Kidlandia Review and $50 Giveaway

Now a days it is hard to find something for your kids that is not the same as all of their friends. I was delighted when I was offered a chance to try out the personalized experience at Kidlandia.com. There are many different items to choose from that you can customize. Choose from Disney Princess, Spongebob, Cars, and even their own magical creatures.

The fist item I made was a family map. I imputed all of the names of our family and their site created a custom treasure map with places and kreatures (that is how they spell it) named after us.

Here is a close up view...

I love it! I am going to have it framed so I can hang it with our family photos. 

I chose 3 custom placemats also. 1 for a gift for a friend's son and 2 for my girls. You can put as many names as you would like in to have them show up in the design. 

Piper's is Disney Princess and it is titled the Ocean of Princess Piper and her birthday is the national Holiday. 

Paige is more a a Spongebob Squarepants type a girl. They are laminated and very sturdy.

How cool is this Pixar Cars placemat from my friend's son? I added in his mom, dad, and sister. He absolutely loves it!

I have been looking at a few more things I know Piper would love for her birthday in March. Check them out online or on Facebook.

How would you like to spend $50 on whatever you wanted on Kidlandia.com? Follow the directions below to enter...

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by the sponsors* 

Zhu-Zhu Pets Babies Review and Giveaway

My girls LOVE Zhu-Zhu pets! They love the pets and how they interact with the house and the different sounds they make. I was sent a new selection of them to test out.

Have you seen the Zhu-Zhu babies yet? They are the cutest little things! They come with accessories and a blanket to snuggle them up with.

 They work with the Patty Cake Preschool. It can be used alone or connected to the main house pieces. This is what we did.

"Watch in amazement as the mommy hamsters, energize the set, causing the baby hamsters to scoot around on the floor while the airplane spins and the TV set plays a silly movie! "

They were a welcome addition to our collection which is ever growing. They have a flocked fur that makes them nice and soft.  I am going to get the other 2 for the girls so they will have the whole set!

How would you like to win the same set I received?

The prize pack includes...  2 Zhu-Zhu pets, 2 Zhu-Zhu babies sets and the Patty Cake Preschool playset!  To enter the giveaway follow the directions below!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by the sponsors*

New England Coffee Review

Like I have said before I live on coffee. The amount of coffee drank in my house has now doubled now due to my mother in law moving in. Before that I was the only one and it didn't really matter what type I made because I had no one to share it with. It is nice to have someone else to drink it with. We love buying flavored creamers and testing them all out. I hadn't really given much thought to maybe using flavored coffee instead.

I was introduced to New England Coffee and now I am hooked. You have no idea how excited I was to open the box and find pumpkin spice coffee, I love anything and everything pumpkin spice flavor! My mother in law and I were very quick to brew our first pot. The aroma that filled my house was heavenly. We added only a touch of milk and sugar and the taste was wonderful. The whole pot was gone in a matter of an hour!

Now the second flavor we were sent was Eggnog. To be fair I do not like the taste of the real stuff so I was skeptical that I would like the coffee any different, but in the spirit of true product testing...I brewed some. Let me just say that neither of us will be putting this on our try again list. This is not to say that someone who likes the taste of said nog wouldn't like it.

All in all I would give New England Coffee a thumbs up and they have a quite a few flavors that I am interested in trying!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by the sponsors*

Petcakes Minis Review and Giveaway

It is no secret that we are Petcakes fans in this house. They are adorable and the kids love them. They have the series1 and series 2 pets. We were recently sent a set of the Series 1 collectible minis and they are a big hit!
They are super cute and the girls like that they are small like a lot of their other playset toys.

They have a soft "fur" that makes them loveable all the more! You can find them HERE. 

The great people at Well Made Toy have offered 1 of my readers their very own set of these adorable pets. To enter follow the directions below!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by the sponsors*

Slanket Review

We love to cuddle up in the living room and have movie night once or twice a week and there is always a fight over who gets which blanket between my girls.

I was very happy when I was sent a Slanket for kids for Paige to test out. She loves peace signs so it was easy picking the right one for her. She loves it!

They have a large selections of designs for everyone adults and kids! I saw one that would be perfect for my niece because she loves dinosaurs. It's called the Slankesaurus.

I have tried the "other" blanket with sleeves and I will say there is a big difference in the quality. The "other" one is kind of rough, short, and the sleeves are tight. Paige loves that she can eat popcorn or read a book while wearing her Slanket because the sleeves are roomy and it covers her whole body and keeps her snug as a bug in a rug (as she says) haha.

You can check them out online at TheSlanket.com or on facebook.

*I was provided product free of charge for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by the sponsor*

Ultimate Nail Studio review and giveaway

My girls received this great set by Faber-Castell via Creativityforkids.com and I would like to share them with you!

What little girl doesn't love doing her nails? The Ultimate Nail Studio was a big hit for Paige! It comes with everything your little girl needs for a fabulous manicure! 


It includes a nail dryer, pedicure slippers, toe separators, 2
 press-on French manicure sets, nail art stickers, nail buffer and file, cotton balls, glitter, and 6 bottles of real nail polish in fun colors.Everything gets stored inside the spa bag. 


My favorite part is the nail dryer. My girls can never sit still long enough for their nails to dry so this is great!

 The great people at Creativity for Kids are offering one of my readers this very same set! Follow the directions below to enter!

Cool Gear Review

In my house we go through a lot of different cups and water bottles and especially travel mugs. I am guilty of being in the store and saying "oh that's cute" or "that will work perfect" then after a week or so they are on a shelf or in the trash. I was pleasantly surprised when we tested out items from Cool Gear inc. and saw there was a big difference. We were sent 3 items. The product that has really been put to the test is the Orange Eco 2 Go chiller that I gave to my husband.

 He has to take a drink with him EVERYWHERE he goes. We jokingly call it his "Buppy" I will say that we have had this for a couple months and he has really loved it. It keeps drinks ice cold.  It has been washed I want to say at least 100 times and still is holding strong with no leaks or cracks.




My girls take snacks with us in the car and it is nice to have a nice cold drink to give them on the go. We were sent an EZ Freeze snack container.

The top portion is placed in the freezer until you are ready to fill it with juice, water, or milk. It is then placed on top of the screw on snack container. It is perfect for Teddy Grahams or goldfish (my girls' favorites).

I have filled this and thrown it in my purse and thankfully it has not leaked!







I am guilty of being one of the millions of moms out there who lives my life fueled by coffee. I drink probably 2 pots total daily. When I know we are going to out of the house an hour or more I like to take a cup with me.

I am so picky when it come to travel mugs it is not even funny. I was skeptical when I was sent the Eco 2 go mug because I figured all travel mugs are the same. I like that my coffee stays hot for a while so I can take my time drinking it and not have to worry about it getting yucky and cold.

This is my new favorite mug and I have actually gotten rid of the others in my cabinet!

You should definitely check them out online, On Facebook, or look for them in your local retail stores!


*I was provided product free of charge for the purpose of  review. The opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by the sponsor*
 

Betty Crocker Fun da-middles review and giveaway

     I Love to cook! I know a lot of moms say that but I do truly mean it. I guess for me it is about providing for my family and that food makes people happy :) Most of our get togethers and parties revolve around what we will be eating. I am not a big baker though I am sad to say. I can bake, very well actually. I was very excited to try something new.

     I was sent a Fun da-middles prize pack to make the new cupcakes from Betty Crocker with the icing INSIDE the cake.

     My girls were ready and willing to help me make them as long as they were employed as official testers. The preparation is basically the same except you only fill each liner partially for the first step.

 Once you have them all partially filled you then squeeze in the thick icing in the center of each one. 

Then cover with the remaining cake batter and bake.

I love cupcakes but hate the mess while eating them. These are my new favorite!

 Available in three delicious flavors, Vanilla Cake with Creamy Chocolate Filling, Chocolate Cake with Creamy Vanilla Filling, and Vanilla Cake with Creamy Vanilla Filling, Fun da-middles cupcakes are a fun and portable treat that children can take everywhere they go! They tasted excellent and were gone within a couple hours in my house. Next time I will make 2 boxes!

You can download a coupon for $0.85 off HERE

How would you like to win this great prize pack from Betty Crocker and My Blog Spark? Follow the directions below and this one could be yours...

"Disclosure: The Betty Crocker Fun da-middles product, information, and giveaway have been provided by Betty Crocker through MyBlogSpark."

J&O Fabric Store Review & throw pillow sewing tutorial

I am far from a sewing expert but I can make quite a bit of stuff. I wanted a change in my living room. The best and cheapest option for me was to make new covers for my throw pillows.I was sent this adorable fabric by J&O Fabric Store.

My opinion of the fabrics: Very nice in appearance, no flaws or snags. Fabric came to me cut evenly so I lost no yardage trying to trim it straight. Nice and thick, not see through. I like that they have hard to find fabrics as well as the basics so you can get everything from 1 place! I am already planning a Christmas project :) 

Tutorial

You want to start by measuring the existing pillow you have (or have measurements for 1 that you want to make from scratch). The standard is 16"-18" cubed. 

Add 2" to your height and width before cutting to allow for seams

Cutting both pieces (back and front) of the pillow at the same time makes it easier to line them up. 

Once cut place them with the nice sides together and pin into place all the way around. 

Stitch 3 sides only, leaving one whole side open.

I like to cut the corner pieces off to make a cleaner corner but you can skip this step if you would like. 

Turn the cover right side out and stuff with pillow filling or a pillow. Fold the open edges in and stitch shut.

You now have a completed pillow/pillow cover! 

I have a large couch so I made 5 pillow covers and incorporated an old pillow I had laying around!

What do you think?

They really liven up the living room and everyone loves them! I would love to see what you can create! 

A big thank you to J&O Fabric Store for the adorable fabrics!

*I was provided product free of charge for the purpose of review, my opinions were in no way influenced by the sponsor*

Kinderville Review

I love packing snacks for my girls for lunch in little containers. The major problem is finding containers that do not spill or pop open that they can actually open themselves. Kinderville has come to my rescue! I would not have thought of silicone jars.

                                                                                  

These are the Little Bites Storage Jars and I love them! The lids pop in and out easily and stay in by suction. Piper takes a snack everyday for kindergarten and these work great for her little goldfish. Packing them in a baggie often leads to crushed fishies :(                                                Paige packs her own lunch normally and I spied her using these for her ranch dressing to dip her broccoli in. They are the perfect size for lunch boxes!

Another great item they sent me were the Little Bites Ice Pop Molds. They keep their hands clean and they just squeeze the bottom and it pushes the ice pop right to the top! Most of the melted pop goes right back down into the mold while they eat! Definitely a Popsicle WIN!

Last but not least the kids' favorite item that was sent to us by Kinderville was the EasySqueezy lotion applicator.  Now I know a lot of you are thinking...why would you need an applicator for lotion? Well the answer is simple. Have you ever let your child put lotion on themselves? Mine do it and end up with a thick white layer on them because with kids more is more right? 

You fill the bottle with your favorite lotion. There is a twist cap that you open that slowly dispenses lotion onto the soft foam pad. Then you rub it onto your skin and ta-da no more coated children! I have used it also because I like that my hands don't get greasy from applying lotion! The girls and I love it! I have been carrying it in my purse. 

Kinderville has many more great products to offer, you should check them out!

*I was provided product free of charge for the purpose of review. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by the sponsor in any way*

GourmetGiftBaskets.com Review and Giveaway

How many times have you looked for a gift for that hard to shop for friend? I have a few of those. I was introduced to GourmetGiftBaskets.com and I really like what they have to offer. I was sent the Classic Snack gift basket to review.

The basket arrived and I was very impressed by it's appearance, nothing out of place and very visually appealing. The basket that all of the goodies came in is beautiful and I have found a home for it on the top of the hutch of my desk for storing items that would otherwise be scattered everywhere. There was a tasty assortment of nuts, pretzels,and other munchies in the basket. The only thing I was not a fan of was the raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip but I am more of a tradition dipping kinda girl. Everything else was very good.






They have 100's of different baskets to choose from including care packages! I love the Deluxe sports care package. 

How fun would that be to send to friends at the start of summer for outdoor fun with the kids?

The great people at Gourmetgiftbaskets.com have generously offered 1 of my readers the same basket I received!

Infiniti Pro Spin Air brush by Conair Review and Giveaway!

I am a typical mom, meaning that normally I throw on whatever I have clean, brush my hair into a ponytail and head out to the bus stop or cheer practice. Sometimes I want to pretty myself up a bit (when I have time). I was offered a chance to try the new Infiniti Spin Air brush by Conair and I LOVE IT! At first I thought that it would be a pain to use but really it was super simple. I never blow dry my hair because it is super thick and frizzy. Check out how this brush/dryer works...

I love that it does the brushing for you while it drys your hair. I tried it out on my friend who has short, thin, flat hair. 

Check out the volume and shape of it after the Spin Air brush! Now she wants one. 

I will definitely be styling my hair a lot more often...does anyone make instant make-up??? ha ha

_____________________________________________________________

Giveaway!!!

The great people at Conair have generously offered 1 of my readers their very own Spin Air brush!

*I was provided a product free of charge for the purpose of review, my opinions were in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR agency*

Heelys for big kids

Did you know that Heelys are for adults too? Yeah I never really thought about it. I was offered the chance to try out a pair and see what I thought. I looked around on their website and finally picked a pair that I could wear with pretty much anything. I love skater style shoes so their designs are right up my alley. Here are the ones I picked:

They have a lot of cool styles I liked but I wanted something I can wear a lot. What is great is the wheels come out so you can wear them as regular sneakers too!

My thoughts on them as regular shoes:

• Well made, no loose seams or defects in the details
• Very comfortable with a lot of cushioning to walk (unlike most skater shoes)
• Very nice appearance

I got brave and popped the wheels in...Not the best experience for me. This was not due to the Heelys themselves but strictly because I have knee problems and I was slipping and sliding all over the place. Another thing that hindered me is that I never learned how to skate at all (I know shock and awwww) I guess watching the how to skate video would have been helpful at the time also. My neighbor gladly threw them on and gave it a shot! She is a big kid herself so she couldn't wait!

She said "Woo Hoo look at me!" ha ha it was hilarious! 

I know I will be giving it a try again but I will tell you that she was "Heeling" for about an hour having a blast. She said after she was done she could feel the burn in her calves and thighs so they are a great form of exercise for us "old people" so yes I think they are not just for kids anymore...

I would like to thank Heelys for giving us this chance to try them out! Check them out on Facebook!

*I was provided product free of charge for the purpose of this review, my views were in no way influenced by the brand or PR agency*

Tee Wit Review and Giveaway

Whenever the subject of the girls growing up or boys comes up Hubby always asks when I am buying him a shotgun haha. I feel sorry for the first boy that comes to our house to take Paige on a date. Have you seen Bad Boys II? Hubby and his brother are planning to do that routine on the first boy haha. I was given the chance to pick out some Tees from Tee Wit and found the perfect one for him...

It says, "Sure you can date my daughter, I will let you know just as soon as she turns 30"

I love it and so does he. All of the dads at cheer practice want one too! How adorable are the tees they sent the girls? The say Cutie and have a graphic of a slice of pie. They are made on super comfy cotton shirts that are very soft. There are a bunch more I am looking at for school. 

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*

 The great folks at Tee Wit have generously offered 1 of my lucky readers a $20 gift certificate to spend on their site! Follow the directions below to enter!

Gogo's Crazy Bones Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of Gogo's Crazy Bones? They are neat little plastic figures that come in a pack together. Each girl was sent an assortment of Series 2 Gogo's, a carrying case shaped like a large Gogo and a collectors journal to place the stickers in that come with the characters.  

I love that they are bright and colorful and the girls can play a game with them too! You take 5 GoGo's in your hand and drop them. How they land is how many points you score. It is fun and simple!

Here is a little about them from their website...


Gogo's are small colorful characters that come in hundreds of colors and designs, each one with a unique name, design, personality and special ability. Kids of all ages have fun collecting, trading and playing with Gogo's Crazy Bones!

Gogo's have great play and educational value making them a popular and fun toy for both kids and their parents!

• Math and logic skills are involved in game playing and keeping score
• Reading and comprehension are practiced as you learn about the unique personalities and special powers in the games, sticker album and website
• Storytelling and imaginary play are encouraged as you build and share stories around the characters

1 of my lucky readers will win this generously large prize pack with a collection of series 1 and 2 items!

Follow the directions below to enter!


*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*

Herd of Words Review and Giveaway

I have a budding genius in my house. Paige is about to turn 8 and heading into the 2nd grade. She has read over 150 books and her teacher gauged her at a 5th grade reading level in terms of reading skills and comprehension. So when I was given a chance to try out Herd of Words from Learning Resources I knew she would love it.

The game is very simple there are questions on each card and if you get it right you put your animal pawn in the corral. The game focuses on synonyms, antonyms, homonyms/homographs and homophones. All things I needed a refresher on anyways. She really loves it! 

Learning Resources has many many games and toys to encourage learning in a fun way, you should definitely look check them out. Christmas is right around the corner! 

How would you like to give your genius a head start? 1 lucky reader will win their own Herd of Words set. To enter follow the directions below!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*

Bad Idea T-shirts Review

To me there is nothing better than throwing on a comfy T-shirt and my favorite pair of jeans. Don't get me wrong I dress up once in a while but that is for events for the kids and such. For the girls' cheer practice I wear T's because I never know what I will be doing, fitting and altering uniforms, painting signs, or ducking fly baseballs from the field across the street (happened to me last week haha). Bad Idea T-shirts is one of my new faves. There are so many shirts I would love to have but with school aged kids they would be a big no-no, but they are still hilarious. Thankfully they have a lot of PG funny tees too! Check out the one that I got...

The great thing is that you can customize the color, fit, and style. They also carry American Apparel for the athletic fit too. The shirt is very comfy and I always get a laugh when I wear it. We live in Ohio and here you go from city to country in 5 minutes so I am going to wear it up to my aunts farm and see what they all think haha. 

Bad Idea is not just funny t-shirts, You can choose to have the designs printed on tank tops and even hoodies! I really want this one...

They have great deals and shirt giveaways daily on their Facebook page so check them out!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*

PetCakes Series 2 Review and Giveaway

     A while back I reviewed the 1st series of PetCakes plush toys and the girls absolutely loved them. If you have not heard of them, they are adorable little plush animals with an icing and sprinkle "hat". They sit into a cupcake wrapper and look like little cupcakes. Very cuts and lovable! Just when we thought they couldn't get any better,  the 2nd series showed up at our door!

   
     Paige loves to sit in my backyard and watch the squirrels run through the trees, and she thinks raccoons are the cutest things ever.  When the 2nd series showed up we were pleasantly surprised to find a raccoon (Roco Coco) and a squirrel (Nutty Nicky) just for her! They are now in her bed with her first 2 PetCake friends.

     As I have said before Piper is a panda-holic, anything and everything with a panda on it has to be hers! She screeched with excitement when she met Bamboo Berry the Panda. Honey Cakes is the adorable little bear that she says protects the rest of the bunch.

     I can't wait for more to come out! Now I see that they have minis!  Definitely have to put those on my Christmas list.

How would you like to win a set of these adorable pets for your little one (or maybe yourself)? Follow the instructions below to enter!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*

Roadkill T-shirts review

Like I have said before, I am a tshirt and jeans girl. I love wearing funny tees. I have to be careful about what is printed on them because Paige can read and Piper is getting there! Roadkill t-shirts has a great selection of funny t-shirts that you can customize. You pick the shirt style and the color, they now carry American Apparel shirts too! I chose a men's ringer T and this design...

Everyone loves it and I have a tattoo that resembles the one in the graphic minus the bird. Paige is a kiss up and said that I don't need a shirt to prove I am the coolest Mom. Probably because her birthday is around the corner. 

Roadkill has great deals and shirt giveaways on their Facebook page daily! You should definitely check it out. 

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*http://www.roadkilltshirts.com

Littlest Pet Shop Playset Review and Giveaway

My girls love Littlest Pet Shop toys. They were super excited when we were sent the new Hamster Playground play set. There is a little wheel for the hamster to "run" in and a detachable ball for them to roll around in. It is very cute and they had a blast playing with it.

We were also sent the new Blythe doll and scooter set. Paige is really into Barbies and the like so that was definitely up her alley. She loves to drive the scooter around and there is even a spot for a pet on the bike!

Here is the best news... One lucky reader will win the Littlest Pet Shop Hamster Playground just like we received! To enter follow instructions below!

*I was provided this product free of charge for the purpose of publishing an honest review and was in no way influenced by the sponsor or PR firm*