Stay safe out there!
Happy Birthday Jamie!!!
I can't believe it, but my Jamie's turning 9 today!!!
Happy Birthday son!!!!!
Drop Leaf tables are space savers
Sometimes I wish my house had 1 more room, well no, 2 more rooms. I would love to have a spare bedroom so I don't have to bunk up my kids when we have family come over and I would love to have an office as now my desk is in the dining room. As we're not going to extend the house (unless we win the lottery that is), I've been looking around for smarter ways to organize my dining room.
In an ideal world, I would love to have a dark dining room set that can be adjusted in size and that's where the drop leaf tables come in. I think they are such a great idea!
I like the below idea but am looking for something more modern with sleeker lines.
Let me know if you know of any modern looking drop leaf tables. All suggestions are welcome.
Happy Halloween from Kokopax
Happy Halloween from kokopax!
Our adorable little monkey…koko would like to invite you to send photos of your adorable little monkey for Halloween. Simply send us a photo (post the photo on the kokopax facebook page) and tell us you have signed up on our page to “like” kokopax and you will have the chance to win one of three koko monkey/pax protector packages or the grand prize of a kokopax Classic Carrier.
cutest hats out there
I couldn't help myself but share the following etsy store with you!!! If you're looking for some really amazing hats for your babies, kids, teens and even adults, have a look at Caps of Grace! They have an amazing selection!
Here are some examples:
Park Math by Duck Duck Moose: review
Duck Duck Moose has done it again! They've developed an excellent iPhone/iTouch App for kids.
About Park Math:
Come play at the park, and learn to count, add, subtract, sort and more. Park Math introduces early math concepts to children in preschool and kindergarten (ages 1-6).
Check out this great video, this will give you an idea on how great this App really is!
Blue Bear and his friends have several activities they can do around the playground.
1. SWING: NUMBERS – Count up to 50 as a rabbit swings.
2. SLIDE: ADDITION – Help ducks climb to the top of a slide and learn how to add.
3. SHAPES – Follow the fish as they make different shapes.
4. SEESAW: GREATER THAN / LESS THAN – Balance a seesaw by adding and subtracting mice.
5. APPLE TREE: SUBTRACTION – Learn how to subtract as apples fall from a tree.
6. SANDBOX: PATTERNS – Complete the pattern in a sandbox with the correct toy.
7. BENCH: SORTING – Order the dogs from small to large. Order numbers in sequence.
8. PICNIC: COUNTING – Feed a hippo the correct number of food items.
Park Math has 2 levels for Preschool and Kindergarten. Younger children can develop their number sense through exploring and playing with the animals in the park. Level one includes counting up to 20 and addition/subtraction with numbers up to 5.
Older children can start understanding concepts like addition and subtraction as they deliberately manipulate the characters on the screen. Level 2 includes counting up to 50 and addition/subtraction with numbers up to 10.
All of these games are accompanied by great music, including This Old Man, Five Little Ducks and many more.
Abby loves this App and her favorite game is when she feeds the hippo spicy peppers, as the hippo will have steam coming out of his ears and tears coming out of his eyes.
Another one is finishing the pattern with Blue Bear. If you have smaller children then I highly recommend this App. As most of you know I'm at the swimming pool all the time (while my 2 older kids swim) and this App is one of Abby's favorites. Actually I need to correct myself, she takes turns with her best friend Addie, it's really cute to see.
Cuisinart Halloween recipe swap and a chance to win big!
It’s Cuisinart Recipe Swap time again!
Starting tomorrow October 28th from 11am – 5pm, Cuisinart’s Halloween Recipe Swap will begin. I'm sure you all have some crazy, fun and tasty recipes you want to share with fellow parents, grandparents,....
It's very easy, starting tomorrow simply enter a recipe into the swap, and when you do, you will be emailed a new recipe, submitted by a "costumed" Cuisinart Swapper. Another Cuisinart.com user will receive your recipe via email. There is no limit to the number you can send. So let’s cover Halloween from breakfast through dessert. Now I just have to come up with an original recipe as I just get mine from magazines.
Everyone who participates will be entered to win a great prize package: a 12-Cup Elite Food Processor, Single Serve Brewing System and PowerEdge 1000 Watt Blender!
So starting tomorrow, enter your own recipes in below recipe swap link and you'll have a chance to win the above 3 items! How great is that?
http://www.cuisinart.com/recipes/swap.html
Pillsbury Apple Pie prize pack giveaway CONTEST CLOSED
And the winner is....
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
183 Timestamp: 2010-11-16 21:06:59 UTC
And this is lmurley2000, I've sent you an email to confirm.
Thank you all for entering!
==============================
It's raining, it's pouring, ... and baking apple pie is absolutely not boring...
With the weather this cold and windy outside, all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a latte and a piece of warm apple pie.
I have to admit, I've never made apple pie before so when My Blog Spark and Pillsbury sent me a package with most of the things I needed to make a pie, I couldn't wait to give it a try.
As soon as I dropped Abby off in school this morning, I went home and started the process. There's something very calming about baking.... no kids in the house and baking.... yes, I can get used to that (for a while that is)
I never realized how easy making an apple pie was. The whole house smells like a bakery and I love it! I made my apple pie with granny smith apples, splenda sweetener and raisins.
I just made myself a latte and cut a piece of the apple pie and all I can say is....it's heavenly good!
Lisa just came home from school and couldn't wait to dive in, she loves it. Jamie's walking home from school as I write this but I know as soon as he gets in, he wants a piece too to warm up from his walk.
Are you ready to give it a try?
One of my readers will receive the same prize package I received:
- an apple shaped cutting board
- an apple timer
- a Pyrex pie dish
- an apple slicer
- a measuring cup set
- a Pillsbury oven pad
- a coupon for a free Pillsbury pie crust package
For a chance to win this package, let me know what your favorite pie is to bake.
Additional entries (separate comments for each).
* Follow me on twitter (leave username)
* Tweet about this giveaway, linking to this post and add #myblogspark in the tweet. (once per day, leave tweet link)
* Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post (10 entries, leave URL)
* Subscribe to my blog (5 entries, leave email used)
* Follow my blog on google friend connect
* Add my button to your blog (leave URL)
* Like Pillsbury "love the pie" on Facebook (leave username)
* Follow them on twitter (leave username)
The deadline for this giveaway is 11/9/10 midnight PST. The winner will then be selected with Random Integer, emailed and announced at this post on the 10th.
This giveaway is US only and please make sure you have your email in the comments or visible in your profile so I can contact you when you win.
If you can't wait to see if you win this giveaway and want to use a coupon to get your pie crust, please visit Pillsbury.com/pie for a printable coupon of $050 off a package.
"Disclosure: Pillsbury provided me with the products, information and giveaway package through MyBlogSpark. This review is based on my own experience baking this pie and all opinions are my own. I was in no other way compensated to write this post."
CPSC recall
For more detailed info on models and colors, click on recall link.
| Brand | Model Number Begins With: | Serial Number Begins With: |
|---|---|---|
| GE Profile | PDW9200J, PDW9280J | MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH |
| PDW9800J, PDW9880J | MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH | |
| PDW9700J | MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH | |
| GE Monogram | ZBD6800K00, ZBD6800K01, ZBD6800K03, ZBD6800K10 | AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL |
| ZBD6880K00, ZBD6880K01, ZBD6880K03, ZBD6880K10 | AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL, TL, VL, ZL | |
| ZBD6890K00, ZBD6890K01, ZBD6890K03, ZBD6890K10 | DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL | |
| ZBD0700K00, ZBD0700K01, ZBD0700K03, ZBD0700K10 | VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL | |
| ZBD0710K00, ZBD0710K01, ZBD0710K03, ZBD0710K10 | RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL, TL, VL |
Littlest Pet Shop: biggest stars review
Abby LOVES Littlest Pet Shop pets and she plays with Lisa's "old" Littlest Pet Shop Pets every day! I think these pets are one of the best toys out there and are fantastic for imaginative play. Our Littlest Pet Shop can climb mountains, skate board.... you name it, they can do it.
So when I had the opportunity to review the Littlest Pet Shop 3: Biggest Stars for the DS, I could not wait to tell my 3-year old! She totally screamed when we opened the envelope it came in!
Did I tell you she LOVES Littlest Pet Shop Pets???
The Littlest Pet Shop 3: Biggest Stars is available in 3 teams (pink, blue and purple).
We received the pink one, which was great as it's Abby's favorite color!
After creating Abby's profile there were 4 modes to choose from on the main menu: Adventure, Pet Arcade, Coloring and Multiplayer Options.
In the Adventure mode, there are 10 pets that have what it takes to make it onto the team but they don't know how talented they really are. In the game you need to show the pets that their dreams can come true as long as they practice, have confidence and do their best. The pets do try-outs and the ones that make the team travel to the Biggest Stars Village. In the village there are studios, arenas, salons, stores and a lot more to play.
One of Abby's favorite games is the Catwalk Studios: your pet can be dressed up with different accessories and then will walk on their own catwalk.
Abby's not really into the Arcade mode, my son Jamie likes this one as he can try and get high scores. And you can check out the trophies you've won.
Abby's other favorite game is the coloring where she can pick from certain animal drawings and then try to color the same as the example or create her own design!
Every team has their own animals and the pink team has the cocker spaniel#1963, cat#1313, horse#1512, poodle#1520, toucan#821 and bunny#1966.
This DS game is a big hit and as I'm at the pool almost 5 days a week with my 2 older kids, Abby likes to play this game on her brother's DS . She loves her Littlest Pet Shop game and I don't need to walk around all the time chasing her as she will just sit next to me on the bleachers and is completely absorbed in the game.
These Littlest Pet Shop Pets are really cute and guess what Abby was asking me today after watching below trailer????
She told me she's going to ask Santa for the blue game as it has her favorite horse.
"Disclosure: I was sent the pink Littlest Pet Shop 3 game for this review. The opinions used in this review are mine and might differ from others. I was in no other way compensated for this post"
SMEAD products: great products to stay organized
If I'm not organized, my days are a mess. As a busy mom of 3, I need organization to get through the day. Without it I forget things, papers get lost, bills get paid late,...
This is where SMEAD comes in, I'm sure you've seen their products in stores but I wasn't aware of the range of products they have, the below products are just a few of them.
I received the following products for my review and 2 of them are my absolute favorites, no longer am I losing bills, school papers, ....
I received the following:
- New Smead stadium file
- Smead supertab file folders: colored assortment and manila ones
- Tuff hanging folders
Before I had the stadium file, I had several piles of papers on the table. There was a system in the piles but piles were getting moved around, papers would get lost, etc.
With the Stadium File this problem is solved. This 12-pocket Stadium File is ideal for clearing clutter from your workspace.
I turned my piles of paper into files with the tiered expanding file that lets me see all the folders at a glance.
I use my Stadium File with the SuperTab Folders so I can locate my files easily.
These folders are also great for school. My oldest daughter uses the SuperTab Folders for her homework and projects in school. These folders have a bigger label so it makes it easier for her to write her projects on there.
The above 2 products have made my life easier, I know have folders for my 3 kids's school info, a review folder for all the reviews/giveaways I write on my blog. A folder for all my bills and a folder for all the work I do for our SwimTeam. This Stadium File is AWESOME!
We also received the Tuff hanging folders and I can't wait to start using these, but I need to get a filing cabinet first. These Tuff hanging folders are going to be super easy to use. They come with plastic tabs that are to be placed on the folder. These Tuff folders are 7 times stronger than competitior's folders and have reinforced rods that are 40% stronger to resist bending and paper tearing.
The Smead products are available at office products dealers like Office Depot, Office Max, Staples and Amazon.
You want to keep in touch with Mead?
You want to find out some great organization tips, check out the Smead Organomics website HERE.
"Disclosure: I received the above products to use for my review and will receive a $20 Target gift card for my honest opinion"
Lawry's deliciously simple seasonings: review and giveaway CONTEST CLOSED
And the winner of this giveaway is:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
59 Timestamp: 2010-11-10 16:22:36 UTC
And this is: Carolina Girl Mommy! I've sent you an email to confirm.
Thanks all for reading my blog and entering my giveaways!
================================================
As a mom of three I'm always busy. I love to cook from scratch but that's not always possible with all the sports, washing, cleaning,... etc. I'm always looking for ways to make dinner easy and fast BUT still very tasty.This is where Lawry's comes in.
I received a Lawry's "Complete Meal Ideas" gift pack that includes all 4 of the new Lawry's seasoning mix varieties with a marinating dish.
- Asian Style Beef & Broccoli
This easy to prepare stir fry meal will remind your family of their favorite Asian restaurant. The dish combines beef, broccoli and seasonings with a hint of garlic. Serve it over rice for a complete, satisfying meal.
- Chimichurri Burrito Casserole
Lawry’s gives the Burrito casserole a new twist with this traditional Latin American sauce. With a few simple fresh ingredients, mealtime just got a lot more exciting.
- Meditterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic chicken
Add a taste of the Mediterranean to your family’s casserole. This easy to bake casserole combines chicken, pasta, tomatoes and Feta cheese for a flavorful meal any night of the week.
- Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic & Basil
This effortless version of a restaurant favorite comes together on your stovetop with just a few fresh ingredients. Flavorful garlic and basil gives this meal its own Tuscan flair, perfect for serving over pasta or rice.
We tried the Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil and all I can say is WOW. I ended up buying another packet as 1 packet is for 4 people and we're with 5.
This recipe is super easy to make, all we needed to get was chicken and mushrooms. And we substituted half of the needed water with marsala wine. We ate this chicken on top of basmati rice and it was a great hit with my kids too!
The gift pack came with a Pyrex glass dish with lid. We had a potluck with the swimming team last weekend and I always struggle to get my dishes to parties. I end up wrapping the glass baking dishes with tinfoil but that doesn't always work out real good. Cause this Pyrex glass marinating/baking dish (it's big) has a plastic lid, we could transport our dish without any problems!
LAWRY'S® TUSCAN STYLE CHICKEN MARSALA
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 1/4 cups water
1 package Lawry's® Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil
Directions
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in water and Seasoning Mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to skillet.
3. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Serve with cooked pasta or rice, if desired.
Variation: For thicker chicken breast halves, increase cook time in Step 1 to 5 minutes per side.
Creamy Chicken Marsala: Prepare as directed, using 1 1/2 cups milk in place of the water.
My kids asked if we could try the Chimichurri Burrito Casserole next and this is what we'll make this Saturday. I can't wait to try it.
I know a lot of my readers have kids and are busy, so I have the chance to give away a gift pack like I received to 1 of my readers.
Mandatory entry: tell me what you would do with the time saved by cooking with Lawry's new seasoning mixes. (make sure you do this entry first before the additional ones)
Additional entries (separate comments for each):
- let me know which seasoning mix you would try out first
- check out Lawry's website and tell me which other recipe from the site you would love to try out too
- sign up for Lawry's newsletter to stay updated on new recipes, products,...(let me know the email used)
- follow me on google friends connect
- subscribe to my blog (4 entries, leave email used)
- follow me on twitter (5 entries, leave username)
- tweet about this giveaway, with a link to this post (once per day, leave tweet link)
- Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post (10 entries, leave URL)
- add my button to your blog (leave URL)
The deadline for this giveaway is 11/4/10 midnight PST. THe winner will be selected with Random Integer, emailed and announced at this post on the 5th. Please leave an email in your comment or have it visible in your profile so I can contact you when you win.
The giveaway is open to US only.
"Disclosure: Lawry's provided me with the free product, info and gift pack through MyBlogSpark. I was in no other way compensated to write this post. The opinions in this post are mine and might differ from others."
CPSC recalls
For more detailed info and more pictures, click on the links.
1. Graco Recalls Quattro™ and MetroLite™ Strollers Due to Risk of Entrapment and Strangulation
Four Infant Strangulation Deaths Reported
| Quattro Stroller $100-$190 Distributed Between Nov 2002 – Dec 2007 | Quattro Stroller Travel System $200-$250 Distributed Between Oct 2002 – Oct 2007 | MetroLite Stroller $90-$190 Distributed Between Nov 2000 – Dec 2007 | MetroLite Travel System $190-$250 Distributed Between Dec 2000 – June 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35735 35759 7111ASB 7111BKW 7111CLN 7111CUN 7111DIA 7111HEA 7111HIG 7111LAG 7111KSH 7112CNP 7112MTR 7113CJR 7113CMR 7113COT 7119GGG 7119WSR 7121MAY 7125QST 7126RNS 7127LEG 7132RXY 7134SMB 7138RNS | 35760 7411ATR 7411BGN 7411BGN2 7411BLB 7411KBK 7411KBK2 7411LV 7411MCH 7411MCH2 7411MLY 7411MLY2 7419LIM 7419LIM2 7419OWD2 7B00BDA 7B00DRB 7B00KAS 7B01MNS 7B03CST2 7B03LTC2 7B03TFE2 | 1104 1240 6110DW 6110F3 6110S7 6110TS7 6111FKB 6111VIN 6113SCR 6114HAV 6114JAM 6114LAG 6114NGS 6116NRF 6120SHL 6121CJG 6121CNP 6121GGG 6121MTR 6123EME 6124LRD 6125SMB 6J01DAI 6J01HRL 6J03RIT 6J04JEN 6J05MIN | 1070 7000KSB 7308DEL 7308DEL2 7308DEL4 7308TYR 7308TYR2 7406PLT 7408MRT 7409GRG 7410CON 7413CML 7413MRN C7413CML |
NOTE: Quattro and MetroLite strollers ending with the number 3 are NOT affected by this recall.
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