Misadventures in Baby Raising

Sustainable Earth by Staples (WIN IT!)

2013-05-05T21:43:00.001-07:00

I'm not what one would call a "crunchy mommy" by any means, but that doesn't mean that I don't always try to so my part, when possible, to help preserve our earth for future generations. That said, I always appreciate companies who go above and beyond to not only provide their customers with products that are earth friendly, but who also care deeply about and have a commitment to, sustainability and that's why I'm such a huge fan of Staples and their new Sustainable Earth line of products.

Recently I had the opportunity to try out the Sustainable Earth collection from Staples and it couldn't have come at a better time. Around the same time I accepted the Sustainable Earth review, I found out that I was hired as a work-from-home agent for 1800flowers.com and the arrival of the Sustainable Earth products on my very first day of work, couldn't have been better timing! While my job is only temporary for the Mother’s Day holiday, I’m constantly at my desk working on something having great office supplies and products is a must.

Staples is my go-to place for office supplies and just in time for spring, and to help you get organized and maybe even do a little spring office cleaning, they have a ton of fresh, vibrant, colorful new products that will have you welcoming spring in style. Staples also recently introduced their Sustainable Earth collection, which is an eco-preferable product line featuring your favorite office supplies in an updated, earth-friendly way.

About Sustainable Earth by Staples…

Sustainable Earth by Staples™ eco-preferable products are made with the environment in mind. These eco-preferable products are made with renewable resources, recycled materials and/or are third party certified to validate their environmental attributes. From the breakroom to the boardroom, these products help to lessen your impact on the environment.

The Sustainable Earth Line from Staples features several different products that are all eco-friendly including;

Calculator (made with 100% recycled casing and buttons from the recycled ink and toner cartridges from their Staples Rewards program $3.99)
Stapler (made from recycled ink and toner cartridges, available in 2 sizes)
Notebooks (Notebook and paper are made from 80% sugarcane plant fiber waste –after sugarcane is processed and crushed to make sugar, the waste is converted into paper, available in 2 sizes)
Clipboards and Clipfolios (made from 100% recycled paperboard, $2.99 and $5.99)
3 Tab File Folders and 5 Tab Hanging File Folders (Made of 100% recycled post-consumer content)
Sustainable Earth Copy Paper (Made from 95% sugarcane fibers –reduces the need to harvest trees to make paper, available for $59.99 for a case
Sustainable Earth by Staples Envelopes (100% post consumer paper, meets or exceeds the Government Printing Office’s and EPA’s standard for recycled paper)

Staples was kind enough to send me all of the products listed above to try out and I couldn’t have been more excited, I’m such a dork when it comes to things like office supplies (and pens)…I just can’t get enough. As I mentioned earlier, I was recently hired for my very first ,actual work-at-home job, so I definitely took the fact that my office supplies arrived on the exact same day that I started my training for that job, as a sign. On that first day as I transitioned my desk from that of a “blogger” to that of a “WAHM” I realized that in addition to changing my work station around to better suit a work-at-home job, I was also trading my traditional office supplies for some shiny, new eco-friendly ones…it was a good feeling all the way around!

While I really do thoroughly enjoy all of the products from the Sustainable Earth collection, my absolute favorites are the notebooks and clipboard. The notebooks are sturdy and perfect for taking notes and the clipboards are just so handy and oh so chic, they just make me smile. And just in case the Sustainable Earth collection didn’t get you excited enough, I also want to introduce you to the Avant spring colored pens…who doesn’t get excited about pens?

The Avant colored pens have a modern design and offer a smooth, superior writing experience. With interchangeable ink refills available in Silk Scribe and gel inks in blue, black and red and with the introduction of three fun new colors mint green, light pink and light blue) the Avant is an experience in the fine art of putting pen to paper.

Be sure to follow @Staples on Twitter and “Like” Staples on Facebook for the latest on new products and deals!

How would you like to win the entire Sustainable Earth collection by Staples and the Avant pen? Check out the details and enter the giveaway below…good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the products above in order to facilitate this review, all thoughts and opinions about the products or company are my own and were not influenced in any way by the brand or representing PR.

It’s Been Awhile…

2013-04-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

Well…it’s been forever since I’ve written a blog post, I wonder if I even remember how?

Kidding, totally kidding, but it has been a minute. I’ve had so much going on in my life over the past few months that I’ve barely had time to think, let alone do much else.

So what, you may ask has been going on? A LOT! Between the beginning of baseball and softball seasons, tons of blended family issues and me starting a new job; I’ve just been insanely busy, but I’m devoted to keeping up with y’all… it just might take me a little longer than normal, so please bare with me.

Though I rarely discuss family issues on my blog, I think that my blended family presents a unique opportunity for me to maybe help someone else out who may be going through what I like to call “blended family drama” or at the very least let someone who is dealing with the same kinds of issues know that they are not alone. For that reason I’ve decided to start getting a little more personal, I hope y’all don’t mind. With that said, I promise to still bring y’all the best products for families, recipes and all of the other goodies that I’ve always posted, just mixed with a little more me.

So what’s in store in the next couple of weeks here at Misadventures in Baby Raising?

My take on the new Sustainable Earth office supply line by Staples (LOVE it BTW)
A killer recipe for Gyros and Falafel (and lots more goodies as well)
My Top 5 Tips for WAHM (work-at-home-moms)
Blended Family Drama…an ongoing saga
Top Gifts for Mother’s Day

I hope y’all will check back in over the next few weeks as I’m really excited to be sharing a little more of me and my life with all of you! u

Until next time y’all…

Spring Has Sprung at Gymboree {Gymboree Spring 2013 Collections Review}

2013-04-10T21:45:00.001-07:00

I love clothes shopping and if there’s one thing I love more than shopping for clothes for myself, it’s clothes shopping for my kiddos! One of my all-time favorite places to shop for super cute, super affordable kids clothing is Gymboree. Recently I had the chance to choose a few items from the Gymboree Spring 2013 collection to review and I couldn’t wait to see what Gymboree had in store.

WARNING: Major cuteness ahead!

If you’re familiar with Gymboree then you know how adorable, affordable and addicting their clothes can be and I know that I’m not the only mom who feels that way…right? For those of you who might not be familiar with Gymboree, here’s a little more about the brand and a little insight into their inspiration.

Gymboree is all about designing children’s clothes that are perfect for exploring, learning, and allowing kids to be kids and that playful, adventurous attitude definitely comes through in their clothing. From the high-quality mix-and-match outfits and fun patterns, to the ultra coordinating accessories to match those outfits, you’ll definitely find something at Gymboree that matches your child’s personality, without breaking the bank!

As I mentioned before, I recently had the chance to work with Gymboree (and one of my very favorite PR individuals) to review some items from their Spring 2013 collection and I really couldn’t wait to chose the perfect outfits for Lil Man and Lil Diva. One of my favorite things about Gymboree is the selection; there is so much to choose from for boys and girls and the collections are so fresh and fun and full of vibrant colors and adorable themes that you’ll find yourself wanting one of everything—at least that’s how I usually feel.

Lil Diva is a fashionista in every sense of the word so I knew finding just the right outfit to match her personality was key and it didn’t take long for me to find the Bow Dot Stripe Skort (part of the Rainbow Cabana collection)and start building an outfit. I love the Bow Dot Stripe skort ($20.99) because it’s fun and playful and full of personality, just like Lil Diva and Lil Diva loves it because, well, she happens to adore skorts. I wanted to choose a shirt that had personality and fun, vibrant colors, but that was a little less busy than the skort and the Sequin Sunshine Ruffle Tank ($14.49) was perfect. To pull the look together I added the Flower Stripe flip flop in Flamingo Pink ($16.95), (Lil Diva loves the corsage bloom on the top of each flip flop) and the results were definitely Lil Diva approved!

Lil Man is a whole lot less worried about fashion than Lil Diva, but every once in a while I can get him to trade in his basketball shorts and tennis shoes for a nice polo shirt and plaid shorts. For Lil Man I was torn between two distinctly different collections, I loved the Gone Surfin’ collection, but the Baseball Champ collection was so his style, so I decided to chose my favorite outfit from each collection to review. The Gone Surfin’ collection from the Gymboree spring 2013 line is surfer chic with a preppy flair (at least that’s what I call it) and I thought it was a perfect fit for Lil Man’s laid back attitude. The Surf Blue, Surf More Sleep Less tee ($12.99) combined with the Papaya Orange Drawstring Plaid Cargo short ($20.99) is, in my opinion, the perfect spring/summer outfit; it’s super chill, with a little bit of a preppy edge—love it! While Lil Man doesn’t really know much about the surfer lifestyle in real life, he does know quite a bit about baseball and the Baseball Champ collection is full of looks that are sure to be a hit with your little slugger! I loved the Baseball Player Pique Polo Shirt in Ballpark Blue ($9.49), paired with the Drawstring Cargo Short in Ballpark Blue Plaid ($14.49) were a perfect combination and Lil Man agreed, it was his favorite of the two outfits. He cleans up pretty darn well if I do say so myself!

Of course, these collections are just a few of the many collections in the Gymboree Spring 2013 line, so you’ll find the perfect collection to match your child’s personality at great prices—it’s a win—win! Don’t forget, it’s Gymbuck$ time—Save $25 on every $50 you spend now through April 21 with Gymbuck$ and get FREE shipping at Gymboree on orders over $75! Make sure you check out the entire spring 2013 collection at Gymboree, you’ll be so glad you did!

Disclosure: I received a gift card from Gymboree to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

Get Fresh, Fierce and Flawless Skin with Olay Fresh Effects

2013-04-07T22:20:00.001-07:00

Without a doubt one of the best things about being a review blogger is having the opportunity to try new products and when those products just so happen to come from one of your favorite brands, well that’s just the icing on the cake!

I’ve been a fan of Olay for years, ever since I can remember my mom has used Olay as her go-to skincare brand, so naturally when I needed a good brand of skincare products, I reached for Olay. In addition to being the reason, at least in my opinion, that my mother ages about 5 times slower than most people her age, I love Olay because it’s just great for your skin, I’ve never had issues with breakouts while using Olay products and for someone with skin as prone to breakouts as mine is, that’s a huge deal. Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing that I dislike about the Olay brand, so I was beyond excited when I was recently asked to try out some of the products from the Olay Fresh Effects line. I received several products (in addition to some other goodies) from Olay Fresh Effects recently to try out and I couldn’t wait to get started! But before I let you know my opinion of the products, let me tell you a little bit about the entire Olay Fresh Effects line.

The Olay Fresh Effects product line includes:

Va-Va-Vivid!- Powered Contour Cleansing System: a powerful tool that you’ll definitely want to have in your skincare arsenal, the Va-Va-Vivid! gives you a micro-facial experience that you won’t soon forget!
Shine, Shine Go Away!- Shine Minimizing Cleanser: this cleanser takes clean skin to a whole new level and it works fabulous with the Va-Va-Vivid!
Bead Me Up!- Exfoliating Cleanser: microbeads and bubbles oh my! This exfoliating cleanser will leave your skin soft, smooth and super clean every time.
S’Wipe Out!- Refreshing Make-up Removal Cloths: who doesn’t love a good make-up removal cloth? Dirt, makeup and even waterproof mascara are no match for these super gentle cloths.
Long Live Moisture!- Satin Finish Lotion: a lotion that keeps your skin soft and satiny smooth for up to 24 hours? This one delivers in a big way and it feels like heaven on your skin!
BB Cream!- Skin Perfecting Tinted Moisturizer with Sunscreen: my absolute favorite of the Olay Fresh Effects products in their BB cream, it makes your skin look and feel flawless and fabulous…it’s a definite must try!

“You’re fresh, fearless, and unstoppable. And we think your skin-care routine should be, too! That’s why we’re excited to introduce Fresh Effects™—the newest Olay® line that’s designed just for you. Fresh Effects is formulated to keep your skin sparkling fresh so you look and feel unstoppable. The entire line is designed to mix and match, which means you can create your own fresh routine.”
I thought that in addition to telling you about these great new products from Olay Fresh Effects in writing, that I’d also make a little video to let y’all know what I really think of these products…check it out!

Can you tell that I really like these products, especially the Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream!- Skin Perfecting Tinted Moisturizer with Sunscreen? Because I totally do. Honestly, all of the Olay Fresh Effects products that I tried out are great and some of them have even replaced a few of my old favorite skincare products. If you haven’t tried the new Olay Fresh Effects line of products, I definitely recommend doing so, they’ll leave your skin fresh and have you ready to face every day looking flawless, fresh and fabulous!

Olay Fresh Effects products are available at Walmart and Walmart.com so make sure you check them out, you’ll definitely be glad you did!

Disclosure: I received the products listed above from Olay in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

Introducing the Post-it Mobile Collection {Love This!}

2013-03-31T22:43:00.001-07:00

I’ve been a loyal fan of the Post-it brand for as long as I can remember. There’s just something about being able to write myself a note or a reminder and sticking it exactly where I’ll see it, that just makes me happy. I usually have a pile of Post-it notes on my desk and in various places throughout the house and I even try to keep a stack of them in my purse as well, but they usually just end up coming unstuck from each other and sticking to everything inside my purse. I’ve hoped for products from Post-it that I can take with me (without having the entire contents of my purse stuck to them) forever and it seems like someone at Post-it finally heard my plea…alright maybe the people at Post-it came up with the idea for a mobile line without my help, either way, I’m already addicted to the Post-It Mobile Collection!

YES, you heard that correctly, the geniuses at Post-it have created an entire line of Post-it Mobile products. Described as, “a line of Attach and Go products that work together to create a customizable on-the-go organization system”, the Post-It Mobile line includes “a variety of compact, functional Post-it Products including Pockets, Full Adhesive Notes, Flags, Tabs, Notes, Dispensers and Writing Tools that work together and help create a seamless and portable organization system”. Being the Post-It addict that I am, I couldn’t wait to try out some of the products from the Post-it Mobile line and thanks to the awesome people at Post-it, I was able to do just that!

The Post-it Mobile Collection includes the VisorPost-it ® Attach and Go Notes and Tabs Clip Dispenser and the Post-it® Mobile Attach and Go3 in 1 Pen, both of which clip to items that you take with you like a backpack. The Post-it® Mobile Attach and GoCar Visor Pop-up Note Dispenser which clips to your car visor…the one is one of my favorites from the line. For items that you carry with you like your laptop there are the CarryPost-it ® Mobile Attach and Go Full Adhesive Note Pad, the Post-it ® Mobile Attach and Go Flags Dispenser, Post-it® Mobile Attach and GoNotes and Tabs Dispenser and the Post-it ® Mobile Attach and Go Tabs Dispenser. Last but not least the CompanyPost-it® Mobile Attach and GoInsert and the Post-it ® Mobile Attach and Go Pocket insert inside items that you take with you like a binder or planner.

Post-it sent me a variety of products from their new Post-it Mobile line and I couldn’t wait to get started trying them out! It didn’t take very long for me to put a few of my favorites from the Mobile line to use, the Post-it® Mobile Attach and Go Dispenser is my absolute favorite product from the Mobile line, it conveniently clips onto my car’s sun visor and is always there when I need it—I love it! Another of my favorites from the Post-it Mobile collection is the Post-it® Mobile Attach and Go 3 in 1 which features a yellow highlighter, black pen and 50 flags, mine stays in my purse for easy access and definitely comes in handy when I’m studying away from home. All of the products from the Post-it Mobile line cost less than $7 and are incredible convenient; whether you travel a lot for business or you’re a busy student on the go, you’ll definitely want to check out the entire line of Post-it Mobile products—bet you can’t buy just one!

Disclaimer: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate this review…all opinions are my own!

Is There a Mess Master Among You? Help Them Clean Up (and Maybe Win) With Dirty Jobs!

2013-03-22T11:16:00.001-07:00

My house is messy—a lot!

No matter how often I clean (and trust me, it’s constant) or how many times I ask and then beg and plead before I finally start screaming, the messes only seem to multiply. Part of the reason my house stays so messy is because of the 5 children who live here, but some of that mess also comes from the two full grown men/boys that live here as well. And with all of those people to clean up after, I routinely find myself wondering if the people living in my house aren’t in fact, visitors from the planet Messy.

If any of that sounds familiar to you, then you might want to pay close attention to the rest of this post because My Dirty Jobs (yes, the company behind those lovely cleaning products that are designed to tackle the toughest of messes) is launching a nationwide search for America’s top “Mess Masters”. Send them a photo of the messiest mess your own Mess Master makes and if your photo is selected you could win a full year's professional maid service from Molly Maid, one of the country's top-rated professional home cleaning service companies.

Available at Walmart, Lowe's, and Albertsons Market stores across the country, Dirty Jobs broad portfolio of cleaning products are among the strongest and most advanced household cleaning products available anywhere. They are the ideal cleaner-uppers for everyone's own Mess Master.

Qualifying as the biggest Mess Master requires no special training, just the ability to create the messiest mess. Accepted entries can include kids and/or pets. They just need to make a dirty mess and you provide the photographic proof of their best mess.

The contest will run for eleven weeks from February 21 through May 9, 2013. Grand Prize winner will be announced on or about Mother's Day, May 12, 2013. It's easy and simple to get in on all the fun. Just visit the Dirty Jobs Facebook Page to enter your own favorite Mess Master.

Send them your best Mess Master photo and you will be entered and eligible to win one of the following great prizes:

Grand Prize Winner - Molly Maid Cleaning Service for 1 year

First runner Up - $500 Gift Card

Second Runner Up - $250 Gift Card

Eleven Weekly Prize Winners will win a $100 Gift Card

You can’t tell me that doesn’t sound appealing, I mean, maid service, for an entire year? That’s like my own personal fantasy! If you have a Mess Master (or a whole slew of Mess Masters like me) then you should definitely submit a photo—who knows, maybe entering one of your kiddos messes in a nationwide search for the messiest of Mess Masters will inspire them to finally clean it up…it could happen.

Don’t forget to check out the selection of Dirty Jobs cleaning products (available at Walmart, Lowe's, and Albertsons Market stores across the country), I had the chance to check them out recently and I just have to say, that the Dirty Jobs Heavy Duty All Purpose Cleaner (with Bleach) is about the only thing I use on tough kitchen jobs, it gets the job done and deodorizes while it cleans. Of course, there’s a Dirty Jobs cleaning product available for just about every tough, dirty cleaning job you can imagine so make sure you pick some up next time you’re at the store and try them out on your messiest messes!

Disclosure: I received a Walmart GC to purchase Dirty Jobs products in exchange for this post…all opinions are 100% my own!

Weight Watchers Ice Cream…6 New Varieties to Tempt Your Taste Buds, Not Your Waistline!

2013-03-20T21:31:00.001-07:00

The older I get the more I realize how much I took for granted when I was younger and no place is it more evident than at my waist line.

When I was younger I pretty much ate what I wanted with no repercussions, but I swear as I get older I gain weight by simply looking at all of the things that are bad for me. So in an effort to keep myself from gaining too much weight, I decided at the beginning of this year to cut out some of the junk food that I love, including ice cream. Now I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always enjoy ice cream, it’s not usually at the top of my list of junk food, but when I want ice cream, I want ice cream and since deciding to stay away from it, keeping my cravings at bay seem to be more and more difficult. Enter Weight Watchers ice cream and not only can I give in to my cravings, but I can do so without feeling guilty.

This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed Weight Watchers ice cream, I also had the very difficult task (insert sarcasm here) of reviewing several Weight Watchers ice cream treats last year as well, so I knew in advance that I was in for a treat, quite literally. If you’ve never indulged in the goodness that is Weight Watchers ice cream, then you my friend, have no clue what you’ve been missing.

Weight Watchers may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of ice cream, but maybe it should be. I’ll admit, that prior to working with Weight Watchers last year, I probably wouldn’t have believed that “diet” ice cream could actually be good and I would have been very, very wrong. While I’m not personally following the Weight Watchers diet, I do occasionally buy a few varieties of the Weight Watchers Ice Cream (and then promptly hide it deep in the back of the deep freeze) and I have to admit, I’m a little more impressed with each new frozen treat that I try.

I have to pause for a moment and tell you that Weight Watchers has quickly become one of my favorite brands to work with; not because of all of the yummy ice cream goodness that they send me (though I can’t deny that helps), but because they get “it”, “it” being this whole PR blogger relationship thing. Being a blogger isn’t always all free products and paid trips, it’s hard work and working with a company (and PR rep) who understands that, makes my job that much easier, which in turn makes me want to work that much harder for them…it’s a win—win!

Anyway, back to the ice cream. As I mentioned earlier, Weight Watchers sent me some of their newest ice cream treats to try out and since they’re all either in stores now or on their way, you’ll be able to try then out for yourselves!

In addition to couple of Weight Watchers ice cream treats that got a little bit of a makeover, Weight Watchers is also introducing four new ice cream treats to tempt your taste buds, but not your waistline.

New—Weight Watchers Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars

Greek yogurt has exploded in the past couple of years as a popular snack, so why not offer people a frozen version of the snack they love? The new Blueberry Swirl and Peach Swirl Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars are made with low fat Greek frozen yogurt and real Blueberry and Peach fruit swirls. Each bar offers the nutritional benefits of Greek yogurt including 2 active cultures and 5 grams of protein with just 80 calories and a PointsPlus value of 2. No spoon required!

New—Weight Watchers Snack Size Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwiches

Staying right on trend with the current red velvet craze, the Snack Size Red Velvet Ice Cream Sandwich is made with low fat cream cheese frosting flavored ice cream with a red velvet chocolate swirl between red velvet chocolate wafers. It has 100 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and a PointsPlus value of 3 per sandwich.

New—Weight Watchers Chocolate Smoothie Frozen Yogurt Bars

For traditional frozen yogurt fans, the new Chocolate Smoothie Frozen Yogurt Bars are made with low fat frozen yogurt and real chocolate to satisfy cravings with just 60 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and a PointsPlus value of 2 per bar.

NEW—Weight Watchers Cookies & Cream Dessert Bar

This treat offers three levels of cookies & cream goodness in one bar. It’s made with low fat cookies & cream ice cream with a chocolate cookie fudge swirl dipped in a rich chocolaty cookie crunch coating. And as if that wasn’t enough, it has just 120 calories, 5 grams of fat for serious indulgence at a PointsPlus value of 3 per bar.

NEW AND IMPROVED—Weight Watchers GIANT Latte Bars

The classic GIANT Latte bar is better thanks to an even creamier low fat coffee flavored ice cream base. Coffee lovers will swoon for this treat which weighs in at just 90 calories and 1 gram of fat and a PointsPlus value of 2 per bar.

While I really do enjoy all six of the new Weight Watchers ice cream treats, I especially love the Chocolate Smoothie Frozen Yogurt Bar most, it’s soooo good. And just in case you have any doubt about how good these are, I tried each of the varieties out on my kiddos and all of the kids (and even a few of the kids from the neighborhood) thought they were “super yummy”. I don’t know about yours, but my kids are super picky, especially when it comes to their ice cream and they couldn’t tell the difference between their regular ice cream and these when it came to flavor…major score!

You can find out more about these and other Weight Watchers products at the Weight Watchers supermarket foods Facebook page. And don’t forget, if you can’t find these yummy Weight Watchers ice cream treats in your supermarket, be sure to ask the store manager when they’ll be arriving!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

Immerse Me Moisture Mask From b.liv {Review}

2013-03-15T09:32:00.001-07:00

I know I’ve mentioned before how much I deplore the dry winter weather here in Ohio…it seriously wreaks havoc with my skin. So with all of the dryness I am always on the lookout for products that help get rid of dry skin and keep it away, products like immerse me from b•liv by Cellnique. If you’ve never heard of b•liv, let me be the first to introduce you!

From the cellnique website…

b•liv is about confidence as we are seeking to inspire young people to believe in themselves and motivate them to make a difference not only in their skincare but also in their lives. The name “b.liv” is not just a contraction of the word “believe” but also a union of the words “be” and “live” aiming at forming a life style motto that encourages b•livers to “live the moment. For over 15 years, Cellnique has been delivering result-driven skin care science and products to help women attain the vibrant, confident and healthy lifestyles they deserve

I received the Immerse Me, a Japanese silk mask that immerses your skin in moisture and works to cure dry skin by penetrating into your deepest skin layer to insure continued moisture! Typically I am super careful about what I put on my face since I tend to break out so easily so I always proceed with caution when using a new product. I’m happy to report that immerse me only made my skin feel amazing—no breakouts, no oily residue, major points in my book!

b.liv’s Immerse Me is a sheet mask that comes individually packaged and is very easy to apply. The active ingredients in immerse me are Cationic Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid and Cogongrass Extract and they work together to give your skin instant hydration and lasting moisture.

Check out some of the benefits of immerse me…

• Provides instant hydration
• Helps skin preserve its optimum moisture balance
• Improves skin water retaining ability and provides long lasting hydration

BUY IT!

You can find Immerse Me online at the cellnique website, a package of 14 masks is $30.

Disclosure: I received the products listed above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

Bioré Takes Skincare to a Whole New Level!

2013-03-11T22:03:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated another birthday, while it wasn’t the one I dread above all others (40), it does put me another year closer to it…and I don’t like it!

The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to take care of my skin, because whether it’s due to good genes or just plain good luck, I don ‘t have really any wrinkles (except for the three deep lines in my forehead that I hate so much) and I’d like to keep it that way Of course, taking care of my skin means that I have to remember not to go to bed with makeup on (I do that way too much) and establish a skincare routine that I can actually stick to and let’s face it, that’s not always an easy thing to do Thank goodness Bioré knows what women need in a skincare routine and they make it so easy for you to take great care of your skin at home and on the go!

Chances are that you’re familiar with the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, but did you know that Bioré also has a great Warming Anti-blackhead Cream Cleanser? I’ve been using the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips for years, I love them for quickly removing blackheads, but the Bioré Warming Anti-blackhead cream cleanser kicks it up a notch and not only removes unsightly blackheads, but also prevents new blackheads from forming—and it works!

Bioré Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser ($7.99): The ideal prep for the most romantic night of the year, the warming cleanser pampers skin as it whisks away buildup and oil. The powerful daily line of defense against clogged, congested pores contains Zeolite, a special mineral clay that warms on contact with water, and Salicylic acid, a powerful yet gentle ingredient that penetrates pores to help fight breakouts by dissolving clogged oil.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips ($9.99 for 14 strips): Lift out any stubborn dirt and oil with the ultimate antidote to clogged pores and blackheads. The perfect final step to your cleansing ritual, the hard-working, oil-free pore strips remove deep-down dirt in just one use for a clear complexion. Tea tree oil cleanses skin and rids pores of bacteria as witch hazel reduces redness and inflammation. Menthol minimizes redness and provides a tingling cooling sensation that signals a deep clean.

With five kiddos to chauffeur around and unless to-do lists keeping me busy most days, I can’t always find time in my busy schedule for an all-out skincare routine every night, but Bioré makes it easy to take care of your skin on the go with the Bioré® Skincare’s Daily Cleansing Cloths and Makeup Removing Towelettes. I’m new to these two Bioré products, but thanks to the very awesome PR people who rep Bioré, I was able to try out all of the products above, including the Daily Cleansing Cloths and Makeup Removing Towelettes!

I have to admit, even though I know that I should always remove my makeup at night, sometimes I’m just too tired to do it, enter Bioré Makeup Removing Towelettes and removing my makeup is a breeze! And the best part is that I don’t have to lug around 5 different types of makeup remover when I travel, I can just pop the Bioré® Skincare’s Daily Cleansing Cloths and Makeup Removing Towelettes in my purse or bag and I have one product that does the job of several in a convenient, to-go package—pure genius! Since I definitely believe that seeing is believing, I thought I’d share a video with you of the Bioré Makeup Removing Towelettes in action!

While I did use the Bioré Makeup Removing Towelettes to remove eye makeup, it is recommended that you don’t use get the product in your eyes, but I use them nightly to remove mine with little to no irritation, just wanted to throw that out there!

I’ve always loved the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, but I’m so glad that I found three more Bioré that work great and make my nightly skincare routine that much simpler—thanks Bioré!
You can find these Bioré products wherever beauty products are sold!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

Stay Confident with Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response Deodorant!

2013-03-05T23:11:00.001-08:00

I have a bit of a confession to make…I’m kinda a deodorant addict. I know that may sound a little strange, but if you ask anyone who knows me in real life, they’ll tell you that I do indeed have a “deodorant issue”, that’s what we like to call it. It’s not unheard-of for me to have at least 2 sticks of deodorant with me all the time, actually it’s rather uncommon if I don’t.

So why you may ask do I have a “deodorant issue”?

Well, to be honest, I just want to smell good—like all the time.

Since I do have a bit of an addition to it, I would kinda, sorta consider myself a deodorant aficionado; I’ve used nearly every brand and while I do have one brand that I use more than others, I’m always open to trying new brands and new products. One of the brands of deodorant that I’ve used for years is Secret, so when I received an email asking me to try their Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response deodorant, I just couldn’t resist.

Before I get into my own opinions of the Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response deodorant, let me tell you a little more about the product itself…

Secret deodorant commissioned a study women’s stresses with HealthyWomen* and found that whether personal or work related, running late was the most stressful scenario reported by women at almost 70%, I can definitely attest to that!

An effect of all that stress, which you might not have realized is happening, is stress sweat – which actually smells worse than other causes of sweat! New Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response can help protect you from the odor and wetness that’s caused by stress sweat with its proprietary BCD technology: odor-neutralizing molecules that trap and neutralize odor, then replace it with a fresh scent to keep you smelling clean. This is critical for stress sweat, because unlike sweat caused by heat or physical activity, the odor from stress sweat is stronger so simply masking it with fragrance can make it smell worse.

Oprah's Lifeclass Curriculum Contributor and Life Coach, Martha Beck gave us some tips on how best to navigate Valentine’s Day related stress (and we all know how stressful that day can be) and I think they’re actually great tips in general that can be used every day of the year…check them out!

Just like Valentine’s Day gift giving can be super stressful, so can other gift giving holidays (Christmas, Birthdays, etc), but Martha has this to say about that stressful gift-giving…”Skip the gift-giving stress by just expressing what’s truly in your heart, without worrying about your beloved’s reaction.” I don’t know about you, but that makes complete sense to me! Romantic relationships can make you hot under the collar in more ways than one, but Martha says that if you start the day with Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response you’re less likely to experience the kind of sweat and odor that will make you less attractive and much more likely to come out smelling like a rose!

I have to admit, I am very picky about the types of deodorant I use, remember my confession about being a scent snob?, yeah well multiply that by 50 and you can get a better idea of how picky I am when it comes to my deodorant. I’m also a little hesitant when I try a new deodorant, but Secret has always been such a loved brand for me that I had a feeling I would really like the new Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response.

I received the Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response in Serene Citrus scent and wasted no time at all trying it out. Since my life is so full of stress all the time, it didn’t take long for me to put the Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response to the ultimate test at the last of Sporty Spice’s peewee basketball games. After spending all day at the school watching and waiting on games, I had words with another parent and immediately after that watched one of the most stressful, tense games I’ve ever watched my daughter play—to say that the deodorant was tested, is a huge understatement…I gave it heck! Normally I spend game days worrying about my deodorant (because, like I said, I have issues), but through all of the stress of that last game, I didn’t worry once, because while everything else that day was crazy and out of control, my deodorant, did its job and kept the stinky stress sweat at bay—way to go Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response!

If you sometimes find yourself in the middle of that stinky stress sweat, then make sure you check out Secret Clinical Strength Stress Response, available wherever personal hygiene products are sold.

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

More iPhone Accessories That Rock: the iG1 iPhone Handset from Good Call!

2013-03-04T21:32:00.001-08:00

It’s no secret that I love my iPhone and it’s definitely no secret that I also adore iPhone accessories, so I always get extremely giddy when I get a pitch to review something cool for my iPhone.

A couple of weeks ago I received a pitch from Good Call for a Bluetooth handset for my iPhone and I was immediately intrigued. While I really do love my iPhone 4, it’s not the easiest phone to have a long conversation on simply because of the design. I know some people may disagree with that statement, but for me personally, if I’m not using a Bluetooth headset while having a conversation on my phone, then I usually try to cut the conversations short, sad, but true. Though I’ve tried several Bluetooth headsets, I’ve never used a Bluetooth handset, but I was excited about the possibility of being able to use my phone without being annoyed.

If you’ve never heard of Good Call, here’s a little more about the company and their seriously cool product…

The iG1 Bluetooth iPhone Handset, is a wireless handset that allows you to pick up a call (and then hang up a call) without having to wear an earpiece, the ergonomic design allows you to comfortably cradle the handset between your ear and your shoulder for optimal comfort during call, yes, even the long ones. You can even use Siri to make calls even easier and even more hands free by simply picking up the handset and telling Siri to call anyone on your contact with ease. One of the coolest features of Good Call is the fact that your iPhone doesn’t need to be docked to make a call on the handset, you can even take the handset with you almost anywhere as long as your iPhone and handset are within general Bluetooth range! I also really like that with the Good Call iG1, you can sync and charge your iPhone while making a call, which is great for those long talks with friends! Finally, another of my favorite features of the Good Call iG1, is that you don’t have to worry about staying in areas of your home with the best reception, you simply leave your iPhone where you have the best reception and you can walk around your home or office with ease—pretty cool if I do say so myself!
As I mentioned above, I like to talk on my phone—a lot, but talking on my iPhone for long periods, can sometimes be a pain, that’s why I was super psyched when the iG1 by Good Call was as awesome IRL as it sounded online. Since I definitely believe that seeing is believing, here’s a little video that the big kids and I put together to show the iG1 in action.

There you have it, Misadventurous Mommy’s thoughts on the iG1 Bluetooth iPhone Handset from Good Call and if you want to check it out so you can get one too, you can find more information, including where to buy it, on the Good Call website—you can also get it in HD!

Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are 100% my own!

Chuggington Safari Adventures and Baby Geniuses and the Mystery of the Crown Jewels {WIN IT!}

2013-02-28T21:52:00.001-08:00

Movies are a big thing at our house, if my husband and I aren’t watching a movie, then there’s a pretty good chance that one of our kiddos are. My kids are definitely movie buffs and are usually content with watching almost anything, so when I received two new titles from Anchor Bay to review recently, they were more than ready to help me out!

Chuggington: Safari Adventures

Get ready to ride the rails to a fun jungle expedition when “Safari Adventures” – the latest all-new Chuggington DVD – pulls out of the station nationwide on February 12. There will be two versions of the title – including one that features a collectible Mtambo toy engine from TOMY^TM, making it the perfect treat for young Chuggington fans! “Safari Adventures” lets preschoolers explore a whole trainload of six exciting stories (and a special Badge Quest episode!) – in which Koko helps a pack of trackside squirrels, Brewster investigates banana thieves and Wilson manages to haul a mischievous elephant to its new home. The action continues with monkey business for Zephie, a royal visitor for Mtambo and even more.

Baby Geniuses and the Mystery of the Crown Jewels

Babies rule in “Baby Geniuses and the Mystery of the Crown Jewels”, a screamingly fun new family DVD toddling onto shelves nationwide today. Featuring Join Voight, the third Baby Geniuses film title focuses on the laugh-filled international adventures of the intrepid young investigator team, The Baby Squad. After the Queen of England’s crown jewels are pilfered by a nefarious thief, can little Skip Bobbins and his pals find and return them to their rightful owner?

Lil Man and Lil Diva are huge Chuggington fans, their Chuggington wooden railway set is one of their rfavorite (not to mention, most played with) toys so I knew they’d love Chuggington: Safari Adventures and they did and they were super excited about the new addition to their Chuggington railway family! Baby Geniuses was something new for my lil ones, so I was a little worried that they wouldn’t be as interested in it, but turns out they loved Baby Geniuses and the Mystery of the Crown Jewels, it’s even their new favorite bedtime movie—score!

WIN IT!!!

Both of these titles are available from Anchor Bay wherever DVD’s are sold, but one lucky MIBR reader is going to win both of them! Check out the Rafflecopter widget below for official rules and to enter…GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review, all opinions are my own!

Wordless Wednesday: Mommy’s Basketball Stars

2013-02-26T22:12:00.001-08:00

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in Wordless Wednesday so I thought what the heck. If you know me then you know how much of a sports mom I can be, especially when it comes to basketball. This year’s basketball season just did wrap up last weekend and of all of the pictures I’ve taken over the past two and a half months, this is my favorite. Mommy’s Basketball Stars…so proud of them both!

GUESS Kids Spring 2013 Line…PLUS MIBR Readers Can Save 15% at GUESSKids.com.

2013-02-25T21:48:00.001-08:00

fash·ion·is·ta - noun \ˌfa-shə-ˈnēs-tə\

: a designer, promoter, or follower of the latest fashion…

Don’t let the name fool you, Sporty Spice, is a fashionista at heart! Not only does she know what’s hot (and what’s not) in fashion at any given moment, she knows how to put pieces together and make them work, no matter how crazy they seem, like no body’s business. I have to admit, I’m simultaneously shocked and impressed that my child is as fashion forward as she is considering she’d rather shoot hoops with the boys than paint her nails and do her hair with the girls most of the time. Since Sporty Spice is so into fashion, I thought she’d be the perfect child to help me review a few pieces from the GUESS Kids Spring 2013 line.

Before we get into the specific pieces that SS helped me review, I want to talk a little about the GUESS Kids Spring 2013 line, which features none other than iconic GUESS model Anna Nicole Smith’s little darling Dannielynn Birkhead! Also in the campaign is Peyton Edmonds, daughter of music legend Babyface. The GUESS kids images were shot on the beach in Malibu by Elliston Lutz and directed by Paul Marciano, Creative Director at GUESS? Inc. and depicts the same sense of wonder and fun that is embodied by the GUESS kids brand.

“Dannielynn has the same playful spirit that her mother had on a set,” said Paul Marciano, Creative Director for GUESS?, Inc. “She is a second-generation GUESS girl, which makes this campaign a first for us.”

I’ve always been a huge fan of GUESS, I mean, growing up in the 90’s, when models like Anna Nicole Smith donned her GUESS jeans, made it really easy for me to love the brand. My love of GUESS has continued into adulthood and when I had kids, it only seemed natural for me to dress my kids in GUESS as well. That said, I was pretty excited to check out a couple of pieces from the GUESS Kids Spring 2013 collection and so was Sporty Spice! Never one to miss an opportunity to model some cute clothes, Sporty Spice couldn’t wait to take a few pictures in the name of fashion, you can check out Sporty Spice and two completely adorable pieces from the spring 2013 line below.

Sporty Spice’s top is the Big Girls Sublimation Top (available on on guesskids.guess.com for $42.50) and she’s also fearlessly rocking the Daredevil Skinny Jeans (also available on guesskids.guess.com for $34.50…like SS’s GUESS threads? Make sure you check out all of the GUESS Kids Spring 2013 line at guesskids.com. For a limited time, all Misadventures in Baby Raising readers can score 15% off regular priced merchandise at guesskids.com simply by using the promo code MISSADV at checkout*

*Certain restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Offer valid only online at GuessKids.com from 12:00PM PST December 20, 2012 through 11:59PM PST March 31, 2013. Enter promo code MISSADV on the Checkout page to receive discount. Discount will be applied at checkout. Limit one coupon per customer per transaction only. Cannot be combined with any other coupon, sale or promotion. Not valid on gift certificates, gift cards, e-gift cards or previous purchases. Not redeemable for store credit or cash. Discount applies to pre-tax amounts only (excluding shipping charges). Discount not valid at GUESS, GUESS Accessories, Marciano, G by GUESS, GUESS Factory, GUESS Factory Accessories stores or any other GUESS? Inc. affiliated store locations. Offer not valid at GUESS.com, Marciano.com, GbyGUESS.com, GuessFactory.com, our eBay store, Amazon store or any other GUESS? Inc. affiliated online store. GUESS?, Inc. reserves the right to limit purchase quantity. GUESS?, Inc. reserves the right to extend, modify or discontinue this offer at any time without notice. Offer not valid for employees of GUESS?, Inc

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

Lighten up your day with International Delight #LightIcedCoffee

2013-02-18T21:47:00.000-08:00

I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, in fact, the older I get, the less inclined I am to drink it, but there’s just something about iced coffee that I can’t seem to get enough of. My husband, who loves coffee and drinks it daily, has used International Delights creamer for years and on a recent trip to the grocery store he discovered International Delights Light Iced Coffee—and that’s where I come in. As I mentioned above, I love me some iced coffee, but since I’ve been trying to watch what I eat and drink, I sometimes have to pass up my favorite iced coffee, for water (and I don’t love water nearly as much), but since we discovered International Delights Light Iced Coffee, I’m a very happy girl!

I have to be honest with you, watching what I eat and drink can be very annoying, not to mention boring on the palate, but I love when I can take an ingredient, in this case iced coffee, and turn it into something that tastes great, without feeling guilty after eating or drinking it and that’s exactly what I did with International Delights Light Iced Coffee. Since one of my favorite ways to indulge is by having a milkshake, I thought I’d try my hand at creating a great tasting, simple, less guilt ridden version of one of my favorites, a chocolate mocha milkshake. While there are many, many recipes for this milkshake that I love, my favorite is the BBC Blog, Good Food version of the Mocha Milkshake. Though I do love the recipe, I wanted to make it easier than the original, which requires you to boil milk and then infuse it with chocolate and mocha, but also easier on my waist line—the outcome was a yummy play on the Good Food original, using International Delights Light Iced Coffee of course.

International Delights Light Iced Coffee Mocha Milkshake

Photo Credit

1.5 to 2 cups International Delights Light Iced Coffee (Mocha Flavor)
4 scoops of light or fat-free vanilla ice cream
2 tsp. fat free chocolate syrup (plus additional for garnish—if desired)
Fat-free or low fat whipped cream (optional)

Directions
Put 1.5 cups International Delights Light Iced Coffee, 4 scoops of light vanilla ice cream and 2 tsps. chocolate syrup in blender and pulse until smooth (more ice cream or iced coffee may be added to reach the consistency that’s right for you). Pour milkshake into ice cold glass, garnish with chocolate syrup and whipped cream as desired. ENJOY!

In just a few minutes, with only 4 ingredients, you can have a delicious, more health conscious version of an old favorite…in my book, that rocks! So next time you’re in the mood for iced coffee, make sure to check out International Delights Light Iced Coffee and save your waistline and your pocketbook big!

With less calories and less sugar, International Delight Light Iced Coffee lets you enjoy MORE of what you love! For more fun ways to break up your day, visit ID's new online games today for a chance to win sweet prizes and coupons to use on your next purchase!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

Duraflame’s Emergency Romance Kit: Stay Snuggled Up with Your Sweetheart this Valentine’s Day!

2013-02-13T21:41:00.001-08:00

It’s Valentine’s Day and that means one of two things…

1. You’ve had your significant other’s gift picked out, purchased, wrapped and ready to go for weeks

2. You’ll be stopping by the gas station on your way home to pick up a card (that is obviously as “gas station greeting card"), some flowers and maybe a Snickers for ( insert significant other here)

Me personally, I just did finish my husband’s Valentine’s Day shopping at around 8 o’clock last night (it’s been a crazy busy week for me), but my husband, God love him, will probably be stopping by Kroger on his way home from work (his week was just as crazy busy as mine). If you’re down to the wire and completely out of ideas, I’ve got a great one for you courtesy of Duraflame!

I hate to admit it, but my husband and I take so little time for each other that we usually have to depend on holidays (i.e. Valentine’s Day) to make time for each other, I hate that and I know he does too. Since we so rarely have the kind of time for each other that we’d like, I like to make the time we do have as special as possible and that definitely goes for Valentine’s Day. Sadly, my day today will be spent tending to the house (and of course taking care of the kiddos), attending 4 hours of basketball practice, then coming home cooking dinner and getting everyone in gear for Friday—notice there was like no time whatsoever there for my husband or romance. Thankfully, Duraflame knows how busy parents (and everyone really) are every day of the year, that’s why they’ve put together a super quick, emergency romance kit to help keep the fire alive in your relationship this Valentine’s Day.

Let’s face it, in our busy hyper-tasking lives, romance is often left off of our to-do lists or promised without delivery. Let’s break that cycle this Valentine’s Day!

At Duraflame, we want to help people keep in their home fires burning, so we’ve created an emergency “romance kit”. These inspiring, low cost ideas, just might make the difference between a cold or cozy night in the couch with that special someone.

Duraflame’s Emergency Romance Kit contains…

Gold 7 pound Duraflame fire log, a Barry White CD (because who better to put you in the mood than Barry White), Massage Oil (I really am liking this more and more), chocolates, bath fizzers and candles—you can never have too many candles!

I don’t know about you, but that sounds a great night to me! So if you’re looking for a great last-minute Valentine’s Day gift, take a little inspiration from Duraflame and snuggle with your honey by the fire! Happy Valentine’s Day y’all!

Disclosure: I received the Emergency Romance Kit from Duraflame in exchange for this post…all opinions are 100% my own!

6 Perfume Picks for Your Sweetheart This Valentine’s Day

2013-02-11T21:56:00.001-08:00

Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us with a quickness and if you’re like me, you are not even close to knowing what you’ll be giving your Valentine on February 14th. Thankfully I’ve received lots of great emails recently with some great scent suggestions for the lady in your life this Valentine’s Day (I’ve even tried a couple) so I thought I’d share some of the most promising with y’all!

6 Perfume Picks for the Lady in Your Life this Valentine’s Day

First up is my personal favorite Lady Gaga Fame. I have to admit, I was a little (ok, a lot) skeptical about whether or not I’d like Fame, but it turns out that Kerry Washington
(Kerry stars in Scandal and when she was interviewed by E at the Golden Globes Kerry said,“I literally was one of the first people in the world to have her Fame perfume…I am obsessed!”) isn’t the only Fame lover…I am too. Seriously, Fame is definitely my new favorite perfume choice! In addition to smelling amazing (I’ve seen it described as, “lustful, floral, fruity essence for fabulous little monsters” and I think that description matches it perfectly) it’s also black, which is a first of its kind technology, and come on, who doesn’t love black?

You can pick up Lady Gaga Fame at Macy’s and other select retailers available in 3.4 oz bottle for $79.

While I haven’t tried the next few perfumes, I will be reviewing a couple coming up soon so make sure to keep an eye out for them!

GUESS Girl: GUESS Girl is proudly feminine, and its design is playfully pink. The fragrance is presented in a soft pink folding box bedecked with a printed fuchsia ribbon that lyrically wraps around the package and forms the letter “G.” Open this gift to discover a shapely glass flacon that embodies its curvy muse. The fragrance makes an entrance with a burst of sweet promise: innocent Raspberry Nectar, coy Melon, and intriguing Bergamot Mist. The flirtation continues with a tease of rare Brazilian Paradise Orchid, intoxicating Acacia Flower, and alluring Lily. Finally, it ensnares you with voluptuous Vanilla and indulgent Sandalwood, leaving an impression as lasting as lipstick on a pillowcase. 3.4 fl oz./$52. Available at GUESS.com.

Surprise! By Heidi Klum: Surprise her with the ultimate romantic gift: an unexpected, exuberant fragrance. Reflecting Heidi’s multi-faceted personality, Surprise! is built around explosive, elegant notes, creating a sexy floral fragrance. It opens with a joyful burst of juicy Mandarin extracts and spicy Pink Pepper for a luminous and dynamic top note. At the heart, an ultra-feminine bouquet of Rose Petals and Magnolia creates a refined radiance. Finally, the magnetic drydown of Benzoin and Milk of Sandalwood delivers a warm, sensual and unforgettable effect. 1.0 fl. oz./$28.00. Available at drugstores nationwide.

Give the gift of togetherness, with the exclusive Unbreakable Love by Khloe and Lamar. A lively fragrance that will withstand the test of time, just like the romance that inspired it. A unisex fragrance, Unbreakable Love is designed for a man or a woman. Their newest fragrance, Unbreakable Love represents the next evolution in Khloé and Lamar’s love story. This fragrance was created to remind couples that the most valuable thing you can hold on to in life is each other. Price: 100ML $45 60ML $30 Where to buy? Available www.KardashianFragrance.com, Sears stores nationwide.

Kim Kardashian’s fragrance, True Reflection is the ultimate Valentine’s Day scent. The fragrance that embraces every side of you, from your entrancing femininity to your sophisticated glamour, True Reflection mirrors every layer of your captivating and vivacious personality.

A tantalizing oriental fragrance that opens with a burst of sparkling Italian bergamot, luscious plum and succulent peach, True Reflection guarantees instant attraction. Price: 100ML $68 60ML $55 Where to buy? Available www.KardashianFragrance.com, Sears stores nationwide

L’Occitane launched their new Spring Cherry collection featuring a collection of fragrances and body care products to celebrate the upcoming cherry blossom season. Each of the new products in this collection are scented of cherry trees from Provence and are designed to make us look forward to most beautiful time of year – spring. So, if you are looking for a way to brighten your senses during the winter season, this collection will be the revitalization you need. The collection includes Eau de Toilette for $40, if the lady in your life loves to smell the sweet smell of cherry blossom in the air, this one might be perfect for her!

So there you go ladies and gentlemen, 6 amazing fragrances to consider this Valentine’s Day—I hope these perfume options will give you the upper hand when choosing a fragrance for your Valentine!

Disclosure: I received samples (of some of the items mentioned above) in exchange for this post…all opinions are my own.

Let Bioré Help Get You Picture Perfect for Valentine’s Day {WiN IT!}

2013-02-06T22:19:00.001-08:00

If there’s one thing I love about Valentine’s Day it’s that I get a night out, alone with my husband—that never happens. With work and kids and all of the hundred million tasks we each have to do every day, it’s very easy to get caught up in the madness and put in the process of dealing with all of the madness, we sometimes can forget about each other. That’s why I love Valentine’s Day so much, it’s the one day of the year that I can count on having a date night with my husband. Since hubby and I get so few opportunities to spend time with one another, I always try to make our Valentine’s date night as perfect as possible and that includes me looking fabulous for my man!

Though I may not always have time for date nights on a regular basis, I do always take time to make sure I look good and that includes a having a good skincare routine, I mean, looking good for Valentine’s date night starts with great skin! One of the brands that I’ve used and trusted for years as part of my skincare regime is Bioré !

Everyone knows about the Bioré Pore Strips (they are seriously one of my absolute favorite skincare products ever—I love them) but did you know that in addition to Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips, Bioré also makes a fabulous cleanser to help make getting rid of those ugly blackheads super easy?
About Bioré Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser…

The ideal prep for the most romantic night of the year, the warming cleanser pampers skin as it whisks away buildup and oil. The powerful daily line of defense against clogged, congested pores contains Zeolite, a special mineral clay that warms on contact with water, and Salicylic acid, a powerful yet gentle ingredient that penetrates pores to help fight breakouts by dissolving clogged oil.
About Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips…

Lift out any stubborn dirt and oil with the ultimate antidote to clogged pores and blackheads. The perfect final step to your cleansing ritual, the hard-working, oil-free pore strips remove deep-down dirt in just one use for a clear complexion. Tea tree oil cleanses skin and rids pores of bacteria as witch hazel reduces redness and inflammation. Menthol minimizes redness and provides a tingling cooling sensation that signals a deep clean.

With a little help from Bioré , you’ll be looking fabulous for your Valentine’s Day date and every day and I have some awesome news for 5 (yes FIVE) Misadventures in Baby Raising readers! Make sure you “Like” Bioré on Facebook!

WIN IT!
5 (FIVE) Misadventures in Baby Raising readers will win the ultimate date-ready cleansing kit from Bioré…kit contains both Bioré products mentioned above (the Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips and the Bioré Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser)! For official rules and to enter use the Rafflecopter widget below! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received the products from the brand or representing PR in order to facilitate my review—gift packages are provided for winners by brand or PR…all opinions are 100% my own!

Love Nails? Enter #LancomeLovesNails for a Chance to Win!

2013-02-05T09:40:00.001-08:00

I've had a love/hate relationship with my nails for years. For a while I bit them (alright, it was a long, long while), for a while I had acrylics (I don't recommend anyone doing that if you ever want to have your own healthy, beautiful nails) and now I'm just doing the natural nail thing...and loving it. Since I'm somewhat addicted to my nails and nail polish at the moment, I spend a lot of time looking for fun nail designs and colors to try on my own nails and since I know there are SO many people out there who love nails as much as I do, I thought I'd share a fun contest with all of you from Lancome! Details on how you can enter the contest below...good luck!

From February 1^st-14^th, readers can Instagram their best nail look for a chance to win a full set of Vernis in Love.

How to Enter: Instagram your best nail look with #LancomeLovesNails for a chance to win a full set of Vernis in Love + be featured on Facebook! http://bit.ly/11b8N5t

Finally, an iPhone Accessory that Combines Style and Functionality: BellaVita

2013-02-05T09:02:00.001-08:00

While I always try to keep my house, kids and car clean as clean as possible (most of the time it’s a losing battle, but that’s another story), one area of my life where I am all kinds of messy, is my purse—seriously. My husband and brother-in-law affectionately call my purse “Rumpke”; for those of you not familiar with what Rumpke is, it’s a trash collection company here in southern Ohio, I’m pretty sure that means that it’s worse than pretty bad.

Try as I might, my purse is always full of, well…everything. You see, it’s not that I don’t like for my purse to be clean and organized, on the contrary actually, I am much happier when it’s tidy than when it looks like half the contents of my house are crammed inside, it’s just that it seems SO hard to do, and don’t even get me started on how I lose everything inside it, especially my cell phone. Speaking of cell phones, I’ve mentioned numerous times how much I adore my iPhone 4, so you can understand how constantly searching through my mess of a purse to find mine, is a little annoying. Given my purse situation, I try to keep my phone in my hands all the time, but as you can imagine, that too gets real old, real fast. Imagine my surprise when I found a company who solved both of my issues with one great product—BellaVita.

BellaVita was born out of two business school students’ love of stylish and functional accessories. When friends Kati Issaians and Julia Leytes saw the need for stylish smart phone accessories to match the constantly evolving devices, they decided to do something about it and that’s when BellaVita was created.

Bell Vita’s products are meticulously crafted to be stylish and functional, made of fine leather, BellaVita is an accessory whose sophistication and understated elegance are not compromised for the sake of functionality. BellaVita’s wristlets and wallets are inspired by life and all its beauty; chocolate, roses, blue waves on a white beach, and summertime are just a few of those inspirations. Bella Vita wristlets are available in several gorgous colors for iPhone 4 /4s and iPhone 5 and Bella Vita Wallets are available for iPhone 4/4s, all for less than $70. Aside from being super functional and very stylish, BellaVita’s creations are guaranteed for life and that’s why they are, in my opinion, one of the best iPhone accessories I’ve owned.

I recently received the Vita Bacca iPhone 4 leather wristlet from BellaVita to review and though a wristlet was way outside my comfort zone (my youngest child is 4 yet my purse still rivals most diaper bags in size), I decided to give it a shot at becoming my new accessory of choice.

About the Vita Bacca iPhone 4/4s wristlet…

BellaVita vita bacca collection offers luxurious buttery soft leather, a beautiful hot berry color, and smart design that complement a variety of styles and activities. BellaVita supports the iPhone functionality in style: call, text, take photos, or simply carry your iPhone in an elegant yet protective case.

Features:

Genuine soft leather in signature “vita bacca” hue
Elegant and practical design
Compliments a variety of styles and activities
Allows for full iPhone 4 functionality
Comes with a life-time warranty

Upon receiving the Vita Bacca I was instantly impressed with the quality of the wristlet, most wristlets I’ve seen that were even mildly attractive, had been poorly made, making my decision not to own one, that much stronger. The Vita Bacca is not only very well made, it’s also extremely fashionable, as a matter of fact, I was super excited to trade my heavy, messy purse in while I gave the wristlet a trial run and I definitely didn’t see myself being that excited to give up an accessory I’d been toting around (in one form or another anyway) for 30 years. One of the things that I love most about my iPhone 4 is the number of cases that are available for them, of course, none of those cases also double as a mini-wallet, but the Vita Bacca does—major score! In addition to being a super stylish and cute iPhone case (that still allows you to take pictures, make calls, use headphones and charge all while the phone is in the Bella Vita case), the Vita Bacca can also also be used as a wallet, it allows plenty of room for your ID, important credit cards, and even a pocket to keep a little cash on hand—another major selling point for me.

As with most of the products I review, I like to not only use it in public (to gauge the products appeal on a mass audience), I also like to ask family and friends for their thoughts and I’m happy to report that nearly everyone who has seen the Vita Bacca wristlet, has commented on how “stylish” and “convenient” it it and I have to agree. Though I never saw myself as a wristlet kind of girl, old habits die hard and I honestly believed I’d be a purse girl forever, I can’t find too many reasons not to give up old Rumpke for the Vita Bacca. As a matter or fact, I’ve used my wristlet from Bella Vita for a few weeks now and aside from being slightly annoying when I’m making a phone call (I found the wristlet to be a little awkward to manipulate when I’m using my phone) I can’t find any real good reason to switch back to my purse—color me shocked! And at the risk of being captain obvious, BellaVita would make a great Valentine’s Day gift idea for the woman (or man) in your life you can even enjoy 15% off your entire purchase plus FREE shipping every day through February 18, 2013.

Want to try your hand at winning a BellaVita iPhone 4,4S Wristlet or Wallet of your choice? Then check out the Bella Vita website to find out more and to enter the BellaVita giveaway.

You can also check out BellaVita on Facebook and Follow @BellaVitaUSA on Twitter for the latest product news and updates!

Disclosure: I received the products mentioned above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

Give the Gift of Warmth this Valentine’s Day with Warm Tradition

2013-02-04T10:43:00.001-08:00

The big day is getting closer…what day am I talking about? Valentine’s Day of course!

While a lot of people claim to despise V Day, I personally love it…for many reasons:

* It’s in the same month as my birthday

* It’s all about celebrating love

But there are also a few aspects of Valentine’s Day I don’t care for, like getting flowers for instance. I know a lot of women, and even some men, love getting flowers from their SO, but I’d prefer something more practical (like a new Coach bag for instance…hint, hint hubby). And since I know that I’m not the only woman on the planet who wants something other than flowers and chocolate for Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share with all of you a few great alternatives to the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts. Make sure you check back over the next few days/week to see all of the Valentine’s Day gift ideas!

Want to turn up the heat this Valentine’s Day? Then gift your Valentine the gift of warmth with Warm Tradition—all under $30! Warm Traditions has a wide range of hot water bottles to choose from including heart shaped hot water bottles, pink hearts fleece covered hot water bottles, hot water bottle and cozy socks gift sets, velour covered hot water bottles and even mink-like fur covered hot water bottles! Sally Goodgold, CEO of Warm Tradition has this to say about Valentine’s Day shopping…

"Always look for the 'wow' factor - a gift that truly surprises and delights. The real secret behind successful gift-giving is finding an item that captures the recipient's personality and needs. After all, what could be better than seeing your sweetheart get some much needed relaxation with the help of a hot water bottle on Valentine's Day?"

Warm Tradition Hot Water Bottles are the ultimate romantic gift, and nothing says "I love you" better than something that keep you warm, cuddly and cozy all year long…right? Warm Traditions sent me their PINK HEARTS Fleece covered hot water bottle and I love it! In addition to being the perfect thing to help relax my sore muscles, it’s just great to keep me warm when I don’t have my honey near by to do the job!

About Warm Tradition’s Hot Water Bottles…

Crafted in Germany of thermoplastic, Warm Tradition Hot Water Bottles are free of BPA, phtalate, latex, rubber and is odorless, safe and recyclable. Each bottle has an extra large opening for easy filling and prevention of spills. Its cap is easy to grip for tight closing and easy opening. Warm Traditions's Hot Water Bottle Covers are made in the USA and comes in such a huge array of designs and fabrics to choose from. All are removable and machine washable.

If you’re looking for a unique gift for someone special this Valentine’s Day, I definitely recommend checking out Warm Tradition! Be sure to “Like” Warm Tradition on Facebook and Follow Warm Tradition on Pinterest!

Disclosure: I received the item above in order to facilitate my review…all opinions are my own!

Mally Beauty’s “Make Over Your Makeup Bag” Contest {+Win It!}

2013-01-31T22:02:00.001-08:00

If you’ve been around Misadventures for a while, then you probably know about my obsession with makeup. Some women love shoes, some women love hand bags, but me, I love makeup…like a lot! Since I do love makeup so much, it would only make sense for me to want to tell all of you about a completely awesome contest that Mally Beauty has going on right now (through February 3rd) the “Mally Beauty Makeup Bag Makeover” Pinterest contest. Entering is as easy as creating a Pinterest board pinning your favorite makeup bag and makeup from Mally Beauty and with 4 winners being selected, chances are pretty good that you might be one of them! You can check out more about the “Mally Beauty Makeup Bag Makeover” Pinterest contest below, make sure you enter to win my Mally Beauty giveaway as well!

About the “Mally Beauty Makeup Bag Makeover” Pinterest contest…

From January 25, 2013 through February 3, 2013, Mally will be hosting a “Mally Beauty Makeup Bag Makeover” Pinterest contest in which four winners will be announced!

· Follow @Mallybeauty on Pinterest
· Create a Pinterest Board titled, “My Mally Beauty Makeup Bag Make Over”
· Repin your favorite Mally Beauty Makeup Bag and five (5) Mally Beauty products from Mally Beauty’s “Makeover” Pinterest board
· Get Creative! Pin additional images that inspire the look you want to achieve!
· When your board is complete, post a comment under this pin with a link to your board

I told you, it’s super easy to enter and you can win FREE Mally Beauty products…what’s better than that? Don’t forget to Follow @Mallybeauty on Pinterest and Twitter and “Like” Mally Beauty on Facebook! Now I don’t know about you, but the chance to win free makeup from Mally Beauty is far too appealing for me to resist!

Now I have a treat for all of you Mally Beauty fans out there…one (1) lucky MIBR reader, is going to win the Look Younger with Makeup kit from Mally Beauty! For more information about the giveaway and to enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received product in exchange for this post…all opinions are 100% my own!

Take Your Super Bowl Pizza to the Next Level with Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain {Win It!}

2013-01-29T22:16:00.001-08:00

I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely excited about the Big Game this weekend. In the past I haven’t really cared too much about the Super Bowl, but ever since I adopted the 49ers as my favorite team and they made it to the Super Bowl, I’ve been looking forward to Sunday February 3rd! And while I will be watching the game on Sunday a lot more closely than I have Super Bowls past, Super Bowl Sunday is still all about spending time with friends and family and great food!

On Super Bowl Sunday I usually go all out, spending all day cooking so that we can all get comfy on the couch and enjoy the game and this Sunday will be no exception. Our usual Super Bowl menu includes wings, several different kinds of dips, egg rolls, pizza and lots of other super yummy Super Bowl snacks. This year instead of our usual homemade pizza, I thought I’d try something a little different with Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain. When I make pizza I usually end up spending a whole lot of time in the kitchen making pizza dough and to be quite honest, the finished product doesn’t always come out as I’d like it to, that’s why I love the idea of taking a little help from Pillsbury and getting some much needed whole grain in my family’s diet, it’s a win—win!

Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain is the perfect option for that M.V.P. performance. Just add your favorite, crowd-pleasing ingredients and in minutes you’ll have a fan favorite pizza that everyone will enjoy!

With 16 grams of whole grain per serving, it’s a great Big Game option
Now available in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store

Quick, convenient, and completely customizable, the new Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain will help you add that extra pizzazz to any Football party. Plus, with the health benefits of whole grain, it’s a guaranteed touch down! So go ahead and create your personal pizza creation and add a homemade option to this year’s party spread. It’ll be a guaranteed winner.

Check out some of our recipe ideas on our website: http://bit.ly/VleqXy You can also can also download a printable coupon for $1.50 off one package of the new Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain. Make sure you follow @Pillsbury on Twitter and Like Pillsbury on Facebook!

One very lucky MIBR reader is going to win a Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain Prize Pack…details on how to enter below!

WIN IT!

One (1) Misadventures in Baby Raising reader will win a Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain Prize Pack that includes:

FREE coupon for Pillsbury Artisan Pizza Crust with Whole Grain
Football cutting board
Pizza pan
Pizza cutter

Details on how to enter and official rules, below using the Rafflecopter widget!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: The product, gift pack, information, and additional sample have been provided by Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark.

Victoria Justice “Here’s 2 Us” Tour Coming to a City Near You!

2013-01-29T21:23:00.001-08:00

My girls love to sing, I mean, LOVE to sing and they’re going to be super excited when they find out that one of their favorite singers (and Nickelodeon stars) Victoria Justice is going on tour! Victoria’s “Here’s 2 Us” Tour may be coming to a city near you…check out the official “Here’s 2 Us” press release as well as all of the tour dates below.

Columbia Records/Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice announced on Ryan Seacrest today that she will be hitting the road beginning in June 2013 for the “Here’s 2 Us Tour.” Fans will be able to see the music and TV sensation performing in over 30 cities across the US, including stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Atlanta. Beginning on June 19th in Los Angeles, CA, Victoria will perform music from the hit TV show Victorious in addition to some choice covers, as well as some new material from her forthcoming solo effort. A special guest support act will be announced shortly. Tickets for the tour go on sale to the public beginning February 2^nd at 10am at www.ticketmaster.comor by calling 1-800-745-3000.

“I'm so excited to be going out on tour again this summer. I can't wait to sing your favorites and share some new ones from the latest Victorious soundtrack” said Victoria Justice. "Here's 2 Us Tour is dedicated to all of you. 2013 is our year!”

The “Here’s 2 Us Tour” will hit famed theatres and amphitheaters such as Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and Bank of America Pavilion in Boston bringing her powerhouse performance to fans across the country.

A special ticket pre-sale for Fan Club and Citi Cardmembers will be available beginning January 29^th at 8am ET. In addition, Victoria Justice has teamed up with CID Entertainment to provide a variety of VIP ticket packages for the tour, including premium seats, meet-and-greets, and a special front row package! For fan club pre-sale tickets/VIP packages, exclusive tour content and more please visit: www.victoriajustice.net.

Prior to her tour kick-off, Justice will be making several signing appearances starting in Birmingham, AL on 2/9, Louisville, KY on 2/23 and 4/7 in Houston, TX.

Tour Dates

6/19/13 Los Angeles, CANokia Theatre

6/21/13 Las Vegas, NVThe Pearl

6/22/13 San Diego, CASDSU Open Air Theatre

6/23/13 Phoenix, AZComerica Theater

6/26/13 Bakersfield, CARabobank Theater

6/29/13 San Jose, CAEvents Center at San Jose State University

7/2/13 Troutdale, ORTBA

7/3/13 Redmond, WATBA

7/6/13 Rosemont, IL Rosemont Theatre

7/7/13 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre

7/9/13 Kettering, OH Fraze Pavilion

7/12/13 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

7/13/13 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center

7/15/13 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion

7/16/13 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center

7/19/13 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Pavilion

7/20/13 Harrington, DE Delaware State Fair

7/21/13 Wallingford, CT Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre

7/24/13 Vienna, VA TBA

7/26/13 Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion

7/27/13 Raleigh, NC Red Hat Amphitheatre

7/28/13 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre

7/30/13 Clearfield, PA Clearfield County Fair

8/2/13 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain

8/3/13 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

8/8/13 Atlanta, GA Chastain Park Amphitheatre

8/9/13 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium

8/12/13 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre

8/13/13 Des Moines, IA Iowa State Fair

8/16/13 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre

8/17/13 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park Amphitheatre

*More dates to be announced

Del Monte’s Southwestern Tomato Kick-Off Sweepstakes {Win It}!

2013-01-24T21:18:00.001-08:00

I’ve never been much of a football fan, in fact, until this past season, I dreaded Sundays and Mondays and every other day/night that football dominated my television. My husband plays fantasy football every year, so in addition to supporting his favorite team (the Cincinnati Bengals) he also “had to watch” every single football game the entire season, normally this behavior would drive me crazy, but this year that behavior helped me find a team I could finally get behind and dare I say, actually turn me into a football fan. Who knew several weeks ago when I discovered how much I adore the San Francisco 49ers (I know, it’s really weird for a Cincinnati girl to adopt a team all the way across the country as her favorite, but what are you gonna do) and their completely awesome quarterback Colin Kaepernick, that my team ( it feels weird saying that) would actually end up playing in Super Bowl XLVII??? I have to say, it’s rather exciting for me! Though I’ve never been much of a football fan, the Super Bowl is the one game that we always watch and that usually means lots of family, friends and good food!

I had the opportunity recently to work with Del Monte on a fun campaign centering around their Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes (a product that I use all the time) to create some great recipes for the big game and I couldn’t wait to get started! Del Monte sent me two new varieties of Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes to incorporate into my game day dishes: Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies and Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle Chilies and I knew exactly how I was going to use them.

When it comes to cooking for the big game, it’s usually a mixture of everyone’s favorite snack foods (chips and dip, pigs in a blanket, egg rolls) and something more substantial like quesadillas or chili or both. Since chili is usually on my game day menu I decided to start there by adding a can of Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies to the recipe and the results were pretty darn good if I do say so myself. My usual chili is rather mild since I have two little ones who can’t tolerate spicy foods like the rest of us can, but the addition of the tomatoes with green chilies only added a slight kick and a great flavor, I think I may have to add them from now on! Chicken Quesadilla are my specialty, I make them at least a couple of times a month for our family, they’re super easy, so yummy and don’t take too much time so they’re the perfect week night meal for us, but they are also great to serve for guests as well—they’re yummy. I thought that taking my original quesadilla recipe and tweaking it a bit to include the Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle Chilies could work well and I was definitely right. Check out my Chicken Quesadilla recipe below…you’ll want to pin this one!

Kickin’ Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

Serves up to 10 people

Ingredients

2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces)
10 Azteca flour tortillas
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1- 14.5 oz can Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle Chilies drained
1 packet Chicken Taco seasoning
1- 8oz. package of shredded mild cheddar or fiesta blend cheese
1- 4oz. can green chilies

Directions

1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and cook in lightly oiled non-stick pan until cooked through. Add chicken taco seasoning to diced chicken and cook according to package directions.
2. Transfer chicken to medium mixing bowl and add cream cheese, tomatoes, and half of the shredded cheese. Mix until well incorporated.
3. Take 1 flour tortilla and add 2 TBS of the chicken mixture to half of the tortilla and spread mixture to cover. Add additional cheddar cheese (if desired), fold tortilla in half and cook in an lightly oiled (I used cooking spray) non-stick pan and allow quesadilla to cook until cheese in melted and both sides are brown.
4. Allow quesadilla to cool before slicing into 4 equal pieces (a pizza cutter does this beautifully).
5. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is super simple and though the Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle Chilies were different than we are used to, I think they worked great in this dish and everyone seemed to agree. I can’t wait until Super Bowl Sunday to make both of these dishes for all of our party guests.

In addition to having two great new diced tomato varieties, Del Monte is helping to inspire a little creativity in the kitchen by kicking off their Southwestern Tomato Kick-Off Sweepstakes and this is one sweepstakes you are definitely going to want to check out! As part of the sweepstakes you can share tips and recipes featuring the new Del Monte Southwestern-Style Petite Cut® Diced Tomato varieties. One lucky winner will take home an exciting entertainment package including: a Sony® 55” LED TV, Bose® home theater system and Sony® Blu-ray player (ARV $4,779.00 USD) so make sure you head over to the Del Monte website and look at the official rules!

You can keep up with the Southwestern Tomato Kick-Off Sweepstakes by Liking the Del Monte on Facebook, Following Del Monte on Pinterest and Following @DelMonteFoods on Twitter! You can also check out “Del Monte Southwestern Tomato Kick-Off” Pinterest board for some great recipes featuring Del Monte’s new diced tomato varieties, by Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien !

WIN IT!

I have great news for one MIBR reader, I have an awesome Del Monte Gift pack including (1) Can Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, (1) can Del Monte® Petite Cut® Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle Chilies and a $25 Visa gift card! Details on how to enter and official rules can be found using the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: “The Del Monte products, information and two gift packs have been provided by Del Monte.”