ThermaCELL Mosquito Repellent a Summer Must-Have! {Giveaway}

We’re still giving you the best, must-have products for summer 2010 and today’s product is a definite Must-Have that you do not want to be without! If there is one part of summer that I could do without it is undoubtedly mosquitoes!  Unfortunately mosquitoes are as much a part of summer in my neck of the woods as BBQ’s and Bomb Pops!  As a matter of fact, mosquitoes are so bad where I live that we don’t even dare venture outside with the kids after 5 pm, because if we do someone will most definitely be getting bit!  While mosquitoes are quite the nuisance they are also dangerous for 2 of my daughters as they both have pretty bad reactions to their bites.  Both Lil Diva and Savanna swell up, become puffy, and itch like maniacs when they have been bitten, it’s not pleasant to watch and I’m sure it’s even less pleasant to experience.  We’ve tried everything to rid our yard of mosquitoes and take back control, but nothing has seemed to work for more than a half an hour and even then the area of protection and the smell of the mosquito repellents were as bad as the actual pests.  So as with most things I need an answer to I Goggled it—and I found a company who makes keeping you safe from outdoor pests their mission!

ThermaCELL is the manufacturer of the only portable, butane-operated, area mosquito repellant.  ThermaCELL technology was developed in 1986, it utilizes a butane cartridge to provide an energy source that surpasses rechargeable batteries in most every way!  This spring (2010) ThermaCELL introduced the Outdoor Lantern as its latest addition to their already impressive line of mosquito repellent products.   The ThermaCELL Outdoor Lantern is up to 98% effective at repelling mosquitoes, black fries, and no-see-ums.  The lantern is also fully portable which makes it a great tool for campers, fishermen, hunters, and backyard bbqs!  Of course, the ThermaCELL Outdoor Lantern has a host of great features:

• Eight LED lights, with two illumination settings
• Twice as much light as previous ThermaCELL lanterns
• Up to 98% protection from mosquitoes, black flies and no-see-ums
• 15 x 15 foot comfort zone
• Easy grip handle
• Rugged outdoor structure
• Lightweight - 13oz
• Mosquito repellent operates on a single butane cartridge
• Light operates on four AA batteries (not included)

I received the ThemaCELL Outdoor Lantern to review and not a moment too soon as the mosquitoes this year seem even more brutal than those of previous years.  The Outdoor Lantern was fairly easy to get ready for its first use, I did however, have  to read the instructions to make sure I did it correctly (something I admittedly never do).  Once everything was in place I turned it on and watched as several eager mosquitoes investigated it, I would have been disappointed except that I did read the directions which say to give the unit 10-30 minutes to become fully effective.  So I waited and after about 15 minutes I noticed that the amount of mosquitoes buzzing around my front porch had drastically decreased, and after 30 minutes they had all but disappeared.  It was nice to be able to enjoy being outside without worrying about disease carrying mosquitoes biting my kids. 

What I like about this product:  I really love that it is so portable, knowing I can pack it into the camping or fishing gear in seconds and be mosquito free!  I also love the wide range of protection that the Outdoor Lantern  offers!  One of my favorite things about the ThermaCELL Outdoor Lamp is how long the butane cartridges last (12 full hours) and how long the repellent mats are effective before needing changed (4 hours each).

What I wish were different about this product:  I wish the time it takes for the Outdoor Lantern to start becoming very effective were shorter.  There are many times when we take the kids outside on a whim and need mosquito coverage ASAP and unfortunately the lantern takes some time to get its mosquito mojo going!

Buy it:  You can purchase the ThemraCELL Outdoor Lantern for $31.99 online here.

Win it!  One MIBR reader is going to receive a ThermaCELL Outdoor Lantern of their own!  To be entered into this giveaway please visit ThermaCELL and look around, come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which other ThermaCELL product(s) you would like to try!  This is mandatory and must be completed before any additional entries are allowed!

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This giveaway ends on Monday August 16, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced in a separate winner's post.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim his prize, failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner.

 

 

Costume Discounters: Toy Story 3 Woody Costume Review!

Being in a house surrounded by girls, my son has his work cut out for him.  From the endless supply of dolls to the less than manly dress-up clothing he has to choose from—he fights a daily battle to remain all boy in a sea of girly girls.  Having said that, my son loves to play dress-up, the only problem is that his options for dress-up clothing are limited at best and completely, 100% girly, which he does not approve of.  He does occasionally gather his dads work clothes, hat, gloves, and boots and stomp around the house pretending to go to work—it’s one of the cutest images I have ever seen, but it doesn’t last long as he usually ends up tripping over the clothing and falling all over himself.  The need for a more masculine dress-up wardrobe is definitely high on my sons list of priorities. 

Thanks to the Family Review Network and Costume Discounters my son has a reason to smile and the reason for that  smile just so happens to be the Boys Toy Story 3 Woody Costume—more on that in a minute!  Costume Discounters offers their customers the latest costumes at incredible prices, and with their Lowest Price Guarantee how could you go wrong?  From Toddler Costumes to Adult and Pet costumes, Costume Discounters has something for everyone.  With Halloween not too far off, I’ve already started thinking of Halloween Costumes for the kids and I knew as soon as TS3 came out that my Lil Man’s costume would without a doubt be Woody!

Toy Story 3 Deluxe Woody Costume

Back to Lil Man’s Woody costume.  Lil Man stood perfectly still by my side as I began opening the box containing his Woody costume, this is a regular occurrence as he gets very excited when the mail comes.  As soon as my son saw the costume it was over, he was running around the room yelling, “It’s Woody…It’s Woody!”.  When he was done with his display of obvious delight Lil Man came up to me and said, “Mom, you put that on now?” and how could a mother resist that?  I obviously do not know the answer to that question as I opened the costume and helped Lil Man work his way into it.  To say that I thought my son was cute with his Woody costume on would be a huge understatement…he looked absolutely adorable—truly! 

See what I mean?  Seriously have you ever seen a cuter Woody?

Great details—love the Sherriff’s badge and gun holster!

 

If you know me IRL then chances are you know that I normally prefer homemade costumes to store bought, BUT Costume Discounters and my sons adorable Woody costume made my change the way I think about that!  The Toy Story 3 Woody costume has got to be the cutest costume that I have ever seen, from the boots and gun holster to the most adorable cowboy hat ever!  I was actually surprised by the quality of the fabric, it’s soft and not at all itchy and uncomfortable (like most seem to be) and it is incredibly durable.  Lil Man received his costume last week and he hasn’t  taken it off for more than an hour or two since.  He wears the costume to the grocery store (where he always receives compliments and I always get asked, “Where on earth did you get that costume?”), he wears the costume outside (in 95 degree weather), and he wears it to bed—and the costume looks as great today as it did when it came out of the box!  I also love the fact that the costume has the little extras that really make it a Woody costume, I love the sheriff’s badge, the gun holster and the boot shoe covers are adorable as well, but my favorite accessory has got to be the hat…the hat makes this costume!  

As much as I love the costume and cannot wait to see Lil Man Tick-or-Treating in it, I am so happy that he finally has a dress-up costume of his own.  No more high heels or daddy’s work clothes, nope Lil Man is walking tall in his Woody costume shouting, “Howdy Partner” and “There’s a snake in my boot” to anyone that’ll listen…thanks Costume Discounters!
"This post was written for Family Review Network & Costume Discounters who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review"

I Need Your Help to Interview Dora the Explorer!

I have some VERY exciting news!  Remember my post yesterday about Dora the Explorer’s 10th anniversary?  Well tomorrow I will be interviewing Caitlin Sanchez the actress who is the voice of Dora!  How exciting is that?  I’m pretty sure this is going to cement my place as “Coolest Mom Ever” with my kiddos!  And of  course, I need your help!

I want to know what questions you (or your kids) would ask Dora if you had the chance!  So leave a comment with your question for Caitlin, I will pick as many as I can and be sure to mention your name both in my interview and in my accompanying post! 

Put on your thinking caps, grab your kiddos, and fire away with your questions for Caitlin!

Dora the Explorer Celebrates 10th Anniversary!

If your kids are anything like mine then they love Dora, actually in our house our littlest kiddos adore her!  It’s hard to believe that Dora burst onto our television screens, and into our hearts 10 years ago!  Dora the Explorer debuted on August 14, 2000 and Dora instantly made history as the first animated Latina character in a leading role.  Dora the Explorer debuted at number one—and stayed there!  Dora has crossed social, language, and racial boundaries as a little girl standing tall  as a hero and a friend to millions of children around the world!

Nickelodeon is celebrating Dora’s landmark 10th anniversary with the premiere of the hour-long primetime TV movie, “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure” on Sunday August 15th at 8pm (ET/PT).  Guest stars include Rosie Perez, John Leguizamo, and Hector Elizondo!  Following the TV movie, at 9pm (ET/PT), Nick will premiere the specially commissioned Dora 10th anniversary documentary, a 12-minute tribute to the preschool icon executive-produced by Academy Award®-nominated Brett Morgen.  The documentary features Anderson Cooper, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Rosie Perez, Salma Hayek Pinault, Shakira, Soledad O'Brien, Sherri Shepherd, plus the series creators, media experts and real-life kids. 

“For the past 10 years, Dora the Explorer has been a pioneer – a symbol of empowerment, diversity and education,” said Brown Johnson, President, Animation, Nickelodeon. “She has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world and will continue to inspire and entertain preschoolers for many years to come.”

Since launching on Nickelodeon Aug. 14, 2000, Dora the Explorer has emerged as a pop culture phenomenon and is currently the number-one rated preschool show on commercial television year-to-date. (Source: NMR, Live+7 Blended with Live+SD from 12/28/09-7/20/10). Dora the Explorer, which can be seen in 151 markets and is translated into 30 languages, has been honored with awards including the Peabody, NAACP, Alma, Imagen, Latino Spirit, Gracie Allen, Parents' Choice Award, the Television Critics Association Award and has received 16 Daytime Emmy nominations.

In “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure,” a twisting wind has blown Dora and Boots into Wizzle World, a land located in the Magic Storybook.  Dora and Boots can’t jump out of the Magic Storybook without first taking Dora’s crystal to the Wishing Wizzle (Hector Elizondo) so he can wish them back home in time for Dora’s birthday party with all her family and friends.  They set off an adventure to Wishing Mountain, but they better watch out for La Bruja (Rosie Perez) and her Flying Monkeys (John Leguizamo) who don’t like wishes and try to stop Dora and Boots.  In order to overcome the obstacles, Dora and Boots reflect back on past adventures to guide them along the way.

The premiere of “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure” will simulcast on Nick Mobile on Sunday, Aug. 15.  Additionally in August, a selection of fan-favorite Dora the Explorer episodes will be available on Nick on Demand and celebratory-themed episodes of Dora will be released across Nickelodeon’s Download-to-Own partners.  Fans can also visit www.nickjr.com for a sneak peek of “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure” on Monday, Aug. 2.  Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, the “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure” DVD will be available on Aug. 3, 2010.  New Dora the Explorer content will be updated monthly for preschoolers and their parents at www.doratheexplorer.com.

Nickelodeon is also marking the 10^th anniversary of Dora the Explorer, with a multi-year, multi-platform pro-social campaign titled “Beyond the Backpack.”  Named for Dora’s iconic backpack, “Beyond the Backpack,” champions overall school readiness for preschoolers as they prepare for the important adventure of starting school. 

In partnership with National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and other experts and leaders in school readiness, “Beyond the Backpack” provides parents with tools and resources that can help kids prepare for a well-rounded, positive experience as they enter kindergarten. The components of “Beyond the Backpack,” include dedicated PSAs; a web site (www.dora.beyondthebackpack.com) with customized resources and learning activities including a curriculum-focused checklist for parents to determine if their child is ready for kindergarten, links to partner organizations, financial resources and grants; fundraising activities; and community events.

Also, in support of “Beyond the Backpack,” Salma Hayek Pinault along with other celebrities will be featured in PSAs alongside Dora speaking about the campaign.  Hayek Pinault, Shakira, and Slash along with other celebrities are designing one-of-a-kind, Dora-inspired backpacks to be auctioned globally this summer.  One hundred percent of the U.S. proceeds will benefit the Children’s Defense Fund and international proceeds will go toward childhood education. 

Dora the Explorer, created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner, is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora (Caitlin Sanchez).  Dora is a seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests.  She explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques. 

So make sure you grab your kiddos and tune in Sunday August 15th for the premiere of “Dora’s Big Birthday Adventure” and stick around for the 10th anniversary documentary afterward!

And make sure you check back soon because I will be interviewing one of the stars of Dora the Explorer and sharing it with all of you!

Wordless Wednesday…Jump, Jump

One day last week I decided to play around with the Kodak camera I received to review.  So I had the kids jump and tried to catch some awesome shots!  Happy WW!  Enjoy!

 

Lil Diva…ignore the no shirt and the wet pants (she just finished playing in the water hence the lack of a shirt) this picture freaks me out every time I look at it…it looks like she’s levitating! 

Summer Must-Haves: DOLE Frozen Fruit Smoothie Giveaway {5 Winners}

Alright y’all we’re back with our Summer Must-Haves and this weeks theme is my absolute favorite summertime activity…Backyard BBQ! 



Now I don’t know about you, but in my neck of the woods BBQ’s are a rite of passage and a regular occurrence in the summer! I love the chance to spend time with family and friends, watch all of the kids play, play some corn hole and eat some fantastic food! 

Today I am featuring one of my absolute favorite summertime treats…Smoothies!  Thanks to DOLE I had the chance to make lots of great smoothies and share them with the people I love most!  With DOLE Frozen Fruit making great tasting, frosty smoothies was a breeze!  DOLE has a huge selection of their Frozen Fruit: blackberries, strawberries, sweet cherries, mango (a personal favorite), pineapple, raspberries, peaches, mixed berries, mixed fruit, and tropical fruit.  I also have some great tips from DOLE on using their Frozen Fruit!

· Using DOLE Frozen Fruit is a more economical way to cook since you can use a little and save the rest for later, ensuring nothing goes to waste!
· DOLE Frozen Fruit is more uniform in size and flavor, which optimizes recipe outcomes.
· DOLE Frozen Fruit is ideal for toppings, baking, fruit salads or simply as a healthy snack.
· DOLE Wildly Nutritious Heart Healthy Mixed Fruit is a colorful mix of pineapple, strawberries, peaches, honeydew and mangoes.
· DOLE Wildly Nutritious Immunity Blend - Tropical Fruit is a delicious mix of pineapple, mango, golden kiwi, papaya and strawberries.
· DOLE Wildly Nutritious Antioxidant Blend is a nutritious mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Each serving of DOLE Wildly Nutritious Antioxidant Blend provides double the industry standard of effective antioxidant activity.

Even though our local grocery store didn’t have a very big selection of the DOLE frozen fruit we were able to pick out a few varieties to make our Smoothie Party a hit!  One of our favorites was a Blueberry/Strawberry mix…it was awesome.  Of course, the Mango was out of this world too!  One of my favorite things about the DOLE Frozen Fruit is that is comes in re-sealable packages, which makes it super easy to use small amounts and store the leftovers with no hassle!  DOLE also has tons of great Smoothie recipes on their website, here are a few of my favorites!

Orange Peach Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 cups DOLE^® Fresh Frozen Peaches
• 1 carton (8 oz.) nonfat vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup ice cubes
• Dash ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Combine orange juice, peaches, yogurt, ice cubes and nutmeg in blender or food processor container. Cover; blend until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.

Pineapple Berry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 can (20 oz.) DOLE^® Crushed Pineapple, undrained
• 1 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt
• 1 medium, ripe DOLE Banana, quartered
• 1 cup DOLE Pineapple Juice
• 1/2 cup DOLE Fresh Frozen Strawberries or Raspberries
• 1/2 cup ice cubes

Directions

1. Combine crushed pineapple, yogurt, banana, pineapple juice, strawberries and ice cubes in blender or food processor container. Cover; blend until smooth. Garnish with strawberry and banana slice, if desired.
2.  

Can you say yummy?  We had our own little DOLE Smoothie party at our house with the kids the other night, we also had a big DOLE Smoothie party on July 4th at our family BBQ and they both were huge hits! 



As you can see, my kiddos were loving the DOLE Smoothies!  How would you like to win some DOLE frozen fruit to make some delicious DOLE Smoothie’s of your own?  Well, 5 (yes five) Misadventures in Baby Raising readers are going to win coupons good for FREE DOLE Frozen fruit! 

Win it: 

To be entered in this giveaway simply tell me which DOLE Frozen Fruit you would love to try (from the list above.)  This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are eligible!

Extra Entries: 

Please leave separate comments for each additional entry!

Follow MIBR via GFC, RSS Feed, or Email:  2 extra entries each
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This giveaway ends on Tuesday August 10, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and posted in a separate winner’s post.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim his prize, failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner!

*I received free product coupons, ITunes GC, and other necessary supplies for my DOLE Smoothie Party in order to facilitate my review*

Music, Music, and more Music!

I have a couple of sick kiddos and very little time to actually sit down and write a post…sorry!  BUT I didn’t want to leave y’all with nothing so I thought well heck it’s Monday…let’s make Monday better with a little music.  So here are a few of my favorite songs right now…enjoy!

Love this song!

Love both of these songs but these two doing a cover of them is genius!  LOVE it!  They have so many more on YouTube so if you like this one check it out…they kick ass!  And get this she is only 14!

Alright guys I’m out…enjoy the music!

Safety 1st Infant Car Seat Winner!

Hey y’all!  I wanted to take a minute and thank everyone who entered the Safety 1st giveaway!  We had lots of entries and I know you guys are all dying to know who won…so I won’t make you wait any longer!
The winning number in the Safety 1st giveaway is:

That makes our lucky commenter:
July 15, 2010 12:18 PM 406

jdeemarie

http://twitter.com/jdeemarie/status/18625146371
jdeemarie @ gmail.com

Congrats!  You have 48 hours to claim your prize…be on the lookout for an email!

Red Robin Etch a Sketch a Burger Contest

You’ve seen the commercials on TV, your kids probably walk around singing the jingle all day (at least mine do), and you LOVE their food!  Who am I talking about?  Red Robin—YUM!   Alright so that was a little hokey, but in all fairness I love the commercials, and I adore Red Robin.  Recently I was given the chance to participate in Red Robin’s Etch a Sketch a Burger contest campaign and of course I said Yes, or was it Yum?   Of course, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to make a Red Robin commercial parody of my own…what do you think?

As I said before I love Red Robin’s food, especially their burgers.  My favorite?  That’s simple—the Burnin Love Burger is a burger after my own heart.  Topped with spicy pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and their kicked up salsa…the Burnin Love Burger will take your taste buds on a spicy hot adventure that you’ll surely want to repeat over and over! I also love their Fajita Fiesta Pollo Salad…delicioso! 

Remember the Etch a Sketch?  I had several as a kid and my own children have had quite a few, they are so much fun to play and create with (and they beat video games any day of the week as far as I’m concerned).  Well Red Robin is helping Etch A Sketch celebrate its 50th anniversary by hosting a nationwide contest they’re cleverly calling “Etch a Sketch a Burger”.  The contest runs through July 25th and encourages everyone (young and old) to draw their favorite Red Robin burger on an Etch a Sketch and then submit a photo of that drawing here.  50 winners will each receive a 50th Anniversary Etch a Sketch and a $50 Red Robin Gift Card.  So dust off those Etch a Sketch’s from your childhood and get to ‘drawing’ your favorite Red Robin burger, but hurry the contest ends this Sunday July 25th!  Don’t have an Etch a Sketch…no problem!  Just stop by your local Red Robin and check out the kids menu for some great deals on Etch a Sketch and other Ohio Art toys!

Savanna Etch a Sketching her favorite burger as Lil Man watches

Now how would you like to snag an Etch a Sketch and score some Red Robin yumminess?  Well you’re in luck—because I have an Etch a Sketch and a $10 Red Robin gift card to give away to 1 lucky Misadventures in Baby Raising reader!

Win it!

To be entered in this giveaway simply leave a comment on this post telling me which scrumptious Red Robin burger is your favorite!  This is mandatory and must be completed before any extra entries are counted!

Extra Entries

Please leave separate comments for each additional entry!

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I just entered the Red Robin giveaway on MIBR http://tinyurl.com/23cyb5g @Allie_23
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This giveaway ends on Friday August 6, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and posted in a separate winner’s post.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim his prize, failure to do so will result in winner forfeiting his prize and me choosing a new winner!

Summer Must-Haves: SmartShield {Giveaway}

Yesterday we talked about the best (in my opinion of course) all natural children’s sunscreen as part of our Summer Must-Haves list.  Today I will be introducing you to a great all-natural sunscreen for us ladies, and you gentlemen of course! 

While I don’t consider myself “green” by any stretch of the imagination I do try to buy all natural, eco-friendly products whenever possible.  When I buy sunscreen I usually buy based on brands that I have had success with in the past, so whenever I try a new sunscreen I am leery of how well it will perform. 

A while back I was asked to do a review for SmartShield sunscreen, I figured with summer coming up it was a no brainer and said yes.  SmartShield is company that was started after one family’s close call with skin cancer.  Like many people they knew they should be wearing sunscreen, but didn’t because of the many drawbacks (oily, messy, stinky).  Through their close call and knowing how important sunscreen was in skin cancer prevention they set out of develop a sunscreen that people would want to use, and so SmartShield was born!  Not only did the people behind SmartShield develop a formula that was non-greasy, light on the skin, and great smelling, it’s also eco-friendly.  SmartShield isn’t just selling sunscreen, they also offer lip balm, insect repellent, and self tanner.

I received a bottle of SmartShield’s SPF 30 sunscreen to review.  To be honest I did have my reservations about how well it would perform compared to my usual brand of sunscreen, but was very relieved to find out it worked great!  The sunscreen is light on the skin and easy to apply, unlike most other brands of sunscreen that take forever to apply and leave your skin feeling sticky.  Of course, the real test is how well it performs in the sun.  Since I have gotten older I have noticed areas of my skin (specifically my face) being covered with freckles…I have never had freckles before…and I can only attribute them to sun exposure (since they seem to get worse when I’ve been out in the sun unprotected).  Since using the SmartShield sunscreen I have noticed a big change in the frequency of my freckles, they seem to have slowed down no matter how often I am in the sun…and I love it!  In a pinch I have even used the SmartShield sunscreen on the kiddos and it worked beautifully!

Buy it:  You can purchase SmartShield products online here.

Win it:  One MIBR reader will win a SmartShield SPF 30 sunscreen from SmartShield!  Just head on over to SmartShield and have a look around, come back here and tell me which other SmartShield product(s) you would like to try!

Extra Entries:  Please leave separate comments for each additional entry!

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Tweet this giveaway:  2 tweets per day per length of giveaway

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Blog about this giveaway:  5 extra entries

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Comment on any non-giveaway post:  1 extra entry per comment

This giveaway ends on August 5, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.  One winner will be chosen via Random.org and posted in a separate winners post.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me and claim his prize.  Failure to claim prize in allotted time will result in me choosing another winner.

Good Luck!

Dear Facebook Friends,

We need to have a serious discussion.  I’m kind of annoyed that I have to be the one to do this, I mean really you should have parents or significant others that tell you when you’re making an ass of yourself, but since those people do not seem to be doing their jobs as of late I guess I’ll be the one to have “the talk” with you!
I love Facebook—I really do.  I don’t get the appeal of Twitter (or maybe I’m just not fast enough to keep up with the endless stream of tweets), and MySpace is for 12 year olds, so that pretty much leaves Facebook.  I like being able to reconnect with old friends from high school that I haven’t seen in years and keep up with the busy lives of family and friends.  There are however, a few things about Facebook and some of its users that drive me INSANE!
1.  Friend A suggests you become friends with Friend B, C, D, E, F, and probably G…really?  I don’t need you to tell me that I should be friends with someone I think I can figure that much out on my own.  Now I’m not talking about the people who occasionally do this I am talking to the people who do this a thousand times a day. 
I get email notifications from Facebook and every single time you suggest a friend for me I get that shit in my inbox.  My inbox is FULL as it is…so STOP it!  And for those of you who will no doubt say “Quit bitching and just turn off email notifications.”…ummm no thank you I like knowing when someone responds to a comment…it’s just as easy for you NOT to check my name…I don’t care who you think I should know I’m not interested.
2.  I read somewhere a while back that blogging is a gateway drug and twitter is heroin or something like that.  While I tend to agree with that statement I’m taking it one step further…I think that Facebook is a gateway drug and Farmville is heroin.  I detest Farmville.  I mean far be it for me to deprive people from fertilizing their crops and building barns, but I don’t need to know every single time you give someone a brick or water someone’s flowers.  Not only is it annoying as shit it pisses me off that I have to weed through 500 status updates from Farmville to get to the updates I do care to read!
If you happen to be one of my FB friends and you happen to “geek out” when Farmville is down…GET HELP!  I’m sure there is a support group somewhere or a program you can get into to to help with your addiction…admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery! 
3.  Tagging me in photos of PS3’s and IPad’s to enter a contest!  First of all…really?  I mean you need an IPad bad enough to SPAM all of your FB friends?  I want an IPad too, but I don’t think making all of my FB friends mad is the right way to go about getting one!  Not only is this annoying as all hell, it will also get you unfriended or whatever you would like to call it!  STOP tagging me in photos of inanimate objects…it’s just weird! 
I would like to close by saying that while I love all of my Facebook friends and fans I cannot stand the people who do the 3 things listed above.  I mean in all fairness I am sure they are good people, but they make me want to stick forks in my eyes and that’s not conducive to a very healthy relationship now is it?  So if you would like to stay on my good side please stop the madness, or if you’re hell-bent on making sure everyone who friends you on FB hates you then go ahead and do your evil deeds…but don’t be surprised when your name ends up on my “People Who Hate Their Facebook Friends” post!
Love and Hugs,
Allison

DESPICABLE ME Winner!

Posting the winner of the DESPICABLE ME giveaway seems to keep slipping my mind…and I apologize!  So without further ado the winner of the DESPICABLE ME prize pack is…Drum Roll Please!

Winning Commenter:

July 10, 2010 6:30 AM 18

Andie

I'd love to win this for my younger brother who is really excited to see this movie.
andie.v107(at)yahoo(dot)com

Wordless Wednesday: Swim Baby Swim

All of the big kids enjoying the water

LOVE this shot…Lil Diva playing with her pool toys

Lil Man wearing someone’s goggles (or goddles as he called them)

Another one of my favorite shots…Loghen jumping from the high dive

Summer Must-Haves: KidSport Sunscreen

Yesterday we made a splash with our Summer 2010 Must-Haves Poolside swimsuit choices.  Today we’re talking about  sun safety and our pick for best children’s sunscreen.

A few weeks ago I was given the opportunity to do a review for All Terrain Co.  All of the All Terrain Co.’s products are natural and chemical free, which this mom loves! 

I was sent the KidSport SPF 30 sunscreen to review.  To be honest I have used the same brand of sunscreen on my children for years—you know the whole “if it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it” mentality.  So to say that I wasn’t anxious about using something different is an understatement.  KidSport SPF 30 is PBA and Paraben free and is great for sensitive skin!

The first thing I noticed about the All Terrain KidSport sunscreen is that it is very thick, much thicker than my usual brand.  The thickness of the sunscreen made it a little difficult to apply on my children easily, but not impossible.  Once the sunscreen was applied I took the kids outside for a couple hours of splashing around in the pool.  With our normal sunscreen we usually reapply every 45 minutes to an hour, because redness usually begins to appear around that time, but with the KidSport that was not the case.  To air on the side of caution I did reapply the sunscreen twice in the 2 and a half hours we were outside, but it was very clear that it was not necessary!  I was pleasantly surprised by how well the KidSprt worked for both of my children, there was no redness, no irritation, and best of all no sunburn!  The one drawback of the KidSport is that it is a little difficult to remove it once it is on.  After we came inside from playing outside for a couple of hours I gave the babies a bath and it took some major work to get the sunscreen off, but I think that’s a testament to the staying power of the sunscreen! 

Buy it:  You can purchase the KidSport SPF 30 Sunscreen here for $10.99.

Space Bag {Review}

I have a confession, I am a closet perfectionist!  Messes make me anxious, dirtiness makes me cringe, and clutter makes me twitch—I just despise it all.  Unfortunately I have no choice but to live with clutter as our current house offers very little in the way of storage space.  I am forced to get creative with organization and it becomes a necessity to be clever when it comes to utilizing the storage space we do have.

I learned a few years ago one of the best tricks for utilizing storage space—Space Bag.  I’m sure you’ve seen the commercials on television and the products in stores, but have you ever tried them?  If not, you should.  Space Bags have been an invaluable tool for helping me tackle the clutter in my house and the uses for Space Bags don’t end at storing clothing!  While I do most certainly use my Space Bags to store off season clothing and bedding they have so many uses—some may even surprise you!  From storing craft and school supplies to organizing the garage and helping make packing simpler, Space Bag has a million different uses for around the house and travel!  The Space Saver community offers readers a wealth of information for using Space Bag products, packing tips, and organization tricks to help keep your home clutter free! 
Recently I was asked to do a review for Space Bag, and since I use them all of the time and love them so much it seemed like a no brainer to say yes!  I was sent an assortment of Space Bag products (from small bags—perfect for craft supplies) to the largest of the bags—perfect for just about anything) to review and I wasted no time getting things organized and cleaning up the clutter with them!  One of the biggest challenged I face around my house is finding somewhere to store the endless amounts of out of season clothing that I find myself accumulating—it is a nightmare of gigantic proportions!  Below you can see how easy it is to use the Space Bag products to store large amounts of stuff quickly and efficiently! 

2 large pillows and 1 large Space Bag.

 

Use your vacuum cleaner to expel the air out of the bag.

Viola! 

I also wanted to let you all know about a great contest that Space Bag is sponsoring right now called Clean that Closet Challenge!  You could win a $1000 gift certificate to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and a consultation with professional organizer Kathi Burns—how cool would that be?  So make sure you head on over and check out the contest!

Buy it:  You can purchase Space Bag products online and at several retailers nationwide!

UV Skinz: Must-Have Children’s Swim Clothing!

We’ve showed you the best swimsuit for women (at least in my opinion) for Summer 2010, but what about for the little ones?  Remember the UV Skinz giveaway I did not too long ago?  Well I had a chance to review the UV Skinz items I received and I cannot wait to tell you all about  them!
My babies all have a tendency to burn—even with sunscreen slathered on every 30 minutes I still have to be very careful exposing them to the sun for long periods of time.  To be honest, I have tried other brands of UV clothing in the past and wasn’t too pleased with the quality, durability, and price—and then I was introduced to UV Skinz and I decided to give UV clothing another try, I am glad that I did! 
UV Skinz has a large array of babies, kids, and adults UV clothing and accessories.  UV Skinz UV clothing is SPF 50+ and comes in so many cute, fashionable, and unique styles and colors!  In addition to their UV clothing, the UV Skinz website also offers tips and resources for helping you stay safe while enjoying the sun—make sure you check them out!
My youngest daughter Lil Diva has incredibly sensitive skin, she starts getting red after about 10 minutes in the sun…with sunscreen.  Last summer our MO was to keep her safely inside the house and away from the dangerous rays, but this summer there was no way that was going to happen.  The first time I had the opportunity to use the UV shirt and board shorts I was sent for my review was a few weeks ago while the kids played outside in the yard with their water toys.  I have to admit that I was a little worried about Lil Diva getting too hot in her UV shirt (since it is long sleeved) but all of the worry quickly dissipated when she seemed to be having the best time ever, free of redness and seemingly cool as a cucumber! 


Buy it:  You can purchase UV Skinz online here. 

MiracleSuit: A Definite Summer Must-Have!

We’re back with more of our Summer 2010 Must-Haves series!  Last weeks theme was Amusement Park Fun—I hope everyone had a chance to check out the great Must-Have products for a trip to the amusement park.  If you haven’t done so yet make sure to check out my Top Tips for Amusement Park Fun!
 Since I mentioned in my initial amusement park fun post that our local amusement park {Kings Island} has its own water park “Boomerang Bay" I thought that it would be fun to go straight from the Amusement Park Fun theme into the Poolside theme of the Summer 2010 Must-Haves! 

One of the worst parts of summer for me is going swimsuit shopping.  After four kids my body is nowhere near the 100 pound frame with a flat stomach and perfect bikini body it used to be.  Trying to find a swimsuit that is fashionable and flattering can be very difficult, but thankfully I found a company who cares about women’s wants and needs when it comes to swimsuits—MiracleSuit.

MiracleSuit is a unique and innovative swimsuit that slims, shapes, contours, and firms the body.  The secret to the MiracleSuit is in its Miratex fabric which features 3 x’s the spandex of traditional swimsuits.  MiracleSuit says its suits are designed to give women the bust support they need and to help camouflage trouble spots without the binding girdle liners of most sliming suits.  With help from the Miratex fabric MiracleSuit swimsuits claim to make women appear 10 pounds lighter in the 10 seconds it takes to slip them on! 

As soon as I visited the MiracleSuit website I fell in love with several of their swimsuits—they truly have a great selection of gorgeous suits to fit every style.  Below are some of my favorite suits from MiracleSuit!

This is the Avanti strapless one-piece leaf print suit from MiracleSuit and I LOVE it!  The Avanti originally sells for $144 but is on sale for $86 right now at  Bloomingdales.com.


The Camilla is another suit from MiracleSuit that I think is just gorgeous!  Available in both red and black, you can purchase this suit at Bloomingdales.com as well.

I received the “Rialto” one-piece swimsuit (pictured below) from MiracleSuit to review.  Available in sexy red and dark purple, the Rialto is a one-piece that could compete with even the sexiest bikinis!  The “Rialto” is definitely one smoking hot one-piece (and you thought there was not such thing as a sexy one-piece).  The back of the Rialto suit offers full coverage, while still making your backside flattering.  The shirring at the bust and in the tummy area help to make the Rialto a flattering suit while offering coverage where most women need it most!  I also love the illusion that the suit is a two piece.  



When I received my MiracleSuit I  couldn’t wait to try it on, after all I did have to see if it made me appear 10 pounds lighter after I slipped into it!  The thing I immediately noticed about the Rialto MiracleSuit was that it is tight, not just snug like most swimsuits, but tight!  And while the suit was tight it was not uncomfortable, the only time the suit actually felt tight was when I was struggling to put it on (yes, I struggled).  Once on I could feel the MiracleSuit sucking in and molding my body in all of the right places—it fits like a glove, but does so in a flattering way.  I was surprised (given the tightness of the suit) that I didn’t have unflattering tufts of skin showing, the suit seemed to do the job of camouflaging amazingly!  So the big question is, did I appear 10 pounds lighter after I slipped my MiracleSuit on?  Well according to everyone who has seen me in the suit YES.  When I looked in the mirror (and let’s be honest it doesn’t matter what anyone else says if we don’t think we look good) I thought the suit had a great slimming effect that I haven’t seen on other suits, and while I don’t think I looked 10 pounds lighter I would definitely say that the suit made me look at least 5 pounds slimmer with it on…and in my book that’s a keeper!

Buy it:  You can find a full list of retailers who sell MiracleSuit swimsuits here. 

DESPICABLE ME giveaway extended!

Hey y’all!  I have some good news for you, well for your little ones actually!  I am extending the DESPICABLE ME giveaway until Monday July 19th at 11:59 PM EST!  So make sure to head on over and enter—it’s super easy and you could snag an awesome DESPICABLE ME prize pack for your kiddos! 

Fried Corn=Yummo!

One of my favorite parts of summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, and one of my all time favorite summer offerings is corn!  While I love corn on the cob, steamed corn, creamed corn—it all gets boring after a while.  A few weeks ago while my mother-in-law was visiting I heard her mention Fried Corn, I had no idea what it was as I had never had it, but the other day I decided to try to make a batch with dinner.  The results were fabulous!
Ingredients
2 cans of corn (or 4-6 ears of fresh corn)
butter
salt
pepper

Melt butter in the bottom of a medium sauté pan.

If using fresh corn, remove corn from ears.  If using canned corn empty cans into colander and drain until liquid is gone.

After corn has drained add into sauté pan with hot butter, salt, and pepper.  Sauté until corn is golden brown.

Plate and enjoy!