ILuvShmoozee by Jay@Play is currently hosting a fun-filled video contest that allows readers to create a Shmoozee-inspired video to win big prizes including a grand prize of $500 and a first prize of $250, to name a few.

Below is our fun (and admittedly, amateur) Shmoozee video: “Lolli Daze with Shmoozees.” Watch to see who ends up with the lollipop in the great candy war!

Enter your own video for a chance to win on the Shmoozee Facebook page. You can also get an exclusive coupon for free shipping just for liking the page.

(Disclosure: I have a working relationship with Jay@Play and Shmoozees. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Coffee.  The word itself brings to the mind an image of relaxation, pure deliciousness, and when needed, a kick to get your mornings going! No one loves coffee more than I do (we have a Keurig and a Nespresso machine in my office…complete with a frother!).  When I was contacted to review their new limited edition spring flavors, I literally jumped at the chance, as Dunkin’ Donuts is one of my favorite coffee brands and I typically purchase the K-Cups for use in the office and at home. (And you see Dunkin’ Donuts cups in our office almost daily!)

I was generously provided with a Dunkin’ Donuts party pack to use for my review and I decided I would surprise my wonderful employees with a Spring Dunkin’ Donuts party on a typical Monday morning. Their reaction was priceless (you would have thought they were told they won the lottery!) as they all love Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. They each received a gift bag with a sample bag of one of the 3 new flavors, a large Dunkin’ Donuts iced coffee sipper cup, a coupon to try the new flavors, a recipe card to make Iced Coffee(which we didn’t get to try out yet) and a reusable Dunkin’ Donuts tote bag.

We brewed up all 3 flavors, Coconut, Triple Berry and Strawberry Shortcake to conduct our own taste test. What we all agreed on was the fact that each flavor’s taste wasn’t too weak or overpowering, but just the right the combination of the flavor and that great Dunkin’ Donuts taste! My personal favorite was the Strawberry Shortcake, but I was outvoted by the Coconut lovers…something about Coconut that evokes a tropical vacation (which hey, let’s be real, who wouldn’t want to be on a tropical vacation, especially enjoying Dunkin’s Coconut coffee on a beach?).

While discussing the flavors, our conversation naturally flowed into other topics, families, kids and summer plans. That’s the beauty of a cup of good coffee. It brings people together and creates an atmosphere of warmth and relaxation, much like the season of spring itself!

We definitely recommend checking out Dunkin’s new Spring Flavors at your local DD or grocery store. Hurry though, as they are only here for a limited time!

http://www.dunkinathome.com/seasonal-coffee/

“Like” Disney’s PLANES on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DisneyPlanes

“Follow” Disney’s PLANES on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyPictures

Visit the website: www.disney.com/Planes

So what is a Wummelbox?  Wummelbox is a European-style arts & crafts subscription service for kids that is designed to inspire learning, creativity and exploration. Wummelbox provides families with all the materials needed for hours of hands-on fun all in one box. The best part for busy parents? It’s conveniently delivered right to your doorstep!

Appropriate for ages 3-8, each Wummelbox is based on a particular theme (i.e., Nutrition, Music, or Color and Light) and includes all the materials needed (plus instructions) for a child to create 3-4 projects. We received the “Nutrition” themed box, which you will see below.

The nutrition-themed Wummelbox had four arts & crafts projects that invite kids to explore the delicious world of food and cooking:

•  Open your own colorful grocery store and sell your handmade fruit and veggies to your friends and family.  Recycle the Wummelbox and turn it into a cash register for your grocery store!

•  Become your own head chef and decide what goes into your very own cookbook.  Decorate and personalize your own chef’s apron, too!

•  Play a fruit and veggie game and learn which foods grow on trees or in the ground.

•  Experiment and learn with food. Make paste for art projects out of potatoes and discover how water separates from starch or conduct a “full-feeling” experiment to see how the pace of eating influences how quickly you feel.

My son especially enjoyed running his own grocery store and being his own “chef” and came up with some very interesting meal ideas! I especially liked how it teaches kids the concept of how the body digests food, the speed at which digestion occurs and how it makes you feel. With obesity being a huge problem in this country, this is a creative way to teach kids about nutrition and how to build a healthy relationship with food; all while creating with their hands and having fun.

Wummelbox subscription packages include: Try A Wummel, a 1 month subscription priced at $34.95; Little Wummel, 3-month subscription priced at $24.95 per month; and Big Wummel, a 12-month subscription priced at $19.95 per month.

To learn more about Wummelbox, visit wummelbox.com or facebook.com/wummelbox

Some of my best summer memories as a kid were made at Hersheypark. We typically took summer day trips and would leave early in the morning to max out our park time. They had so many rides I wouldn’t know where to start! My favorite ride was the swings, but I also loved enjoying Hershey’s chocolate and having fun with my family. I was very fortunate to have grown up fairly close to Hershey and the car ride wasn’t usually too long.

Now that I have a family of my own, I realize how important family vacations are to us. Taking a time out for the rush of everyday life to just relax, kick back and have fun with one another is great opportunity to bond as a family.

Hersheypark has changed so much from when I was a kid and they have even more to offer now for every taste and budget. They have over 65 rides and attractions, plus the Boardwalk at Hershey water slides to cool off on a hot summer day. If you prefer to “take it all in” they have live shows daily, and ZooAmerica, a year-round 11-acre zoo featuring animals and plants from North America to stroll through.

If you want to go right to the good stuff, adjacent from Hersheypark is Hershey’s Chocolate World. They have added a brand new attraction, Hershey’s Great Chocolate Factory Mystery – the new, one-of-a-kind 4D interactive experience opening in May.  I know my boys would love this!

I have had the opportunity to stay at The Hotel Hershey and partake in some of their legendary chocolate- based treatments at the Chocolate Spa (heavenly, just heavenly). This summer, the hotel is re-launching The Circular Dining Room in The Hotel Hershey, which now offers a new innovative menu, delicious cocktails and desserts in the grandeur of a 1930’s style dining room.  This would make an excellent couple’s weekend getaway!

Summer is also prime-time concert season, but you don’t have to travel far to enjoy your favorite bands. Hersheypark has just released their Summer Concert Schedule that caters to many different musical tastes. While I haven’t had the opportunity to see a concert there, I have many friends who have and enjoyed themselves immensely.

Hersheypark is an ideal family vacation destination with world-class dining and accommodations for a longer stay. If you live further away from Hershey, PA, I would totally recommend it for an amazing family vacation!

For more information on Hersheypark and all things Hershey, be sure to check out their website: http://www.hersheypa.com/

Though Weitzman’s shoes are worn by some of the biggest supermodels and celebrities you don’t have to be one to wear one of his spring looks. All it takes is a desire for style!  Below are a few of my picks for summer 2013:

Metallics are the new neutrals ladies. This pair of gorgeous, thick heeled sandals in a metallic hue totally fit the bill. I would pair these with a printed pair of shorts or a mini skirt! Strapback $355

There are nights when you just want to feel like a total vamp. These are your shoes. Marie $435

A good pair of gladiators. Gladiator style sandals have been a perennial for more than a few spring/summers, so if you haven’t tried them out, now’s the time! This leather pair come in both a black or tan color. Lasting $298.

A date night-worthy sandal. It seems like a no-brainer that bright colors are all the rage for spring-summer, but again, if it’s another trend you have been bypassing, give it a go this season (especially this gorgeous hot pink shade!). French Cuff $425

Make wedges “work”. No one wants to be working in the summer (kids have no idea how good they have it during those 3 months off!) but if we must, may as well do it in style. A pair of neutral wedges are always office-appropriate. Do Lunch $350

Do I have you jonesing for some new shoes? Don’t fret, because Shopcade, the personal shopping app, has partnered with the iconic fashion brand to offer a chance to win a $200 gift card to get your feet moving in some of the hottest looks of the season! Shopcade has launched a ‘Deals Revolution’ that brings relevant deals directly to users based on what they want – think Pinterest with direct shopping capability. Invite friends, earn credits for shopping just by liking your favorite pieces, and unlock special discount codes and more! All you need to do is join Shopcade and enter to win.

I hope you enjoyed my Stuart Weitzman picks. Let me know yours in the comments below!

Sunday May 12 is Mother’s Day, a day when we come together to celebrate the love, care and sacrifice the mothers (and grandmothers etc.) in our families make every day. But what about the other days? The days where you or another mom has gotten exactly 2 hours sleep because their baby was up sick and she had to go to work and give a presentation the next day? The days when you’re trying to get bread and milk at the grocery store and your toddler has a meltdown in aisle 3?

I may be preaching to the choir, but being a mother is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Those early years are some of the toughest: the sleep deprivation, the endless crying, the dishes in the sink, the laundry piling up. Throw two working parents into the mix and it gets harder. Did you ever wish someone would just tell you, “Its ok. You’re doing such an amazing job”?  Well, now you can do that for a fellow mom thanks to Johnson’s Baby Cares program.

I remember when I was pregnant with my second son, dealing with my first as a toddler, we just bought our home and my husband lost his job. I was a wreck, as many moms would be. What got me through was hearing from my mom, my friends and my husband that I was doing such a good job keeping it all together. I certainly didn’t feel like I was together, but just hearing those words, a smile and a thank you helped me tremendously.

Johnson & Johnson created their Johnson’s® Baby Cares program in 2012 in conjunction with Save the Children® as part of the brand’s commitment to ensure that every baby has a healthy and happy start to life. Through the brand’s support of Save the Children’s ® Steps to School Success program, they’re helping to provide moms with the skills and knowledge to successfully support their child’s growth from pregnancy to school age.

Johnson’s Baby Care Cards are an easy way to reassure moms that they’re doing just fine across the country. You can make and send your own Johnson’s Baby Care Card through their Facebook page here . For each Care Card sent, shared or liked, Johnson’s® Baby will donate $1.00 to Save the Children®, up to $150,000, to benefit early childhood education.

I have a few Baby Care Cards myself to send to friends who are new moms, trying to juggle it all. Make sure you take a moment to send a Care Card to a mom you know and love to encourage them. Trust me; it can make a world of a difference.

Who will you send a Johnson’s Baby Cares Card to this Mother’s Day? Let me know in the comments section below!

(Disclosure: My oldest son and I are in Orlando for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. While I did pay for my conference ticket and travel, the event is subsidized by many sponsors. Opinions are always my own.)

Have you taken the Food List Challenge on Facebook? I’ve tried 83 of the 100 foods on the list. Given the opportunity, I would likely try all 100. Why? My parents always encouraged me to try new things. As a child and teen, I accompanied them on trips around the world– learning about history, art, language, cultur

e and trying new foods. These family trips inspired a lifelong love of learning and voracious reading habits. But they also made me a more adventurous person, which was definitely a factor in starting my own small business in 2010.

My children are two and five. They may be a bit young for international travel, but they aren’t too young to try new things. We’re at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference. Yesterday, we attended a dinner event about the Disney TRYit! Challenge, sponsored by Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living.

My five year old is not the most adventurous eater, but I persuaded him to try an Apple Spinach Smoothie and a Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese. He wasn’t a fan of the feta cheese, but he did try it. And that’s good enough for me.

TRYit! is about more than food. Experiences count.  Disney has TRYit! Challenges available online– like Freeze Dance and Scooter Soccer. Mickey Mouse was break-dancing at the party, and my son joined in on the fun. He was certainly dancing like nobody was watching– let’s just say the style was “creative.” I felt such joy watching him because he was so happy!

We’re in Disney World through May 15th, and I plan on encouraging my son to try some new foods. On our “list” is Tusker House Restaurant at Animal Kingdom– a buffet restaurant with typical “kid food” as well as African cuisine. While my five year old will likely eat chicken or a burger, I hope he’ll also “try” a few bites of saffron-infused root vegetables, plantains, or tomato cucumber salad with mint yogurt dressing.

How do you encourage your kids to try new things?

Homemade gifts and cards are treasured, but adult children — who may have outgrown their arts & crafts-making phase– should still try to show appreciation for mom on Mother’s Day. If you don’t have a big budget for gifts, here are some ideas under $25– courtesy of SunnyBump, a social community that helps new and expecting parents discover the best products.

(Disclosure: I discovered SunnyBump through my work with Child’s Play Communications.)

The Gifts Moms Will Love On Mother’s Day ($25 and Under!) by kristenhuff

Browse on SunnyBump ?

The great thing about Disney rides are that many have been included in the parks that are low-impact and easy for all ages – like the timeless “It’s A Small World” or the new Ariel ride “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid.” There are certainly plenty of big rides too, like Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain in Animal Kingdom, but those might have to wait a couple more years.

Spring is also a wonderful time to see Epcot’s beautiful garden topiaries. My son’s favorite, of course, was the Cars car last year which we will be searching out again in Tokyo.

This week, I have been receiving a couple of nice surprises to prepare me for the trip. Below is a box of goodies with several creative themed packages to encourage my children to capture their own stories with props and pictures on Spoonful.com’s iTunes Story App.

We also received a vivid green Colora bag from American Tourister as a part of their new Spring line. Oh, la la! We have already started packing, weeding out clothes that have gotten too small for my growing son and making a quick shopping list for what we need to replace. The trip will be here before we know it and we are staying a few days extra to soak in the sunshine and enjoy the parks for a little longer while we are there because Disneyworld is just that awesome!

(Disclosure: I was invited to participate in the Disney Social Media Moms 2013 Conference this year. I received several products to review as mentioned in advance of the trip. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)