Wednesday, June 6, 2012

JOURNEY2 The Mysterious Island DVD GIVEAWAY

Do you want to win this DVD for your kids to break up the summer?  Easy Entry just add a comment with your favorite adventure after trying out the Journey2 APP.  Contest ends 6/15 5pm EST.


  • Spin the wheel to get your own personalized adventure!  Will you brave the wilds of Family Movie Night or map your house and have your own treasure hunt!


Saturday, May 5, 2012

Reset you New Year's Resolutions


True Random Number Generator  2Powered byRANDOM.ORG





    Want to win a new DVD copy of NEW Year's Eve?  Just leave a comment  with your email about your resolution you want to bring back!  Giveaway ends 5/10 5pm EST  and winner will be picked by random.org

  • Take The Quiz!  Are you on your way to making the most out of 2012? Take this quiz and find out if you are a Resolution Renegade!?
  • Personal New Year’s Eve Tips! We want you to make your resolutions come true, so to help you achieve your goal we will get you some awesome tips to jump-start your resolution this year!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Teaching your kids about the Election process in a children's book.

First time children’s book author Nick DazĂ© <https://www.facebook.com/nickdaze> , is in the final days (63 hours to be exact) of his campaign to raise funding to independently publish his children's book Roger Nix President at Age Six. 


The story is about kindergartener Roger Nix, an ordinary boy: Roger loves kindergarten, playing make-believe, and hanging out with his imaginary friends (a baby donkey named Jack and a baby elephant named Abe). But when he learns about the plans of Old Man Plee, a perennial presidential candidate, to shut down schools and send kids to work in factories as an austerity measure; Roger decides to run against Old Man Plee as a defender of “school and summer vacation, learning and imagination”. Of course Abe and Jack are there to help him every step of the way.

Nick Daze and his incredible Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/787960356/roger-nix-president-at-six <http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/787960356/roger-nix-president-at-six> ) have already raised nearly $22,000 and only has $8,000 more to go in order to put the book into production.  The book has been fully written by Daze and the illustrations beautifully crafted by Bill Robinson www.FlimFlammery.com <http://www.FlimFlammery.com> . Each $30 pledge towards the Roger Nix campaign comes with a first edition hardcover copy of the book, delivered in time for the new school year this fall.  This is a timely story that is fascinating, engaging, and a thought-provoking read for both kids and parents written by a imaginative adult who was encouraged to explore his imagination as a child.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

Roger stood up quickly. He had something to say
With a wink from Jack and a trunks-up from Abe.
“I’ll run against him,” Roger said with a shout.
“I’ll run for president, have you no doubt!

To close school would be nothing short of a crime
You can't fool all us kids, not all of the time."

He stood on his desk and they all watched and wondered
As Roger kept talking, his voice boomed and thundered.
“We’ll beat him and keep all the schools as they are
Or make them way better. We’ll shoot for the stars!
We go to school so one day we'll go far,
Not because it is easy–because it is hard!

We are KIDS! The whole point is to learn and have fun
And to use our wee noggins...

THIS RACE HAS BEGUN!"

So Abe, Jack, and Roger got to work right away.
"That kid's on to something," his parents would say.
He made lots of speeches; he shook lots of hands
He toured a big factory that made rubber bands.

Then one night on the tube, to Old Plee’s disdain,
The news ran a story on Roger’s campaign.
“Roger Nix, daydreamer and ultimate kid,
Is gaining on Plee in his presidential bid.”

But everyone knew that sooner or later
Roger would have to be quite the debater.
Because one night soon, under some bright marquee
A debate would take place between Roger and Plee.

Please find more information and link to donate below if interested:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/787960356/roger-nix-president-at-six <http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/787960356/roger-nix-president-at-six

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Chimpanzee---still time to help Jane Goodall Instiute



Have you seen the Disney Nature Movie Chimpanzee yet?  I have not and you have another reason to go in the next 10 days.  By seeing this movie before May 3rd you can help save the very animals that are entertaining you...


“SEE ‘CHIMPANZEE,’ SAVE CHIMPANZEES” PROGRAM EXTENDED

Disneynature’s Newest True Life Adventure
Celebrates its $10.6 Million Opening-Weekend
Box Office by Extending Benefit to Jane Goodall Institute

BURBANK, Calif. (April 25, 2012) –
Swinging into theaters April 20 with a $10.6 million opening-weekend performance, “Chimpanzee” proved so popular among audiences that Disneynature is extending the “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees” conservation initiative for a second week. For every moviegoer who sees “Chimpanzee” through May 3, 2012, Disneynature will make a donation to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund to protect chimpanzees today and tomorrow. 







Enjoy this clip of the making of the movie, very inspiring and amazing to see how long it takes and what the photographers had to endure.


Monday, April 23, 2012

Adult Post: Spring has sprung check out these deals

Everyone says spring brings out the birds and bees!!  If your looking to Spice things up in your relationship you should check out EdenFantasys.  Mother's Day is coming up and who says you can't buy yourself something.

Here are some of their current promotions worth  looking at:


I am excited to try some of these new products they are listing too.  No worries if you are a little on the conservative side, not everything is too embarrassing to even look at.  Here are some new products that will make you feel sexy when you start shedding those bulky outfits for more summer fashions.

 Feeling a little nervous about purchasing something first?   Check out the  Huge Eden Community which includes Reviews, Edentube, Interviews and polls, and EdenCafe Blog .


Community Forum Discussions - Adult Community at EdenFantasys

Monday, April 9, 2012

Your Opinion Matters---offer ends tomorrow


As a member you will receive regular invitations to participate in surveys which will be of interest to you. You can expect surveys on an array of topics, from green issues to healthy living; fast food to slow trains; and politicians to favorite films.


By being a member of the Valued Opinions online panel you can be sure to earn rewards for your valued contribution to market research. All you have to do is complete the surveys we send you, collect sufficient rewards and we will open the gates to our selection of rewards.

Registering is free and easy and shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes to complete. It is really easy, you just need to supply basic information about yourself so that we can register you and begin sending you surveys.

Once you submit the registration form, we will send an email to the email address with which you registered. Simply log into your email account and click on the activation button contained within the welcome email. It is that simple!!!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Keeping the kitchen organized to make cooking much easier


Guest post written by Spencer Ames


Cooking for four boys can be kind of tough. But somehow I manage to cook enough for everybody. Although, it looks like a tornado came through our kitchen each time after I cook. I like to try and keep everything tidy, so I bet that trying to reorganize everything in a better way will make things run a little more smoothly.


I set my heart on reorganizing everything and knew that I wanted to stick with that system. When I was looking up some organization tips I saw some info onsears kitchen remodeling and after I looked through it a little bit I decided to just get our kitchen remodeled. I've wanted an island for so long and I think that would really help when I'm preparing my food.


I'm going to be so excited once our kitchen renovation is finished. Plus, it might be nice to just live off of takeout during the meantime when the renovation is happening. I enjoy cooking, but it will sure be nice to have a little bit of a break from feeding our large family by cooking.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

PEOPLE LIKE US...new disney flick


From DreamWorks Pictures comes PEOPLE LIKE US, a drama/comedy about family, inspired by true events, starring Chris Pine (“Star Trek”) as Sam, a twenty-something, fast-talking salesman, whose latest deal collapses on the day he learns that his father has suddenly died. Against his wishes, Sam is called home, where he must put his father's estate in order and reconnect with his estranged family. In the course of fulfilling his father's last wishes, Sam uncovers a startling secret that turns his entire world upside down: He has a 30-year-old sister Frankie whom he never knew about (Elizabeth Banks). As their relationship develops, Sam is forced to rethink everything he thought he knew about this family—and re-examine his own life choices in the process. Michelle Pfeiffer and Olivia Wilde co-star.  

PEOPLE LIKE US opens in theatres everywhere on June 29th!










Here is the trailer:



Saturday, March 31, 2012

Marvel's the Avengers comes to Legos

Are your kids obsessed with legos and super heroes, well now they can have both:






Take a look at the awesome LEGO toys coming soon for MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS: http://marvel.com/news/story/18104/first_look_avengers_toys_from_lego!


Looking for some clips and other materials for this movie coming out in May?

“Like” MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MarvelsTheAvengers

Follow
MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS on Twitter: twitter.com/avengers

MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS hits theaters everywhere on May 4th!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Freschetta's Rally For Real Pizza



Frozen pizza shouldn't simply taste better. It should be better. Freschetta®frozen pizzas are made with top-quality ingredients and taste-tested recipes, just to make sure your pizza will always deliver Fresch® flavor.

Coming from Chicago, Pizza is a very sacred thing in our family.  I am particularly picky about having fresh ingredients on my pizza.  I cringe when I order mushrooms and they are canned.  Gross.    How about when my kids order sausage, and it does not even look like sausage.  When I can I love homemade pizza but that is not realistic.  When I need to pull out the frozen pizza option, I want to know they have fresh ingredients and are minimally processed. This is why I Rally for Real Pizza.  Too many frozen pizzas on the market have unidentifiable ingredients I would never consider serving them to my family. 

Join the rally for bad pizza and join  Freschetta® on Facebook and add your photo to the Rally Mosaic:www.facebook.com/freschettapizza  By submitting a photo to the Rally Mosaic on Facebookwww.facebook.com/freschettapizza. Each week we will select 100 winners -- to each receive 5 Freschetta® Pizzas. On March 30, we will also select 10 winners - who will each receiveFreschetta® Pizza for a year!

Wow your kids and your oven will be happy.  



"I occasionally receive compensation in the form of products for posts. However, the opinions I share are solely my own." 

Monday, February 27, 2012

How do you search for the best Shopping deals?

How much time do you spend on the Internet searching for the best deal on things.  You can spend hours bookmarking websites with the items you are looking for.  I recently found become.com, a new search engine to help find the best deals and unbiased product information.  You can search for items by product time, prices, brands, and colors to name a few.

For example I was looking for an automatic toothbrush and searched cheap toothbrushes and several different items from different websites come up as well as reader ratings.  Never even knew there was a toothbrush sanitizer available.

I was thinking of changing my color scheme in my bedroom was wondering can white cotton chenille be dyed.  Well when I searched this, become.com came up with many different colors of chenille bedspreads at great prices.

I am on the decorations committee for our school's annual auction and it is a Tahitian theme this year.  I searched on become.com for used tiki bars for sale.  Unfortunately they did not sell used ones, but gave me a lot of decorating ideas for our event.

I have loved searching on this website when I am shopping for the best deal.  They also have a phone/ipad application you can take along with you.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Introducing Frankenweenie---a new disney film

Look at the newest Disney Film scheduled to arrive in theatres Oct. 5th.  If you liked Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton style you have to get excited about this one.







Like" FRANKENWEENIE on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FrankenweenieMovie


FRANKENWEENIE
arrives in theatres everywhere on October 5th!
 



FRANKENWEENIE
WALT DISNEY PICTURES

Genre:                                                  Animated comedy
Rating:                                                  TBD
U.S. Release date:                                October 5, 2012

Voice Cast:                                           Winona Ryder, Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell
Director:                                               Tim Burton
Producers:                                            Tim Burton, Allison Abbate
Executive Producer:                              Don Hahn
Screenplay by:                                      John August
Based on an original idea by:                 Tim Burton                   


From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” will be filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D, which will elevate the classic style to a whole new experience.


In Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie” young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.

NOTES:


  • When Tim Burton originally conceived the idea for “Frankenweenie,” he envisioned it as a full-length, stop-motion animated film. Due to budget constraints, he instead directed it as a live-action short, released in 1984.
  • “Frankenweenie” follows in the footsteps of Tim Burton’s other stop-motion animated films “Corpse Bride” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”—both of which were nominated for Academy Awards®.
  • Over 200 puppets and sets were created for the film.
  • The voice cast includes four actors who worked with Burton on previous films: Winona Ryder (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands”), Catherine O’Hara (“Beetlejuice,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas”), Martin Short (“Mars Attacks!”) and Martin Landau (“Ed Wood,” Sleepy Hollow”).
  • Several of the character names—Victor, Elsa Van Helsing, Edgar “E” Gore and Mr. Burgemeister— were inspired by classic horror films.









Monday, February 13, 2012

Ghirardelli Chocolate Square Review


I have had Ghiradelli Squares before and they were tasty but I have to say these were decadent.  I received a bag of the Milk and Truffle Squares from SheSpeaks and these did not last more than a day.  These cute little squares are always tempting but these were soo rich in flavor the made a perfect after dinner treat.

They are described by Ghiradelli  as "sumptous truffle filling inside our rich slow-melting milk and dark chocolate"

Although the serving size is three, you really only need one to satisify your chocolate craving.

I gave them to some of my kids friends and  one little girl said, "That is the best Chocolate I have ever had".   When I visit Chicago we definitely make a stop at the Ghiradelli store for a visit but if you can not get there or San Francisco you can find these chocolates at Walgreens, Target and World Cost Market.  They run about 4.99 for a 4.63 oz bag.

They would make a great Valentine's Day Present, Hostess Present or just a treat to keep in your desk.

Thank you SheSpeaks and Ghiradelli for this great sample.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Cook up some treats for V-day with these betty crocker coupons

You still have a week to come up with those tasty treats for that special someone in your life.  Why not grab some of these coupons to help it along.

Also check on Bettycrocker.com for great baking ideas with their simple but delicious mixes.
Happy Baking


o You can visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/4d61/ to download a printable *coupon for 85 cents off when you buy ONE BOX of Fun da-middles Cupcake Mix.

o Also, you can visit http://bit.ly/cookiescoupon to download a
printable coupon for 75 cents off when you buy ONE POUCH of Betty
Crocker Molasses Cookie Mix.


I received this information and the coupon offer from Betty Crocker through
MyBlogSpark.


Saturday, February 4, 2012

$50 worth of Gourmet Chocolate

Wow we just tried this chocolate and will review on my other blog tomorrow but wanted to promote this opportunity tonight to start our chance to win.  Yes I get $50 and so does one of my readers.  Join today and let's hope we win.



Some things are "Simply Irresistable" and this Valentine's Day, award-winning Chuao Chocolatier is offering you the opportunity to share many delights with your readers.  As part of our Simply Irresistible Valentine's Day campaign, we're providing blogger across the country with several ways to make their readers happy.

Love Child bonbon (an aphrodisiac blend of a port wine drenched dried strawberry in a chocolate ganache) and Firecracker bonbon (guaranteed to blow your mind with chipotle caramel fudge, popping candy and sea salt in dark chocoloate), as well as our new Potato Chips in Chocolate bar.  
They are offering some Exclusive "blogger only" deals courtesy of Chuao Chocolatier:

Win a Trip for Two to San Diego! - This blogger-exclusive campaign beginning January 20 is offering your followers the chance to win a trip for two to San Diego where they will spend two nights at the glamorous La Jolla Shores Hotel, enjoy dinner at the beachfront THE SHORES restaurant, and attend a private wine and chocolate pairing event with Master Chef Michael Antonorsi of Chuao Chocolatier.  They will also have a chance to win one of 14 Limited Edition Sweetheart Boxes filled with 22 signature Chuao Chocolatier bonbons featuring delectable, aphrodisiac ingredients.  

20% OFF Coupon - We're offering a special blogger coupon code as part of the campaign.  Your readers can use the code "BLOGGER" and receive 20% off their entire purchase at www.chuaochocolatier.com from Jan 20 until Feb 14, 2012.  




ChuaoChocolatier.com - Simply Irresistible

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Not to late to get your Top Valentine's Day Gifts






Here we go again, you might be saying, but I could not resist with Valentine's Day

just around the corner....




Close to Home Reviews is a family orientated site, the following review is written 
to add some fun this Valentine's day to you and yours. All pictures and wording 
on this post are PG, BUT Please note the EdenFantasys links are not suitable to be viewed at work or if your children are close by. LIttle eyes might be lurking.

Please do not open the link if you are not 18 or older or are sensitive to not so
family orientated products.


Valentine's Day is just a few weeks away, what do you have for your loved one?
Want to surprise your partner with a fun new adult toy. 

Here is a list of Eden's Best Adult Toys of 2011.

A little nervous about buying a product like this? First most of the products 
come with reviews, which help you decided. Also, I purchased something recently
and the packaging is discreet I was not sure at first what the package was, but fortunately brought it upstairs and opened it away for the kids!


Make some effort to find the romance with your loved one with some fun products from EdenFantasys






I recently purchased this wonderful lip balm, smells wonderful and keeps lips soft






Make up a wonderful Bath for your loved one with these products.






Create ambience in the bedroom with candles


Check EdenFantasys out and see what you can find for you and your significant other.

They are also having a promotion the more you buy, the bigger the discount with Save the Date Savings,ends Feb.10th.

Starting at $30 you automatically save 15%. with CODE: LOVE15 
see the site for more deals and discounts. 

































Disclosure: I was compensated by Eden Fantasys for the purpose of my honest review. All opinions are of my own, others may vary.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

bertolli Soupmeals


I think most parents know the challenges of making a good and healthy dinner on a weeknight.  When asked to take this Make a weeknight dinner special challenge, sponsored by Bertolli Meal Soups, I was up for it.  We were only given one hour preparation time, which is about the most we have to prepare our families a meal, but this time making it a little more special than frozen nuggets and mac and cheese.

I have used Bertolli sauces and olive oil before but have never tried their frozen meals.
I was thrilled to find these soups come in 4 different flavors, Chicken Minestrone, Roasted Chicken and Rotini Pasta, Tomato Florentine and Tortellini with Chicken, and Tuscan-Style Beef and Vegetable.  If you have not noticed the theme these are all robust and hearty for a busy day.


The package suggests it only serves 2 people, so I am a little worried about how I will feed my family on this little amount.  Since my husband usually gets home late, I fed the kids something and made a special place setting just for us.  My theme, european backpacking.  If you went abroad you know what I am talking about, all you bought for meals was usually a bottle of wine, some cheese and bread.  If you were lucky you bought something else of substance.

Bring back memories

The next challenge was making this meal special, more than opening a frozen meal option and throwing into the microwave.  

Fortunately for me my family loves soups so I had a feeling this would help keeping everyone happy.  I had no idea January was National Soup Month.  I guess that makes sense with the cold weather.  I know I have cooked several soups this month.  Obviously this was by far the easiest!!

So how did I make this night special:

 I toasted some bakery style bread for croutons.  First rubbed with olive oil and a cut garlic clove. In the oven at 350 until golden brown.   Then sprinkled with parmesan cheese and toast another minute.  If you don't want to use the oven, just toast a few slices in the toaster.  Once out spread it with butter and rub them with a cut piece of garlic.  Surprising what a great and quick garlic bread taste you get.  

Cake 
With only an hour to prepare, I had my daughter and her friend find a recipe using boxed cake mix.  They discovered Chocolate Chip Cookie cake. (I will post about this later)  To make these even faster you could make cupcakes, they cook in half the time.  Once the hour buzzer ended for food preparation, the cake was cooling and we were eating our soups.

Decorations:
Since I was making it for my husband and I,  my daughter and I used some French themed placemats and napkins, added a tray of the bread and cut up fruits and cheese.
Added some candlesticks and a bottle of wine.  This says special on the weeknight, even the weekend in our house!


Just plate the soup and add the crouton on top with a little extra cheese if you wish.



REVIEW OF SOUP: My husband and I were both impressed with the soup. This was not like a canned soup with overcooked veggies and pasta, but was just as easy.  All you do is add 1 cup of water to the frozen mixture and bring to a boil.  Worried about the sodium I added about 1 1/2/2 cups of water and it was still delicious.   

 It is pretty true to its serving size, my husband and I both had a large bowl and my husband went back for a little extra and my son snuck a smaller bowl.  

Right out of bad

You could probably extend it to feed a family of four by adding some more chicken stock and a can of beans but don't mess with it too much.


Thanks Bortelli for giving me an excuse to dress up my table and enjoy some quiet time with my husband.  Sometimes we feel we have to made an extravagant meal to impress, but a hearty soup and some bread, fruit and cheeses will do the trick!


Wanted to add there was a $1 off coupon in todays Sunday coupon section.  Grab it and give it a try.
These soups can be found in the Frozen section at your grocers to find a retailer near you, check out Bertolli's Website.  You can also find more about Bertolli and these Meal soups and other products on Facebook and Twitter.

I was fully compensated by Bertolli to participate in the Weeknight Meal Special Challenge but all the opinions are my own.


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Children Advil $1 off Coupons (4 for one lucky winner)


Children's Advil Mission via @MySmiley360 


When my 5 year old came down with a fever and later Pnuemonia, I grabbed the Children's Advil.  He acted as if he was not sick and his fever was down for several hours.  

PAA011396mw
Children’s Advil® and Infants’ Advil®: Provides up to 8 hours of fever relief with just one dose!

Children’s Advil® is the #1 Selling Children’s Fever Brand.** Nothing reduces a fever faster* or keeps it down longer than Children’s Advil®. You can feel confident knowing that Children’s Advil® is both safe and effective when used as directed.

    Infants’ Advil® Concentrated Drops:
  • Ages 6-23 months 
  • Reduces fever, relieves minor aches and pains due to the common cold, flu, headaches, and toothaches
    Children’s Advil® Suspension Liquid:
  • Ages 2-11 years 
  • Fever reducer, relives minor aches and pains due to the common cold, flu, sore throat, headaches, and toothaches
Purchase additional Infants’ Advil® or Children’s Advil® at your local retail store. 
  • Click here for complete drug facts, uses, warnings, dosing chart and active ingredients. 
  • 'Like' Children’s Advil® on Facebook
  • For more information visit www.childrensadvil.com

Want to win 4 $1 off coupons for Advil so you can try it, just comment below and you can win!!  Ends on Sunday 1/29 5pm EST.

Be sure to Check out our current coupons for Children's Advil® Products.

If you are not already a Smiley360.com member you can join HERE.


Questions or comments regarding any Advil® products call toll free 1-800-88ADVIL or1-800-882-3845 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST or ask your pharmacist, doctor or health care professional. 
*Based on reducing fever below 100 degrees F **Among OTC Brands based on 52 weeks ending 10/2/11 †Among leading OTC pain relievers/fever reducers 
  
In the spirit of full disclosure, Smiley.com provided samples of Infants’ Advil® or Children’s Advil® for me and my family to try. No payment was given and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own
.