Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers

Lately, I have been on a mission to create a healthier lifestyle for myself and trying to lose some of the weight I have put on over the years.  As a busy mom to twins, it is sometimes hard to incorporate exercise and healthy meals into my daily schedule, especially when the boys typically want something that is a little higher on the calorie count list than I want.

I am always on the look out for things that I can make relatively quick, so I am not making two separate meals for the family and myself.  I tend to make healthier decisions for all of as a whole, but I don’t want to deny everyone the things that they love for the expense of my personal weight loss endeavor.  I recently had the opportunity to try Healthy  Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers.  I am not a huge frozen dinner/lunch type girl.  I typically like fresher selections, and meals that I have to prepare, and haven’t found too many frozen meals that I actually enjoy and would say that I would eat them again.

I tried Healthy Choice’s Chicken Margherita with Balsamic (chicken tenderloins with angel hair pasta, roasted garlic, and tomatoes in a balsamic vinaigrette sauce).  You pop the meal in the microwave for three and a half to four and a half  minutes, without having to cut the film to vent.  Once the meal is done you take off the film cover and you see the bulk of the meal sitting in the top portion.  The top bowl gets removed and dumped into the main bowl with the sauce and you mix it up and wahlah!

The taste was pretty  yummy and flavorful, although I felt like it lacked in the chicken department a little.  The picture on the front showed much more chicken than what was actually there.  I think there were only two good sized pieces and the rest was pasta.  I let the boys give it a try and they seemed to like the taste as well.  Overall, I actually liked Healthy Choice’s Chicken Margherita with Balsamic  well enough to have it on occasion when I don’t have time to throw something together, but hopefully there is a little more chicken in the next one I try.    I liked the fact that I didn’t have to vent the cover, and it was pretty much no fuss.  I haven’t had the chance to try some of the other varieties but the Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo looks pretty good too!

About Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers

bringing an all-star lineup of bold, modern and exciting flavors to give you exactly what you want – food that is both healthy and delicious.

– The line of great-tasting dishes features quality ingredients such as slow roasted garlic, asparagus and grilled eggplant.

– The unique steaming technology separates the sauce from the rest of the entrée to steam the meal in the microwave, allowing for crisp vegetables, tender meats and al dente pastas.

– The exclusive new line includes eight delicious varieties that utilize proprietary steaming technology that produces a fresh-tasting meal in minutes.

Varieties include:

Barbeque Seasoned Steak with Red Potatoes
Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan
Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables
Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice
Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms

– The packaging features a Top Chef mark, along with a description on why each entrée is inspired by Top Chef.

Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers sell for a suggested retail price of $2.75 – $3.50 which is not bad for a meal these days. In fact, I would probably spend more at a drive through that doesn’t have remotely anything healthy. They are perfect to bring to work, or just to have a meal that you don’t have to slave over. For more information, you can visit the Healthy Choice Website. You can also Follow Healthy Choice on Twitter @Healthy_Choice or visit the Healthy Choice facebook page!

 

**This is a sponsored post, samples were provided to me to facilitate my review  in conjunction with Healthy Choice and The Motherhood**

Premature Awareness Day and RSV Prevention

More than half a million American babies are born prematurely each year.  When I was pregnant with the twins, I was aware of the increased risk of complications of carrying multiples.  At 19 weeks into my pregnancy, a relatively uneventful pregnancy became a scary one.  I was placed on bed rest and hospitalized at 25 weeks for premature labor.  I was able to maintain the pregnancy till about 34.5 weeks, when my water broke and the boys were born nearly six weeks early.

Being a new parent is scary enough, but you never even think of or are prepared for the special medical care that your babies may require if they come early.  Even though the boys were a healthy 5lbs each, they still spent close to three weeks in the NICU with breathing issues and learning how to eat, swallow and breathe at the same time, as well as, maintain their body temperatures.  According, to a March of Dimes survey,  most expecting parents don’t discuss preterm birth with their doctor during prenatal care, even if they are at high risk and even though I went to a high risk doctor, we didn’t particularly discuss the possibilities in depth.

November 17th is World Prematurity Day and a great way to help spread awareness to existing parents, new parents and soon to be. Nearly every baby contracts respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by age two. In most full-term babies, symptoms are similar to those of the common cold and parents may not even know their child has the virus. However, because they don’t have the antibodies needed to fight off infection, preterm infants—even those born just a few weeks early—are at increased risk for developing an RSV-related infection, often requiring medical attention or hospitalization.  One of my sons had a great deal of difficulty with RSV and today he has to have breathing treatments and he has a lot of trouble when he gets a respiratory illness.

RSV Quick Facts:

• RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, responsible for more than 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 infant deaths each year.
• RSV occurs in epidemics each fall through spring. The CDC has defined “RSV season” as beginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of North America.
• Certain regions have longer RSV seasons than others, with the season beginning as early as July (e.g., Florida) or ending in April.
• Despite its prevalence, one-third of mothers have never heard of RSV.

Prevention is Key:
There is no treatment for RSV, so it’s important for parents to take the following preventive steps to help protect their child:
• Wash hands, toys, bedding, and play areas frequently
• Ensure you, your family, and any visitors in your home wash their hands or use hand sanitizer
• Avoid large crowds and people who may be sick
• Never let anyone smoke near your baby
• Speak with your child’s doctor if you believe he or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available

Be Aware of Symptoms:
Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following:
• Persistent coughing or wheezing
• Rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths
• Blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails
• High fever
• Extreme fatigue
• Difficulty feeding

I think that this is so important, especially for new parents. Many doctors may not share these possibilities to avoid stressing parents out  but I am a firm believer that knowledge is power and keeping parents informed can go a long way in preventing RSV. I know how scary breathing issues can be and even though you don’t want to face the possibilities of having a premature infant or a sick child, it is easier to face if you know something about it before hand. The RSV Protection site is a great resource for you or someone who is expecting.  We can’t control if a baby is coming early in most cases but we can give them a leg up by knowing what to expect.

 

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

VTech DS6421-3 Cordless Phone

This one time (recently), our cordless phone was left on the bumper of the car (whoops!), and my husband, took it for a little drive where it spent the night lonely on the side of the road in the rain.  It still worked sort of, but no one could hear me when I talked. It’s been a long time since I’ve paid much attention to cordless telephones.  If you’re anything like me, you look at a cordless phone and think “hey, it’s just a phone, what’s the difference?”.  Thanks to VTech, I’ve had a chance to play around with a new modern “digital answering system”, the DS6421-3.  Apparently there’s a lot of difference between cordless phone systems nowadays, a lot has changed over the past 5+ years.

First, here’s what’s in the box, neatly packaged:

• Quickstart guides, user’s manual
• Wall mount bracket
• 3 cordless phones (handsets) with batteries
• 1 base station with power adapter and phone cable
• 2 charging cradles with power adapters

Specs

I won’t go into all the detailed specs here as part of this review, you can find the complete listing on the VTech DS6421-3 site here.  This set of phones operates on the DECT 6.0 standard.  That means it uses the 1.9 GHz frequency and it won’t interfere with your wireless network (home wifi equipment  that generally uses 2.4 and/or 5 Ghz frequency).   Another feature that comes in handy is the “Connect To Cell” technology.  Connect to cell means you can use both your cell line and your landline with this set, easily switching between the two.   The VTech DS6421-3 also includes “Push To Talk” technology so you can use the sets like walkie-talkies.  Overall, the features are pretty impressive, equaling those of some of the more expensive high-end sets on the market.

Installation

Installing the phone is as easy as can be.  You just have to figure out where you want to put the base station and plug the included phone cord into a phone outlet.  You can easily mount the base on the wall with the included wall mount bracket if you want, but I preferred to have mine on the counter.  The batteries included with the handsets come pre-charged, so you just plug them in and the ‘base’ automatically recognizes each handset and configures it.  One handset sits in the cradle as part of the base, the other two handsets can be placed anywhere you like, just plug each of the charger cradles into any available outlet.

Using the DS6421-3

Once you set up the base and cradles, you’re ready to start using the phones.  The VTech DS6421-3 does everything you’d expect from a good cordless phone set.  The handsets themselves are very sleek, fit comfortably in your hand and feel well-built.  The back lighting is good, the screens on the handsets are crystal clear and easy to read.  So far everyone I have talked to sounds crystal clear. Each cordless phone has caller ID, functions as a speakerphone, and the base has an indicator on it that tells you how many voicemails (if any) are recorded.  You can also screen calls right on each handset – just hit the “screen” button  and you can listen to the person leaving the message on the handset speakerphone.  I love not having to get up to hear who is calling.   Another feature I found myself using frequently is the ability to listen to recorded messages from any of the handsets.  Just use the menu to select “play messages”, and listen to the voicemails on whatever handset you have available.

There’s nothing more annoying than having your cordless phone run out of  battery all the time.  The VTech DS6421-3  features very long battery life.  I used the cordless phones for hours and didn’t have to charge  them for at least a week.  I was very impressed with the battery life and I had no low battery sounds beeping in my ear mid conversation.

Another, aspect of cordless phones is their range of use.  I am often on the phone and going out to the mailbox and prefer not to lose connection.  You want something that will let you walk anywhere in the house without interference, as well as short distances like your driveway.  I was able to use the cordless sets throughout the house, outside the house all the way to the street in front of the house with no problems.  VTech lists the range as “up to 500 feet”, which is probably only feasible under the most perfect conditions, but the range on these were great.

The 3 handsets in this set are identical.  They operate using a very simple menu, it didn’t take long at all to figure out how everything worked without even opening the manual.  The menu is operated using a left / right select buttons along with a round disk .  The menu options are straight forward, you can customize pretty much everything from the ring tones to the ringer volume to the number of rings it takes before the answering machine picks up.  You can also set a name label for each handset so you know where each one goes.  This feature is perfect for when you want to use the “push to talk” functionality.   Picking up the phone and pushing the button for “Kitchen” or “Basement” makes a lot more sense then trying to remember where “handset #1” is located.

One thing I really liked about the phones is that when someone calls each set it speaks the name/caller id of the caller.  You don’t have to look at the phone or base to know who’s calling, which is very handy for easy screening of calls.  For me this is more fun than anything, because at first I had some trouble recognizing the pronunciations. The DS6421-3 also has “equalizer” functionality to optimize the sound quality of your phone calls.  I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine ever needing to use an equalizer to fine tune the sound on my mono phone handheld…. But hey, it can’t hurt, it’s a nice touch they threw in!

 

Connect To Cell

The “connect to cell” functionality is one of the features relatively new to the cordless phone market.  Basically, it allows you to integrate your cell phone(s) and your landline together into one seamless phone system.  it works like this:  you “pair” up to two cell phones to the DS6421 base, using Bluetooth connectivity.  That means the paired phone just has to be somewhere near the base (in the same room generally) to be connected to the DS6421 base.  Once paired, the base will treat the paired cell phone as another “line” in addition to your land line.   You can receive incoming calls from your cell phone(s) on your cordless phone the same way you would incoming calls on the land line.  Different ring tones indicate whether the call is on the landline or on the cell.

This is an excellent feature for those with a cell phone with Bluetooth.  When you come home, just put your cell phone in the same room as the DS6421 base, plug it in to charge the battery, and you’ll be able to make and receive calls using your cell or your landline with the simple click of a button.   Click the “cell” button, and you receive or make a call using your cell phone.  Click the “home” button, and you receive or make a call using your landline.  Since you can pair two cell phones, two people living in a home cold both have their phones paired, and both use the same set of cordless phones to access either the landline or the cell phone.

One important note to the landline/cell phone functionality is that you only need to have one or the other to use the system.  If you have both cell phone(s) and a landline, the DS6421-3  integrates them perfectly… but you can use the VTech DS6421-3 without having a landline at all, great for those who are thinking of getting rid of their land line and just using cell phones.  With this system you get the best of both worlds, a nice handset with great range and coverage while your cell phone is charging.   For example, you could use your cell phone for free long distance if your landline doesn’t have free long distance.

Another great feature of the connect to cell technology is that the DS6421 phone system can copy your contacts from your cell phone(s) to the cordless phone system.  That makes the issue of having someone’s info on your cell but not your home phone a thing of the past.

You can also connect Bluetooth headsets to the DS6421 for easy hands-free calling in your house.  I found this feature somewhat less than useful since you are limited to a relatively small area around the base of the phone system.  You can’t use the Bluetooth headset and wander off to the other side of the house while on the phone, the Bluetooth signal will get disconnected.  Still, it’s a nice option to have if you need to be on the phone a lot and want an easy hands-free setup.

Expansion

The DS6421-3 can be expanded to up to 12 handsets, although who needs 12 handsets?  I found that the three provided were more than enough and felt like I had phones laying around everywhere.

In conclusion, I really like the VTech DS6421-3.

Pros: great feature set, great look and feel, cell/landline integration, phone contact copying, expandability, long battery life, ease of setup and use, overall value.

Cons: inability to set ringer volume for each handset, ringer options have to be set for all handsets at the same time.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed by the VTech DS6421-3.  It was easy to set up, works great, integrates the land line with the cell phones seamlessly, and does everything at a very reasonable price (less than $100 last I looked).  That’s a great bargain! I’d recommend this set to anyone who’s in the market for a new cordless phone system.  You can save a few dollars by getting a “no frills” cordless phone set, but you’d miss out on a lot of great features and functionality for relatively small savings.  The bottom line: The VTech DS6421-3 is a really great phone for the home.

 

**I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of VTech and received a product sample to facilitate my review.  All of the opinions I have expressed here are my own.**

Cheerios Cheer Sending Words Of Cheer This Holiday Season

With the age of the internet, most things we do, even the mail we send is often via the computer. I sometimes miss the days when someone would just send me a handwritten letter. There is something special about receiving a note of encouragement or just a thank you in your mailbox outside. I believe it to be much more meaningful and a heartfelt expression to a special person or even a complete stranger.

I know a lot of military families that I have met either online or just friends and acquaintances. I know that sending their loved ones overseas for months and even years at a time cannot be something that is easy. Many of their spouses are back at home taking care of the family, paying the bills, and holding the household together. I think being in the military is a huge monumental sacrifice to take care of the American people and I think the families involved make just as many sacrifices by giving up their loved ones to go protect our country. I can imagine that it can be a huge emotional taxing on families, and often times it’s nice to be able to hear kind uplifting messages to help get you through each passing day.

To help spread these messages, Cheerios has started a wonderful campaign. Cheerios and the USO have launched “Cheer,” a postcard campaign that spreads cheer directly to these honorable military families and supports USO programs. During the months of October and November, 2011, specially-marked boxes of Cheerios cereal will feature Cheer postcards on the front of the box. You and your family, can out the postcard, write a message of thanks, let the kids make a drawing, or write words of encouragement. Then, all you have to do is, add a stamp, and mail the pre-addressed card to the USO. The USO will then deliver the Cheer card to military families across the country!

And, along with that, Cheerios will donate $1 to the USO for every postcard that is mailed and received by November, 30, 2011. Cheerios has already donated $150,000 to the USO, and will donate up to an additional $100,000 based upon the number of postcards received. Your participation is needed to reach this goal and who doesn’t love cheerios?  So stock up on a few boxes, and mail some wonderful words of thanks and encouragement to these families who are making big sacrifices each day.

 

**I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Cheerios and received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to post.**

o.b. Share It Forward

We have become a society of modern day conveniences.  Everything has sort of evolved, something as simple as a toothbrush has even changed over the years, to the more compact and newer model.  Being female, when I think of that inevitable time of the month, the last thing I want to be is uncomfortable with the personal feminine protection products I am using.  I know how horrible cramps, bloating and moodiness can make you feel.  Could you imagine being without the modern convenience of a maxi pad or tampon?  I do believe we are pretty spoiled, because in some countries, women go without these things.  I cannot even imagine not having what I needed during that time of the month.

For millions of girls in developing countries, sanitary protection is a luxury item, that we just toss in our grocery cart when we need it. Unable to afford sanitary protection,  young woman in these countries resort to dangerous alternatives or simply avoid school for the duration of their periods.  They are missing out on valuable education necessary for change  and increasing their susceptibility  to poverty and disease, including HIV.

Recognizing a very overlooked problem,  the o.b. Brand has created a Share It Forward Facebook campaign to raise money and awareness for Huru International, a non-profit organization that provides at-risk young girls in developing countries with the resources and knowledge they need to complete their education and safeguard their health. Now through November, the o.b. Brand will donate $1 (up to $25,000) for every person who visits the o.b. Outreach Tab on the mighty. small.™ movement Facebook page and “Shares” a message about Huru International’s mission.

In these countries, twenty five thousand dollars could buy a lot of these much needed products and help to provide the education these woman need.  I think this is a great cause and helping out couldn’t get any easier than visiting the mighty. small.™ movement Facebook page and sharing a message about Huru International’s mission. What a great reminder about appreciating the little things in life that we are all guilty of taking for granted.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of o.b. and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Cartoon Network I Want That!

Because of you, Santa has a very large list from my boys.  In fact, every commercial that involves a toy, the boys want it.  If I happen to forget that I left the tv on, I hear “I want that!”….”mommy I want that!” echoing throughout my house.

My very favorite moment is the monopoly banking game from Hasbro.  My son comes up to me and says he wants this game because he says that the world can be ours.  I asked him what he was talking about and he said “you know mommy, all you need in one card, you swipe it and the world is yours!”  I wish it was so my son, but the only thing swiping a card will do, is put you in debt  LOL.

I have been hiding from the television set since.  Clearly this Christmas, Santa has his work cut out for him with the millions of children that may watch the cartoon network.  I have a set amount that the boys may put on that list because for me, the amount of toys that are out there for kids, is overwhelming.

As a parent, I really look closely at the things I buy for the boys because what you get for your money these days is very little.  I would rather buy toys that are going to last than some of the mass market toys.  I find that the toys the boys play with the most are Legos, Playmobil, and plain old wooden blocks.  I also find that they use their imaginations more with these toys than anything out there.  There are no batteries, no annoying sounds and I can actually see them playing with them for years.

What are your kids asking for from Santa this year?  What are some of your personal holiday gift buying limits and rules?

Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 Review

I haven’t kept my recent journey to weight loss a secret. When I first started out, I knew that I wanted to run eventually when I was in much better shape. When I finally decided it was time, I realized that my walking shoes weren’t going to cut it. Not only were my feet already hurting, but any ramp up in my activity in them made matters worse.

I do a ton of walking on local trails, so I knew that I eventually wanted to jog them as a well. I am also a major overpronator, or I tend to walk to the inside of my feet, you can see it by the way my soles on my shoes tend to wear. Initially, I said to myself, ok I need a running shoe. When I began to look, I began to panic at all the various choices. There are about a billion different brands, different styles, there are trail running shoes, neutral running shoes, and shoes that feel like no shoes at all. After about three days of looking, my head began to hurt and that is when I was introduced to Mizuno shoes, my saving grace in my search for trail running shoes and for my feet.

The folks at Mizuno were kind enough to send me a pair of their Wave Ascend 6 trail runners. This particular shoe is in it’s 6th generation which already tells me it’s a keeper and clearly time and dedication went into it’s creation. When I received them, I opened the box and was delighted to see the one thing that was going to be significant in my weight loss journey and how awesome they looked. I loved the black mesh shoes, with hot pink and yellow accents, but I loved them on my feet even more.

The fit was that of a glove, and all the love a hug could give. They fit a tad snug, but felt extremely comfortable, I had a feeling that it was designed to stay on your foot so when you are running, your feet aren’t moving all over the place in your shoe. The shoe itself is extremely lightweight. 9.6 ounces to be exact, but offers ample cushioning from heel to toe. The real test however, was to take a test run in them and I was more than excited.

About the Wave Ascend 6  (taken directly from the site)

Mizuno Wave Technology®

Unlike other shoe technologies, as your foot touches the ground, Wave actually reduces and redirects impact forces away from your foot. Wave acts much like your car’s suspension—offering cushioning and keeping your foot centered in your shoe throughout your stride.

• Disperses impact forces away from foot
• Progressive, tunable support
• Lightweight, compact, responsive
• Doesn’t break down over time

SmoothRide Engineering™

SmoothRide is the result of years of development designed to the most fluid, smooth, rocking-chair-like motion in every step.

Smoothride begins working the moment your foot touches the ground. Flex Grooves in the heel promote natural movement from the back of your foot to the front, initiating that rocking-chair motion. Our AP+ Midsole gives the shoe a bouncier feel. And Flex Grooves and Flex Controllers in the forefoot work together to smoothly continue the roll forward to give your foot a more solid platform at toe-off. It all adds up to a more fluid, enjoyable run, every time you head out.

• Smooth, rocking motion throughout your stride
• Increased flexibility
• More power at toe-off

Dynamotion Fit™

From heel strike to mid stride to toe off, Dynamotion Fit is all about creating a shoe that works with your foot through the design and materials we use to create it. As your foot twists, bends, and stretches in each step, the shoe upper moves with you. Flex Eyelets help keep your heel secure throughout your stride by allowing the upper to stretch and contract as needed. And Stretch Mesh eliminates bunching and pulling that can create discomfort and even blisters–especially at toe-off. Together, the features of Dynamotion Fit create a shoe that gets out of your way, so you can become the best runner you can be.

• Emulates the motion of your foot
• Secure fit that still freely moves
• Eliminates bunching, pulling, and sliding

 

I took off on the trails with my pup , and did a quick 15 minute test run. The trails behind my house have lots of rocks, and the traction on the Mizuno Wave Ascend 6 is amazing. At first, I felt hesitant on my first down hill turn, but realized that these particular shoes had what felt like a tacky grip on the rocks. I never once, felt my feet slip beneath me, which was an inherent problem when walking in my other shoes. The mesh on the shoe offers great breath-ability, because let’s face it, you’re feet sweat. It was hard to tell after first run, how the pain in my foot would fair, but after logging approximately 150 miles in the Wave Ascend 6, I can tell you that any pain that I had, has apparently corrected itself as well as the over pronation problem.

Overall, I am extremely impressed in the wear of the Wave Ascend 6 and how it has held up to my pounding the trails in them.  With a $99 price point, it is a great running shoe for the wear.  I have learned that a running shoe is only good for around 300 miles and I intend on pushing the limits , so my next pair will definitely be Mizuno because it takes the guess work out of finding a good shoe.  There are a lot of shoe choices out there and you have to find a good one that you love to wear and that feels good on your feet.  It is obvious that Mizuno took a great deal of effort to make the Wave Ascend 6 a shoe you want to run in.

 

**Disclosure:  I was sent a pair of Mizuno Wave Ascend Shoes to facilitate my review, the opinions in this posting are that of my own**

Hexbug Nano Halloween Party Creeping Crawling Oh My!

I have two boys, and naturally they love bugs, snakes, worms and anything that naturally freaks me out.  With Halloween coming up, we decided to throw a small party and have a little creepy crawling fun with bugs, Hexbugs that is.  We had the chance to invite over friends and have a glow in the dark Hexbug Halloween Party.  We had treats, kids and lots of bugs!

Just in time for Halloween we were sent Hexbug Nano bugs, and limited edition Hexbug Nano Halloween Zombie bugs complete with their own habitats.  The unique thing about them was that the bugs glow in the dark along with the habitat tracks.  So when the lights go out, it is twice the fun and the kids had a blast.  There is no end to what you can come up with Hexbugs, and our favorite part was when each kid got their bugs and decided to race them start to finish through the habitat.  The first person whose bug made it to the finish was the winner.  It got a little crazy in the house, but it was truly a blast.

Check Out Our Video!

I was amazed at how well these things got around, it was like they had a mind of their own and could find their way through the twists and turns of the habitat.  We were even sent some Hexbug Larva, that crawled around with uncanny resemblance to the real thing.  It even had a sensor that makes it turn around to avoid things in it’s path.  It was a little gross for me, but gross is what the boys love.

Overall, my take, is that Hexbugs are pretty entertaining for the kids.  When I checked out the Hexbug website they have all sorts of cool bugs, and even remote ones.  My only beef is that it seems like they run out of batteries quickly, but usually kids tend to seem to leave them running and walk away.  But overall they are really cool and quite ingenious how they move about.

From bugs races, to entertaining your cat, Hexbugs are sure to make your kid smile.  Right now you can find the limited edition Hexbug Nano Halloween Zombie bugs at a Radio Shack location near you, but don’t limit Hexbugs to Halloween, they would make great stocking stuffers for the Holidays and the perfect size in their little test tubes.

 

Disclosure *Hexbugs, and habitats were provided to us to host a party by Mom Select and Hexbug, all opinions,video, and pictures are that of my own*

Tombstone Pizza Making Halloween A Treat

Halloween is fast approaching, and it’s one of my favorites with the kids.  Besides loving the Fall weather, we love spending time with all our friends in the neighborhood.  Halloween, is always special because we have a pre-Halloween get together, take lots of pictures then some adults stay back with everyone’s candy lined up in lawn chairs waiting for all the little ghosts and goblins.  After the kids get tired, there is a fire, lots of glow sticks and kids playing and parents chit chatting.

The hours before trick or treating are spent getting costumes in order, waiting for my husband to get in the door and my boys have their noses pressed to the window to see who is already out.  In all their excitement and mine, we have little time to get everyone ready and a meal on the table.  My favorite is to throw a Tombstone pizza in the oven, throw together a garden salad and dinner is ready in minutes! And who doesn’t love pizza?

About Tombstone Pizza

• Only fitting for the “Official Pizza of Halloween,” TOMBSTONE pizza was brought to life in 1962, at a bar called the Tombstone Tap that was located across from a graveyard in Medford, WI.
• It all started when Tombstone Tap owner, Joe Simek, broke his leg dancing the “Peppermint Twist.”   While recuperating, Joe experimented with various pizza recipes in the kitchen in the back of the Tombstone Tap.  The tasty pizzas he made were an instant success, creating the TOMBSTONE pizza brand.
• 50 years later, TOMBSTONE pizza today offers eight different crust varieties (including Original, Brick Oven Style and Garlic Bread) and a multitude of tasty topping choices, including new TOMBSTONE Double Top. With so many options to choose from, moms are sure to please all their favorite little ghosts and goblins this Halloween season.
• Moms can find TOMBSTONE pizza in the frozen section of their local grocery store.

This Halloween season, Tombstone is being dubbed “The Official Pizza of Halloween,” and to help make your Halloween a success they are providing you with all the tools you would need to have a spooky good time!   Start by simply ‘liking’ the Tombstone Facebook page. There you can download a free Halloween Party Kit that will give you everything you need to make your Halloween party and conjure up lots of Halloween fun.

The free Tombstone Halloween Party kit includes tons of really great ideas including fun recipes, games you can play, fun tips, decorations and way to create fun Halloween photo ideas.  I love their spider web munch and bone chillin brew in the recipe section.  I know my kids would love it!

So while you are rushing to get those excited little ones out the door, pop in a Tombstone Pizza and make it your official Halloween favorite every year!

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Tombstone Pizza and received coupons and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

 

My Ford Flex Experience

Not having a car payment is nice. Then you drive by the car dealership on your way home one day and you see those shiny new cars sitting on the lot. Stylish, sleek, with the latest gadgets and gizmos. You read about some of the newer models online, maybe you take one or two for a test drive, but it’s hard to really evaluate a car in such a short time span. Thanks to Ford, we recently got a unique opportunity to really put a car to the “real world” test.
The folks at Ford allowed me to pick out the Ford vehicle model of my choice, then had it delivered to my front door for me to keep and use for a week. Talk about great service.

We decided to make it a family road trip, to head out to grandma and grandpa’s place – about 450 miles away. When you go somewhere for a week and bring the whole family and the dog, you need a lot of space. A regular car was not going to cut it. We decided to try out the Flex.

The Ford Flex is an interesting and unique vehicle. With it’s long boxy frame, it looks different than anything else out there. . It’s not quite an SUV, it’s not quite a crossover, it’s not a minivan, and it’s definitely not a truck… it’s a little of all, it’s a Flex.

The first thing you notice when you get into the Flex is that it’s very roomy on the inside, much more roomy than you would expect by looking at it from the outside. It has 3 rows of seating for a total of 7 seats. The leg and headroom for the front and middle rows are excellent, much better than what I’ve seen in other similar vehicles (including the Explorer). The 2 seats in the third row offer enough space for an adult to sit comfortably. The third row seats are very easy to fold down to expand cargo space as needed, even using  just one hand. One issue we had was that if you have two or more child seats or boosters in the middle row, there’s no way to get to the third row seats. If you put those child seats in the third row, the cargo space is extremely limited, and it’s tough to get the kids buckled into their seats.

The second thing you notice is that the Flex is very nicely finished. You can tell that a lot of thought and effort went into the interior design and finish. No cheap plastic look and feel. Buttons and controls are where you’d expect them to be and are easy to use. The leather seats are very comfortable and can be adjusted a million ways to fit just right. The overall impression is that of a high end vehicle.
When you have a vehicle for 7 days and you take it on a road trip, you really get a feel of what it’s like to use it on a daily basis. One of the things we really liked about the Flex is that it’s packed with all the electronic goodies you could want. Bluetooth connectivity, built in GPS navigation system, a touchscreen interface on the dash where both the driver and passenger can reach it, Sirius satellite radio built in, easy phone pairing, and the really cool Ford SYNC functionality. You can easily pair up the SYNC with your smart phone (android or ios), play music from your phone or MP3 player, and control the music using voice commands so you can keep your hands on the wheel. Being able to change channels, select songs by title or artist etc all without lifting a finger is great. You can check out all the SYNC features here:

Another cool feature is being able to see exactly how much gas your engine is using at any particular time. The vehicle we used was equipped with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine , and we actually got better mileage than the EPA estimated 16 city/23 highway. We were consistently getting 26 mpg on the highway. We were a little surprised when we stopped for gas and noticed that there is no gas cap on the Flex, it uses the Ford “easy fuel” cap-less system, a nice touch.

Another feature that you won’t find in many vehicles is a refrigerated compartment in the middle console. That’s fantastic when you go on a long road trip, you can put some drinks in there and keep everything nice and cool, even on the hottest of days (the temps hovered in the 100’s during our trial).  I could forgo the refrigerated center console to have a clear path to the far back seats however.

Pros: very flexible with seating, very roomy, packed with technology, very refined, plenty of “oomph” under the hood, good mileage given it’s size.

Cons: when the third row seats are not folded down, cargo space is very small.

So what’s the final verdict? The Ford Flex is a really cool vehicle and true to its name it is very flexible in configuration. The Flex (depending on the model) goes for $29k to $39k. I personally would not be willing to pay close to $40k for the Flex, but in the $30k to $35k range it’s a very good value. Ford continues to add innovative and interesting models to its lineup, I look forward to taking some of the other new models for a spin.

 

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