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.”

Allstate Foundation Safe Driving “X The TXT”

I was recently watching a news story about the dangers of teen drivers and the amount of text messaging they do while on the road.  We are in an age where technology isn’t the same and it’s hard to find people that don’t own a cell phone.  I can remember being a teenager (wow that makes me feel old) and having the constant contact with friends.  Today it is even easier than going to hang out, you just pick up your cell phone and test away.

Texting behind the wheel of a car is getting more popular amongst teens and that is scary.  Not only are they new and very inexperienced drivers but it is compounded by even more lack of attention when you throw a cell phone in the mix.  I don’t know about you, but as a teenager I was easily distracted by things.

According to The Allstate Foundation, two thirds of teens admit to texting and instant messaging while behind the wheel! Yet nearly 81% of teens rate parents as their number one driving influencers.  Recent research by Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute reveals that texting while driving can increase the risk of an accident by 23 times.  That is a pretty big percentage jump and not a risk I would want my child taking.

Allstate’s “X the TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever” campaign challenges teens and parents alike to make the pledge not to text and drive. By joining the cause at www.causes.com/thumbsup, you’re pledging to put your cell phone down behind the wheel. For each person who takes the pledge, Allstate will donate $1 to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) – a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that serve youth and focus on youth safety and health – for safe teen driving programs.

As part of the campaign, a 30-city “X the TXT” tour kicks off this holiday season during which teens and their families can add their thumbprints to a pledge banner as a public commitment not to text and drive.

I cannot think of a better way to teach your teen safe driving and help give funding to organizations to help educate our children of the potential dangers of getting behind the wheel.  You want to give them their freedom, but you also want them to be educated, cautious and responsible drivers.  It is so easy to give in but a labor of love to be vigilant with your kids.  Allstate can help give you and your teenagers a good start behind the wheel.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of The Allstate Foundation. 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**

Oscar Mayer Lunchables Lunch Combinations *review*

Making lunches and finding different ways to make the ordinary interesting for kids is often a task that us moms dread at times.  You often hear about how kids are bartering away their lunches in the school cafeteria in exchange for something they find more exciting.

I was recently given the opportunity to try out Oscar Mayer’s new Lunchable Lunch Combinations.  My husband is a huge fan of the smaller Lunchable packets and he takes them for a snack at work or in the morning.  Even though my boys aren’t in school yet, I can see that this would be a perfect alternative to brown bagging it.

In comparison to an unhealthier choice of fast food or cafeteria foods, this at least offers a source of more rounded nutritional value.  We tried the Ham and American Sub combination and I was surprised at how much was actually in the package.  Included in the package was ham, american cheese, sub bun, mayo,sugar free jello, chewy chips ahoy cookies, water and kool aid drink mix packet.  The only thing that I personally would have liked is that there just be plain water in the meal, regular jello since I am not one to give the kids artificial sweetener, and maybe apple slices in place of the jello or the cookies.  I think it is a great idea especially on days where you are running behind and it makes for a hearty meal.  I think if I were a kid this would be a real treat and you wouldn’t find me trading a single morsel.

You can find Oscar Mayer Lunchables Lunch Combinations in your grocer’s refrigerated section next to the packaged lunch meats.  There are six new varieties that include: Turkey + Cheddar Sub Sandwich, Ham + American Sub Sandwich, Turkey + Cheddar Cracker Combos, Ham +American Cracker Combos, Deep Dish Cheese Pizza and Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza.

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central on behalf of Oscar Mayer Lunchables 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.**

What To Expect Healthy Home Growth Chart

When I first became pregnant with my boys, I was a bundle of nerves.  Not only was I first time parent, everything was new to me, so I always felt a little overwhelmed.  I quickly gathered as many books as I could to help ease my mind and to feel like I was as prepared as I could be.

One of my biggest things is maintaining a germ free and healthy home and encouraging my kids to take steps to minimize the spread of germs and bacteria.  My best tips come from being persistent and developing routine with my boys.  Some of the simplest tips in helping to maintain a healthy home, are hand washing after playing in the dirt, after going potty, and before meals.  If you develop routine with kids they will carry this with them.

One of my favorite books was What To Expect When You’re Expecting books, answered a lot of my questions, and explained my pregnancy month by month.  I used this book daily and carried it with me throughout the house.  Recently I was introduced to another great resource. The What to Expect Foundation (which takes its name from Heidi Murkoff’s best-selling What to Expect series) just developed the “What to Expect Healthy Home Growth Chart” with a grant from The Clorox Company and it’s free for you to download!

The Healthy Home Growth Chart, offers insider tips to help Moms keep a healthier home over the course of their child’s first five years. Moms can find tips to coincide with the developmental stages children go through, such as:
•    Disinfecting hard toys at 3 months
•    Baby-proofing the house when they start walking around 1 year
•    Removing allergens from stuffed animals for play dates starting at the age of 2
•    Making hand washing and no-shoes a rule after coming in from playing outside around age 4

There is a ton of useful information in this guide, and I love that it breaks it down into your child’s first 5 years and presents common instances where you can teach your children how to keep germs and bacteria to a minimum.  I know we can’t protect our kids from everything and make them live in a bubble, but teaching yourself and them along the way to maintain a healthier lifestyle will help minimize the spread of germs and possibly expensive trips to see the doctor.

I know as a new Mom it is often hard to remember everything along the way and having as many resources available, are always a huge help.  The What To Expect Healthy Home Growth Chart presents some good information that is simple to follow and can maybe even give new parents and existing parents another resource to gain valuable information and quick tips to maintain a healthier home.

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and the What to Expect Guide and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.” And of course disclose that Mom Central has asked you to review the guide in connection with the tour**

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.

Wendy’s Boneless Wings

As a busy mom to twins I don’t always necessarily want to cook three meals a day, 7 days a week.  You tend to get burned out really fast.  For me it is a treat when my husband brings me home something, or makes a late night run, or when we can all just grab something that doesn’t require me standing in the kitchen.

One of my favorite things to eat are chicken wings, but the worst part about them, is the fact that they are all bone and not enough of the good stuff and tend to be rather messy.  I like mine a little on the hot and spicy side but I also love  barbeque wings as well.  To my surprise, Wendy’s now has new boneless chicken wings.  Made with 100% whole chicken breast,  hand tossed in one of three sophisticated flavors: Bold Buffalo, Honey BBQ, and Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken you are sure to find one that you will love.  We really enjoy going to Wendy’s especially for their Frosty’s in the Summer, and I love the fact that you can get more than just a plain burger when you go.

In addition to a great menu, I also feel like Wendy’s offers a healthier selection of food.  I can’t wait to try their new Boneless Chicken Wings!  I might be sending my poor husband on more late night runs to Wendy’s.  You gotta love cravings!  You are sure to find something to please all members of the family, and it is a great way to give Mom a break from the kitchen to let the whole family indulge in something they all love.

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s 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.**

Kellogg’s Cinnabon Snack Bars *Review*

I have always  loved Cinnamon rolls of almost any kind and I usually have to refrain from eating them, otherwise I tend to over indulge.  I had always walked by the Cinnabon stores in the local malls, but never actually stopped to give them a try and I finally gave in on a day where, I was starving and had a craving for something sweet.  I sat down with my drink in hand and this huge cinnamon roll, and took my first bite.  That was when all those happy joy endorphins started partying like it was 1999 and I had found one of the best cinnamon rolls I had ever had.

I love to head to Cinnabon when I can, but that isn’t always possible with our busy schedule and having two toddlers, makes it next to impossible to just head to the mall whenever I feel like it.  I was delighted to find out that there was a way to enjoy that favorite Cinnabon flavor in a snack bar.  Mom Central offered me and my family a chance to give Kellogg’s Cinnabon Snack Bars a try so, I quickly accepted because I was eager to see if they tasted just as good as the Cinnabon rolls that I bought in the mall

The Kellogg’s Cinnabon Snack Bars can be eaten right out of their package or warmed slightly in the microwave.  I prefer to eat mine a little warm so I microwaved mine for about 10-15 seconds.  After taking a bite, I was pleasantly surprised.  Although, they aren’t quite like a sticky gooey Cinnabon Cinnamon roll, they are pretty yummy.  They are perfect for the kids too, and excellent when you want to give them a snack, or you need something to bring when you are on the go.  They are a little heavy on the cinnamon which I don’t mind since I love cinnamon, so the more their is the better.  Each bar is an amazing 150 calories, so  you can indulge and not feel guilty about having a treat.

If you haven’t tried them yet, they are a perfect treat to share with the family or keep to yourself.  I found them in the breakfast isle next to all the granola bar type snacks.  Kellogg’s Cinnabon Snack Bars are a really yummy alternative to the same old boring granola bars.

Making Life Better

Summer is always a great time for us as a family, and we spend a lot of time outdoors taking walks in the evening or just playing with the boys.  No matter what though, I tend to spend time doing all the things around the house while my husband takes the boys outdoors during meal preparations and I almost never seem to be caught up with everything.  Family time is incredibly important and helps children with a sense of security and their confidence, and I place a high value on that, so I try and get as much time with my kids as I can.

One of the things I seem to dread is figuring out what is for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Let’s face it, as a Mom, things can become overly routine and you start to get bored with the same meals every day and the same routines.  You have to start to get creative and to help you do that, there is a great resource for family meal planning.  Unilever has  teamed up with Jennifer Bushman, the author of the “Kitchen Coach” cookbook series,  to create the ultimate Family Fun Book.  This book is filled with great recipes and affordable meal ideas that help bring family together.

Bushman recommends making meal time “family time.” Some ways in which she recommends are allowing the kids to help with meal preparations, keeping a well stocked refrigerator/freezer and pantry with versatile ingredients. In addition she wants you to be creative and make meals fun by incorporating a theme.  One of my favorite ideas that she suggests is a carpet picnic right in your living room.  I know that we always are sitting at the kitchen table, so the change in scenery and the way we eat would be exciting and fun for the boys.

The Family Fun Book can be downloaded for free and it is an excellent resource for bringing families together and is loaded with creative ideas to make meal time special for you and your family.  MakingLifeBetter.com offers the Family Fun Book, but their site also has tons of valuable information as well, so gather up some meal tips with the Free Family Fun Book, and then have a look around, and I bet you can find some really useful information!

***I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Unilever/Making Life Better. Mom Central sent me a gift card and a copy of the Family Fun Book to thank me for taking the time to participate.***

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