Musings From a Stay At Home Mom

Summer Fun For Kids Event: K’NEX Elmo & Cookie Monster Best Friends {Giveaway}

2012-05-16T17:39:04Z

The K’nex Sesame Street products are a great idea because it brings the fun characters that our little ones know and love into a neat building set form.

I was sent the Best Friends Building Set to review. It’s a very simple set with 8 pieces and it features Elmo & Cookie Monster, who are naturally best friends. The chunky pieces are big enough that it’s easy for little children to put them together. Recommended for ages 2 and up, my almost-3-year-old, Joshua, absolutely adores this set.

When it arrived, we were still working on potty training, so I put it on top of the refrigerator and told Joshua he could have his Elmo & Cookie Monster as a reward. Let’s just say that worked very well and he earned his prize very quickly.

A couple weeks later, Joshua still carries Elmo & Cookie Monster everywhere! He gives them rides in his trucks and trains and he even sneaks them outside to play in the sandbox. He loves taking them apart and putting them together too. And I love that they’re very durable and don’t have tiny pieces. My 16 month old Luke loves to play with these too (when Joshua’s not looking!)

This is a perfect set for little ones and at an average price of $5.99, it fits the budget too!

Win It!

1 lucky winner will receive a K’nex Best Friends Building Set!

Rules:
This giveaway ends on May 30, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to the US only, ages 18+.
Click here for complete rules and disclosure.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thank you to K’NEX for the free product I was sent to review. I received no monetary compensation and my opinions are my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Wordless Wednesday Linky – Parade!

2012-05-16T11:10:23Z

This past Saturday was our town’s annual “celebration day” and our family marched in the parade with our karate school. This is the third year in a row we’ve participated and it’s always an exciting experience.

We had beautiful 75 degree weather too, which was just perfect, especially after 2-3 weeks of rain!

I didn’t post quite as many photos as I would have loved to because I don’t want to put up pictures of the other children without their parents permission. Emily has one little friend and I snapped some adorable photos of the two of them. Maybe I’ll be able to share them next week if her mom okays it.

Emily marching in the parade:

Joshua was a little white tiger. So cute!

We had fried pickles for the first time. It was interesting – I still haven’t decided whether I like them or not. I’m not a big fried-food kinda person.

Emily is learning quickly and doing very well.

Thanks for stopping by! Please leave a comment and link up to your Wordless (or not so) Wednesday post here:

Healthy Snacking Challenge with Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! {Giveaway}

2012-05-14T13:31:57Z

Last week, I wrote about the advantages of Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! popcorn. This low-fat, zero-grams-of-trans-fat snack is a good source of fiber, is 100% whole grain, and best of all has only 100 calories per 6 cup serving. And Orville Redenbacher has challenged us to replace other snacks with their SmartPop! popcorn with their “Healthy Snacking Challenge.”

I’ve been doing the challenge for the past week. Most of the time challenges are well…hard, but this one has been easy. Why? Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! popcorn is really good! I’ve had different “light” popcorn in the past and some of them are just plain bad, like cardboard tasting bad. But Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop? If I hadn’t read the side of the box (more than once) to make sure it actually was light, I wouldn’t have believed it. It tastes just like normal, yummy buttery popcorn. It’s good.

It’s so simple to make too.

Just toss it in the microwave for around 2 minutes.

And now it’s even easier where you can eat it right from the “Pop Up Bowl!”

So yes, I’ve been replacing my normal snacks with SmartPop! this week and I’ve really enjoyed it. When I replace an afternoon snack, where previously I’ve eaten pretzels or almonds or even munched on a cookie, I enjoy popcorn. I love that I can eat so much without feeling guilty too. I never eat the whole 6 cups – I’ll usually eat 1-2 cups, but I definitely feel more satisfied than when I just eat pretzels or something else.

My favorite snack replacement is in the evening. I have a bad habit of wanting to munch on something in the evenings, especially if I’m watching tv or a movie. Lately, I’ve replaced whatever junk I might normally nibble at with Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! It tastes good so I don’t feel like I’m dieting and it’s guilt-free. Even Nate, who normally doesn’t like “light” stuff, has commented on how good this popcorn tastes.

Visit Orville Redenbacher’s Facebook page where you can play the Pop Cam game and print a coupon for $1.00 off.

So now you know what I think of Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! popcorn and the Healthy Snacking Challenge, but it’s your turn! You can enter to win your own box of popcorn so you can try it out for yourself right here!

Win It!

5 lucky winners will each receive a box of Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! popcorn!

Rules:
This giveaway ends on May 29, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to the US only, ages 18+.
Click here for complete rules and disclosure.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in an ambassador campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of OrvilleRedenbacher’s and received Orville Redenbacher’s SmartPop! products and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate

May Kindle Giveaway

2012-05-15T03:57:53Z

Enter to win a Kindle!
Open to the US & Canada only, 18+
Ends June 2nd, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Take a Break & Find Your “Moment” with Nonni’s Biscotti Bites

2012-05-14T13:53:07Z

How often do you sit down and take a few moments to relax and enjoy yourself? If you’re anything like me, you’re probably so busy you don’t enjoy “me time” nearly often enough. But it doesn’t have to be an impossible feat. Simply adding a special element to your morning coffee time or a out-of-the-ordinary afternoon snack can make your day more enjoyable.

Nonni’s Biscotti, the most popular selling biscotti on the market, now offers “Biscotti Bites.” These delicious, bite-sized Italian treats are light, made with the finest, all natural ingredients, (including real butter, eggs, and gourmet chocolate) baked to perfection, and are the perfect size for snacking, sharing, or an on-the-go treat.

There are three varieties of Nonni’s Biscotti Bites:

Almond Dark Chocolate - a classic almond biscotti dipped in gourmet dark chocolate. This treat takes the tradition of biscotti and adds the delicious taste of fine chocolate
Caramel Milk Chocolate – a light treat with a creamy caramel filling and dipped in gourmet milk chocolate. An indulgent, irresistible combination
Classic Almond – this light, traditional Tuscan cookie is crisp and crunchy with a touch of anise and the sweet flavor of almonds. A perfect addition to a cup of coffee or glass of wine

I was sent three bags of Nonni’s Biscotti Bites to sample. They are delicious! They’re light-tasting, yet flavorful and convenient. Normally, I think of biscotti as a “special occasion” treat, but Nonni’s Biscotti Bites combines that element with an accessible, every-day treat.

It seems like most “special treats” are rich and indulgent, but Nonni’s Biscotti Bites prove that a special treat doesn’t have to be super rich to be delicious. I avoid sweets in the morning but Nonni’s Classic Almond Biscotti Bites are light enough that I can enjoy a couple of them with my morning cup of coffee. In fact, my favorite time to enjoy them is late-morning, with a cup of coffee or my favorite green tea, and when I’m sitting down to get a little blogging done. And the touch-of-chocolate Caramel Milk Chocolate Biscotti or Almond Dark Chocolate are perfect for later in the day.

Nonni’s Biscotti wants us to find our own “Biscotti Moment.” Upload your “Biscotti Moment” photo to their Facebook page and be entered in the sweepstakes for a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to Hollywood and a weekly chance to win a Nonni’s Biscotti Gift Basket. Entries will be accepted on the Nonni’s Biscotti Facebook page until June 15th.

My “Nonni’s Biscotti Moment” is when I’m able to sit in my favorite place – in my room with the window open, listening to the birds sing, and do some blogging. Adding a nice cup of green tea or iced coffee and a couple of Nonni’s Biscotti makes this time more special.

What’s your moment? Will you enter the sweepstakes?

Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Nonni’s Biscotti and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate

Summer Fun For Kids Event: Cuddle Covers {Giveaway}

2012-05-14T12:40:24Z

Summer Fun For Kids is finally kicking off and to start the fun, I’ve got a great item that kids of all ages will enjoy.

Cuddle Covers bring a child’s pillow to life by turning it into a soft huggable animal pal that they will love cuddling with. It’s simple: take the pillow, stuff it into the Cuddle Cover, and then zip it closed. Cuddle Covers are made with hypo-allergenic, ultra-soft polyester and they’re washable too, so it’s easy to keep them clean.

There are six fun characters to choose from: Berry the Bear, Don the Dinosaur, Izzy the Unicorn, Kit the Cat, Louie the Lion, and Max the Dog.

These covers are great because they fit standard sized pillows. While you can use the Cuddle Cover pillow that is available with it, you don’t have to or if you need to replace the pillow itself later, you don’t have to replace your child’s pal. They’re also really big so it makes for even more fun for the kids.

I picked Max the Dog for review because I thought Joshua (who is almost 3) would enjoy this the most and he absolutely loves dogs.

Fluff

Stuff and Zip!

I was surprised as just how soft this pillow is – it’s feels velvety soft. It’s also really big, which is great since my kids love playing with and jumping on big soft pillows.

Joshua was thrilled with his Max the “Doggy” and he loves to carry it around the house. One of his favorite things to do is to bring it downstairs and curl up on the couch with Max while watching tv or even taking a nap. When he wasn’t feeling well one day, he followed me around the house with his Cuddle Cover and laid it on the ground next to me to cuddle with. It was so sweet.

One of the best parts about Cuddle Covers is that they’re washable! As pillows, they’re going to get dirt and drool on them and washing is a must. I love when companies think practical.

Buy It:

You can buy Cuddle Covers online for $19.99 plus shipping and for a limited time, you can get a free mini version (you must pay shipping) when you buy one. You can also find them at select Bed, Bath, & Beyond stores.

Win It!

1 lucky winner will receive a Cuddle Cover of their choice!

Rules:
This giveaway ends on May 28, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST.
Open to the US only, ages 18+.
Click here for complete rules and disclosure.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thank you to the sponsor for the free product I was sent to review. I received no monetary compensation and my opinions are my own and were not influenced by the sponsor.

Pinterest Monday Linky – Week 17

2012-05-14T11:09:43Z

Sorry friends! I completely forgot about posting this yesterday. We had a super busy weekend and then with Mother’s Day yesterday, our linky went right out of my mind. Well better late than never, here it is!

Rules:

Please comment on the blog above you before adding your link. This way we can meet new bloggers and spread the comment love a little. Then link to a post with your favorite Pinterest finds, something you’d like pinned (no giveaways please), or your Pinterest profile.

I found some summer themed pinned for this week. We finished school last week so I’m ready for summer now!

Source: lscummard.blogspot.com via Erika on Pinterest

Source: google.co.uk via Erika on Pinterest

Source: craftsbyamanda.com via Erika on Pinterest

Source: youhavebeenframed.blogspot.com via Erika on Pinterest

Source: entirelyemily.blogspot.com via Erika on Pinterest

Source: kathychiu.tumblr.com via Erika on Pinterest

Happy Mother’s Day, Moms!

2012-05-13T00:12:11Z

These are for you, my dear friends and fellow-moms!

Have a wonderful day!

Source: personalbabygifts.co.uk via Romelia on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Angie on Pinterest

Source: babydickey.com via Hannah on Pinterest

Source: bit.ly via Angie on Pinterest

Source: iloveitallwithmonikawright.blogspot.com via LP on Pinterest

Source: i56.tinypic.com via Stacy on Pinterest

Source: iminhaven.blogspot.com via Susie on Pinterest

My Mother’s Day Present – A Cockatiel!

2012-05-11T22:17:07Z

Yes, a new bird! Nate & the kids took me up to the pet store today and I picked out my new cockatiel! I’ve wanted to get a cockatiel for awhile now and since we already had a cage, it worked out well.

Our new bird is a baby – about 6 weeks old now – so we’re not sure whether it’s a male or female. It’s hard to tell before they’re 6-9 months old. Apparently once they go through their first molt at that age, their new markings are a good sign.

We think the bird might be a girl because it wasn’t as vocal as some of the others. So I’ll be saying she because another 6 months is a long time to say it!

I’m still thinking of a name, but I like Cherry, Peaches, Katniss (yes from The Hunger Games!), Bella, Savannah, or Phoebe. Or maybe something entirely different. Cherry is at the top of my list for now.

What do you think?

She’ll be a friend for our Parakeet, Sky, too!

Delectable Layered Carrot Cake {Recipe}

2012-05-11T13:26:12Z

I think carrot cake gets a bad rap. I mean who wants veggies in a cake? Some carrot cakes are deserving of that. But others, like this amazing recipe, are so delicious, it’s hard to say no to a second piece.

I found this recipe a couple years ago when I was searching for a new carrot cake recipe for my dad for Father’s Day. My dad lives in Ohio, but he often visits us in the summer and happened to be in town over Father’s Day. He likes carrot cake so I wanted to make him a good one. This cake was an instant hit – it’s moist and flavorful, with the orange cream cheese frosting as the perfect addition.

And no one has to know it starts with a box mix…shhhh! That will be our little secret!

(scroll down for the full, printable recipe)

What you’ll need:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting (below)

We’ll start by combining the dry ingredients – add the cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, and cinnamon into a bowl and gently mix. (We don’t need a cloud of cake mix on our hands now, do we?)

In a separate medium-sized bowl, add all 4 eggs, orange juice, and the oil; whisk.

Pour the egg mixture into the dry stuff.
Once in awhile, I impress even myself with my multi-tasking – not a bad photo to take while pouring!
(In all reality, I was trying not to dump the egg mixture all over the counter all while trying to focus and play with the settings with my new camera. But I didn’t just tell you that. Taking photos while baking and cooking is complicated business, folks, I tell you!)

Okay, so mix that up really well – “beat until well blended.”

Add the carrots, raisins, and nuts.

Stir together – it will be really thick. That’s ok – we want thick. And it’s going to taste delicious.

Pour the batter into 2 greased and floured 9 inch round baking pans.
Personally, I spray with Baker’s Joy cooking spray and then dust with flour on top of it all. Hey, the Baker’s Joy normally works great, but for a yummy cake like this, I don’t want to risk any of it sticking. So extra flour it is.

Bake at 350º for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, we’ll make the frosting – the Orange Cream Cheese frosting

What you’ll need:

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup softened butter
3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1-2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

Put the cream cheese and butter into your mixing bowl…

…and beat until it’s almost fluffy

Add 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, 1 tablespoon of orange juice and the orange peel

Beat until it’s smooth.

Now this frosting isn’t your typical fluffy buttercream; it’s a denser, moister frosting. But you don’t want it too moist or thin.
So here’s where you add more confectioner’s sugar if you need to. You can also add up to 1 tablespoon more of orange juice.

I added the full 2 tablespoons of orange juice and needed 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar.

Once your cake is completely cool, frost.

You should have just enough frosting to cover the whole cake. I hate when there’s not enough frosting and will often double a recipe(if you’re going to make something, you may as well go all out!) But this recipe had just enough.

This cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Mouthwatering Recipe – Layered Carrot Cake

12-14 servings

Ingredients

1 package yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup softened butter
3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1-2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding,and cinnamon.

Whisk the eggs, orange juice and oil; add to dry ingredients. Beat until well blended. Stir in the carrots, raisins, and nuts (batter will be thick.)

Pour into two greased and floured 9" round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, orange juice, and orange peel; beat until smooth. Add more confectioner's sugar as needed.

Frost the cake.

Store in the refrigerator

Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin

http://musingsfromasahm.com/2012/05/delectable-layered-carrot-cake-recipe/

If you liked this recipe, please click the “pin it” button on top. Thank you!

Amazing Delectable Layered Carrot Cake #recipe – moist & flavorful w orange cream cheese frosting bit.ly/LSlYQ0 @erika105 #baking

— Erika Bragdon (@Erika105) May 11, 2012

*recipe credit goes to Taste of Home