Momanthology.com

Made from Earth - Organic Night Cream Review and Giveaway

2012-02-19T22:55:00.000-05:00

Made From Earth is a company that uses certified organic ingredients in their beauty / personal care products. You can read more about why certified organic products are important and find out more about the company HERE. Made From Earth is a company.

Made From Earth reached out to me and offered to ship a sample of their Olive Night Cream. I love trying green products and quickly responded.

I received the product very quickly and was immediately impressed with the packaging. The jar is a deep green, glass pot and the product is labeled both on the side. The pot is definitely higher quality than that of most products available for purchase ( many times containers are plastic).

Now I do have to confess that I do not use night cream - this is for normal to dry skin and my skin is extremely oily. If I wear night cream my face is totally broken out when I wake up. (I use treatments instead). My hands however are very, very dry and I am constantly putting on lotion so have been using this as a luxurious hand cream.....

Olive oil is a wonderful moisturizer and it is natural so this is something I feel good about putting. I love this cream - just a little dab works wonders. It moisturizes but does not burn or sting and without leaving greasiness or oiliness on the skin.

It is the perfect size to keep on my desk. Even with frequent re-application, this jar should last at least 6 months, if not for an entire year. This is a product I would purchase. At $39.99 it is more on the expensive side but truly a small bit goes a LONG way so I believe that this would be an economically sound purchase.

Visit Made From Earth to read more about their other quality natural and organic products including body lotion, facial treatments, soap, shampoo and conditioners.

Thanks to Made From Earth, I also have an Olive Night Cream to share with my readers. To enter for your chance to win, please read the rules and fill out the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure - I received a product to review. I did not receive compensation for this post and all opinions expressed are my own.

CHILDREN'S ADVIL coupon

2012-02-18T15:45:00.006-05:00

Flu season is upon us!

Children's Advil^® is there to offer the relief ! Children's Advil^®provides up to 8-hours of fever relief in just one dose, relieving fever faster and keeping it down longer to help kids get back to feeling like kids again.

Click below or an online coupon link for Children's Advil.

https://childrens.advil.com/childrens-advil-coupons-form/108

Dye-free Infants’ Advil® is available for children ages 6-23 months and Children’s Advil® is available for ages 2-11 in four great liquid suspension flavors including Grape, Blue Raspberry, Fruit and Dye-Free White Grape, as well as convenient Grape Chewables.
(Please check with your physician before administering medication to children).
This coupon was provided to me to share with my readers by MyBlogSpark

Progresso Giveaway winner

2012-02-18T15:35:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Jim Taylor - the randomly selected winner of the Progresso giveaway! Jim, I have emailed you for your contact info.

Big G Cereals and Target - Retro giveaway

2012-02-18T15:29:00.000-05:00

I love anything retro or retro inspired! I love mementos and trinkets from 20's to the 80's - it is fascinating to look at the changes over time. I love imagining what life must have been like in prior generations and compare it to my life today.

So let's talk 80's - I was actually a teen in the 80's and don't have to imagine anything. I fondly remember big hair, bright colors, legwarmers, shoulder pads, parachute pants, over the top prints and much, much more. The 80's were a blast!

General Mills recently has gone nostalgic also........

Big G cereals have brought back their "Retro" themed packaging, 80´s style. Big G cereals will be channeling their Retro roots and to help celebrate, they have partnered with Atari®, bringing classic 80´s games like Asteroids, Missile Command and Centipede to your breakfast table.
Collect all 5 different packages that include totally radical Atari Activities on the back of each box; available exclusively at Target starting February through mid-March.

Participating Big G cereals include:
Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.)
Lucky Charms® (16 oz.)
Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.)
Cheerios® (18 oz.)
Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz.)

It is also Atari's 80'th anniversary this year! Be sure to check out GrocerySavvy.com and test your online Atari gaming skills at Asteroids while also entering in a sweepstakes for chance to win Target gift cards and Atari merchandise.

Check out General Mills at the following:
General Mill´s Website: http://bit.ly/RetroAtari
Big G Cereals Website: http://bit.ly/BigGRetroBGC
Atari Website: http://bit.ly/BigGRetroAtari
Target Website: http://bit.ly/BigGRetroTarget

Thanks to Big G I have one prize pack to giveaway to one of my readers. To enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills, Atari and Target through MyBlogSpark.

Lactose Free Yoplait - Giveaway

2012-02-11T16:28:00.000-05:00

A few years ago I figured out that I was lactose intolerant. I researched this issue and was really was surprised with what I discovered. Wikipedia has some interesting and comprehensive information on lactose intolerance but what is really fascinating is the map that demonstrates that there are cultural ties to those that have lactose intolerance. In the Northern hemisphere, where dairy has been consumed for centuries, there is a lower incidence, but in countries / continents in the southern hemisphere, it is much more common (the further south you go, the higher the incidence rate). I am Italian and approximately 40% - 60% of this population is lactose intolerant.

Being lactose intolerant does not stop me from eating dairy - I love cheese and refuse to give it up. I also love ice cream, milk, and yogurt. Milk and ice cream bother me the most - for milk I will substitute with soy and ice cream I eat knowing I will later suffer the consequences. As long as I do not overdo it, I can eat cheese yogurt with little difficulty. Miss E. is lactose intolerant also but yogurt by itself can really bother her. She gets upset because there are certain foods she wants to eat but she knows that she will get a stomach ache if she does.

Avoiding dairy may help minimize uncomfortable side effects, but as a parent, I want to make sure that my kids are getting proper nutrition. It is especially important to me that my girls, who are in their formative years, get enough calcium. It is crucial to get enough calcium for bone development (especially for girls, who are more susceptible to osteoporosis later in life). Dairy is an excellent source of calcium so eliminating it from our diet is not something I am supportive of.

According to the National Institute of Health, when dairy is avoided, there are lower intakes of calcium and vitamin D in the diet, both of which are important bone building nutrients often found in dairy. Avoiding dairy can create higher risk for osteoporosis. (As someone who has suffered from the side effects from a severe Vitamin D deficiency I am pretty passionate about this.)

February is actually National Lactose Intolerance Awareness Month (who knew?)..... Just in time, Yoplait has announced its new Yoplait® Lactose Free yogurt. Inspired by my favorite yogurt - original Yoplait - the Lactose Free variety comes in four delicious flavors - Strawberry, Peach, French Vanilla and Cherry . It also:
- contains 50% of the recommended Daily Value of calcium, with vitamins A and D in every cup.
- contains no artificial sweeteners
- can be used in some of your favorite recipes.

I like that this is something I can eat, but even more so, something that I can give my daughter - this is something that she can enjoy without the same consequences of ingesting lactose. Instead of feeling deprived of one of her favorite treats, she can eat this like everyone else :) (I am writing about my personal experiences and sharing my personal opinion. If you think that you may be lactose intolerant or have already been diagnosed, please talk to a medical professional before making any major changes in diet.)

Want to find out more? Check out the following links:
Yoplait Website http://my.yoplait.com/LactoseFree2
Yoplait Facebook Page http://on.fb.me/LactoseFree2FB
Yoplait Twitter Page http://bit.ly/LactoseFree2TW

Interested in trying Yoplait Lactose Free? Be one of the first....... Click here to enjoy a coupon for $0.30 off Yoplait Lactose Free, which is new to grocer's shelves. You can also enter the giveaway below. One lucky winner will win a fun prize pack.

*The coupon offer for Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt is not valid in some states, including Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota and Tennessee.

Your prize pack will contain:

A VIP coupon to purchase Yoplait Lactose Free yogurt
Lunch tote
2 Gel packs
Individual bowl
Spoon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.

Betty Crocker Coupons - while supplies last!

2012-02-08T23:50:00.000-05:00

A quick savings treat to share with Momanthology.com readers.....

o You can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/4d61/ to download a printable *coupon for 85 cents off when you buy ONE BOX of Fun da-middles Cupcake Mix.

o You can also visit http://bit.ly/cookiescoupon to download a printable coupon for 75 cents off when you buy ONE POUCH of Betty Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix.

Disclosure: I received this information and the coupon offer from Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark.

Pillsbury Ready To Bake Shape Cookies (Disney) - Giveaway

2012-02-06T22:57:00.001-05:00

I love to bake from scratch but sometimes I just don't have the time. My kids love to bake so when we are short on time, ready to bake cookies are perfect. For Ms. N's birthday she wanted a cookie cake. Instead of spending $10 at the store, we bought Pillsbury ready to bake chocolate chip cookie dough, rolled it over a large, round baking stone and baked. We did this for a fraction of the cost, plus the kids got to helo and it tasted great!

If you want to bake but are also short on time, Pillsbury has several varieties of ready to bake cookie dough. For something extra fun, Pillsbury has introduced Ready to Bake! Shape Cookies in fun Disney Characters. Simply preheat the oven, place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake! These are great in a rush. we actually also like to decorate ours when we are done, but you can also eat them plain.

Quick and convenient, Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Shape Cookies are ready to enjoy in 8-10 minutes and can be found at your local grocer
Celebrate the holiday with your family´s favorite Disney characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Disney Princesses Belle, Cinderella and Tiana.

While supplies last you can print out a coupon for $1.00 on your next purchase of Pillsbury Ready to Bake! Shape Cookies (Disney); US and while supplies last.

Thanks to Pillsbury I received a great prize pack that included a product coupon, Pillsbury branded Cookie Jar, Oven Mitt and a metal cookie spatula. I have a similar prize pack to share with my readers. Simply reply with your favorite type of Pillsbury ready to bake cookies.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The VIP coupon, prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

Stanley Home Products - Review

2012-02-04T15:01:00.001-05:00

Stanley Home Products is a company that has been providing quality products for the home since 1931. As a leader in home care, Stanley

In 1931, Stanley Home Products (SHP) was founded by Frank Stanley Beveridge and Catherine O'Brien in Westfield, Massachusetts. They envisioned an opportunity for people to start their own business with a small investment, selling products that people use everyday. This vision became Stanley Home Products - a direct selling company offering the highest-quality household cleaners, brushes, and mops.

Stanley Home Products....providing a lucrative home-based business opportunity, unparalleled product quality, convenient personal service, and exceptional value since 1931.

With Stanley Home Products, "Your Success Begins at Home"

If you are interested in starting your own business, Stanley Home Products also offers the opportunity to work as a representative. With Stanley Home Products, you earn 35% on every item you sell, and you can do so in a variety of ways. Whether through one-on-one sales, hosting Stanley Home house parties, or selling via the internet, “Your Success Begins At Home.” Start here for your Stanley Home adventure: http://www.shponline.com/english/opportunity.asp

I was able to review the Aqua Clean Concentrate and the G-X disinfectant

Aqua Clean Concentrate

I do not hand wash often but now that we have a basin in the laundry room (huge thanks to my DH and Father-in-Law), I will probably hand wash more. What I loved about this product is that it was a very generous size and highly concentrated, so this is a fantastic value. The bottle is very large and should last me a lifetime.....or several years at the very least.

The texture of the concentrate is dense for a laundry soap. A capful is all you need. This cleaned very well and I loved the fresh scent!

G-X Disinfectant

This is an aerosol disinfectant spray that is designed help kill more than a dozen harmful germs and viruses, including Influenza A. Again, the bottle is very generously sized and is a great value. The scent is a light, fresh and clean. It works to rid the air of odors and disinfects surfaces. There currently is a sale for 2 bottles.

You can read reviews from others HERE.

Need more information? http://www.shponline.com/

Follow on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/StanleyHomeProd

Fan on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/StanleyHomeProducts

Disclosure: I received products for review purposes. I did not receive any compensation for this post. For more information on this site and on my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy at the bottom of the page.

Fuller Products - Review

2012-02-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to review a variety of Fuller Products. These are reasonably prices (and generously sized!) cleaning and home care products. You may be familiar with the Fuller name for their quality hairbrushes but Fuller but offers much, much more. I was also familiar with Fuller as I owned some of their jewelry cleaning products:

Selling more than 2,000 products, here are some of the items:
Household Cleaning Aids
Industrial Cleaners
Polishes & Wax Products
Cotton & Synthetic Mops Floor
Brushes & Brooms
Stainless Steel Sponges
Twisted Wire
Brushes & Swabs
Personal Care Brushes
Lotions and Fragrances
Hair Care Aids
Made-to-order Products
Industrial Brushes

Headquartered in Kansas, The Fuller Brush Company has been a part of keeping North American homes clean for generations, with high-quality cleaning solutions and hand-finished goods. With their status as an American cultural niche stretching back decades, the Fuller Brush Company works to make "The best products of their kind in the world”, by following three simple rules: “Make it work. Make it last. Guarantee it no matter what.”

Here are some of the products I have reviewed:

Original Stone Cleaner:

I found that most products cannot effectively clean the slate around my fireplace, both on the mantle and on the floor, leaving a dull finish and potentially ruining the finish of the stone.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Preserves natural beauty of stone
• One step: Cleans, Polishes & Protects
• Safe for marble & granite

This cleaner is fabulous - it effectively cleans and polishes, leaving a nice, light shine. I loved that this took just a little bit - with the large size of the product, at just $3.99 USD (Feb 2012), this is a fantastic value!

Find out more and order HERE.

The Fuller Original Wood Floor Care is a product designed to give both shine and protection to your floor in one step.

To use simply clean your floors prior. Once floors are clean,
apply the product to the floor using the recommended method and then use a clean, damp mop to polish by spreading evenly over the floor

• Long-lasting lustrous shine
• Durable protection
• For sealed wood & laminate flooring

This is also very affordable at just $4.79 USD (Feb-2012)

This is so easy to use - it is quick and works wonderfully. If you have wood or laminate floors, this is a product that is practical and effective.

Find our more and order HERE.

Have fun browsing the vast selection of Fuller products. with over 2000 products to chose from, you are sure to find something you love. While you are there check out Special Offers or Order a Catalog. You can also find Fuller products at these fine retailers.

Disclosure: I received products for review purposes. I did not receive compensation for this post. For more information on this blog and on my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy at the bottom of this page.

More winners!

2012-02-04T12:04:00.000-05:00

Winners - You have 2 days to claim your prize:

Jay Low - Cover Your Hair
Jay, I sent you a message on facebook

Erica C., Lisa, Susan S. and Kim C. - Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks
I have emailed all the winners

Zesty Wonderland - My True Nature
I have your mailing information and have sent it to the sponsor :)

Rebecca M. - Sam's Club
I emailed you

Congrats to all....

Cherrio's Dulce de Leche review and Giveaway

2012-02-04T11:38:00.000-05:00

If you have been a reader you may already know that I am a huge Cherrios fan. Original Cherrios are my favorite cereal and we always have a box of Cherrios in our home. My kids love Cherrios too but they prefer the flavored variety. They love Frosted Cherrios, Chocolate Cherrios, Honey Nut Cherrios and Apple Cinnamon. You can see the different varieies of Cherrios HERE.

We recently were able to try the newest flavor of Cherrios, Dulce de Leche. Dulce de Leche is Spanish and means "sweet of milk" or in easier English terms, made of milk - aka caramel. I love caramel so was interested to try the newest Cherrio's brand.

We received our prize pack and the girls and my husband tried right away of course. Ironically my husband Ryan, who rarely comments on anything and does not have much of a sweet tooth is the one that totally loved this cereal. He even asked me about it and said that it was "really good". Coming from him that is a lot!

I was able to grab one to try myself. I found it very sweet - I would probably say that I personally prefer the Frosted Cherrios but I will definitely be buying the Dulce de Leche again - Ryan and the girls loved it so much.

What are some of the facts about Dulce de Leche Cherrios?

- 100 calories per serving

- 19g of whole grain per serving

- cholesterhol free

- Many recommended vitamins and minerals.

Visit for more info and fun:

Cheerios website

Cheerios on Facebook

Want some inspiration???? Here are some great recipes to use making Cherrios Dulce de Leche

Dulce de Leche Apple Bread

Dulce de Leche Cheerios Bars

Dulce de Leche Cheerios Parfaits

Dulce de Leche Cheerios Snack Mix

Dulce de Leche No-Bake Cheesecake
Dulce de Leche No-Bake Snack Bars
Dulce de Leche Popcorn Balls

Thanks to the fine folks at General Mills and MyBlogspark, I have a great Cherrio's prize pack to give away, identical to the one I received. The prize pack will include the following:

Box of Dulce de Leche Cheerios
Orange polka dot cereal bowl
Cereal spoon
Dulce de leche scented candle

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclosure: The new Dulce de Leche Cheerios information, product, and prize pack have been provided free of charge by Cheerios and General Mills, through MyBlogSpark

Weekly Card Project 3 - Blue Butterfly

2012-02-03T00:57:00.002-05:00

Below is another card I did using some of the same colors in the last project I posted. Again I used the turquoise cardstock and scrapbook paper.

I prefer to decorate not only the outside of the card, but also the inside and back. You can see below what the card looks like front to inside to back. A blue butterfly welcomes you and a blue bird waits for you at the end.

The front of the card is simple with embossed cardstock in turquoise and cream with die cuts, one stamped, ribbon and rhinestone embellishments and a focal butterfly. The edges of the card were "aged" with chesnut ink. You may have noted a small tear in the paper under the left rhinestone - this will be easily reparied

The inside of the card has a retro-modern patterned turquoise border. Kraft paper is centered for writing senitments and signing your name. A small tag is "stiched on" and another tag dangles with birthday sentiments. This is fun because the birthday greeting pops out as the card is opened.

The back of the card is embellished with stamped images and pen for fun.

Back to blogging

2012-02-03T00:25:00.002-05:00

Over the last year and a half and we have experienced several sorrowful events. My father in law passed a little under a year ago, my neighborhood was ravaged by tornados and over the last 2 months I have lost two grandparents - my grandmother Thanksgiving weekend 2011 and my grandfather about 2 weeks ago.

Due to traveling for the funerals, catching up with work, Girl Scout Cookie sales kicking off and fighting off the remnants of a cold, I am behind with blogging.
I hope to catch up over the weekend! Winners from the recent giveaways will be posted this week. I also have some fun giveaways to post from Lovable Labels, Freeman, Cherrios, Pilsbury and Yoplait so keep checking back. In addition, I will post a couple of new Card Projects to catch up.

Thanks for continuing to visit and I hope to have many things to share in 2012!

Progresso Souper You Giveaway

2012-01-30T00:36:00.001-05:00

Are you ready for a new look this New Year?

I personally love Progresso® soups - they are definitely my preferred brand. I may try others but always go back to Progresso® . Here is another reason to love Progrsso. Progresso® is kicking of 2012 with another Souper You® Contest - If you enter you have the chance to win an incredible makeover! Simply tell Progresso why you deserve a makeover and what you love about their soup, you could have the chance to win an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood this Spring!

We are almost through January and many of us made resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle which may include exercising, eating differently or losing weight. If you made a similar resolution but had a great start that slowly stuttered to a halt OR if you just have not started, it is never too late!~

Thanks to Progresso®, you can have your soup and eat it too! With 40 delicious soups with 100 calories or less per serving, Progresso Soup has a variety of offerings that help you beat diet boredom and satisfy your taste cravings, while helping you stick to your weight management calorie goals. Progresso soups are packed with hearty ingredients like pasta, beans, rice, meat and vegetables that suit your taste buds and make you feel good about including it in your meal choices.

This year, the Souper You^® Contest will provide three lucky winners with an ultimate makeover experience in Hollywood; this includes a trip for 2 to Los Angeles, California where the winner will receive a head-to-toe makeover including hair and makeup, guided shopping spree with a $1,000 fashion retailer gift card, $1,000 spending money and 2 tickets to this season’s live finale of NBC’s The Biggest Loser

Progresso is asking fans to visit www.SouperYou.com and submit their photo with a brief essay about why they love Progresso soups and why they deserve a makeover, by no later than February 22nd

Fans can check back on March 12th for the announcement of the top ten finalists, and to vote for their favorite finalist until March 25th

In addition, visit http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup to download a printable coupon for $1.25 off the purchase of four (4) cans of Progresso Soup (while supplies last)

Tune into The Biggest Loser on NBC Tuesdays at 8/7c

Want to find out more? View the video or visit the links below:

Souper You Website - http://bit.ly/SouperYou
Progresso Website - http://bit.ly/ProgressoSoupSite
Progresso on Facebook - http://on.fb.me/ProgressoFB
Progresso Online Coupon - http://bit.ly/ProgressoCoup

Thanks to Progresso I have a fun giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a prize pack that includes the following:

(2) VIP Coupons for Progresso Soup
(1) copy of “The Biggest Loser” Workout DVD

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The Progresso^® Souper You^® prize pack, information, coupon, and giveaway have been provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark

Disney Release Schedule - 2012

2012-01-18T15:30:00.000-05:00

I love Beauty and the Beast - we actually have the original on VHS. Yes, I need an upgrade... Until then Beauty and the Beast has been re-relased at theatres. In addition the theatre version currently features a new short from from Tangled Ever After - the Tangled saga continues!. Miss E. LOVES Tangled so I plan to take her to the movie.

Here is also info on other coming movies - Brave and The Secret World of Arrietty also look fab!

January 13: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D

also in Disney Digital 3D

February 17: THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY

March 9: JOHN CARTER

also in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D

April 20 (Earth Day): CHIMPANZEE (Disneynature)

May 4: MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS

also in 3D and IMAX 3D (Marvel Studios)

June 22: BRAVE, also in Disney Digital 3D (Disney/Pixar)

August 15: THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN

September 14: FINDING NEMO 3D (Disney/Pixar)

No image currently available

October 5: FRANKENWEENIE, also in Disney Digital 3D

November 12: WRECK-IT RALPH

also in Disney Digital 3D (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Return to School with Sams Club - Giveaway

2012-01-14T22:05:00.001-05:00

The holiday season flew by and it is already back to school, back to routine. Back to school did sneak up on us this year for certain - Miss. N. loves to make her own lunch every day and I realized I had to stock up on snacks the night before school started!

To keep your pantry filled with goodies for school lunches and snacks breaks, do not forget about Sam's Club..... Sam's Club offers a wider variety of products, including some of your favorite General Mills brands. In January you can also earn more cash for your local school with the Sam’s Club “6 Box Tops on a Pack” promotion!

At least 6 Bonus Box Tops will be located on your favorite select return-to-school brands such as Nature Valley Oats 'N Honey Crunchy Granola Bars, Yoplait and Progresso From groceries to pens and paper to computers to notebooks, Sam’s Club makes shopping for all of your return-to-school needs simple.

This January, be sure to visit your local Sam’s Club to find all your return-to-school necessities. To learn more about the Box Tops for Education Program and how you can help contribute to your school, visit www.BoxTops4Education.com

Thanks to MyBlogSpark and Sam's Club I have one $25 gift card to share with one reader.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: The Sam’s Club gift card, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks - Review, Giveaway and Coupon!

2012-01-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

I have used Ocean Spray products for years - Cranberry Juice is one of my favorites and Ocean Spray is synonymous with cranberry! Now Ocean Spray is also known for great snacks...

This week my family and I were able to review NEW Ocean Spray Fruit snacks. These are simply gummy snacks. I was excited to try these because I love cranberry so much but was not sure if my husband and kids would enjoy these. Well, I had no reason for concern. My kids LOVED these.

We received these for review this week and out of the six boxes, only two are left! I discovered the kids were even eating these for breakfast when I came downstairs and found 4 empty wrappers (As much as we LOVE these, I do not recommend substituting for breakfast LOL).

We tried the Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks in "Assorted Flavors" and "Berries and Cherries". Assorted fruits are more of a Traditional fruit mix (orange, cherry, grape, etc) - Berries and Cherries are berry and cherry flavored (*thus the name). These really do not taste like cranberry at all. The kids even said that these were their favorite fruit snacks and my husband commented that they were "really good" - (unsolicited feedback from both!) I will definitely be buying these again.

Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks are....

Made with real fruit juice and natural colors* and flavors.
80 calories, gluten free and contain 100% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C.
Available with year round Double Box Tops.

These Fruit Flavored Snacks are made with apple, pear, and cranberry juice concentrate. See package for a list of complete ingredients. They are not intended to replace fruit in the diet.

Save $1.10 on 2 boxes of Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks with this COUPON. While supplies last. United States only

You can find out more HERE:

Ocean Spray´s® Website

Ocean Spray´s® Facebook page

I am thrilled to share that FOUR of my readers will win 6 boxes of Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks, one of each variety. Enter using the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Ocean Spray Fruit Flavored Snacks, information, and giveaway have been provided by Ocean Spray through MyBlogSpark.

My True Nature - Review and Giveaway

2012-01-14T20:36:00.001-05:00

My True Nature (love the name - very catchy!) is a company that produces non-toxic bath products for children.

We were able to review the holiday set of All-In-One shampoo / body wash and the bubble bath. This is a great product for kids. We have not used the bubble bath yet as the girls typically take showers instead of baths.   I do love the body wash, especially since it is a 2 in one product and thus more econimical.

- The Milo scent is light, sweet and fruity with a hint of citrus notes.   Kids love fruity scents and something that smells good means that they are more likely to use it.

- These products are packaged in kid friendly sizes. Even though the bottles are smaller, the product is concentrated so less is needed and it is actually more economical.    This produces a nice frothy lather - another plus for kid

- In addition to the great size, the labels on the bottles are decorated with freindly kid characters, appropriate for younger kids.

Here is information on the bath set from the website:

•All-in-one gentle cleanser & moisturizer for face, hair and body.

•Plant-based, non-irritating cleansers, get your baby squeaky clean without irritating eyes or skin.

•Full of nourishing and calming organic botanicals including olive oil, aloe, and pure essential oils.

•Contains natural silk amino acids and panthenol (pro-vitamin B-5) to penetrate skin and hair, add essential moisture and enhance natural plumpness.

•Not tested on animals.

•Completely free of genetically modified organisms, parabens, petrochemicals, phthalates, sulfates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrances, triclosan or preservatives.

•100% recycled and reusable plastic bottle.

•Big, big bubbles that kids love to play with.

•No slippery residue left on skin or tub.

•Rich in organic botanicals including aloe, plantain & white peony tea extracts, & pure essential oils.

So cute!!!!!

(original drawing of chacters above)

I love that the company uses safe ingredients in their products but also promotes using recycled materials. Find out more about the company by clicking HERE.

Prices on products offered range from $8 - $45. You can also review all of the products below

Kids Bubble Bath
Shampoo and Body Wash
Lotion
Hand Soap
Gift Bags

Thanks to My True Nature, I have one bath set to giveaway to a lucky reader. Please see the Rafflecopter form below.

Disclosure: I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a product for review purposes. For more information on this website or on my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy at the bottom of the page.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Card Project - Week 2 / Greetings from Paris

2012-01-10T00:29:00.000-05:00

Here is another card project that I recently completed. I was not happy with the quality of the photographs- the color depth, crispness and clarity did not accurately display the pictures. (I am not a great photographer by any means). The pictures were slightly enhanced using Picnik and the "after" picture is much closer to how the card looks in person.

**********************************************************************************

This was such a fun card to create. A variety of materials were used and the end result was a wonderful, whimsical shabby chic creation!

FRONT OF CARD:

This card was created on an ecru card base - Kraft Paper was pasted over the front of the card, essentially creating a new base.

Turquoise card stock was embossed using a Sizzix folder that came with the Texture Boutique machine kit (swirls and Swiss dots). and cut a rectangle, corner piece and small square. A corner punch was used on the corner section. All pieces were lightly and gently stamped over with a gold stamp.
For the next step, simple shapes were cut from metallic Christmas paper and a lighter shade of craft paper with a punch and also with scissors; these were distressed with a dark brown stamp and gold stamp, both on the front and the edges until achieving the desired effect.
The card stock shapes were arranged and pasted on the card stock.
The turquoise card stock was stamped with brown ink and a Parisian postal stamp. Small sentiments were also stamped and handwritten with brown ink and highlighted with a rose colored gel pen.
Flower shapes using a mini punch on the turquoise craft stock, distressed at the edges, pasted on the "photo holder" embellishments and adorned with mini rhinestones.
A flower was decorated with brown ribbon, an avocado green button and a mint colored rhinestone.

INSIDE OF CARD:

The inside of the card was covered at the top and bottom sections with turquoise scrapbook paper; this was then overlapped with slightly distressed Kraft paper centered at the middle of the card. This provides ample room for writing a meaningful note.

The back of the card was treated as a canvas of sorts - it was stamped using what I call a tattoo stippling technique - basically stamp multiple images are stamped, overlapping one another to where only some parts of the images are clear. On a different section a clear image is stamped. For a final step, various sections of the card are colored in with gel pens and embellished with rhinestones.

BACK OF CARD:

For fun I did go slightly overboard in Picnik on this one using the HDRish enhancement (I love the funkiness of the after picture). In person the colors are more muted and the tattooing is less crisp - very much in between the two shown below. You can get a good idea of the overall effect from the pictures below though.

I look forward to sharing more projects. I have been experimenting with raised embellishments to add a little more dimension as well as using different embossing and stamping techniques.

I would love feedback - please free to comment or post links to your paper crafting projects.

CoverYourHair.com- new review and giveaway

2012-01-08T23:59:00.001-05:00

A while back I did a review for CoverYourHair.com. The company reached back out to me and asked if I would be interested in doing another review, which I happily agreed to. It was somewhat ironic that Miss C. had asked me just a couple of days earlier to purchase some headbands for her for xmas . She had even already selected some online that she liked. When I received the email from CoverYourHair.com I immediately went to the site and started browsing the selection

Miss C. prefers the wide headbands. What is great is that instead of tieing these like you would have to do with a bandana, you simply slip over your head and then slide it back over your face until the end reaches the hairline. VERY easy (see video below)

I sent CoverYourHair.com a variety of items that I thought my daughter would like. She does not like anything girlie at all so I stuck to neutral colors like black, brown and blue denim. See the selection we received below!:

My daughter LOVED these. The were all great quality. They seem like they will stand up to a lot of wear and tear but are also very affordable at between $7 to $14 each. If you are looking for hair accessories, hats, Tichels or turbans, CoverYourHair.com has a vast selection in every color, fabric, material and style imaginable.

One reader of Momanthology.com will win a surprise box of hair accessories. For information and to enter see the rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure - I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. I did receive products for review purposes.

One for Grandma and Grandpa!

2012-01-08T23:23:00.001-05:00

Grand Camp Adventures (http://www.grandcamp.com/) is a unique company whose vision is to strengthen the bond of the grandparent - grandchild relationship. The company supports building this relationship through meaningful interactions / quality time. You can read more about the company via the "Our Story" link on their homepage.

The products offered help grandparents and grandkids connect:

GrandCamp Adventure products and services are all carefully crafted to create the space and conditions for building your most treasured relationships. Our products, sold primarily via our web site, fit within a series of themes, much like Disney ties products to a movie with themed-inspired activities. Our first theme is called, "Here We Go – Around the World Family Adventure." So when Grandparents wonder this holiday season what to get the GrandKids, or turn to parents for ideas, GrandCamp Adventures has the answer.

We were able to review the "Here We Go" storybook. I received this a while back but with the craziness of work and the holidays, just got around to opening it up. After I opened the packaged and thumbed through the book, I left it out to see if the kids would notice.

When Miss E. saw the book she immediately asked "Whose book is this". I told her it was hers if she wanted it. She immediately sat down and started reading as she LOVES to read :) She looked through and asked if she could read out loud to me which she never does unless it is for homework. I said she and she read through the first few pages.

The story is cute - It is about kids and grandparents scouring the globe for lost treasures on a wacky but fun adventure. What I was really, really impressed with are the outstanding graphics. The pages were truly stunning - the drawings were colorful, crisp and fun with a realistic yet dully playful element.

This is a wonderful book for children and grandparents to read together and begin plans to start their own adventures! With families spread out, this book can help kids and grandparents build a relationship, even with distance. It would make a great book for kids to grandparents or grandparents to grandkids. It is also unique in that it is a gift that can be handed down in the future to a parent from the child when a new generation begins :)

GrandCamp Adventures has other products including puzzles, an adventure kit, a CD to go along with the book and some of the cutest stuffed animals I have ever seen! (see left). If you are a grandparent I really encourage you to take a look at this product line.

You can visit GrandCamp Adventures on their website or via Facebook.

Disclosure: I received a product for review purposes but did not receive any form of compensation for this post.

Weekly card project - Birthday Birdie

2012-01-04T00:39:00.003-05:00

Weekly Card Project:

Birthday Birdie

A little bird told me it was your birthday........

What a fun way to share your birthday greetings for a friend - the recipient is sure to love the special touch of a handmade card!

The girls and I have been busy crafting and creating. I photographed the card the best I could but I am not a great photographer. It was very difficult to capture the depth and dimension of the layered effects and the distressed finish on film. Here is a quick tutorial.......

Front of Card

-The base for this project was an olive and white plain, blank note card. This was purchased at Michael's craft store for $1 a pack. Michael's is a great source for inexpensive blank card sets.

- The front was partially covered with an embossed rectangle of light gold cardstock - this was created using the Sizzix Texture Boutique Embossing Machine with a swirl and Swiss dot embossing folder included within the package.

- The edges of the embossed cardstock were "aged" with a light application of a gold art marker. This shows up a little more stark on film - in person the actual effect is much more muted.

- For a debossed effect, the embossed side was adhered to the card face down using craft glue stick.

- Embellishments added were a Cricut bird (Straight from the Nest cartridge I believe) and a flower created using a punched black cardstock circle and black patterned foiled cardstock flower. The flower was adorned with a layered "3-D" foil and cardstock butterfly sticker). The bird was adorned with a sea foam green rhinestone eye.

- The olive sections at the sides not covered with cardstock was given a decorative border in black ink using a clear acrylic block and ornate border stamp.

- The stamped image was distressed by lightly sponging over the image with a stamp pad and the brushed in a cross hatch style using a "dry" ink wash (black ink semi-dried on dry paintbrush). Once fully dry this was lightly sanded for an aged finished. This same technique was used on the Swiss dot section at the bottom of the card.

- "Happy Birthday" rub-on lettering that was included in the Sizzix Texture Boutique kit was added.

Inside of Card:

- 2 identically sized gold squares were glued to the inside left and right panels of the card.

- The squares were given an aged patina by using the distressing technique outlined above repetitively (black and brown stamp pads, inkwash and sandpaper). This was done until finish desired was achieved.

- The white border around the cardstock was painted with a heavy, black wet ink wash, blended with the cardstock and set out to dry.

- The left side of the card was adorned with a piece of black cardstock with intricate "lace" decorative shaping at all 4 corners using a Fiskars corner punch.

The black square was embellished with a flower created using a circle punch on black print card stock with a foiled / shiny finish. The Cricut flower cutout was aged using the distressing techniques outlined earlier.

- A vellum "quotes" overlay was added. Because the vellum is translucent, the glue dots used to adhere to the card were slightly visible through the paper; these dots were covered using larger sea-foam green rhinestones.

****************************

There is quite a bit of dimension on both the front and on the inside of the card. The gold against the olive, black and brown gives a great pop of color. The distressed finish gives a great rustic, vintage feel but the bird, foil and rhinestones add a touch of contrasting glitz for a great combo.

Congrats!

2011-12-31T14:53:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Joy and WWillow6 - you are both winners in the sister Schubert's giveaway. I misread the press communication - There will be two winners and the company will be sending the coupons to the winners directly (so I did not use the winner's coupon accidentally).

Congratulations ladies - I have emailed both of you! :)

December 2011

2011-12-28T01:31:00.000-05:00

Hello - I picked a couple of new winners today. Both of the winners are regular visitors and have won other giveaways on Momanthology.com. Names are drawn completely at random - in fact Rafflecopter has a feature which does this with the click of a button - if a giveaway is set up via blogger comments I go to random.org to select a number/name. It is ironic but wonderful that so many of these people have won more than once! What that means for you is to keep visiting and entering :)

Congrats to Cheryl who won the World Vision Giveaway and to Valerie who won the Chick-Fil-A giveaway! I do not have any immediate giveaways lined up but hopefully will soon. January should be busy, busy, busy. I am the girl scout cookie mom for my youngest daughter's troop and things are really picking up at work.

Hopefully I will also have some "me" time. Today I purchased some new scrapbooking/cardmaking supplies and am looking forward to receiving these. I am excited about my new purchases and cannot wait to come back and share my creations. It is so easy to get inspired by other bloggers - I love looking over scrapbooking blogs. Although I am a beginner, I have made huge strides in increasing my skill set over the past few months.

I am really into paper-crafting lately although do not have as much time to invest in creating as I wish I had.
If you are thinking of papercrafting I will warn you, this is a highly addictive and very expensive hobby. I have a vast number of supplies but still feel like I never have enough. There are always new techniques to try that require different materials/tools. I am confident that the most recent purchases will keep me occupied for a while though. (see below)

Some of the items I purchased:

Creative Express:

A variety of deeply discounted Embossing Folders:

Cricut Florals Embellished Cartridge

Cardstock:...........

Scrapbooking For Less:
Great prices here! It takes a while to browse but the results are worth it. Huge variety available.

I scored a huge grab bag:

I also scored a few papers including Earth Love Elements by Cosmo Cricket. I love the vintage images from different generations.

Amazon.com:
Amazon is actually a great place to score scrapbooking materials. You just need to keep checking for changes in pricing

Sizzix Texture Boutique Embossing Machine Beginner's Kit
I am really looking forward to trying this! This only embosses. Since I already have a Cricut I did not feel the need for a machine that both embossed and die cut. I plan to use it primarily for card making and embellishments to do not need one of the more robust (and more expensive) models.

Darice,1201-15 Value Pack Hole Punches in 3 Shapes - when creating tags these are great for a clean finish.

Glue Dots Pack
A lady at work told me about these and I am very grateful. I go through these dots like crazy! I arm myself with glue sticks and glue dots and go to town.

There are different sizes and styles. Some give an almost indestructable hold and others are removeable. Most are flat but I have some that raise the embellishment or item being glued to give more dimension to the project.

EK Success Inkadinkado Lace Doilies Cling Stamp
I love mandalas - great to color with Gel Pens.

Sew Easy Tool, zig-zag stitch head and piercing mat.
I love the crafty touch of sticking on cards and embellishments

I also snagged a Heat It tool and embossing powder for stamping and floss and needles for use with the Sew Easy tool.

Scrapbook.com

Multi-colored cards and envelopes

Stickers Galore!

Check the Sales link

Tags
Perfect for cards or gift bags

I look forward to sharing my creations with you! I also plan to use upcycled materials as well. Until then happy crafting......

Duct Tape Wallet Project

2011-12-25T10:56:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago I won a handmade duct tape wallet off of Etsy. I LOVED the wallet and immediately knew that I would take this project on when I had time.

Duct Tape crafts are currently so popular that you no longer need to venture to the hardware store to find the tape - you can find at many retailers including your local craft store.

Duct Tape manufacturers now offer various brightly colored versions in fun prints. For Miss E. I purchased a pink/purple/blue tie die pattern with blue tape to match; for Miss N. we chose zebra print with turquoise and neon orange to match; and for Miss C. I found a rock and roll - skull print with the same blue contrast tape I purchased for Miss E. matched.

For myself I grabbed a roll of clear tape to use with scrapbooking paper. What I also like about using the clear tape is that you can use more upcycled materials (gently uses but sturdy paper, cloth, etc) for a greener project.

When we were ready to take on the project I reviewed a few duct tape wallet tutorial videos on You Tube. We made three wallets - I used dark and light patterned scrapbook paper but found that the clear tape works MUCH better with the light paper. I will do another one and post a tutorial here. Ms. E's wallet is similar to the one above.

To construct Miss. N's wallet, we used the orange and turquoise as contrast colors and the zebra print for the trim. Behind the inside panels are inserts for a checkbook (top section pictured above) and bills (bottom section pictured above above). The bills section also has credit card and license inserts on the front of the panel.

This was a fun, quick and relatively inexpensive project - if you are looking for something to do with your children, consider making one of these wallets. There are also many other crafts you can make including purses, cell phone cases, photo boards and even clothing. These also make fantastic gifts. If you and your kiddos are looking for some inspiration look no further than the duct tape aisle at your favorite store!