Thomas & Friends: Merry Winter Wish DVD - review and giveaway - ended

 ***Congrats to mamaOtwins+1!****

I have one more Thomas & Friends DVD to giveaway today!

This one is Thomas & Friends: Merry Winter Wish. Just in time for the holidays!

I've been saving this one for the kids until after Thanksgiving. I think we are going to put it in tonight and enjoy it together with a bowl of popcorn!  
 

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Celebrate with the ultimate collection of Thomas & Friends™ tales that every child will be asking for! Just in time for the holidays is the first collection of fun, festive, winter-themed adventures in new CG animation with Thomas and his engine friends in Thomas & Friends: Merry Winter Wish available in DVD, Digital Download and On Demand from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. Children will also enjoy host Driver Perkins, who can ONLY be seen on DVD, and engages children with interactive dialogue and extra fun!

DVD SYNOPSIS

Next stop, Winter Wonderland! Join Thomas and his friends as they celebrate the holidays in these four enchanting tales. Thomas has a special delivery for the season - the Star of Knapford, a festive light that makes wishes come true! The children are excited for the Snowman Party in the Town Square but it’s up to Thomas to find the snowman a special hat before the party can begin. Watch Bash, Dash and Ferdinand prepare for the first ever Misty Island Christmas party. Then Henry helps Sir Topham Hatt prepare a secret holiday surprise for all of Sodor. The more friends the merrier, so join the fun and see that winter wishes do come true with Thomas & Friends!

To enter to win your own DVD all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post! For fun tell me what your favorite holiday DVD is.

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday, December 5, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure: Andrea Blain Public Relations and Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment provided me with my own copy of this DVD . I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own. 

Thomas & Friends: Adventure Pack 4-DVD set - review and giveaway - ended

 ****congrats to slb3334!!*****

Kiel and my husband have about a 45 minute drive to and from work/daycare every day. They usually take our minivan which has a DVD player in it. That allows Rich to listen to his sport radio crap and Kiel is mostly entertained.

When we got the 4-DVD Thomas & Friends: Adventure pack, which includes a complete TV season of Thomas & Friends episodes.

Now, I haven't watched these myself, but my husband said Kiel has been enjoying them on their drive for the last several days. Each disk is just about the right length of time for their drive.

DVD SYNOPSIS
Full steam ahead for friendship and fun with Thomas and his engine pals! This full series set has exclusive, heartwarming tales on the tracks filled with more adventures, and more lessons than ever before. Capture the spirit of Thomas as he learns to share his workload and experience exciting festivals and surprises in these episodes, including never before seen on TV footage exclusive to the DVDs. Hop on board and put on your conductor's hat for this thrilling all-in-one-set with Thomas & Friends.
 


DVDs include:
· Thomas & Friends: Railway Friends
· Thomas & Friends: High Speed Adventures
· Thomas & Friends: Team Up With Thomas
· Thomas & Friends: Percy and the Bandstand

To enter to win your own DVD all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post!

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday, December 5, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure: Andrea Blain Public Relations and Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment provided me with my own copy of this DVD . I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own. 

Barney: Best Fairy Tales - review and giveaway - ended

***congrats to Kathy Pease!!***

Barney doesn't irritate me as much as he does some people I guess. I wouldn't say I look forward to watching that purple dinosaur, but there are times when a half hour of an entertained and quiet child is priceless. 

Barney: Best Fairy Tales, (released November 9, 2010) did not disappoint when it came to the "keep my child occupied" factor. And honestly, there were a few parts of it that even I thought were kind of cute.

Barney brings nine of the best known fairy tales to life, including Jack And The Beanstalk, Goldilocks and The Three Bears, and Three Billy Goats Gruff.

SYNOPSIS

Once upon a time in a land of friendship and fun, a fairytale celebration had just begun! In this collection of enchanted stories, Barney, B.J., and Baby Bop share their favorite tales about Goldilocks, Elves, Tortoises and Hares. Let your imagination unfold as you delight in new dances and plays, and learn that no one is too big or too small --everyone is perfect just the way they are! With your beloved dino friends by your side, you'll be sure to live happily ever after!

Classic tales include:
Jack and the Beanstalk
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Three Billy Goats Gruff
Shoemaker & Elves
The Sharing Hen
Little Boy Blue
Three Little Kittens
Tortoise and the Hare
Girl Who Cried Wolf

To enter to win your own DVD all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post! For fun tell me what your favorite fairy tale is.

 
Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday, December 5, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure: Andrea Blain Public Relations and Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment provided me with my own copy of this DVD . I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own. 

Thomas & Friends: The Lion of Sodor - review and giveaway

 ***congrats to lstanziani!!***

Kiel has learned to recognize the large yellow envelopes that arrive with DVD's in them.
"Is it Thomas?" he asks? He's pretty excited by anything we receive to review, but Thomas and Shaun the Sheep are definitely his favorites.

There was something extra exciting about Thomas & Friends: The Lion of Sodor though. Probably the golden lion on the front. "Rrrrrarww" says Kiel!

I like the message in this one that stresses the importance of listening to others. I need to get my older son to sit down and watch it a few or 20 times!

Thomas & Friends: The Lion Of Sodor will be aavailable On DVD, Digital Download and On Demand
December 7, 2010

DVD SYNOPSIS

Join Thomas as he roars down the tracks with the most special delivery yet, The Lion of Sodor. Thomas’ special delivery is not what he thinks it is - a real lion. When the other trains try to tell him that it’s actually a statue, he is too excited to listen. Join Thomas as he learns the importance of listening to others in this lionhearted collection of tales from the tracks.

To enter to win your own DVD all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post! For fun tell me what lessons your kids learn from Thomas.

 
Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday, December 5, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure: Andrea Blain Public Relations and Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment provided me with my own copy of this DVD . I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own. 

FiberOne giveaway - includes a $25 Safeway giftcard! -- ended!

****And the winner is  allthingsnew who said..."I'd like to call the Caramel Delight cereal! Thanks so much for hosting this giveaway!"***

I have another MyBlogSpark giveaway for you guys!

This one is from Fiber One and is for VIP coupons good for one free box of Fiber One cereal and one free box of Fiber One bars, in addition to a $25 Safeway gift card (also valid at Dominick´s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi´s). 

Fiber One products have you covered with at least 35% of your daily value of fiber in every serving of their cereals and bars. And now they taste even better!

I haven't tried the Fiber One cereal yet, but I have a new box in my cupboard just waiting. I love the FiberOne bars! I learned the hard way not to eat more than one at a time however, if you know what I mean.

Even my little one who barely eats anything likes the bars!

If you would like to win two VIP coupons for Fiber One and a 25$ gift card to Safeway just leave a comment on this post.

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday, November 14, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Disclosure: The VIP coupons and a $25 Safeway gift card for me and for one of my readers was provided by Fiber One through MyBlogSpark. Any opinions given are my own.

Family Flick Night gift pack giveaway --ended

***And the winner is shirley who  said..."Here we use dry Trix and Reese Puffs for snacks, too. Thanks"***



I received a box from MyBlogSpark and General Mills today. I opened it up to find a "Family Flick Night" gift pack, which included a box of Lucky Charms cereal and Trix cereal.

Noah saw me open it and declared this was "the best day ever!" Kiel jumped up and down with excitement. I'm seriously going to wrap up boxes of cereal for Christmas since it excites them so much. I think it's obvious we don't buy "sugar" cereal.

The exciting part for me though was that the box also included four Movie Cash certificates! Yeah!

Right now General Mills is running a promotion when you purchase two specially marked packages of Big G cereals including Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Trix® (14.8 oz) and Reese´s Puffs® cereal (18 oz.

After purchasing two participating cereals, visit generalmills.com/moviecash to enter the unique code found inside each box of cereal and print your free Movie Cash certificate (good for one admission of up to a $12 value at participating theatres). To find a participating theater in your area, log onto http://emoviecash.com/dis_locator/. 

 

If you would like to win your own "Family Flick Night" gift pack which will include two boxes of the participating Big G cereals and four Movie Cash certificates just leave a comment on this post. 

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday, November 14, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Disclosure: A "Family Flick Night" gift pack for me and for one of my readers was provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. Any opinions given are my own.

The Day Leo Said I Hate You

What do you do when you kid tells you for the first time that he hates you?

Unfortunately, with a seven year-old with an attachment disorder I hear that phrase pretty much every time he gets mad at me. I also hear "you are a lier," "you are stupid," and the latest "you wear hideous clothes," which I have to say gave me a good laugh.

My almost three year-old on the other hand hasn't done more than the stomp his feet and cry temper tantrum with a few "I don't yike that mommy" thrown in there, when he is mad. And then you can tell he immediately feels bad if he senses mommy isn't happy with him. It's a wonderful thing!

I do know that the phrase "I hate you" is in our future. Not only does he hear his older brother say it, but I think its a normal feeling for kids to have at some point, as they try and figure out what their feelings mean and appropriate ways to express them..


When I was offered the chance to review the childrens book The Day Leo Said I Hate You! by Robie Harris I was excited. 

 

I'm always happy to add new books to our library, and this one has become a regular in our nighttime story routine.

The story starts out with Leo making some poor behavior choices (rolling tomatoes in the house until they burst, droping string beans into the fish bowl, and squeezing toothpaste all over the toilet) to which his mother repeatedly tells him "no." Leo's frustration at being repeatedly told "no" overwhelms him and eventually he tells his mother that he hates her. His mother, at first horrified, then explains to him that you that words can hurt, but there are things you can hate, like broccoli. 

The illustrations are colorful and engaging, and mirror the intensity and emotions of the story.

I was somewhat nervous reading this with Kiel, because I didn't want to introduce these words to him and then live to regret it. While that would have been the case with his older brother, with my younger, well attached, "typical" child I did not need to worry.

Kiel was fascinated by the illustrations and recognized immediately when Leo was doing something naughty. Watching Kiel shake his finger at the pages of the book and say "naughty" to Leo was adorable. 

Not only did we use the story to talk about "mean words," which honestly I think went over Kiel's head a bit, but we used the illustrations to work on recognizing and talking about feelings. Kiel was drawn to the emotions shown on Leo and his mothers face and was very animated in telling me that Leo was sad, or Leo's mom was mad.

Some of our books we read purely for the enjoyment of the story and just snuggling together. Other books we use in a more dynamic way, with the two of us interacting with the story line. The Day Leo said I hate You! is definitely the kind of book that your child will enjoy the story and the illustrations, but as a parent you can feel like you are teaching your child something too.

The next time my older son gets mad and says mean things to me, after he calms down, I plan on pulling out this book and reading it with him. Although it is meant for younger children I think we can use it as a discussion starter with him.

The Day Leo Said I Hate you is now available in paperback and for Kindle, as well as in hardcover. All versions are on sale at Amazon right now.

I was provided with a review copy of the book by Raab Associates Inc. All opinions are my own.

Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes Review and Giveaway - ended

 **And the winner is.... Have A Sweet Day! who said..."we usually make them from scratch but with 6 kids and all the things we have going on this would be great."**


I grew up in a family that thought instant mashed potatoes were the side dish of choice. We also drank Carnation instant milk for several years. The milk was to save money I think. The instant potatoes were to save time. Peeling and mashing potatoes was reserved for holiday meals.

By the time I was in college I hated instant mashed potatoes. Watery, flavorless white mush.

When MyBlogSpark and Betty Crocker offered me the chance to review the new Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes I almost turned them down. Then I thought maybe I should try them and see if I was surprised. Either way I was going to be honest about what I thought.

With a just-like-mom´s taste, Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes go from stovetop to table in just eight short minutes. Based on a scratch recipe, the Homestyle Creamy Butter variety will have your family thinking you spent hours in the kitchen the next time you serve up a hearty helping. If you prefer an extra kick of flavor, give the Roasted Garlic variety a try. And with two pouches in every box there´s plenty to go around.

I made them tonight and served them with my homemade meatloaf. This was the reaction:

 Noah gave them two thumbs up! He wanted more.

This is Kiel giving his "yuck" face. He didn't care for them. Unfortunately, he didn't actually try them either, so don't take his opinion seriously.

Rich said they were the best instant mashed potatoes he has had. He would eat them again.

Me? Well, I'm a purist. I still prefer the real thing, but I do agree with Rich that for instant they weren't bad. 

If you would like to try them yourselves you can grab a $0.55 coupon here. 

And, if you would like to win the prize pack pictured below leave a comment on this post.

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Friday, November 12, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that weekend. Again, don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Disclosure: The Betty Crocker Boxed Instant Mashed Potatoes, the prize pack, information and the prize package for giveaway were all provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark. Any opinions given are my own.

Blow it out your nose - a SinuSense review

Ten years ago if you asked me what I wouldn't travel without I probably would have told you my hairdryer and curling iron.

Now, I won't travel without my sinus wash.

I know, I'm sounding old. But I sure do enjoy having clear sinuses!

Recently MomSelect and Waterpik offered me the chance to try out Waterpik's new SinuSense line of products, including their SinuSense Squeeze Bottle and SinuSense Neti Bottle.

I've been using a fairly traditional form of the Neti pot for the last year, but I was open to trying some other options so I said yes.

First, let me tell you that if you aren't doing some form of nasal/sinus rinse and you have sinus issues, you really should try it. It was a little strange the first time but once I got over the fear that it was going to hurt (It doesn't!) or I was going to choke or inhale it (I didn't, just make sure you breathe through your mouth when you use it.) it was really kind of cool.

I know it sounds gross, but I actually get a kick seeing how much crap I can get out of my sinuses some days. I've never been that great at blowing my nose and usually feel like my congestion is further back in my sinuses than I can easily blow out. The sinus rinse gets in further and cleans more out than I could ever blow out on my own.

(I wish I could get my husband to try it. He's chronically congested and of course snores like a rough engine at night because of it.)

Waterpik SinuSense™  Squeeze Bottle- allows you to customize the amount of water flow for a complete cleanse, simply with an easy squeeze. The SoftSeal™ nozzle maximizes comfort and the One-Way FlowControl™ valve prevents backflow to maintain solution purity.

      Waterpik SinuSense™  Neti Bottle- a unique approach to the traditional neti pot; its ergonomic shape, SoftSeal™ nozzle and One-Touch FlowControl™ valve make the Neti Bottle easy to hold, comfortable against your nose and creates a controlled gravity-fed water flow that provides a gentle sinus cleansing.

One of the issues I have with the traditional Neti pot is that they aren't sealed, at least the one I had wasn't. It was very much like a tiny tea pot without a lid. Since you add a packet of saline salts to the water, I typically ended up using my finger to mix it up since the cat was always stealing the little spoon that came with it and I could never find it.


With the SinuSense products you remove the nozzle, fill the bottle, then replace the nozzle, which allows me to shake it to mix in the saline powder. (It's the little things people, I'm lazy, I admit it.)


I used both the Neti bottle and the squeeze bottle for a month and I think I prefer the squeeze bottle over the Neti bottle, but by a small margin. I'd really like to try the Water Pulsator since it sounds like it is a bit more aggressive in how it cleanses, now that I'm an experienced nasal cleaner. *snicker*

You can check out the Waterpik site to read more about their SinuSense line and the health benefits of a sinus wash.

MomSelect and Waterpik provided me with the products. All opinions are my own.

Thomas & Friends - Misty Island Rescue DVD review and giveaway

 **And the winner is 11newmom. Sorry I'm so late at posting this!!  **

There is a new Thomas & Friends DVD available tomorrow! My friends at Andrea Blaine Public Relations sent me an advance copy and the boys and I watched it this weekend. Several times! All Kiel wants to watch is "twain, twain." It's a cute movie, and as always, has some good messages in it. This is the first time a Thomas movie will be available on Blue-ray as well as a standard DVD.

Thomas and his engine friends embark on a thrilling new journey that takes them from the Island of Sodor to the mysterious Misty Island in the all-new, CG animated adventure  Thomas & Friends™ Misty Island Rescue - The Movie available on DVD, Blu-ray Disc+DVD combo pack, Digital Download and On Demand, September 7, 2010 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.

SYNOPSIS

The engines are hard at work to build a new Search and Rescue Center. When Thomas helps a friend in need, he is rewarded with an exciting trip to the mainland.  Along the way, he gets lost at sea and finds himself on the mysterious Misty Island, where he meets new friends Bash, Dash and Ferdinand. Together they discover the secrets of Misty Island and help Thomas find his way home.  Will Sir Topham Hatt's search party ever find Thomas? Find out in this action-packed movie adventure the whole family will enjoy!!          

To enter to win your own DVD all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post! For fun tell me which engine is your child's favorite.

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday September 12, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure: Andrea Blain Public Relations and Lionsgate and HIT Entertaiment provided me with my own copy of this DVD . I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own. 
 

Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance DVD review and giveaway - ended

 **And the winner is Jenscout425!!**

Finally I have a DVD for my readers with kids that aren't as enamored with trains and building like my boys are. Angelina Ballerina has a new DVD available, and while my boys thought it was OK, I thought it was adorable!

Angelina Ballerina™, the eight-year old mouseling who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina, enters a whole new stage of dancing delight with the all-new CG animated Angelina Ballerina: Love to Dance piroueted onto DVD August 31, 2010 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. 

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready to take center stage with Angelina Ballerina! On Angelina’s first day at Camembert Academy she discovers new forms of music and dance, like jazz, tap and hip hop, and meets new friends who have their own unique rhythm.  Together with her friends new and old, like best friend Alice and the new Hip-Hop Kid AZ, Angelina realizes that becoming a prima ballerina requires collaboration and compromise, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun!  Get ready to step, leap and groove as you discover your own love of dance in this fun filled DVD.

To enter to win your own DVD all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post! For fun tell me what your kids favorite DVD is.


Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Sunday September 12, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that week. Again, don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!

US mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure: Andrea Blain Public Relations and Lionsgate and HIT Entertaiment provided me with my own copy of this DVD . I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own. 

Yoplait Splitz giveaway! - ended

***And the lucky winner is Sweepmom who would like to try the strawberry banana split flavor.***

Yoplait has a new yogurt product available, called Yoplait Splitz. We haven't tried it yet but I will be looking for it in our local Safeway store. My boys love yogurt, as I've written before, and I love yogurt without artificial colors, sweeteners or high fructose corn syrup, so I'm pleased to say that Yoplait Splitz meets both our needs.

Now you can drive past your local sweet shop without looking back. Yoplait Splitz is the new yogurt that tastes like a sundae. Providing all of the goodness of 100% real yogurt, Yoplait Splitz is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. With no artificial flavors or sweeteners and no high fructose corn syrup, this 90 calorie dessert is the treat your family craves.

For an even "cooler" experience, just pop a Yoplait Splitz in the freezer and in a few hours you can enjoy a cool, creamy cup of authentic frozen yogurt. Available in three delicious flavor combinations including Strawberry Sundae, Strawberry Banana Split, and Rainbow Sherbet, Yoplait Splitz is sure to have your family screaming for more.

 

The boys have been eating go-gurts frozen, so I know they will like these! I'm not a big yogurt fan myself, but I think I just might like these frozen.

You can visit My Blog Spark to download a printable coupon for $0.75 off any flavor Yoplait Splitz today! And don't forget to visit Yoplait on Facebook or Yoplait on Twitter and "Like" or "Follow" the brand to keep up with the latest news on your favorite Yoplait products.

My Blog Spark and Yoplait are offering one of my readers a Yoplait Splitz prize pack that includes an insulated carry tote and a roll up fleece picnic blanket, along with a coupon for a free pack of Yoplait Splitz.*

I was sent a prize pack and it's pretty nice. I'll definitely be using both the blanket and the insulated tote the next time the kids and I go to the park.

To win a prize pack for yourself just leave a comment on this post telling me which flavor of Yoplait Splitz you would like to try. I'll choose a winner using random.org. This giveaway ends Sunday, August 22, 2010 at midnight (EDT).

Disclosure: The Yoplait Splitz, the prize pack, information and the prize package for giveaway were all provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. Any opinions given are my own.

*This coupon offer for a free pack of Yoplait Splitz is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee.

 

Staples Back-to-School review and giveaway - ended

***And the winner is Leslie, who says she hasn't bought a single thing yet.***

I have mixed feelings about school starting back up. On one hand it will be nice for Noah to get back to a more structured environment, and not have to worry every day that I'm going to get a phone call about his behavior. On the other hand it means homework starts again, and that is a struggle I am not looking forward to. (I think we might be on a path to make that a bit easier, with glasses and some vision therapy, so if you read my main blog I'll update you all on the latest very soon.)

One thing I do love however, is shopping for school supplies. I love colored pens and pencils, fresh notebooks, and all the little do-dads that make organizing my office at work a little easier. I frequently use colored ink to help me organize data and notes for reports at work, and I get a little thrill every time I open a new set of pens! 

With school shopping for Noah I get to buy all the fun things I don't get to use at work (like crayons!). 

When MomSelect and Staples contacted me and offered me a chance to participate in a back-to-school review and giveaway, I of course said yes!

For many Moms, back-to-school  season can be chaotic as we scramble to run errands and pick up supplies. Our friends at Staples want to make sure we spend our time soaking up the end of summer with our families, not combing store aisles for the lowest prices and hard-to-find items. That's why they're committed to making back to school shopping easy, by providing the best deals on everything your family needs for a successful school year. And because they know that Moms love to be prepared, they're offering you and me a chance to experience their fantastic back to school offerings! 

 

They sent me a back-to-school goodie bag full of cool stuff including DoSomething.org-inspired note books and a date book. These feature cool designs and help students stay organized while learning about important issues impacting their communities.

 
The gift pack also included a Glam Rock stapler, pen and calculator. Noah of course was all over these glittery objects! We were sent the clear crystal set, which is very sparkly! (I think I have Noah convinced that keeping these at home is a good idea. His class is all boys and I think some of them may think they are a little girly. I hate to set him up to get teased. What do you guys think? Am I teaching him gender stereotypes or just protecting him?)

 

We also received an Omnitech 2GB Swivel Flash Drive ($12.99), which is designed to keep the cap in place and are available in some cool designs including black and white, multi-colored dots, and peace-sign patterns.We received the peace sign pattern, and I'm going to use it to transport reports back and forth from work, when I need to work from home.

 
And how cute is this? The Zip-it pencil case. It's a pencil case made out of a really long zipper. Just pull it and watch it zip into shape! It is the brainchild of an Israeli student whose class project called for turning an everyday item into something new. The Zip It-Unzip Your Mind pencil pouch ($5.99) is available in black, purple and pink with exclusive rainbow-zipper design for Staples. Ours came in my favorite color - purple.

And finally, we received the Omnitech Portable Speaker ($9.99), which is a mini pod that plays music from any device equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack; including MP3 players, notebooks, mobile phones, and gaming devices. This might just inspire me to actually put music on my iPod. I know, I'm pathetic and way behind the times.

I'll be finishing up our school shopping this week at Staples, and I'll probably buy myself some new colored pens for work. I deserve it, right?

 
Now, I promised you a giveaway, and here you go. Staples and MomSelect have provided me with a $25 Staples gift card to give to one of my readers to help make your school supply shopping a little easier.

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post telling me what you still need for your back to school list.  One comment per person please! You have until  Friday, August  20, 2010 at midnight (EDT) to enter.

Discloser; MomSelect and Staples provided me with a gift bag including the items I have shown above. All opinions are my own.

One week down and my son and I are both using Neutrogena's new UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock.

When I was offered a chance to try Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock in exchange for reviewing it I jumped at the chance. I've been a Neutrogena fan since I was a teen, so trying out a new product they were making was a no brainer. 

 

I use sunscreen every day as part of my daily skin care routine, but in the past it has been part of my moisturizer. I didn't feel I was using a high enough SPF so had recently purchased a stand-alone sunscreen from the department store line of skincare that I use. I frankly hated it. It was mostly zinc oxide and it felt very heavy on my face. It basically just sat on top of my skin and made my face feel dirty.


I started using Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Sunblock seven days ago. I was impressed from the first day. It comes in a bottle with a small tip. It is a somewhat thin, white liquid, so the small tip on the bottle is appropriate so you don't pour out more than you need.

The best part is that it rubs into my skin easily. I don't feel it at all after I've applied it unlike so many other products I have used. I have only been out in the direct sun once for about 60 minutes since I started using it, but I can say with that one experience it worked. If only I had used something on my shoulders and the back of my neck that day, which did not fare as well.

Interestingly, my 7 year old son started summer camp this week and I have applied sunscreen to his face every day, along with the rest of his body. He reacted badly to everything we tried on his face until two days ago when I tried using this product on him. We are still waiting for the reaction from the other sunscreens to completely heal, but the Neutrogena Ultrasheer Liquid Sunblock doesn't seem to be making it worse. I'm very interested to see how he does with another week of using it.

Would you like to review UltraSheer®, too? Then go to http://www.giantwavepool.com/ultrasheer!

Or get $2 off your UltraSheer® purchase at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Kung Zhu Pets review and giveaway! - ENDED

***And the winner is Abbi who tweeted about this giveaway! Congrats Abbi! You should receive an email from me shortly.*** 

Introducing the hottest new line from Cepia evolving from the Zhu Zhu Pets...Kung Zhu Pets! These warrior hamsters are far from being the cute and cuddly Zhu Zhu Pets that everyone fell in love with. But make no mistake, these ultra cool, tough pets will be a sure competition to the original Zhu Zhu Pets! With eight original characters split into two battling groups called Special Forces and Ninja Warriors, Kung Zhu Pet owners will have the thrill of training each character to transform them into fighting, battling warriors. While these Kung Zhu hamsters may start off as "cute" and "mild-mannered," once they are sent into their main training grounds, smart chip technology will actually allow you to hear a distinct personality transformation of fighting ninja and warriors.

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A couple weeks ago I came home from work to find this box waiting on my front steps.

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it to find it full of the latest toy craze - Kung Zhu Pets! Noah was pretty darn excited himself! How lucky were we that MomSelect chose us to review the newest Zhu Zhu pet craze!

Thor had a few ideas himself about those pesky hamsters.

Noah, Thor and I spent a very fun couple of hours unpacking and setting everything up.

Thor was especially concerned about keeping us safe from those fierce Ninja and Special Forces hamsters!

Kiel came home and was slightly underwhelmed by the training zone that had taken over the family room. That is until he realized how much fun Noah was having.

 Then he was right in the middle of it all.

Much like Thor was.

 Over all the "three" of them did a great job playing together.

It was a pretty impressive setup!

Even if it did take over the entire family room floor.

Seriously, the entire floor. I couldn't get them all in one shot.

Is it possible to have too many toys?

Stel says, "Yes, Yes it is." Especially when they move and make noise. 

The Kung Zhu pets in action.

Training time.

So what do I think of the Kung Zhu pets? Well, as I said before, they take up a lot of space! We were fortunate to be able to review the original Zhu Zhu pets last year when they first came out, and I can say that they have improved the design. This set was much easier to put together and the connections between pieces stay together better. The entire design is pretty impressive considering all they do. Unfortunately, in our case whenever they were in the arena the same hamster always ended up losing, even when we switched the armor between the two. Noah and Kiel were less interested in the arena action than everything else, so that wasn't a big deal for us.

Unfortunately, one of our hamster's wheels are no longer turning, but you have to remember that Kiel is only 2 1/2, and these are recommended for ages 4+, so that very well could be because he insisted on pushing them along the track rather than letting them go on their own. 

We had a lot of fun with the entire set-up over the last few days, but these type of toys don't do well in general with my boys. Too many pieces and way too many ways to interact inappropriately with them (as in now their monster trucks and Lego men are interspersed throughout the training area - but I love watching their imagination in action). It will be interesting to see how long this lasts with them. (Again, remember that Kiel is 2 1/2 and Noah isn't a "typical" child.)

So, ready to hear the really exciting news? 

Yes, it's true. I have Kung Zhu pets to give away to one of my lucky readers! 

In fact, I have two Kung Zhu pets, two sets of Kung Zhu armor, a Dragon Hammer and Missile Attack Tower, and the Giant Battle Arena. Everything shown in the picture above! And believe me, it was a difficult task for Noah to decide which two hamsters he was going to keep and which two he was giving away. 

To win all you need to do is leave a comment on this post and tell me who you would like to win this for! 

For extra entries you can do the following:

1. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter with a link back to this post. You can tweet once a day. Make sure you come back here and leave a comment on this post each time.

2. Post it on Facebook. You can post once a day. Make sure you come back here and leave a comment on this post each time.

3. Follow my blog on Google connect or as an RSS feed.  Leave a comment here letting me know you do.

4. Follow my main blog (Mommy Needs Therapy) in a reader or via email. Leave a comment here letting me know you do.

5. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a link in the comments to let me know.

Don't forget to include your email address in the comment. I know you have to include it to publish the comment, but unless it is actually within the body of the comment or you have email enabled on your Blogger profile I can't see it.

You have until midnight on Friday, July 16, 2010 to enter. I'll announce the winner that weekend. Again, don't forget to leave your email so I can contact you!

US and Canada mailing addresses only.

Full disclosure:  MomSelect  provided me with the Kung Zhu pets to review and the set to give away. I am not receiving monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. The opinions in my review are purely my own.