Crafty Baby Makes Nap Time Special

Being a mother to twins has my days completely full and busy.  One of my most favorite times of the day is nap time,  I get a chance to gather my thoughts, enjoy the silence, and the boys get to wind down.  Special items like blankets, and pillows help to make the transition so much easier when they have something of their own.     I was very excited to try out the Nap Packs from Crafty Baby!

Nap packs are a very portable, soft, and special way to make your child’s nap time more appealing.   It comes complete with a blanket that has ample room and an attached pillow.   When your child is done napping, it is a snap to just roll up and tuck away in a cubby, or hang on a hook.   When I first rolled them out the boys were eager to jump right in.   You could tell that they both loved how soft they were, and I found myself wishing I had one too!  The Crafty Baby Nap Packs are even perfect for rolling out on the floor and letting your child snuggle up to watch his or her favorite movie.

Crafty Baby also offers the perfect pillow and pillowcases for your toddler.   I know both of my boys love to have a pillow but the standard size pillows seem to be too much for their little beds.   It was difficult for them to sleep on such a big pillow so up until now they have done without.   These pillows are just right and the the pillowcases are perfect!   The pillowcases come in bright and cheerful patterns like trains (a huge favorite of my two) and many other fun prints.

And the best part, all of these things are machine washable which is so important when you have young children.   I find that I am always throwing things in the wash.  So not only are they convenient, they are also practical, and that means time and consideration went into their design.  Thank you Crafty Baby for such wonderful products.   Take a look at Crafty Baby, you are sure to find something wonderful for your lil one.

Truvia Sweet as Sugar but Easy on the Love Handles

I have never been a huge fan of artificial sweeteners in my diet.   I just feel like it is something unnatural that you are putting into your body.   You never know the long term effect that all these blah blah saccharin, and “ide” type chemicals have on your body.  When I was busy trying to conceive the boys, I switched to drinking things with Splenda in them as a more healthy resort because it tasted good and was derived from sugar so I thought why not?

It wasn’t until recently, that I learned of an even more natural way to sweeten things without adding pure refined sugar to my diet.  Let’s face it, a girl has to have her chocolate or something sweet.  Truvia natural  sweetener is a stevia-based sweetener.  Stevia  is actually a shrub in the chrysanthemum family, that is native to northeastern Paraguay. First discovered by the country’s natives, the plant has been grown, and used in South America to sweeten foods and beverages for more than 200 years.  Truvia rebiana, the main ingredient in Truvia natural sweetener, comes from the best tasting part of the stevia leaf and is a high purity sweetener.   Thanks to the folks at Cargill, you can now find Truvia at your local grocery store!

When I got my box of Truvia, I opened it immediately because I was excited to try it.   I am trying to shed a few extra pounds, and wanted something to take the place of regular sugar, so I could at least enjoy some things that were sweetened.   I tried it straight out of the package, and it is really good!   My true test though, was my husband.  He doesn’t do any sweeteners of any kind, so I let him try it, and he actually liked it!   This is a huge deal, if you knew my husband!   I love Truvia, and will continue to use it in my oatmeal, on my grapefruit, and wherever else I can substitute.  It is perfect if you want that something sweet, but you don’t want to blow your diet or add to your love handles!

My Weight Loss Coach..Gaming to a New You

So I was sitting here playing with my Nintendo DS and yes folks I do have one and it is pink.  I enjoy playing the Brain Age Games, and  well in the light of me wanting to lose some weight, I thought I would give the  “My Weight Loss Coach” game a try.  It is a lot of fun and it keeps all my information in one place so I can track my progress.  It even comes with a pedometer so I can use it when the weather is nice or just wear it around the house because it seems like I never sit down anyway.

My Weight Loss Coach

My Weight Loss Coach for Nintendo DS is a game for every adult, male and female, who considers reaching and maintaining their target weight a challenge. A program that fits your own objectives and respects your daily life constraints, My Weight Loss Coach supports you and tracks your progress and achievements by improving your energy balance. Developed in conjunction with a nutritionist, it helps you take control of your weight efficiently and feel better. Via an exclusive pedometer (included free with the game), you will be able to measure your real physical activity level and balance it, following the advice of a fitness coach. Your motivation will increase with coaching sessions, daily challenges, mini-games and quizzes – play for only 10 to 15 minutes per day and you will feel the difference!

Key Features

• Personal Profiles: Create your personal profile and evaluate your improvement potential, then set up your objectives following the recommendations based on your personal profile.
• Input Reward System: On a daily or weekly basis, overall, per input category, via a pedometer, physical activity and nutrition.
• The Pedometer: Free with the game and easily updated through your DS, it’s the best way to control your daily physical effort, challenge yourself and balance your food intake.
• Real-Life Landmark Checkpoints: As a reward, all physical activities you achieve and good nutrition habits you acquire are converted into distance. Didn’t you notice you’d already been traveling the distance equivalent to the Great Wall of China?
• Mini-Games:
  • 10 coaching sessions, with different themes like alimentation and physical activity, help define your profile and give you strategies
  • 300 to 500 fun challenges, depending on your profile and your needs
  • Four trivia games, featuring about 300 questions with learning and awareness objectives
  • More than 160 tips and hints within the game
• Real Experts: Developed in collaboration with a fitness coach and a nutritionist.

This is such a fun way to get in shape and it is almost like having your own personal trainer and motivation at your fingertips. The stick figure guy is so funny to watch! I received two of these games for the holiday so I thought I would share, by giving my readers a chance to win a copy of their own.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Here’s what you gotta do:

Subscribe to my feed, and leave me one healthy lo cal snack or meal recipe that can help people in their quest to lose weight.

Leave me an email so I can contact you in you Win

You can have an extra entry if you put my button up on your blog or myspace, facebook pages.

That’s all ya gotta do!

Contest Starts January 7th, 2009 and Ends January 21,2009

Good Luck!!!!

Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body with GameStop!

So somewhere in my brain I have decided to get in better shape this year.  I know that everyone sets this goal as their New Years resolution, but I don’t do resolutions.  I do aspire to become thinner, however long that may take.  With my days being consumed with house cleaning, chasing after two year old twin boys, one wild golden retriever, and maintaining the laundry trail, I don’t get too much time to myself these days.  Plus it is winter, and well me and cold don’t mix, so getting out to be active isn’t my most favorite option in the world.

Nowadays many Americans are finding a new way to get in shape that makes a fun alternative to the bike or the treadmill.  I know that doing the same thing can definitely lead to boredom, and a quick ending to your motivation.  Now there is a new way to get in shape, spend time with the family and have fun.  Playing popular video games like Wii Fit (which I love), My Fitness  Coach, or Dance Revolution can really make exercise fun.  GameStop stores offer these titles and more and have associates that can help you and your family find the titles that are right for you.

I personally love our Wii Fit and I find myself getting on the thing more and more.  Plus an even better advantage is that, I can do it in the warmth and privacy of my own home.   The games are a blast and so much fun, and  for the month of January GameStop is offering its customers a “Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body” incentive to encourage active gaming.  They are offering to all shoppers that spend $35 or more on designated products, a free 12-month trial subscription to Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Esquire, or Good Housekeeping.  This is perfect combination, have fun on your Wii Fit, then sit down and have a good read.

Visit GameStop today and get active!

Getting Organized in the New Year

I am always looking for ways to get organized. Since having children, it seems that my mind is busy trying to be in fifty places at one time.   I am planning what is for dinner, remembering where I need to go, doctor’s appointments, and what needs to be picked up at the grocery store, and errands to run.   With all these things swirling through my head, I almost always forget something.

I was recently introduced to Cozi, a FREE web service that helps busy families manage crazy schedules, track shopping and to do lists, organize household chores and stay in communication, all in one easy-to-use solution.  It gives you one central location to manage everything from family schedules, shopping lists, messaging tools, mobile messaging, and even a family journal.   One of the coolest features Cozi has , is that you can access your shopping lists or schedules from your mobile phone!   I cannot tell you how many times I have left the house without my shopping list or, I cannot remember if the boys appointment was at 10 or 10:30.  Simply call up Cozi using their toll free number and it can read it to you over the phone or text it to you!  In addition, Cozi now has a mobile version especially for the iPhone and Windows Mobile phones! Families can now sign-in and access their Cozi account using their mobile web browsers.   They can add and edit shopping lists and view and edit their family calendar using the mobile version of Cozi right from their iPhone.  This is a new feature! You can learn more about it here.

Cozi is such a cool site and it makes getting organized fun and makes forgetting even more fun!  I can’t wait to leave home without something just so I can try it out.  Plus, there will be no more tearing off the corner of the phone bill envelopes to scribble down my grocery lists (an I know you know what im talking about  lol).  Check out Cozi and save your sanity as well a few trees!

Organic Cotton For Your Baby by B-Nature

When it comes to clothing for little ones, I am a sucker for organic cotton. There is something about the way that it feels, and just knowing that it doesn’t have anything that will harm your baby. When they are little and especially in those newborn years, babies have such sensitive skin.

With a mother and daughter team running the show, B-Nature has developed a wonderful line of pure organic clothing. Not only does the clothing feel incredibly soft but they have such a cute and wide selection of clothing. They have incorporated calm yet stylish colors into their new line such as Green Tea, Wheat and Pistachio. B-nature’s color grown line is produced with only naturally colored organic cotton, which means it is minus all the harmful dyes and chemicals, but not without the “totally adorable factor.”

Another nice thing is that B-Nature’s clothing has no tags! I know I personally look for clothing, that is minus the tags. It is one less thing to irritate your child’s skin. Organic cotton, also washes up so nice. I have quite a few pairs of pajamas for the boys that are organic cotton that I choose for them first, before anything else to wear.

Although, they don’t have larger toddler sizes just yet, I still found myself looking at all the really cute clothes. And after awhile, it just makes me want to have another little one, so I can put him or her in one of B-Nature’s gown or rompers.

All B-Nature’s clothing and gift sets are:

• made from the finest 100% organic cottons
• produced without the use of harsh pesticides
• made from organic cotton grown in healthy farming communities
• sewn under fair labor conditions incorporating living wages, employee housing, meal plans, and health care.

I definitely give B-Nature the “Mommy Seal of Approval.” I firmly believe that companies that have a goal of giving safer eco-friendly options for our children should always be my first choice. B-Nature has some really cute gift sets that would be perfect for a new mom, not only as something special but as a way to introduce her to another alternative in clothing her baby.

I love my new HP laptop

In case you haven’t heard about my poor dilapidated laptop, you can read about it here. I was busy lamenting over the cost of a new one, but I desperately needed one. I do all of my blogging on the thing, and it was almost 6 years old. I had reached a point that I had to plug my desktop computer monitor in to see what was on my laptop. The keyboard had been replaced, the port where you plug in to charge had been soldered 3 times, and the hard drive had been replaced. I still sort of miss it, but I am in love with my new HP laptop! And, she is a real beauty, right down to the awesome shiny silver touch pad (  the little things excite me).  The fact that it works makes me happy, but its all the details that has me all giddy inside .   This laptop is such a real treat for me, and it even has a built in web cam!!  The widescreen display is awesome, and editing my pics is so much easier now.   I have watched a couple movies on it and just love putting on my headphones to listen to music.  The battery lasts forever which is nice for a busy mommy like me, I can bring it with me through the house, which is nice when you have two busy toddlers.  Thank you HP for such a wonderful product!

I have the HP Pavilion dv5-1138nr Entertainment Notebook PC

Here are the specs!

Mid-size laptop: The HP Pavilion dv5-1138nr is a mid-size laptop, with above-average processing power and everything most people need for basic computing, entertainment and online communication. This model has premium features including powerful dual-core processing, a DVD SuperMulti drive, built-in webcam, the Mesh Imprint finish and data loss protection.

Dual core/64-bit processing: This laptop features the dual-core 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 processor. The Core 2 Duo has two processing engines that work together, giving this processor much more power than standard 2GHz processors. This processor built on 64 bits architecture, enabling it to handle twice as much information as older 32-bit processors.

* This laptop features 4GB of DDR2 system memory—enough for the most demanding users, gamers and multimedia professionals. DDR2 is slightly faster than DDR, the previous standard in system memory.

* Data travels to the processor along the frontside bus. The faster data travels, the faster everything works. This laptop features a 800MHz frontside bus.

* Processors search for the same data over and over. L2 caches keep this data neat, organized, and nearby so it can be retrieved more quickly. This 2MB cache gives the processor a boost.

Hard drive: This hard drive features a 250GB capacity—plenty of space for your music, movies and multimedia. This drive’s data disks spin at 5400rpm. The faster they spin, the faster the data is read and written.

Blazing-fast wireless N: Built-in 802.11abgn wireless LAN lets you take advantage of the speed of the latest and fastest networks, as well as networks using the most popular standards.

DVD SuperMulti drive: Use this drive to burn DVDs and CDs to share your files, music mixes or home movies. You can even burn DVD-RAM discs—specially-formatted discs that let you drag and drop, or write and rewrite your files up to 100,000 times.

Widescreen display: This laptop features a gorgeous 15.4″ high-definition widescreen display with 1280 x 800 pixel (WXGA) resolution. Your documents and movies will look fantastic.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) with SP1: Featuring the elegant Aero interface, this is the operating system for homes with advanced computer needs. You’ll be able to use your laptop more effectively and enjoy new entertainment experiences—all with the benefit of added security and reliability. This 64-bit edition is for serious computer users who have advanced high-performance needs and are running a computer system with a 64-bit processor.

Audio/video: This laptop features Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with up to 1759MB of shared video memory, which is drawn from the main system memory. This video memory is perfect for watching movies and videos or light gaming. Built-in Altec Lansing speakers provide compelling 3D sound.

Media card reader: Seamlessly transfer images from your digital camera or camcorder. This 5-in-1 reader is compatible with Secure Digital, xD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and MultiMedia Card.

ExpressCard/54 slot: This laptop supports ExpressCard, an emerging standard in smaller, faster PC card solutions. The slot is also compatible with ExpressCard/34. Use it to add memory, graphics upgrades, security devices and more.

Built-in webcam/mic: Stay connected to family, friends or business associates wherever you go. Video chatting face-to-face is easy with the built-in camera and microphone.

Instant cinema to go: Enjoy digital movies and music within seconds with the press of an external button and HP QuickPlay. You can then control everything with the included remote.

Software bundle:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) with Service Pack 1, Works, Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), and Internet Explorer
Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008 (with 60 days of live update)
Vongo
HP Smart Web Printing
HP PhotoSmart Essentials
HP QuickPlay
CyberLink DVD Suite
Muvee autoProducer
Adobe Acrobat Reader
HP Games powered by WildTangent

Joobles to Delight Your Little One This Holiday

I often  think that simple toys are the better choice for little kids.   It allows them to use their imagination and they don’t tend to overstimulate their little brains.   Sometimes less is better.   I am a huge fan of eco-friendly toys, not only because they are safer for the environment, but more importantly, safe for our children.   I think this world is exposed to enough chemicals!

I am always eyeballing all those cute little knit toys that I see.  Some of them are just too expensive for my budget, or are poorly made.   I was recently introduced to Joobles, and they are adorable!   Each with a little personality of their own, these cute and cuddly critters are a perfect snuggle companion for your special little someone.   Bubs, the youngest of my twin boys, is my snuggle bug and the one who takes his blanky to bed.   When I first got “Cally the Cat” he was very quick to give it a nice big hug.  I love Joobles!, they are soft, and so squishy which makes snuggling up with them irresistible.  They have just the right amount of stuffing, and are so well made and you can just tell they were handcrafted with all the important details.

About Joobles

Where do Joobles come from? Started by a Peruvian family — a mom, a dad, and their daughter — this company provides work and hope to hundreds of rural and urban Peruvians all over the country. Small groups of impoverished workers are trained to run their own small businesses making hand-knit clothing and accessories.  In addition to providing much needed employment, they train workers throughout Peru in such valuable skills as quality control and production planning. Fair Indigo also works with this company’s charitable arm by donating free breakfasts and school supplies to children of the workers

Each incredibly soft animal is made with eco-friendly dyes and organic cotton grown in Peru. Calley the Cat stands 11” tall (as all the friends do) with adorable whiskers and a huggable green and yellow body. For parents hunting for eco-friendly toys, all of the Joobles are made with cotton grown without the use of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers, or other chemicals. Eliminating these chemicals is not only better for baby, but also for workers and for the environment.

PowerPump Gas Rewards and one-stop shopping at Safeway

I know with us officially being in a recession, that money is tight with a whole lot of people.    I know that I am out scouring the papers for coupons, checking the internet for coupon codes, and trying to eek every drop of gas out of my tank before I have to fill up again.  Thankfully, the gas prices have dropped a little bit.

I know a lot of the grocery stores in my area offer fuel perk rewards and such, for your purchases and many of these stores allow you to buy gift cards to your favorite shopping places and in turn you earn money off your gas purchases.

Safeway has some of these great ways to save money!  Safeway and its family of grocery stores (Vons, Dominick’s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Pavilions, Carrs and Genuardi’s) are helping to make this holiday season a little easier on the pocket book. Shopping with Safeway’s Club Card offers the opportunity to earn gas rewards whenever you grocery shop, buy prescriptions, and even gift cards.   Most significantly, you can earn double Power Pump Gas Rewards for every $100 in gift cards purchased with your Club Card at Safeway stores. This is perfect for the holidays because you can give gift cards to people’s favorite places and save yourself a little money at the pump.   This is especially useful if you are like my family and do a lot of travel during the holidays.

Check it out and see if there is a Safeway store near you and keep your credit cards from smoking this year.

Delgo, When two worlds collide

Experience A Little Peace & Goodwill This Holiday Season – Animated Style Delgo brings messages to life in fantasy action adventure

This movie looks like it might be a good film to take some of the teenagers too this holiday season.   The animation looks pretty cool and the characters remind me of Shrek.   The first thing that came to mind when I watched the trailer is Lord of the Rings meets animation.   I had to chuckle a few times during the preview because the movie does have some humor thrown in.   This one will be an interesting one to see!  You can view the trailer here.

About the Movie

Releasing in theaters December 12, Delgo’s impressive voice cast includes Freddie Prinze, Jr. (Delgo), Jennifer Love Hewitt (Princess Kyla), Anne Bancroft (exiled Empress Sedessa) as well as Chris Kattan (Filo), Val Kilmer (Bogardus), Lou Gossett Jr. (Nohrin King), Michael Clarke Duncan (Lockni Stonesage Council), Kelly Ripa (Kurrin), Burt Reynolds (Delgo’s Father) and Sally Kellerman (Narrator).

The story takes place in the magical land of Jhamora which is divided between two cultures – the Nohrin, winged masters of the skies, and the Lockni, the terrestrial tribe who harness the mystical powers of the land.  When Delgo (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), a reckless Lockni teenager, forms a forbidden friendship with the spunky Nohrin Princess Kyla (Jennifer Love Hewitt), hostilities between the two peoples escalate, setting the stage for an exiled empress (Anne Bancroft) to exact her revenge and reclaim her rule.

Falsely imprisoned, Delgo and his best friend, Filo (Chris Kattan), must put aside their differences to join forces with a sworn enemy, Bogardus (Val Kilmer), and travel to the mysterious land of Perran to rescue Princess Kyla.  Here they encounter fanciful creatures and discover more than just a kidnapped princess, they learn the value of different cultures and the importance of working together.

About Fathom Studios

Atlanta-based Fathom Studios has been creating award-winning computer animation since 1991. A division of the interactive agency Macquarium Intelligent Communications, the studio focuses on developing original content for television, film and the Internet through passion and creativity. Delgo is an independent movie and Fathom Studios’ first animated feature. The film was recently awarded “Best Feature Film” at Anima Mundi 2008 by an audience of approximately 100,000. Delgo is rated PG and has a running time of 90 minutes.

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