mommypalooza™ ~ a daily dose of mommy mayhem.

{Review} Healthy Choice Café Steamers

I'm pretty sure I've alluded to the fact that I'm a busy mom of three boys.  What that translates to every afternoon is that I rarely have a chance to sit and enjoy a meal during lunchtime here at home.   What's more is that when I do actually have that chance, I usually have to fix something quick (so I don't have to share with my 2 year-old!) and easy because I need to move on to the next "to-do" on my list.  Plus, I really try and keep my time in the kitchen to a minimum.  I would much rather be spending time having fun with my kids or working on little projects around the house, than being a slave over the stove day in and day out!

So when I was offered the chance to review the new line of Healthy Choice Top Chef Inspired Café Steamers, I delightfully accepted!  I've always associated the brand Healthy Choice with quality and most of all YUMMY bites for busy moms!

I was particularly excited to try the barbecue seasoned steak + potatoes because, well, I'm from Texas and I'm a beef girl!  I really do like the unique steaming technology that Healthy Choice has introduced with this new line of bold and exciting entrees!  After I removed the bowl from the packaging and microwaved it according to the package directions, I simply removed the steaming bowl and poured the contents of it into the sauce, which was down in a separate part of the container.  Genius!

This totally kept my veggies crisp and tender without making them soggy since they weren't sitting in sauce!  Then it was time to mix it up and dig in!

Truly delish!  I could totally see these being my grab-n-go lunch option during the busy weeks ahead with all of the holiday planning and prepping!  And, I love that they are offered in so many varieties:

• Chicken Fresca with Chardonnay
• Chicken Linguini with Red Pepper Alfredo
• Chicken Margherita with Balsamic
• Grilled Chicken Marinara with Parmesan
• Grilled Chicken Pesto with Vegetables
• Grilled Vegetables Mediterranean with Rice
• Roasted Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms
  
  

These yummy meals are making their way to a grocery store near you very soon and will retail at about $2.75 - $3.50 each.  I highly recommend you give them a try!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

{Disclosure:  I received product for review and compensation for sharing my review via this post, however all opinions expressed herein are those of my own.  No one is the boss of me!}

It's almost time for Christmas cards!

We officially finished setting up our Christmas tree today and I'm SO in the mood to start thinking about images to use for our Christmas cards this year.  Thankfully, we are making our traditional yearly event - a kids' Nutcracker Tea Party - in just a couple of weeks.  There are some amazingly good photo opps during this fun event that's become an annual tradition for my boys and me!  This year we're headed there with our wonderful friends and their Auntie (shhhh!  It's a surprise!) and I know we'll have a fab time!  Check out just one of the cutest photos I was able to capture during the 2010 Nutcracker Tea Party.

I can hardly believe those are my two oldest boys!  They've changed so much in the past year!  They love having their photo taken in front of the giant Christmas tree that greets us each year as we enter the event!

So, this year I've been looking at several designs online to help get my creative juices flowing for what I want our holiday cards to look like.  I think I've finally settled on one:

Is that not AHHH-DORABLE??!! It's the Christmas Flourish design from TinyPrints.com and I just love the tri-fold feature!  I love it not only because of the number of photos that it can feature but also because of the different size and layout options!  I think it's just what I need!  Totally.

In years past, I've always been able to include a photo of our entire family even without hiring a photographer to take our picture.  How, you ask?  Well, that's easy!  One year I had all of us squished on top of an oversized ottoman in our living room that was placed in front of our Christmas tree.  Then I setup my digital camera on a stepstool far enough away so that the photo was zoomed perfectly just on us.  And last, I set the 10 second timer feature on my camera and after just a few clicks, we had the perfect family photo in front of our Christmas tree!  I'll have to see what we decide to do this year. 

So, what are your favorite holiday photo tips??  And do you typically send out Christmas cards to your family and friends? What are you most looking forward to about sending them out this year?  If you're still shopping around, I would encourage you to have a look at TinyPrints for some fabulous ideas and deals! 

Tiny Prints provides simple, modern, and unique stationery from Christmas cards, New Years cards, party invitations, and address labels to thank you cards.  Once the holidays have come and gone, Tiny Prints will still be here to fill your stationery needs with their exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers.  All year round, you’ll find business cards, birth announcements and even custom wedding invitations.  Come try the easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality for yourself.  With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch!

 

 

 

{Disclosure:  I have been compensated for this post, however all opinions, thoughts, and ideas are my own.  No one is the boss of me!}

Hello, Moto {Xoom tablet}!

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For the past month or so, I have been using my new Motorola Xoom to keep nearly every facet of my life in check. Seriously.

Isn't she lovely? Yep, that's what I thought, too!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this gadget. I can't wait to reveal to you why it beats the iPad in so many ways. Over the next couple of months, I'll be sharing some helpful info for those of you who may be on the fence when it comes to purchasing a tablet. This thing is SO what you need!

I have used this tablet for everything from taking photos and videos of my family to keeping track of my to-do & grocery lists, and even to serve as our WiFi connection while we were on a road trip last month.

One of the main reasons I am totally head-over-heels for this tablet is because it is optimized to work with everything that is in my everyday world -- Google products! The iPad can't touch the way this Android-powered tablet works with your Gmail, Reader, Picasa, YouTube, and more!

I must say that my new Xoom is 99% always with me in my purse and I find myself using it to check-in on Foursquare, read email, and browse online when I'm on the go.

So, are YOU in the market for a tablet? Why or why not? Or, do you already have a tablet? What are favorite features and what are some of the limitations you could do without? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

{Disclosure: I am part of the Verizon Wireless #MidwestMoms program and am being compensated for this series of posts. But, the opinions expressed herein are those of my own. No one's the boss of me!}

Review + Giveaway | DaGeDar™

 

My boys were so excited to try out the VERY cool new DaGeDar collection, which is scheduled to be released in 2012.   As you can tell, just getting goodies in a box was half the fun.

Alas, the box is penetrated!  {I find it incredibly adorable at how excited boys get over their toys!}

Woah!  That's a lotta goodies!  It was like Christmas morning again.  And, when I told them they could help me do the review for this one (because, let's face it - it's more fun seeing the kids play with these things than the moms), they were so excited!

After a few quick minutes of putting everything together (which was done by the kids), it was FINALLY time to play!

And because you just can't get a true feel for how much fun this is for the kids, check it out in action:

 

I love my sweet Will in that video who thinks DaGeDar would be loved by all -- even the homeless!  He's always thinking of others, seriously!

And now for the giveaway!  One lucky reader will win the official DaGeDar carrying case and ball set!  Here . . . it looks like this:

And here he is describing just what one of you will win for your kiddos!

 

So there you have it!  A review & a giveaway.  What's not to love?  For your chance to win, check out the DaGeDar website and then come back here to leave me a comment here with what you think your kids would love about this fascinating new toy collection!

For extra entries, follow me on Facebook and on Twitter, and then vote for me for Best All Around Mom Blog here (thank you!).  Please leave a separate comment telling me you did each one of these!

Entry period will be through Monday August 15, 2011.  Good luck!

UPDATE:  Congrats to Jaime, entry #4 which was randomly drawn to win this giveaway! Thanks everyone for your comments and for playing along!

{Disclosure:  I received components of the DaGeDar toy collection for review, however, the opinions in this post are those of my own and my kids, respectively.  And, even though I AM the boss of them, I can't tell them how to feel about their toys!}

{review} Edy's Slow Churned® Shakes and Fruit Smoothies

It's mid-summer and it's been HOT here!  Even for me, a native Texas gal who LOVES her some heat, it's been really hot lately.  Not that I'm complaining or anything, because recently I was asked to try the new Edy's Slow Churned® Shakes and Fruit Smoothies.  YUM-O!!

I have to admit that before trying these I sort of thought that a single serving wouldn't be enough to make me feel like I've really indulged in a treat.  But, I was WRA-ONG!  They were so yummy!  I managed to pick up the cookies & cream and strawberry in the shake flavors, and the tropical and sunrise blend in the smoothie flavors.  I was MOST excited about the strawberry since it is usually my shake flavor of choice when I'm ordering from a restaurant.

I was also amazingly shocked at how easy these were to whip up straight from the freezer!  All you need is milk!

The kids squealed when they looked over after dinner and realized I was whipping up shakes!!!  I started with the cookies & cream and strawberry flavors since I knew my kids would fight me for those two.  This is what they look like straight out of the freezer when you peel back the top lid.

Then you just need to add 1/3 cup of milk (of your choice) and stir with a spoon!

You can add more or less milk depending on the desired consistency but I found that 1/3 was a great amount for us!  I will say that you can't rush a good dessert, and even with these treats, that is no exception.  It does take a minute or two to patiently and carefully stir so that it doesn't splash out of the cup. 

But the end result is totally worth it.  Happy kids.  Quiet kids.  What more could a mother want after dinnertime?

And then we even started taking turns trying the different flavors.  And trying them at the same time.

And of course, Mom always gets invited to join in the fun!

So, what I don't have documented here is the fact that after the kids went to bed I came downstairs and whipped up the tropical flavor smoothie and it was by FAR my favorite!  I *AM* a sucker for anything pineapple though so no big surprise there, I guess.  It was SO refreshing, yummy, and just the right amount of dessert!

Our family really enjoyed getting the chance to try these and I know we'll definitely be getting more as the summer goes on.  In case you're wondering, they are available at grocers nationwide and are priced at around $1.79 each.  If you're looking for an alternative to the usual ice cream or popsicle this summer, I highly recommend you give these a try!  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

{Disclosure:  I received free product for this review, however the thoughts and opinions expressed herein are those of my own.  No one is the boss of me!}

Kimberly-Clark & Disney launch some fun with Cars 2 products!

If ever there were a movie our family has been anticipating seeing, it's the Cars 2 flick!  I mean, how could it not be?? So hard not to love the crusin' characters that began charming us years ago.  We even love them so much we decorated our two oldest sons' bedroom in the original Cars movie theme a few years ago.  Wall borders, sticker decals, colors, bedding, you name it!  It's all there.

And now we moms can jazz up our diaper bags, bathrooms, and more with the fun new line of products that Kimberly-Clark has teamed up with Disney to create. 

Kimberly-Clark  and their trusted brands of Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott, Viva, Huggies and Pull-Up has teamed up with Cars 2 in an effort to help moms (that's you and me) manage their Pit Crews (a.k.a., kids and family) this summer!

Between now and July, keep your eyes peeled for the Cars 2 promotional sticker on all those trusted Kimberly-Clark brands you regularly buy, like Kleenex facial tissue, Pull-Ups training pants, Viva paper towels, Scott paper towels, Cottonelle bath tissue and Huggies diapers and wipes!

While you're enjoying taking care of your crew with these great products, you'll earn points for fun summer goodies like die-cast cars, coloring books, movie tickets, and more!   The more Kimberly-Clark Cars 2 products you buy, the more points you'll earn!  The new products are so fun too!  My 21 month-old yells "bbrrrooom" every time he hands me his Huggies wipes that feature the Cars 2 characters on them!  And, the Cars 2 themed Kleenex box fits great into the Cars themed room that my older kids share!

You can view the entire product line and redeem your points by visiting www.kimberly-clark.com/CARS2

Entering the codes from the products you buy is so easy too!  Simply take your purchased Kimberly-Clark items that feature the black sticker on them and visit www.kimberly-clark.com/CARS2 and type in the code that appears on the black box.  Easy peasy!

You have from now until September 30, 2011 to enter your codes and get free stuff!  Upon successfully entering the codes, you'll receive a mailed voucher good for die-cast cars, movie tickets, a prepaid Visa gift card, and more -- depending on the rewards accumulated.

So this summer, race on over to your nearest store and pick up a few Kimberly-Clark Cars 2 goodies and get rewarded all summer long!

{Disclosure:  I received one of each of the above mentioned products from Huggies, Kleenex, and Cottonelle for review in exchange for my sharing this promotion with you, however, the opinions expressed herein are that of my own.  No one's the boss of me!}

While I don't usually go for salad, this one is worth reading about + {giveaway}

Last week I was invited to take part in a yummy blogging gig. It involved food, so of course I accepted! Plus, I could bring my kids -- double score!

Wendy's and The Motherhood treated a few of my fellow KC bloggers and I to lunch with our kids so we could try their new Almond Berry Chicken Salad.

Now, I'm not one who really calorie counts or denies myself the luxury of food. Most of you who know me IRL know that I just eat what I want. So I must say I was a little skeptical of heading to Wendy's and not ordering something truly yummy like some chili or a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger! I rarely order a salad when I am having fast food. I know, GASP!

Nevertheless, I did as the assignment called and tried the dang salad.  Let me say that as soon as I opened up the lid and got a whiff of the smoky and fruity aroma, I was very excited to dig in. 

I should also tell you that I am NOT a blueberry fan.  I love blueberry muffins, but just not the actual fruit.  Good thing Jacob's not that picky.

I ended up ordering the half order which I thought was a cool option that Wendy's provided.  They have this "Pick 2" deal where you can get half a salad and pair it with another suggested item for just $4.99 -- that's exactly what I did!  Hey, a girl's gotta have fries!

The salad was savory and just a tad sweet but I loved all the greens it was served with and the dressing was yummers, too!  I ended up sharing my salad (and fries) with Jacob who was definitely a fan as well.

Nathan ended up having to stay home because he wasn't feeling well.  William enjoyed all the fun "Minute to Win It" toy games that Wendy's has right now as part of their kids meals.  It's only like one of his top 2 favorite shows ever!

The other cool thing was that I got to hang with some of my fave KC bloggers - a couple whom I haven't seen in a while, but we usually work together at least a couple of times a year on fun blogging projects.  And, I got to meet some other new-on-the-scene local bloggers who I just met IRL for the first time!  They were way cool too!

The nice peeps at Wendy's are giving me a chance to treat one of YOU to a yummy Almond Berry Salad, too!  I've got a $25 gift card up for grabs!  Here's how to win it:

1.  Leave me a comment with your favorite kind of salad

2.  "Like" this post by clicking "like" button above. (optional)

Contest will run through June 3rd, 2011 and winner will be chosen at random!  Good luck!

{Disclosure: I was compensated for this project by The Motherhood as well as given a gift card to Wendy's, however the thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own! No one is the boss of me!}

Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive: Week 4

This week my eco-friendly obsession is: REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS.  I am almost always toting one of these around in my car.

 
Not only do I love that i get 5 cents back on each bag I bring with me to Target, but they're also great when loading stuff from the car into the house.  When I started thinking about how many plastic bags I must have saved since starting to use reusable ones just a couple of years ago, my conservative estimate is that it is around 384!!  I typically would fill at least 4 plastic bags a week with just groceries, times that by 4 weeks in a month, times 12 months in a year, times 2 years = 384!  Holy beezwax that's a lot of plastic!

Now, don't get me wrong, every now and then I will ask for a few of my items to be put in plastic only because we use these types of bags as trash can liners for our bathroom trash cans, but even then, we consolidate trash on trash day.  So, if one bathroom only has a few pieces of trash in it, we'll combine it with the trash liner of another one, thus using one less extra liner.

What are your final thoughts on reusable bags? Now that nearly every company makes some version of reusable bag, I think it's very cool that you can switch them out much like you would a handbag or something!  That's the shopaholic in my talking!  I'll go ahead and take this opp to remind you that I was recently invited to particpate in Scott Naturals 4-week Test Drive. They are doing some fantastic things to celebrate the planet and are also attempting to save 2 million trees! Now, THAT'S inspring?! All it takes is using their eco-friendly paper towels, toilet paper, and flushable wipes for just 4 weeks! Our Earth will thank you!  We're in our LAST week of this promotion!

Scott Naturals is also looking out for the cute little critters of the world! For every unique visitor who takes the pledge, Scott Naturals will donate $1 to the National Wildlife Federation (up to $25,000). Again, how's THAT for inspiring?!

But wait, there's more! [insert cheesy television infomercial voice] -- As part of this promotion, Scott will be giving away a Ford Fusion Hybrid Sedan to one lucky winner! Simply take the pledge and enter up to once per day through September 23, 2011.

Scott Naturals is also giving me the opportunity to give one of YOU a Scott Naturals Kit to help celebrate our environment!

The Kit includes paper towels, toilet paper, and moist flushable wipes. One winner will be picked each week! Here's how to enter:

1. Visit Scott online to take the 4-week Test Drive. You'll also have access to valuable Scott coupons!

2. Leave a comment here with your family's favorite earth-friendly activity.

3. "Like" this post by hitting the "Like" button below the post title (optional, not required, but appreciated!).

And, if you want to help spread the word about raising money for the National Wildlife Federation, send your peeps over to pledge to take the 4-week Test Drive Challege! Remember, each unique click will result in money for this great cause!

If you'd like to tweet about this initiative, please use #ScottNaturals or #ScottTestDrive. Happy test-driving!

{Disclosure: I have been compensated and given free product in exchange for sharing this promotion with my readers. That said, all opinions expressed herein are that of my own. Nobody's the boss of me!}

Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive: Week 3

This week my eco-friendly obsession is: COUPONS.  I use coupons every single week to shave as much as possible off my grocery spending.  I also rarely, and I mean rarely go out to shop for clothes, shoes, housewares, books, heck even restaurants - without FIRST looking for a coupon.  Not making the effort to coupon is like leaving your change there on the counter after the cashier hands it to you -- absurd! 

So, I got to thinking -- there are many mobile coupon opportunities out there, but what I would really love is if we went to a universal mobile-coupon format.  If you consider the number of printable coupons available and couple that with all of the weekly circulars that make their way into the hands of couponers all over the country (like me!), it sure does amount to a whole LOT of paper!  Wouldn't it be so very cool for there to be a standard mobile couponing app so that we could cut down on the amount of waste, which ironically couponing moms like me, are trying to avoid?!  Would you be more apt to couponing if this sort of thing were available?

Someone please get on that.  Stat.

I'll take this opp to go ahead and remind you that I was recently invited to particpate in Scott Naturals 4-week Test Drive.  They are doing some fantastic things to celebrate the planet and are also attempting to save 2 million trees! Now, THAT'S inspring?! All it takes is using their eco-friendly paper towels, toilet paper, and flushable wipes for just 4 weeks! Our Earth will thank you!

Scott Naturals is also looking out for the cute little critters of the world! For every unique visitor who takes the pledge, Scott Naturals will donate $1 to the National Wildlife Federation (up to $25,000). Again, how's THAT for inspiring?!

But wait, there's more! [insert cheesy television infomercial voice] -- As part of this promotion, Scott will be giving away a Ford Fusion Hybrid Sedan to one lucky winner! Simply take the pledge and enter up to once per day through September 23, 2011.

Scott Naturals is also giving me the opportunity to give one of YOU a Scott Naturals Kit to help celebrate our environment!

 
The Kit includes paper towels, toilet paper, and moist flushable wipes. One winner will be picked each week! Here's how to enter:

1. Visit Scott online to take the 4-week Test Drive. You'll also have access to valuable Scott coupons!

2. Leave a comment here with your family's favorite earth-friendly activity.

3. "Like" this post by hitting the "Like" button below the post title (optional, not required, but appreciated!).

And, if you want to help spread the word about raising money for the National Wildlife Federation, send your peeps over to pledge to take the 4-week Test Drive Challege! Remember, each unique click will result in money for this great cause!

If you'd like to tweet about this initiative, please use #ScottNaturals or #ScottTestDrive. Happy test-driving!

{Disclosure: I have been compensated and given free product in exchange for sharing this promotion with my readers. That said, all opinions expressed herein are that of my own. Nobody's the boss of me!}

 

Scott Naturals 4-Week Test Drive: Week 2

 
With three little men running around my house these days, I am more concerned than ever about our consumption and conservation efforts as a family.   For example, when serving the kids a quick snack I will use a plate rather than just put it on a napkin or paper towel.  Yes, it does mean extra washing, but I'd rather have that than a trash can full of paper towels.  And when we do use paper towels, we make sure and only tear off what we need.  I buy the rolls that have perforations which allow you to choose to tear off either a half-sheet or a full-sheet.  We rarely use a full sheet!

I also try and use earth-friendly cleaners and household rememdies whenever possible.  My most favorite all-time cleaner is still a spray bottle filled with 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water.  Nothin' beats it, in my book!  We also recycle, as do many households nowadays, and of course with three little boys in the house, we are ALL about reusing--especially when it comes to hand-me-down clothes!  LOVE!

So anyway, when I was invited to particpate in Scott Naturals 4-week Test Drive, I was totally on board!  They are doing some fantastic things to celebrate the planet and are also attempting to save 2 million trees!  Now, THAT'S inspring?!  All it takes is using their eco-friendly paper towels, toilet paper, and flushable wipes for just 4 weeks!  Our Earth will thank you!

Scott Naturals is also looking out for the cute little critters of the world!  For every unique visitor who takes the pledge, Scott Naturals will donate $1 to the National Wildlife Federation (up to $25,000).  Again, how's THAT for inspiring?!

But wait, there's more!  [insert cheesy television infomercial voice] -- As part of this promotion, Scott will be giving away a Ford Fusion Hybrid Sedan to one lucky winner!  Simply take the pledge and enter up to once per day through September 23, 2011.

Scott Naturals is also giving me the opportunity to give one of YOU a Scott Naturals Kit to help celebrate our environment!

 
The Kit includes paper towels, toilet paper, and moist flushable wipes. One winner will be picked each week!  Here's how to enter:

1.  Visit Scott online to take the 4-week Test Drive.  You'll also have access to valuable Scott coupons!

2.  Leave a comment here with your family's favorite earth-friendly activity.

3.  "Like" this post by hitting the "Like" button below the post title (optional, not required, but appreciated!).

And, if you want to help spread the word about raising money for the National Wildlife Federation, send your peeps over to pledge to take the 4-week Test Drive Challege!  Remember, each unique click will result in money for this great cause!

If you'd like to tweet about this initiative, please use #ScottNaturals or #ScottTestDrive.  Happy test-driving!

 

{Disclosure:  I have been compensated and given free product in exchange for sharing this promotion with my readers.  That said, all opinions expressed herein are that of my own.  Nobody's the boss of me!}

**UPDATE: Congrats to winner, Erica Best!