You are here: Home / 2011 / Archives for September 2011

Boost Kid Essentials: Review and Giveaway

September 14, 2011 By

When I was a kid, I was a very picky eater.  Unfortunately, now I have two daughters who are following in my footsteps.  I have to try pretty hard to get them to eat healthy foods and make sure they are getting the proper nutrients.  n an effort to make sure my girls grow up strong and smart, I am constantly looking for new ways supply them with the daily allowance of vitamins and minerals.

Recently, I think I solution may have made it’s way to my email inbox!  BOOST Kids Essentials has challenged my daughters and I to try the Nutritionally Complete Drink and offer our feedback.  About BOOST Kids Essentials:

“Not only is BOOST® Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink loved by kids for its taste, it also contains complete nutrition! It’s gluten-free, lactose-free and great for growing kids — even kids who are picky eaters.  Available in vanilla and chocolate, BOOST Kid Essentials Drink tastes great and has 24 essential vitamins and minerals.”

Like anything I give my daughters, I tried it first.  And I loved it!  The drink was smooth and creamy and very chocolatey!  I couldn’t wait to get their opinions.  After school, my kids are ravenous, so it is the perfect time to offer a healthy snack.  My youngest chose Vanilla and my oldest decided on the chocolate drink.  Success! Before I knew it, both drinks were GONE.

Photobucket

After looking at the BOOST Kids Essentials website, I found some incredibly tasty recipes (the chocolate pudding pops look great!) as well as tips for picky eaters.  BOOST Kids Essentials can be found at Walmart and if you would like to try it with your kids, make sure you print the $3.00 off coupon first!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will win a BOOST Kids Essential Prize Pack including 2 4-packs of BOOST Kid Essentials Nutritionally Complete Drink (1 pack vanilla, 1 pack chocolate, a recipe book, a $35 gift certificate to Walmart, a coupon packet for BOOST Kid Essentials ($3 off value each), and a branded backpack.

How to Enter:

1. Check out the BOOST Kids Essentials recipes and tell me which one you would try.

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and BOOST Kids Essentials (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (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 BOOST on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on September 28th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a differing opinion of the product. While a sample product was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , , ,

Zhu Zhu Fashion: Review and Giveaway

September 13, 2011 By

In November of 2009, Jennifer and I were on the hunt for the elusive Zhu Zhu Pet which was THE toy to have for the holiday season.  Our persistence paid off and we both scored Zhu Zhu Pets for our kids!  Fortunately, all of our hard work was well worth it as our children LOVED their new pets and still play with them to this day.

Now, the Zhu Zhu craze has expanded with the addition of many new pets including puppies, bunnies, and even Zhu Zhu babies!  There’s a whole Zhu-niverse out there to explore!  Did you know that some of the Zhu Zhu Pets have turned into quite the little furry Divas?  These well dressed fashionistas have sparkly outfits (complete with accessories) as well as their own closet and runway to show off their sense of style.

My two daughters got to try out one of the Zhu Zhu Pets with fashion outfit as well as the Zhu Zhu Pets Runway.  We quickly put together the play set, dressed the Pets and promptly began the Fashion Show.  The runway lights up as the Pet makes their way around the Fashion Circle to make their runway walk FIERCE!

The Zhu Zhu Pets Fashion Runway and Outfit was a welcomed addition to our Zhu-niverse!

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive a Zhu Zhu Pet and one Fashion Outfit!

How to Enter:

1. Tell me your child’s favorite product in the Zhu-niverse!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Zhu-niverse (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @Zhuniverse on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (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 Zhuniverse on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on September 29th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a differing opinion of the product. While a sample product was received to facilitate this review as part of a promotional campaign from MomSelect, all opinions remain 100% honest.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , ,

Bathroom Makeover with Better Homes and Gardens

September 13, 2011 By 3 Comments

After Hurricane Katrina, we gutted renovated our home during a long six month process.  Unfortunately, we were grossly under-insured, so some projects have been left unfinished to this day.  Our Master Bathroom was a casualty because we figured not many people would see it (except us, of course).  This summer, we finally painted the walls and began making progress.

Because we are still tight on budget, I have been checking out bathroom accessories at various stores looking for the best deal.  On a recent trip to a brand new Walmart in my area, my eye was drawn to the line from Better Homes and Gardens.  This brand was in almost every department of the store….kitchen, bathroom, home…..and I loved it ALL.  So, I was thrilled when Better Homes and Gardens challenged me to makeover my bathroom for $200 or less!

Like any good makeover show, here are the grueling “before” pictures:

Our Master Bathroom is very tiny and separated into two spaces.  I hate the lack of storage and the cluttered feel, so these are the areas I intended to focus on during the makeover.  The Master Bathroom also opens to our bedroom, so the colors must coordinate.

The Master Bedroom is decorated in shades of taupe and brown, so we painted our bathroom light blue this Summer just prior to this makeover.   When I started shopping on Walmart.com for our new Better Homes and Gardens accessories, I focused on brown and blue items along with brushed nickel for fixtures.

Here’s what I found (all for less than $200!):

I found the shower curtain first and decided to design the rest of the bathroom around this piece.  Better Homes and Gardens has matching color palettes, so it was easy to find towels and a rug (which will be GREAT in winter months) to coordinate.  Storage was an issue, so I found the perfect over the toilet cabinet to turn a wasted space into something functional.  Finally, what NOLA gal doesn’t have some fleur-de-lis accessory?  The wax warmer is perfect to make the whole bathroom smell fresh!

Ready to see the results?  Here is my Master Bathroom “after” the big makeover! I am so pleased!

Are you in need of a bathroom refresh?  Head over to the Better Homes and Gardens Live Better Facebook page and win a $200 makeover all your own!  Entries accepted until September 18, 2011.  Good Luck!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  The items listed in this review were provided free of charge to facilitate this review, however all opinions remain 100% mine.
Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , ,

WINNERS Announced!

September 12, 2011 By 5 Comments

I have a ton of winners to announce tonight!  Congrats to all who won!  You will receive an email shortly.  Please respond within 72 hours to claim your prize and make sure you read my Winners Policy, too!

KRAFT Cheese Veggie Pasta: Michelle S.

Creativity for Kids Headband Kit: Laura D.

Nestle Family Summer Fun Giveaway #1: Geoff K.

Ottilee and Lulu Tween Skincare: Renee

Energizer WeatherReady Tawnda

Glow Crazy: Randy B.

PowerSharp Chainsaw Sharpener: Eileen

HABA Flower Friends Mobile: Breanna

Pampers coupons: Ellen

Sprite Spark Parks: Laura D.

Constructive Playthings: Pauline

Domino’s $20 Gift Card: Kristi C.

American Girl Dolls: Debbie J.

Zaycon Foods: Judith

Zulily: Mandy

Lovable Labels: Renee

Softy Soakers: katklaw777

McDonald’s: Sandra

Nestle Family Summer Wrap Up: Karine

Thanks to the amazing sponsors and all who entered!

More fun giveaways coming soon!

Filed Under: Giveaway Winners Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dinosaur Train Lights and Sound: Review and Giveaway

September 12, 2011 By

Dinosaur Train

Do you ever catch yourself singing along to children’s songs and there are no children in the room?  That is how it is at my house with just about every PBS theme song including Dinosaur Train.  My husband and I could tell you every word to the theme song without blinking.  Needless to say my son was quite thrilled when we received the Lights & Sounds Dinosaur Train with Laura Giganotosaurus from Learning Curve.

The train is a prefect size for his small hands and rolls easy on our hard wood floors.  By pressing on the smokestack the train sings fun songs,  makes sounds, lights up, and says phrases, that your child will recognize from the show.  The best part about this train is that your child won’t get bored, because there are additional collectible cars and characters that are available for purchase, including  the entire Pteranodon Family and family friends.  You can switch up the cars and characters and it is like having a whole new train!  Dinosaur Train is about to enter its second season on PBS and has recently released Dinosaur  Train DVD: Dinosaur Big City.

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive the Dinosaur Train Lights and Sounds Train

How to Enter:

1. Tell me another product your child would love from Learning Curve!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and CitiBlocs (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @lctoys on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (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 Learning Curve on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on September 30th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of Beth of Experimental Mommy. Others may have a differing opinion of the product. While a sample product was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: ,

Make Back To School Lunches Healthy with Horizon! Giveaway!

September 12, 2011 By

School is back in full swing!  With school lunches sometimes being questionable, a lot of  parents choose to pack their children’s lunches so as to have more control over what our children are eating.   I’m in that category….I pack my childrens lunch every day.  So, 180 school days times two kids means I am packing 360 lunches a year.  YIKES!

Horizon Chocolate Milk makes for some happy kids at lunch time!

In order to keep the kids happy, I try to mix it up a little by offering them a variety of nutritious, delicious options in their lunchboxes.  Horizon Organic has partnered with Dr. Alan Greene, a noted pediatrician, author, and nationally-recognized expert in organic nutrition to develop a “Top 10 Best Back to School Foods List.“  This list is a part of Horizon’s Toolbox for Mom on Facebook. The toolbox contains news, offers, and advice to support parents as the school year begins.  My favorite is the lunchbox randomizer, which provides parents with ideas for healthy school lunches!  Some of the ideas are things I never really thought about offering to my kids, but once I did, they loved them!  My son’s newest obsession suggested by Horizon is  Hummus.  He loves it spread inside a whole-wheat pita instead of mayo and then fills the pita with turkey breast.  I am excited he likes something that’s full of protein and full of flavor as well.  I plan to use the randomizer for some other great ideas for both my kids and for myself!

I have been a fan of Horizon Organic for years and plan to continue to rely on them for keeping my kids healthy when it comes to my choice of dairy products.  Horizon’s DHA Omega-3 helps support healthy brains for my two kids who are working hard in school!

GIVEAWAY

Horizon Organic is offering one lucky reader a prize pack including lotion, candle, bubble bath, chocolate and a coupon for a FREE Horizon Organic product.

How to Enter:

1. Tell me how you keep lunch interesting for your kids!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Horizon Organics (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @HorizonDairy on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (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 Horizon Dairy on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on September 30th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of Jennifer of Experimental Mommy. Others may have a differing opinion of the product. While a sample product was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , ,

Throw a Friendly Frights Halloween Party with Party City!

September 11, 2011 By 5 Comments

 

With Fall right around the corner, my kids are all about Halloween.  Many evening discussions center around the all-important Halloween costume selection.  So far, after checking out a TON of Girls Costumes, (we even had to check out Boys Costumes, too), my oldest would like to be an 80’s Pop Star and my youngest, a princess.  Big surprise, right?  I am waiting a week or so before purchasing because I am sure they may waiver on their decisions before making a final choice……call it a hunch. 

All of the Halloween talk made them super excited when a huge box from Party City arrived on our doorstep.  Inside was everything we needed to throw an awesome Friendly Frights Ultimate Halloween Party….EVERYTHING!  For just $99.99, your Ultimate Party Kit will include:

IMG_2844

  • 16 Friendly Frights Lunch Plates
  • 32 Friendly Frights Lunch Napkins
  • 16 Friendly Frights Paper Cups
  • 2 Friendly Frights Plastic Table Covers 54 x 96
  • 16 Plastic Orange Fork, Spoons and
  • 20 Scared Silly Halloween Invitations
  • 2 Orange and Black Bowls
  • 2 Haunted House Table Decorating Kits
  • 1 Halloween Confetti Mix 2 1/2oz
  • 1 Happy Halloween Fringe Banner
  • 1 Orange Crepe Streamer 81ft
  • 1 Purple Crepe Streamer 81ft
  • 20 Kiwi Green Latex Balloons
  • 1 White Curling Ribbon 66ft
  • 2 Halloween Party Favor Mega Mix 48ct
  • 1 Jack O’ Lantern Pinata, Bat and Blindfold, Filler Candy and Toys

Because my kids are young, they loved the non-scary theme, but Party City has many Halloween Party Themes to chose from including a Fangtastic Halloween Party!  This weekend, we decided to don some costumes and have a pre-Halloween party of our very own.  Because we had some gorgeous weather, we decided to take the party outside.  The Happy Halloween banner was hung on our fence which was a great way to show our guests where they could find the action.  We hung the pinata on a tree via a bungee cord which was hilarious!  Rather than having an adult pull a string to make the game more challenging, the bungee cord did the trick by making for one bouncy pumpkin!  After a few rounds of the kids taking turns, the pumpkin was smashed and the candy fell to the ground.  The candy mix was perfect as it included candy for the older ones and some trinkets for the younger crowd.

IMG_2847IMG_2860

After the outdoor activities, we took the party inside when the sun went down.  The table cloth, centerpiece, confetti, and bowl filled with candy made for a nice festive display.  I love the bowls included in this kit which are perfect for candy for trick or treaters or even to hold chips for your party guests.  All of our guests had a blast getting into the Halloween “Spirit” this weekend!  The kit from Party City was perfect and extremely affordable for the amount of products included.  All you need to add is food and fun!

Happy Halloween!

"This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Party City. All opinions are 100% mine."

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Donut House K-Cup®Portion Packs: 15% discount and FREE Shipping!

September 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

IMG_2842I have such fond memories as a child getting donuts with my Dad and going to sit near the airport to watch the airplanes take off and land every Sunday!  My brother and I were fascinated being up close and personal with the jumbo jets and we got to spend time as a family.  But, I remember walking into the donut shop and smelling fresh brewed coffee (which was my Mom’s favorite!).  To this day, the smell of coffee reminds me of special times with my Mom and that donut shop. 

Now, you can get that donut shop coffee in K-Cup®Portion Packs!  With four delicious varieties, Donut House Coffee, Donut House Decaf, Cinnamon Roll and Chocolate Glazed Donut, you are sure to find one that transports you back to the donut shop!  As a Green Mountain Ambassador, we were lucky enough to receive a box of each variety to try.  My husband has fallen in love with the Chocolate Glazed Donut variety and I love the aroma of the Cinnamon Roll. Judging by how quickly the boxes are emptying, I am sure these will be on our next shopping list.

 

Are you a donut lover?  Try the new Donut House K-Cup®Portion Packs, or any variety of portion packs, for 15% off plus FREE shipping!  Use the following code through September 25, 2011:

AM0014-3583

This offer is valid on your entire purchase but cannot be combined with any other offer, including Café EXPRESS memberships.

Enjoy!

As a K-Cup Ambassador, samples were received to facilitate this review, however all opinions remain 100% mine.
Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Petz Bunnyz Bunch for Nintendo DS: Review

September 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

petzMy daughter received her very first Nintendo DS (pink, of course) from Santa last year and since then, they have been inseparable! She has tried many games and is finally getting quite proficient at some of them. But, her favorite series by far has been Ubisoft’s Petz series. By nature, my daughter is loving, caring and protective which is exactly why she loves taking care of her virtual pets (and probably because we won’t let her have any real pets in the house!). She recently received the Petz Bunnyz Bunch for review courtesy of Clever Girls Collective and Ubisoft. Ironically, she was just asking me for a bunny about 2 days before this game arrived…..whew….crisis averted! About the game:

“In Ubisoft’s Petz Bunnyz Bunch, players care for the cutest and most remarkable bunch of bunnyz imaginable. Raise them in your house and show them their new home. Teach them how to follow you when called upon, hop up on furniture, and even play music. On top of being absolutely adorable, these bunnies have personality. They know exactly what they want and know how to show you, so if you take good care of them they’ll surprise you with games of hide-and-seek or other treats.”

Since my daughter has been playing the game, I thought it would be better for her to share her thoughts in her own words with you. Check out her first vlog!

As you can tell, she loves playing with (and giving baths to) the four bunnies she has created! We both would recommend this game for your pet lover and found it on Amazon.com for $29. We can’t wait to se what’s next!

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

CitiBlocs: Review and Giveaway

September 8, 2011 By

Any product that can entertain my almost three year old and husband gets an A+ in my book. The possibilities with CitiBlocs are endless, you can build anything from houses and helicopters to tigers and towers. From the website:

Citiblocs are high quality wooden construction blocks which inspire both traditional building and modern design. The secret behind Citiblocs is that every piece is exactly the same shape and size. Each block is precisely cut from Grade A Radiata Pine from certified renewable forests in New Zealand. Citiblocs Building requires no glue, no snaps, no connectors and no magnets: just gravity, balance and imagination.

Building with Citiblocs is simple: stack one block on top of another. Their specific size and shape and weight allows building that is simply not possible with other building toys. Build a small cabin by the lake or a tower that reaches the stars!”

My son has played with the CitiBlocs every day since they arrived. He has attempted to build houses and bridges, but he is a little young to make anything by himself, so it becomes a family affair. We received the new Citiblocs Camouflage Color, in exciting new colors: green, olive, brown, khaki plus natural blocks, but the blocs come in many different colors and are all the same size making building easy. It is amazing to me how high you can build and they remain stable. Unlike different models that require snaps and/or glue, when you are finish building you just knock your creation down and start all over again! I have to admit that this is my son’s favorite part.

Since the blocs are made of real wood pine, they will last a lifetime. An added advantage of the Citiblocs is that they are certified safe and non-toxic!  Citiblocs can provide hours of entertainment for your entire family.

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive the 100 piece CitiBlocs set in Camouflage colors!

How to Enter:

1. Tell me what your child would build with CitiBlocs!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and CitiBlocs (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @CitiBlocs on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Limited to 10 a day, please. (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 CitiBlocs on Facebook.

5. Place my blog button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on September 26th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of Beth of Experimental Mommy. Others may have a differing opinion of the product. While a sample product was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% honest.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »