Product Reviews by The Experimental Mommy
Mom and Baby Product Review and Giveaway Blog
Congrats to these lucky winners of my recent giveaways!
Mama Wants Her Body Back DVD: Shawna
Vick’s Starry Night Humidifier: Cathy W. and Kara P.
Rothschild Kids Coat: Heather R.
Hershey’s Stocking Giveaway: Becky
Lightcatcher Curtains: Donna B.
Cardstore.com: Susan
Redbox Blu-Ray Player Giveaway: Ty
You will all receive an email shortly. Please make sure you are aware of my winner’s policies before claiming your prize. CONGRATS!
While we monitor our children’s television programs, there have been times when my girls want to be grown ups, grab the remote and try to find their favorite shows. Most of the time, this only ends up in frustration for both the girls and I. So, we were thrilled to try out the new SONY “Child-Friendly” Remote Control. About the product:
“Announced on Oct. 18, the colorful, durably constructed new RM-KZ1 Children’s Remote is splash proof and features locked down battery and programming compartments. Additionally, it has a “volume limiting” feature that does not allow volume to be changed +/- 3 steps within 30 seconds.
Built for small hands, the RM-KZ1 remote features up to seven parent assignable “favorites” buttons, allowing parents to maintain control over channel availability, and can control up to two components (TV – Sat/Cable). Further, multi-beam IR allows for improved reliability while changing channels.”
When we received the remote, the girls were immediately drawn to it’s design. With fun colors and shapes, they couldn’t wait to figure it out. The remote features seven buttons in different colors and shapes which were easy to program to their favorite (parent-approved) channels. My girls quickly learned that if they wanted to watch the Disney Channel, they needed to press the “heart” button or the “star” button to see Nickelodeon. As a Mom, I also love that they cannot turn the volume up at a rapid pace due to the volume control feature.
The SONY Child-Friendly Remote has made my life so much easier and given the girls a sense of independence. I no longer have to stop my tasks to change the channel or adjust the volume. The remote can be purchased for just under $18 from Target and would make a great stocking stuffer!
As my daughter gets older, she is starting to move on from her old favorite cartoons (Dora and Dragon Tales) to being…shall we say….obsessed with Hannah Montana. She has been a HUGE fan for almost 2 years now and just can’t get enough. We let my daughter choose one 30 minute TV show to watch before bed each night and she ALWAYS chooses Hannah. In fact, I think I can recite every episode (and I admit that I like the episodes, too).
Recently, Hannah Montana removed her infamous blonde wig to reveal her true identity on Jay Leno while we were all glued to the television. Now, you can relive all of your favorite episodes by watching Hannah Montana: Who Is Hannah Montana. Released on November 2nd, this DVD contains 8 of the most popular episodes including when Hannah takes the stage the first time as Miley Stewart. About the DVD:
“World-famous superstar Hannah Montana has been living a double life as Malibu teen Miley Stewart?! Say what, say what? In the much-anticipated, 1-hour episode from the all-new season, HANNAH MONTANA FOREVER, the whole world will watch as Hannah takes the wig off … for good! This is the must-have series collection that includes all of Hannah’s biggest moments when she takes off the wig and shares her true identity. Hannah has been rocking the world and living the celebrity life, but behind all the glitz and glamour, she’s just a normal teenage girl named Miley Stewart. Things get complicated when she has to keep her true identity from friends, classmates, crushes, paparazzi and millions of fans! Join Miley on a journey of self-discovery in 8 hilarious episodes — including the sensational series pilot! Watch as she confesses her double life to her BFFs Lilly and Oliver, then to Jake, and then to…? You’ll have to watch to find out! Will Hannah finally take center stage as Miley Stewart? It’s the big moment y’all have been waiting for — and you can see it first, only on this DVD! Sweet nibblets!”
This DVD is the perfect stocking stuffer or birthday gift for any Hannah-obsessed girl! Hannah Montana: Who Is Hannah Montana
GIVEAWAY
Do you have a Hannah fan in your home? Two lucky readers will win one copy of “Hannah Montana: Who is Hannah Montana!”
How to enter:
1. Tell me which episode of Hannah Montana (any season) is your child’s favorite!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.
5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 29th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
Baking at Hershey's Test Kitchens
There’s just something about the holidays that makes me want to be in the kitchen creating yummy treats for my friends and family. Unfortunately, I am so not capable of doing anything edible. However, I think my skill was bumped up a notch after visiting the Hershey’s test kitchens last week! I think the incredible people that develop the recipes at Hershey’s were shocked to find out that I had basically no baking experience. They were so nice and taught me many tips and tricks for navigating the kitchen and making the perfect cookie.
Before this trip (which you will hear a LOT more about in the days to come), I would have never, and I mean NEVER, attempted to make cookies as teacher gifts for the holidays and certainly never hosted a cookie exchange. But with my confidence at an all time high and armed with the best Hershey’s products, I decided to bake. Shocked? Anxious to see how it turned out? Along with the help of my daughter, we decided to bake the KISSES Cocoa Cookies and the Reese’s Chewy Chocolate Cookies. Wanna try?
Reese’s Chewy Chocolate Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. I used a hand mixer, but a stand mixer would have been infinitely easier.
3. Stir in peanut butter chips (I used my hands to mix them in!). Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
Makes about 4-1/2 dozen cookies.
The results? FA-BU-LOUS. My daughter and I had such a great time making the cookies together and they were indeed edible! Score! You really have to try this and any other recipe at HersheysCookies.com. If I can do it, it will be a piece of cake for you! While you are there, make sure you enter to win one of two $10,000 kitchen makeovers (one for you and one for a friend…or me…LOL!).
GIVEAWAY
Do you want to try a few of the recipes and have a cookie exchange of your very own? Hershey’s will generously provide one reader with the following prize pack:
How to enter:
1. Visit HersheysCookies.com and tell me what makes your mouth water?!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and HersheysCookies.com (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Hershey’s Kisses on Facebook.
5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 29th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
My Christmas wish list goes a little something like this:
1. Drinking Chocolate from Sucre
2. Salted Caramel cupcake from Sucre
3. Gift card to Sucre
See a theme here? If you are not lucky enough to live here in New Orleans, you may not have had the chance to sample Sucre confections. However, did you know they ship?!? During Mardi Gras 2010, I had the opportunity to try the King Cake which was heavenly. I loved it so much that I had one shipped to Cecelia at Cool Baby Kid to give her a taste of New Orleans.
Now, this holiday season, I was given the opportunity to try the Sucre Macaroons. They arrived in perfect condition and in the cutest striped box with a gold ribbon. About the holiday macaroons:
“Filled with rich chocolate mousseline or cool peppermint cream, these delicate cookies make for a very merry holiday season.”
When I opened the box, I couldn’t wait to dive in to the Double Dark Chocolate and Candy Cane Macaroons, but they were so pretty! Being a lover of chocolate, I couldn’t hold out too long and tried the chocolate ones first. The macaroons are very light and delicate but full of flavor. Very tasty! This box of 15 Macaroons sells for $24 making it a great gift for a party hostess or school teacher.
Sucre New Orleans also has an array of confections for any palette. I definitely want to try some of the drinking chocolate, marshmallows and caramel cookies. But, my absolute favorite is the salted caramel cupcakes (which I don’t think are available online), so if you are ever in New Orleans, it is a must taste experience!
GIVEAWAY
Are you drooling yet? One lucky reader will win a set of these yummy holiday macaroons from Sucre New Orleans!
How to enter:
1. Visit Sucre New Orleans and tell me what makes your mouth water?!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Sucre (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @SucreNewOrleans on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Sucre New Orleans on Facebook.
5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 22nd. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
While my family is still young, my husband and I are trying hard to form some lasting holiday traditions that we will carry on for years to come. One thing I have begun is taking my oldest daughter to a holiday tea with my Mom. This year, we chose the Monte the Lion’s Children’s Holiday Tea at the Hotel Monteleone. About the event:
“Some of the season’s favorite Christmas characters including, Santa, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman and Santa’s elves, will all be in attendance sharing in the festivities. Mrs. Claus will be reading classic Christmas tales and a trumpeter will lead special guests in a musical parade. Savory treats, games and caroling will fill the air with joy. Monte the Lion will close the day by presenting each of his new friends with a Monte stuffed animal.”
When we arrived the hotel, my daughter was in awe of the gorgeous tree in the lobby (and I was speechless, too!). We quickly made our way to the banquet room and took a picture with Monte the Lion and a few of Santa’s elves. We were escorted to our beautifully decorated table and almost instantly, we were served tea, milk or coffee. The food was presented on beautiful trays and was truely a work of art in itself.
After we ate, my daughter got the chance to make her own cupcake (nothing says Christmas like gummy worms on a buttercream cupcake, right?). While Santa was available for pictures ($10), Mrs. Claus led the kids in a reading of “The Night Before Christmas” followed by some fun reindeer games including Bingo and Rudolph Says.
We had an amazing time and I beleive we created some wonderful holiday memories. Everyone in my party agreed that the event was very child friendly (they even served peanut butter and jelly wraps and pizza for the kids!). We would definitely consider attening again next year!
If you are looking to start a holiday tradition with your kids, there is another seating of Monte the Lion’s Children’s Holiday Tea on December 18th at both 10:00am and 2:00pm. Tickets can be purchased for $36 for kids and $49 for adults.
If you ask me some things that remind me of Easter, I would probably say fancy hats, egg hunts and PEEPS! I mean, doesn’t the Easter Bunny deliver those marshmallow-y chicken shaped PEEPS to every little girl and boy on the Eve of Easter? For many years, I have received PEEPS in my basket, but I had no idea that the product line, Just Born, includes many different products.
For the Holiday Season, I was asked to try the new PEEPS Chocolate Covered Mint Flavored Trees. Anything chocolate covered automatically gets my attention, so I was game. The trees arrived individually packaged which makes them great to stick in a stocking or for a class party. Both of my daughters immediately wanted to try them. My oldest daughter LOVED the mint flavor! My youngest ate all the chocolate off the marshmallow (that’s my kinda girl!).
Because New Orleans has been hit with a cold front, we have been consuming an unusual amount of hot chocolate in my home. In an effort to find more uses for the new product, as well as spice up the hot chocolate, I decided to make my own little concoction. I made a glass of hot chocolate and topped with a generous serving of whipped cream. I unwrapped a PEEP Chocolate Covered Mint Flavored Tree and let it float atop the cream until it began to dissolve. The mint flavor seeped into the hot chocolate and made a wonderful little creation!
Wondering what else you can do with these little trees? Check out the holiday recipe section! I personally want to try the PEEPS S’Mores!
GIVEAWAY
Did you find a recipe you would love to try? One lucky reader will receive a gift box filled with Just Born brand candies, including PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and PEANUT CHEWS®.
How to enter:
1. Check out the PEEPS Holiday Recipes and tell me which one you would like to try!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and PEEPS (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.
5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on December 21st. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
My youngest daughter looks up to her older sister. She no longer wants to play with age appropriate toys and only will entertain playing with her sister’s toys. Most of the time, this is not a problem, but big sister’s room is graced with an expansive and beautiful doll house which little sister is not allowed to touch. So, I was thrilled to be able to introduce little sister to the a Constructive Playthings Exclusive, the Country Cottage with Furniture.
To be honest, I didn’t know how it would go. While the cottage is very nice, it isn’t as intricate as her sister’s, but is MUCH more age appropriate for my almost 3 year old. When the house arrived, I opened the box and immediately smelled wood. I love that smell! This cottage is obviously made of real wood which is a great benefit to longevity of the toy. Usually, my husband puts together the toys, but I decided to take on the challenge and was pleasantly surprised. I was able to assemble the entire house in only about 15-20 minutes (I learned that hinges are my nemesis). All parts were included and undamaged and the instructions were quite clear. A little about the Cottage from the website:
“Children who love to play house will love this beautiful country cottage. The house with its 18-pc wooden furniture set and accessories, complete with cloth blankets and pillows, will inspire young imaginations everywhere. This 16″ H x 11 7/8″ W x 8 1/4″ D solid wood house on hinges opens and closes for play and easy storage of furniture and accessories.”
We also received a posable family with the cottage (sold separately) which includes 4 family members. I strategically placed them in the house and called my daughter in to see what I had done. She was elated to have her very own house and immediately went to play. The house kept her attention for at least 30 minutes (which is a lot for a 2 year old) while she used her imagination to create real life scenarios in the cottage.
As a Mom, I like that the house is sturdy, easy to assemble and priced right! If you are looking to do your holiday shopping, the cottage can be purchased for $54.99 (or $46.75 with my 15% discount!). I like that the house opens on hinges and magnetically closes to keep all the pieces in one spot. The cottage is also small enough to be stored in the closet and moved around the house for playtime.
If you are not in the market for a doll house, make sure you check out the other great gifts for the holidays available at Constructive Playthings. And as a Constructive Mom, I can offer you a 15% off discount. Just click on my link to take advantage of the sale (this is NOT an affiliate link).
GIVEAWAY
Would your child love the Cottage from Constructive Playthings? You are in luck! I have one Cottage with Furniture to give away to one reader!
How to enter:
1. Visit Constructive Playthings and take a look around. Come back here and tell us what other item a child in your life would love to receive for the Holidays. Remember that by clicking this button you receive a 15% discount off your entire order.
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @ConstructiveMom on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook and Constructive Playthings on Facebook.
5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on January 4th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. and Canadian Residents only.
This year, I have been fortunate enough to work with Redbox quite often. Before this time, I had no idea that Redbox even existed or how to use it. Now, I am a Redbox Regular! About the company:
“For added convenience, customers can visit www.redbox.com to choose their title online and pick it up immediately at the redbox location of their choice. At redbox.com, consumers can select their favorite movies from up to 200 available titles, choose from thousands of redbox locations nationwide for pick-up, and provide valid credit or debit card information to guarantee the title’s availability. Once payment is confirmed, the selected DVDs are held for the customer at the chosen redbox location for 24 hours. Redbox.com leverages real-time inventory data and will provide an alternative location if the selected redbox does not have the title in stock.”
We have rented many, many DVDs from Redbox over the course of the year, but I will admit that I have yet to rent a movie in Blu-ray. Probably because I don’t have a player….I mean, what’s so good about Blu-ray anyway? After reading on the Better on Blu-ray website, I learned that movies on Blu-ray not only look better, but sound better to! And you don’t need a fancy-smancy TV to enjoy the benefits of Blu-ray. The movies look better even on older televisions!
Do you want to see if it is really “Better in Blu-ray?” Each time you rent a movie at a local Redbox and provide your email address between now and December 31st, you will be entered to win a fabulous Blu-ray Prize Pack which includes a Blu-ray Player AND an entire year’s worth of rentals!
GIVEAWAY
Are you a fan of instant gratification? Hate to wait till December 31st to see if you won the Better in Blu Sweepstakes? Well, you don’t have to!! Thanks to Redbox, one lucky reader will win their very own Blu-ray Prize Pack including a Blu-ray player and a year’s worth of Redbox rentals (ARV $175)!!
How to enter:
1. Visit Redbox and tell me what movie you would rent on Blu-ray first!
Additional entries:
1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).
2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)
3. Subscribe to my blog.
4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.
5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.
Contest ends at 9:00am CST on December 15th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.
In 2009, Bridgette co-founded a consultation service, Double Duty Divas, LLC in order to connect brands and bloggers. Expanding on this business, she will host the first blog conference geared towards product review bloggers, Reviewer's Retreat in May of 2010. [Read More …]
