A Bookworm Mom's Diary

Extra 120-Day Get Fit Giveaway

2011-12-15T17:20:00.001-06:00

How time flies - feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the coming of 2011, and here is it, almost time to bid it adieu. The New Year is just days away and you know what comes with it - that's right New Year resolutions! And the biggest New Year resolution of all is Weight Loss and Getting Fit.

Extra Gum is there to help people get fit and they're doing it with their 120-Day Get Fit Giveaway!

Throughout the holiday season and as New Years' resolutions approach, Extra Dessert Delights® gum is the perfect ammo to have on hand as an easy alternative to high calorie snacks, and now they're offering even more ways to bring everyone a little more support during these crucial times.

With the 120-Day Get Fit Giveaway, fitness buffs and gum chewers alike can enter once a day to win unique fitness-focused prizes that will help keep your New Years' resolutions on track.

From now until March 29th, 2012, you can visit http://www.extragum.com/ for daily prize giveaways and the chance to win the Grand Prize- a fitness adventure trip to Red Mountain Resort in Utah.

Prizes change daily, so entrants should be sure to check back each day to see what the fun new prize will be.

Being Healthy is the best gift we can give ourselves. So, let's get started!

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.

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Save as well as get Free Milk from Kroger!

2011-11-20T09:36:00.001-06:00

I love to shop at Kroger. Because they have some great deals going on. Do you know their latest? They're offering :

- From November 13th through November 26th, with the purchase of any four participating* General Mills products, you will either receive free milk (up to $3; limit of 2) or to receive $3 off your shopping order**

- Look for some of your favorite participating General Mills products like Cheerios, Pillsbury Ready to Bake Cookies, Nature Valley Bars and Fiber One Bars

- Promotion varies in different locations. Please be sure to check your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores for specific deals and offers which include Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith´s, Fry´s, QFC, Baker´s, Owen´s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Food4Less, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott´s Food & Pharmacy.

*Excludes General Mills meal and baking products including; Betty Crocker, Old El Paso, Progresso, Hamburger Helper, Macaroni Grill, Wanchai Ferry, Yoplait

**Promotion varies based on store location; check your local Kroger store for details (Cash Offer: Mid South, Delta, Mid Atlantic, SW Louisiana stores, Central Missouri stores and Dillons Missouri stores)

To know which are these participating products, just pick up a Kroger ad pages in-store (I've usually seen it near the hand baskets in my nearest Kroger). After getting mine, I saw that some of the participating products were cereals, so I headed straight to the cereal aisle where there were these handy tags which told me exactly which of the items was a participating product. It was easy to just toss in boxes of some family favorite cereals like Lucky Charms, Cheerios etc. We go through a box a week, so this deal was great! I got something we needed anyway and got something free as well - milk! Goes great with those cereals, wouldn't you know :-)

Visit Kroger.com for more information and great ways to save and be sure to check out the Kroger Facebook page to join the conversation.

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Disclosure: The Kroger gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark.
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Hey Arnold Season 1

2011-09-01T22:06:00.000-05:00

Created by Craig Bartlett as a comic in 1986, Hey Arnold! debuted as an animated short for the Nickelodeon film Harriet the Spy in 1996. It then went on to air on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2001, subsequently airing on "Nick on CBS" from 2002 until 2004. Now, for the first time, the long anticipated Hey Arnold!: Season One (4-disc set) is available in stores.

Featuring all 20 hilarious episodes, Hey Arnold!: Season One follows the adventures of Arnold, the original football-headed boy’s life in the big city alongside his Grandpa, Grandma, Abner the pig and a host of other friends and neighbors. Each episode finds Arnold in a new, sticky situation, whether it’s helping out a schoolmate with their problems or dealing with his own. Unfortunately, Arnold’s predicaments are often started by Helga, a schoolmate who picks on Arnold and constantly bullies him. However, Helga only pretends to dislike Arnold to hide the fact that she is secretly in love with him!

Episodes List

DISK 1: Downtown as Fruits, Eugene's Bike, The Little Pink Book, Field Trip, Arnold's Hat, Stoop Kid, Helga's Makeover, The Old Building, 6th Grade Girls, The Baseball.
DISK 2: Heat, Snow, Operation Ruthless, The Vacant Lot, The List, Haunted Train, Mugged, Roughin' It, Door #16, Arnold as Cupid.
DISK 3: Arnold's Christmas, Beachwarmer, Cool Jerk, Das Subway, Wheezin' Ed, Tutoring Torvald, Gerald Comes Over, Spelling Bee, Pigeon Man.
DISK 4: Olga Comes Home, Sally's Comet, Abner Come Home, The Sewer King, False Alarm, World Records, Magic Show, 24 hours to live, Arnold's Valentine.

We were unfamiliar with this series and so I watched some of them alone before I realized how enjoyable they are and shared them with my kids. While not receiving the unbroken attention that Spongebob gets from them, my kids still watched a few episodes with interest. The kids in the series are a bit older than them and while the hilarious episodes are still fun to watch, my kids couldn't exactly relate to them. They didn't like Helga at all and couldn't understand when I tried to explain she didn't really mean it. I assume it's the age difference speaking. But I liked them and look forward to watching the other episodes with interest.

One thing - the dvd doesn't have captions. Not a biggie if you don't use them, but I do use them and their lack make the viewing experience a bit harder for me. Also, there are no extras in this dvd set, which is again not a biggie if you watch them only once for curiosity sake.

Otherwise, it looks and sounds great.

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Chuggington's newest DVD - It's Training Time

2011-08-04T20:38:00.000-05:00

My kids really enjoy the action-packed, fun yet educational series of Chuggington. Wilson, Brewster and Koko are the 'trainees' as well as the main characters in this animated series. As can be seen from the photo below, they sat spellbound watching the episodes unfold as the charming and colorful series gently teaches as it entertains.

With a supporting cast of various other trains as well as human and animal animated characters, the three chuggers get into a lot of mischief but overall learn how to “ride the rails” of life and become a productive part of society.

'It's Training Time' is the latest Dvd to be released in this series. It features six episodes plus a three-minute bonus “Badge Quest” episode, Running On Time, which explores the importance of being punctual. Weaved throughout the fun-filled adventures are lessons to help hone preschoolers’ pro-social skills, such as the value of setting a good example (Training Time Harrison); cleanliness (Wilson Gets A Wash); following directions (Koko And The Tunnel); diversity (Watch Out Wilson); self-confidence (Wilson’s Smooth Move) and not jumping to conclusions (Eddie Finds Time).

In 'Wilson Gets a Wash', (photos above) Wilson hides when he learns that the trainees are all going to get a wash. He has a lot of fun getting dirty and evading the other chuggers who're looking for him. Finally he's caught and made to take a wash. He surprisingly enjoys the process and feels good about getting clean. A valuable lesson in cleanliness comes across without the young viewers even being aware of it. I certainly had no trouble getting my kids to have a bath that day.

I took these photographs in less than ideal conditions, so the blurriness and other defects are the result of that.

Disclosure - This product was received for review/feature consideration.

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Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diapers

2011-07-27T15:26:00.001-05:00

One of the most important word Parents add to their vocabulary is 'Diapers' - a product that features a great deal in their lives as well as that of their children for a significant time. My kids still use diapers, especially the younger one who's just getting toilet-trained and so diapers are always on my shopping list. I continue to struggle to balance my budget with my conscience because I'd like to buy more of the 'healthy' diapers like that of Seventh Generation, but can't always afford to. So I compromise by getting Seventh Generation diapers every other time I go to buy diapers. Health and wealth given priority in equal proportion :)

Needless to say when I was recently offered a chance to check out Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diapers, I was ecstatic!

With the same great performance that parents have come to expect from Seventh Generation, Free & Clear diapers have a brand new look that makes it ‘clear’ what makes them so special.

Here's what sets these diapers apart:

Free & Clear diapers do not include:
- chlorine processing,
- fragrances,
- latex and
- petroleum based lotions.
They're redesigned with a lighter-weight core = Less overall landfill waste + a premium standard of absorbency.
They have processed chlorine-free wood pulp = NO chlorine is released into the environment during the totally chlorine-free (TCF) whitening process of the diapers and training pants.
Lesser size of the diapers’ plastic packaging = Each pack now contributes even less overall landfill waste than before = this diaper packaging can now be recycled at local supermarkets where plastic bag recycling collection boxes are available!

My thoughts - For newbies, the dull beige color of these chlorine-free diapers will come as a surprise, as it did my husband who took quite some time getting used to them, as the color isn't the same fresh white ones of other popular diapers. Check out this link for more information on the color of these diapers.

Though these diapers work the same and are, at the same time, better for the environment. After all, a greener Earth is the one legacy that's in all our powers to leave our children with - so it's up to us to make it a better one, as far as possible! Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diapers are a good way to start.

If you love Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diapers, then why not Tweet about it?

@SeventhGen Free & Clear diapers are great for your kids and for the environment. Try them today! #myblogspark @callmeabookworm

You can also follow them on Twitter and friend them on Facebook. For more information on these diapers, please visit the Seventh Generation website.

Disclosure -Seventh Generation provided me with the free product and information through MyBlogSpark.
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Fun in the Sun with YoPlait Kids Yogurt

2011-06-28T16:16:00.007-05:00

Summer is here and my kids are forever asking for something cool to sip or eat. Fruits, ice creams and popsicles rate high among their favorites. But their favorite thing of all is Yogurt. My kids will eat yogurt any time of the day or night, whatever the weather outside, but especially in summer. And as I've described to you before, Yoplait is a brand that's long been a family favorite when it comes to yogurt.

Did you know :

Yoplait Kids has an excellent source of both calcium and vitamin D, a good source of protein and the delicious taste kids demand.
It also contains 25% less sugar than the leading kids' yogurt.
It has
- no high fructose corn syrup,
- no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.
A great value at just $2.00 for a pack of four, this yogurt comes in three delicious flavors, including Strawberry, Strawberry Banana and Vanilla. Kids will love finding their favorite friends, like Dora the Explorer, Lightning McQueen from the hit movie “Cars” and the Disney Princesses, on every cup.

Yoplait Kids has a smooth texture and yummy fruit flavors that my children love, plus the calcium, vitamins and protein they need. I can say with confidence that I have no worries about giving my kids Yoplait Kids -it's a snack and a treat - all in one.

Visit Yoplait on Facebook to “Like” the brand. Also, be sure to “Follow” Yoplait on Twitter to keep up with the latest news from Yoplait.

Disclosure - Yoplait provided me with the free product and information through MyBlogSpark.
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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors

2011-06-13T11:07:00.001-05:00

As previously mentioned, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse remains a daily favorite with my kids whose only complaint is that they can't watch it all day long. Which is why it was my delight to share the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors dvd with them.

About the dvd - Mickey Mouse and his famous pals (Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Goofy, Daisy and Toodles) join efforts to inspire preschoolers around the country to enjoy the outdoors by camping, fishing and exploring nature. It features four episodes from the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” TV show plus one all-new, never-before-seen episode.

Episode list :

Mickey’s Camp Out
Mickey and Minnie’s Jungle Safari
Daisy in the Sky
Daisy’s Grasshopper
Bonus Episode - Mickey’s Fish Story

What's interesting - Disney has packaged Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors to include:

a DVD,
a Digital Copy - parents can download all the episodes onto a secondary device for easy, portable on-the-go access. I personally found this to be the best feature. These episodes are now on my smart phone, all ready for those emergency "bored and ready to scream" kid scenarios.
and a Mickey Mote - it's a child-friendly handheld remote control in the shape of Mickey's head (as you can see in the picture above, top left hand corner, the red one) that allows kids to engage with their favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters while watching Mickey’s Great Outdoors.
- The remote does require a bit programming on the parent's part which is easy enough to do using the quick set-up guide in each DVD.

And that makes this the ultimate Play Set.

Just fyi - To date, there are more than 13 Disney Preschool DVD titles for parents to choose from that can be used with the remote control.

As always my kids loved this dvd and the stories within are as entertaining as they're educational. Which is why Mickey Mouse Clubhouse remains this parent's favorite also.

Here's a clip for your entertainment :

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Veggie Tales: Live! Sing Yourself Silly

2011-06-09T03:52:00.002-05:00

Veggie Tales: Live! Sing Yourself Silly captures all the fun of the live tour with energetic dancers, loads of bubbles, confetti, classic and popular VeggieTales silly songs and much more.

Here Bob, Larry & the whole crew are taking to the stage with the silliest Silly Song Countdown ever. This high energy song and dance spectacular takes silliness to a whole new level. But sometimes silliness just isn't enough. Archibald Asparagus prefers songs that have lessons, Mr. Lunt only wants to sing about food, and Jimmy and Jerry Gourd are stuck in the 80s. But there's only so much time..will the Veggies learn the importance of sharing so that the show can go on and everyone will be able to sing themselves silly??

Like with all children's dvds I get for review, I sat down to watch this one with my kids. Five minutes later I was amazed as my younger kid walked off, completely bored due to the lack of animated characters in it while my older one started singing and dancing along with the costumed characters on stage. We've watched other Veggie Tales dvds before and they've all had animated characters in them and anything animated generally holds my kids spellbound and, I confess, myself as well! But never a live performance. Like my younger child, I was soon bored with the silly onstage antics of the performers and couldn't make head or tail of the lyrics. I also found the onstage bantering to be totally absurd and couldn't help wondering how the adults in the audience felt.

That made it even more amazing that my other kid just Loved this dvd. Not just plain, ordinary 'loved', mind you. This dvd is now his all time favorite and he wants to watch it all the time. That kind of 'loved'! So I guess, in the dvd, the adults in the audience were carried away by their children's enthusiastic response to what was happening on-stage as I was with my own child's appreciative reaction. Guess you have to be the right age to watch and enjoy it. The performers sure know how to captivate the age-appropriate audience as is proved by my older kid's reaction.

I asked and according to my child reviewer, this dvd gets two thumbs up!

More informaton :

Includes The Songs:

“VeggieTales Theme Song”
"The Water Buffalo Song”
"Big Things Too"
"Gourds Just Wanna Have Fun"
"Song of the Cebu"
"Dance of the Cucumber"
"God is Bigger"
"His Cheeseburger"
"Love My Lips!"
"The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything"
"Do the Moo, Shoo"
"Rumor Weed"
"Endangered Love" (Barbara Manatee)
"Bellybutton"
"Footloose"
"The Hairbrush Song"
"I Can Be Your Friend"
"VeggieTales Theme Song (Reprise)"

Bonus Features:

Larry’s Backstage Pass – Behind the scenes of VeggieTales Live!
VeggieTales Trivia Game
Discussion Guide
Silly Song Sing-Alongs (4 songs)

About VeggieTales Live! Sing Yourself Silly

Not Rated
Approximately 70 minutes
Color
5.1 Surround Sound
English Subtitles Close-Captioned
Widescreen Version

And here's a trailer :

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Transformers: Beast Wars- Season One

2011-06-07T11:23:00.002-05:00

The 4-DVD set of Transformers Beast Wars: Season One is an action-packed thrill ride for any Transformers fan. Or if, like me, you're a bit new to the Transformers world (well, apart from the movies, that is), then you'll soon be intrigued enough to watch and want more. I certainly hope to get my hands on the rest of this Beast Wars series, not to mention the entire Transformers series itself.

The 26-episode series, which debuted in 1996, is set in the future of the "original" Transformers universe. When the descendants of the treacherous Decepticons — now known as PREDACONS — land on a mysterious planet in search of a powerful fuel known as Energon, it’s up to Optimus Primal and the heroic Maximals to stop them before they conquer the universe!

Below you can see a slideshow showcasing some of the characters

Bonus Features include:

Maximize! Creating A New Breed of TRANSFORMER
Art gallery
Original character models

While this dvd set is not rated and meant for all audiences, I personally feel my kids are a bit young to watch or understand this series at this time. Which is why I haven't shared this with them yet, although I really look forward to the day when I can.

Here's a trailer :

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The Wild Thornberrys: Season 1

2011-06-01T14:24:00.002-05:00

The Wild Thornberrys: Season One

We never saw The Wild Thornberrys when it was originally on air (1998-2004 with reruns airing on Nicktoons and CBS from 2002-2007). Which is why it came as a delightful surprise when I sat down with my kids to watch this series for the first time on the dvd release - which has long been anticipated by fans but has not been available in stores until now.

The hit series follows the Thornberry family as they travel the world in their Communications Vehicle (or CommVee) looking for rare animals to film.After an encounter with an African shaman, their youngest child Eliza was given the power to speak to animals!

Every episode in this adventure-packed dvd set follows Eliza as she comes face-to-face with an assortment of animals, continents and danger. Encounter wildlife in all its natural glory and eavesdrop on Eliza’s conversations with silverback gorillas, pythons, crested grebes, tapirs, capybaras, antelopes and opossums while the CommVee travels on!

Vibrant animation, exotic locations, charming storytelling plus an all-star voice cast, make season one of The Wild Thornberrys an epic family adventure and will no doubt attract a new audience of kids as well as young adults who grew up watching the television series. My kids are among those who're viewing this series only in dvd format. More than the human characters, they were in complete awe of the variety of animals featured in the episodes. I found it very cute that they later went into the backyard and tried speaking to butterflies, squirrels etc. My imaginative son came back with details of the imaginative conversations he'd had just like Eliza did. Not only did my kids come to know about animals in their natural habitats, but also empathized enough to treat them as someone to befriend, instead of caged beasts.

The release of this dvd is part of Nickelodeon’s commitment to bring back classic shows. Nickelodeon will also launch a new nighttime programming block this fall on TeenNick called “The ‘90s Are All That!,” featuring a rotating selection of iconic live-action and animated shows from Nickelodeon’s 1990s. Needless to say, hopefully we'll get to watch them this time around.

To pique your curiosity, here's a clip from this series :

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Dvd Review - Wubbzy Saves the Day

2011-05-19T14:03:00.000-05:00

In his own special way, this yellow best friend of kids everywhere, lends a hand, not to mention a bendy tail, in the new dvd, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy Saves the Day

Although their world is more fanciful and imaginative than our own, Wubbzy, Widget, Walden and Daizy deal with the same social and develomental issues faced by preschoolers. They learn how to fit in a grout, understand their feelings and those of others and more.

My kids have loved Wubbzy from the beginning, this dvd being their fourth or fifth one. So it was this one too, as both of them (especially the older one) watched this dvd with complete attention as Wubbzy hosted a bird-watching slumber party, had a memorable picnic in the park with Daizy and Widget, help a lost group of baby “chirpees” find their way home and stop a snoozing “Moo Moo” from vesting kooky spells all over Wuzzleburg!

The high-energy title features six engaging episodes packed with age-appropriate lessons for preschoolers all about sharing, caring, being yourself and helping others. Complete with toe-tapping tunes that got my little ones moving, “Wubbzy Saves The Day” comes to the rescue with adorable special features including a fun printable growth chart.

In a nutshell, parents and kids can watch this dvd with equal pleasure and enthusiasm.

Disclosure - This product was received for review/feature consideration.
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Sound of Music Sweepstakes

2011-03-01T10:43:00.001-06:00

I was a young child when I first saw Rodgers & Hammerstein's immortal Sound of Music on the big screen. I've watched it many many times since then, the most recent with my kids, and it remains as fresh as ever. It came as no surprise to me to learn that THE SOUND OF MUSIC Facebook page hit 1 Million fans this weekend!

On the SOUND OF MUSIC Facebook page fans are able to interact with the movie’s stars in special interview segments (such as a Q&A with Julie Andrews which brought a huge response); see “sneak-preview” moments (such as the first glimpse of the Blu-ray, and the historic family cast reunion on OPRAH); learn about stage productions happening all over the world (including the Salzburg premiere set for next October); and follow such off-beat SOUND OF MUSIC-inspired events as THE HILLS ARE ALIVE (BRO’s rock-band tribute); FRAULEIN MARIA (Doug Elkins’ modern dance piece); and SINGALONG SOUND OF MUSIC (the wildly popular interactive movie experience).

To celebrate this milestone, Rodgers & Hammerstein: An Imagem Company joins forces with 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment and sponsor-partners in Salzburg, Austria, to offer the ultimate Salzburg dream vacation sweepstakes for the ultimate SOUND OF MUSIC fan!

To enter to win a vacation to Salzburg – where the story is set and the movie was filmed -- visit www.rnh.com/SalzburgSweepstakes. The contest includes airfare for two people; a four-night stay at a five star hotel; a tour of Salzburg; tickets to the opening of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Salzburger Landestheater in October 2011, THE SOUND OF MUSIC 45^th anniversary Collector’s Edition, and more.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/thesoundofmusic.

Also be sure to find R&H on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/rodgersandhammerstein

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Fellowes Shredder for the Home Office

2011-02-28T00:04:00.002-06:00

Identity theft is one of the country's fastest growing crimes. One simple way in which we can all protect ourselves from it is to shred confidential paper documents with a Cross-Cut paper shredder because it provides high security, destroying confidential information into unidentifiable pieces.

Fellowes has created a cutting-edge shredder that features enhanced technology to protect from identity theft, and also includes safety features that protect children and pets from injury.

The Fellowes P-12C paper shredder is a durable, innovative and affordable machine. With Fellowes’ industry-leading technologies, the P-12C provides high-security and is safe for family environments.

* To ensure high-security against identity thieves, the P-12C features Cross-Cut technology, which destroys a single sheet of paper into nearly 399 particles.

* The P-12C also includes Fellowes’ patented SafeSense technology, which disables the shredder when it senses hands or large pets come too close to the paper opening.

* The P-12C can also shred staples, credit cards and paper clips to help speed up your spring cleaning process.

* Its slim profile design allows the P-12C to fit in any office environment, including under desks or in kitchens and other rooms.

The P-12C has a suggested retail price of $89.99 and is available at Target Stores nationwide.

Disclaimer: One2One Network and Fellowes provided me with the information for editorial purposes.
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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie's Masquerade DVD

2011-02-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

Not a single weekday goes by without my kids watching their favorite morning show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. And now with the arrival of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Masquerade DVD, my kids can watch their favorite episodes wherever they may be.

Parents and their preschoolers are invited to join in the ultimate masquerade party with Minnie, Mickey and pals in a fun-filled collection of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse latest episodes that celebrate themes of friendship, teamwork, sharing and problem solving.

This latest release features four playful Minnie-themed adventures previously seen on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse TV show, a never-before-seen episode, and a free paper mask with festive embellishments that kids can personalize. And as a special option for consumers, Disney has packaged a version of the DVD to include the exclusive Mickey Mote – a child-friendly handheld remote control, shaped like Mickey ears, that takes children’s viewing experience to a whole new level of play. The DVD + Mickey Mote Play Set is the ultimate value for moms and equally fun and engaging for kids!

The Mickey Mote uses infrared wireless technology and may not be compatible with all devices. The Mickey Mote can be used with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes the Discovery Mode feature. To date there are more than 11 titles that can be used with the remote control, just take a look at the back of the package to make sure.

Rated: TV-Y *Bonus materials not rated
Run Time: Approximately 120 minutes
Aspect Ratio: Full screen (1:33:1)
Sound: Dolby Digital Sound
Languages: English, Spanish, French

Like other Disney Dvds, this one too is a kid's favorite and parents will welcome the message of kids thinking and solving problems on their own, and as a team. There's lots to learn and with their favorite Disney characters to help them, the kids are sure to have a blast.

Disclosure - This product was received for review/feature consideration.
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Anticipated Movie Release - Source Code

2011-02-16T11:04:00.000-06:00

Talented Jake Gyllenhaall's new movie Source Code is all set to release April 1, 2011. And it's one I'm most looking forward to seeing.

Synopsis - When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack

What movies are you looking forward to in 2011?
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Bake Sweet Memories

2011-01-24T17:51:00.000-06:00

The Holidays might be over, but that doesn't mean the time for baking or sharing some sweet goodness is past. On the contrary, thanks to Betty Crocker, GladWare and the Safeway Family of Stores, we can keep our loved ones' hearts and homes filled with holiday spirit and homemade goodness of Betty Crocker. For some delicious inspiration, the Bake Sweet Memories website is right there filled with recipes of yummy treats that include Baklava Bars, Peppermint Cream Brownie Torte, and many others.

My kids and I had great fun going through them. While I'm sure they're all wonderful, we chose to stick to the classic, all-time favorite in my family - sugar cookies! I used the gift card I got for review to go to Tom Thumb (which belongs to the Safeway family of stores) near my home to get the eggs and the butter. Later on that afternoon we decided to do the cookies. Now, keep in mind, I'm no baker. But these were super easy to make. My son, who loves using scissors (under supervision, of course!), helped me cut open the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix (seen in the photo above, along with the Gladware and my child's eager young hand) and then later on helped me stir the mix.

And my toddler was more interested in playing with the scattered flour and generally getting in the way :-) And then, lo behold, there were cookies! Super warm and equally soft and tasty to eat. The photos I took turned out way too dark, but they were similar to the ones pictured above.

To store them we used Glad's Deep Dish container that easily held all the cookies we made. Not only are they BPA-free, but they're also the perfect solution for storing and transporting any kind of food items. They're also great for gift giving.

For great holiday recipe ideas, how-to videos, and tips for hosting your very own cookie exchange, visit BakeSweetMemories.com.

Disclosure - Safeway, Betty Crocker, and Glad provided me with the gift card, information, and cookie mix and gladware through MyBlogSpark.

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Babies 'R Us Sweepstakes

2011-01-13T15:56:00.000-06:00

If you're expecting a new baby, chances are that you're registered at the go-to spot for all things baby- Babies 'R Us. And even if you're registering days are long behind you, we have a feeling you know some moms who are expecting a new little bundle of joy. If you fall into either of these categories, you're definitely going to want to hear about the new Babies 'R Us sweepstakes, sponsored by Baby Brezza, the makers of The Baby Brezza™ One Step Baby Food Maker!

From January 13th until February 13th, you have the chance to win your entire Babies 'R Us registry*, just by adding the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker to your registry. That's right, one lucky mom-to-be will win her entire wish-list, including the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker! This is one must-have that you'll want to add to your list anyway, since it's the only baby food maker that steams and blends in one simple step.

Go HERE and enter.

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card and Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker in exchange for this post. No monetary exchange took place.
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Chex Holiday Recipes & Giveaway

2010-12-20T12:29:00.003-06:00

I LOVE cereal and so does my entire family. I confess though, I always thought of Cereal as breakfast food. I was more than surprised when I explored the joint venture by Kroger and Chex Cereal and discovered a lot of recipes for holiday entertaining that are easy on time as well as budget using cereal as the base.

For instance, did you know there are so many great tasting Chex Party Mix recipes that can be made in the microwave in only 15 minutes?! For example, The Original Chex® Party Mix or Chex® Ginger-Honey Crunch are surefire crowd pleasers. That's not all! If you're (still!) looking for an easy gift idea for friends, family or co-workers, then make your favorite Chex Party Mix, put it in a colorful tin or bag and personalize it with your own recipe card. So easy on the budget, right?

To make things even sweeter, Kroger Family of Stores will have Chex cereal on sale so you can impress your guests without stressing your wallet. Until December 25th, Kroger will offer Chex cereal at their lowest prices of the year! So, hurry and stock up today.

I used the cereal I received for review plus the ones I got from Kroger and tried out some of the various recipes listed here. My personal favorite is the Chocolate Chex Marshmallow Clusters which were a superhit with my family :) There are tons more recipes there that you can check out. And they're truly easy to make.

These days I begin my morning relishing the crispness and subtle flavor of Chex's health-friendly oven-roasted Corn or Rice cereal. And one of my lucky readers can enjoy them as well. Just enter the giveaway below!

Prize : Kroger "Chex Holiday Recipes" gift pack that includes two samples of Chex cereal and a $25 gift card valid at the Kroger Family of Stores.

To Enter :

Mandatory Entry: In the comments of this post, tell me your favorite holiday recipe that uses Chex cereal. Be sure and leave your name (optional) and email address (this one's a must) with your comment.

Bonus Entries (leave a new comment for each bonus entry that you do):

“Like” Kroger on Facebook
“Like” Chex on Facebook
"Like" this blog on Facebook
Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook or twitter(using #callmeabookworm) with a link to A Bookworm Mom's Diary and get an extra entry for each that you do daily.
Follow this blog
Subscribe to A Bookworm Mom's Diary Feed
Subscribe to A Bookworm Mom's Diary Email Updates
Comment on any non-giveaway post.

US only

Ends: 11:59 pm Central Time on Jan 7, 2011.

Winner: will only be announced on this blog and must reply within 3 days with their full name and address to the email address callmeabookworm at gmail dot com or else the prize is forfeit.

Don't forget to visit Kroger and Chex on Facebook to"Like" their pages and keep up with recipes, news and their latest and greatest products. While you're there, take a minute to share photos of your Chex creations.

Note - Chex and Kroger provided the author of this blog with the free product, information, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark.
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Upcoming Movie - The Lincoln Lawyer

2010-12-14T13:37:00.000-06:00

Here's a new movie to watch out for : The Lincoln Lawyer. Based on the best-selling novel by Michael Connelly, the starcast includes Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Academy Award nominee William H. Macy, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, Michael Peña, and Emmy winner Bryan Cranston and others.

Plot Outline (from Facebook):: Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln sedan. Haller has spent most of his career defending garden-variety criminals, until he lands the case of his career: defending Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a Beverly Hills playboy accused of rape and attempted murder. But the seemingly straightforward case suddenly develops into a deadly game of survival for Haller.

Looks like a good one to me, although I have to wonder if Matt will do justice to the role? His track record doesn't leave me very convinced. I'll waiting for the March 18, 2011 release date to see what the crictics make of it. How about you?
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Healthy Women

2010-12-08T06:13:00.004-06:00

Caring for someone (or more than one someone) is the most rewarding and at the same time, one of the most challenging jobs around. For it not only involves love, but also patience, forgiveness, and so much more. In most families, Moms are the primary caregivers. From making lunches to paying the household bills, it's constantly one thing after another. Believe me, it's a tough job. Which is made even tougher if a woman has a disability or cares for someone with a disability like Epilepsy. Ordinary chores can become hurdles as they deal with diagnoses, treatments, and other issues alongside their daily lives.

On the heels of National Epilepsy Awareness month in November, HealthyWomen.org created the "Women Succeeding with Epilepsy" video series, sponsored by UCB, Inc., to educate and inspire women dealing with the challenges of living or caring for someone with epilepsy. In the series, one woman tells the story of caring for her son with epilepsy while another woman shares her experience of living with epilepsy since she was a teenager.

I watched a couple of these videos myself and I was so moved. These are real videos about real people facing life with a smile despite their disability and they so do with style and compassion. It's truly inspiring to hear their real life experiences from the actual persons themselves. I encourage you to visit the website and watch these videos. There are resources available to educate yourself and those around you about the symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment of epilepsy. The site also has information about a variety of other health topics and a nice selection of Healthy tips including those for Supporting Someone Living With Epilepsy which I've posted below. Here's the link.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of HealthyWomen’s “Women Succeeding with Epilepsy” sponsored by UCB, Inc. and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.
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10 Tips for Supporting Someone Living With Epilepsy

2010-12-08T06:11:00.000-06:00

Supporting a child …

Mom often takes on many roles in the family—caretaker, health care decision maker and cheerleader. If you have a son or daughter living with epilepsy, you’ll often take on all three. Laying a strong foundation for your child, while still taking care of oneself, can be challenging. These tips can help:

1. Communication is key. Nurture an environment of openness. It’s important to have a candid dialogue about your child’s condition, so they feel comfortable coming to you with any feelings or concerns. Talking about what it means for them is important, as is talking to others about what it means for you. Also, letting neighbors, coaches, teachers, school officials and other important people know is key to fostering a team approach.

2. Make informed decisions. Start by choosing the right health care professional. Give your child the best possible chance for success by seeking care from a specialist who is familiar with epilepsy, such as a neurologist or epileptologist. Do your research and ask lots of questions. If you don’t feel comfortable from the beginning, keep looking.

3. Guide your child toward activities where success is most likely. It’s easy to see your child’s strengths. Encourage them to participate in activities where their skills will be best utilized. For example, partaking in an individual sport rather than a team one may offer significant benefits. Also, by giving your child responsibilities and allowing him or her to make or contribute to important decisions, you’ll be empowering your youngster to be his or her own advocate one day.

4. Remember: To care for someone else, you need to take care of yourself first. You know when you’re on an airplane and they say to secure your oxygen mask first? Same idea here—you can’t help your family if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Make sure to schedule some time for self‐care, relaxation and nurturing other important relationships in your life. Also, it helps to have a support network of other parents caring for children with epilepsy. You can find resources for this at www.EpilepsyAdvocate.com.

5. Always be prepared. Create an action plan so that you’re ready if a seizure occurs. That includes always carrying important phone numbers and any necessary medications.

Supporting another adult …

Do you have a friend, coworker, spouse, parent or sibling living with epilepsy?
Maybe you want to be supportive but aren’t sure how. These tips can help:

6. Talk openly. By normalizing conversation about epilepsy and seizures, your friend or loved one will feel more comfortable talking about their concerns and fears. Also, don’t be afraid to express your own feelings as well. Witnessing a seizure can be scary—if it happens to you, talk about it.

7. Do your homework. Learn what you can do in the event of a seizure by asking a medical professional, doing research and talking to the person who has epilepsy. Visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org/about/firstaid to read their tips on first aid for seizures. Also, it helps to understand terminology and to know what resources and support options are available.

8. Be a cheerleader and advocate. Stay optimistic and celebrate seizure control and important milestones. Educate those around you and encourage them to get involved with epilepsy awareness.

9. Offer to go to important medical appointments. Your friend or loved one may want some extra support or someone to take notes about medical procedures or other important topics. This will also allow you to be a solid sounding board for confusing medical decisions. In addition, people with
epilepsy may not recall what happens during a seizure, so caregivers should try to communicate that information to the physician.

10. Carry important phone numbers with you. Whether it’s for specific doctors, local hospitals or other loved ones, always be able to contact the people who you may need or want informed of any given situation.

Women Succeeding with Epilepsy is sponsored by UCB, Inc. For more information on living with epilepsy and video accounts of real women’s stories, visit www.HealthyWomen.org/epilepsy and www.EpilepsyAdvocate.com.

This post is part of the Healthy Women blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of HealthyWomen’s “Women Succeeding with Epilepsy” sponsored by UCB, Inc.
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FREE Slurpee to help celebrate Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T22:37:00.000-06:00

It's time to give thanks and celebrate -- and what better way than with a FREE Slurpee!!!

It is the perfect break from shopping, addition to (or breather from) holiday family fun -- 7-Eleven has dubbed this year's Friday after Thanksgiving, "Purple Friday" to celebrate the unity of people across the U.S. (Red + Blue = Purple!)

In honor of "Purple Friday", 7-Eleven is offering all fans a free, small Slurpee drink. Just download the free online coupon at www.facebook.com/Slurpee and present it at any participating 7-Eleven any time on 11/26/10 between 12:01am and 11:59pm (local time).

Now is the time to celebrate everyone across our great country - and enjoy a classic treat!!

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Adorable Clothes from mini mioche

2010-10-14T17:56:00.004-05:00

Notice the new bright green button on my left sidebar? That's right - it's official! I'm one of the mini mioche Moms, selected to review and promote clothes for their Infantino campaign. But I'm jumping ahead. Let me tell you what mini mioche's all about... {btw, mioche (pronounced “Mee-osh”) means “little one” in French}

Brainchild of Alyssa Kerbel, a mom looking for stylish yet environmentally friendly clothes for her own little one, mini mioche is a high end organic children’s clothing line based in Canada which features clothes for little ones with basics and layering pieces made of the softest organic cotton.

Fed up of dressing my son in neutral male colors, I overindulged when it came to dressing up my baby daughter. Result - you guessed it - pink everywhere! That's why this one particular feature of mini mioche jibed all too well with my own tastes - their clothes come in interesting and difficult to find colors, including black and other neutrals - nothing super cutesy and no pastels - just perfect!

mini mioche also believes in being environmentally responsible with printing on 100% recycled materials, using water based prints, re-usable dyes for fabrics etc. I was particularly impressed when one of the items I received for review (a pair of the softest organic cotton pants) came in a re-usable organic cotton drawstring bag, another one of mini mioche's efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.

Softness aside, my kid was totally in love with her new mini mioche pants as you can see in the photos below, running or dancing. They're very comfortable for her active little self to do a variety of activities in. It also has a super stretch elastic waistband, an absolute necessity for kids like mine with their non-existent waists. I couldn't get her to stand still long enough to get a decent photo. But here goes...

And here you can see my daughter looking as fresh as a daisy, traipsing along in her Fresh Dress - a super sweet empire waist dress in Berry color, one of 6 featured on their website. What sets it apart is a simple yet elegant gray contrast trim around the neck in ribbed cotton, and buttons made from coconut, which she loved, as you can see from the photos. I took these photos outdoors and they came out much better!

Even in their tags, they're going as eco-friendly as possible :

I loved these beautiful organic clothes, and not just for how pretty or soft they are, but for how *green* and organic they are as well

Check out their Fall Collection at minimioche.com. There are some really fabulous items to choose from and it looks like this Fall is the best so far. Just for you, my dear readers, here's an exclusive discount code ”MCFALL” for a 20% discount on online orders! This discount is in effect now through to November 30.

mini mioche is currently sold in baby/children’s boutiques in Canada and the US and also online. To browse their fabulous offerings, visit the minimioche.com website.

Disclosure - I am participating in a mini mioche ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf mini mioche. I received an outfit as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.
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DVD Review - $5 a Day

2010-09-15T13:39:00.002-05:00

$5 a Day is one of those little gems of film that is easy to pass over, but my recommendation would be to watch it.

I went into it without high expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. Basically its a two-man movie - the aging thespian Christopher Walken, who plays a veteran con artist, and young and talented Alessandro Nivola, who plays his beleaguered son. Together they form an unlikely duo on screen, but somehow the chemistry and the timing and the overall story works out.

This is a road movie, as in the con artist father declares himself to be dying and guilts his estranged son into taking him via car (as planes apparently affect his brain tumor, or so he claims) to New Mexico for some holistic treatment. The comedy is subtle, as is the way the things are resolved between father and son over the course of the journey in which Walken does his best not to spend a dime unnecessarily, even if it means breaking into empty homes to sleep the nights in and other such entertaining shenanigans. It's a series of embarassment and tension for Nivola who's sick of taking care of his father all his life, even to the extent of going to jail for his father's crimes. What he doesn't realize that this journey is his father's way of making up for everything that's gone bad. The overall effect is sort of mild whether its the comedy of Walken's countless cons or the drama between father and son or the way Nivola woos back his love, played by Amanda Peet in a disappointingly very short role, through truthful confessions via phone.

My husband, who's a Sharon Stone fan, was equally disappointed to find she plays a small role in the whole film even though her picture on the DVD cover makes it seem otherwise. That and the weird captioning format are the only two downsides to an otherwise good movie.

And I especially want to mention the locales the movie takes the viewers through is just stunningly photographed.

Bonus features on $5 A Day DVD and Blu-ray include:

Director and Cast Interviews
Still Galleries
Trailer

Disclosure - This product was received for review/feature consideration. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Power A Bright Future with Clorox

2010-09-03T01:00:00.002-05:00

For many schools around the country, back-to-school this year is a lesson in economics they’d rather not have. Education budgets have been cut nationwide and valuable school programs such as sports, music and art are being hit hard, if not eliminated. According to a 2009 survey conducted by the Afterschool Alliance, of the 1,500 afterschool leaders polled, “…three in five respondents [said]funding for their programs is down compared to two years ago, and more than one-third [said] it is down a lot.”

Pitching in to help is the idea powering the 2010 Power A Bright Future grant contest, a school grant program the Clorox Company is launching to help fund these vital school programs. Today, parents and teachers across the country can nominate school programs for a chance to receive a $50,000 grand-prize grant or one of three $20,000 grants from the Clorox Company to help provide critically needed resources to diminishing school programs.

To Nominate a Program:

It’s easy for your readers to nominate a school program. Simply visit www.Clorox.com between now and September 27, 2010 to learn how to nominate a school. Once the nominations have closed, the rest will be left up to a vote--by America! People across the U.S. may vote for their favorite program between October 5, 2010 and November 1, 2010.

The program that receives the highest number of votes will be awarded the $50,000 grand-prize grant, and the next top vote-getters in each of the three categories (Learn, Play and Create)will be awarded a $20,000 grant. The final Power A Bright Future grant winners will be announced on December 8, 2010.

For official rules and to nominate a school program, visit www.Clorox.com.
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