Real Life Review

Welch's Aqua Juice - Giveaway

2009-01-31T16:03:00.005-05:00

I'll be honest. I've always completely passed up those Juice and Water drinks. I thought, why buy those when I can just mix juice and water like always? And I've said this even as my kids fuss everytime I do just that. Once they've had a taste of the really thing, it tastes really different with water added.That's why I was really excited to try Welch's Aqua Juice, through Mom Select. I was

Need a Vacation? Consider Park City Mountain Resort

2009-01-31T15:35:00.003-05:00

I live in the mountains of NC. Well, we call them mountains, but I imagine the people in Park City Utah would call them "hills!" Despite living in a ski resort community, I dream of going out west to the looming peaks and vast views of Utah! When the kids get a little older, we have visions of renting an RV and taking them cross country ala "National Lampoon's Vacation."No matter what type of

Kozy Baby Carrier

2008-12-17T21:00:00.003-05:00

I am hearing more and more about the benefits of Babywearing all around the media, lately. I did wear my babies just a little, but I could never find one that fit well, and was easy to use.It figures that now that my girls are way too big for wearing, I would find the Kozy Carrier! Or maybe they're NOT too big!Why use a baby carrier? Because 'instinct' tells us to hold our babies. They are safe

Holiday CD Giveaway: Steve Sensenig

2008-12-15T20:52:00.007-05:00

It's so neat how God orchestrates life. He forges relationships in our lives and He brings acquaintances back into our lives at the appointed time. So it was with some friends I used to attend church with, Steve Sensenig and his lovely wife Christy. After several years, we ran into each other at a local coffee shop where Steve happened to be playing music, then connected online through Blogs

Parents Magazine Toys!

2008-12-14T20:54:00.004-05:00

Parents Magazine® has given moms trusted advice and information for many years. Their toy line is no different! I received the Look At Me Camera from Team Mom to try out, and I loved it!My three year old is always trying to grab my camera, and I'm really not into her handling a $300 piece of equipment. But this toy camera from Parents looks like it could be real! The sounds are great, clicks

Baby Einstein Review and Giveaway

2008-12-11T23:02:00.006-05:00

I remember when Baby Einstein Videos fist came out 10 years ago. The simple, colorful visual images along with soothing music was (and still is) a refreshing contrast to the "boom boom boom" flashiness of many children's videos.I received the Baby Mozart DVD, which was perfect for me, since I'm a music teacher! I think it's so important to expose the young mind to the order and structure of

Fill In The Blankie

2008-12-10T14:23:00.002-05:00

I have a close friend who is pregnant, due in February, and I've been searching for the perfect gift! I was excited when Fill In the Blankie, ultra personalized baby blankets, contacted me with a blankie for review!Here's what they say:We personalize ‘em out the wha-zoo” You provide the copy, we’ll embroider your warmest

Book Review: 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny

2008-11-30T13:56:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, I got an email from an author named Phil Done. When I checked out his website, I learned that we have several things in common. We are both musicians, and former public school teachers- and we both had to catch up on piano skills we missed as kids! We did not have in common the presitgious awards he has won, and the fact that he has written a book! (It seems so daunting!)

Clorox 2 Stain Fighter/ Color Booster Giveaway!

2008-11-30T12:37:00.005-05:00

There are two things that are certain in life: Laundry and Dishes.Well, what did you think I was going to say? Laundry is one of those things that keeps piling up no matter how much you do; it's just a fact of life! And anytime you can get some extra help, it's a good thing!Honestly, I've never used a stain-fighter on colors before. I love using Clorox Bleach on whites, and I just took for

Ultimate Party Meatballs Recipe

2008-11-29T12:51:00.003-05:00

I got a great recipe from Mom Central, featuring Heinz, Ocean Spray, and Meatballs! Sounds good, right? Well, here is my video introduction and demonstration for the Ultimate Party Meatballs. This was so easy to prepare while we were at my moms for Thanksgiving.Now for the review! The meatballs were SO good! I think my brother ate half of them, but there were plenty for everyone. It's a

Norton PC Tune-Up Review & GIVEAWAY

2008-11-21T21:18:00.005-05:00

CONTEST CLOSED: winners: Mrs. Mommy, Katie (my SIL!), and Katie (my mom!)The Norton PC Tune-Up Blog Tour, courtesy of Mom Central, came at just the right time! My computer has been starting extremely slowly, and when it was overloaded (very easily, I might add) it would just freeze. This forced me to pull out the forbidden move of pushing the button... and holding it down... until the thing

Why Just Shop When You Can Shop.com?

2008-11-18T08:20:00.004-05:00

I've just recently found www.shop.com, through Mom Central, and it is really amazing! Usually when I shop online, I'll go to individual online stores that I know and search for the items I need. If I can't find it at one, I'll move to the next, and search through several to find the best price or special deals. Of course this takes a long time, and recently starting a business and developing a

Children's Books by The Secret Mountain GIVEAWAY

2008-11-15T20:09:00.010-05:00

*CONTEST CLOSED* Winner: Julie!Are you looking for awesome children's books with cute stories, adorable art, and even a spin-off CD to listen to in the kids' rooms or the car?Look no further! My Team Mom review this month included three books from The Secret Mountain publishing group.Dream Songs, Night Songs features lullabies from around the world in a very multicultural collection of bedtime

Great Ideas for Teacher Gifts!

2008-11-15T19:23:00.005-05:00

OK, it's time for a reality check! Your child's teacher has enough Christmas mugs and apple-shaped notepad holders! My husband is a teacher, and I'm a former teacher, so I thought I'd start a post dedicated to great teacher gift ideas. So here they are: If you have any other suggestions, please leave them in the comments!Hands of Hope Charity CardsCake-In-a-Cup for Inexpensive Christmas Gifts

Hands of Hope: Give the Gift of Life This Christmas

2008-11-15T18:57:00.004-05:00

Every year, I think about it. I think about all the money I spend on Christmas and think about what else I could be doing with it. Sure, I pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, and put dollars in the red kettles, but what else could I do?Hands of Hope is a program that really inspires me! Hands of Hope, a charity of Women Helping Women A World Away, is offering unique Christmas cards

Bugaloo Baby Shoes Review/ Giveaway

2008-11-09T19:11:00.007-05:00

**contest closed** Winner: kamewhAmong the items I wish I'd known about when my children were younger: Bugaloo Soft Sole Leather Baby Shoes! I remember being so frustrated with those baby socks that kept falling off! Then, when they started trying to walk, those same socks would get filthy, while they slid across the wood floor. If we took the socks off, the little tootsies were freezing!

Guest Review and Giveaway: Wii Fit

2008-11-03T19:21:00.003-05:00

I have been really wanting to try the Wii Fit system for our Nintendo Wii! I've heard such great things about it. So far, I have been unable to get one! When Patric Welch, from Noobie told me about a contest, I asked if I could post excerpts from his awesome review of the Wii Fit. Here is Patric's first impression of the Wii Fit:You know you’re overweight when your video game console tells

Chex Mix Basket Winners!

2008-11-03T18:56:00.003-05:00

The winners of the Chex Mix Basket of Indulgence are...Alaina! Jenn! Kim! Congratulations, Ladies! I'll contact you with more instructions!

Ghirardelli LUXE MILK

2008-10-27T20:36:00.005-04:00

Ghirardelli Chocolate Company recently introduced their new LUXE MILK (tm) line made with rich and creamy milk chocolate and all-natural ingredients.So, I told Mom Central, "Well, I guess if you really need bloggers to review them, I'll take the five new flavors of the finest chocolate, and tell everyone what I think." Do you really believe that? Of course not! I jumped at the chance! In fact,

Bella Sara Trading Cards

2008-10-27T01:19:00.001-04:00

I don't know about you, but my daughters are infatuated with horses! Despite being deathly afraid the time we took the girls to ride, they love watching them in the fields near our house, an playing with various horse-themed toys. My girls also love playing on the computer, and we carefully monitor the activities they do online. Even my three year old tells me she wants to play "dot com."So I

Bloggy Giveaway: Chex Mix Basket of Indulgence

2008-10-26T21:00:00.002-04:00

Welcome Bloggy Giveaways Participants! I'm giving away a Chex Mix Bars Basket of Indulgence to THREE winners, witha box of tasty Turtle Chex Mix Barschocolate candlescaramel lotionspa essentials like a loofah, hand massager, nail brush and spa towel. New Chex Mix Bars combine crunchy Chex pieces, pretzels and peanuts with chewy and indulgent ingredients like caramel and chocolate. And if that’

Be Informed About Women's Health Issues

2008-10-24T08:21:00.004-04:00

A few years ago, there was some talk in our town of a rift between certain OB/GYN doctors. One group started looking into the practice of recommending hysterectomies to solve a number of problems, such as heavy bleeding, fibroids, stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. They felt that traditional open abdominal surgery was being used too often to treat problems that could be

Stop MRSA Now

2008-10-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

We all know there are germs lurking around almost every place we take our children. If you're like me, you get a little more complacent with each child, maybe skipping the hand-washing before dinner, or after the playground. Recently, an infection has come to my attention which cannot be ignored.Many of us are familiar with the Staph bacteria, which can sometimes cause infections. There is a

Moms CLIQUE Magazine

2008-10-19T14:53:00.003-04:00

Normally, I stay away from anything that involves the word "clique." It brings back too may memories of sixth grade girls, and "high bangs."Anyway... In this case, anyone can be "in the crowd!" Mom Bloggers Club and founder, Jennifer James, (exciting fact: she use to live in my home own) have launched the first issue of Moms CLIQUE Magazine, the official magazine of the Mom Bloggers'

Aquadoodle and Bath Blizzard from SpinMaster- Giveaway!

2008-10-14T21:44:00.007-04:00

I have absolutely loved being a part of Team Mom, and getting to try out products with my family! This time, they sent the Aquadoodle Draw 'N Doodle Mat, and the Kid Kleen Bath Blizzard.Let's take them one by one:The company says: The Aquadoodle Draw 'N Doodle Mat is no mess magic! It's the activity toy for active, creative toddlers that allows them to make great art, over and over again --