Friday, November 30, 2012
Basketball is big around our house, as is baseball and football and even soccer, but basketball seems to be king at the moment and with 3 of the 5 children living in our house playing basketball for their schools, our schedules are crazy busy this time of year. As with most things, my children insist on looking their best while playing basketball and despite me constantly questioning how looking good has any effect on their game, they keep right on insisting that they look their best, right down to their armbands. When I received a pitch a couple of weeks ago for something called the Fan Band, I was instantly intrigued and when my kiddos saw it, well they all screamed (almost in perfect unison) “I want one!” and when the awesome PR people at Fan Band told me that they could send each of the kids a Fan Band, well they all 3 pretty much said I was THE coolest mom ever…well duh!
If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what a Fan Band is…right? Well, it’s a licensed armband that’s made to look like the jerseys (front and back) of some of the biggest NBA and MLB players. Each Fan Band is embroidered with a miniature replica of a team or player’s jersey and I have to admit, they’re pretty cute. At $14.99, they make a great stocking stuffer for the sports fan in your life and they make a great, more cost effective alternative to pricey player jerseys. Fan Band has a variety of NBA and MLB team armbands available, with more coming soon, you can check out the list of available Fan Band jerseys below…
Like I said before, almost as soon as my children seen them, they wanted one, actually I’m pretty sure they all wanted one before they even knew what they were simply because they looked cool. Even my 13 year old step-son who is not at all easily impressed was excited about it, I’m pretty sure that’s a minor miracle in itself so well played Fan Band, well played! The very nice people at Fan Band sent 3 Fan Bands for my kiddos who play ball and when they got here they were more than excited to put them on. My step-son had a few of his friends over when the Fan Bands came in the mail and he couldn’t wait to show them how “bad” (which I ‘m pretty sure means awesome, they were. My 5 year old had his first basketball practice the same day and he couldn’t wait to show his friends, I even had a couple of the parents ask where they could get one! Now when the kids have practice they make sure to grab their gym bags and their Fan Band, I’m pretty sure that means they like them!
You can Follow Fan Band on Twitter @OriginalFanBand and “Like” Fan Band on Facebook as well to stay up to date with the latest news and newest Fan Band team and player additions! And don’t forget to check out Fan Band and tons more great gift ideas on Misadventures in Baby Raising's 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
BUY IT!
You can pick up your own Fan Band online for $14.99 at the Fan Band website.
WIN IT!
One lucky Misadventures in Baby Raising reader is going to win his or her own Fan Band…check out the Rafflecopter widget below to find out how!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the items mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what a Fan Band is…right? Well, it’s a licensed armband that’s made to look like the jerseys (front and back) of some of the biggest NBA and MLB players. Each Fan Band is embroidered with a miniature replica of a team or player’s jersey and I have to admit, they’re pretty cute. At $14.99, they make a great stocking stuffer for the sports fan in your life and they make a great, more cost effective alternative to pricey player jerseys. Fan Band has a variety of NBA and MLB team armbands available, with more coming soon, you can check out the list of available Fan Band jerseys below…
Available NBA Fan Bands
|
Available MLB Fan Bands
|
Boston Celtics - Garnett
Boston Celtics - Pierce Boston Celtics - Rondo Chicago Bulls - Rose Los Angeles Lakers - Bryant Los Angeles Lakers - Blank Miami Heat - Wade Miami Heat - James Miami Heat - Bosh Orlando Magic - Blank Atlanta Hawks - Horford New York Nicks - Stoudemire | Atlanta Braves - Jones#10 Boston Red Sox - Ortiz #34 Boston Red Sox - Pedroia #15 Detroit Tigers - Cabrera#24 Los Angeles - Hunter #48 New York Mets - Wright #5 New York Mets - Santana #57 New York Yankees - Teixeira #25 New York Yankees - Swisher #33 New York Yankees - Sabathia #52 New York Yankees - Rivera #42 New York Yankees - Jeter #2 New York Yankees - Rodriguez #13 Philadelphia Phillies - Utley #26 Philadelphia Phillies - Howard #6 Philadelphia Phillies - Halladay #34 Chicago Cubs - Soriano# 12 San Francisco Giants - Lincecum |
Like I said before, almost as soon as my children seen them, they wanted one, actually I’m pretty sure they all wanted one before they even knew what they were simply because they looked cool. Even my 13 year old step-son who is not at all easily impressed was excited about it, I’m pretty sure that’s a minor miracle in itself so well played Fan Band, well played! The very nice people at Fan Band sent 3 Fan Bands for my kiddos who play ball and when they got here they were more than excited to put them on. My step-son had a few of his friends over when the Fan Bands came in the mail and he couldn’t wait to show them how “bad” (which I ‘m pretty sure means awesome, they were. My 5 year old had his first basketball practice the same day and he couldn’t wait to show his friends, I even had a couple of the parents ask where they could get one! Now when the kids have practice they make sure to grab their gym bags and their Fan Band, I’m pretty sure that means they like them!
You can Follow Fan Band on Twitter @OriginalFanBand and “Like” Fan Band on Facebook as well to stay up to date with the latest news and newest Fan Band team and player additions! And don’t forget to check out Fan Band and tons more great gift ideas on Misadventures in Baby Raising's 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
BUY IT!
You can pick up your own Fan Band online for $14.99 at the Fan Band website.
WIN IT!
One lucky Misadventures in Baby Raising reader is going to win his or her own Fan Band…check out the Rafflecopter widget below to find out how!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the items mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
One of our family’s favorite things about the holiday season is snuggling up on the couch and watching Christmas movies; for the kids, it’s the opportunity to laugh and maybe learn a valuable life lesson (a mother can hope can’t she) and for my husband and I, it’s the opportunity to spend quality time with our children who are all growing up way faster than we care to admit. This past weekend was cold here in Southern Ohio so it was perfect weather for popping some popcorn and snuggling with our little ones on the couch watching a few family-friendly holiday movies.
Last weekend was what our kids like to call “Family Fun Time”, it’s basically where we spend as much time as possible doing things as a family and last weekend it was all about the holidays. From getting out the Christmas decorations and putting up the tree as a family one night to snuggling on the couch watching movies the next—it was the perfect ending to a hectic week. I received three family-friendly holiday movies early last week to review (Elf Man, The Dog Who Saved the Holidays and Chilly Christmas) so they were the perfect choices to continue our Family Fun weekend.
($19.98) Available nationwide December 4th! The non-stop action begins on Christmas Eve at the Harper house, where Ryan and Kasey Harper’s dad, Eric (Mackenzie Astin) is hard at work on his newest invention. The Harpers are all set to have a merry Christmas – until Eric is kidnapped by a gang of thieves, who seek to steal his newest creation. When Santa arrives that night to find the Harpers in trouble, he fulfills the wish that Kasey makes on a magical elf doll by leaving behind one of his elves (“Wee Man”) to help save her dad. As the robbers scheme to break into the house, the Harpers help their new friend discover his true powers as superhero “Elf-Man”! With time running out and the Harpers counting on him, Elf-Man takes on the kidnappers in a heroic attempt to save the family’s Christmas.
The Dog Who Saved the Holidays
($19.98) Available on DVD December 4th! The fur-flying fun begins when the Bannister family, George (Gary Valentine, “King of Queens”), Belinda (Elisa Donovan, Clueless, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”) and their kids, Kara (Caitlin Carmichael, “iCarly,” “Dexter”) and Ben (Wyatt Griswold), jet off with their dog Zeus (voiced by Joey Lawrence, ABC Family’s “Melissa & Joey”) to celebrate the holidays at Aunt Barbara’s (Shelley Long, “Cheers”) stunning Malibu mansion. Aunt Barbara surprises them with a new puppy named Eve (voiced by Peyton List, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Something Borrowed) and the whole family is smitten except Zeus, who quickly learns the new pooch is not as innocent as she seems. Zeus decides to run away, but when he spots two familiar thieves, Ted (Dean Cain, “Lois & Clark” and The Dog Who Saved Christmas) and Stewey (Joey “CoCo” Diaz, The Longest Yard), breaking into the house, he knows it’s up to him and Eve to beat the bumbling burglars and save Christmas once and for all!
($19.98) Available on DVD NOW! Chilly Christmas follows 11-year-old Bobby Cole, his detective dad (C. Thomas Howell, E.T., The Extra Terrestrial, The Outsiders), and their lovable-but-destructive pooch, Chilly, who live together in Sunshine Beach, California. When Bobby’s father is offered a job promotion in New York City, Bobby is thrilled for him – but his excitement quickly turns to heartbreak when he realizes he may have to say goodbye to Chilly, who is too rambunctious to live in a tiny city apartment! Desperate not to leave Chilly behind, Bobby and his friends try to acclimate him to city living (including using the toilet and a treadmill!). But, while the Coles prepare Chilly for the Big Apple, trouble begins brewing in their own backyard when a dog-napper (Tom Arnold, True Lies, “Roseanne,” A Christmas Wedding Tail) and his crew suddenly show up in Sunshine Beach, hot on Chilly’s tail! It’s up to Detective Cole, Bobby and Chilly to stop the thieves in their tracks and keep their family together for the holiday season – and for good!
When you have 6 kids ranging in age from 14 all the way down to 4 it’s nearly impossible to find any activity that they will all do together without someone being bored or not feeling it, but trying to find a movie that all 6 of those children will agree on and watch together without some kind of conflict is nearly impossible. I was worried going in (as I always am when I try to get all of them to do the same thing at the same time) that the big kids would be bored or that the movies wouldn’t hold the littlest kids attention, but I was amazed that all 6 children sat perfectly still on the couches and the floor and on our laps and watched them without so much as an objection—it was something like a miracle for sure. While the kids liked all three movies, Elf Man was the hands down favorite, as a matter of fact, they’ve watched it a couple of times since this past weekend…I think that’s as close to a home run as you can get!
You can pick up Chilly Christmas at retailers nationwide NOW and Elf Man (you MUST own this movie—your children will love it and you will too) and The Dog Who Saved the Holidays will both be available at retailers nationwide on December 4th! You can also check out all 3 movies and tons more gift ideas in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: I received all of the products listed above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
As I grew up using Carmex products, it’s always been the brand I choose for not just me, but my family as well. Recently I had the chance to check out a new product from Carmex, Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner. So if you’re new to Carmex or Carmex Lip Conditioner, let me be the first to give you the lowdown on this tiny, but powerful lip product.
The best description I’ve read about Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner is that it’s like “lotion for your lips” and that couldn’t be more true! In addition to having a very pleasing orange scent, Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner feels ah-mazing on your lips, it’s not greasy, or clumpy, or thick or gooey--it’s just right, it makes your lips feel extra soft and smooth and perfectly conditioned and it’s made by a brand that I’ve always trusted to keep my lips looking fabulous in spite of the cold, harsh Ohio winters—Carmex!
If you’re looking for a new product to keep your lips soft, smooth and kissable all season, I’d definitely recommend Carmex Everyday Lip Conditioner!
Disclosure: I received the products listed above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
With all of the gifts to buy, parties to attend and goodies to bake this time of year, it’s easy to forget to be thankful for the many blessings we each should be counting every single day—too easy!
Though I never fail to start the holiday season intending to always be aware of the blessings in my life, all of the stress and hustle and bustle of this time of year usually throws me off track. While I do tend to get back on track closer to the end of the season, I’m always a little annoyed with myself for not counting the little blessings I’m thankful for each and every day. My mantra throughout the year is to “remember that there is always someone less fortunate”, my family doesn’t have much, but we always try to give in whatever ways we can throughout the year and especially throughout the holiday season. Though I always try to stay focused on what’s important to me (family, friends, food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in) it can be very easy to forget those things we all take for granted daily, which really are blessings, in order to help me stay focused on what’s important this time of year (and always really) I keep this list of ways that both myself and my family can remember to always count our blessings.
* Participate in a toy drive as a family. I’m lucky in that all of my children seem to understand the importance of giving to others, but sometimes, especially around the holidays there giving spirit (and mine too) can sometimes turn into one of selfishness. Participating in a toy drive as a family can be a great way to spend time together doing something amazing for someone else and I’m always surprised by how giving my children can be and how much they genuinely love doing something nice for other kids.
* Volunteer at a soup kitchen or food pantry. Growing up my family didn’t have much money and I know that there were times when my mom, who was a single mother until I was 10, needed help to feel my sister and I and one of the ways that was possible was thanks to those who donated to our community food pantry. Even though I sometimes find myself struggling to figure out how I’m going to feed our large family, I always make sure to donate to the food pantry as it was instrumental in helping my mom when I was younger. Volunteering as a family can really help your children understand that there truly are people far less fortunate than they are right in their own town and there’s no better time for them to see all of the blessings they take for granted in their own life.
* Adopt a Christmas Angel. Most retailers have lists (our local store has a tree at the entrance filled with children who are in need during the holiday season) of families in need, if your family can afford to adopt a child or family for the holidays that’s such an excellent way to give back while also being reminded to count your blessings.
This year Mercy is helping to take some of the stress out of the holiday season simply by asking people to count their blessings! Mercy believes that, “Our greatest blessing is to see others blessed” and I can’t think of a more fitting and powerful mantra for this time of year. It’s simple to count your blessings and Mercy hopes that in doing so you’ll be a little less stressed and able to better focus on what matters most, the little blessings in each of our lives. Counting your blessings is so simple to do, you simply go to http://ourblessingscount.com and enter a blessing (or many blessings) you can also click on the falling snowflakes and read and share other people’s blessings—it is a great way to not only share your blessings, but also to be touched by the blessings of others! Maybe you’ve already shared your blessings at ourblessingscount.com, if so what blessings did you share? I shared that I am blessed to have 4 happy, healthy, amazing children, it was so easy and it made me feel good…you should definitely join the movement and count your blessings today!
I might not always remember to count and be thankful for the blessings (both big and small) in my life, but when I do there’s some level of satisfaction in knowing that not only am I blessed, but that I can share those blessings with others…to me that’s the most important part of the holiday season!
Mercy recognizes the stress we put on ourselves and our families over the holidays. They want to remind us that ‘Our greatest blessing is to see others blessed.’ One way we can do this is to pause, list our blessings, and share them with others. Let’s count our blessings together at www.ourblessingscount.com.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mercy. The opinions and text are all mine.
Though I never fail to start the holiday season intending to always be aware of the blessings in my life, all of the stress and hustle and bustle of this time of year usually throws me off track. While I do tend to get back on track closer to the end of the season, I’m always a little annoyed with myself for not counting the little blessings I’m thankful for each and every day. My mantra throughout the year is to “remember that there is always someone less fortunate”, my family doesn’t have much, but we always try to give in whatever ways we can throughout the year and especially throughout the holiday season. Though I always try to stay focused on what’s important to me (family, friends, food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in) it can be very easy to forget those things we all take for granted daily, which really are blessings, in order to help me stay focused on what’s important this time of year (and always really) I keep this list of ways that both myself and my family can remember to always count our blessings.
* Participate in a toy drive as a family. I’m lucky in that all of my children seem to understand the importance of giving to others, but sometimes, especially around the holidays there giving spirit (and mine too) can sometimes turn into one of selfishness. Participating in a toy drive as a family can be a great way to spend time together doing something amazing for someone else and I’m always surprised by how giving my children can be and how much they genuinely love doing something nice for other kids.
* Volunteer at a soup kitchen or food pantry. Growing up my family didn’t have much money and I know that there were times when my mom, who was a single mother until I was 10, needed help to feel my sister and I and one of the ways that was possible was thanks to those who donated to our community food pantry. Even though I sometimes find myself struggling to figure out how I’m going to feed our large family, I always make sure to donate to the food pantry as it was instrumental in helping my mom when I was younger. Volunteering as a family can really help your children understand that there truly are people far less fortunate than they are right in their own town and there’s no better time for them to see all of the blessings they take for granted in their own life.
* Adopt a Christmas Angel. Most retailers have lists (our local store has a tree at the entrance filled with children who are in need during the holiday season) of families in need, if your family can afford to adopt a child or family for the holidays that’s such an excellent way to give back while also being reminded to count your blessings.
This year Mercy is helping to take some of the stress out of the holiday season simply by asking people to count their blessings! Mercy believes that, “Our greatest blessing is to see others blessed” and I can’t think of a more fitting and powerful mantra for this time of year. It’s simple to count your blessings and Mercy hopes that in doing so you’ll be a little less stressed and able to better focus on what matters most, the little blessings in each of our lives. Counting your blessings is so simple to do, you simply go to http://ourblessingscount.com and enter a blessing (or many blessings) you can also click on the falling snowflakes and read and share other people’s blessings—it is a great way to not only share your blessings, but also to be touched by the blessings of others! Maybe you’ve already shared your blessings at ourblessingscount.com, if so what blessings did you share? I shared that I am blessed to have 4 happy, healthy, amazing children, it was so easy and it made me feel good…you should definitely join the movement and count your blessings today!
I might not always remember to count and be thankful for the blessings (both big and small) in my life, but when I do there’s some level of satisfaction in knowing that not only am I blessed, but that I can share those blessings with others…to me that’s the most important part of the holiday season!
Mercy recognizes the stress we put on ourselves and our families over the holidays. They want to remind us that ‘Our greatest blessing is to see others blessed.’ One way we can do this is to pause, list our blessings, and share them with others. Let’s count our blessings together at www.ourblessingscount.com.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mercy. The opinions and text are all mine.
Monday, November 26, 2012
As many of you know we have a big family and with six kids ranging in age from 14 down to 4, it’s not always easy for us to watch a family movie that all of the family members will enjoy. Thankfully, there are a few movies that bring us all together and leave us all feeling a little more like one big happy family when they are over—like The Odd Life of Timothy Green! If you’re unfamiliar with The Odd Life of Timothy Green, I can’t wait to introduce you to this heartwarming movie that was an instant hit at our house.
The Odd Life of Timothy Green stars Jennifer Garner (Cindy) and Joel Edgerton (Jim) as the Green’s, a happily married couple with everything but a child to share their love. After failed attempts at trying to conceive, Cindy and Jim write down all of the things they wish for in a child, put their wishes in a box and bury it in the back yard. That very same night a young boy, covered in dirt, with leaves seeming to sprout from his legs shows up at the Green’s door calling himself Timothy and thus begins the story of Cindy, Jim and Timothy as a family. Cindy and Jim, their small town of Stanleyville and nearly everyone else who comes in contact with Timothy is shown the power and beauty in being different.
Between the positive message, which to our family was “being different can sometimes be the best thing ever” (as one of my children put it) and the fact that The Odd Life of Timothy Green is one of the first movies in a long time that our entire family could watch together and enjoy, I have to give it 2 thumbs up! I love that my children were able to easily understand the underlying message of the movie and that it served as an opportunity for them to learn to be more tolerant (a message I try to drive home constantly) . If you’re looking for a family-friendly movie with a good positive message, great characters and a fun story—you should definitely check out The Odd Life of Timothy Green, I think you’ll love it! Check out the trailer below!
The Odd Life of Timothy Green will be available on DVD/BLU-RAY December 4th! You can also check out The Odd Life of Timothy Green in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, it’ll make an excellent stocking stuffer for someone on your list this holiday season!
I also have a copy of The Odd Life of Timothy Green for one very lucky Misadventures in Baby Raising reader…this giveaway is a very short one, so pay close attention to the ending date and time and make sure to watch your emails to see if you’ve won!
WIN IT!
One Misadventures in Baby Raising reader will win The Odd Life of Timothy Green on BLU-RAY and DVD (the movie is a DVD/BLU-RAY bundle)...details on how to enter below! Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
The Odd Life of Timothy Green stars Jennifer Garner (Cindy) and Joel Edgerton (Jim) as the Green’s, a happily married couple with everything but a child to share their love. After failed attempts at trying to conceive, Cindy and Jim write down all of the things they wish for in a child, put their wishes in a box and bury it in the back yard. That very same night a young boy, covered in dirt, with leaves seeming to sprout from his legs shows up at the Green’s door calling himself Timothy and thus begins the story of Cindy, Jim and Timothy as a family. Cindy and Jim, their small town of Stanleyville and nearly everyone else who comes in contact with Timothy is shown the power and beauty in being different.
Between the positive message, which to our family was “being different can sometimes be the best thing ever” (as one of my children put it) and the fact that The Odd Life of Timothy Green is one of the first movies in a long time that our entire family could watch together and enjoy, I have to give it 2 thumbs up! I love that my children were able to easily understand the underlying message of the movie and that it served as an opportunity for them to learn to be more tolerant (a message I try to drive home constantly) . If you’re looking for a family-friendly movie with a good positive message, great characters and a fun story—you should definitely check out The Odd Life of Timothy Green, I think you’ll love it! Check out the trailer below!
The Odd Life of Timothy Green will be available on DVD/BLU-RAY December 4th! You can also check out The Odd Life of Timothy Green in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, it’ll make an excellent stocking stuffer for someone on your list this holiday season!
I also have a copy of The Odd Life of Timothy Green for one very lucky Misadventures in Baby Raising reader…this giveaway is a very short one, so pay close attention to the ending date and time and make sure to watch your emails to see if you’ve won!
WIN IT!
One Misadventures in Baby Raising reader will win The Odd Life of Timothy Green on BLU-RAY and DVD (the movie is a DVD/BLU-RAY bundle)...details on how to enter below! Good Luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
One of my favorite things about the holiday season is giving gifts to others, but my favorite thing is finding something that perfectly expresses how you feel about the other person, it’s rare, but it’s possible.
Typically, I’m Christmas shopping for my children so jewelry isn’t usually at the top of my list, but with Drama Teen and Sporty Spice getting older, I notice requests for new jewelry for birthdays and Christmas, more and more. When I do decide to indulge the girls, I really like for the pieces to have some kind of special meaning behind them, so when I discovered Chamilia, or they discovered me rather, I knew it would become a fast favorite.
About Chamilia…
Chamilia is a personalized accessory brand who creates “extraordinary, innovative jewelry for the woman with an eye for fashion”. Unique designs and exceptional quality, helps set Chamilia apart from other brands, while also helping to make them one of the fastest growing jewelry brands in the world. Their “collection of premium beads and accents, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings celebrates individuality, letting women personalize every design to reflect their own lives and styles.”
Co-Founder and Designer Killian Rieder, graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology and has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion including Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger. Chamilia was created out of Killian’s desire to give women the opportunity to express themselves in a meaningful, creative, beautiful way and each new season brings new styles and new ways to find the creative designer in you.
When I was asked to do a review for Chamilia, I knew the perfect person to design a bracelet for, my daughter Sporty Spice. Sporty Spice is very, well, sporty, but she also has a fashion sense that I’ve personally never seen in a 10 year old, seriously, Ralph Lauren should be calling her—the girl is good. Given her affinity for shiny things, I knew that she would be the perfect recipient for a bracelet from Chamilia. There are several different types of bracelets to choose from, we chose the Silver Snap Bracelet, measured SS’s wrist and then got down to the business of choosing a bead. Since I wanted the bracelet to be something that she could keep and add to throughout the years I wanted to start with a bead that I thought captured her spirit and when I found the A Dream is a Wish bead I knew it was perfect, not only was it glittery (something SS loved about the bracelet) it was also a song from my all-time favorite Disney movie Cinderella—it was perfect! Of course, Chamilia has SO many beautiful, meaningful beads to choose from so that you’ll find something perfect for everyone on your list (these make such great holiday gifts). Between the bracelet, which is perfectly beautiful on its own and the bead, which is absolutely stunning, I love this bracelet and I especially love the fact that the bracelet can be added to later on by me or anyone else who wanted to give SS a special gift—I just know that this is one jewelry item she’ll always treasure.
Make sure you ‘Like’ Chamilia on Facebook and check them out in Misadventures in Baby Raising’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: I received the item above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions expressed are my own!
Being a review blogger definitely has its advantages, like all of the awesome products I get to review, but every once in a while you get a pitch that is something so out of character for you that you kinda just have to say yes because it is so different than anything you’d normally do. That’s exactly what happened when I was approached to do a review for Oranum.
If you’re not sure what Oranum is I can’t wait to tell you all about it…
A unique online portal, Oranum allows clients to choose from leading providers of astrological advice, ranging from psychics, astrologers, tarot masters, clairvoyants and healers, among others. Oranum makes expert psychic advice available from world-renowned psychics through easily accessible online formats and video chat.
I know some of you are shaking your heads, wondering why on earth I would be consulting online psychics at all, let alone an online psychic, but before you completely write off the idea, let me tell you a little more. Not only did I personally have a very nice email reading with one of Oranum’s top psychics, but Christina Aguilera, you know from that little show on NBC, The Voice, is an avid Oranum user and even featured them in her new single “Your Body”!
As I already mentioned, I chose an email reading with Kydra Sommer, one of Oranum’s top psychics, and though she expressed that a private phone reading was more accurate, she did seem to be right on the money as far as the questions that I posed—I was actually impressed. I still haven’t had my phone reading, it’s been non-stop here since school started again and things are only beginning to get busier now that basketball season is here (and 4 of our 6 kids are playing—Lord help me now), but as soon as I find some time I am definitely going to do another reading with Kydra. I’ll be sure to let y’all know how it goes!
If you’re looking for a unique, fun, totally unexpected gift for someone on your list, I’d definitely check out Oranum! If you’re looking for gift ideas for everyone on your list, make sure you check out our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: I received free credits to Oranum in exchange for this post…all opinions are my own!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
In the middle of writing a review, which I am desperately behind in at the moment due to the flu that kicked our houses ass last week, I hear my four year old’s footsteps as she runs down the hallway to tell me that her “TV is broke” and in the amount of time it takes her to make it from her bedroom to my computer desk, I realize that her footsteps sound so different, they didn’t sound like the baby footsteps that I have grown so used to hearing for the past few years, no, these are definitely different, yet also very familiar…
…that’s when I realize that my baby is no longer a baby. And not only is she no longer a baby, but she’s growing up, into one of the Big Kids, and I’m not sure if I should be excited that I no longer have “babies” running around and that my diapering days are pretty much done, or if I should be sad that I don’t have babies running around anymore and that I don’t have to ever buy diapers again (at least not for a long, long while, hey SS and DT, y’all hear that? no babies, no time soon…), it’s one of those times when being a mommy is hardest.
I love that Lil Diva is growing up and she’s growing up into such a confident, smart, gorgeous, independent, amazing little girl who drives me crazy, but I couldn’t imagine living life without, but the fact that she’s my baby and she’s not really a baby anymore, that’s a another story.
Maybe it’s because somewhere deep inside I know that she’ll be my last, mostly because 6 kids is expensive enough, but also because my husband and I both agree that no matter how much we love babies (and I adore them), the smartest thing for us to do is concentrate on raising the ones we’ve got. I mean, it makes all the sense in the world when you see it written in black and white, but it does little to comfort the part of me that needs them to be small so that I can protect them forever.
And to be honest, it’s not just Lil Diva who is growing up; Drama Teen, my oldest, will be 14 in a few months and in high school before I know it and my precious little Sporty Spice is already in middle school and growing up a little faster every day and Lil Man is already in kindergarten and he’s reading (I still can’t believe that the boy who barely knew his ABC’s 3 months ago is reading and writing and well, growing up…they all are and I’m sitting here watching it all unfold, wishing that I could slow time down a little, hoping that if I just hold on for a little while longer they’ll decide to stay little and be Mommy’s babies forever, but then I realize that the truest test of our mothering skills is letting our kids go out into the world and seeing what they do in it.
I constantly question how I’m doing as a mom; “Do I curse too much?”, “Do I yell too much?”, “Am I sending the right messages?”, “Am I teaching them the right things?” and most of the time i don’t know the answers to those questions, none of us do really, but last week I got confirmation that I’m doing something right…
…last week was parent/teacher conferences here and aside from being told that DT and SS talk too much (wonder where they get that from?) I’m always proud of my kids when I leave, but after my meeting with Lil Man’s kindergarten teacher I was in tears…good tears mind you. Aside from telling me how proud she was of Lil Man’s progress she told me that he was a pretty good, pretty special little kid…apparently there is a special needs child in Lil Man’s classroom that my son has taken under his wing, his teacher said that the little boy adores Lil Man and that Lil Man makes sure that the little boy gets in line when he’s supposed to and helps him whenever he can, sits with him at lunch and plays with him on the playground, she said that Lil Man was very protective over this little boy (which wasn’t a surprise to me since he’s so protective over his sister) and that I should be very proud of what a great kid I have…and I was proud, beaming even, but that wasn’t the conformation, that came later that night when I was tucking Lil Man into bed. As I told my son how proud I was of him for being such a big helper to his friend he looked at me and said…
“Mom, I need to take care of that little boy.” so I asked him why and he told me, “because, that’s what I’m supposed to do!”. That’s when the tears came, right then, right in that moment I knew that I was doing an ok job, that I might not be Mom of the Year, but that I was raising four amazing kids…and that’s enough for me.
Oh, the footsteps and Lil Diva growing up, that’s still new to me, I think I’ll play that one by ear…
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
I love this time of year!
I know, I know, I keep on saying it, but if you’re not happy with the oodles of gifts to give, lights and tinsel to string and holiday cookies to bake, then I just don’t know what to tell ya. Since I do love the holiday season so much, it’s only natural to assume that one of my favorite activities during that time of year is shopping—guilty as charged!
Nothing makes slaving over a hot stove and suffering through a meal with family you’d rather not spend time with anyway (not my own family of course, they’re super) worth it more than knowing that the next several weeks will be filled with shopping, shopping and more shopping…right y’all? The older my children get, the more I shop online during the holidays, though I do love a good Black Friday sale, I’d rather sit in my PJ’s in my nice warm office, sipping a nice steaming mug of hot chocolate (that may or may not be spiked with a little dark rum…what? I’m not driving), shopping the day away—that’s my idea of a good time! While I have my favorite online spots to shop, I’m always open to discovering new favorites, like RedEnvelope.
I’ve heard about RedEnvelope from some of my friends, but had never actually checked it out for myself until I had the opportunity to do a review for them. For those of you who are not familiar with Red Envelope, let me give you the rundown…
I had worked with one of RedEnvelope’s gifting brands before—Shari’s Berries—so I knew that I would find a gift that was as unique and special as the one I received with Shari’s Berries and I did. As soon as I saw the set of 4 Personalized Hops Pub Glasses, I knew that my husband would like them; in addition to being personalized with his name and our hometown, they would be perfect for when he’s watching football with his friends.
The ordering process at RedEnvelope wasn’t really hard, but I did experience some issues with entering the gift code I received the cover my review item; I had my credit card charged for the full amount of my order (instead of the $2 something I was paying to have the item arrive sooner) and was not given the option of entering my gift code. As soon as I realized what had happened I called RedEnvelope customer service and had the order canceled and the super awesome customer service technician promptly placed another order for me. On the day that my order was supposed to arrive I waited and waited and finally called customer service when I watched the last of the UPS trucks for the day drive by my house without delivering my package. At first there was some confusion about my order and the status of my delivery so I was transferred to a supervisor, who after twenty minutes of digging, discovered that my gift item had been personalized and packaged and was waiting at one of their distribution warehouses, but had never been picked up for delivery by the delivery service. A couple of hours and lots of digging later (the supervisor was excellent through all of this, as soon as she realized that the issue wouldn’t be resolved quickly, she asked for my number so that she could call me back when she had more concrete information so that I wouldn’t have to wait on hold). A couple of hours later I did receive a call back from the supervisor and was told that due to a super freaky glitch the item had not been shipped as it was supposed to have been and that she had placed a new rush order so that I could get my item as soon as possible. I received the glasses, packaged extremely carefully, in one piece and looking better than I imagined they would!
I love the personalization on the glasses and so did my husband, I know they’ll come in handy the next time he has some friends over to watch football—well done RedEnvelope!
Aside from the snafu with my order, my experience with RedEnvelope was far from a negative one, the stellar performance from RedEnvelope’s customer service team and the fabulosity of the item I received made my experience a great one! If you’re looking for a unique gift for someone (or everyone as they have a ton of gift categories for every member of the family) on your list this holiday season I definitely recommend you check out RedEnvelope! Make sure you check out RedEnvelope and tons of other great gift ideas in our 2012 holiday gift guide!
Disclosure: I received the items mentioned above from RedEnvelope in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
I know, I know, I keep on saying it, but if you’re not happy with the oodles of gifts to give, lights and tinsel to string and holiday cookies to bake, then I just don’t know what to tell ya. Since I do love the holiday season so much, it’s only natural to assume that one of my favorite activities during that time of year is shopping—guilty as charged!
Nothing makes slaving over a hot stove and suffering through a meal with family you’d rather not spend time with anyway (not my own family of course, they’re super) worth it more than knowing that the next several weeks will be filled with shopping, shopping and more shopping…right y’all? The older my children get, the more I shop online during the holidays, though I do love a good Black Friday sale, I’d rather sit in my PJ’s in my nice warm office, sipping a nice steaming mug of hot chocolate (that may or may not be spiked with a little dark rum…what? I’m not driving), shopping the day away—that’s my idea of a good time! While I have my favorite online spots to shop, I’m always open to discovering new favorites, like RedEnvelope.
I’ve heard about RedEnvelope from some of my friends, but had never actually checked it out for myself until I had the opportunity to do a review for them. For those of you who are not familiar with Red Envelope, let me give you the rundown…
You give to affirm a friendship, to celebrate a new beginning, to thank a colleague, to honor family, to connect with a loved one, to commend successes, to mark passages, to give a little encouragement — or just because it's a joy to give.In addition to offering unique gifts that you can’t find anywhere else, RedEnvelope also offers quality personalization and monogramming on many of the gifts you’ll find at RedEnvelope. Recently I had the opportunity to work with RedEnvelope on a review and I can’t wait to share my experience with all of you.
From tokens of gratitude to expressions of love, as your partner in giving, RedEnvelope offers a unique and wide-ranging collection of thoughtful gifts for every occasion and everyone on your list — around the clock, all year round.
We only select quality products — many of which are exclusive to RedEnvelope — that are unusual, surprising and beautifully designed to ensure the gifts you give create a special moment when they are opened — whether it's a knowing smile, heartfelt laughter, or a sentimental tear or two.
I had worked with one of RedEnvelope’s gifting brands before—Shari’s Berries—so I knew that I would find a gift that was as unique and special as the one I received with Shari’s Berries and I did. As soon as I saw the set of 4 Personalized Hops Pub Glasses, I knew that my husband would like them; in addition to being personalized with his name and our hometown, they would be perfect for when he’s watching football with his friends.
The ordering process at RedEnvelope wasn’t really hard, but I did experience some issues with entering the gift code I received the cover my review item; I had my credit card charged for the full amount of my order (instead of the $2 something I was paying to have the item arrive sooner) and was not given the option of entering my gift code. As soon as I realized what had happened I called RedEnvelope customer service and had the order canceled and the super awesome customer service technician promptly placed another order for me. On the day that my order was supposed to arrive I waited and waited and finally called customer service when I watched the last of the UPS trucks for the day drive by my house without delivering my package. At first there was some confusion about my order and the status of my delivery so I was transferred to a supervisor, who after twenty minutes of digging, discovered that my gift item had been personalized and packaged and was waiting at one of their distribution warehouses, but had never been picked up for delivery by the delivery service. A couple of hours and lots of digging later (the supervisor was excellent through all of this, as soon as she realized that the issue wouldn’t be resolved quickly, she asked for my number so that she could call me back when she had more concrete information so that I wouldn’t have to wait on hold). A couple of hours later I did receive a call back from the supervisor and was told that due to a super freaky glitch the item had not been shipped as it was supposed to have been and that she had placed a new rush order so that I could get my item as soon as possible. I received the glasses, packaged extremely carefully, in one piece and looking better than I imagined they would!
I love the personalization on the glasses and so did my husband, I know they’ll come in handy the next time he has some friends over to watch football—well done RedEnvelope!
Aside from the snafu with my order, my experience with RedEnvelope was far from a negative one, the stellar performance from RedEnvelope’s customer service team and the fabulosity of the item I received made my experience a great one! If you’re looking for a unique gift for someone (or everyone as they have a ton of gift categories for every member of the family) on your list this holiday season I definitely recommend you check out RedEnvelope! Make sure you check out RedEnvelope and tons of other great gift ideas in our 2012 holiday gift guide!
Disclosure: I received the items mentioned above from RedEnvelope in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
Monday, November 19, 2012
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Alright, maybe it’s not really beginning to look like Christmas, but ready or not, it’s a coming (I so sounded like my grandma when I said that out loud). And I kinda have to admit, I love the holiday season, like seriously LOVE it and one of my favorite things about this time of year is picking out new Christmas cards.
Now I realize that a lot of people may not think Christmas cards are that big a deal, but I think that having the perfect Christmas card sets the tone for the entire holiday season…bad Christmas card, bad holiday season.
But maybe that’s just me.
Though most people may not obsess over their holiday cards as much as I do, I know for a fact that there are a lot of people out there who love that particular aspect of the holidays and for those people and all of the others who are looking for an easy way to make personalized, custom holiday cards, I’d like to introduce one of my new favorites…Paper Culture!
Prior to working with them for this review I really didn’t know all that much about Paper Culture, I assumed that the were like every other website that sells Christmas cards, but I was very wrong. Paper Culture’s motto is “be modern, be eco” and that mantra shows in everything they do, from the gorgeous holiday cards to the tree that is planted with every order. Here’s some more Paper Culture that you might not have known:
Modern Designs - Clean lines, bold colors and fresh typography
Eco-Friendly – No new trees are cut down because Paper Culture uses exclusively 100% post consumer recycled paper for card and envelope. In addition, Paper Culture plants a tree with every order and has planted over 200,000 trees to date.
Premium Quality – Paper Culture cards are printed on 130 lb. weight heavy stock paper cut with signature rounded corners. By comparison most leading companies use only 80-110 lb paper.
Mail & Message - If you choose, Paper Culture will stuff, address, stamp and mail your cards for you for FREE. The only charge for this service is the actual cost of the stamps! Also, when you provide your addresses, you have the option to print a unique, personalized message on the back of each card. Say what you want, to whom, on one, some or all your cards!
Signature Packaging –When you choose to address and mail your cards yourself, Paper Culture will ship them in a signature logo box (made of recycled paper of course) – a keepsake to store your cards in style while they wait to be sent.
And if that’s not enough to convince you of how awesome Paper Culture is, check out the Christmas cards that I recently ordered from Paper Culture for this review…I think they just might be my favorite Christmas cards yet! (And the picture really doesn’t do them justice, they are much more charming in person, I can’t wait to send them out!)
I took some of the pictures from our recent family photo shoot and turned them into an absolutely amazing holiday card that does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of our family—I love it! While I’m gushing about how much I love this year’s cards (and seriously, I could do that all day) I also wanted to mention how awesome the transaction was. Customizing and ordering my cards was very simple and though I chose standard shipping I received an email a couple of days after I placed my order saying that my shipping had been upgraded and that I would be receiving my cards sooner…um, major score!
Seriously though, I can’t say enough good things about Paper Culture; I love their modern take on the traditional holiday cards, and I love that the company is as eco-friendly as they are, it definitely makes a difference in 2012 to see a company be so conscious of doing the right thing…I love that.
So if you’re looking for a great place to get all of your holiday and special occasion cards, make sure you check out Paper Culture, you definitely will not be sorry!
Disclosure: I received the product above in order to facilitate my review, all opinions are my own!
Friday, November 16, 2012
You could say that ours is a house full of athletes; from my kiddos playing nearly every sport known to man to my husband playing on an adult softball team and my brother-in-law playing and coaching basketball, it seems like we’re constantly busy heading to one sporting event or another. With all of that activity comes the inevitable sore muscles and general pain afterward, this seems to be especially true for my husband and brother-in-law. While we all may joke that the aches and pains are signs of old age, we also know that taking care of those aches and pains are essential for them to continue with the activities they love the most. I’ve also turned to traditional medicines to help with the aches and pains in the past, but the more they play, the more medication is needed to curb the pain and I just don’t like them taking that much medication. So when I had the chance to try Curamin, a natural pain reliever, I was very intrigued and figured I would give it a shot and see how effective it was for my husband and bother-in-law.
I’ve tried natural pain relievers in the past for myself and actually found them to be quite effective in getting rid of my pain, but my husband and brother-in-law had never tried a natural pain reliever until Curamin. Before I give my thoughts on Curamin, I thought I’d take the chance to tell you a little more about it.
As I mentioned earlier, both my husband and brother-in-law complain of aches and pains on a regular basis, but when they are very active those complaints come more often. When my brother-in-law decided to start working out again a few weeks ago he was dealing with some pretty gnarly muscle pain for at least the first week, so I urged him to try Curamin in place of the normal over-the-counter pain medicine he had been taking. The first time Travis took Curamin instead of his usual pain medicine he said that he noticed that it took the edge off of the pain a little quicker than his regular pain medicine, but that it didn’t seem to get rid of the pain as well as his regular pain medicine. Travis did mention however, that he continued to take the Curamin because it seemed to worked faster and when combined with his regular medicine, it seemed to also last longer. When asked if he would choose Curamin in the future he answered, “Yes! While it didn’t really get rid of the pain altogether it did help and it did seem to last a little longer than my regular medicine.”. I wanted to mention that my husband and I both took Curamin as well, my husband for an achy back after a long day at work and me for the same problem after a long day of working from home and we both liked the results.
Connect with Curamin on Facebook and Follow Curamin on Twitter
Buy it!
You can pick up Curamin online or in natural food stores nationwide.
Win it!
One Misadventures in Baby Raising reader is going to win a 60ct bottle of Curamin (MSRP $34.95) …details on how to enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review....all opinions are 100% my own!
I’ve tried natural pain relievers in the past for myself and actually found them to be quite effective in getting rid of my pain, but my husband and brother-in-law had never tried a natural pain reliever until Curamin. Before I give my thoughts on Curamin, I thought I’d take the chance to tell you a little more about it.
Curamin is an all-natural formula that enhances the body’s natural defense mechanism for the relief of occasional pain. The synergistic blend of 4 high-powered ingredients: BCM-95 curcumin, boswellia, DLPA and nattokinase provides effective relief from pain. This fast-acting formula combines ingredients with multiple mechanisms of action to support the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response and relieve occasional muscle pain due to exercise and overuse.In addition to being all natural, Curamin is also an award-winning natural pain reliever…
Retailers, consumers and major natural products magazines have given Curamin accolades and awards including:
- Better Nutrition's Best of Supplements Award (FIVE years in a row—2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012)
- Taste For Life’s Essentials Award—Top Supplements of 2012
- 2011 Vity Awards for Best Supplement in three categories from Vitamin Retailer
- WholeFoods 2011 Natural Choice Award as Best Specialty Supplement
As I mentioned earlier, both my husband and brother-in-law complain of aches and pains on a regular basis, but when they are very active those complaints come more often. When my brother-in-law decided to start working out again a few weeks ago he was dealing with some pretty gnarly muscle pain for at least the first week, so I urged him to try Curamin in place of the normal over-the-counter pain medicine he had been taking. The first time Travis took Curamin instead of his usual pain medicine he said that he noticed that it took the edge off of the pain a little quicker than his regular pain medicine, but that it didn’t seem to get rid of the pain as well as his regular pain medicine. Travis did mention however, that he continued to take the Curamin because it seemed to worked faster and when combined with his regular medicine, it seemed to also last longer. When asked if he would choose Curamin in the future he answered, “Yes! While it didn’t really get rid of the pain altogether it did help and it did seem to last a little longer than my regular medicine.”. I wanted to mention that my husband and I both took Curamin as well, my husband for an achy back after a long day at work and me for the same problem after a long day of working from home and we both liked the results.
Connect with Curamin on Facebook and Follow Curamin on Twitter
Buy it!
You can pick up Curamin online or in natural food stores nationwide.
Win it!
One Misadventures in Baby Raising reader is going to win a 60ct bottle of Curamin (MSRP $34.95) …details on how to enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review....all opinions are 100% my own!
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Since Christmas morning is such a special time around here, I always try to make it memorable for my kids so they can look back and smile when they remember the extra care I took to make sure that their Christmases were memorable ones. One of my favorite ways to make sure that Christmas mornings is special for my kids is by giving each of the kiddos a personalized letter from Santa, but last year we discovered something better…”Your Santa Story”!
Your Santa Story is a personalized DVD with a special message of your choice to your children from none other than the big guy himself…Santa. We had the opportunity to check out “Your Santa Story” first hand last year and the kids were in awe as they watched Santa talk directly to them—it was something that they’ll never forget! You can check out more about “Your Santa Story” by visiting their website!
Since the holiday season is all about memories, I thought I’d share with all of you my fondest holiday memory, brought to you by “Your Santa Story” happy holidays 'y’all!
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post and video. “Your Santa Story is a customized DVD containing the story moms and dads want told to their children through the real Santa Claus on Christmas morning. Limited quantities are available so get your DVD today at www.yoursantastory.com.”
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
One of my favorite things about being a blogger who does product reviews, is having the opportunity to host parties for not only my friends, but my children’s friends as well…plus it definitely helps cement my status as the “cool mom” n my kids’ eyes. Aside from gaining major mom points with my kids, I also love the opportunity to reach out to other moms and introduce them to products that they might not know of, but then end up loving, like Pinypon!
Prior to being selected as a MommyParties Pinypon party host, I had only a vague recognition of the Pinypon name though the brand was very popular with boys and girls in the 80’s and 90’s, which is kind of sad, because I know that my oldest daughters would have loved these sweet little figures when they were little. For those of you unfamiliar with the Pinypon brand, I want to let you know a little more about them before I tell you all about our Pinypon party.
Pinypon are super adorable, fully customizable figures for both boys and girls age 4 and older. Pinypon are toys that can be be played with individually, but also in groups to help children learn sociability. By being customizable, Pinypon play provides your child(ren) with the opportunity to share accessories with his or her friends and even create an atmosphere where giving compliments is just part of the fun…two things that are very important to every mom I know. It also doesn’t hurt that Pinypon foster creativity by allowing children to Though there are many, many Pinypon, the fact that nearly every feature of the figures can be changed (hair, eyes and mouth, clothes, accessories) means that the possibilities are endless and for my kids (especially Lil Diva) that means hours of fun!
Now that you’ve learned a little more about who Pinypon are, I can’t wait to share with all of you some of the fun we had during our Pinypon party.
Since Pinypon are so customizable, I wanted to build the party around that theme and it didn’t take long to come up with the idea of a “build your own ice cream sundae” party, which Lil Diva was definitely on board with! After buying all of the necessary supplies, sending out invitations and trying (daily, sometimes hourly) to keep Lil Diva out of the Pinypon goodies for the party, it was finally time to party and Diva couldn’t have been more excited!
While I always love seeing my kiddos get a chance to hang out with their friends and introduce them to new products, I also love interacting with the parents and teaching them about brands, it’s actually a lot of fun getting other moms (and dads) as excited about a brand as I am. One of the most asked questions by the other moms and dads was, “What are Pinypon? I’ve never heard of them.”. Since I also had the same question before I had the pleasure of finding out more about them, I was more than happy to give the other parents a quick rundown of who the figures are and what they’re all about. All of the parents at the party seemed to be very impressed with the Pinypon figures, one of the comments I heard the most was how much the parents loved that the dolls head also serves as storage and while one of the moms commented that it was a little “creepy” most of us were extremely pleased to discover such useful storage.
The kiddos were also super curious about the Pinypon and the Nenuco dolls that also made an appearance at the party, as a matter of fact, the girls (and boy) were more excited to play with the toys than they were about building their own sundae’s…if you’re a mom then you know the significance of that, kids never say no to ice cream. The kiddos finally did give in to their sugar cravings and our build your own sundae bar was THE place to be.
Once the kids had their fill of ice cream, they were more than ready to play with their Pinypon and they wasted no time claiming their favorite figures. I have to mention here that while the girls loved their Pinypon, the lone boy in the group Lil Man, was super excited that there was a boy Pinypon as well. I have to say, that as a mom of both boys and girls, there are so few toys that appeal to both sexes and I love that Pinypon does. Lil Man didn’t feel left out of the festivities and that wasn’t lost on me or the other parents in the room. When the kids sat down to play with their figures, one of the first things they all did was pull apart every single piece of the toy that they could manage, since Pinypon are pretty much made to mix and match and customize they went to work adding and trading and designing their perfect Pinypon—they had a blast doing it too!
Pinypon and MommyParties were completely awesome making sure that not only were there an assortment of Pinypon dolls for the kids to choose from to take home, but they also gave me a Pinypon Caravan and one of the super adorable Nenuco baby dolls to give away to two very lucky party guests. We played “Pass the Pinypon” to determine the winner of the Pinypon Caravan, we decided to play it a little safer (win or lose games with children under 7 isn’t really a great idea, at least not in my experience) to chose a winner for the Nenuco doll so we drew a name from a hat (I know, but it really was the best way), both winners were extremely excited with their prizes and couldn’t wait to get them home to play.
Though there were a few tears shed, {Lil Diva didn’t understand why her friends got to take “her dolls” as she called them, home with them) but for the most part our party was very successful. All of the kids had fun and the parents seemed to genuinely like Pinypon and Nenuco and they were all extremely excited about the coupons that came in their goodie bags, a couple even commented that they would be checking them out as holiday gifts—I think that means that our party was a huge success!
If you’d like to check out Pinypon and Nenuco make sure you Like Pinypon and Nenuco on Facebook, Follow Pinypon and Nenuco on Twitter and visit their websites!
I’d like to thank MommyParties and Pinypon for giving us the opportunity to throw a Pinypon party…we had a blast!
Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate our party , all opinions are 100% my own!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Being a blogger who also does product reviews, means that I often get to check out the newest, hottest products and a lot of the time those products are toys and none have captured my heart more than super cute, ultra adorable Lalaloopsy! As soon as the sew cute dolls hit toy shelves Lil Diva was all about them, which meant that I would be spending lots of time (and money) getting to know them as well—I have to admit, we both adore them!
If your little one is all about Lalaloopsy like my Diva is, then you’ll definitely want to check out what we received to review recently—Lalaloopsy Carnival of Friends for Nintendo 3D and DS.
About Lalaloopsy Carnival of Friends:
The sew cute dolls are back in the all-new Lalaloopsy: Carnival of Friends videogame. Join your favorite Lalaloopsy dolls, like Chalotte Charades, Jewel Sparkles, Misty Mysterious, and Ember Flicker Flame, each with their own cute pets in a carnival adventure. Your little one can solve puzzles, ride carnival rides, and gather their friends for Peanut Big Top’s big surprise.
Features
* Carnival Craze: Explore and play your way through carnival inspired stages and amusement rides like the Ferris wheel, Roller Coasters, a big top tent, and the Silly Funhouse Park while trying to find and collect all 10 Lalaloopsy buttons in each stage to unlock special prizes and extras.
* Lalaloopsy Loves: Spend time with your Lalaloopsy friends, show your pets some love, and help your friends by playing fun and magical missions.
* Exciting extras: Using carnival buttons and other collectibles, unlock extra Lalaloopsy bonuses including a special hidden playable character. By using the all-new Friends Gallery, you can keep track as you play with the 30+ different Lalaloopsy characters. With so many friends to meet, the fun never ends!
* Special for 3D: 3DS players will have an exciting treat with an exclusive playable doll: Scoops Waffle Cone!
Lalaloopsy Carnival of Friends is available for Nintendo 3DS ($29.99) and DS ($24.99). The game is rated E (Everyone)…for more information on this game and tons more, head on over to activision.com!
Don’t forget to check out this and tons more great holiday gift ideas in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: We received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate our review…all opinions are 100% our own!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Am I the only one who can’t believe that it’s November already? I mean serious, where did this year go?
Well, with Thanksgiving sneaking up on us with a quickness, it’s time to start thinking about the holidays and that means thinking about gifts—lots and lots of gifts. If you’re one of those shoppers who hate strolling the department store isles looking for the perfect gift, then I have great news for you…Misadventures in Baby Raising’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide is full of great gift ideas for every member of the family and it’s live…like right now!
I’ve decided to do things a little differently this year, I’ll be posting the reviews and giveaway for our gift guide on this blog, but our actual gift guide will be on my other blog MisadventurousMommy.com. Wonder how you’ll ever find it? Well, in addition to linking to the gift guide in all of my holiday reviews and giveaways, you can access it anytime by clicking on the gift guide logo in my header. I’ve tried to make this year’s guide as easy as possible so you can spend less time searching for the perfect gift and more time doing all of the fun holiday activities that you love with your family and friends!
I hope y’all will come back often this holiday season to find the hottest gifts for mom, dad, teens, tweens, kiddos and more…make sure you check it out!
Until next time y’all!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
As my children get older, I find myself struggling to find age appropriate holiday gifts for them that they’ll love, but that I won’t need to take out a second mortgage to pay for—seriously, it’s crazy how expensive their Christmas lists are. Given the ridiculousness of their wish lists, I’m always on the lookout for things that they’ll like and I can afford and since I know I’m not the only parent out there with this problem, I thought I’d share a great gift idea for all of you with kids who are sports fanatics!
Sports Illustrated has long been a favorite around our house and as soon as my children realized that there was a kids version of the popular magazine, Sports Illustrated Kids became a favorite as well. Since I have a houseful of kids who love sports, a SI Kids subscription is always a great gift for them! If you have kids who love sports as much as mine do then you’re definitely going to want to check out the special offer below!
Receive an entire year of SI Kids in print and on tablet for only $19.95! You can subscribe HERE.
Need more reasons to give the gift of SI Kids this season?
Reason #1: It’s the perfect stocking stuffer.
Reason #2: It promotes reading for children who are reluctant readers.
Reason #3: Each issue is full of exciting stories, photos and games that are a perfect distraction while traveling.
Reason #4: No gift wrapping – it’s delivered straight to your door.
Reason #5: It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through.
How awesome is that? You can find out more about Sports Illustrated Kids at the SI Kids website and don’t forget to Like Sports Illustrated Kids on Facebook!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary subscription as well as other SI related items for sharing this special offer with you! All opinions are my own!
Sports Illustrated has long been a favorite around our house and as soon as my children realized that there was a kids version of the popular magazine, Sports Illustrated Kids became a favorite as well. Since I have a houseful of kids who love sports, a SI Kids subscription is always a great gift for them! If you have kids who love sports as much as mine do then you’re definitely going to want to check out the special offer below!
Receive an entire year of SI Kids in print and on tablet for only $19.95! You can subscribe HERE.
Need more reasons to give the gift of SI Kids this season?
Reason #1: It’s the perfect stocking stuffer.
Reason #2: It promotes reading for children who are reluctant readers.
Reason #3: Each issue is full of exciting stories, photos and games that are a perfect distraction while traveling.
Reason #4: No gift wrapping – it’s delivered straight to your door.
Reason #5: It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year through.
How awesome is that? You can find out more about Sports Illustrated Kids at the SI Kids website and don’t forget to Like Sports Illustrated Kids on Facebook!
Disclosure: I received a complimentary subscription as well as other SI related items for sharing this special offer with you! All opinions are my own!
I mentioned my love for all things Christmas yesterday and nothing makes me happier this time of year than getting in the kitchen and baking up some sweet treats for family and friends. Though I have a few favorites that always make an appearance around the holidays, I’m always more than willing to try something new.
Recently I received a magazine that I just know is going to make my holiday baking so much more interesting and yummy than years past…Holiday Food Gifts to Make! In addition to recipes for cookies, candies, snack mixes, crafts and so much more, there are also a ton of great ideas to turn those yummy creations into gifts that family and friends will love!
Deck your halls with…Holiday Food Gifts to Make!
Take a new spin on old holiday traditions this winter season with creative ideas from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living! You’ll find fun and merry ways to deck your halls with affordable gift basket arrangements or recipes to whip up the perfect batch of Christmas cookies. You’ll also find a special collection of super-easy, super-quick presents you can literally make in minutes, as well as an entire section dedicated to new ways to wrap your presents using surprising containers and materials.
What’s inside?
I can’t wait to get started cooking…make sure you check out Holiday Food Gifts to Make in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
Recently I received a magazine that I just know is going to make my holiday baking so much more interesting and yummy than years past…Holiday Food Gifts to Make! In addition to recipes for cookies, candies, snack mixes, crafts and so much more, there are also a ton of great ideas to turn those yummy creations into gifts that family and friends will love!
Deck your halls with…Holiday Food Gifts to Make!
Take a new spin on old holiday traditions this winter season with creative ideas from Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living! You’ll find fun and merry ways to deck your halls with affordable gift basket arrangements or recipes to whip up the perfect batch of Christmas cookies. You’ll also find a special collection of super-easy, super-quick presents you can literally make in minutes, as well as an entire section dedicated to new ways to wrap your presents using surprising containers and materials.
What’s inside?
- Sweet and savory recipes for gingerbread cookies, muffins, jams, gourmet breads, and much more
- Adorable ideas for creating easy and one-of-a-kind presents for your loved ones
- Tips on how to make fragrant soaps and scrubs using everyday ingredients in your kitchen
- Super-cute home decorations like homemade fringed pillows or cozies for your holiday silverware
I can’t wait to get started cooking…make sure you check out Holiday Food Gifts to Make in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
It may just be the first week of November, but I’m already in the holiday spirit. If I’m not thinking about our Holiday Gift Guide (which is coming soon!), then I’m planning the light display for my front yard—I love this time of year!
On a cold December night, one of my favorite things to do is grab a mug of hot chocolate and snuggle up on the couch with the kiddos to watch Christmas movies. We all have our old favorites, but we’re also always game for a new movie to add to our holiday movie collection.
A few weeks ago I received Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Miracle to review and we can’t wait to check out it, but in the meantime you can find out all about the movie below..
About Christmas Miracle
Christmas Miracle – Arrives on DVD on October 16th! - This original and heartfelt story shows that nothing is impossible when an unlikely group of eight strangers must spend their Christmas together because of an unexpected blizzard. Despite their differences they work together and prove anything can happen during the Christmas season, even miracles. Approved for families and viewers of all ages by the DOVE Foundation, Christmas Miracle stars Randal Edwards (“The Best Years”), Siobhan Williams (Flicka: Country Pride) and Valin Shinyei (Mrs. Miracle).
Don’t forget to check out Christmas Miracle in our 2012 Holiday Gift Guide!
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above to facilitate my review..all opinions are my own!
If there’s one thing that inspires me above everything else it’s music; whether it’s finding the perfect playlist to help me power through product reviews or knowing the right combination of songs to help get me through a tough workout, music plays a huge role in most aspects of my life. Given the role that music does play in so much of what I do, it would only make sense that the headphone (or earbuds as it were) I use are equally important and there’s nothing that drives me crazier than having a pair of earbuds that make enjoying the soundtrack to my day difficult and no area does that seem to be more true than when I’m working out.
Alright, so I admit, I don’t workout nearly as much as I used to, but when I do find the time or energy to actually workout, music is one of the most important aspects of me having a successful workout. I’m not sure about other people, but for me, your average run-of-the-mill earbuds tend to be more of a pain than anything else when I’m exercising. Too much movement and they fall out and if I can manage to keep them in my ears they' seem to be too big uncomfortable and that makes for a not so great workout, which makes it a whole lot harder for me to find the motivation to get up and go at it again the next time…it’s a vicious circle. When I found out that I would be taking part in a campaign MomSelect for Yurbuds Inspire sports earphones for women I was intrigued.
If you’ve never heard of yurbuds and you’re into working out…then you’ll definitely want to pay attention!
About yurbuds…
Yurbuds have been a hit with athletes since they arrived on the fitness equipment scene, mainly due to their patented TwistLock™ technology, which maintains that you can participate in whatever sport you prefer without having to deal with earphones falling out. With their new Inspire line, yurbuds has taken the TwistLock™ and a designed made exclusively for women (designed by a woman no less) and turned it into a pair of earphones that you have to see (or hear rather) to believe.
yurbuds Inspire features:
* Soft Medical-grade silicone for a comfortable fit
* Sweat and Germ resistant silicone covers
* Allows Ambient sound
* Angled flex-plug
* Durable 4 foot cord
Not only do yurbuds take what you know about earphones and turn it on it’s head, with the Inspire line, they give female athletes the ability to concentrate on the game or the workout without having the constantly worry about poor fitting earphones…something that this mom of one heck of a female athlete loves!
Since I don’t work out as much as I would like, I decided to make myself spend an entire week running daily, just to see how well the yurbuds Inspire earphones live up to their claim of being designed to never fall out. So in the name of research I laced up my running shoes, powered up my iPod, locked the yurbuds earphones in place and took off. Every day for a week I ran at least a mile and to my complete surprise, I didn’t spend the entire time messing with my earphones, it was refreshing to say the least. Not only did the yurbuds not come out…at all, the music seemed to be more vibrant, which made me push a little harder as a result. I have to say, given the fact that my 10 year old Sporty Spice is a 3 sport athlete and one of those sports just happens to be running, I like that there are earphones on the market that will allow her to run a race listening to her favorite tracks without having to worry that faulty earphones will cause her to lose focus…that’s reason enough to love them right there!
I might not work out as much as I like to, but at least now I know I can do so without worruing about my earphones and while I don’t love running, I do love knowing that I can get in my workout listening to the tracks that motivate me most without a single disruption.
Yurbuds are available at Target and retail for $29.99…they’ll make a pretty awesome stocking stuffer for the female athlete in your life so make sure you check them out!
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!
Monday, November 5, 2012
You would have had to have been living under a rock for the past several months, not to know about the book with a very dashing, very voracious young man named Grey as the main character with, I like to call it the “Twilight Franchise for Horny Housewives”. Though I haven’t read even the first sentence of one of the books, I know plenty of people who have and who have no qualms about telling me all kinds of things about the book that I really never cared to know in the first place—sorry y’all, I’m far from a prude, but those books just aren’t for me. I’m more the type of girl who likes to LOL about how funny charters like Mr. Grey are, much like author of the parody to “that other book”, Fifty Two Shades of Blue-ish—if you’ve been cracking a smile since I mentioned the name of the book, then this my friends, is for you.
Published author, noted speaker and nice Jewish girl (most of the time—according to her), Karen S. Exkorn, takes readers on a hilariously sexy and silly ride with virginal, Rachel Levine, and her handsome man. Fifty Two Shades of Blue-ish, follows the main characters as they flirt with the dark side and surrender to their deepest, darkest desires.
![clip_image002[4]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXzlXfHYRaGxcDAeMMehBWfoi4xr2FiLaZSdYv_hDd9QZOI0lHYkBJvTiIfRNyzJaW7rYa0i3gxX7bh8v0jOVVqo7_g8lbJVphi8cDL7z-HZzS8HX4PdjV2JYMoa3l86mMSuIfU2P8p8/s1600-h/clip_image002%25255B4%25255D%25255B3%25255D.jpg "clip_image002[4]")
This sexy and silly parody is an entertaining romp through Rachel’s life as she strives to find the delicate balance between love, lust…and latkes. Over candlelit dinners with Manischewitz on ice, she surrenders to the forbidden desires of her inner princess (Jewish American Princess, that is…).
Fifty Two Shades of Blue-ish is a pulsating page-turner that will stir up your every fantasy…and your Jewish guilt (even if you’re not Jewish!).
I’m taking part in a blog campaign for Fifty Two Shades of Blue-ish and as part of that I’m supposed to share one of the things that I’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t…this could be fun right?
So, alright, I’m writing this with the full belief that none of my readers would ever make fun of me for wanting to do what I’m about to tell you…I can trust y’all can’t I?
Good…so here goes.
Alright, so since I was little, I’ve always wanted to perform on stage in front of a crowd, like a huge crowd, like Justin Bieber big, I know it sounds kind of silly, but I used to have this dream of becoming like the next Mariah Carey, minus the nervous breakdowns and general craziness. Since I’m fairly certain that Simon Cowell isn’t going to be knocking at my door any time soon, I’ve pretty much given up on performing on stage, but I still maintain that it would be the absolute most amazing thing ever.
Since I’m always saying that seeing (in this case reading) is believing, I’ll let y’all judge for yourself...
How’s that for a good read? If you’d like to check out Karen’s book for yourself, you can head over to Amazon and pick up a copy of Fifty Two Shades of Blue-ish for a rainy day.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network (http://www.rolemommy.com/the-role-mommy-writers-network.php).
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