every turn in the road. I loved the theme of friendship and helping one another that was present throughout. I also loved that music was such a big part of this show. I think it really helped to keep my daughter engaged and bopping along!

J3LL Watches Review and Giveaway

Does anyone else view their watch as an accessory? I love to mix up my watches to go with my outfits. I have my fancy watch for parties, weddings, holidays, those kind of events. Then I have several casual watches with different color faces, different kinds of bands, and different styles to help me mix it up with what I'm wearing. Well, recently I was introduced to this really cool site that offers an easy and cool way to mix up your watches.

J3LL let's your build your own watch by choosing the color and the type of watch face you would like. But then you can switch out the faces to mix and match and create a watch that matches your mood and style! I think this is so awesome. The watches are more of a casual style, but these jelly watches are perfect for summer!

Enjoy an exclusive Facebook offer from Blo & Go- the amazing hands free blow dry.

Deal: $5off your online order

Date: Monday, February 13, 2012

Original Price: 29.95 + S&H

www.facebook.com/bloandgo