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Fight Monster Stains with Clorox 2 and WIN!

April 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

In my part of the World, Spring is definitely here!  The temperature is warmer, the flowers are blooming and it’s time to get OUTSIDE.  I absolutely love this season, because it’s not too hot for my girls to get outdoors and play all day long.  My husband and I definitely try to encourage active play with both our children by providing a variety of opportunities from a water slide to sidewalk chalk and bike riding to jump roping.  The only downside of all this activity?  Monster stains!

I find myself doing a ton of laundry in the Spring and Summer months.  Between the heat, popsicles and grass, I have my work cut out for me!  Fortunately, Clorox 2 is there to help with my worst stains and you can get great tips from the Laundry Advisor.

Do you cringe when your kids play outside in “good clothes?”  Are you afraid of getting a  Monster of a Stain?  Describe your worst stain from the best memory before April 20th, and enter to win some great prizes including $2,000 worth of play equipment for your own backyard, athletic equipment for your child’s school, and a year’s supply of Clorox 2® stain-fighting products!  Winning the contest will arm three winners with many, many memory making messes to come!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While I was compensated for my time and efforts, all opinions remain 100% mine.
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Hop Over to the BRAVO! Bunny Brunch

April 3, 2012 By 2 Comments

Every Easter when I was a child, I remember my Mom taking my brother and I to our local mall to take pictures with the Easter Bunny (we generally had to bribe my younger brother to smile with promises of an ICEE).  Now that I have my own children, I want to pass on the tradition of dressing in your Sunday Best and heading to visit the Bunny.  However, given the fact that both of my kids generally run screaming from Santa, I had little hope that visiting the Bunny in the mall would end happily.

So, when I first heard of the Bunny Brunch at BRAVO! Cucina Italiana, I was a bit hesitant.  It sounded absolutely fabulous (I have had the delicious food at BRAVO! before and was excited to learn that they would now be serving brunch), but didn’t want my girls to disturb the other patrons if they were scared by the Bunny.  However, the lure of the food won out and we gave it a try last weekend.

We had reservations and were immediately seated.  The girls were given coloring sheets to enter into a contest and a small bunny bag filled with candy.  After receiving our drink orders, the buffet was opened!  We could select from french toast (my favorite!), scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit, sausage, and potatoes which were all delicious.

Throughout the meal, the Easter Bunny made several appearances as she hopped around the restaurant interacting with guests.  To my surprise, my daughters LOVED the Bunny.  The Bunny was very respectful of fearful kids and did not approach.  The experience allowed my daughters to approach the Bunny on their own time which made all the difference.  After a bit, the Easter Bunny sat down on a bench surrounded by pretty decorations for guests to take pictures.  What made the day even better is that BRAVO! donated 20% of the proceeds to March of Dimes!

We had a wonderful time at the BRAVO! Brunch.  The tickets to the event were $10.95 for adults and $5.95 for kids 10 and under…very reasonable.  BRAVO! Brunch will be available on Easter Sunday and every Sunday until 3pm.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While our tickets were comped to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.

 

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Earn Money for Your School with Box Tops for Education!

April 2, 2012 By

My oldest daughter is now in 1st grade at a local elementary school.  Earlier this year, I caught her rummaging through our pantry with a pair of scissors and many cut up boxes on the floor.  My first instinct was to be furious that she destroyed our cereal and Ziploc boxes, but I suppressed the anger and calmly asked what on Earth possessed her to cut up our boxes?  She sweetly smiled and said, “I’m earning money for my school, Mommy.” Hard to be mad, right?

Box Tops logo with website

I do remember hearing something about turning in Box Tops at school but as a busy Mom, I had little time to add this to my agenda and didn’t really know why it was so important.  Ironically, I was invited to attend Box Top University in New Orleans last week with two of my favorite NOLA bloggers (Crawfish Tales and NOLA Mommy) to learn all about why the program is both important and effective.

For starters, Box Tops (see the above logo) are located on the boxes of the products you know and love such as Cherrios, Kleenex, Ziploc, and Juicy Juice to name a few.  If you shop at Walmart or Sam’s Club you can earn multiple box tops for each product or you can earn Box Tops by shopping online from the BTFE Marketplace from retailers such as Ann Taylor LOFT, Barnes and Nobles and eBags.

photo courtesy of Linzy at Crawfish Tales

You’ve collected some Box Tops…now what?  Bundle them up and send them to the Box Top Coordinator at your child’s school.  The Coordinator will sort and bundle the Box Tops into groups of fifty (keeping the Bonus Box Tops separate) and mail them to General Mills.  Did you know there is an employee at General Mills who actually counts all those box tops?

Your school will earn about $0.10 for each Box Top collected.  Don’t think ten cents can make a difference?  In 2011, more than 90,000 schools participated and earned $67 million dollars!  In fact, red Bird Mission School in Kentucky earned over $20,000 for their school alone!

After attending Box Top University, I was amazed at the creativity of the Coordinators at our New Orleans area schools!  They organize everything from pizza parties to “Be the Principal for a Day” events in order to get their students and teachers involved.  With so many of our NOLA schools still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, it was very inspirational to see how the Box Top program has literally resurrected some extracurricular activities at damaged schools.

The Box Tops for Education program has made a huge difference in the lives of local students…are you ready to join them?  Learn more and enroll soon!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While I received a gift card and sample products for my time and effort, all opinions remain 100% my own.
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Where in the World are We Using Our Cox TV App?

March 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Over the past three months, I have loved introducing you to all of the great features of Cox TV Connect free iPad app.  My family loves being able to watch TV anywhere in our home, so I thought I would share with you their favorite places.

My hubby, who teaches about 200 teenage girls every day and comes home to a wife and two young daughters, sometimes needs a moment alone.  Now that the weather is beautiful, he loves to escape to our front porch and watch his favorite shows on The History Channel.

A few weeks ago, my daughter’s built a fort in my living room.  However, it is so big that they can’t see the TV foiling their plan to have a slumber party in the fort.  Instead of trying to rebuild the fort (which they were insanely proud of), they remembered about the Cox TV Connect App.  They were watching their favorite bedtime shows on The Disney Channel in no time!

As for me, being the novice chef that I am, my favorite place to use the Cox TV Connect App is in my kitchen.  I need all the help I can get while attempting to create meals for my family and their is nothing better than seeing recipes come to life on the Food Network.

If you want to watch the programming you just can’t miss from anywhere in your home, you have to download the free iPad app, Cox TV Connect.  This app is FREE for current Cox customers with Cox TV Essential and Cox Preferred, Premier or Ultimate Internet service.  You must be connected to your Cox Wifi account to launch the service.  Once connected, you can choose from over 35 national cable channels!

We have loved learning all about Cox TV Connect!  Happy Watching!

This post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  While I was compensated for my time and effort, all opinions remain 100% mine.
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Get Your Kids Reading with Leapfrog Tag! {Coupon}

March 21, 2012 By 2 Comments

As a product review blogger, I often get asked what my most favorite product has been over the years.  I can honestly say that I have recommended Leapfrog’s Tag reading system more than any other product on this blog.

I first purchased the TAG for my now 7 year old daughter when she was just 4 years old upon the recommendation of a friend.  Little did I know that Leapfrog has been helping children learn to read for over 15 years!  They have been bringing words and pictures to life for early readers and making it fun, too.  My daughter was hooked at the first book because it gave her a sense of independence…an “I can do this” moment.  From that first page, she gained confidence with the Tag reader and became less dependent on the reading feature and more involved in the comprehension games.  Now, I am happy to report that my 7 year old reads well above her grade level.  Because I have witnessed the results of this reading system, we have purchased the Tag Junior for my youngest!

This month, Scholastic and Leapfrog are partnering to celebrate Reading Month!  Print a coupon for $3 off any Leapfrog TAG book over $9.99 and get your reader on the road to success.  My daughter already has her eyes set on the Geography book!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While I was compensated for my time, all opinions remain 100% mine.
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Vote for Doodle Roll!

March 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When my hubby and I decide to take the kids out to eat, we always bring a “quiet activity” to entertain them.  I generally do not allow the kids to play with electronic toys in a restaurant, so I am always looking for new activities to take along.  Recently, I was introduced to Doodle Roll.

“An all-in-one portable arts & crafts activity kit, the Doodle Roll® contains a roll of paper and crayons in a compact package that doubles as a handy dispenser. A perfect “anywhere, anytime” family product, the Doodle Roll® is available in two sizes with a safe EZ tear edge.”

I am looking forward to trying out the product soon, but in the meantime, you can vote for Doodle Roll in the “Get On The Shelf” contest which will make the product more accessible.  You can vote via Facebook & Text Message every day from now until April 3rd.

I was not compensated in any way for this post.
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Tell Me and Clorox 2 About Your Monster of a Stain and Win!

March 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ever buy your child THE perfect outfit for a special occasion and have visions of it becoming an heirloom to be passed down for generations?  And as you dress them, wish you could add a layer of bubble wrap around them as to protect the fabric?  I have.

For my daughter’s daycare graduation, I found the most precious spring dress.  The flaw?  It was mostly white.  Despite my hesitation, I purchased the dress hoping it would be one we could pass on to the next generation.  After the ceremony, we moved outdoor to enjoy the celebration.  And that’s when I spotted it….the dessert table.  It was filled with red punch, pink cupcakes, chocolate brownies and more sweet treats that were sure to ruin the pretty white dress.  I spent the next several minutes trying to make sure none of the sugary goodness touched the fabric when I realized that I was not enjoying the event.  I wasn’t letting my daughter enjoy the event.  For what purpose?

I dropped my concerns and let her indulge, play and celebrate!  I decided to put my faith in Clorox 2 and my new washing machine and let memories be made.  Did we end up with a potential monster of a stain?  You betcha.  Worth it?  Totally.

Do you have a “Monster of a Stain” story?  Describe your worst stain from the best memory before April 20th, and enter to win some great prizes including play equipment for your own backyard, athletic equipment for your child’s school, plus a year’s supply of Clorox 2® stain-fighting products!  Winning  the contest will arm you for many, many memory making messes to come!

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While I was compensated for my time and efforts, all opinions remain 100% mine.
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I’m a Guest Blogger for Mom Life with Jen and Barb!

March 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Watching a recent episode over at Mom Life, Jen and Barb teamed up with Coke and American Idol to discuss the question, “Do your kids need more downtime?”  The topic made me analyze my own kids and the activities that they have scheduled.  Writing down our daily schedule made me tired just looking at it!  Check out the video below and then weigh in at my guest article, “Ready, Set, GO….Are your kids over-scheduled?”

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  While I was compensated for my time and effort, all opinions remain 100% mine.
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Celebrating Mardi Gras with my Cox TV Connect

February 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today is a very special day here in New Orleans.  Fat Tuesday.  Mardi Gras!  Today marks the pinnacle and end of Carnival Season in the Big Easy.  Every year, my family and I ride on a Mardi Gras truck float and throw beads to thousands of revelers lining the parade route.  It is quite the experience!

Our morning started at 4am.  My husband and sister-in-law woke up super early to load up the truck float with throws and food for the ride.  My daughters and I arrived at 8am to board the float and enjoy the day with family and friends.  We rolled at 11am to beautiful weather (albeit a little warm), good music and lots of fun!  We paraded down the seven mile route dancing, throwing beads, and eating delicious fried chicken (thanks to my mother-in-law) until we reached the end at 4pm.  Needless to say, we are B.E.A.T.

For the past two weeks, New Orleanians have been celebrating Carnival non-stop.  We have attended parades and eaten enough King Cake to gain quite a few pounds.  So when the parade came to an end today, we invited family members to join us for dinner and finally RELAX.  With a menu of roast, baked macaroni, corn and of course cupcakes, we had a great time sharing the holiday with our family.

My kids?  Done.  They were absolutely exhausted with a capital E.  My girls were troopers today and hung in there till the bitter end, but once we arrived home they needed some quiet time.  Fortunately, we had our iPad equipped with Cox TV Connect!  Not everyone was up for watching more Mardi Gras coverage on television, so I had the opportunity to impress my family by showing live cable programming on my iPad.  After showing my guests how they can also download the free app, my daughters were able to unwind by watching their favorite shows on the Disney Channel using the free Cox TV Connect app on my iPad while the adults took over the family television….and everyone lived happily ever after.

Are you a current Cox Communications customer and want to watch your favorite cable shows live on your iPad?  Download the free Cox TV Connect app, log in with your Cox Communications username and password and you are ready to go!

Happy Mardi Gras!

This post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While I was compensated for my time, all opinions remain 100% mine.
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Surrounded By Family

February 17, 2012 By 1 Comment

Growing up in New Orleans, I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by family.  All four of my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins lived within a few short miles of my home and we took full advantage.  The weekends were filled with family dinners, laughter and play time.  Some of my best memories are with my grandmothers who were very active.  They would play basketball, jump rope, teach me about gardening and play cards all while having an unlimited supply of gum and circus peanuts.

I am very fortunate that both of my grandmothers are still with me today.  In fact, my maternal grandmother just turned 90 a few days ago!  Unfortunately, she is losing her strength and quality of life which is so hard to watch.  After the death of my grandfather, she lived alone for several years only moving in with my uncle when she had frequent falls.  My Mom and her siblings considered home health care for her which worked quite well for some time.  They even had the local Pastor come by to give her Communion when she was no longer able to attend Church on a regular basis.  My Grandmother loved her in home care Staff and talked highly of the experience.

As her health continued to fail, my Mom and her siblings made the difficult decision to switch from home health to a nursing facility.  Despite the fact that my Mom did not want to place my grandmother in a nursing home, it turned out to be a blessing.  My grandmother was socializing with women her age, playing games, getting her hair and nails done and having meals with her friends.  The experience has not been all stellar, but I believe my Mom did what she felt was best.

I am so thankful for the memories I have had surrounded by friends and family here in New Orleans.  One of the reasons we decided to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina is because I want the same for my children.  My experiences have shaped me into the woman I am today and I owe much of that to the incredible women in my life.  Thanks, Grandma!

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