Bloggers on Bourbon: Welcome to NOLA!

I have been fortunate enough to attend a few blogging conferences and meetups, but nothing EVER comes to my hometown, New Orleans….until NOW!  I was so excited that Bloggers on Bourbon chose to support my City and bring some tourism to the Gulf Coast.

On Friday, we began with dinner at Besh Steakhouse in Harrah’s Casino here in New Orleans.  Two words:  OH. MY.  The barbeque shrimp were to die for, the beef was incredibly tender and the cheesecake was divine!  Seriously one of the best meals I have ever eaten.  After dinner, we were given $10 of free play which I unfortunately did not turn into a million.  Following a short walk to Jackson Square, we began a Ghost Tour provided by LingerieDOTcom.  It is no secret that I am not a fan of the supernatural, but the tour was full of history and fun.  I guess if I live in one of the most haunted cities in the United States, I better learn to coexist, right? After the tour, we headed back to the suite for some cheesecake and laughs.

Saturday started with a little bus trip to the Houmas House, a sugar cane plantation located on the Mississippi River.  When we arrived, Shannon Lane, a travel blogger, greeted us with Mimosas.  The plantation was gorgeous and we had a great time learning the history of the home and it’s belongings (did you know that the furniture and decor is worth over $7 million alone?!?).  After lunch at the plantation, provided by Global Resort Homes, we had some free time to explore.  A few of us headed to the French Market for some shopping, but not before we got to check out a few street performers on Royal Street and a wedding at St. Louis Cathedral.

Dinner on Saturday was at Dickie Brennan’s Steakhouse, a five star restaurant.  This is one of my favorite places to eat in the City, so I couldn’t wait to see what everyone else thought of it.  We listened to presentations by Open Sky and Collective Bias (who both sponsored the fabulous dinner).  My steak was GINORMOUS (is that a word?) but was incredibly yummy.  My table companions were a freakin’ riot!  I don’t think I have laughed that hard in a long time (by the way, it’s pah-cawn…not pee-can)! The evening ended with a little rain (thanks to tropical depression Bonnie), but it did not dampen our spirits as we walked to Cat’s Meow in the French Quarter for some karaoke.

Thanks to MomDot and BookieBoo for putting on such a fun event!  I appreciate the hard work you put in and the great press it will bring to New Orleans!  I had a great time meeting up with old friends and making new ones!

My Perspective: Pampers Dry Max

As a new Mom in 2005, I wanted the very best for my baby.  I wanted the best performing diaper for my money.  As a self-proclaimed Science Geek, I tried several different brands of diapers and tried to analyze the value.  I finally decided on Pampers Swaddlers.  While a little more expensive, I had fewer blow-outs and leaks on my baby girl making Pampers my diaper of choice.  In 2008, upon arrival of my second baby girl, I immediately grabbed for Pampers on the grocery store shelf and have not looked back since. Have my girls ever had a diaper rash?  Yes.  Have I ever thought it was the diaper?  No.  Until now….

In January, I received a sample of the Pampers Cruisers in Size 4 with the new Dry Max Technology to try with my youngest daughter.  We used the diaper for two weeks before I wrote my assessment, and honestly we had no issues at all.  No leaks, no rashes, no burns, nothing….so I was surprised when I started getting comments from concerned Moms who believed the new Dry Max technology had harmed their babies.  I later learned that my link was shared on a Facebook page which was driving traffic to my site.  Many of the members of the Facebook group have experienced what they believe to be chemical burns or severe diaper rash from exposing their children to the Dry Max technology.  I took the time to read many comments on this Facebook page and try to understand the concerns of the parents.  After all, MY baby was wearing these diapers as well and if something was really wrong, I wanted to know.

Because of the attention my post received and the concerns I expressed to them, Pampers invited me to tour their facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio in early June.  Although, I had not experienced problems with the diapers myself, I had a vested interest in this problem because my daughter was wearing the diaper and I wanted to get to the root of the issue.  I took the time to read all I could on the issue, contacted my Pediatrician for advice, and formulated questions of my own to bring to Pampers.

Upon arriving at Pampers Headquarters, I was introduced to several faces of Pampers including Jodi Allen, the Vice President of North American Baby Care.  My first impression was that these were real people with real families.  These people poured their lives into the new Dry Max technology and genuinely feel like they are doing something great for babies and the environment.  One of the employees, Kerri Hailey, Associate Director of R&D, even tested these diapers on her own children while they were in development.  They all appeared concerned about the issue, and wanted to find a solution for these parents.  The difficult part is that they can’t find anything wrong with the diaper!  How do you fix a problem that doesn’t exist?

Needless to say, I was anxious to see the data and find out how it was collected.  To my delight, we began the next day with a tour of the Discovery Center and the Baby Care Headquarters.  At the Discovery Center, we had the opportunity to see how new ideas go from prototype to reality (and even saw four women handmake a size 4 Dry Max diaper).  At the Baby Care Headquarters we got to peak in on a research study in progress.  Honestly, I had no idea so much research could be done on a diaper!  I mean, it gets wet…it leaks or it doesn’t.  What else can you learn?  A LOT!  Local parents bring in their babies for a day of playing, eating and drinking in the Center (compensated with gift cards which is standard practice) while the researchers measure everything from load capacity to tab stretch ability, from sagging to bunching.  Some of the kids in the Center were even used as models to made molds which Scientists can diaper the mannequins and create 3D images in order to display exactly where your baby touches the diaper and how urine is received and distributed.  The diapers are also tested in various parts of the world as well, so differences in diet or size/shape of children are taken into account and included in the overall research conclusion.

After the tour, we had the chance to sit down with an Executive Panel which included Jodi Allen, Lisa Sanchez (Director of R&D), Leslie Hopkins (Associate Director of R&D), Brian McCleary (External Relations for P&G), and Kerri Hailey.  After being given some background, it was question and answer time!  The panel was very forthcoming with any information we wanted to know and believe me, many questions were asked among the ten bloggers in attendance.  Here are a few things I learned:

What makes Dry Max different?

• Dry Max is ten years in the making.  It is the most studied and researched change in Pampers history.
• The Dry Max technology is new in that less pulp is used in the diaper.  The actual materials used in the diaper are the same as the old ones.  No new chemicals are used and the absorbent gel is no closer to the skin than in the old Pampers.  The gel is not painted onto the pulp.
• None of the materials used in the diaper can cause a burn of any kind.  Not alone, not when mixed with diaper cream and not when mixed with urine or feces.  Burns are caused by strong acids or bases and there is no evidence of this in the diaper.

When did complaints begin?

• Pampers receives complaints every time something is changed, even when the placement or variety of cartoon characters are changed.  The difference is that this is the first major change in the “Facebook Era.”
• Over 2.4 billion diapers with dry max were distributed before the first claim of chemical burn (Dry Max diapers were distributed in old packaging for several months without incident).
• Even after the official launch, it was only after the media got involved did the complaints increase over what was expected.

How is Pampers responding?

• Pampers has increased the number of operators answering calls to the complaint line (1-800-PAMPERS).  The average time an operator spends with a customer is 15 minutes.
• The operator will take all of the relevant information and in some cases the customer has been called back by the staff in the R&D department.  Some customers have been asked to mail the diapers back so staff can assess the problem.  Customers will be offered the choice of coupons for new product or their money back.  No one is forced to take coupons.
• I was impressed to learn that Pampers has even offered to for the child to see a Pediatrician at their expense.  But, to date they have not seen medical evidence from a Pediatrician officially diagnosing “chemical burn.”
• When Pampers receives a complaint, they can track every diaper sold down to the plant it was made in and the crew that was on the line to determine if a specific lot has an issue.  To date their is no consistency in complaints.
• Pampers brought in Paul Sagel, Retired Research Fellow (he invented Bounce!) to investigate complaints.  He says that Pampers has allowed him to test the diaper to make sure nothing was missed.  After his tests, he feels the diaper is safe.
• We also met with Dr. Tom DeWitt, American Academy of Pediatrics Professor, and Dr. Kim Thompson, President of Kid Risk, Inc. and Associate Professor at Harvard School of Public Health who both investigated claims of chemical burns.  After examining the evidence, neither professional felt like the diapers were the cause of the diaper rash and/or chemical burns.
• Pampers voluntarily went to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), met in person, and turned over all of the raw data.  They are fully cooperating with all requests from the CPSC.

What can you do if you are concerned?

• Visit Pampers Village and check out the Dry Max page to get more information.
• Join the Pampers Facebook page to get more information or ask questions.
• Call 1-800-PAMPERS
• Call your Pediatrician if you suspect your child has a severe diaper rash or chemical burn.

After visiting Pampers Headquarters, I can honestly say that my fears have been alleviated.   After seeing all the evidence, I do not feel like this diaper is unsafe for my daughter.  This is a personal decision and I am in no way discrediting the beliefs of the parents who feel like Pampers is harmful to their babies.  If you have had a problem, please see your Pediatrician and then call 1-800-PAMPERS to tell them of your findings.

Please feel free to comment on this post, but personal attacks will not be allowed.

Monetary compensation or product samples were not received in return for this post.  As with any business trip, Pampers did pay for my airfare, lodging and food.   All opinions remain 100% mine.

Portofino Island Day Four!

After a late night, all of the kids actually slept late (well, later than usual).  Bonus!  We started the morning with fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the condo kitchen followed by a photo shoot with the Portofino Island’s photographer, Jordanna Marie.  She took us to several locations around the resort to take some pictures of our family (I never get to actually be IN the pictures, so I was thrilled!).  Jordan did a great job taking a few posed shots and then several action shots of the kids.  Guests can purchase a photography session which is 30 minutes long.  This is a great option if you are looking to get some fantastic shots of the entire family. Take a look at a few of the photos taken, courtesy of Jordanna Marie and the Portofino Photography staff:

After the photo shoot, we too the kids to the Lifestyle Center for a swim while my husband found a way to entertain himself at Portofino’s Adventure Cove located on Santa Rosa Sound.  This not only provided entertainment for himself, but for everyone watching.  LOL!  After he played for about an hour, he met us at the pool because he wore himself out.  Someone should tell him that he’s not 13 anymore!

After a quick lunch poolside, we took the kids back to the condo for naps.  Not a minute after my little one’s eyes opened, she put back on her swimsuit and begged to go back to the pool.  Who can resist those baby blue eyes?  So, off to the pool we went!  Today was really fun and very relaxing.  We are very sad that we have to leave tomorrow and have contemplated chaining ourselves to the room and refusing to go home….but that’s probably not a good idea!

But seriously, we have a had a wonderful time.  The staff of Portofino Island was extremely friendly, the condo was spacious and beautiful and the beaches were pristine. I will share a few more photos in a follow up post, but in the meantime, make sure you follow Portofino Island on Twitter so you don’t miss any special deals!

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience with the product.  Portofino Island has graciously reduced the rate to facilitate this review as well.

Learning Laundry at Tide’s Fabric Care University!

If you are a regular reader, you know a few things about me.  I am a self-proclaimed science geek, I don’t cook, and laundry is my nemesis.  Although I consider myself an educated woman, I confess that I know little about the proper way to do laundry. Fortunately, Tide figured I could use a little help and invited me to Fabric Care University!

Last Monday, I packed my bags and headed to the P&G Headquarters in Cincinnati to learn all about Tide, how they develop and test a line of products, and the proper way to use them….and did I mention Tim Gunn was there, too?

I am sure Tim knows all about fabric care, and welcomed a fabulous group of bloggers to participate in a mock Project Runway the first night we were there. We were presented with a white T-Shirt and a random bag of accessories and were told to “make it work!”

<insert blank stare here>

Create an innovative outfit? Huh? I must be in the wrong place. Despite my hesitation, my Team (Stacie from Divine Miss Mommy, Sarah from Blissfully Domestic and Felicia from Go Graham Go) and I managed to create a shirt which we labeled “Playground Elegance.” Just when I thought we were done, we had to present our concept to Tim Gunn.

<insert another blank stare here>

Somehow, I was elected spokesperson for Playground Elegance. That was a BIG mistake. LOL! But, I cannot stress enough how nice, genuine and friendly Tim was (yes, we are on a first name basis). He offered great suggestions and made us feel like we created a great design (although he was clearly lying through his teeth).

On Day Two, we hit the ground running and made our way to the labs, which is definitely more my speed. We were shown several presentations on how Tide is developed and tested. The Scientists were so passionate about their jobs that it made it hard not to get overly excited about doing laundry! At first glance, you think making detergent can’t be all that difficult, but you would be amazed at what goes in to making the products before hitting your laundry machine.

Did you know that your body creates 50 grams of soil A DAY?  Ewwww….I need that off my clothes and I want to buy the product that does it the best.  In the laboratories, Tide simulates the water quality from all over the WORLD in order to test their detergent. They wash clothes in all types of water and in all different types of machines to make sure that their product will work well in every condition imaginable. Fabric samples are even analyzed under an electron microscope in order to assess removal of soil in Tide versus other leading brands. I saw this first hand and I can tell you that I will only buy Tide after seeing the evidence.

Some of my Fabric Care University Classmates (from left to right): Felicia of Go Graham Go, Yours Truly, Toni of Just Stop Screaming, Laurie of Tip Junkie and Danielle of Extraordinary Mommy)

Much of Day Two was embargoed, so I cannot tell you about the new lines coming out soon from Tide and Downy, but I can say that they are un-freakin-believable. Thanks to Devries PR and the incredible employees at Tide who made this trip a learning experience I will never forget.

Don’t miss any of the action! Follow Tide on Facebook and TideLoadsofHope on Twitter!

I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.  Tide did cover my airfare, hotel and meals while on this business trip.  All opinions remain 100% mine.

I’m going on vacation to Portofino Island!

During the school year, Lily’s teacher asked her what was her favorite family vacation memory.  Her response?  Sleeping in a hotel in Monroe, Louisiana.  As you might guess, Monroe is not your typical vacation destination, in fact this is where we usually evacuate to flee a hurricane.  It was this conversation that made my husband and I realize that we deserve a REAL vacation!  I am happy to report that we will soon be traveling to the Portofino Island Resort on Pensacola Beach, Florida!  A little from their website:

“Portofino Island is the ultimate Gulf Coast getaway and Pensacola’s premier family-friendly resort destination.  It is situated on 28 beautiful acres in Pensacola Beach between the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the gentle shores of Santa Rosa Bay. It is also adjacent to the pristine Gulf Islands National Seashore. The land itself is called Santa Rosa Island; it is the world’s largest barrier island.

Portofino Island’s beautiful waterfront location, stunning accommodations, world-class resort amenities and customized service standards – make it a natural indulgence. No other resort is located on the Gulf of Mexico, the Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The vast complimentary and discounted amenities make Portofino Island a great vacation value.”

We will be staying in a condo along with Renee from What Mommies Need and her family.  We plan to check out all of the amenities at the resort and report back to our readers about what worked and what didn’t work for our families (I plan to hit the spa first!).  We hope to take a dolphin cruise, play at the water park, swim in the pool, bask on the beach, and much more.  And to make it even more fun, we will both be hosting beach-themed giveaways to help you plan your own summer beach vacation! Make sure you follow Portofino Island on Twitter and Facebook so you don’t miss any details or savings this Season!

Have you taken a beach vacation with your little ones?  What did you pack?  What could you not live without?

I’m a Constructive Playthings Mom!

Last Christmas, I received many toy catalogs in the mail and one that really stood out was Constructive Playthings.  I ended up ordering quite a few things as gifts for not only my two daughters but my niece and nephew as well.  Because I was impressed with the quality, selection and customer service, I was so excited when Constructive Playthings announced the formation of a Mom Panel that will feature product reviews, giveaways and exclusive coupon codes!  I jumped at the chance to apply and am excited to tell you that I am now an Official Constructive Playthings Mom!

In the next few months, I will be able to bring you my first hand experiences with many toys featured on their site as well as awesome giveaways for my readers!  And rumor has it that I will be able to offer you a discount code, too!  Please help me welcome the great panel of Moms assembled by Lee from My Sentiment Exact Lee:

Lee @ My Sentiment Exactlee
Allie @ No Time for Flashcards
Karen @ 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires
Keri @ Toy Queen
Melissa @ Consumer Queen
Dwan @ Momma DJane
Jody @ Mommy Moment
Lisa @ Crazy Adventures in Parenting
Gina @ Wrestling Addicted Mommy
Bridgette @ Not So Blog
Kimberly @ Raising Olives

Don’t miss any of the action!  Follow @ConstructiveMom on Twitter!

Easy Blueberry Muffins: Recipe

If you are lucky enough to have a blueberry farm close by, then you should consider spending some quality time with your children and going on a blueberry picking adventure!  The one by me opens Friday and I cannot WAIT to go with my kids.  I recently found a easy and GREAT recipe for blueberry muffins and I thought I would share it with y’all.  They are a nice break from the regular cereal or toaster waffles the kids usually eat.  Even better, they take about 10 minutes to mix up!  Let me know what you think!

Blueberry Sweet Muffins

Makes between 6-8 large muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

2 Tablespoons sugar for sprinkling (but I use more, of course)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.  Stir together milk, oil, and egg, and add to dry ingredients.  Stir just until moistened (batter will be very thick).  Fold in blueberries.  Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin pans, filling about two-thirds full.  Sprinkle batter with 2 Tablespoons sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.  Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.  Enjoy!

How to Peel a Crawfish: NOLA Style!

Are you planning a trip to New Orleans?  If you’re looking forward to visiting the “Big Easy,” chances are that you will encounter crawfish at just about every restaurant during your stay.  From crawfish etouffee to crawfish omelettes, these shellfish are everywhere!  While the crawfish may look like a miniature lobster, the only tools you need to eat them are your hands.  However, if you want to blend in with the locals, you gotta know how to peel ‘em! A few tips before we begin:

Tip #1:  Boiled crawfish are ordered by the pound.  They are called crawfish.  Asking your server for “mudbugs” or “crawdads” will be a dead giveaway that you are a tourist.

Tip #2:  Eating boiled crawfish can be quite messy.  Don’t wear white.

Tip #3:  Crawfish are spicy and are eaten with your hands.  Absolutely do not, I mean DO NOT touch your eyes while you are eating crawfish.  You will regret it!

Tip #4:  Don’t eat the dead ones.  I know you are confused and are thinking that there is NO WAY you are eating live crawfish!  But every New Orleanian knows that when selecting a crawfish to eat, you always skip over the “dead ones” which were already dead BEFORE boiling.  You can tell these “dead” crawfish because they have straight tails.  Throw ‘em out.

How to Peel:

Everyone has their own technique and tricks to peeling the perfect crawfish, but I will tell you how we do it in my family (demonstrated by my husband and my Dad in the following photos).  First, hold the head of the crawfish in your left hand, and the top of the tail in your right.  Twist the tail and pull it away from the head.  At this point, you may suck the head.  Yes, I said suck the head.  While I am not a fan, my 2 year old daughter LOVES to do this!

Discard the head and concentrate on the tail (where the meat is!).  Hold the bottom of the tail in your right hand, and the top of the tail in your left.  Twist your right hand and pull the tip of the tail away from the rest.  This should devein the tail (or as we call it, remove the poop line).  It should be noted that not everyone deveins their crawfish, but it is something I always do.  You may find a small amount of yellow substance on the meat which is the “fat.”  Once your crawfish tail is deveined, you can peel away the red outer shell and remove the meat.  Enjoy and repeat….alot!

If you are lucky enough to attend a crawfish boil while you are in town, the crawfish are generally eaten outside and accompanied by boiled potatoes, corn, celery, garlic, onions, sausage and just about anything else we can think of to throw into the pot!  Make sure you keep lots of iced tea, beer, water or other suitable liquid on hand as the crawfish and sides can be quite spicy!

While the main dish is quite tasty, it can be argued that the best part of the traditional crawfish boil is the company!  There is nothing more “New Orleans” than sitting around a table with your family and friends eating crawfish and sharing stories, jokes and memories.

Want to see how it works?  Check out my husband and Dad demonstrating two ways to eat boiled crawfish:

Sometimes, I crack myself up.

My husband is really a great Father.  Actually, one of the reasons I fell in love with him was that I just knew he would make an incredible Dad…and I was right.  On Mother’s Day, we took the girls to a local amusement park because I really wanted to spend some quality time together.  My loving hubby, because he knows I don’t like “spin yourself silly” rides, volunteered to take the girls on the little kiddie version of the spinning tea cups ride so I wouldn’t have to spend the rest of Mother’s Day feeling sick.  Nice guy, right?  So, how come everytime I see the picture of him on the ride………

All I can think of is this………

LOL!  I just CANNOT stop laughing.  I’m a horrible wife.

Happy Birthday, Aubrie!

Can she really be TWO?  My baby is becoming her own person and a little more independent each day (despite my attempts to hold on tight).  Aubrie is talking up a storm, especially sentences like, “No, Mama!” or “That’s mine, Lily!”  Could I have a control freak on my hands?  Even though we are feeling the effects of the “terrible twos” already, Aubrie is such a sweet, confident, funny and cuddly little girl.  She loves to dance and perform (gee, wonder where she gets that from?), and completely cracks us up when she sings “One, Two Buckle my shoe….Three, Four shut da do-wah!”  Her New Orleanian accent is in full force now!

The last two years have been exhausting, fun, endearing…did I mention tiring?  But, Aubrie has definitely completed our family and my husband and I thank God for her every day.  Happy Birthday, my sweet baby!

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