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“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Refrigerator to facilitate my review.”

Banquet Thanks A Million Instant Win Game!

Every mom knows that there are days that we just don’t feel like cooking a big fancy meal.  There are even days when I just don’t know what I should prepare.  These are the says where I like to go to the freezer and pull out a TV dinner and call it a day.

We are fans of Banquet meals, which I can remember eating when I was a kid.  My favorite was always the dinners that came with a dessert and I still love an occasional salisbury steak.  Both of my boys love their chicken fingers dinner or the peperoni pizza, and they are ready in just minutes.  There are so many others to choose from, if you are in a no fuss kind of mood.

Overview and History of Banquet

For 50 years, Banquet has been making the familiar foods that families love. From Salisbury steak to crispy fried chicken and turkey pot pies to chicken breast tenders, you can always count on Banquet to provide consistently good taste at a great value.

Banquet products include frozen dinners, pot pies, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, tenders and patties, Banquet wings, Homestyle Bakes, and Crock-Pot® Classics.

The Banquet brand began in 1953 with the introduction of frozen meat pies. Banquet frozen dinners first hit store shelves in 1955. The ’70s brought several different fried chicken offerings. Most recently, Banquet launched Homestyle Bakes and Dessert Bakes, and the brand revolutionized convenient, family-style cooking with the introduction of Banquet Crock-Pot Classics in 2004.

Now Banquet wants to give back to it’s loyal customers!  They are giving away more that 16,000 cash prizes totaling $1 million in their Thanks A Million campaign.  You can play by looking for specially marked Banquet single-serve dinner meals in your grocer’s freezer during the months of February, March, and April.  So not only can you make a fun and easy meal but you could be a lucky winner.  I could certainly dream up what I would love to do with a little extra cash. Read the Official Rules Here.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Banquet and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Pepsi Refresh Project

The world is such a big place, and it seems like there is always some amount of financial suffering going on.  My heart breaks for the people in Haiti, for families here in the United States that don’t have a warm place to be, or food on their tables.  This is why giving back to people and your community is such a wonderful way to touch lives.  I look at all the money that goes to organized sports, and frivolous things in this country and wonder if we didn’t pay so much towards things that don’t really matter if nobody would have to go without.

I was recently was introduced a wonderful program that Pepsi is launching called the Pepsi Refresh Project.

Through the Pepsi Refresh Project, Pepsi will be giving away an astounding $20 million dollars to fund projects that help make communities better. They will not be advertising at the superbowl this year  to support a more meaningful cause.  Pepsi wants to know what needs your local community has.  It can be something as simple as a safer play area for neighborhood and school children, or books for the community library.  No request is too small, and this is about reaching out in light of a bad economy and making a difference in people’s lives.

Each month, you will have the chance to submit a project in one of six categories: health, arts & culture, food & shelter, the planet, neighborhood, or education. Then, at the end of the month, Pepsi will post the top submissions on their website and let the public vote on who should win grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 (totaling up to $1.3 million dollars!)

There are two major ways you can be involved with the Pepsi Refresh Project.   Firstly, beginning February 1,  you can get  the family together, brainstorm, and come up with a great idea for an improvement you’d like to see in your community, and submit it for consideration  the month of March  Or, you can also visit RefreshEverything.com and vote for your favorite submissions for February’s grants.

Moms, this is also a great way to get the kiddos involved by getting  them to think of ways in which to help out in their local community and give of themselves.  It is an excellent way to show them how to pay it forward and get involved!

If you aren’t aware of the needs in your local community, then this is a good time to take a closer look..  Sometimes we get caught up in our world and never stop to look around us.  Take a look around, even ask what some of the needs are of the community around you and start submitting to the Pepsi Refresh Project.  Giving back has so many rewards well beyond monetary wealth.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Pepsi Refresh. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

I’m A Frigidaire Test Drive Mom!

I was recently given a wonderful opportunity by Mom Central and the folks at Frigidaire. I am giddy with excitement to tell you, that I am a Frigidaire Test Drive Mom.  I am a proud member of Team Fridge. What does this mean?  Next month a pretty, new stainless steel professional line fridge from Frigidaire will be showing up at our house and I couldn’t be more excited.  I cannot tell you how many times I have drooled over them in the stores and now  I can hardly wait!!!!  Being a stay at home mom, makes getting a new appliance, a major excitement, because it is something I use every single day.

As part of this wonderful opportunity, I will be testing this fancy schmancy new fridge and reporting back to my readers on my findings and writing about my love affair with my new fridge (it could be better than Twilight *maybe*).  I am particularly interested in how this fridge compares to our current one.  Our fridge is only 7 years old, but things are starting to fall off !  I will be looking at things like temperature control, easy of use, how easy it is to clean, and maximum storage capabilities (we all know how stuffed a freezer can get).  I already whine about my current freezer, because the less I have to run down to the basement to the other freezer the better.

I am very excited and will be giving this fridge a rigorous mommy workout!  I can’t wait to share my thoughts.  Take a look at how pretty it is! Oh, and I can so see my Ben and Jerry’s sitting in my new freezer!

About Frigidaire

In 2009 Frigidaire introduced more than 250 new appliances , all designed with the idea of creating more time for us Moms. Standing behind its claim, Frigidaire offers a “More Me-Time Guarantee.” Moms will save a minimum of eight hours a month or their money back!

In addition, Frigidaire announced a new partnership in September with actress and philanthropist, Jennifer Garner.  The pair teamed up to launch the new Frigidaire line and to kick off the “Make Time for Change” campaign to support Save the Children.

Thier newest campaign to support Save the Children, called Spin & Win. Started January 18th. Guests can go to www.maketimeforchange.com to play Spin & Win for their chance to win prizes including a new time-saving Frigidaire Affinity washer/dryer! Plus every day you take a spin, Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children as part of their $250,000 commitment.  I cannot think of a better way to support a wonderful cause and have fun doing it.

I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with all of you, so keep your eyes peeled for new posts about our new fridge from Frigidaire!

“I wrote this review while participating in a Test Drive Campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Frigidaire and received a Frigidaire Refrigerator to facilitate my review.”

FedEx Out Of Office Blog

A New Year means a new outlook on things. At least, this is how every New Year starts out for most of us, and as the year moves on, it is often hard to stay on track and keep those creative ideas flowing. Finding new ways to do ordinary things, plan parties, and work on projects with your kids can sometimes be difficult when you feel like you keep doing the repetitive.

The internet has always been a great place to find good ideas on how to plan a party, find new crafts for kids, or ways in which to keep our lives motivated and organized. I was introduced to a new and wonderful resource for the everyday to the special occasion. The Out of Office blog from FedEx Office will help get you going with projects for invitations and place cards, ideas on how to turn your child’s artwork into a notebook, large poster and creative ideas for making a more than ordinary thank you card. In the future, the blog will feature contests and giveaways, themed series, how-to videos, and the creative insights of guest bloggers and customers!

While I was looking over the site I ran across a really adorable idea. You can let your children make artwork and turn it into a personal placemat. I think my boys would get a kick out of this, and I also think its a fun way to make the table inviting for family and friends. You can then take their artwork up to your local FedEx and have it laminated and proudly displayed at the dinner table. This is a perfect project for the winter months, and can also be a great way to welcome in each season. In excitement for Spring to come you can make fun Spring place mats, and it’s a perfect way to think outside of the dreary cold weather. Winter is one of the hardest times for me and the boys because we greatly miss being outside.

Head on over to the new FedEx Out of Office Blog and you can get some really great ideas to help get your creativity flowing and start the New Year off right!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Infant Nutrition Center Keys To Your Baby’s Development

Becoming a new parent is one of the most exciting and overwhelming times in your life.  I can remember finding out that I was having twins, and as much as I was excited, the amount of information you have to process when having a new baby or babies can sometimes be a daunting task.

Infant nutrition is key to your baby’s development. One of my prime concerns with the boys was making sure that received what they needed in terms of their nutrition.  I had almost certainly known that I wanted to breastfeed but there are so many other things that come along with that one decision.  I can remember looking at what I needed to help maintain a healthy milk supply while breastfeeding, what the boys needed in terms of additional nutrition if they weren’t getting what they needed from me.  For instance, the doctor had them taking vitamin supplements to get adequate Vitamin D, and I paid close attention to formula when I had to supplement.  Then, it is a whole new ballgame when you introduce them to solids.  There are so many things just outside of caring for children and yourself, that having a resource to go to can offer a new mother that extra support during and overwhelming time.

InfantNutritionCenter.com is a site developed by Mead Johnson that takes an awesome and incredible 3D journey through infant nutrition.  The site lets you explore and learn current research findings through video, pictures, and graphics, in depth questions like why infant eyesight depends on getting enough DHA and what key nutrients contribute to the healthy growth of your child’s brain.  There is a wealth of information, and I love that it offers more than just reading the information.  I found myself engrossed looking at the nutrients infants need and how they are broken down and how their bodies break these down and how they are important in development.  I was amazed to learn that infants grow so rapidly that their bodies must take in the equivalent of 9000 calories a day!  There is so much more in the way of information included in the interactive libraries and I think we forget just how fine tuned the human body is.

InfantNutritionCenter.com is a really great site with wonderful resources for moms.  I love the graphics and there is so much there to learn if you are an expecting mother or if you already have children.  There is always room to learn something new!

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mead Johnson. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.**

Holiday Inn Make It A “State-cation”

With the economy the way it is lately, I can imagine that a lot of families have stayed close to home for the Summer.  I know that for us, it just wasn’t financially feasible to take a big family vacation.  Sometimes I think that we live in our own little bubble close to home and sometimes overlook the fact that there is more to do outside of a 10 mile radius in your home state.

For us it didn’t take us long to discover that there were things that, even after living here for the past 15 years, that we haven’t seen.  Since having the boys we are constantly on the look out for fun things to do with them.  So we decided to plan a little weekend getaway in our own state.  We decided to set it up and make the plans and look for our accommodations.  I can remember a favorite Holiday Inn that my husband I love to stay at in Miami Florida, so when we are looking for hotels in our area, we always look for a  Holiday Inn first.  Holiday Inn, currently has more than 2,500 locations in the US, offering a fun and easy getaway in every state.

We found a really fun family hiking area with a few local things for the kids and a Holiday Inn nearby with nice rooms and plenty of space for us as a family.  We made plans to do some nature discovery walks with the boys, go fishing, and then head to a local Amish community.  We took our first ever “state cation” and we plan to do some more exploring this Fall!  Not only that, it was a much needed trip that didn’t break the bank.

Take a look at your own state, get a plan and make it a “state-cation” with Holiday Inn!

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Holiday Inn. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate**

MSN Homeroom

Education is something that I find important even in the early years before children officially start kindergarten.  It seems like each year the kids are expected to learn even more and the things we learned in first grade are now being taught in kindergarten.

As a mother to three year old twins, their education seems to be one of the things I am most anxious about.  You want to see your children succeed and you want them to be eager about learning.  At the same time I have fears about being able to help them along, is the school system going to be good enough, and are they going to learn the right things in the classroom.

Recently I was introduced to another great resource for moms.  Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats sponsored the development of the MSN Mom’s Homeroom site where Moms can connect and learn about various ways in which you can help your child and give them a boost in their education.  There is a wide range of topics such as reading, attentiveness, learning, and memory. The site features four Moms one a teacher, another a psychiatrist, a former marketing coordinator, and an obstetrician/gynecologist. The Moms participate in discussions and post unscripted videos of their views on helping kids succeed academically.

There was one particular article I ran across discussing how to help your preschooler with writing at home.  The boys are right at the age where we are trying to recognize the letters in the alphabet.  Although they can recite their abc’s we haven’t really gotten identifying them.  This article suggests ways in which you can encourage your child to write and ways in which to help them recognize them.  It is great to have these ideas on hand and guidance to give your child a leg up, so when they get into the classroom they have the tools to succeed.

As a mom, I think that having any amount of help and resources like these are a great way to help your child and give already stressed out parents different ideas to encourage your children.  Education is extremely important to your child and any help that you can give outside of the classroom, is just as valuable.

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.**

Mrs Dash Makes Creative Cooking Healthy *Review*

As a stay at home mom, I do a lot of cooking.  Sometimes it isn’t always easy coming up with new ways to make scrambled eggs, or new ideas for that frozen chunk of chicken sitting in your freezer.   I have spent many days just staring into the pantry or fridge wondering what I could whip up for dinner that night.

After awhile you just have to find ways to be creative in preparing the same old chicken breast or steak.  I have spent days where I pounded chicken, breaded it, boiled it, you name it, just to make it interesting.  A few times, it wound up in the trash or I got some “what is this?” look from all members of my family including my twin toddlers.

I am always looking for healthy ways in which to prepare our meals and I usually tend to use a lot of butter or something to compensate for the lack of taste in some of the things I have made.  I have found, that using the right seasoning can make a world of difference when you are preparing a meal.  You can often give chicken a totally different taste based on what seasoning you use.

I recently received a bottle of Mrs Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning and I was more than eager to give it a try.  When I saw that it was Fiesta Lime, I automatically thought of a meal with Mexican flair.  So I cooked up plain old chicken breast and sprinkled a little of this on it.  We made some spanish rice, cut up some fresh tomatoes from the garden, lettuce, and warmed up some soft tortillas.  It gave the chicken a southwest flair and wasn’t overly spicy either.It was delicious and the only thing I added to the chicken was Mrs Dash!  The whole family devoured everything on their plate and my sons were asking for more.

Mrs Dash has no salt or MSG which makes it a nice healthy alternative to overloading your food with sodium and butter.  It was as if I created an entirely new meal and the only thing I added was a different seasoning.  It was a refreshing change from the ordinary yes using familiar ingredients which made meal preparation easy.  Mrs Dash has a whole collection of various seasoning you can try and they aren’t just good on meat.  You can sprinkle a dash here ans there on your salads vegetables and even soups.  It is a great addition to your spice cabinet and can make ordinary meals you have prepared over and over have a new an exciting taste without adding a bunch of unhealthy ingredients.

Thank you to Mom Central and Mrs Dash for sending out a sample for me and my family to try.

Look Good Feel Better

The big “C” word that no one wants to hear in their lifetime, is one of those things that I hold close to me.  Cancer is one of those diseases that carries a lot of heartache with it and no family should have to go through it.  I lost a family member to cancer and it all happened so fast.  There are many resources available to families to help people cope and to help lift their spirits.  I think that good resources like Look Good…Feel Better are so important in aiding families in the healing process and can even make a difference in recovery and survival.

Look Good Feel Better is a free, national public service program that helps women cope with the appearance-related changes of cancer treatment through workshops across the country, self-help materials, and other free information.  Look Good…Feel Better is a collaboration of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, the American Cancer Society, Inc. and the National Cosmetology Association.  I cannot think of anything more wonderful since cancer can change a woman’s appearance so drastically with things like the loss of  hair and just how much the illness can wear on your body.  It is hard to feel pretty when you don’t feel good and are dealing with so many things.

In honor of its 20th anniversary, Look Good…Feel Better is asking women cancer survivors to submit their stories of how the program helped them cope with cancer as a way to inspire others who may currently be undergoing cancer treatment.  Entries will be featured on the Women of Hope is Beautiful blog to help educate others.  Anyone can visit the site to view entries, make comments and show their support.  In August, Look Good…Feel Better will choose five women with the most-compelling stories to receive a trip to New York City for a makeover and a trip to the DreamBall, a black-tie gala and the program’s largest annual fundraiser, held each year in New York City.

This is a great way to support a good cause and to give someone who has made it through cancer with courage, the chance of a lifetime to win a really awesome trip. Thank you Mom Central for making me aware of such a wonderful organization!

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