I have a thing for aprons. Especially vintage aprons. They are sassy and cute, not to mention they keep my clothes safe from splatters! Honestly, aprons are something that I can’t have too many of in my kitchen. So I was giddy when Grandway sent me The Sophia Apron and several more of their products to try out.^[*]

Aprons, Pot Holders, and Oven Mitts

I l-o-v-e the design and style of The Sophia Apron. Polka dots aplenty with pretty ruffle detailing! It features a roomy pocket in the front that is big enough for me to stash utensils. It also acts as a third hand to hold produce as I gather ingredients to prep food! I was especially glad to see that the top part of the apron was … generous {read: it actually covers my chest. I run into that problem with aprons more often than not, unfortunately}.

The matching potholder and oven mitt set is a great addition to our kitchen. They are nice and thick which is appreciated. I like to avoid burning myself when removing the spit from the rotisserie, you know. *chuckle*

There are a number of sweet vintage aprons – all priced between $30-$35. The pot holder and oven mitt sets cost $18.

I love the attention to pretty details.

Gloveables

My hands are quite thankful for the Gloveables I received. I’ve used these waterproof gloves for cleaning the tub, the sinks, and gardening! Luv takes them and hides them in her play kitchen when I am not looking. She thinks they are the prettiest gloves! I have to admit, it is more enjoyable gardening with such fancy gloves on… I’ll save the boring yellow gloves for The Mister. You can pick up a pair of Gloveables for just $14.

Magnetic Key Finders

I do believe my handbag, as much as I adore it, houses some sort of a black hole. I am constantly digging for my keys! And of course, everything ends up in my handbag when we are out and about {nursing cover, snacks, books, toys, phone, wallet, notepad and pens, sunglasses, tissues, etc.} my keys get buried even more so. It’s a miracle that I find them at all.

But ever since Grandway sent me a Crowned Hearts Bonjour charm, there is no question where my keys are. It is a pretty charm displayed on the outside of the handbag, while on the inside a strong magnet holds my keys in place. I was worried at first that my handbag wouldn’t work well as it is a leather-like material. But the magnets hold strong, even when I toss yet another “Momma, can you hold my…” item in. For $18, you can pick up this a pretty magnetic key finders charm for yourself or gift it! It is a time saver {and sanity saver}, I love mine!

Making a Difference – Helping Hand

Along with providing a number of fashionable and functional goods for us to swoon over, Grandway sincerely looks after the people and the community making these lovely products in the rural city of Choluteca, Honduras.

The factories in Choluteca Honduras are one of the primary employers to this small community. The Honduran people have seized the opportunity & have chosen to work hard to support their families. Purchase of our products helps to guarantee that we can continue to offer employment opportunities to a region that needs economic help.
~ Grandway – Making a Difference

I love learning about and supporting companies that make a difference like Grandway!

Connect:

Follow Grandway on Facebook and Pinterest to be kept in the loop with the newest apron styles and all their products and to read more about how they are making a difference.

^{* [Erin received the mentioned product{s}, free of charge, to facilitate her review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only. Review product provided by Grandway.]↩}

If the TV is on in the living room, I tend to keep it on Disney Junior. One of Jaylin’s favorite shows on there is Doc McStuffins. She was so excited when we received Doc McStuffins: Time For Your Check-Up DVD to review!

Since getting the new Doc McStuffins DVD it’s been on almost nonstop. The DVD has 5 episodes on it and comes with a free growth chart.

“Doc McStuffins” tells the story of a nurturing six-year-old girl who heals stuffed animals and broken toys out of her backyard playhouse
clinic. Assisting Doc at the clinic are her trusty team of lovable stuffed animals including: Stuffy, an overly proud dragon; Lambie, her cuddly best friend lamb; Hallie, a jolly and
caring hippo nurse; and Chilly, a snowman who spends a lot of time getting check-ups at the clinic. Whether it’s a case of loose stitching, low batteries or a blow-up toy who
has sprung a leak, Doc and her pals are always there to lend a helping hand, while imparting to young viewers the importance of taking care of oneself and others.

The five episodes on Time For Your Check-Up are:

1 – Gulpy, Gulpy Gators! / One Note Wonder
2 – Tea Party Tantrum / Blast Off!
3 – Arcade Escapade / Starry, Starry Night
4 – Bronto Boo-Boos / Brontosaurus Breath
5 – Doctoring The Doc / Hot Pursuit

Doc McStuffins: Time For Your Check-Up DVD is now available in stores for $19.99!

THE GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive Doc McStuffins: Time For Your Check-Up DVD

Open to US & Canada Residents – ARV $19.99

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Jackie received the above product(s), free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of reviewer only.

Wake-Up Call!

I guess it IS possible to take the mundane out of the office! Monster.com has introduced their Wake Up Call campaign, where Brian Baumgartner comforts employees that have been pranked with a wake up call. This is no ordinary wake up call though – it is something “special” (I’m not sure how I would feel about this approach!).

Monster.com goes inside several offices and sets up hidden cameras along with horn traps, in their workspace. The employees are in for a big surprise, as their day starts off a little differently than normal. If you love a good prank, then you might enjoy this!

Who would you prank? How do you think they would react? If you have someone or something in mind, grab your camera and start recording! I know you guys are pretty funny, and I would love to see what you come up with! You can leave a link to your video in the comments below and Monster.com will be posting their favorite funniest videos on their Twitter & Facebook pages. Make sure you use the designated hashtag, #WakeUpCall if you post a video!

Speaking of jobs, don’t forget that you can visit Monster.com for information on current job openings, job search advice, networking and much, much more. You can also find more helpful info on the Monster.com blog!

THE GIVEAWAY:

One (1) winner will receive a $25 Visa Gift Card and Monster Mug (from the video)!

Open to US only. Giveaway ends 6/5.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This is a partnered post. All opinions are my own.

Ingredients:

○● Organic dried cranberries
○● Organic almond butter
○● Organic celery

Directions:

{I’m not suggesting you couldn’t figure out how to assemble these – ha!}

●○ Evenly spread the almond butter inside the celery. Go ahead and steal a spoonful of the butter for yourself. I won’t judge.
●○ Sprinkle the dried cranberries across the top.
●○ Slice into smaller pieces and serve.

These are great to add to packed lunches or picnics. And they are especially nice to take for those “break in case of emergency” snacks while out and about or running errands.

Which kid snacks are a hit in your house?

Bobby Flay is one of my favorite chefs (we watch all of his shows, including Worst Chef’s in America!), so when I was asked to review a few Bobby Flay products (available at Kohl’s) I was one happy girl!

Since purchasing our retirement home, I have made a promise to myself that our decor and kitchen products (and everything, really) will be top notice and good quality. In our regular home, we have so many mis-matched dishes and pieces of cookware. I just want everything to look gorgeous in the new place (in addition to being functional).

Are you ready to swoon like I did (and still do)?

I received three items to review – Bobby Flay Hammered Salad Bowl (normally $59.99, but on sale for $35.99), Bobby Flay Acacia Tri-Server ($39.99 regularly, but also on sale right now for $23.99) and Bobby Flay Acacia Bread Bowl (regularly $39.99, but on sale now for $23.99!). Oh my gosh are these beautiful! As I unpacked the items, I marveled at the beauty of each one.

The Bobby Flay Hammered Salad Bowl is just gorgeous. I am embarrassed to admit what I usually serve salad in (and no, I’m not going to tell you), so it will be nice to serve my tasty salads in a tasteful glass salad bowl! It is a perfect size for a salad for my family or when we have another couple over for dinner, but it is probably a little too small for serving more than 4 or 5 people. I cannot begin to tell you how stunning the salad bowl looks with the other two items I received! The wood handles on the salad bowl match the Acacia Tri-Server and the Acacia Bread Bowl (and even our kitchen table!), to make a stunning display.

I couldn’t wait to make my family a yummy meal with my new items. I have never heard of Acacia wood before, but I am in love. The quality of these bowls is incredible (they are kind of heavy – definitely good construction), and I have a feeling they will last for years. The Bobby Flay Acacia Wood Bread Bowl held the dinner rolls perfectly and this would also be great for a french loaf of bread or baguette. The Bobby Flay Acacia Wood Tri-Server is so pretty as well, and I will be filling it with all kinds of goodies when we have guests over.

You can find all of the above products at Kohl’s! Make sure you also follow Kohl’s on Facebook and @Kohls on Twitter to keep up with the latest product news, promotions and more!

*I received the above items, free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

Between The Mister’s crawl space coated work clothes, spit up splatters on my clothes, proof of Luv’s rough and tumble play style, and Bugsy figuring out how to put the avocado *in* his mouth… not to mention cloth diapers? Laundry day is every day in our home. So I was happy to discover Molly’s Suds was sending me some of their 100% Natural Laundry Powder to try out!^[*]

Molly’s Suds was created by a fellow mom searching for answers after her daughter’s tragic still birth. She began researching; looking at animal studies, medical studies, ingredient lists full of chemicals… and surmised that she could do better.

Considering the rating the Environmental Working Group {EWG} gave Molly’s Suds, I would say they *did* do better. EWG is a site I use fairly often to look up products and ingredients along with any concerns that may be connected to them. Molly’s Suds received an A – that majorly impressed me.

100% Natural Laundry Powder

After reading the back of the bag, I was excited to do a load of laundry. Seriously. One thing to note is that you sprinkle the detergent directly in the wash drum – even for HE/front loading machines. I triple checked that I had read that right and followed the directions. This powder also is recommended to use with warm water cycles. That isn’t a problem when I’m washing cloth diapers or his work clothes, but I do try to use cold cycles for everything else to balance out energy usage. I’d love to see a cold water option from Molly’s Suds as well.

washing Luv’s duvet cover…I noticed later that Bugsy was watching *chuckle*

Other details to note:

○● The ingredients are simple: sodium carbonate from the Green River Basin in Wyoming, sodium bicarbonate, epsom salt (epsomite), sea salt, and organic peppermint essential oil
○● The “no” ingredient list is long {but that is a good thing}: No sodium laureth/lauryl sulfates, no phosphates, no petrochemicals, no formaldehyde, no parabens, no 1,4 dioxane, no fillers, no Diethanolamines, no synthetic surfactants, no PEG (polyethylene glycols), no NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylates).
○● Gluten-free: this is something I have been paying close attention to lately as I cannot eat or apply glutens. My skin does better without them.
○● Enzyme free formula and safe to use for cloth diapers! Hooray for that! Your water type may need more than one tablespoon of powder.
○● Biodegradable, certified vegan, and certified cruelty free by Leaping Bunny.

each bag has angel baby Molly’s footprints ♥

Doing the math:

One four+ pound bag of Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder will tackle about 128 loads {depending on what you’re washing and your water type}. One bag costs $21…

That’s about 17¢ per load!

After using Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder with each load for a couple of weeks now, I can honestly say I am sold. I use an extra scoop when I wash The Mister’s work clothes {something I did regardless of the brand of detergent – you’d understand if you heard about what he has to do!}. It also works great on cloth diapers. I’ve used a tablespoon per load so far and have had no repelling or stinky issues with Bugsy’s diapers. It rinses away, no residues to mix with the ammonia of urine and irritate his sensitive skin.

Wool Dryer Balls

Molly’s Suds also sent us a three-pack of their Wool Dryer Balls. I’m familiar with the benefits of using these little guys, but only recently did I *finally* start using them. Wool naturally wicks up moisture, so wool dryer balls help reduce drying time. Depending on the load size and how many dryer balls, a load can finish up to 15-30% faster. Use less energy by simply throwing them in the dryer! Plus, anything that lessens the amount of time I spend doing and waiting on laundry is fabulous!

For maximum reduction in drying time (about 30%) we recommend 9 Dryer Balls.
~ Molly’s Suds

*tip* upcycle the burlap bag and use it for gift wrap!

I am not a fan of dryer sheets or fabric softener as it is, but wool dryer balls are a natural, sustainable resource that also helps soften clothes. Once the dryer is finished, I remove the clothes and leave the dryer balls inside – ready to be used for the next load! Wool Dryer Balls are available at Molly’s Suds for $20. Considering they will last about three years, I’d say that is a *naturally* worthy investment!

Connect:

Be sure to keep up to date with Molly’s Suds by following along on Facebook and Twitter.

One reader will win a bag of Molly’s Suds Laundry Powder and a set of 3 Wool Dryer Balls!
Open to US residents – ARV $41 – Open until June 2nd @ 9pm PST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

^{* [Erin received the mentioned product{s}, free of charge, to facilitate her review. All opinions are those of the reviewer only. Review product and giveaway prize provided by Molly's Suds through Green Moms Media.]↩}

RAFFLECOPTER ONLY GIVEAWAY LINKY – May 18: 

Do you love Rafflecopter giveaways?  Now you can have them all in one convenient place!  A new linky post will go up each Saturday.

Introducing the Rafflecopter ONLY Giveaway Linky!

Please enter your Blog Name/Prize, and the directly link to your giveaway.

RT:  New! Rafflecopter ONLY Giveaway Linky! List and find giveaways that use Rafflecopter for entries.http://eightymphmom.com

**THIS LINKY IS ONLY FOR RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAYS!**

Please put the direct link to the giveaway, the prize, end date and if the giveaway is open to US, US and Canada or Worldwide.

Help me spread the word about this Rafflecopter Giveaway linky!  Please retweet or share on Facebook – thanks!

Do you have a child that loves arts & crafts?  I have 3!  I was pretty excited to receive a Wummelbox to review for you.

Wummelbox is an arts & crafts subscription service for kids ages 3-8.  Each kit is delivered monthly right to your door.  What is inside?  All the ingredients necessary for learning, creativity and exploration.  The  Wummelbox will have 3-4 projects all tested by early childhood educations, designers, and parents.  Each month your Wummelbox will have a theme, ours was Time Travel.  Our Wummelbox had 3 projects where my girls got to travel back to the Stone Age.  The box even came with a pair of safety scissors to use for the projects.

First find a beautifully written and detailed description of what is included in the box.  There is a fun story to share with the kids inside and also interesting facts.  I had my 7 year old read the story of Wummel and Hedgy to her sisters about their afternoon adventure and we were all ready for our own to begin!  They were so excited to get started so we did right away!

First up  though you have to find a way to get back to the Stone Age right?  How else would you get back to the Stone Age but to create your own time machine?  As you can see my 4 year old had to problem doing this craft (basically) on her own.  The pictures telling you what to do are fabulous!

I read to her what to do and by looking to the booklet and with my help she was able to finish it up.  Fun questions on the back side of the booklet sparks fun conversations with your children while adding to the fun of the project you are doing together.

Ready.  Set. Go.  Back in time we went where we created our own cave painting.  Super fun painting/stamping project for all the kids to take part in.  Watching what they created was fun for me as each girl had her own special cave story to tell.  The paint is good messy fun and my girls love it!  Who didn’t think it was the best day ever when your teacher or mama said “Put on your smocks everyone, we’re painting today!”  With the fun idea of making your own cave now decorated with it’s very own painting your are set for an afternoon of imaginary play.

Lastly we cut out and painted the pieces for the Hunter & Gatherer game.  Simple concept but you are able to change the game up by laying down each of the tracks differently every time you play!  Take turns who lays the tracks and get ready for some tracking fun!

Wummelbox only uses materials that meet the highest standards for toys.  They also take extra steps to be eco-friendly when ever possible.  There are 3 subscription packages which include:

Try a Wummel which is a 1 month subscription priced at $34.95.

Little Wummel which is a 3 month subscription priced at $24.95 per month.

Big Wummel which is a 12 month subscription priced at $19.95 a month.

While you don’t need a special occasion to subscribe for Wummelbox I see it as not only being an awesome birthday gift for your children’s friends but a great idea for Grandparents to give their grandkids.  How neat would it be if they were close enough to do the projects with them too?  You will have hours of fun each month with your Wummelbox.  Find out more about Wummelbox on their website and Facebook.

*Jessie received the above product(s), free of charge, to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of reviewer only.

#SergeantsPet Twitter Party

You know me – I can’t resist a good Twitter party!  I also can’t resist learning more about taking care of my fur-babies.  There is always something new to learn!  Join me during the #SergentsPet Twitter Party to talk about pet dental problems, pet obesity, and those pesky fleas and ticks!  I cannot wait to hear the tips and information on keeping my babies in good health, and also about the AHA pet shelters across the U.S. (and how easy it is to donate!).

Pet care product company Sergeant’s has teamed up with actress Tiffani Thiessen (@TAThiessen) – who is a huge animal advocate, to share easy ways that everyone can help with Pet Health!

Starting in February, Sergeant’s has asked pet lovers to take an online pledge to commit to caring for their pets. For each pledge, Sergeant’s will send a pet health kit (up to $50 in value) to participating shelters. What a fantastic program!  The American Humane Association (AHA) is also helping. The health kits will go home with newly adopted pets from AHA shelters nationwide to make sure that their health care regimen is off to a great start. Sergeant’s hasn’t yet reached their total pledge goal and they really need our help.  I just know that I can count on my loyal readers to help spread the word.  Please let your friends and family know about this wonderful program, and how they can help shelter animals.

When you take the pledge, you will receive a coupon for $3.00 off of your next Sergeant’s or Sentry purchase! This will help to keep to your own pet care plan on track

I just took the pledge – it was super easy, and it feels good to help!

#SergeantsPet Twitter Party!!

Please note: The party was originally scheduled for May 21st, but due to the tornado in Oklahoma it has been rescheduled to May 29th.

Where: Twitter of course! Follow the #SergeantsPet hashtag to keep track of the conversation. You can find the details and RSVP by going to this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/sergeantspet2

Hashtag: #SergeantsPet

Prizes: During the party, five (5) prizes will be awarded randomly to  participants who have correctly answered a trivia question.

Each prize includes:

• Free flea & tick product for your pet
• Pet health kit (as seen on the emBARK website)
• emBARK on Pet Health t-shirt,
• Head shot of campaign spokesperson Tiffani Thiessen
• DVD copy of White Collar (Tiffani’s hit show on USA Network).

Your fellow co-hosts:

My Other Car Is A Camaro – Why Can’t Women Get A Break?

You can’t turn on a television without seeing car ads, and when it comes to car ads there are really only two types:

1. Ads that portray buyers who are concerned about safety, features, fuel economy, etc.
2. Ads that portray cars in a sporty, performance oriented light.

To my eyes (and perhaps my eyes are biased as a result of the fact that I’m a male), TV ad format number one is directed at women, while TV ad format number two is directed at men. Let me tell why I think that’s fundamentally screwed up.

Women Buy Most Of The Cars On The Road

As someone who worked in car dealerships for nearly a decade (mostly as a sales manager, but also as a salesperson and finance manager), I feel qualified to say that women buy almost all cars. Even in situations where a man is buying a car by himself, there’s usually a woman somewhere who has signed off on this purchase. Setting my anecdotal evidence aside, R. L. Polk found that 80% of automotive purchase decisions are made by women.

Frankly, women ought to be in charge of major purchases. Studies have shown that women are better at making financial decisions than men. While this isn’t to say that men aren’t capable of making good financial choices (they are), the point is that there’s a rationale to explain why women buy most of the cars on the road today, either directly or indirectly.

Therefore, if women purchase and/or sign off on most vehicle purchases, why aren’t most TV ads directed at women? This Kia commercial, for example, portrays sexy fembots taking violent action against the proverbial tire kicker:

This Dodge Dart commercial is another great example. The male narrator puts a male race car driver behind the wheel of a new Dart and shows him doing a bunch of ridiculous, irresponsible things in the name of “testing for fun.”

Women Like To Drive Fast Too

There’s nothing that keeps a woman from racing. In fact, a lot of women – Danica Patrick, Simona De Silvestro, Susie Wolff – are quite good at it. While I acknowledge that most of the women in my life have little interest in racing, I’m of the opinion that this is as much a result of stereotypes as anything else.

For decades, we’ve all seen male-oriented ads for performance vehicles. Perhaps as a result of these ads, our society has accepted the stereotype that men like to drive fast. What’s more, because we haven’t seen many female-oriented ads for performance cars, perhaps our society has accepted the stereotype that women don’t like to drive fast…and that’s a shame.

As a wanna-be racer myself, I must confess that driving fast is a blast. I wasted many nights in my teens and twenties at the drag strip (or, unwisely, trolling city streets) looking for a good race. There’s nothing quite like hitting all your shifts perfectly and pulling away from the car in the lane next to you. It’s a blast. Women should be just as encouraged to do this sort of thing as men are, and I think it starts with asking car companies to broaden their advertising.

I’d also like to point out that a lot of women actually enjoy driving fast, and that they deserve to be marketed to just as much as men. Women (many of whom are Moms!) own and drive Camaros, Corvettes, Mustangs, WRXs, etc.

The fact is, the status quo doesn’t make sense. It’s time for a change in automotive advertising, one which recognizes the import role women play in the purchase decision, as well as the fact that many women love racing as much as the next guy (or gal).

Author Jason Lancaster is the editor of AccurateAutoAdvice.com, a website that helps car owners make the most of their vehicles. When Jason isn’t racing, he’s writing articles like this one for GMPartsOnline.net, a website that offers OEM GM parts online.