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“Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas” CD

December 16, 2009 By Shannon

Curious George a very monkey christmas cdCurious George is the little monkey that has been adored by many for years.  Curious George is not only in books, as I remember when I was a kid, but is now a stuffed animal, on DVD, and on CD!  In celebration of the Christmas holiday, Denon Records released “Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas” on CD.  The soundtrack follows the story line of the movie, “Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas.”  In the movie, George and The Man with The Yellow Hat are having a great time counting down the days until Christmas.  Until they realize that they are unsure of what the other wants for Christmas!  The Man with The Yellow Hat is having trouble reading George’s wish list and George doesn’t know what to get The Man who already has everything.   The music is fun to listen to – whether in the car or at home!

Be sure to listen for “Our Christmas Monkey” on the Radio Disney Playhouse Disney Block at 12 PM to 1 PM EST / 9 AM to 10 AM PST beginning November 27th, 2009.  Plus the show will be airing throughout December across PBS’ Nationwide Network.

1.  Curious George Theme Song – Dr. John (0:51)
2.  Christmas With A Monkey – Various Artists (2:33)
3.  Christmas Medley – Various Artist (1:34)
4.  Our Christmas Monkey – Various Artists (2:22)
5.  Christmas Tree Shopping – Various Artists (1:46)
6.  The Gift Song (Something As Special As You) – Ken Stacey (2:26)
7.  Curious George Holiday Main Title Theme – Various Artists (0:38)
8.  Jingle Bells – Various Artists (2:17)
9.  Perfect Gift/Tomato Man – Various Artists (2:16)
10. Deck the Halls – Various Artists (2:28)
11. Twelve Days of Christmas – Various Artists (0:34)
12. This is the One – Various Artists (1:01)
13. Christmas With A Monkey (Reprise) – Various Artists (1:02)

You can find “Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas” on CD at Borders, Wal-Mart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com.  The CD retails for $13.98.

Thanks to Denon Records, each of the following reviewers had the opportunity to review “Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas” and host a giveaway for one copy of the CD.

Happy Healthy Families
She Scribes
The Mom Reviews
Sage and Savvy
A Nut in a Nutshell
Maria’s Space
Sheltered Not Shattered
An Island Life
Seeryus Mama
Nerd Family Things
A Simple Kinda Life
All Because Two People Fell in Love
Forgetful One
A Couch with a View
Momma’s Review
Rockin Mama
The Mommy-Files

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Denon Records, who supplied the CD for review.

Filed Under: entertainment, giveaways, kids, reviews

Hint Cards & The California Cut Flower Commission

July 25, 2009 By Kailani

Do you love to receive flowers but rarely do? Do you wish there was a way you could hint to your loved ones that a bouquet of beautiful blossoms would be greatly appreciated? Well, now there’s Hint Cards being developed by the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC).

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

As the saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers.” However, in a recent survey conducted by the CCFC we found that 42% of women don’t receive flowers as often as they would like. That’s why the CCFC has come up with a “Hint Card” to help deserving moms, such as yourself, drop a hint to that certain someone that they would like to receive a beautiful bouquet of the world’s freshest flowers, California Grown flowers!

These Hint Cards incorporate a little romance or a little humor and are the perfect size to be left under pillows, inside lunch bags, stuck on mirrors, tucked in billfolds, placed on plates or just delivered from hand to hand.

OUR REVIEWS

FRN had the opportunity to not only review a set of Hint Cards but we also each received a beautiful bouquet of flowers from The California Cut Flowers Commission. Here’s what our members thought:

1StopMom Giveaways & Reviews: They come in a variety of different colors: blue, green, orange and even purple! When you think about it these cards are a nice and subtle way to get some flowers from your loved ones. This would probaly work better than being extremely blunt like I am with my husband. I have never been good at giving hints and he is just as good as catching them.

3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires: I asked my husband what he thought about these flower hint cards. He actually thought they were cute. I think my husband would respond to finding a card in his lunch bag or tucked into the visor in his car. I think I would have to put it in a place where he would find it away from the house. If I left one on his pillow to find when he went to bed, he would almost certainly forget about it by morning.

A Couch With A View: How do you make a girl happy? Whether it be your wife, your best friend, your mother, your daughter…. Flowers. Every girl loves flowers. I don’t think I ever met one that didn’t!! But honestly… who wants to ASK for flowers? No One. Thank goodness for Hint Cards!! I “accidently” put one in his lunch box the other night when I was putting his lunch together…

A Little Bit Nutty: These Hint Cards incorporate a little romance or a little humor and are the perfect size to be left under pillows, inside lunch bags, stuck on mirrors, tucked in billfolds, placed on plates or just delivered from hand to hand.

All Because Two People Fell in LOVE: I received the beautiful flowers from California Flowers and my very set of hint cards in the mail! They were extremely well packaged and arrived fresh and very alive!!! Can’t wait to see if my hint cards paid off with my husband!!

An Island Review: We received a set of these cute and colorful cards and found them to be the perfect way to “hint” to someone that I would love to receive flowers. They send the perfect message in a humorous and fun way!

A Wrestling Addicted Mommy: The hint cards are really sort of cute and allow you to give your significant other the hint that you’d love some flowers without outright telling them ‘hey you never get me flowers’. I thought the idea was genius, my husband however not so much.

Blessings Abound: The Hint Cards include several different ways to get the point across that you would love to get your hands on a bouquet of flowers.  From lighthearted, witty remarks to romantic sayings, there’s a perfect way to clue in a certain someone that you want to receive flowers no matter what mood you may be in or reason you’d love to have them.  What’s neat about the cards are they are designed in vibrant colors so they will stand out and get the person’s attention you are seeking, but yet are small enough to be tucked just about anywhere like a lunch bag, bill fold, or jacket pocket so it can be discreetly hidden until you want the person you wish to get flowers from to find it!

Brimful Curiosities: Last week I received a whole bouquet of vibrant flowers from the CCFC. I must say it has been quite refreshing to have a bouquet of flowers in the home. Just makes me happy. Makes me want more. I plan on placing the little hint cards in strategic locations, like attached to my husband’s cell phone or inside his laptop. That should do it.

Chocolate Fingerprints: And I know from experience that flowers from the California Cut Flowers Commission are fantastic! What vibrant colors, and they arrived in great shape; not droopy at all! My only wish is that they had reinforced the stems of the gerber daisies. Not a big deal, but they just don’t stand up as straight as they could. Still, this is one bouquet I’d never turn down! After a week, they’re still sitting on my table looking gorgeous!

From Melissa’s Desk: Having a beautiful bouquet of cut flowers in the house has been wonderful! Trust me! You are going to want to slip these hint cards everywhere!

Happy Healthy Families: The Hint Cards are so cool. There are 25 in a set. They have cute little “hints” printed on them such as “Psst…My Favorite Flower is in Season.” On the back of each hint card is a message from California Cut Flowers “suggesting” that a loved one would love some of America’s Freshest Cut Flowers. Fun stuff. I am giving my neighbor a few of these cards, and she and I wil be using our cards and keeping tabs to see how well they work with our hubbys.

Mamalicious Finds: The cards are super colorful…all the better for catching his eye! We also received a bouquet from the CCFC, it contained fabulous orange Gerber Daisies, one of my favorites! The bouquet lasted well over a week.

Maria’s Space: Who doesn’t love to receive flowers? Who couldn’t use more flowers? I had to add water to mine two times because these were the first cut flowers I have ever had to actually drink their water. Who knew cut flowers drink water? I didn’t!!

Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews: Every time I walk by my kitchen table I get a big smile on my face. I forgot, how much fresh flowers brighten up your day. The best thing about these flowers though, there was no reason behind it. There was no dance recital, it wasn’t my birthday or Mother’s day. They were just because. I think we forget that flowers can be just because. Just to put a smile on your face, brighten up somebody’s day.

Mommy Musings: Hint Cards can help your husband or signifigant other out by dropping them a little “hint” that you’d like to see some flowers in your future. They are small enough that they can be tucked anwhere, from the top of a pillow to the inside his laptop. Plus, I think they can add a little romance to your life…especially if he takes the hint!

Mom Start: I came home last week from a day out with my kids and there was a box on my porch. I immediately knew they were flowers and I knew they were not from my husband. Hmmm. I wasn’t sure what to do. I thought, they must have something to do with my blog. So I grabbed a vase and cut the stems and put them in some water. They were very vibrant with color, but I just couldn’t remember anything to do with them.  They are very nice flowers. They also came with Hint Cards. As I was looking over the hint cards I thought to myself maybe this was what I was expecting. I still wasn’t sure. So I had to check my e-mail and yes, the Hint cards were sent to me from the Family Review Network and California Cut Flower Commission.

My Trendy Tykes: So you really REALLY want fresh flowers…. You go around sniffing flowers and oohing and ahhing certain arrangements. HUBBY STILL DOES NOT GET THE HINT, DOES HE? You are not alone sister…. NOT ALONE!
What’s a girl to do though? I will tell you what to do. You give him a little hint with Hint Cards.

Nerd Family Things: According to statistics from the California Cut Flower Comission 42% of women don’t recieve flowers as often as they would like. So the CCFC has come up with a solution. They have these adorable hint cards. They are little cards that you can slip into someone’s lunch bag, briefcase or pocket. They say things like “Don’t let all of my hard work go to waste! -Mr. Bumble Bee”. There is also one for when your favorite flower is in season.

Pink Like the Color: I thought that these were great.  Instead of bugging a loved one to buy you flowers, you can leave these cards lying around and subtly hint that you would like flowers.  The sayings have just a little bit of romance and humor and would be great to leave lying around or slip in someone’s lunch box.

Riding With No Hands: Remember those flowers I received on my birthday? When I opened the door and saw the box, my first thought was that they were from my husband. But that notion lasted for about half a second. I know better. The flowers were courtesy of the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC). The fact that they were delivered on my birthday was purely a coincidence! They sure are beautiful… just as bright a week later as they were when I put them in the vase. I’m not going to give up on my husband, though. I know he’ll buy me flowers again one day. Maybe he just needs a hint here or there…

Robyn’s Online World: These are fantastic little business sized cards with hints to leave/give someone that you would enjoy some flowers! My favorite card says “I Dare You To Buy Me Flowers”. Now who doesn’t love a dare like that? I plan on tucking these cards around for Hubby to find over the next several weeks. Maybe in his sock drawer, one in his lunch bag, I might tape one to his steering wheel – you get the idea. If I get flowers I will be sure to report back.

Sage and Savvy: My flowers were vibrant and beautiful when they arrived, and they sure brightened up our home. Flowers are always nice to have around the house. They create an inviting atmosphere, and can lift your spirits. Now, if I wanted DH to get me flowers more often, I could use the California Cut Flower Commission’s Hint Cards, which are fun reminders you leave for your loved ones in hopes they’ll catch the hint and get you some flowers. My favorite Hint Card is the “Not because you have to. Not because you’re sorry. Just because.”

SassyFrazz: I think this is a great idea, because guys don’t always think of flowers. They have so much on their minds with work, kids, family, obligations….etc., that I think they need a bit of a hint to help them out. I think the gift of flowers just shows such appreciation, and as a mom, it is great to get flowers….especially California Grown flowers!

She Scribes: I don’t think people send flowers as often as they could. You don’t have to just send flowers on Anniversaries or Birthdays. You can send flowers “just because” (those are the best kind!). Or how about to tell someone “I’m Sorry”, “Get Well”, “Thinking of you” and so many other non-traditional flower sending occasions. Hint cards are PERFECT! They add a bit of fun and whimsy way to give a hint to that someone special that you would really appreciate a nice bouquet of flowers.

The Dirty Shirt: I love to get flowers, but you wouldn’t know that because I rarely get them, ahem…hint! hint!….but I love flowers. And in a recent survey conducted by the CCFC they found that 42% of women don’t receive flowers as often as they would like. That’s why the CCFC has come up with a “Hint Card” to help deserving moms, such as yourself, drop a hint to that certain someone that they would like to receive a beautiful bouquet of the world’s freshest flowers, California Grown flowers!

The Mom Buzz: These Hint Cards are business card sized, making them easy to leave tucked in unassuming spots – like under pillows, inside lunch bags, stuck on mirrors, tucked in billfolds, placed on plates or just delivered from hand to hand. I left one on my husband’s windshield. Let’s see what happens…

The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth: I got to share that the bouquet came to me from the California Cut Flower Commission to showcase their new hint cards. So that those of us for whom husbands bringing home fresh bouquets on a whim is not a typical occurrence can leave subtle clues around that flowers would be appreciated.

Therapeutic Reviews and Giveaways: My favorite card, the “I dare you to buy me flowers” hint!! If you know my husband, it could be all about the challenge or the dare! LOL. Honestly he is NOT a flower giver. When I got the bouquet from the CCFC, it arrived just before our 13th anniversary and I though “what perfect timing!” My hubby needs an added fire beneath him to get me flowers, and Hint cards are the perfect incentive!

Val’s Views:  The flowers I received from the California Cut Flowers Commission were gorgeous. That’s because California’s unique climate allows its flower growers an advantage in producing the finest cut flower in the world. All of the flowers were live and fresh and are still in a vase looking great in my kitchen today, one week later. I also received a package of Hint Cards with my flowers. The Hint Cards are the size of a business card, the perfect size to hide in a wallet, briefcase or lunch. My favorite sayings were “I dare you to buy me flowers.” and “Flowers make a girl happy. And you know what happens when this girl is happy.”

Wish List Worthy: Not very long ago I got the most beautiful bouquet of my absolute favorite flowers! What a treat! The gorgeous bouquet came through FedEx and arrived in perfect form. It brightened our kitchen for almost a week before the flowers started to fade and had to be put in the compost pile. I know that I am not alone in my love of fresh flowers in the home, but I’ll be honest, it’s a rare occasion that I actually get flowers. It looks like I am not alone though, according to the California Cut Flower Commission, 42% of women don’t receive flowers as often as they would like.

So the next time you’d like to receive flowers but don’t know how to ask for them, consider giving out a Hint Card. It just might do the trick!

These reviews were written for Family Review Network as part of a program sponsored by The California Cut Flower Commission, who supplied the cards and flowers for review and giveaway.

Filed Under: giveaways, household, reviews

Dirty Bow Wow – Giveaway

June 18, 2009 By Cathi
I have always been a dog lover. An a child I had a Cocker Spaniel named Blackie. Over the years, our children had numerous dogs however our Rottweiler Tazy and our German Shepherd Hunter, stand out the most. We haven’t had a dog in recent years and I truly miss the canine loyalty I enjoyed in the past.

 Dirty Bow Wow is a delightful book about dogs and the objects of their affection like Semus in the above photo. The book is full of colorful photographs of dogs and their stories like adorable Malibu. She’s a Pit Bull Terrier, who was only three months old when she was left orphaned and homeless from Hurricane Katrina. Her new mom gave her a pink pig as a “welcome to your forever family” gift, and to this day, “Pink Pig” never leaves Malibu’s side.

The authors, Cheryl and Jeffery Katz, decided to put together this wonderful tribute to man’s best friend after receiving countless letters from fans of their first book, Love Stories: A Tribute to the Threadbare. Included in many of the letters were photographs of beloved pets with their own “dirty wow wows”. The book didn’t become a reality until a year later when Cheryl and Jeffery were walking by their neighborhood dog park and realized that nearly every dog had a stuffed animal, squeaky toy, dirty tennis ball, filthy Frisbee, or frayed rope toy in their mouth, that the idea for Dirty Bow Wow was born.

Our dogs always had favorite chew toys. Unfortunately for me, Hunter’s favorite chew toy was any one of my shoes he could grab. Tazy on the other hand loved to chew my son Brian’s shoes. I was on a first name basis with the local shoe cobbler as he was constantly repairing or more accurately, rebuilding Brian’s shoes!! As Tazy grew older she was obsessed with balls and believe it or not, rocks. She would fetch anything and everything we could throw. She preferred golf balls however if none were available, she would grab a rock and bring it to anyone who would “play”!! 

 

 

Join the Dirty Bow Wow Dog Toy Drive at bookstores across the country. It’s your chance to help shelter dogs find the toy of their dreams, and hopefully a permanent, loving home. Go here to see a list of retailers who are collecting dog toy donations. Drop off a new dog toy at the location nearest you, and aid a dog in need today!

Win your own copy of Dirt Bow Wow!

To enter this giveaway:

~Leave a comment here telling us about your favorite dog.

~This giveaway will close at midnight on June 25th.

Earn extra entries:

~Subscribe to our feed.

~Place our button in your sidebar.

~Please leave a separate comment for each entry. 

Wish List Worthy: The book is a great addition to the library of any dog lover. This book is more than just a fun tribute to dogs and their toys though, it is also part of a great toy drive for the dogs who are still waiting to find forever homes in shelters. We love this book, as we are familiar with the bond between dog and toy. Baby the Maltese has two favorites that are rarely out of her sight! So, if you love dogs too, here’s a chance for you to win a copy of this fun book!

Homeschooling and Loving It!: The pictures are colorful and vibrant and each one tells a small story about the dogs favorite toy, stories of how some of the dogs have endured hard times in their past and just heartwarming stories that tug at your heart strings.  This book would be loved by all dog lovers and makes a wonderful story book for the kids.  Each one of my children ages 10, 6, and 5 have loved this book.  They will look at it over and over trying to pick the cutest dog-they change their minds everytime they look at it.  They are all so cute!

 Just a mom’s take on things…: Dirty Bow Wow is an extremely cute book with amazing photos that almost seem to leap right off of the page along with their well-worn and so loved toys. It’s something that I can sit down with my girls and read together, or just look at the pages with my 3-year-old. I don’t think it’ll satisfy their desire to have a ‘real’ dog, but it’s giving them a way to learn more about dogs and what they’re like before we take that step.

Something Snappy: As a dog lover, I was thrilled to share this book with my daughter and read the short stories about all these lovable fur ballsandtheir favorite toys. With extraordinary photography (and you KNOW that’s a huge compliment coming from ME), I truly got the sense that I knew each and every dog on the pages of Dirty Bow Wow

Go Graham Go! This beautiful book would make a perfect gift for the dog lover in your life and would also be a beautiful table top book! My favorite picture is Halle and Frisbee! It is a great action shot of a fun loving dog catching her Frisbee in mid-air! And of course, there is a special place in my heart for Malibu, a rescue dog, and his pink piggy!

Therapeutic Reviews & Giveaways: My children have always feared dogs stemming back from an incident when they were toddlers. This heartwarming book was purely a delight and restored their love for the animals. Showing the softer, gentler side of all the dogs, my youngest squealed with delight at each picture. My youngest is also the only one of my 3 kids that has had a special “blankie” since she was an infant. I think she can relate! My son loved the golden retriever, Fiona and her “Bear: best, my husband and I got a good chuckle out of Daisy and her “Stick”! My youngest adored Beau Beau and “Big Red.”

Mudpies and Mary Janes: The dog’s stories range from humorous to touching, with all being fun to read together as a family. My kids have really enjoyed the book as well, asking the names of the different breeds and laughing at some of the unique objects to which some of the dogs have become attached. Their hands down favorite is Lucy, a Puggle, laying nose to nose with her stuffed dog Doggie. Even my fourteen month old sat on the couch completely enthralled as he flipped through each page, pointing and saying “doggie“. I love that Dirty Bow Wow includes dogs that are purebred to mixed breeds, as well as those found on the street and rescued from Hurricane Katrina. I think that Dirty Bow Wow is a terrific book for people of all ages, young and old.

Sheltered Not Shattered: My boys and I enjoyed reading this book and looking at all the adorable photographs of the dog’s with their favorite objects. It even opened up discussions about different breeds of dogs. Youngest is a true animal lover and he refers back to the book often. One of my favorite pictures was of Bugsy and Bear but my favorite story was of Belle and her quilt. Belle was a homeless dog that was adopted and finally found a home with Astrid.

Brimful Curiosities: A quick and enjoyable coffee-table worthy read, all dog lovers will find something to love when perusing Dirty Bow Wow. In my household, lots of books fall into my hands and my hands alone. However, this book managed to become a family favorite. My preschool-aged daughter immediately fell for the Toy Poodle named Annie Goodman odeling her beloved chic Pink Purse toy. My husband, the discerning reader (so discerning he hardly ever picks up a book) read Dirty Bow Wowcover to cover and remarked on a number of dogs. Puggle Lucy nose-to-nose with her stuffed, earless Doggie won him over.  

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Family, books, entertainment, giveaways, kids, reviews

Rita’s Italian Ice Giveaway

May 29, 2009 By Cathi

Rita’s Italian Ice is the perfect treat for summertime. They have a variety of refreshing treats that are absolutely delicious. Rita’s even has a delectable treat for those who are watcing thier diet however the newest flavor, Blue Raspberry Ice, will have you catching a wave right into summer! 

Straight from From Rita’s: Our guests come to Rita’s to feel carefree, to escape the pressures of daily life, to take a moment for themselves, and to get a dose of happiness! Therefore, our franchise partners and Treat Teams stop at nothing to ensure that each guest enjoys the freshest, highest quality treats — served quickly and with a smile.

One of Rita’s biggest fans is the Family Review Network’s very own Lee from My Sentiment ExactLee. This is what Lee has to say about her weekly visits to Rita’s: Ms. Katie and Mr. Luis are 2 of my sons closest friends. Who are they and what do they have to do with this review you might ask? They are the employees at our local Rita’s Italian Ice. Every Thursday after preschool if Jason gets all 4 stamps for being good, we head over to Rita’s with our whole preschool group for a yummy treat! The staff goes above and beyond totake care of us and interact with the children. They make it a fun experience for all of us. Rita’s Italian Ice sells Italian Ice (even some sugar free options), Custard, Blendinis, Gelatis, Ritaccino’s (a coffee treat) and finally Slenderita’s fat free soft serve providing a wide variety for everyone.

My favorite thing at Rita’s is Custard. It’s much easier on my stomach than regular ice cream and a mix of Vanilla and Chocolate sends me to heaven. My son Jason however loves the Italian Ice. His favorite flavor is Cotton Candy. Rita’s changes their flavors every day so you can try something new each time you come. At our Rita’s about 8 flavors of Ice are available every day. My friend Jen, The Rita’s Queen as some of us refer to her, loves the Lemonade Ice. It has pieces of real lemon peel and in this Florida heat, is simply refreshing!

Right now Rita’s is celebrating their 25th anniversary! Stop in to play the Scratch and Win Vacation Contest at your local Rita’s or play online. You could win a Vacation to Riviera Maya, Mexico and if you play in store you can win many other prizes! There is also a $25,000 cash prize on the line!

I can honestly tell you Rita’s is one of my families favorite places to go for a treat. We go at least once a week and sometimes more. You could go everyday and not run out of delicious Ice and Custard flavors and combinations. 

 

 

 

Win 4 coupons for Rita’s Italian Ice!

To enter this giveaway:

~Leave a comment here telling us which Rita’s store is closest to your house.

~This giveaway will close at midnight on June 17th.

Earn extra entries:

~Subscribe to our feed.

~Place our button in your sidebar.

~Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
  

Brian Foggles: I’ll be going back [to Rita's] again and again. The place is bright and cheery and you just know when you walk in that you’re in for a treat. My treat was a Chocolate Ice and my Mom had Wild Black Cherry. And what a treat it was! I felt like I was a kid again back in NY eating ices from a white paper cup. These are not ices like shaved ices. They are creamy and the flavor is just right. 

A Couch With A View: When I realized that Rita’s Italian Ice had moved into a town not so far, I was thrilled!! I get so tired of just getting regular ol’ ice creams and shakes over the summer and something different is totally welcome!

Busy Mommy Product Reviews: There is something about Rita’s that just screams summer to me. So for us to be there with our friends and everyone eating their own icy dessert, for me was the kick-off to summer. I am not sure if it was more fun to eat my dessert or to watch Sara and her friends eating theirs.

Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House: The Italian ice is Fat-free, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-Fat Free, and made fresh with real fruit every day at each store! It’s delicious AND good for you! We went to the Rita’s Ice at the beach while we were there this weekend! We got the Strawberry Margarita Italian Ice(the new flavor) and a Gelati with Mango Ice and Chocolate Custard! I knew I wanted the Chocolate Custard but couldn’t decide which ice to pair with it since there are so many choices! The girl working there suggested Mango and she was right, it did taste amazing!

Mom Knows it All: I have a confession. I’ve lived at the Jersey shore almost my entire life and I’d never been to Rita’s before today. I’d like to thank the Family Review Network for rectifying that situation right off the bat. Rita’s makes and sells freshly made Italian Ice and Frozen Custard products  in 19 different states within the US, with the majority of them being on the East Coast.

Riding With No Hands Reviews: I chose the Strawberry MargaRitaIce, a flavor that was just introduced this month. Marsy’s obsessedwith anything mango these days, and was thrilled they had it on the menu. The Strawberry MargaRitawas more tart than sweet, just like you’d imagine a virgin strawberry margarita to be. The mango ice was delicious! Not overly sweet either. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I could feel the texture of mango in my mouth with each bite. Yes, the Italian Ices were delicious, but what really impressed me about Rita’s was the service. The team members seemed like they were having a great time, offered samples to everyone, and just made us feel welcome. 

You can also follow Rita’s Italina Ice on Facebook, My Space and Twitter.

You’ll Love It!!

 

Filed Under: Family, Food, giveaways, kids, reviews

Windex Outdoor All-In-One ~ Giveaway

April 8, 2009 By Cathi

Dirty Windows absolutely drive me crazy.

I love clean “looks like they aren’t there” windows. But as much as I love all 33 plus windows in my house, I loathe washing them.

Windex Outdoor All-In-One window cleaner is a new, different and I might add, a fabulous invention. As pictured on the box, it includes a pole (five sections that fit together) with a head the cleaning pads attach to. According to the box, one cleaning pad will clean twenty windows.

I was more than skeptical but determined to give it a go.

After I squirted the windows with the garden hose, my husband, along our 3-year old grand daughter, wiped them down with the water-activated cleaning pad. We were even able to clean the upper windows. The handle of the cleaning pole is threaded for the easy attachment of an extension pole.

After the windows were soapy, I simply came back with the garden hose and gave them a good rinse. We all stood back and watched the amazing (it really was) Windex Sheeting Action Formula do it’s job. 1-2-3!! It’s that simple! First Rinse, second wash, third rinse again.

It works and I love it!!

You can even get a coupon for a free refill pack here.

Giveaway!!

SC Johnson has donated a Windex Outdoor All-In-One Starter Kit.

To enter this giveaway:

~Visit the Windex website.

~Leave a comment on this post saying which product you like best.

~This giveaway will close at midnight on April 16th, 2009.

Earn extra entries:

~Subscribe to our feed.

~Place one of our buttons in your sidebar.

~Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

What the Family Review Network thinks:

The Clan McLeod: I couldn’t believe how easy this is to use and how effective it is. My windows look tons better! It’s even easy enough for the kids to help out with!

Rockin’ Mama: It literally took minutes to clean my outside windows at the back of the house.  I loved that I didn’t actually have to do any heavy-duty scrubbing or drying for that matter.  What’s great about the product is that you can clean up to 20 windows with one pad and it reaches up to 11 feet.  

The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth: It really did a great job. The cleaning pad held up through seventeen windows at my house, and there are no streaks! I can tell you without a doubt, I will buy this again…

MySentimentExactLee: I was excited to try Windex Outdoor All-in-One to clean all my windows. I have a 2 story house and about 20 windows which isn’t too much for this product because it reaches up to 11 ft and can wash up to 20 windows. The ease of use really impressed me and so did the finished product. No streaks, no spots, not even left over dust from the higher 2nd story windows. I will definitely be buying a replacement pack for Windex Outdoor All in One.

My Trendy Tykes: I first sprayed the window with my water hose and then started cleaning. The cleaning tool can reach up to 11 feet so there was definitely no problem reaching the window. I wiped the window down a couple of times, sprayed one more time with the hose and then stood back……I waited . . .and waited . . .What was I waiting on ?  STREAKS!  However, much to my amazement there were no streaks! I had a perfectly clean window.

From Melissa’s DeskI didn’t have another product to compare this one to, but I found Windex Outdoor All-In-One to be AWESOME!! It was so easy to use! I love that one cleaning pad will clean up to 20 windows. And no doubt, after all those years of dirt, my windows are thanking me! It was so easy that it was fun! And if you know me, the words fun and cleaning are never used in conjunction with each other.

Red Sox Mommy: I found it super easy to use. I don’t have any tall windows at my house, but even if I did I probably still could have reached them because this has a 11 foot reach. All I had to do was spray the windows with the hose and get the Windex cleaning pad wet and away I went scrubbing the windows. After just a couple minutes I was done and ready to rinse them again. And that was it, no drying needed because of Windex’s special sheeting action formula that prevents streaks and spotting.

Mom Start: I am always surprised when something says it is going to be streak free and then it actually is. Windex does not disappoint. Not to mention, I was easily and safely able to reach all of my windows. For those of you that have higher windows, you can get extension poles that will easily attach to the Windex outdoor all in one. I have one of these poles from when I painted the ceiling.

Forgetfulone: We’ve already had some spring weather here, so when my Windex Outdoor All-In-One Cleaning Tool arrived, I whipped it right out of the package and said, “There’s no time like the present!” My son, age 12, had the tool put together in less than a minute. I NEVER clean the outside of the windows. It’s just too hard… or so I thought. With this cool tool from Windex, there are just three, simple steps.

Therapeutic Reviews & Giveaways: This couldn’t be easier and more efficient to use. Living in a single story home, makes window cleaning fairly easy, but with the extended handle, our step ladder wasn’t needed. I thought the velcro-like attachment between the cleaning pad and the extension tool was pretty weak, but the pad held in place while scrubbing, no problem!

Mom Giveaways: The cleaning tool was pretty easy to use and my son had fun helping me.  My son would spray the windows with the our garden hose and then I would follow using the cleaning tool.  The cleaning tool is a large pole with a cleaning head that you attach the cleaning pad to.  After I scrub the window with the cleaning tool my son once again sprayed the windows.  After the cleaning the windows looked great! 

All Because Two People Fell in LOVE: The best part has to be that this product leaves no spots or streaking marks behind, just clear, sparkling, clean windows! We highly recommend this great cleaning product!

An Island Review: I didn’t realize just how easy this was going to be. The starter kit came with everything I would need to clean 20 windows. All I had to do was put the pieces of the handle together and stick on a cleaning pad. That’s it! Then I went outside, wet the window and cleaning pad with a garden hose and I was all set.

Something Snappy: This handy gadget allows you to clean you outdoor windows quickly and easily! With its long handle, I’ll never have to get the ladder out again and the cleaning pad is supposed to clean 20+ windows! I don’t have 20 windows on my home but it did clean my 12 windows in no time at all and the last window was as clean and streak free as the first!

The Dirty Shirt: Great product all the way around and works great. Very easy to put together and use. I recommend it to everyone who wants to get the windows clean!

Mom Fuse: My windows are about 7 feet from the ground and my husband is a short guy (about 5′4″), we also have a window box that sticks out about a foot. So it’s never been this easy. And before Windex All-In-One, my windows have never been this clean, or my skies this blue!

1stopmom Giveaways and Review: This is one review my husband was happy to participate in. We were very happy with the end result. A few neighbors saw how quick he was getting done so they just had to ask what he was using. I think will be seeing a few more Windex All-In-One cleaners in our neighborhood!

Riding With No Hands Reviews: We live in a split-level home, so we’ve got windows both high up and very low to the ground, and because the pole can reach up to 11 feet, this tool really made the usually back-breaking chore much more enjoyable. It also cut down on how long it would have taken me to do it by hand, not to mention the dangers of having to climb up and move a ladder repeatedly. It’s incredible how a little thing like cleaning windows can make the inside of your home just a little bit brighter!

Filed Under: giveaways, household, reviews

EyeBuyDirect ~ Review & Awesome Giveaway

March 14, 2009 By Cathi

Congratulations to Sharon from Pennsylvania 

the winner of this giveaway!!

My oldest grandson has been playing video games since before he could read. Occasionally, while he was playing a game, a text message would appear on the screen.

“Grandma!” he would say, “Come here and bring your glasses!”
That is when I realized I was past the over the counter reader glasses and needed to get a prescription pair. That also was only five years ago and since then I’ve gone through over five pair of prescription glasses. I’ve broken a few, lost a few and just plain decided I didn’t like a few. 

 There are hundreds of eyeglass frames to choose from at EyeBuyDirect. From Designer frames to Rimless and Sport and Titanium, the options are endless. I choose the Princess frames in red and I really do like them. The quality is much more than I expected. The biggest difference between these and my last pair are the weight. These are just a wee bit heavier but not enough to keep me from wearing them. The Eye Try feature at EyeBuyDirect takes the guess work out of online buying.
~ Giveaway ~
One lucky reader will win a coupon code good for one free pair of prescription eyeglasses (not including sunglasses and designer frames) including any upgrade up to $100 and 100% free shipping.
To enter this giveaway:
~Visit the EyeBuyDirect website.
~Leave a comment here telling us which frames are your favorite.
~This giveaway will close at midnight on March 20th.
Earn extra entries:
~ Visit the Wall of Frame and tell us what your favorite photo is.
~ Use the Eye Try feature and leave the link here.
~Subscribe to our feed.
~Place our button in your sidebar.
~Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
What the Family Review Network Reviewers think: 

An Island Review: We had a little problem with the ordering since the frame that DH wanted was not available. However, their customer service kept in touch with us every step of the way until the glasses were shipped. Once received, we found the glasses to be exactly what we expected.

Rockin Mama: I never imagined I’d be ordering a pair of glasses that would sit on my face, for all to see, from a website without trying them on.  But…they fit perfectly and they look amazing on me!  The site has a service called EyeTry where you upload and image and choose the style that you’d like to try to see how they would look on your face.  

The Way I See It Too: I’m embarrassed to admit that I have always paid over $500 for my glasses; the most recent pair being $700. Because of EyeBuyDirect, I’ve learned I’m not the savvy shopper I thought I was.

Wish List Worthy: I thought that the selection was great, and found a fun pair of glasses for myself. I just requested non-prescription lenses, but if I had a prescription it would have been really easy to order for that as well.

A Mama’s Rant: Great customer service – I originally ordered another frame, but they ran out. I was contacted by phone to change my order. I called and changed the order and my glasses were made and mailed out within a week. 

Therapeutic Reviews & Giveaways: My hubby has a strong lens prescription and during the ordering we had to talk to customer service about getting a thinner lens so the glasses weren’t heavy. My service rep was intelligent, knew what we could do to fix the problem and the issue was resolved easily.

Mommy Mandy:  Another thing that I liked about EyeBuyDirect is that you can upload a photo and virtually try on their selection of frames. This helps to find the right pair to fit your style and face shape. You should have seen me “trying” on all the different pairs of glasses. It was so much fun.

Tara’s View of the World: Ordering was a breeze. All I had to do was enter my mom’s prescription information on the website, choose the frames and options she wanted and I was done! One week later my mom’s new eyeglasses arrived on our doorstep!

Mommy Goggles: Wearing eyeglasses for fashion seems to be a popular trend these days, so I figured “Why not!” I LOVE my Donna frames! They are adorable and very well made! I decided to get an Anti-Scratch lens to help protect the lenses from wear. I have to say that these glasses are truly adorable!

She Scribes: I was a bit worried that the prescription might not be right since I didn’t order them from my eye doctor. I simply picked up my prescription from my eye doctor to use for my EyeBuyDirect order. The prescription was PERFECT! They are exactly like my current glasses that I purchased from my eye doctor for over almost $200. Even better yet I was able to get frame less glasses, something I have been told by my doctor I couldn’t get because of my prescription.

My Trendy Tykes: The whole process from start to finish was simple and FAST! All I needed to do was enter his [my brother] RX, mailing info and choose the frame/lenses. The glasses arrives within the next week and he could not be happier. Oh, and those same eyeglasses that we ordered through EyeBuyDirect??? They would have normally cost $400.00 but we got them for just $79.95!

A Couch With A View: I’m so so so happy that I found EyeBuyDirect! Nice glasses at a great price, you really cant beat that when you kill glasses like I do. Prices start at just $7.95 including the lenses! EyeBuyDirect also does fashion glasses with non prescription clear lenses!

Mom Giveaways: My first impression of EyeBuyDirect was, Wow! What a selection!  There are some many different style of glasses to choose from.  Everything from plain plastic frames to chic designer frames.  It took me hours looking through all the different frames before I finally decided on the Bella frame.

Life’s a Hoot: After I placed my order it took about two weeks to receive my glasses which isn’t bad at all. I love my new glasses and would really recommend EyeBuyDirect for anyone in the market for a new pair of glasses. Eyebuydirectalso takes Paypal which is a big plus in my eyes because I hate giving out my credit card over the Internet.

Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews: The order process was so easy. I ran up to my eye doctor to get a copy of prescription. Then I selected my frames, input my prescription and that was it. Eyebuydirect.com tells you everything you need, there is even place for notes if you want to add any information. I chose to do my order online, but you can also call.

Sage and Savvy: In about a couple of weeks, DH’s glasses arrived in a sturdy case, along with a lens cloth. He tried the glasses on, and they were almost perfect. The only thing that needed to be adjusted was the nose piece. It was a bit too small, so he took it to a department store and got it adjusted for free. Once the adjustment was made, he’s been using it every day!

Happy Healthy Families: I waited anxiously all day for hubby to come home and try on his glasses– I was like a kid with a big old grin when he came in. The glasses fit perfectly (whew!) and looked great. The quality is very impressive, and the hubbs has worn them everyday since!

From Melissa’s Desk: And for those of you with perfect vision who still enjoy the fashionable look of glasses…Every frame can be fitted with a blank lens. All that you have to do is select “fashion” under “I use my glasses for…” on the prescription page.
 
Chocolate Fingerprints: Two weeks later, when the glasses arrived, I was very pleased by the quality! They looked great, and I never would have guessed that they were ordered online, or that they costed less than 10 bucks! To me, they looked like a pair of glasses that could be bought at any optometrist’s office, but I know how cheap they were, and it astounds me!
 
The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth: Regan and I picked out frames from EyeBuyDirect…thank goodness they had several frames in “pink” to choose from. We even uploaded a picture of her to the website so that we could try them on her “virtually”. I must admit it was pretty cool and easy.
 
 A Bookworm(Mom)’s Diary: I confess, that process was such fun, I tried not just my 5 final choices, but nearly all the women’s frames they had, just to see how I’d look in frames I’d never even think of wearing otherwise. Good thing I did, for I eventually ended up with a frame that hadn’t made it my top 5, just because it looked so good on my face!
 
Just a mom’s take on things…: What really made an impact though is that these glasses – frames and lenses, cost considerably under $100 to order (even when including shipping charges). And we were able to add some options like anti-glare lenses and scratch protection that we haven’t always been able to afford before, even when we had vision insurance.
 
All Because Two People Fell in LOVE: I ordered the Tiber – Bronze and brown – Fashion Eyeglassesfor myself and I love them! These glasses retail for $250.00, but at EyeBuyDirect you only pay $49.95!! That’s a cool saving of $200.05! The $49.95 even includes single vision prescription lenses!!! What a great deal, much cheaper than the last pair I ordered with my Insurance!
 
 Pink Family Reviews: It was easy to pick my out my glasses from EyeBuyDirect. They have all the latest fashionable frames. The ordering process was also easy. I knew right where to fill in all the correct info from my prescription. My glasses arrived in less than a week…I thought that the glasses were great. They were fashionable and of good quality. They fit me perfectly just by going off of my doctor’s prescription.
 
Loving Heart Mommy: I was a bit scared at first to order eyeglasses online, I thought to myself how am I going to know what these particular frames look like on my face, what happens if they are too big, too small, just not right? Eyebuydirect has conveniently come up with the solution for this problem, try before your buy. With EyeBuyDirect’s try before you buy software, all you have to do is upload a good face shot and you can view how the frames of your choice will look on your face.
 
Brain Foggles: I am extremely pleased with my eyeglasses. They look exactly like the images on the site. Having glasses that are anti-reflective has helped me a great deal because of needing them while I use the computer. Their emails kept me up to date on  my order and then on the shipping.
 
Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House: I admit I was worried that I may have messed something up with the prescription, but they’re perfect. I wore them for 3 days straight after I got them and could see perfectly.
 
Mud Bug: I was very pleasantly surprised at how user friendly their site was. Picking and choosing your eye glasses is so easy. You are able to upload a picture and get an idea of what you would look like in them.
 
Homeschooling and Loving It: The service of this company was wonderful!  I received an email when my order was done and ready to ship.
 
O Momma Reviews: I began searching for my new glasses right away and the website was very easy to navigate. They also have a great 100% satisfaction guarantee return/exchange policy if for whatever reason you aren’t satisfied with your choice once it arrives.
 
Busy Mommy Product Review: I just got them and I am so excited! They are awesome! I can not believe how affordable these are.
 
My Organized Chaos: To find your fabulous pair of frames, you can search by gender, style, price, color and more. The EyeBuyDirect site is very easy to use, it includes measurements on all frames and has helpful tips such as how to choose a frame and how to read your prescription.
 
NerdFamily Things: Our grand total, counting shipping, was a mere $83.80. Even with insurance we have never gotten out so cheap! We have never gotten away with less than $100 when we were also using insurance.
 
The Dirty Shirt: I chose the Tiber pair shown above as fashion glasses and I have received a ton of compliments on how great they look and how much they must have cost. These particular frames normally are $250 but at Eye Buy Direct they go for $49.95
 
3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires: The website indicates which frames are suitable for single vision, bi-focal, or progressive lenses. This would be especially helpful for someone like me who currently wears progressive lenses.
 
1stopmom Reviews and Giveaways: Within a few days the glasses were here. They were packed securely. They were exactly what my daughter picked out. I was very happy with the service at EyeBuyDirect and the quality of their glasses.
 
MySentimentExactLee: The big draw for EyeBuyDirect.com is that they have the same glasses you find in stores but for 70% less! Sounds good to me. They also have a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
 
Maria’s Space: They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee, no questions asked. Who has that these days? AND, one of my favorites…they take PAYPAL. I love my PayPal.
 
Mama Sparkles: The new glasses are great! They are actually a better fit than my old ones and the glass is top-notch. The selection is amazing – everything from simple plastic frames to trendy designer styles are available.
 
The Soothie Ranch: I upgraded the lenses to super thin ($42.00), and added anti-reflective ($6.95) and UV ($4.95) coatings (anti-scratch coating is always free!). Even with all these extras, my glasses only totalled $88.85!!! That’s a fraction of what I’ve paid for glasses in the past!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 


 
 

 

 

 

 

 
Filed Under: giveaways, health/beauty, kids, reviews, women

Phokki Photo Artwork Giveaway

March 14, 2009 By Cathi

Congratulations to Felicia from Missouri 

the winner of this giveaway!!

Have you ever wished you were artistic? Perhaps you’re lucky enough to be artistic.
I’m not. Nope, not at all, so I was very happy to learn about Phokki. Phokki is a website where you choose your favorite photo and have it turned into artwork.
3-14-2009-7-18-53-am1You can make great looking photos from stylish designs to sophisticated pieces of art, from gifts to decorations.
There are seven styles to choose from including Photo Restore. In the Photo Restore style you can actually have eyeglasses removed from the original photo!!
The whole process is very fast and easy.
I picked the Illustration style and decided to use a favorite photo of my husband and me.
I simply downloaded the photo to the Phokki website and stated my style choice. I truly can’t be any easier!!3-14-2009-7-20-30-am
 
The seven styles are:
  • Illustration
  • Caricature3-14-2009-7-23-08-amscottandalicia-261x300
  • Vector Pop Art
  • Manga Art
  • Mix and Blend picnikcollage-101
Which style would you choose?
Giveaway!
One lucky reader will win 1 digital artwork with a 15 x 15 inch poster.
To enter this giveaway:
~Visit the Phokki website and pick your favorite style.
~Leave a comment here telling us what it is.
~This giveaway will close at midnight on March 20th.
Earn extra entries by:
~Subscribing to our feed.
~Placing our button in your sidebar.
~Please leave a separate comment for each entry.
Here’s what we think: 
 
Maria’s Space: The pictures are just plain cool. You can make your own greeting cards (with bubble text over your heads), wall art, digital pictures. They are reasonably priced anywhere from $4.90 to $24.95. Phokki was entered in Start-Up @ Singapore Open Category and was awarded First Prize. In addition, Phokki is also nominated as the official representative of Singapore in the Global TIC in Taiwan.
 
3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires: My overall experience with Phokki.com is a positive one. Having chosen a caricature, the possibilities were endless. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted for my custom artwork. If you are thinking about ordering through Phokki, I recommend that you allow them more than 3 days to get your digital image to you. Mine took more than the 3 days since I had requested something that was more difficult to produce. It was definitely worth the wait. My husband and I are going to have ours printed out and will hang it up in the kid’s play area in a poster frame.
 
Brain Foggles We have a photo of my daughter and future son-in-law showing off her engagement ring. I submitted that and chose the Caricature style and are thrilled with the outcome. We are going to re-size it into a poster and frame it. I know they will love this gift because it is meaningful and unique.
 
Rockin’ Mama: The very first thing I noticed about the site, upon entering, was the small box on the left hand side detailing the three little steps necessary to transform a photo into artwork.  Right then and there I decided that this is the perfect solution for us moms who don’t have a lot of time on our hands but want quality artwork. Once you’ve selected your style preference (which was the most difficult part of how wonderful the choices are), upload your photo, and enjoy your work of art. 
 
The Way I See It Too:  Have you ever wished you were artistic? Perhaps you’re lucky enough to be artistic. I’m not. Nope, not at all, so I was very happy to learn about Phokki. Phokki is a website where you choose your favorite photo and have it turned into artwork. You can make great looking photos from stylish designs to sophisticated pieces of art, from gifts to decorations.
 
Filed Under: giveaways, household, reviews

Find it with “Scanalog” ~ Giveaway

March 1, 2009 By Cathi

I loathe shopping however I do enjoy looking through catalogs. When I see a darling set of note cards I think my dear friend might like or a book I know my son would enjoy, I rip the pages out of the catalog for future reference. I also like to browse magazines and again save the photos of flower bed designs that might look perfect in my garden or a particular place I’m anxious to see on our next holiday.
Too bad I’ve never been able to find those pages when I needed them!

Now I know exactly where to find every magazine article, kindergarten drawing and catalog item I had stuffed in a drawer or stacked in my closet. Scanalog files anything I want and I can view it with a few clicks at my computer.

Scanalog Moving Logo

 
Scanalogis the brainchild of Kim Goldstien. Kim has put her heart into this remarkable program. She’s also very generously given our readers an opportunity to win the Scanalog CD-ROM Software Program with the Scantabs Label System and mousepad.
 
 
 
 
 
~ Giveaway ~
~Visit the Scanalog website and pick your favorite master category.
~Leave a comment here telling us what it is.
~This giveaway will close at midnight on March 7th.
Earn extra entries by:
~Subscribing to our feed.
~Placing our button in your sidebar.
~Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

 

This is what our reviewers think of Scanalog:

She Scribes: Personally I have A LOT of magazines, especially Family Fun magazines. They are chuck full of great recipes, activities, costumes, games – you name it! I must have about 50 issues! They are all collecting dust in one of my bookcases. With Scanalog I can scan only the important things I want to hold on to and take the physical magazines to the recycle bin and empty out a HUGE section of one of my bookcases.

Robyn’s Online World: It’s quick and easy to scan items in. If you have a big stack of stuff like I did, just set a number of items or a certain amount of time to do once a day until you get through all of them. In no time you will have everything scanned in and you can get rid of those stacks of magazines and catalogs lying around.

Sage & Savvy Reviews: Scanalog is very user-friendly and the screens are filled with colorful visuals that make organizing and cataloging your magazine articles enjoyable. You’ll no longer have to sift through pages and pages torn out from magazines. Instead, those pages will be stored and efficiently organized on your computer thanks to Scanalog.

 Maria’s Space: Brides can store pictures of dresses, table settings, vacation ideas, flower arrangements, favors and more. Homeschoolers, teachers and hands on parents will be able to catalog all their educational articles into one place. DIY’ers can save all the projects they are interested in. The possibilities are endless.

1 Stop Mom:  have had so much fun using this software. Everyone in my family has found something to scan and store. My husband loves to fish so now he has one place to keep all of the articles he finds with tips and hints.

Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews: Using the Scanalog software is super easy. I didn’t even read any kind of directions or anything, I just inserted the cd and immediately started organizing my magazines and catalogs.

Homeschooling and Loving It!: You can scan your childrens artwork and for us homeschoolers schoolwork.  So if you need or want to throw some papers out,  just scan them in and print when you need them!.  This is great for documents of all kinds including recipes and newspaper clippings. 

A Mama’s Rant:…it does take some time to get your articles scanned. It’s a great project to do while you’re watching a movie or listening to podcast. And remember, you don’t have to do everything at once. Plan to spend an hour here and an hour there, and before you know it your article pile will be gone.

Pink Family Reviews: There is also a ‘Hopes and Dreams’ journal incorporated into the software, where you can record your thoughts, daily activities or anything else that you would like to save.

Busy Mommy Product Review: I was very excited to received this software. But of course, I try to install it and was not able to (seriously this is my life- everyone else can install it with no problem, and I can’t, it figures). I emailed customer support and got an email back immediately and they were able to solve my problem (I had to download an extra file, not sure why, I think I was doing something wrong). But regardless, I was able to get it working ASAP and the customer service was AMAZING.

Val’s Views: My favorite thing about Scanalog is that the catalog system is already built, pleasant to look at and easy to navigate. Even though the system is premade it’s flexible enough that the user can customize it to their needs through the use of subcategories. I love the recipes section, and the fact that I can use main ingredients as keywords. During a guided tour of Scanalog, Kim (the creator of Scanalog) suggested scanning product warranties, which I thought was an excellent idea because I never remember where most of them are.Two of a kind, working on a full house: Don’t have time to sit down and write a journal? Scanalog has a journal already set up with dates and everything! Use it as a journal OR a calender! I am keeping a record of all the new words Evan says and the new things that he starts to do. As this pregnancy progresses, I will also put down special little moments with this baby!

A Nut in a Nutshell: I was fairly skeptical about it until I tried it and I really do love it! The ease of finding something on the program vs. searching through stacks of old magazines trying to find the one with that particular recipe in it that I need….well, I think you can see the logic.

An Island Review: It took a little while to scan everything into the system, however, once that was done I realized that keeping up from now on would be a piece of cake. I especially liked that I could add in my own sub-categories to tailor the program to my needs. For example, I added an area where I could store all of Girlie Girl & Baby Bug’s artwork and letters. I can’t believe the space I’ve saved and I no longer have to decide which item to keep and which to toss. I can now keep them all!

Forgetfulone: I have tried it, and I found that is is very user-friendly. I enjoy being able to open Scanalog and easily find a recipe, a crafting idea, a decorating idea, or an article that I wanted to read again when I have more time.

Nerd Family Things: I like that you can add categories because I had to add some for homeschooling art projects and folder games that I see out on the web. I am even thinking about using it for the kids’ completed projects (since I already do pictures).

Just a Mom’s take on things…: Not only do I get to keep all of my magazine articles (without cluttering up one single countertop or table), but I also have the perfect way to sort and organize all of those digital photos of my kids’ schoolwork and art projects.

All because two people fell in Love:  The quality of the scanned items are great! The pictures turned out clear with very vibrant colors! This would have been very helpful to have when I was planning my wedding, I had tons of magazine cutouts scattered everywhere! We have really enjoyed our Scanalog and still have tons more that we are planning to add! We highly recommend this resourceful software for everyone! It would make a perfect gift for all of your family and friends!

Tara’s View of the World: I found Scanalog super easy to use. The user guide explained everything to me and even this technology challenged girl was able to figure it out :) The scans are easy to read, you can look at them close up, you can print them out to share, the colours are bright, it is an all around wonderful program!

Val’s Views: My favorite thing about Scanalog is that the catalog system is already built, pleasant to look at and easy to navigate. Even though the system is premade it’s flexible enough that the user can customize it to their needs through the use of subcategories. I love the recipes section, and the fact that I can use main ingredients as keywords. 

Mom Giveaways: It took some time to get all of my clippings scanned but it was well worth it.  They are all now in my computer and neatly organized by category.  I can find any magazine clipping I want in seconds.

Shelterednot Shattered: As a homeschooler I like to keep up with some of the schoolwork the kids do also so now I can scan that in and put it in categories such as Oldest’s Math and we can go back and see how he has improved in math over the months. It has endless possibilities as to what you can scan and how you can group it.

The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth: This software catalogs all of your magazine articles, pamphlets, children’s artwork, important documents, and stores them for you in categories. There are eleven master categories….and then there are many subcategories that you can make to suit your needs. It is great to have all of the articles, items, and paperwork that you are saving in one place on your computer. The Scanalog software retails for $49.95and I highly reccomend it to all of you magaizine junkies who are saving articles for years…or like me decorating ideas for your ultimate house.

The Dirty Shirt: I am collecting things my middle daughter has said she likes. Over the years I have been ripping out pages of magazines, books (don’t worry they were my books) and printed things off the internet secretly. Now I am scanning them all into my Scanalog program and one day, when she is planning her wedding, I want to show her all the things she said she liked, all the colors and styles of dresses she said she wanted, of her favorite flower pictures, in hopes that she will find amongst her past something for her future.

From Melissa’s Desk:  This product was designed to help the clutter!! I LOVE IT!! I have stacks and stacks of magazines…family ones, homeschooling ones, Home & Garden, Celebrity News…and that’s just me. It was awesome to finally be able to throw away some of those old magazines without the regret that I was throwing out some needful information.
 
 Brain Foggles: I was able to scan my daughters’ report cards, drawings, handmade cards and awards and upload them to my computer easily and quickly. Once that was done, I used Scanalog for those magazines I’ve been saving for ideas on remodeling the other rooms in my house, some ideas for Lady Ali’s wedding and the catalogs I had for items I want to buy when I can afford them.

Filed Under: educational, giveaways, household, reviews

Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion

January 30, 2009 By Cathi
Skin care is a concern of almost everyone regardless of age or gender. I found a fabulous remedy in Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion.
Skin MD  is incredibly light and unbelievably concentrated. A little drop keeps going and going and going! Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion is unique because it is a shielding lotion. A fundamental difference between this Shielding Lotion and traditional lotions is that Shielding Lotion enhances the skin’s own natural protective abilities by turning the outer layer of skin into what could be described as a hydrating invisible shield.
According to the website and several doctor reviews, Skin MD has helped many people with skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Mommy Blog Reviews: The first bottle sent was SKIN MD with Sunscreen. I don’t usually use sunscreen but I figured what the heck. If you have really sensitive skin, skip the sunscreen. It left my legs in itchy, splotchy, hive-infested disarray for three days. The sponsor wanted to know if I was brave enough to try the regular shielding lotion without the sunscreen. Because I am THAT DESPERATE to get rid of my dry skin I said I would be happy to, and then passed off the first sample to a friend of mine that does not have sensitive skin. The regular Skin MD shielding lotion (aloe vera plant not included) was AMAZING. Silky smooth legs, no greasy after-feeling from non-absorbed lotion…it was a dream.

Mom Start: My daughter has Eczema sometimes and recently has broken out with a rash under her neck. I put some of this lotion on her and her neck stopped bothering her. I’m not claiming it as a miracle cure for Eczema. My daughter has very mild Eczema and only occasionally.

Mommy Goggles: I had a wonderful opportunity to review some Skin MD Shielding Lotion. Funny because I was just telling hubby the other day how much my hands hurt from this cold wind that we have been having here in Iowa. I have tried a few lotions that we had in our bathroom cabinet, but nothing was working the way I wish they would. Sure, they left my hands soft and felt moisturized just as soon as I put the lotion on, but what happened the next day? Bam – back to the same ol’ dry hands. It was to the point that my hands were cracking. Ouch! What else do I love about Skin MD Shielding Lotion? The smell. There is no smell!

Mama Sparkles: I love this lotion! It’s light, non greasy and has a refreshing smell. You can use it anywhere on your body, from your face, your hands to your feet. My skin feels silky smooth after applying it and the best part is that it stays that way. I can actually feel my skin being protected as it receives the much needed moisture. The reason for this is because Skin MD is a shielding lotion.

Sassy Frazz:  This lotion doesn’t leave an oily feeling either, but goes on nice and smooth. With it being winter time, many people think that they are safe from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Even though the temperatures are colder, the sun’s rays are just as dangerous as in the summer months.

Chocolate Fingerprints:  The most harmful thing I do to my skin is wash dishes! That said, I really do feel that this lotion has helped my skin to stay softer, and has protected it from what slight ravages I put it through.

A Little Bit Nutty:  What I loved about the Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion: It wasn’t greasy. I hate this and feeling like I have to wipe my hands off after applying. I didn’t have to reapply over and over.

Thoughts from the Mrs.:  After using this lotion, I found I didn’t need to apply more lotion to my skin throughout the day. Other lotions I regularly use, often need to be applied multiple times a day to keep my skin from getting flaky. I simply applied the lotion once in the morning and once to my hands throughout the day.

Cutie Booty Reviews:  I really like Skin MD for my hands. The bottle is small enough to fit in my purse and I use it every time I wash my hands. This is critical during the winter months because if I don’t moisturize my hands they are white from dryness. Another thing that I like about the product is that a little goes a long way. I am sure that I will be able to use this 4 ounce bottle for a couple of months.

Mommy Musing:  The lotion is thin, not thick and greasy. The best way to describe this product is a glass of water for your skin. It is one of the only lotions that I have used where the lotion is absorbed into the skin and does not leave any kind of residue. I felt so confident in this lotion after using it on my body that I used it on my face! Usually that is the biggest no-no in skincare, to use a lotion made for the body on your face, but the bottle did say for face, hand, and body- and they were right.

Design Baby: I rubbed it in & it seemed to just seep right into the skin. My skin felt soft, renewed, and radiant! I’ve heard many lotion campaigns claim to make your skin glow in radiance. This was the first product that has ever made me actually feel that way!

 

The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth: The one thing I have a problem with is that I have oily skin and most moisturizers that also contain sunscreen feel oily…and will cause me blemishes within days (ugh 36 and still dealing with acne). I haven’t had that problem at all with Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion. It has no greasy residue on my face, and I have not broken out since using it for the last two weeks.

Is it Naptime yet?: After using this, I noticed how soft my hands were looking and feeling. My hands  always get cracked during the winter.. even to the point of bleeding, this helped immensely.

From Melissa’s Desk: I gave this lotion a shot and I was pleasantly surprised at the light, non-greasy feeling it left. Plus it has really seemed to improve the softness of my skin. I really like the fact that it is hypoallergenic and can be used on your face, hands and body.

Riding With No Hands Reviews: When I squeezed it into my hand the first time, I was surprised at how thin its consistency was. A tiny bit really goes a long way, so I completely understand why it comes in such a small bottle. At only 4 ounces, it’s the perfect size to carry in my purse, which is a huge plus.

Tara’s View of the World: This lovely lotion really does work. It feels wonderful to put on with no icky greasiness left over. It has a light pleasing scent. I love that it’s two main ingredients are purified water and aloe vera! I have found that Skin MD shielding lotion really helps my dry skin. No more uncomfortable skin for me!

Fefyfomanna: When I received my lotion I tried it out right away and the first thing I noticed is that it rubs in quickly. That’s good cuz as a mom who’s busy cooking dinner you don’t need slippery hands! The next thing I noticed is this lotion has a pleasant scent that dissipates quickly…another good thing as my hubby doesn’t care for perfumes. The final test…how does it work? Well my skin feels great! No more dry and cracked skin…and no more bleeding knuckles!

Pink Family Reviews: I was lucky enough to receive a bottle from Skin MD to try. It’s very dry here in the winter in WI and Skin MD was perfect in treating my dry hands. I loved how it not only moisturized, but protected my skin. I definitely recommend this for anyone that cares about their skin.

My Sentiments ExactLee I live in Florida where it is bright and sunny all the time. A sunscreen is a necessity in my beauty arsenal. It is reassuring to know that while I am protecting myself against the irritants of our environment like shampoo, soap and cosmetics I’m also killing two birds with one stone by utilizing a great skin care product which contains SPF 15 as well.

Nerd Family Things:  I have sensitive skin that can be prone to breakouts and I was pleasantly shocked that I didn’t breakout at all! The lotion has a light sunscreen odor that quickly dissapaites and has a light feel as you apply that is completely weightless.

Loving Heart Mommy: Due to the harsh cold we’ve been having lately and my tendency to have dry skin, Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion was a moisturizing miracle! It is the most hydrating lotion I’ve ever used. I put it on my face, hands, legs, pretty much all over and the results were miraculous! My skin felt refreshed and revived, soft and smooth without a hint of dryness creeping back at all!

Our Seven Qtpies: I have to say that I think this is the best type of moisturizer to use for your face. It doesn’t add anything to cause acne, it uses your own moisture. Now with the added SPF protection, it really tops my list.

SAHM Reviews: I received a bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion plus Sunscreen in the mail a week or so ago.  Sunscreen in the summer makes total sense but how many people think about applying it when they aren’t wearing a swimsuit?  You probably think you don’t need sunscreen in the winter, but your skin is constantly exposed to UV rays.  Your face gets a double dose of UV rays in the winter as the sun is reflected off the snow.

Three P’s in a Pod: A few years ago, I might have looked at the addition of the sunscreen as kind of an ‘oh, that’s nice‘ kind of addition but not any more. Having my Dad develop cancer really showed me that it can and does happen to anyone. Ask anyone who has themselves or had a family member get that lovely diagnosis – it changes everything.

The Mud Bug: At first I was skeptical of all their promises. I did read up on this product to make sure I knew what I was using. I wanted to be clear on its purpose, outcomes, etc. After giving Skin MD a week of faithful use I can definitely say that all the promises are true.

All Because Two People Fell In Love: We were thrilled with the reults of this great lotion! I hate to put lotion on my face because of the oily feeling but with Skin MD this is something that I don’t have to worry about!! Skin MD is promptly absorbed with no greasy or oily feeling!

Mom of 2 Dancers Reviews: I have found that this bottle sure packs a big punch. You only need a small amount, it is absorbed quickly and your skin immediately feels better. Another thing I love is that this can be used all over your entire body. I never put my “regular” lotion on my face, but the Skin MD Natural with SPF 15 even works on my face.

Homeschooled Year: What I needed, and didn’t know about, was a shielding lotion. Skin MD Natural Sheilding Lotion with SPF 15 protection is just that. It’s part moisturizer, part SPF 15 sun block, and part magical cream that actually pulls moisture out of the air into your skin, instead out of your skin into the air. 

The Mom Buzz: I have sensitive skin, so I usually don’t apply products to my face. But I decided to try Skin MD and was super pleased! Not greasy, no clogged pores and no reaction.

Brain Foggles: I think of it as a way to protect your skin from outside things that can harm your skin like soaps and shampoos, cleaning supplies, makeup, perfumes, and other things like chemicals you use for hobbies, work, etc. Of course there’s the sun too.   

 

Giveaway!

One winner will receive a 4 ounce bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF+15. (retail $25)
~ Visit the Skin MD website.
~ Leave a comment on this post mentioning what you like about Skin MD lotions.
~ This giveaway closes at midnight, Friday, February 6.
Filed Under: giveaways, health/beauty, kids, reviews, women

FootBo?? Soccer!!

January 29, 2009 By Cathi

[1-29-2009+7-16-19+PM.jpg] The sport of Soccer is as popular in Europe and other parts of the world as Football is in the United States. I think I’ll go as far as saying, it might even be more popular.

From that popularity, comes the awesome website footbo“.
You can find stats on U.S. teams and teams from all over the world. I found it interesting that England has over 280 teams. I was able to see the game schedule for each of the teams and where they rank in their division. I was mesmerized and frankly, I’m not even a soccer fan.

The Amateur Section is my favorite.

This is where young city league players (or any players) can become a celebrity!

Write your own profile and biography and keep track of your game statistics. Other players and footbo (soccer) fans can read all about you and follow your accomplishments. You can even post newspaper articles about yourself! People will begin to read your information and viola! you now have fans!!

Amateur Soccer teams also have a section where the players and fans can keep track of the game schedule. The teams stats and newspaper articles can be posted too. The team can even discuss game plays and upcoming opposing teams. There’s a “Man of the Match” award too!

Footbo is an excellent website where amateur soccer players can learn everything they want to know about their favorite teams and players, both pro and amateur.

This is what our members have to say about foobo.

The Power of a Housewife Word of Mouth: One of Kyle’s favorite parts of the site was that they had a whole section devoted to amateur clubs of the game. He spent a good part of the afternoon reading stats and in general seeing how his high school team stacked up against those he read about. Amateur teams can create their own personal team page, with a team photo, logo, other photos/videos, and team history. Team pages give players the ability to let the Footbo community get to know their team and keep track of the latest events. He also really liked that they have sections of the site devoted to certain teams complete with fan clubs and message boards. His favorite team is Manchester United and he enjoyed reading the messages written by their fans.

Rockin Mama: I went on the amateur part of the site and found it to be simple to use and actually quite fun!  Once you create your profile (either individually as a player or with a group as a team), you can create your own soccer biography, complete with stats like the pros, and share photos and videos of your game highlights with your fans.  If you are part of team, you can create a customized team page complete with team photo, logo, videos, and team history.  Team members can communicate with each other and coordinate events like practice sessions and upcoming games.  If I were as dedicated to the sport as they are in Europe, I’d probably be on it every day! The best way I can describe the site is that it’s like Facebook for footballers (I promise I did not make that word up!).

Loving Heart Mommy: The website is very crisp and clean and there are so many great tools for your players, literally at your fingertips! Registration is “FREE”! From online widgets, to video clips of game footage, football blogs, and connecting with your team and friends, there is a bit for all players devoted to the game we call “Soccer”, but as known in the UK as Football!

All Because Two People Fell In Love: My son thought it was cool that you can create a customized page just for his team! These pages include team pictures, videos, and stats of your team. The site is a great practice for team members to coordinate practice and game schedules. If I were as dedicated to the sport as they are in Europe, I’d probably be on it every day! This site reminds me a lot of Facebook! On this site instead of having friends you have fans!

The Clan McLeod: Footbo is a great way to stay in touch with other lovers of the greatest game ever played! It’s easy (and free) to register and navigate. It was created BY soccer players, FOR soccer players.

Just a Mom’s Take on Things: Both of my older girls play soccer on local teams, and although they’re still just learning the game, it’s great to see that there’s a place where parents and coaches can share information about their teams, photos from the games and connect with other teams, both local or not. So many kids here in the US play soccer, and I’m sure it’s the same way in other countries where ‘football’ is even more popular as a professional sport. What a great way for kids from all over the world to share their love of playing and learn more about teams and fellow players from other nations.

Giveaway!

We have a football (soccer) USB reader for one lucky winner.

  • Visit FootBo and look around.
  • Then come back here and leave a comment telling us your part.
  • For an extra entries, subscribe to our feed and/or post our button in your sidebar.
  • Leave a separate comment for each entry.
  • This giveaway ends at midnight on February 6.
Filed Under: educational, entertainment, giveaways, kids, reviews
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