SAHM Reviews

Winner - Eating Right Kids Gift Basket

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:39:00 +0000

It's always fun to give away stuff! Congratulations to the winner of the Eating Right Kids Gift Basket:

"Janet and Maya" won with a bonus entry for blogging about this giveaway.

Congratulations! Watch your email for details on how to claim your prize.

Thanks again to Team Mom (and Safeway) for providing the special gift package that is the prize in this giveaway!

Winner - Inspiring Hope Gift Package

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:32:00 +0000

Fate is a funny thing...

As I sat down this evening and looked at the entries in the Pink Together Inspiring Hope Giveaway, I was pleased to see so many positive comments regarding the Pink Together website. And my heart went out for those who responded that they have lost someone to cancer. When I was done, I headed to random.org to grab the winner's comment number.

Lo and behold, as fate would have it, comment #54 was drawn. It was a comment left by "Anonymous" that she will be celebrating her 6 year anniversary cancer free after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The winner was selected solely by the random integer generator but I think this prize couldn't go to a more appropriate person.

Congratulations to bkittie for winning the battle against Breast Cancer as well as this inspiring gift package. Watch your email for how to claim your prize!

Thanks, once again, to MyBlogSpark for sponsoring this giveaway!

Great Reasons to Spend Time with Family

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:32:00 +0000

Everybody has heard the phrase "Stop and smell the roses." Do you? Seriously stop and smell the roses?

If you're a parent, you've probably had people tell you "Enjoy them (your kids) while you can because they grow up fast." I lost count of how many times I've heard it. But only now, as my daughters are in 1st grade and Kindergarten, am I really beginning to understand. I see new moms carrying an infant and it seems like only a short time ago that mine were that small. I've tried to spend a lot of quality time with my girls but in hindsight, I'm not sure I have been the best mom I can be.

They're growing up so fast and I often catch myself saying "Maybe later" or "Not right now" when they ask me to do something with them. Maybe what I need to be doing is making a point of playing with them more often... doing those crafts with them that are sitting in boxes in the closet... maybe I need to stop and smell the roses.

Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner are teaming up to urge Moms to use the time we got when we turned the clocks back on November 1st to make CHANGE for children. Apparently I'm not the only mom who needs to rethink the number of hours in the day, the number of days in our lives and the quality of the time we're spending with our families.

From now until December 31st, whenever you pledge to spend an hour with your child, Frigidaire will donate $1 (between $45,000 and $50,000) to Save the Children's U.S. Programs. Get that? Frigidaire is donating $1 for each time you pledge to spend an hour with your kids that you didn't otherwise make time for. While they're encouraging us to change our time-spending habits, the "CHANGE" in "Make Time for Change" refers to the initiative: Creating Healthy, Active, and Nurturing Growing-up Environments. In addition to the donation Frigidaire is making, each time you make a pledge, you will be entered for a chance to win a new Frigidaire Professional double wall oven. So not only can you pledge to 'smell the roses' with your children (with a chance to win a Frigidaire oven), but you'll also be helping families in less developed areas of the United States. If the cause so moves you, financial contributions can be made directly to Save the Children.

Now about that oven... According to the Official Rules, the winner will receive " One (1) Frigidaire Professional double wall oven in stainless steel. (Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") of Prize: $2,999)." It's BEAUTIFUL, isn't it? Want to win one? Get to pledging for a chance!

For disclosure purposes, I did not receive any compensation for this post. I'm posting it as a public service campaign presented by MomSelect (BSM Media). The only potential compensation I could receive is if my name is randomly drawn by MomSelect to receive a Frigidaire Professional Wall Oven that is being provided by Frigidaire specifically to a MomSelect blogger! Good luck to everyone who participates in this Frigidaire special event!

I Dare you NOT to Tap your Toes

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:32:00 +0000

I love music. I've gone through different stages in my life where I gravitated to different styles of music - Pop, Rock, Oldies... But I'm at a point now where I love listening to almost any kind of music. My late uncle, Ken, summed it up best when he said to me "Am I singing because I'm happy or am I happy because I'm singing?"

Music has that magical effect on people. Back in 1996, I recall going to the movies to see "That Thing You Do" with DH. As we walked to our car afterward, I had a spring in my step and both DH and I commented about how much we enjoyed the movie and all the music. I truly believe that music can alter your emotional state.

A few weeks back, I received a copy of Michael Buble's new CD, Crazy Love through a One2One Network campaign. I sat down and listened to the songs and even logged onto YouTube to watch videos.

Guess what happened.

It made me smile. Listening to his music made me happy. Michael Buble's upbeat music in a throwback style was toe-tapping. It reminded me of many of the songs I listened to during my days of listening to older (crooner) music and singers like Sinatra. While many people, including Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra felt 'crooner' was a negative term, to me it exemplifies a style of music... and has nothing but positive connotations. Michael Buble should be proud to be deemed a modern-day crooner.

As it so happened, my mother-in-law was in town visiting when I received this CD. During a shopping trip with her to Borders, I heard the CD being piped through the store. I nudged my MIL and excitedly said "This is that singer I was telling you about!" As we continued to walk around, I caught a glimpse of her swinging her step to the beat of the song "Haven't Met You Yet". I laughed and said "It's catchy, isn't it?!" She smiled and said "I'm going to be part of your blog post, aren't I?" Yup, MIL. You sure are. But it's nothing to be ashamed of... I was dancing along to the music in the middle of Borders, too. Everyone should just be glad we weren't singing along.

If you love music or are just in need of a pick-me-up, stop by Michael Buble's website and take a second to listen to some of his songs. If you enjoy what you hear, become a fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, join Bungalow-B, his Fan Club or you can get his songs from iTunes or Amazon! It's fun music and I'm pretty confident that you'll find yourself tapping your foot to the beat.

Thanks to One2One Network for providing me with a promotional CD and introducing me to this fabulous singer! As part of this campaign, I have the opportunity to randomly win a gift certificate from One2One Network. No compensation (other than the promo CD) was received for this post and these are my honest opinions of Michael Buble's work!

Healthy and Tasty can Co-exist

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +0000

My six year old daughter is currently weighting in around 38 pounds. Her 5 year old sister is in the upper 20s. While they are small for their age, they are both very healthy. Their small size runs in the family and we're confident that as they get older, they will catch up with their peers just as I did.

It's interesting that when new adults meet them, they seldom guess their ages correctly. Why? It's not simply because they small for their age... it's also because many kids these days are large for their age. Studies show that childhood obesity has been on the rise... but that shouldn't come as a shock to anyone because the issue is constantly in the news. Even the First Lady is addressing it.

So as a parent, what do we do? We can encourage the kids to get outside and play. We can limit the amount of time they spend on the computer or with their gaming systems. But as I sit here at the computer munching on Halloween candy, I'm certainly not leading by example. What we need to do is change our habits across the board as a family and eating right is a great first step.

Even when the kids want a snack or something different for lunch, there are healthy options. Both my girls snack on cashews, hard boiled eggs and cheese, Miss K loves granola bars and sunflower seeds and Miss M doesn't have much of a sweet tooth. Yet when I pack their lunches, we need some balance and variety.

Through a campaign presented by Team Mom (Child's Play Communications), I had the opportunity to check out a variety of healthier - yet kid-friendly - options. You may have noticed the "Eating Right" line of foods showing up on shelves and in the freezer section of your store. But were you aware that Safeway, in cahoots with Warner Brothers (yes, I said cahoots because Looney Tunes characters are what I think of when I hear the word cahoots) created a subsidiary line of Eating Right products just for kids. It's called Eating Right Kids and it has various everyday products that have been modified to be a little healthier. Or at a minimum, are promoted by a friendly character to help encourage kids to agree to these healthier foods.

As an example, we tested the Eating Right Kids pasta rings. They are whole wheat and I fully expected them to taste, um, like whole wheat pasta. But I tried them alongside the girls, as did DH, and we all thought they tasted great! They don't look any different than the pasta "O's" that kids are used to but these are made from whole wheat.

Both of the juices that we tried, apple and white grape cherry, were delicious. Not only did both the girls request they be added to their lunch boxes, but I also encouraged them to drink a few at home so I could have a little bit of it. The fruit cups, typical lunchbox stuff, tasted just like other fruit cups. I didn't have a competitor's product to compare it to but fruit, in lieu of junk is always a plus. I was surprised by the granola bars, with dried cranberries and blueberries and a touch of chocolate. Those seem more suited for a more mature crowd, but Miss K gobbled them up!

Of all the Eating Right Kids products we tried, the only one that met with dissatisfaction was the fruit punch applesauce. The kids tasted it and wouldn't eat another bite. I grimaced and was frustrated with them for being difficult... then tried it myself and quickly apologized to them. I didn't like it much either. It wasn't so much the taste as the consistency. As I said, everything else we tried met with approval from all members of the household.

What I didn't appreciate is finding a product that could fit so well into our family then not be able to find it in any of the stores. As I mentioned before, the Eating Right Kids product line is the brainchild of Safeway Foods and it hasn't made it mainstream into other stores yet like its parent line, Eating Right. But every little step toward better eating habits for us (or any family) is progress.

Does the Eating Right Kids line of products sound like something your family would eat? Thanks to Team Mom, here's your chance to win a gift pack that includes a variety of their products.

The Prize: Eating Right Kids Gift Pack (Valued at approx $75). Gift pack includes an assortment of non-perishable Eating Right Kids food products in a thermal lunch bag, an Eating Right Kids reusable shopping tote, T-Shirt, Plush Bugs Bunny and an information brochure.

Participants -

...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on November 12, 2009, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the second random selection.

How to enter:

For the first entry (required) -

(1) Visit Safeway's Eating Right Kids website.
(2) Come back and leave a comment telling me which Eating Right Kids product both you and your kids would agree on. Be specific about the variety and not just a category like "Cereal".
If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -
-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest by November 8th and link back to it.
-- One Entry: Share on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment.
-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest with @SahmReviews referenced. Comment with your link.
-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews on Facebook Of course, don't forget to leave a comment.
-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.
-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.
-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Thanks to Team Mom for providing various product samples for us to review, along with a reusable tote bag and lunch bag. They're also responsible for the special gift package that is the prize in this giveaway!

That is their Budget so Make them Spend it!

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:44:00 +0000

I'm an accountant by trade so when people talk about budgets, I tend to listen. I find myself often repeating "A budget is just a spending guideline. Just because you budget that much money doesn't mean you need to spend that much." This holds true in both professional and personal situations. Well, as an accountant, it drives me crazy when I hear people say that their work budget is $xx.xx so they need to spend that much. Then spends it frivolously just because.

Yet every once in a while, I find the rare opportunity to say "That's their budget, so make them spend it." Why on earth would I contradict myself? Go against what I believe as an accountant and a financially-conscious person? Because it's for a good cause. General Mills is donating $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. In addition, they will also donate $1, up to $20,000, each time a comment of encouragement is posted, a virtual flower bouquet is sent, or a story is shared on PinkTogether.com through October 31st. Well, that's tomorrow so click over quickly to PinkTogether.com and participate. It's quick and easy and anything you do will help them get a $1 closer to hitting their budgeted amount! (...and that's okay with me)

MyBlogSpark sent me a Pink Together Gift Pack and asked that I spread the word about the Pink Together website. I commend General Mills for their campaign to financially contribute to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure program. However, the more important focus should be placed on the efforts to provide a community for people to connect. A place where people impacted by breast cancer can go for support and information and most of all, inspiration.

With that in mind, MyBlogSpark is offering an Inspiring Hope gift pack to one of my readers!

The Prize: Inspiring Hope Gift Pack (Valued at approx $60). Gift pack includes the following Susan G. Komen for the Cure themed items: a charm bracelet, a leather strap key chain, a travel tumbler mug, note cards and an adorable cinch bag to carry it all!

Participants -

...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on November 8, 2009, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the second random selection.

How to enter:

For the first entry (required) -

(1) Visit the Pink Together website.
(2) Come back and leave a comment... the first thing that you thought after reading the Pink Together website.

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -

-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- (No longer available): Contribute to the PinkTogether.com campaign by sending a flower, sharing a story or leaving a comment on the PinkTogether site by October 31st.

-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest by November 3rd and link back to it.

-- One Entry: Share on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment.

-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest with @SahmReviews referenced. Comment with your link.

-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews on Facebook Of course, don't forget to leave a comment.

-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.

-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.

-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Thanks to MyBlogSpark for providing the prize for this rewarding giveaway as well as a pack to me for the review! Thanks, also, to all the individuals and companies who participate in programs such as PinkTogether.com

All the items included in the gift pack are available at ShopKomen.com where 25% of the merchandise purchase price goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help the fight against breast cancer. So if you see something you love but don't win the prize, you can buy it and still help the cause!

Winner - Fiber One Yogurt Giveaway

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:01:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered the Yoplait Fiber One Yogurt Giveaway sponsored by MyBlogSpark. The following were the first three random numbers drawn that met the giveaway requirements:

Joannof10
kalea_kane
Mommyhood is Thankless

Congratulations! Watch your email for how to claim your prize.

Finding Life in Previously Cast-Aside Toys

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:47:00 +0000

Does someone ever say something to you that makes you go "Huh. Yeah, you're right. I never thought of that."? It's funny because around here, it's DH saying something cynical and it makes me think. While sometimes it is a serious matter, it's usually just something silly. Nonetheless, when someone makes you stop your everyday cycle to really step back and absorb something, it's worth noting.

Well, the other day, DH asked "Why is there a Blu-ray of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on the table?" I explained "One2One Network sent it to me for SAHM Reviews." Jokingly, he inquired "You mean in all the years that Snow White has been around, nobody has ever reviewed it?" No, Dear, this will be the first ever. Smart Alec. Pfft.

For reference, yes, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" has been reviewed countless times since it was originally released in the late 1930s. But since we don't own a Blu-ray player or a Sony PlayStation 3 (that plays Blu-ray), why do we need a Blu-ray Snow White? Well, for the first time in seven years, Disney released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I have it because I'm participating in the campaign to get the word out about it. The complimentary copy that I received from One2One Network is the Diamond Edition which includes both the DVD and the Blu-ray in the same box. While we don't have the ability to play a Blu-ray, we have a few DVD players, a DVD player built into a small TV, the XBox 360 that plays DVDs and a DVD player in the van. We could totally make immediate use of the DVD that is included in the Diamond Edition and still be prepared for the technology upgrade should we ever decide to get a Blu-ray player or game console that plays them.

In case you had never realized it, Disney has a Halley's comet method of releasing classic movies - every once in a long while. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing. Actually, from manufacturing and marketing standpoints, it's genius. Classic movies probably aren't a perpetual high-sale item so short-run, high quantity, occasional releases limit dead-stock on shelves while also giving the marketing crew the ability to work the "limited" angle. Essentially, what it does is make you decide if you really want the movie or not because like the commercials say "Once it's gone..." you don't know when it will be available again.

I remember several years ago (well before I had kids) laughing at my aunt for her collection of Disney movies. As each new one came out, she would purchase it. She explained, "I don't have grandkids now, but I will" and that she wanted to make sure she had the movies when they were ready to watch them. Until that time, I had never noticed that you couldn't just walk into a store and purchase any Disney movie of your choice. I had always thought that "get it before it's gone" thing was just a marketing pitch. But sure enough, ever since then, I've paid attention and watched movies come and go - usually re-introduced to accommodate the changing technology. In this case, Blu-Ray. Seven years ago, it was probably to introduce the movie in DVD format. So seriously, when a Disney movie comes out that we might want, we consider if we want to buy it because we don't know when it will be available again!

We sat down and watched the movie last weekend and the girls loved it. Miss M and Miss K are familiar with Cinderella and several of the other Disney princesses, but despite having various Snow White toys and books, they just didn't relate to her. For one of their birthdays, we got a Snow White figure set (Polly Pocket size) that contained a few outfits, four pair of shoes and two dwarfs. The girls cast the dwarfs aside and welcomed Snow White into their Polly Pocket environment. Never did I hear them refer to her as Snow White. They just really didn't understand because they had not seen the movie and even though I've read the book to them, they just didn't gravitate to the characters. We also own a Disney princess joystick video game that hooks up to the television. I was always surprised that they didn't like playing the Snow White "Hide and Seek" game. The day after we watched the movie that we received from One2One Network, the girls began to unearth all the various Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs paraphernalia that they had. The sad part is that it has made me realize that just reading the stories in a children's book isn't enough to really bring the characters to life. I'm wondering what other stories I read and movies I saw as a child my daughters haven't had the opportunity to fall in love with yet!

Now about the movie itself... it's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for Pete's sake. I'm certain that you don't really need me to review it. But the Diamond Edition DVD/Blu-ray combo pack does contain an exclusive look at the opening sequence of Walt Disney Pictures "The Princess and the Frog." It also contains some family games as well as various backstage and bonus footage. It's Snow White... it's a classic... it's worth introducing your kids to.

... and all along, my aunt was right to purchase those videos before she needed them.

Please note: As I mentioned in my review, I received a free copy of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition. In exchange for my copy, I agreed to post a review of the DVD on at least three websites. No other compensation was received however my name will be entered into a random drawing for one of six gift cards valued at $25, $50 or $75.

You Never Know What You'll Find

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:03:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of stretching a buck. Doesn't matter what you call it - cheap, frugal, tightwad - it pretty much boils down to the fact that money doesn't grow on trees. Although many parents recited that same phrase, I'll put it simply and honestly - not everyone gets it. I've watched people live beyond their means. I know people who refuse to shop at yard sales. I'm amazed at how many people shop by brand name alone. When I save any amount of money, whether it be a few cents here or several dollars there, it means a lot. My husband and I have been able to afford the things we have because we are conscious of how we spend our money. Thankfully, our parents taught some important lessons about value.

Last month I posted a review about T.J. Maxx and the treasure trove of bargains we found there during a PR sponsored "Back to School Shopping" excursion. As I explained in that post, I had been approached by public relations firm, Rocket XL, to shop and review both T.J. Maxx and Marshall's and was provided a $25 gift card to each.

There has been a lot of uproar regarding the FTC's new guidelines for disclosure so I want it to be vividly clear what my position is regarding Marshall's and T.J. Maxx. Did I shop there because I'm cheap and now had a $25 gift card in my pocket? Couldn't be further from the truth. We're not strangers to T.J. Maxx or the other stores in The TJX family, including Marshall's. Actually, we're more than familiar with Marshall's because of its close proximity to the McDonald's that is nearest to our house. And when I say close, I mean we park once and walk to both. We shop there regularly. A few days before Rocket XL approached me, we had just been to Marshall's and purchased new tennis shoes for Miss K. And new swimsuits, too, for both the girls. And a few shirts for DH. And I believe even something for me. It's just one of those places that falls into the category of "Provides the opportunity to get the most for my money." So when I set out to write a review, it was encouraged by the gift card but it's a store that I would shop at - that I do shop at - and that I do believe in regardless of whether a public relations firm asked me to stop by.

Now that I got that off my chest, allow me to share our experience!

Since we have two daughters and received two gift cards, Miss K spent hers at T.J. Maxx and Miss M was the beneficiary of the Marshall's card. Sometimes when we shop at Marshall's, we don't find much but other times it's a jackpot - you never know what you'll find there. It's not uncommon for us to spot well known brands at Marshall's that are at deeply discounted prices. But this is the first time that I've noticed a pair of Ed Hardy jeans on the rack. Seriously. Ed Hardy Jeans. At Marshall's. For a fraction of the cost. No, we didn't buy them... they aren't our style. Although I'm not a brand name shopper, I do understand that sometimes higher prices mean a better quality. So when I see brand names, I take notice and if the price is right, then I'll buy it. But the fact that trendy clothing lines hit Marshall's means that parents can shop there for Back to School clothes, for Christmas gifts or just to fill gaps caused by growth spurts and have success in meeting their child's tastes while controlling the outflow of cash from the wallet.

I know I sound like a commercial but I'm not copying literature from a scripted marketing page. It's genuinely how I feel and why I shop there. Here's proof of their pricing - "Compare at $64" (but $16.99 at Marshall's) and "Compare at $40.00+UP" yet we paid $19.99!

Anyway, so on Miss M's outing to Marshall's, she netted a pair of jeans and an adorable jacket. The original suggested retail price of the jacket was more than twice what we actually ended up paying for both items at Marshall's. Because of her size, we often have difficulty finding outfits that we like but when we're shopping for single pieces, we have a better chance of success. These pants fit her great and will make a wonderful addition to her closet. The jacket is perfect for wearing on cool days but versatile enough to use as a regular layered piece when winter hits.

As I said, we're regulars at Marshall's and in between the time that we used the gift card and the time of this post, we made yet another trip there. This time, we walked out with two lovable Halloween outfits. We had searched several places, including WalMart and some Halloween stores but didn't find what we wanted. The outfits we picked up at Marshall's were priced similar to discount store costumes but are a much heavier quality. But that's how things are at Marshall's... quality items at a reasonable price. If you haven't shopped for a Halloween outfit yet, stop by your local Marshall's to see what they have. Although we mutually agreed on the ones pictured, we passed up on some phenomenal looking Renaissance-style costumes!

I want to say thank you to Rocket XL for the gift card and the encouragement to write about Marshall's. It's a great store to shop at because you never know just what bargain you'll find!

I'm Not a Food Snob, Just a Yogurt Snob.

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:15:00 +0000

A week ago, as I sat in an eye exam at Sam's Club, DH went shopping with the girls. In true club store form, you can consume an entire dinner at the Sam's Club tasting smorgasbord. As I've said in prior reviews, Miss K loves yogurt so she was thrilled to get to sample a few different ones while waiting for me. Yogurt is a healthy snack, great for breakfast and a nice alternative for the lunchbox, so when DH agreed to purchase a multi-pack for her, I didn't complain. It was Dannon's Light and Fit 80 Calorie yogurt and I thought, well, that's good for me to.

But what I didn't factor in was that Miss K is currently on a toaster-pastry kick for breakfast and we limit after-school snacking to small portions. What that left me with was a case of Dannon yogurt to consume by myself... in a very limited selection of flavors, of which, only one was my favorite.

That's no big deal, right? Wrong. All the while, I'm trying to purchase and consume Fiber One Yogurt for a MyBlogSpark review. I've tried Fiber One bars, Fiber One cereal and Fiber One toaster pastries and considering they are a fiber product, they all have tasted great. I was anxious to do a review of the Fiber One yogurt because, as a bonus, it's a Yoplait product.

I'm not really a food snob, but given the choice, I would pick Yoplait any day over any other kind of yogurt. I don't know what it is, but I've just always liked it better. I think it's creamier and more flavorful than other brands. Sure, occasionally I'll purchase a different brand if it's on sale, but I still prefer Yoplait. The selection of flavors is great too.

MyBlogSpark sent me a gift pack along with a coupon to try out their new Fiber One 50 Calorie yogurt. One of the reasons why I was so delayed in getting my review together was that there are only four flavors: Strawberry, Peach, Vanilla and Key Lime Pie. Since it's a newer product, it was difficult to locate in the stores that I typically shop and to further aggravate the situation, I had a tough time finding the flavor that I wanted - Peach. The others sounded okay, but when I'm reviewing a product that has the potential to not be stellar (ack, fiber), I try minimize the possibility for failure by picking a flavor that I are more likely to appreciate. For example, since I don't typically purchase Vanilla flavored yogurt, the Fiber One Vanilla yogurt would have a zero percent chance of a favorable review from me.

With that said, I have it in the fridge and have tested it out. Since the Fiber One yogurt comes in a 4 oz serving and the Dannon Light and Fit in 6 oz serving, I threw the numbers into a spreadsheet to see the numbers side by side. I parred it down to 2 oz servings of each. Statistically speaking, compared to the Dannon Light and Fit, they're pretty close. Fiber One sodium was a little higher while potassium and protein slightly lower. But Dannon contained no fiber and almost double the amount of sugar as Fiber One. And as I said before, I think Yoplait products taste better.

What didn't I like about Yoplait's Fiber One? Well, the fact that you can only purchase it in four packs and the limited selection of flavors. What did I like most? The fact that it contains 20% of your recommended dietary fiber but doesn't taste like a fiber product.

Don't believe me? Well, here's a chance for you to try it out yourself. Yoplait, in conjunction with Hungry Girl, has provided the following information widget. It's not a paid advertisement but rather a tool provided by Yoplait's public relations firm. See the tab that says "Try it free"? Well, the first 50 of my readers to click through and provide the requested information will receive a coupon to try Yoplait Fiber One yogurt and establish opinions of their own. There's also a button to share the information with your friends via email, Facebook or a few other social media sites. The Snacking Tips tab provides some advice from Hungry Girl (food expert Lisa Lillien) while the Weigh In tab is the opportunity for you to give your own feedback on Fiber One yogurt. The widget also contains a link to a coupon for $1 off! Don't be afraid to click on it - you won't even leave SAHM Reviews.

To sweeten the pot, MyBlogSpark is providing three gift packs for my readers. The pack contains a coupon for a free product, a reusable insulated lunch bag and some lunch bag accessories. Continue reading for the contest details!

The Prize: Fiber One 50 Calorie Gift Pack (3 Winners)

Participants -

...must provide a US shipping address
...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on October 22, 2009, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the second random selection.

How to enter:

For the first entry (required) -

(1) Visit the Fiber One website.

(2) Come back here and tell me which flavor of their yogurt you would like to try. If you don't like any of those flavors, comment with what flavor Yoplait could add to their Fiber One lineup that would encourage you to try it.

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -

-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.

-- One Entry: Share on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment.

-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest with @SahmReviews referenced. Comment with your link.

-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews on Facebook Of course, don't forget to leave a comment.

-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.

-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.

-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Be sure to check for Yoplait coupons at Coupons.com before you head to the store!

Thanks to MyBlogSpark for providing the prizes for this fun giveaway as well as a pack to me for the review! While the PR firm offered coupons for me to try out the new Fiber One yogurt, since I was participating in the review opportunity from MyBlogSpark, I kindly declined. Thanks to them for providing the 50 coupons for me to give away to my readers though!

Cinnabon on-the-go in Bar form

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Back before we had kids, DH did a lot of traveling for work. He attended and worked quite a few trade shows each year in various cities across the country. Whenever I could get away from my job, I would hop on a plane and we would make a weekend vacation of it.

We spent a lot of time on airplanes. Have you ever flown on a plane when someone with strong perfume or someone with body odor boards? If not, consider yourself lucky. If you have, then you totally understand what I mean when I say that smells (of all kinds) consume the entire plane. That was me once. I boarded the plane with my own aroma but I didn't realize it would garner such a response. As I situated myself in my seat, someone quite loudly commented on the smell that I had just unleashed upon the entire cabin. "Where did that girl with the Cinnabon go?!"

While I thought they would be delighted to have this deliciously sweet Cinnabon smell to enjoy, I was wrong. They were probably kicking themselves for not picking one up at the Cinnabon that was conveniently located on our concourse.

Did I feel guilty? Not one bit. I savored Every... Single... Bite. And I still think of that whenever I see a Cinnabon store.

Now I get to enjoy that thought even more often. Like every time I go down the breakfast aisle at the grocery store. As I see the Kellogg's Cinnabon bars sitting on the shelf, I smile and reminisce about that plane trip.

So when my Kellogg's representative asked if I would be interested in trying out the new Kellogg's Cinnabon bars, I couldn't type my response fast enough. Giggling about my airline experience the entire time.

A package of Kellogg's Cinnabon bars, original flavor, was shipped to us to try. I'll be honest and say that while they are delicious, they aren't exactly like a genuine Cinnabon cinnamon roll. The bars are tasty and sweet but because they need to hold the shape of a bar, they are crumblier like the crust of a pie and less like dough. If Cinnabon made (or makes) a crumb-cake version of their classic cinnamon rolls, I would say this would be a dead ringer. Are they worth eating? Yeah. As someone who grabs a granola bar when I'm on the go, these are a nice alternative.

The package advertises "Tastes Great Warm" and to that I'll say "If I want a warm breakfast bar, I'll buy Pop-Tarts." The problem is that these can only be heated in the microwave on a micro-safe plate. As I said, I often eat them on the run and stopping to warm them up defeats the purpose. Even if they tasted great warm, I wouldn't let that be a selling point for me. They need to taste great cold. Since right out of the package is how I usually eat granola/breakfast bars, I'll stick with that.

And what did the troops think about them? Miss M doesn't have a sweet tooth so she didn't even try one. DH thought they were good and he doesn't even eat breakfast bars. Miss K and I both loved them. She said "Mom, isn't that the yummiest thing you've ever had?" The sincerity of a 5 year old is priceless.

Think they sound good? At the time of posting, a coupon for $1 off Kellogg's Cinnabon bars was available at Coupons.com. Pick up a package and try them for yourself! They also come in a Caramel variety but I haven't tried those.

Thanks again to Kellogg's and their public relations representatives for providing the package of Cinnabon bars for our family to try. Yum.

Winner - Zhu Zhu Pets Giveaway

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 02:39:00 +0000

I would like to say thanks, once again, to MomSelect (BSM Media) for allowing readers of SAHM Reviews the opportunity to win a fun prize pack from Zhu Zhu Pets.

Random.org decided the winner would be... Comment #112.

Badger Momma worked hard to earn this win by Tweeting about the contest and taking advantage of the daily entry option. Congratulations, Badger Momma! Watch your email for details on how to claim your prize.

Families NEED Nights Like This

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:32:00 +0000

When I was growing up, I recall many nights where we sat around the kitchen table as a family. Family time is quality time and game time was the best.

I don't know if my brothers enjoyed it as much as I did, but I always looked forward to those sessions. We played all kinds of board games like Life, Sorry, Yahtzee, Parcheesi, Monopoly, Easy Money and Pay Day. Sometimes it was even something silly like Spoons. As we got older, we learned more sophisticated games like Backgammon, Risk, Euchre, Hearts and even Pinochle. No matter what we were playing at what age, it was a time for bonding.

Now I'm a parent and I have the same opportunity to play games with my kids. Many games have changed and evolved but others are still the same.

While we often play games together as a family, it isn't a regular scheduled thing. However, we did take part in Hasbro Family Game Night last night. I had met with Hasbro representatives at a Mom Central cocktail hour during the BlogHer conference. I was extremely surprised and excited to receive a package last week that included Bop It, Pictureka!, Connect 4x4 and Monopoly City. On a prior occasion, through a different PR contact, I was fortunate enough to receive and review Family Game Night for the Wii. I want to make it clear that while the Wii Family Game Night is a blast, this event focused on the fundamental board games that paved the way for it's Wii offspring.

Whenever I get something to review, I make sure to keep it out of the kids' hands until I'm ready to open it, explain it and photograph it. Despite Bop It being in the package, they managed to play with it. I would explain "No, I need to read the directions then you can play with it." Have you ever seen Bop It? Well, it doesn't really need directions. It's like Simon Says... it says "Bop It" and you push the button. When it says "Twist it" you twist the yellow knob. When it says "Pull it, you pull the blue knob. But akin to pat your head while rubbing your stomach, it's not as easy as it sounds. Theory... easy. In practice... brain stumper.

There are three options - Solo, Pass it and Party. We enjoyed Pass it the most because you listen to the various cues then pass it along to the next player when it yells "Pass it". It's like a game of hot potato where you need to turn your brain on as soon as it lands in your hands.

It's one of those games that tests your reflexes while also testing your ability to focus. When you're playing the solo mode, you can kind of do it without thinking. On my way up to the bus stop the other day, I decided to tinker with it. It may be a kids' game, but I found some simple satisfaction in working on my response time. When the girls and I started playing it together, we would all giggle whenever we make a mistake. My girls both really enjoy the challenge and even played with it while stuck in the car. It has a few volume settings and the lowest did not seem overly cumbersome. We brought it to soccer practice after opening it and Miss M played it with the older siblings while all the younger siblings on Miss K's team were practicing. When practice was over, they wanted to stick around and play Bop It some more!

The game says that it's for ages 8 and up, but even Miss K at 5 was able to play it - just not as successfully as her older sister. Totally worth the price since it has multiple uses for multiple people. It's small and portable and not nearly as expensive as the DS that they've been begging to take when we're on-the-go.

We played Bop It in the afternoon then in the evening we opened both Connect 4x4 and Pictureka! In true Family Game Night fashion, all four of us sat around the table focusing on the Connect 4x4 game. Unlike regular Connect 4, this one is open to four players. To make it more interesting, there are two slices to each row so two opponents can actually strategically be utilizing the same space. It isn't just a matter of watching vertical, horizontal and diagonal but you need to look at both sides of it. A player can win by having four of their chips in a row and that means some could be in the front and some in the back. When you go to make a move, you need to think offensively but also defensively with respect to the other three players. On several turns, I caught myself getting ready to drop my piece into a position that would have set up more opportunities for my opponents. I honestly thought that Miss K wasn't going to be able to grasp the depth of the game but was surprised by her well-though moves. In the end, I was so focused on blocking DH from a win that I helped create a win for Miss M. She won fair and square and was a gracious winner, as you can see from the photograph. It was a great time and I was glad to see that both the girls understood the concept and the strategy behind the game. This is a fun game and I would recommend it over the traditional Connect 4 any day. As a bonus, all the pieces store easily within the grid and the base folds up. No box and loose pieces for this game.

After the Connect 4x4 battle, DH retreated to his computer and the girls and I wrapped up Family Game Night with a quick game of Pictureka! The basic premise of the game is that you need to find various objects, pictures or themes within the multitude of goofy pictures on the board. You can't just memorize where things are either because there are cards that initiate the moving, flipping and turning of the tiles that create the board. The goal of the game is to be the first to attain 6 cards. There are three different card types and each has a different objective. The stack that you draw from is determined when you roll the color die at the beginning of your turn. One stack of cards is for you to attempt on your own. One stack allows the highest bidder to make an attempt at earning the card. The third stack is a free-for-all with the first one finding the object in the picture getting to take the card. The only thing that I didn't like is the free-for-all card (the blue stack) was not a plentiful item. It was a very specific picture (as you can see from the photograph) and there was often only one on the board. In one situation, it just so happened that we were not able to find a single one and finally gave up and moved to the next person. I think once we gain some familiarity with the cards, the pictures and the board, we'll have a little less frustration. Overall, however, I felt that Pictureka! was a fun game, diverse enough to entertain a variety of ages and random enough to not feel like you're always playing the same thing every time you unbox it.

When the night was over, we had played each of the games that had been sent to us, with the exception of Monopoly City. For now, DH and I are getting our Monopoly City fill by playing the online Monopoly City Streets game that Hasbro is running in conjunction with Google Streets. When we do get around to the actual board game, I'll be sure to post a review!

I want to thank Hunter Public Relations and Hasbro for providing the games for our Family Game Night. Quality time like this helps make some lasting memories... I hope when my daughters get older that they look back and cherish these moments just like I do of my childhood.

Sound like fun? (It is!) Want more information about Hasbro and Family Game Night? Follow them on Twitter, check out the Family Game Night website or Hasbro's website!

Is it a Game or an Educational Tool?

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Since Miss M was about 2, we've had our old, essentially useless-to-us, laptop hooked up for her. It doesn't have internet access but plays most children's games just fine. We were delighted that she learned how to properly shut down a computer at a very young age and learned how to maneuver a mouse early on also.

When Miss K was old enough to use it, we started her also. While some parents told me they couldn't believe I let the kids 'play' on the computer so young, I hold steady with my position that giving the kids a variety of learning tools is nothing but good. When complimented by other activities, it just reinforces what they're learning.

One of the types of software we allowed was the JumpStart series. Although they are games, JumpStart programs are also educational. Kids learn while they're having fun. Win/win as long as it is used in moderation.

So when I was offered the opportunity to review JumpStart Pet Rescue for the Wii, I jumped at the chance. We love our Wii; we've had great experience with JumpStart. That combination has nothing but potential.

From the minute it arrived, Miss K (who traditionally isn't the gamer geek of the family) was pestering me to play it. "Moooommmmm... Can I play the video game, please?" "Mom, WHEN can I play the video game?" Here my child is begging to play an educational game and here I am telling her "Not yet." In my defense, I didn't want her playing it unless I could be there to help, to learn about it and be able to review it.

Well, she finally got her wish. We loaded the game and started in. JumpStart Pet Rescue for the Wii is geared at children ages 3-6. With that said, my girls (ages 5 and 6) are both at the upper end of the spectrum so I cannot attest to how a 3 year old would do handling it.

Let's start by answering one simple question - Do I feel that JumpStart can maintain their same level of educational presence utilizing the Nintendo Wii? My answer to that is yes. Because the Wii is so versatile, it's able to make some activities more functional than JumpStart could ever do on a computer. As an example, in every 'world' the child can find pictures, wave the WiiMote and 'paint' the picture. A similar exercise utilizing a computer would simply have the child mimicking a scribbling motion with the mouse.

JumpStart Pet Rescue for the Wii has various worlds that contain different activities, games and challenges. But before your child can go off and explore, the first thing is to create their character. Choose different colors and styles of hair, clothes and shoes. Different expressions of mouth, different skin tone and eye types. Miss K easily navigated her way through setting up her character and my only complaint is that there wasn't a timer on the process. She was perfectly happy spending a half hour just creating the perfect little person to run around the JumpStart world.

In an attempt to NOT sound like a geek, I have to say that the first thing I thought of when Miss K entered the JumpStart Pet Rescue world was "Hey, this looks like a cartoonier version of World of Warcraft!" As she swam through the water, I wondered if the creator was a WoW fan because the movements looked that similar. That's not a bad thing... it's a great thing. I think very highly of WarCraft and seeing these subtle world similarities made me realize that the programmers put thought into how the characters move throughout the world. They walk around and if there's a bush in the way, they need to go around it. Water, swim through it. And waterslides, slide down them. Yes, there is a waterslide in the game. First time I saw Miss K go down it, I actually said "Weeeee!"

It's a game, so you're probably wondering how it can be educational. My prior descriptions of how the world is designed and character creation make it sound more recreational than educational. Once inside the world, there are games and puzzles integrated everywhere. One of the first games that Miss K came across was a series of comparison games. "Smallest to biggest" "Shortest to longest" and even concentration. After successfully completing, a present is awarded.

In Musical Caverns, you follow Pierre's path to make your way through the cavern. He shows you the way, then you do the same. Miss K continually had problems and I wasn't any help. I'm thinking "Simon" where you follow where he went. I felt like a bit of an idiot when my 1st grader had to explain to me why Miss K was having trouble. "Mom, he's making a pattern. She's supposed to do the rest of the pattern by going over that way." Guess what. That worked. Apparently Miss M was listening to the instructions better than I was. So the Musical Caverns thing is all about patterns - not memorization. Patterns. Duh.

Modified versions of games like "Hide and Seek" are throughout the game. Clues about "hiding behind something green" or "behind the number 2" are used. Although the game states it is for children ages 3-6, I believe that kids who are kindergarten won't benefit as much from the game in terms of 'learning' as a younger child. For the younger end of the age spectrum, JumpStart Pet Rescue for the Wii is a great opportunity to help reinforce basic principles. Families could utilize this as a reward to see how well their children learned in their traditional preschool (or home-schooling) sessions. On the flip side, I believe that kids at the upper end who already know their colors, patterns and other theories can get a self-esteem boost by being able to do the games with high success rates. When I asked both Miss K (age 5) and Miss M (age 6) if it was too easy, they both said "No, Mom, it's perfect." They enjoy it and it has educational properties... works for me.

And after all that, I haven't said a thing about why it's called "Pet Rescue". It's because in one of the worlds, the child is able to adopt a pet and do various activities with them. Let me make it clear that it is nothing like Littlest Pet Shop or Webkins so don't let the name throw you off. JumpStart Pet Rescue for the Wii is a learning tool disguised as a game. Would I recommend it? For younger kids, definitely. Even for kids that are starting Kindergarten that had limited preschool exposure. For kids that are well-established in Kindergarten? Probably not unless there are younger siblings in the house to utilize the game when they outgrow it.

Thanks to JumpStart and Knowledge Adventure for providing this game for us to review. Don't have a Wii? Check out the online game! For more information about JumpStart, find them on Facebook, Twitter or read their blog!

Hamster Fun without the Mess (Giveaway)

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Back in August, I had the opportunity to test and review Zhu Zhu Pets for MomSelect (BSM Media).

The only thing better than getting to try out newfangled toys is actually getting to give them away. If you didn't have a chance to read my original review, stop over there now because there's going to be a test involved to win this one.

Okay, I fibbed, there's not going to be a test. But I sure would appreciate it if you checked out my review before you entered the contest. Wouldn't make sense for you to win a prize that you don't know anything about, right?

The Prize: Zhu Zhu Pets and BSM Media have provided a Hamster and a Spiral Slide and Ramp! (approx value $30)

Participants -

...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile.

Sometime on September 25, 2009, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the second random selection.

How to enter:

For the first entry (required) -

(1) Visit the Zhu Zhu Pets website.

(2) Come back here and tell me which of their products looks like the most fun.

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -

-- Three Entries: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- Two Entries: Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.

-- One Entry: Share on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment.

-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest with @SahmReviews referenced. Comment with your link.

-- One Entry: Follow SAHM Reviews on Facebook Of course, don't forget to leave a comment.

-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.

-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.

-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Thanks MomSelect and Zhu Zhu Pets for providing the prize for this fun giveaway!

Because Kids Keep Growing

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Miss K just turned 5 this past week. As I tucked her in the night before, she said "I'm going to be bigger tomorrow." "You sure will be, Honey. You'll be 5!" We said our good-nights and I looked forward to wishing her happy birthday in the morning.

DH and I picked up one of her favorite treats (Chili's Boneless Sweet Chili Glazed Wings) and headed to have lunch with her at school.

But she baffled us and wouldn't eat. Overwhelmed, I thought. Instead, she looked at me all sad and said "I'm the same size." It took only a second for me to understand what she meant but DH didn't hear her completely and asked "What do you mean?" She held up her hands and said "I didn't get any bigger today." It broke my heart because I only recently retired some of her 18 month pants that I could no longer say were 'capri' pants. They fit her waist but they are much too short.

But I'm a fan of shopping only when I have to or when the price is just right. We shop at garage sales for used clothing, but often find great deals at stores like T.J. Maxx and Marshall's when we're looking for new clothes.

When one of my public relations agents asked if I wanted to prepare a "Back to School" clothes shopping review of either T.J. Maxx or Marshall's, I laughed because we're frequent shoppers at both - for the kids, for DH, for me and as gifts.

Well, I received a $25 gift card to shop at T.J. Maxx so we told Miss K that she could pick what she wanted. Away we went...

After perusing the entire store and trying on multiple items, we were ready to check out with 11 items - 3 for Miss K, 2 for me, 4 for hubby and 2 for a friend and her fast-growing teenage son. Grand total? Hold onto your hat... $36 before tax.

Funny part is that the three items for Miss K accounted for more than half the total bill. Two dresses and a two piece outfit. that weren't on clearance - still, those items were only $19. Because the purpose of the promotion was "Back to School" we felt that we needed to spend the $25 gift card on just Miss K. (We gave Miss M the $25 Marshall's gift card that is actually part of a separate review.) Miss K desperately wanted matching shoes, but TJ Maxx does not offer shoes for children or men.

Aside from Miss K's purchases, the rest were all clearance items at $1, $2 and $3! By shopping when there are bargains, and not necessarily scheduling shopping trips, I'm able to capitalize on those clearance deals. The clothes at T.J. Maxx are name brand and the original ticket prices are well more than what we paid. I've never had to check the label for "irregular" and have never had an item that had some kind of hidden flaw. $36 couldn't buy 1 item at many stores but bought 11 items for us at T.J. Maxx.

Now, I said I was reviewing TJ Maxx as part of their "Back to School" promotion. Honestly, for us, "Back to School" is when we shop for school supplies not clothes. But for people who make clothing shopping part of their back to school routine, a store like T.J. Maxx is a great place to get name brand clothes at discount store prices.

If you haven't shopped at a T.J. Maxx before, be sure to stop in. It's one of those places where consistently dropping in for a quick look can pay big dividends. Some days you won't buy anything (although we usually walk out with at least something) then BOOM, one day you walk out with 11 items for under $40.

Thanks to T.J. Maxx and Rocket XL for the opportunity to let Miss K add 3 adorable new outfits to her wardrobe! She looks great and had a ball on her shopping spree!

Leave a Message After the Beep

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Ever since my mother-in-law got her new answering machine, it's been stuck with messages on it. People who have never been to her house before graciously point out to her that a message is waiting. My MIL's not one of those technologically challenged people, either. She has messages stuck on her answering machine because she wants them there. She proudly says "I know, thank you. It's my grandgals. I don't delete those so I can listen to them whenever I want" It used to only be one message... then two. I think she's up to at least three now. Most get deleted but not those.

The first of those messages is a few years old. She's going to freak out if her answering machine ever breaks.

When MomSelect (BSM Media) mentioned in one of their newsletters that Grandparents.com had developed an online service to send voice greetings via email, I immediately responded. "Tell me more, tell me more. I think it's perfect for my mother-in-law!"

How does it work? With phone in hand and computer at your fingertips, log onto "YourVoice" at Grandparents.com and dial the designated phone number. It's an automated system so just listen for the prompts. To begin, you enter the pin number displayed on your computer. Then it tells you to record your message.

When you're done, it even tells you to return to your computer and hit the "I'm done recording" button on the Grandparents.com page.

The next screen looks just like a standard web-based form for sending email. You fill in your name exactly how you would like it to show up on the letter to your recipient, you enter your email (use a real one so the recipient knows that it's not spam), enter the recipient's email and, if you choose, a message. That's it. Done. Couldn't be easier.

Lickety split, your voice recording is on it's way. When I did my first sample, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it arrived in my inbox.

Rather than selecting a recipient, I selected my own email for both the sender and recipient so I could see the difference in the emails. The "from" address on the recipient email was the email you previously entered. By utilizing a familiar address, the YourVoice message is less likely to get sucked into a spam filter. The email was titled "You have received a recording from Grandparents.com!" and within the message, it displayed my name, just as I had typed it on that 'email' page.

The link included in each email took me to the same place on Grandparents.com. From there, you just click the play button and listen to the message. As many times as you want. But it's more reasonable to just download it, in my opinion. After all, if you just wanted to leave a message that would go away, why bother doing it online? Downloading is easy... there's a note that says "Download this recording". The two ** next to it points to special Firefox instructions - which are merely "Right click and select "Save Link As."

After doing my test run to see how it worked and get screen shots, I waited impatiently for the kids to get home to put it to the real test. Each of the girls recorded a message for my mother-in-law. When my MIL called to let me know she received them, she was bubbling. She was very excited to hear the girls' voices and already said she was downloading them to her desktop.

I proceeded to tell her about YourVoice and we discussed the program. I wanted to know what she thought of it and whether she thought it was a good service. She said it was excellent. - she loved receiving the email with the kids' voices. We both agreed that a pitfall to the program is that it is imbedded within the Grandparents.com website and is aimed primarily at Grandparents. There's nothing wrong with the Grandparents.com site, but the service is so incredible they need to get it mainstream.

I said to my MIL "When I was working, it would have been nice to have a service like this to call in sick." Jokingly, she said "I can see someone proposing using it... or a Dear John." We bantered several silly ideas off each other for about five minutes. When the kidding was done, the concept sunk in that it had some real-world applications that would be wonderful for archival purposes. She said "I think it would be neat if the kids used it to send a message to themselves on their birthday. 'Today I turned x years old. This is what I did to celebrate my birthday...' then they can go back and listen to them all when they're older." I agree with that because even though video cameras are more common than they used to be, not everyone owns one. Not everyone uses theirs. YourVoice can be used to create audio for a digital scrapbook.

What are the costs? It's not a toll-free number so long distance charges apply. Luckily, we have unlimited free long distance so we can use this service as often as we want without any fees!

Does it require an account or activation? Nope. As you can see from my screen shots - I went through the entire process, sent, received and listened to - without ever logging in.

Is it secure? I don't know but I was curious if someone else could easily listen to my messages. So I went to mine, changed the URL a few different times to see if I could access what other people had recorded. It gave an error each time. It's on the internet and not password protected so I'm sure there's a way - but at least the messages aren't sequentially numbered. I, personally, wouldn't use this service to convey personal information such as phone numbers or addresses.

What's the catch? You need simultaneous internet access and phone service to be able to record your message and your recipient needs a valid email address. That's it.

Benefits? Free. Easy. Inventive. Green. Fun. The applications are endless. A voice recording to wish someone happy birthday instead of sending a card that will just get thrown in the recycle bin. Or a child's voice to send to a parent who is currently on tour of duty or away on business. It's even a great way to make an announcement like "He proposed!" or "We're expecting!" when you're unable to get a hold of someone on the phone. Better yet, just an archive of someone's voice so yo can listen to it whenever you want.

I gave some thought to using this for Miss K to send digital thank you notes to her classmates for their gifts. At her age, it would require too much coaching telling her who to thank, what she received from them, etc. For someone older or even someone who usually doesn't write thank you notes, this is a great alternative. If I received this type of thank you from a mom-to-be thanking me personally and specifically for a shower gift, I would think it's fine. It's personal, it's a less time-consuming and less costly method than traditional thank you notes, it's quick... and it's environmentally friendly. Making clear that this is NOT an E-card but a personal voice message, I would love to hear what other people think of receiving digital thank you notes such as this.

To celebrate Grandparents Day on September 13th, try the "YourVoice" service. You'll see how easy it is and I'm certain that the grandparents in your life will be just as excited as my mother-in-law was.

I am working with MomSelect to help spread the word about YourVoice. As a thank you for my time to compose this post, I will be receiving a small gift card. My opinions regarding YourVoice are honest and true and were not influenced by the compensation.

Because Sometimes Life Stinks...

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:17:00 +0000

Elizabeth received Clean+green (Sea-Yu) at no charge for the purpose of preparing a review for SAHM Reviews. The following content was provided by Elizabeth:

======================================================

Clean+Green obliterates the stink

We have all kinds of smell producers in our house-- compost, cat, dog, not-quite-potty-trained twins, a cloth-diaper-wearing baby. We clean the litter box, the trash can, the compost bucket, the diaper pails regularly, but that doesn't stop the smells from trying to take over.

I think with smells, generally, you one of two choices: 1) live with the odors and just get used to them; or 2) spray the house constantly with some odor-covering product to try and mask the scents. Baking soda may work in the fridge and in the washer, but it's messy for other application. Our trash can is clumped with it and it still reeks.

So I was happy to try Clean+green (Sea-Yu) products that were sent to me by awesome Mom blogger SAHM Reviews. They are "all natural and pet-safe" according to their packaging. I've given them the run-around here's the results:

• The Furniture Refresher isn't just for furniture and pet beds. I sprayed it directly onto the litter after scooping. Urine smell was reduced significantly. (I think Betty would agree that it worked. I am not sure if it is related, but she hasn't been avoiding me as much lately! Cats!)

• Used the Refresher in the diaper pail... sprayed in and took a big whiff. The odor was gone "on contact," as promised. These are just cheapy, $10 plastic pails from Wal-Mart that my in-laws picked up. I hate them because they don't seal, but with the odor spray that might not be such an issue any longer.

• Sprayed the Refresher into the rolling bin for our trash and inhaled. Phew... might need a couple applications there! The instructions didn't say it would work for garbage pails, but I like all-purpose products when I can get them. I'll keep trying it again.

Clean+green sent me a "Carpet and Upholestery" spray as well that has the same ingredients -- cane sugar derivatives, botanical extracts and hydrated cellulose, along with water and a nitrogen propellant for the canister. I'm not sure what the difference is between the products except the upholstery products claims to "remove stains" as well. So far, no we haven't had any yucky pet stains to clean up (we don't have much carpet), but I might try it on the oil spot on my comforter.

Other Products, Other Places
I haven't yet tried the product on my compost bucket-- I'll comment here when I do to let you know how it goes. I also need to try it on the leather sofa, but I'd prefer not to, since that would require one of the girls to have an accident during naps. No thanks for now. And I'm thinking about checking out the "Auto" product for my stinky minivan-- it's supposed to be for pet smells, but really, aren't the kids kind of like pets?

I'd buy this product for smell reduction, but only because I have real issues with it at the moment. I am not fond of having another non-recyclable canister around, so that loses points in the Less is More filter I use to scrutinize what we're bringing inside. (Edit by Nicole: Following this post, I was contacted and told that the cans are 100% recyclable. I was unable to locate that fact on their website, but I mentioned that they should add it.)

One more test I have try-- keeping it on the bedside table for those unpleasant husband-farts. Hope it works!

======================================================

SeaYu products are available at Amazon but you can also find them at a store near you. If you're eco-conscious and want more information about Clean+green or SeaYu Enterprises, check out their blog, their website, on Twitter, Facebook or even request a coupon! Thanks, Elizabeth, for your review!

SAHM Reviews is Adding Contributing Writers

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:43:00 +0000

I love SAHM Reviews - sharing life stories and relating them to a product. But there are several products that I'm asked to review that I either can't due to time restraints or won't because it's just not a product that fits into our household. For example, there are some fantastic baby products on the market these days but I wouldn't be able to provide a baby review because there isn't a baby in the house. Sure, I can talk about a product and give you specifics about it... but if you want generic facts, the manufacturer's product page or a site like Amazon is much better.

What SAHM Reviews is trying to achieve is showing the integration of various products into life.

Since I can't write about everything but still want to provide that content for my readers, I've decided to expand. I'm gradually adding contributing writers starting with some people I already know and work with.

Elizabeth from Honk If You Compost is the first contributing writer on the list. She's a world-traveler, having lived overseas for a period of time. She's passionate about the environment, as evidenced by her blog. When one of my PR contacts pitched Clean+Green on behalf of their client, SeaYu Enterprises, I immediately thought of Elizabeth. She welcomed the idea of writing for SAHM Reviews and I welcome Elizabeth aboard.

I've been working with a few other writers for various household products, pets, crafts and baby products. But I'm on the lookout for more. I'm hoping to create a special button that says "Contributing Author for SAHM Reviews" but I'm not there yet. There are only two requests - (1) Make it a story where you provide details about the product. (2) If you receive a product for SAHM Reviews, feel free to post short teasers on your own blog, social networking sites, etc directing them to your review at SAHM Reviews.

If you have an area of expertise and would love to create story-based reviews for SAHM Reviews, please send an email to Nicole at SAHM Reviews with your qualifications and samples of your writing style.

I'm All About Structured Play

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:03:00 +0000

I'm really not the imaginative type. Miss M enjoys non-stop Littlest Pet Shop theater while Miss K can lose herself in Barbie and Polly Pocket. But when they ask me to join in, I just don't know how to play. Sounds silly, but Miss K likes to keep things going in her direction - she'll say "It's this one's birthday so you take that one and that one and we'll have a birthday party." Then I try to play along and she tells me I'm not doing it right. I try to play, but I'm just not good at it.

So whenever the girls ask me to play with them, I immediately suggest a game. Any game. Or even a puzzle. My goal is generally something that has structure, rules and more important, a potential end that doesn't make me want to watch the clock constantly. Seriously... I love playing with my daughters but my attention span is about (this) long.

Gamewright sent me a list of the games they released for summer and allowed me to select a few to test out with my girls. There were several that sounded great but were a little above their age range. I ultimately decided on Say Cheese!, Ring-O Flamingo, Can You See What I See? and Too Many Monkeys.

So what did I think of them? Here are some of the highlights (as well as lowlights if I felt any) about each of the games.

I'm a big fan of games but traditional games leave us crying for space. Two of the games we received were virtually the size of a deck of cards. The small plus entertaining combo makes these a huge hit!

Say Cheese!: It's a fast paced game consisting of cards and dice. The pictures on the dice reflect various characters on the cards. Roll the dice as quickly as you can and compare what you roll to what is on the cards. If the two characters on the dice matches the two on either of the cards that are showing, then you yell "Cheese" and grab the card. Flip over another card and everyone starts rolling again. If you match both cards, then you yell "Double Cheese" and grab both cards. Continue to flip and grab until all the cards are claimed. Person with the most at the end wins. It's a super fast game but crazy and a lot of fun. It's one of those games that you can just tell was inspired by a college-level beer drinking game. Worth the price of admission? Absolutely.

Too Many Monkeys: This game involves a deck of cards where the goal is to attain the numbers 1-6. Everyone starts with 6 cards facing down and taking turns, you attempt to get them all flipped upright. In the same style as gin (the game, not the drink!), you can draw from the stack or from the discard pile. If you draw a 4, you replace the 4th card in your row and unhide the new number. If it's a 3, you replace the 3rd card in the row and continue until you duplicate a card or flip a card that halts your turn. Sound complicated but it's not... Miss K (4 at the time we received the game) followed along just fine. There are "Skip" cards that allow some strategic play but for the most part, it's luck of the draw. When someone flips all their cards, they begin the next round with one less while their opponents keep 6 until they win a round. Each round is pretty fast paced but if you have a large number of people playing, it takes an unbelievable amount of time for someone to win 6 rounds. Worth purchasing? If you have more than a few people who will play. While it is a time consuming game when you add more players, it isn't nearly as much fun when only a few are playing.

Of course, traditional boxed board games are cool too but I guess I wouldn't classify these next two as board games. Boxed? Yes. Board? No. Bored? Definitely not.

Can You See What I See? Although this is a boxed game (smaller than a traditional lunch box), it is just a bunch of I Spy cards. Two sets - The "Keep Me" cards and the "Find Me" tiles. A designated number of the larger "Keep Me" cards with the collage of items are handed out to the players face up. The smaller tiles each contain one item that can randomly be located on the "Keep Me" cards. One at a time, the "Find Me" tiles are flipped to reveal an item and players scour their own cards for that particular item. Each of their own cards that contains the item gets put into a pile. When someone gets all their cards, they win. That's the version for the little kids - there's a more difficult setup for older kids. The girls really enjoy this game, but I feel like they are too advanced for the easy version and not quite ready for the harder version. I'm giving it a little time and plan to reintroduce it at the more difficult stage to see how they do. Would I buy this? Possibly. It's best for someone with kids around 4 who like playing a good game of search and find. On the flipside, it would be very fun for a family with kids 7 and up who can strategically think through the "Expert" level of it.

Ring-O Flamingo: This game will cure you of any desire to play carnival games at the fair. Using a launcher, you attempt to ring a flamingo. Once you get the hang of how to launch the rings, it's less frustrating, but being good at launching doesn't guarantee you'll win. Bonus points go to the first person to ring any given flamingo so someone who is accurate at landing several 'firsts' can easily pull ahead of someone who rings lots in the same place. It's fast paced and appears messy but is a quick cleanup and easy to immediately start another game. My only complaint with Ring-O Flamingo is that the glue used to hold the flamingos onto their base isn't strong enough. One of the flamingos came loose on our very first time sitting down to play. No biggie though as it's something that super glue could easily resolve. Seriously, that's my only complaint about it... except that I'm consistently inconsistent. One game I could be right on the money with most of my launches and the next, they're flying across the room. Guess that's half the fun. And it's way cheaper than a carnival game.

These four games were provided at no charge by Gamewright for the purpose of this review.

Interested in more about Gamewright games? Catch up with them on Twitter, Facebook, on their website or go straight to Amazon to purchase some of their games - they're fun and they are affordable.

I Shall Search... Until I find cheesecake.

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:53:00 +0000

Last year for DH's birthday, we planned a short family vacation. I made reservations at a German restaurant and attempted to plan a special birthday 'cake' for him. We used to enjoy Eli's Cheesecake before moving to Los Angeles but the store here in Iowa that carried it has since gone out of business. Since our vacation spot was in Wisconsin and within the Eli's area, I figured the stores there would likely carry his favorite flavor - Eli's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

But shy of calling all the stores or driving around, I didn't really have a way to locate the cake of choice. So I contacted Eli's directly. Their staff took the time to look up which stores were on their delivery list and where I could shop to get our Eli's fix. Customer service like that is hard to come by these days.

Prior to that, the last time we enjoyed Eli's was when DH had some shipped to his company in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, awesome cheesecake has a very short shelf-life when surrounded by a ton of employees. DH managed to set aside a few pieces to bring home... probably because he knew he wouldn't get back into the house without it. Smart man, I tell you.

Even this past spring, we even drove from store to store while visiting DeKalb, Illinois - once again in search of a store carrying Eli's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. It was a last minute idea so we didn't have the opportunity to inquiry with their customer service department like last time. Alas, we didn't find what we wanted and were totally disappointed. It's just one of those things you look forward to.

So as BlogHer09 approached, I raved (to any non-Chicago person that would listen) about how awesome Eli's is. It's one of those must-experience things about Chicago. I did things like telling friends via email. When someone on Twitter asked for dinner recommendations, I suggested they just pick up an Eli's cheesecake and make dinner out of it. How do you think Eli's responded to this? They contacted me directly and offered to supply Eli's cheesecakes for an event we were having on the Wednesday night prior to BlogHer. How on earth could I resist such an offer?

They shipped a Cheesecake Tower and a Tira Mi Su for guests at our event to share. I was never a fan of cheesecake growing up, but after trying Eli's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake at the Taste of Chicago after meeting my husband, I was a convert. It became my favorite. The tower contains a plain cheesecake, a chocolate chip cheesecake and a turtle cheesecake. Eli's has several other flavors, like Triple Chocolate, that make my head spin and my mouth water but those weren't among the ones at our party. But that's okay because the tower by itself was delicious and way more cake than we could eat anyhow.

But I guess what really impresses me is the customer service at Eli's. Sure, I've blathered along about products I love before - either here or on Twitter. But seldom do they contact me to say they love hearing how much I enjoy their products.

Eli's is a small company with a big heart... and awesome food. Please check them out at their website, their blog, on Facebook or even on Twitter.

Special thanks to Eli's for supplying cheesecake and Tiramisu for our pre-BlogHer09 event.

They Served Breakfast For Lunch

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:28:00 +0000

My girls were so excited about the lunch menu today. They've been telling me for a few days that "It's breakfast for lunch, Mom!" Seriously. Today's school lunch menu was French toast, syrup, turkey sausage, juice and a banana. Previewing the September lunch menu, I see a similar 'breakfast for lunch' day with pancakes, syrup, turkey sausage, juice, strawberries and bananas. When the girls got home from school, I asked them how lunch was and it was a resounding "Delicious!"

As silly as it sounds, it's actually more nutritious than some of the stuff I pack in their lunches. I'm cautious about what I pack, trying to provide a mix of healthy with the occasional brownie. Which makes me second guess something that happened a few weeks ago...

I received a package of Honey Kix cereal from MyBlogSpark. We decided to enjoy Honey Kix for breakfast one day and Miss K said she really liked it. In the meantime, she was quite inquisitive about the other items that came along with it. The kit (shown below) contained a travel bowl with built in spoon and a freeze-ahead module for keeping the milk cold. She asked what it was for and I explained that it's for taking cereal with you when you go somewhere. Well, Miss M and Miss K decided that they did, indeed, want to take along some cereal. For lunch. In their lunchbox. Instead of a sandwich. I hemmed and hawed and said it's more for when you're traveling.

But they were persistent. And it got me thinking. Milk is good for them and cereal, like Honey Kix, is whole grain. If I pack some grapes or a banana with it - or maybe a piece of ham for protein - then what do I have to lose? If they are excited about it and willing to eat it, that's the important part.

The Prize: Honey Kix Prize Pack (includes a coupon for a free box of cereal, a honey jar, a set of colorful cereal bowls, a container to take your cereal and milk on-the-go, and a great container to keep cereal fresh at home.)

Participants -

...must provide an email in the first comment, email me directly with an email address or have email accessible from their profile. Winner has 72 hours from posting/notification to respond. If winner cannot be contacted, I will move on to the second random selection.

Sometime on September 8, 2009, a winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) from all valid comments left.

How to enter:

For the first entry -

(1) Visit the General Mills website.

(2) Come back here and tell me which General Mills cereal your family likes best AND whether you would send cereal with your child to school.

If you want to increase your chances of winning, here are some options to earn additional entries -

-- One Entry: If you have a blog or website, add my button to your page. (Here's the code:)

-- One Entry: Publish a blog post regarding this contest and link back to it.

-- One Entry: Digg or share on Facebook. (Be sure to leave your ID for that service.)

-- One Entry (Daily): Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this contest with @SahmReviews referenced. Comment with your Twitter ID or leave a link.

-- One Entry: Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email.

-- One Entry: Follow me using Google's Friend Connect feature.

-- One Entry (Daily): Read any of my non-giveaway reviews and leave an appropriate comment on that post. Come back here and leave a comment stating which product/post you left a comment on.

Thank you to MyBlogSpark for providing the items for this review and the prize for the giveaway!

Melted Ice Cream for Breakfast

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:11:00 +0000

My brothers were avid wrestlers when we were growing up. I don't mean the WWE style, I'm talking about wrestling like you see in school or at the Olympics. They participated in Saturday tournaments, sports camps and all. I remember many occasions where one would be in a hurry to get to morning practice before school and that meant a shotgun breakfast. Carnation Instant Breakfast was a staple in our pantry and even as an adult, I keep a few packets on hand.

On SAHM Reviews, I've discussed my fondness for Special K products so I wasn't surprised when one of my PR reps asked if I would be interested in trying out the new Special K Protein Shakes. Chocolate, shelf-stable, ready to drink. With the chaos of two kids while trying to make it to the gym in time for class, a quick and flavorful drink sounded like a good fit. Special K brand... yeah, that sealed the deal.

I received two complimentary bottles in the mail and promptly popped them into the fridge. They don't require refrigeration until after they've been opened, but if I want a warm chocolate drink for breakfast, I'll make hot chocolate.

Those drinks couldn't have been in the fridge for more than a half hour when a giggling Miss K attempted to lay claim to them. When she asked her dad about them, he pointed to me and said "Those are your mom's. You'll have to talk to her." She batted her eyes and reminded me that we share things in this family. Dangit, she's right.

A few days later, before heading to work out, I opened one and gave it a taste. I told Miss K that she would not like it but she saw right through that ploy. She tasted it, replied "Yummm" and wanted more. I'm glad that I decided to chill it first because it was cool and refreshing, smooth and creamy. It reminded me of melted chocolate ice cream. I should have been sipping and enjoying it but guzzled it down. The only difficult thing is that it's supposed to be a grab and go weight management drink. I wasn't hungry after drinking it, so that's good, but it certainly tasted like another. Lacking willpower, I might talk myself into more than one, defeating the weight management perspective. Like anything, moderation is key.

While I'm still a fan of a traditional breakfast of cereal, granola bars, eggs, toast or oatmeal, Special K drinks are a nice change of pace. I could have used a few for my recent trip because since they don't require refrigeration, they can easily be packed with other snacks without the concern of spoilage! They will be nice to have on hand for times when the bus is late or I'm in a hurry to get somewhere. It's also great that the kids like them because there are times when they're running late also!

I apologize for the horrible picture, but both my sample bottles were long gone before I even downloaded the photographs from my camera. And since I've been traveling and whatnot, I haven't picked up any more at the store yet to get a better picture!

If you think you would enjoy the new Special K Protein drinks, print out one of these coupons to save a little when you head to the store. Special K Protein Shake Coupon #1 or Special K Protein Shake Coupon #2. Just a heads-up that since they are new and such a hit, they're in limited supply at stores and currently 'out of stock' even on Amazon. If you can't find them, be sure to ask someone from the store about it.

You can choose from Milk Chocolate, Strawberry or French Vanilla. I only sampled the Milk Chocolate so can't testify to whether the other varieties as good. Personally, I would love to see a Hazelnut flavor! If you try them, be sure to drop me a comment and let me know what you think of them.

Thank you to Kellogg Company and my PR representative for supplying the products for us to test out.

No Hamster Droppings to Clean Up

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:42:00 +0000

I've been back from BlogHer for over a week and I am still trying to sift through all the business cards, literature, new blogs in my RSS and of course, the awesome swag. It was truly an amazing trip and I'm glad that I let DH talk me into going.

But before I left, MomSelect (BSM Media) asked if I would be interested in participating in a Pre-BlogHer promotion. While the cat is away, the hamster will play. They sent my daughters a full-on hamster habitat equipped with kitchen, habitrail, wheel, sleeping dome, tunnels and even a garage with a car. The hamster squeaked and made cute sounds and noises while it scampered through its new home. But with this hamster, I won't be spending time cleaning up because battery operated hamsters don't leave messes. The hamster habitat that MomSelect sent was part of the Zhu Zhu Pets collection - so new that it is only available in select Target and WalMart stores.

What I love about this pet is that it's good for a giggle. He zips around the habitat including running on the wheel. I laughed as he headed to the garage and hopped into the car. The garage doors went flying open and he proceeded to drive out onto the carpet. Although he was cute in his car, he would have been much more efficient if he was on a solid surface like tile, concrete or even a table as opposed to carpet.

Which leads me to one of the things that I didn't like about the Zhu Zhu pet setup... Assembly itself is very easy if you're focused and don't have two extra sets of miniature hands trying to help. But it's large when you start incorporating so many modules onto it. Granted, the system is workable with only a few of the sections or can be assembled in different ways to accommodate different play areas. Honestly, unless you have a dedicated area for the kids to play in, this is not an easy "assemble, use, disassemble, store" toy. If your child has outgrown the train table, pack up the train set and put Zhu Zhu pets on it instead. That gives you an idea of the size of the unit when multiple modules are attached.

But don't get me wrong, that isn't a bad thing it is just an inconvenience if your child typically plays in their bedroom or in the family room. We're in the process of putting together a play room in the basement and when we do, the Zhu Zhu pet habitat will find the perfect home.

As I mentioned before, he does make noises. Each different module is equipped with sensors that initiate an appropriate sound or noise from the hamster. There are currently four different hamsters on the market and I think each has its own personality. But since I only have one, the only thing I'm certain of is that the other three LOOK entirely different. They also run on different frequencies so you would be able to run different ones within the same habitat.

My girls played with the hamster until his batteries died. After a few days of them playing with it - front and center of the television, I packed the habitrail up and plan to reassemble it when the play room is done! If your child wants a pet but you're not ready for the typical mess, consider this a nice alternative.

The 80s in Musical Form

SAHMtoo@gmail.com (Nicole) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:46:00 +0000

When we lived in Los Angeles, we had a lot of opportunities to attend sporting events, plays, musicals and concerts. Did we? Not as much as we should have... we were just too busy. I remember when Mamma Mia came out; DH and I both commented on how great the music sounded and that we thought we would really enjoy it. I even had a friend/coworker brag about going and what a great show it was. Did I ever make it? No. We were just too busy.

Now that we're back in Iowa, we don't have as grand of choices. So when One2One Network was looking for people to participate in a blog tour for the CD of Rock of Ages; Original Broadway Cast Recording, I exclaimed "I love music. Pick me, please?!" Rock of Ages is a Broadway musical set in 1987 chronicling a love story between a small-town girl and a big-city dreamer who fell in love with each other as well as some of the greatest metal hits of the 1980's. To my knowledge, the actual Broadway musical of Rock of Ages has never made it to this area so experiencing the CD was a nice treat.

As a child who grew up in the 70's and 80's, Rock of Ages totally struck a chord. (Get it? A chord? Ha!) It hit home because many of the songs were ones that I heard regularly and sang along with. "Can't Fight This Feeling" "Oh Sherrie" "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and even "Cum On Feel the Noize". When I popped the CD into my car stereo, I expected a re-creation of the songs that I knew so well. What I got was something entirely different. Not an attempt to duplicate what was successful - which can often backfire for people who are purists to the original song. Instead, they took the music and put a new spin on what was once so familiar.
Rock of Ages; Original Broadway Cast Recording is just that. A cast recording. It sounds like it was recorded inside the theater during a full-on production. It's sincere and listening to it gives you the sense that you're actually there. If I HAD viewed this musical in person, I am certain that I could listen to this CD and visualize the entire performance again - over and over.

Not only is this CD great for people who are Broadway music fans, but it's also great for those of us who grew up with this generation of music. Oh, if you're an American Idol fan, you can find the musical talents of Constantine Maroulis here too!