Review: StickerYou

Remember back in the 80's, the sticker craze? There were scratch n sniff stickers, animal stickers, Garbage Pail Kid stickers... and the most sought after, the ones with your name. (Yeah, I seethed in jealousy over y'all with normal names who could find those with your name on it. Totally not fair!!) You'd sit back and trade with all your friends out of your handy dandy sticker book. Well, there's a company out there that will bring you some nostalgia - it's called StickerYou.


StickerYou is a Toronto-based startup that developed the Sticker Maker, a simple web-interface that allows people to order custom vinyl diecut stickers. Via their site, you can create stickers using their stock photos, add personalized goodness (My 8 year old self wants to know where this was back then?! LOL) - honestly, you can do just about anything your little heart desires - even using your own photos and graphics. Have a logo you want to share? You can use that. Your child is obsessed with dinosaurs? You can use their graphics and add in your child's name for a fun, personalized gift. Don't like the size of the graphic? You can make it bigger or smaller. You can add as many stickers as you want to each 8.5"x10.5" page. You can even make address labels!

Since canning season is around the horizon, I decided to make these fun labels that totally scream ME. Take a look:



Aren't they fun? I know half of y'all are rolling your eyes at me, but it was a blast making stickers with my name on it! They are going to look great on the mason jars of salsa and jams when I give them as gifts. They are a good quality too, not thin like some of the personalized stickers I've seen out of the kiosks at the malls and such. You also don't have to worry if some water gets on these stickers, unlike most home-printed labels that would run.

Now I will warn that a single sheet does cost $8.99 plus shipping, but the more sheets you purchase (in one order), the cheaper they do get. If you sign up for the email list, you'll receive exclusive offers and discounts. You can follow StickerYou over on Twitter, or "like" StickerYou over on Facebook.

Full disclosure: I received a personalized sample sheet in exchange for my thoughts on the product. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon By David Seidman, Jeff Hemmel

I recently received a copy of the new book The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon And 101 Other Things For Young Mariners To Build, Try, And Do On The Water by David Seidman and Jeff Hemmel.


Arrr, it's pirate week around here, and The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon could not have arrived at a more perfect timing for my family to enjoy. Living on this side of Washington State, we're fairly blessed to be about a five minute drive from the closest docks and beaches, and there's plenty more to hang out on with just a little further drive. Ferries are commonplace, so we all have our sealegs. ;)

The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon is chock full of great information - such as more about leaks (they aren't all the same!), how to fillet a fish, escape a riptide - to projects and activities - such as making a soda bottle weatherglass - to historical facts that many folks can learn from - not just kids. In fact, that's the beauty of this book: even though the title makes it sound for kids, it's really for the entire family to have fun with. Dads especially will have fun; after all, what man could resist cooking their lunch on an engine? Not many, that's for sure. This book will bring out the child geek in all of us!

You don't necessarily need the sea, either - some of these projects could be done by a river or lake. Most of the projects are geared more towards a slightly older crowd than my kiddo, of course, but that doesn't mean younger kids can't participate in the fun. I'm afraid I might be gushing here, but this is one of those books that is perfect to entertain your kids over the Summer - they are having tons of fun without quite realizing they are learning some great skills and information. There are lots of historical blurbs throughout the book that kids may not have learned (yet) in school, mixed in with fun games they can play. This is really the kind of book we need more of - those that make learning FUN! You should have plenty to do all summer long with all 101 activities.

From a preparedness point of view, this book has tons of projects you can teach your kids even if the water is further away from you. You can learn how to make a small cooking stove using an empty (metal) coffee can, learn how to guess how much time before the sun will set (very important if you are lost in the woods!!!), and how to read clouds and predict if rain is on the horizon. There really are some great self-reliant sections in here, especially for the slightly older crowd (8 and up).

And yes, you'll have the directions to build an Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon. We're headed out to Lowe's later today because DH cannot wait to make this one. I think our neighbors are really going to hate us. LOL! (Fire in the hole!)

The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon And 101 Other Things For Young Mariners To Build, Try, And Do On The Water by David Seidman and Jeff Hemmel is a hardcover boating and children's activity book published by McGraw-Hill. It is 260 pages long. The suggested cover price is $24.95, but Amazon has it available for $18.21 as of this posting. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received a copy of this book in order to share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Review: New I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Products

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! recently introduced two new products - I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Whipped & Creamy Taste and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I was lucky enough to have I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! send them on over for me to try out in my kitchen!


I love butter, but sometimes it's not a healthy addition to our meal (especially with my watching DH's waistline as best as I can!), and sometimes when I am cooking, it's faster to use the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spray on dishes rather than wait for butter to melt (which can also load on the calories!) I know many people just whip out the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! on toast, but toast is kind of a once every two or three week occurrence over here. There are a lot of other ways to use it in your kitchen!

We love watching movies and playing video games around here, and with that comes snacking. We have an old fashioned air popcorn popper that I keep out on the counter for easy access. We often pop some popcorn while we are watching our movies - a healthier snack, yes, but it needs a little something-something. In the past I've melted some butter for our popcorn, but gosh, it takes FOREVER and it adds a ton of calories. The I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil has zero calories, so I can add a few sprays, toss a bit of sea salt on it, and it's a lot healthier than many microwave popcorn snacks. (Do watch that you don't go overboard though, since it negate the healthiness, calories or no calories)


Another way I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! was with our corn on the cob when DH grills. I don't like to put our veggies where the meat goes, so I always wrap them in aluminum foil - I put some of the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and added a bit of dried basil.


It came out great! Next time I'll try the spray - only because it means less clean up for me (no knife to spread it, haha!)


But by far my favorite way was when I made homemade grilled cheese sandwiches. These aren't your average grilled cheese, folks, I go all out around here. ;) This particular time I used my homemade garlic and pepper bread, sliced about 1" thick. OK, yes, I used Velveeta as you will see, but that's because DH finished the last of our Vintage White Cheddar and didn't tell me. (GRRRR!) At least Velveeta melts something yummy! ;) I also used fresh peppered bacon from the butcher - not packaged, and sliced tomatoes. The key to this one is a pre-heated skillet on medium-high.


Never press on a grilled cheese with your spatula - it just causes the cheese to run and you'll be tempted to take it out of the pan too early. Soggy bread is icky! Here is the finished creation:


SO YUMMY! It was a lot easier spreading the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! over regular butter on this bread and it saved a tiny bit of calories.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Whipped & Creamy Taste and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Spray Made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil can both be purchased at your favorite local grocery store.

Please note that I did receive the product(s) mentioned above in order to try out in my kitchen and share my thoughts on them. All ideas, opinions, etc, are my own, and not that of the company mentioned.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - Irish?!

Dear checkout clerk: thank you for asking me if I was Irish. You gave us the crack up of the day.

Irish? Really? LOL!!!! That's a new one for me. Better than being asked if I speak English, that's for sure. (Yes, that one really happened our first year out here. It was one of those WT?! moments.)

It's raining. And the grass needs cut. Therefore, I am not happy. Actually, I am in panic mode because I have six weeks to have everything finished around the house - including painting the shed - and the weather is not co-operating with me. I need sun to see inside the corners of the house, too. It's always like a dungeon in here if it's overcast, and fake light from those dratted mercury laden bulbs do absolutely NOTHING. I loathe them at this point. I don't care if they save a bit of money (really, they don't, they blow just as often as the old ones) I don't want to use them. I want to SEE. Is that so much to ask for?

So... we have new neighbors. Be prepared for my vents. Something tells me they will happen quite frequently.

I can't believe it's the end of May, and I just started the fireplace. Brrr!

The Grumpy Princess almost caught herself a baby bird on our walk yesterday. Luckily I stopped her before her jaw clamped shut on the little one. I hope they learn to fly very quickly!!!!

...right now she's on her bed, running in her sleep. I've never had a Corgi this active in their sleep. Sadly, I think she gets more exercise asleep than she does awake. lol She is one L-A-Z-Y couch potato.

At the whole pirate shindig this past weekend, the crummy parents were out in full force. How hard is it to tell your kids to stop doing something they shouldn't be?!! Now I know I don't always have the world's greatest patience with other people's kids, but my DH has the patience of a saint with them, and when he's getting mad - you know they are BAD. What's worse, the one kid was obviously sick and should have been at home - I couldn't slather on enough hand sanitizer on us all. If any of us get sick, I swear I am going to SCREAM.

I tried to cut the cord on Netflix for the Summer (I cycle it in and out) since the calendar is filling up with fun stuff, but DH whimpered. I don't get it, it's not like there is exactly a shortage of things to watch that we already have.

Lost Zombies is a zombie themed social network whose goal is to create a community generated zombie movie.

Or even better Zombie Pub Crawl. If only we lived in Minneapolis. Though, drinking + running from zombies doesn't really mix. Of course, if you really want to get rid of someone, just let 'em drink.

We actually went on a ghost pub crawl once, years ago. Complete waste of time - they'd give you a two minute ghost related story about the pub/bar you were in, and then a half an hour of drinking would commence. *yawn* Sorry, we were already a little too old for that behavior - and sadly, I think we were the youngest people on the tour. The funny thing? Multiple people kept coming up to me telling me they loved my costume.

I wasn't wearing a costume. That was me, 100% in the flesh. *shakes her head*

Who Killed The Cap'n? It Wasn't I!

As many of you know, we'll take any excuse to celebrate pirates around here. ;) Every year here in Port Orchard, we have Murder Mystery Weekend, with a theme of Who Killed The Cap'n. It's a who-dun-it of special proportions - pirates! Everyone who chooses to participate receives a "clue packet", and folks dressed as pirates wander the streets and businesses in search of clues. We have "town meetings" and the "Coroner's report" given twice daily, so those on different schedules can still participate. Normally it's held in September, but this year they bumped it up to coincide with the Seagull Calling Festival to take advantage of the holiday weekend. We pulled out our best costumes (After all, DH & I had pirate-y themed wedding outfits!) and headed down to plunder from the civies!

The Farmer's Market was going on at the waterfront too, so we had that to shop, plus the "Marketfaire":




Folks could purchase some authentic-y pirate-y wares to complete their costumes, from eyepatches to lovely gypsy skirts to feather-y hats. There were really only a couple of pirate-y booths, but it was fun nonetheless.

The fabulous B.O.O.M Pirates held cannon shows and skits throughout the weekend.



Here are some photos from the Corner's Report and Town Meeting:




And there was Pirate storytime at the library, but we missed the Land Lubber’s Pirate Dinghy Derby Race due to naptime. I saw some of the derby's and there were some seriously decorated ones out there! Stiff competition! Luckily, the rain mostly held off, and it wasn't hot enough that all roasted in their costumes. It was fun for all:

Book Review: Here, Home, Hope By Kaira Rouda

I recently received a copy of the new novel Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda to review.


Here, Home, Hope is Kelly Mills Johnson's story. (fiction, of course) She knew something about her life had to change one day when she was sitting in the dentist's chair, waiting after grinding through a mouth guard and chipping a tooth. At almost 40, she leads a picture perfect life - a husband, two sons, and a dog named Oreo, living in the suburbs. (the fictional suburbia is Grandville, Ohio - having attended OSU - which coincidentally is also mentioned in the book, I was pleased. I know, I know, I am easily amused. Anyways...)

Everything around Kelly has started to fall apart. Her boys are off at Summer camp, which already makes her emotionally vulnerable - she gains six pounds every summer thanks to this, and her wardrobe grows as she shops to pass the time - and it starts with the neighbors' divorce, followed by her good friend Kathryn appearing in her driveway later that day upset that her 15 year old daughter had been kicked off the volleyball team for being too weak to practice. Throughout the craziness, Kelly begins to take charge of her own life, and it's time for that change to begin with her "Things To Change" list (or T2C). Since she envies her two best friends, Charlotte and Kathryn, she decides to be more like them. After years away from the workforce, maybe she could get a job. Except... break out the unexpected. (You'll have to read the book to find out!) At the end of the book, you'll find out her final T2C list. (which has changed over the course of the book) Maybe you'll even find a few ones you'd like to have on your own personal T2C list!

OK, I'm a housewife, but suburbia is more of my own personal nightmare. Maybe I'd spend a million dollars on spacious land, but certainly not on a house on a small lot (faint!). I have absolutely no interest in keeping up with the Joneses - and I constantly make fun of the suburbanites wearing pink skulls the last few years (after all, they said it to me back in school!) I don't read a ton of chick lit either, but I really enjoyed Here, Home, Hope. She reminded me a little too much of someone I knew back home - all the way from the shopping and leaving clothes hanging with the tags still on them so maybe, just maybe she could still return them (lol) to the kids away all Summer at camp... Kelly as a character had just the right amount of spunk with a little but of sarcasm that I could laugh at. I didn't think I would zip through the book as fast as I did, but I really didn't want to put it down! It's the perfect book to pack into your suitcase and read by the pool or on the plane.

Included at the end of the book is also a question and discussion section about the book, perfect for book clubs to use.

If you're interested in learning more about the author or this book, you can visit her website or follow her on Twitter.

Here, Home, Hope by Kaira Rouda is a paperback contemporary women's fiction book published by GreenLeaf Book Group Press. It is 213 pages long. The suggested cover price is $15.00, but Amazon has it available for $10.20 as of this posting. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers. (Just $2.95 as of this posting! Such a great deal!)

Thanks to One2One Network, I received a copy of this book in exchange for sharing my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Book Review: So Much To Say: Dave Matthews Band 20 Years On The Road By Nikki Van Noy

I recently received a copy of the book So Much To Say: Dave Matthews Band 20 Years On The Road by Nikki Van Noy to review.


So Much To Say is released in conjunction with the Dave Matthews Band's twenty year anniversary. I remember hearing them for the first time in a bar back in college. (let's just forget how long ago that was LOL) This particular bar, like so many campus bars back then, always seemed to be ready for an impromptu sing along, and "Satellite" fit the bill. Right about that time, DMB took off CRAZY and became a household name.

So Much To Say starts off there in the early days, right before they exploded on the charts, with lots of little tidbits and anecdotes to make even a diehard fan happy. The book doesn't stop there; it continues on talking about DMB's online presence - they allowed fans to tape and trade shows with other fans - to the giant "oops!" of the first big album leak of the digital music era, the Lillywhite Sessions. The book keeps chugging along with the tragic death of saxophonist and founding member LeRoi Moore in 2008 from an ATV accident, and ends with looking back over the last twenty years.

Included in the book are over 35 color photos taken by fans, which gives the book a different perspective than many other similar band-related books. The Dave Matthews Band has always been about the fans - why else would they happily let folks tape shows? - and it spills over into this book. So Much To Say is for the fans with the fans input - complete with "Fan Focus" parts which spotlights the stories behind several diehard DMB fans. Fans will not be disappointed with this book at all!

Trivia: Dave Matthews Band was the first music act to release an official single via Napster - "I Did It" ten years ago in 2001.

So Much To Say: Dave Matthews Band 20 Years On The Road by Nikki Van Noy is a paperback music biography book published by Simon & Schuster. It will be released next Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 and it is 220 pages long. The suggested cover price is $15.99, but Amazon has it available on pre-order for $9.08 as of this posting. It will also be available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Menu Planning Monday - Summer Is Starting

Happy Memorial Day to those of you just stopping by for MPM! Since my DH has to work today, we "celebrated" a little last night - he grilled some BBQ ribs and corn out - yum! It still hovers in the upper 50's/lower 60's temperature wise around here right now, but I'm taking any excuse I can to have him cook me dinner!

With the start of Summer starts cycles of lots of activities, so I am thinking of exploring once-a-week cooking, and preparing a stash of meals I can easily pull from the freezer and cook when we are home late, so I am not tempted to head to the store for quicker cooking items. I did that this week, and spent $40 on what seemed to be nothing - YIKES!


Monday: hamburgers, coleslaw, potato chips

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken sandwiches, Seasoned Steak fries

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thursday: Spicy Mediterranean Wraps

Friday: dinner on the road

Saturday: dinner out

Sunday: recipe of the week

Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

Petpalooza! 2011

Once again this year, we packed up everything we needed into the car and headed out to Auburn to attend Petpalooza! The weather wasn't exactly on our side, as it was cooler, and raining on and off all day.

There was a lot entertainment on the "big stage", including the "Bird Lady" and these great dogs who are trained to sniff out scents as part of a sport. It's a lot like what the police dogs are trained to do in looking for drugs and bombs, but not so serious - the dogs are having fun. Our two Corgis would probably only follow the scent of fried chicken. ;)


My daughter's favorite portion was of course, the pony rides:


The jungle playhouse too:


And the giant bounce house:


Trust me, she (and Daddy) was occupied while I shopped some booths with the dogs, lol. There were plenty of vendors in attendance, although not as many handmade ones as last year :( I'll admit I was a little startled at the amount of booths trying to sell insurance and house-related things such as gutters. What was up with that? It kind of took away from the fun of pets when so many booths were just after your name and phone number to sell you something.


Just like last year, there were plenty of rescue groups in attendance, and I think some pets managed to find homes! We spent some time oohing and ahhhing at Chihuahua Rescue and Referral's booth and shhhh don't tell anyone yet, but we may end up adopting a Chi! It's so sad though, one of the ladies was explaining to us that they are bringing in dogs from California, Arizona etc, with volunteers because the shelters are so full of littler dogs - here in WA, it's really the opposite, our shelters are so full of bigger dogs. If only we could arrange a mass trade off these poor babies, maybe everyone could find a loving home quicker!

We all had a blast - OK, maybe the kid more than us lol - and the Corgis enjoyed all the treats being handed out, that's for sure! We actually didn't end up buying much there, but I think we more than made up for it with the massive pet stuff purchases later on in the day.

Folks, remember to spay and neuter your pets, and adopt - don't buy!

Book Review: The Seraph Seal By Leonard Sweet And Lori Wagner

I recently received a copy of the book The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner to review.


The Seraph Seal is a futuristic novel mostly set in the year 2048. In the very beginning of the novel - set in 2012 - eight births happen on December 21st, 2012 as the world falls apart with earthquakes, volcano eruptions, etc - all of which set the stage for the year 2048, when the story takes off. Paul Binder is a University of Virginia historian who receives a strange, cryptic message that end up leading him to London. Here he meets Angela Matthews Krall, and they decipher an unknown Syrian manuscript with special powers, and uncover clues that lead them both down a mysterious, life-or-death path - not only for them, but for the entire world. Will the apocalypse happen and destroy the world - which is very different from the world we know today?

This isn't a book for just anyone - it's written in a tone that those of a more scholarly background would probably understand, and therefore enjoy, more. There is a lot of information to process in the over 500 pages of this book, with letters, charts, and symbols to help you on your way. I hate to say it, but this book will not appeal to the American Idol watching masses. If you enjoy imagining what the future could be, love doomsday fiction, and talk of the Four Horsemen and Apocalypse doesn't run you off, you will enjoy The Seraph Seal. It's a book to make you think, not one to mindlessly read.

I'm not one to believe in 2012 as the end of the world - oh, it'll happen one day, for sure our sun will explode in billions of years - but it won't be predicted. Reading this book though, I see little seeds of things that could happen one day already appearing in our world - the GMO foods, technology that pushes pens and paper by the wayside (when was the last time you sat down and wrote a real letter by hand to someone?), destructive forces in nature reminding us that our world could fall apart at any moment. It makes one think, and that's why I enjoy books like this. I enjoyed my time reading it, and this one will find a place in our permanent library. (and shhh... don't tell him, but I ordered a copy off Amazon for my Daddy for Father's Day)

The Seraph Seal by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner is a paperback Christian Life/Religion fiction book published by Thomas Nelson. It is 527 pages long and will be released June 7th, 2011. The suggested cover price is $15.99, but Amazon has it available for $10.21. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Product Spotlight: Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes

One of the most un-ecofriendly things many of us Moms do is use disposable diapers and wipes. I'm guilty as charged - I used a mix of disposable and cloth diapers, but I just couldn't make the leap for re-usable cloth wipes there. Now that we are in the potty training stage (sigh!), I still purchase disposable wipes - they are so much easier than using toilet paper right now. A few weeks ago, I spotted this new product and was excited to learn more about it - I had hoped it wouldn't make me feel so guilty about disposable wipes.


Bum Boosa makes bamboo baby wipes. As you might know, bamboo as a plant is sustainable, growing very quickly, and can help make extremely soft fabrics from it's fibers, as well as sturdy building materials. Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes are free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulphate, petrolatum, synthetic fragrance, lanolin, phthalates, alcohol, and chlorine. It sounds like a great product, doesn't it?

I'd love to tell you more of my thoughts on it, but I only received five individually wrapped wipes to try out - not really enough to comment much more about other than they are soft (not like some wipes which feel like wet dryer sheets!) and they smell nice. I'll admit I was most disappointed that a company who is talking about being environmentally friendly with less disposable waste would send out very un-environmentally friendly product for review - that's a lot of waste when you think many of us use 2-3 wipes per diaper change/potty session. That's just my opinion, though.

An 80 count package of Bum Boosa Bamboo Baby Wipes retails for $4.99, and can be purchased online via their website, small natural goods stores, and via Amazon. The company plants a tree for each product they sell through Trees For The Future.

I received samples of this product as stated above. All opinions are my own and definitely not that of the company's.

Smart Phone Enabled Pet Tags

Need a new pet tag? I found these today:


and I thought they seemed pretty awesome! As more and more folks get a smartphone, they'll be able to read it at home, and your lost pet will get home quicker - especially since they might not have to wait until a vet clinic opens on a Monday morning to get their microchip read. The really neat part is you can add medications, care & feeding, emergency contact information, veterinarian contact, licensing and rabies numbers, latest vaccinations, and anything else you can think of - even pictures!

Now through May 31st, you can snag the small or medium tags from Pet Hub for just $1.05 plus $1.95 shipping (and tax, for my fellow WA residents, alas). After that date, the price goes up to $12.95. Even if you don't have a smartphone yourself, at that price, maybe it's worth picking one up for later down the road if you have a younger pet? I'm going to pick up a couple for our Corgis.

Just sharing a good deal I found tonight - they didn't ask me to and I receive nothing if ya order!

Free Bowling For Kids At AMF All Summer Long!

Looking for something fun to do this Summer that the whole family can do and not break the bank? AMF is kicking off Summer Unplugged the summer's best bowling deal! Kids sixteen and under can bowl for FREE daily starting May 30th! It's easy to get in on this deal!


Parents, simply head on over to here to select a participating center and complete a simple registration form. With over 200 participating locations across the US, hopefully there is one near you so your family can join in the fun. Each Sunday, you'll receive an email with the next week's coupons in it that you can print at home. If you're not interested in using them that week since you're on vacation or super busy, it's not a big deal - but I'd hang onto the email just in case a rainy day appears out of the blue! You are responsible for shoe rentals, but they usually aren't that much. (I think ours are $2?) They also have a concession stand deal going on with the free game offer - all kids meals are $2.99!

If you're a little older without kids, and still want to do some bowling this Summer (or as parents joining in on the fun!) AMF has a sister deal. For $27.95, you can purchase the AMF Summer 17 Plus Pass. It will allow you two games per day for 4 people all summer long! (again, shoes are not included) For more information, and to purchase click here.

Do you like to bowl? We'll be heading over to our bowling alley this Summer! (Not that we take it seriously, and certainly not that either DH or I are any good, LOL) It's a fun way to get the three of us out of the house on a rainy day - OK and extra hot days too thanks to their super cool air conditioner. ;)

I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing. (not that this part matters, I just think this is a great deal to share with you!) All opinions are my own.

Book Review: Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective By Charles W. Page, M.D.

I recently received an advance review copy of the book Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective by Charles W. Page, M.D. to review.


I have struggled with bad sleep habits and insomnia for over 15 years now. It started in college, due to constant fire alarms (we'd have sometimes three a night - argh!), went away for awhile, then came back... then started the cycle again. I used to take an assortment of over-the-counter medications, until one day I decided it wasn't helping enough to justify the damage to my health AND my bank account. These days, I just deal with it the best I can when it flares up worse. I'm not alone - according to Surrendered Sleep over 60 million Americans struggle with getting enough sleep each night.

Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective explores sleep from a Biblical perspective. It's not a magic antidote for anyone like me with sleeping issues, but rather it encourages you to understand more about God, who never sleeps, is working in your life. The author discusses whether sleep issues can be caused from spiritual issues and the way you relate to God. It is set up like a workbook, with space on the sides of the text to scribble down notes and thoughts to thought provoking questions and Scriptures in the Bible. At the end of the book is a sleep diary chart for you to fill out.

This is a book you should take your time to read through, reflecting on the thoughts in it, with your Bible on hand. Don't walk away thinking this will solve your sleep problems without you making an effort. Even if you don't currently suffer from a sleep disorder, this book is still a very interesting book to read through and learn from in your Spiritual journey.

Surrendered Sleep: A Biblical Perspective by Charles W. Page, M.D. is a paperback health and spirituality nonfiction book, published by Camino Real Publishers. It is 189 pages long. Now normally, I would tell you that you could purchase this book online via sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book, but I can't find a link for you, nor do I have the suggested cover price at this moment - sorry! Do check with your favorite bookstore and ask if they can order it for you though!

I received a copy of this book in order to share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Thrifty Thursday - Backyard Bug Control

This week for my Thrifty Thursday post, I'm sharing with you an idea (and recipe!) that's green, better for you, and saves money. (Isn't that like the trifecto?!)

Memorial Day weekend starts the beginning of grilling out and picnic season for many of us. Unfortunately, alongside all the fun comes some very pesky visitors - mosquitoes, flies, and bugs! It can be tempting to just spray bug spray all over us - and in the air at the bugs, but that's not good for us at all. Take a peek at some of the chemicals on the back of the content label - you'll cringe!


So what do you do? Well, rather than fork out a ton of cash for different products you can purchase at the store, you can use things you already have around the home. Pour some soda or fruit juice into a shallow bowl (I save those metal pans some breads and pies come in!) and place this on the outskirts of your BBQ or picnic area, away from where everyone is congregating or eating. The flies and bees (the bad kind) will be so excited over their smorgasbord, that they should leave you alone all afternoon!

Sometimes this isn't enough however, especially when mosquitoes are out in full force. Citronella candles can often be purchased at a great price, especially at places like the dollar stores, but here is a recipe you can use to make your own bug spray, which is perfect for when you are more active, or on the go and can't have candles lit.

Ingredients:

10 to 25 drops essential oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (olive oil is fine)
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a glass jar. Shake to blend. Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing.

Lemon balm also usually makes mosquitoes run away as fast as they can, so be sure to have that available. (Check out Etsy for many independent sellers to score some at a great price - if you are constantly on go, leave a container in the car and one in your purse (closed tightly, of course!) so you'll always have some available!)

If you're having problems with bugs coming out you no matter what, consider switching to unscented grooming products for the day you'll be spending outside. The scents of your shampoo or deodorant could be a big beacon for these pests!

Book Review: My Best Friend, Abe Lincoln: A Tale Of Two Boys From Indiana By Robert L. Bloch

We recently received a copy of the book My Best Friend, Abe Lincoln: A Tale Of Two Boys From Indiana by Robert L. Bloch with illustrations by John W. Ewing to review.


Did you ever wonder what the Presidents of the United States were like when you were growing up? Did they skip rocks, walk to school, help out on the farm or the family business?

My Best Friend, Abe Lincoln is the tale of one of the most famous Presidents in our United States history, as told by the fictional character Sam Harding in this story of what things would have been like for them. It looks at the early life - back from 1820-1823 when the future President and his fictional friend would have been 11 to 14 years old, growing up in southwestern Indiana. They attended a "blab" school together - that's a school where kids ranging in age from 6 to 12 would repeat their lessons over... and over... and over again, until they knew every word by heart.

...and we think we had it rough in school, with all our newfangled technology to help us out. ;) The story talks about Abe's love of learning, and all sorts of things that "Sam" was observing through his own eyes. My Best Friend, Abe Lincoln helps kids learn about President Lincoln almost like he was someone they knew, instead of someone who lived over 150 years ago.

This book is recommended for ages 5 through 8 - of course, history buffs will probably enjoy reading it to any child, no matter their age. My daughter doesn't really grasp that we have had many Presidents in our country's history quite yet, but it was still fun to read to her, and I look forward to reading it again as she's a little older - I definitely will be incorporating it into a history lesson!

My Best Friend, Abe Lincoln: A Tale Of Two Boys From Indiana by Robert L. Bloch with illustrations by John W. Ewing is a hardcover children's book published by Big Tent Books, and will be available this June 1, 2011. It is 32 pages long, and the suggested cover price is $13.95. You can purchase the book online via www.mybestfriendabelincoln.com or via Amazon.

Please note that I did receive a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

End Of May Fun Stuff Round Up!

Alright, my inbox is yet again full of great stuff again this week, and rather than have 5 million new posts for y'all today, here's a bit of contests, coupons, charity news, and fun stuff for you all in one nifty post. You know the drill, right? ;) Have fun entering, save a little money, or support a needful charity - the choice is yours.

Here's a printable coupon that will save you $1.00 off 3 cans of Redpack tomatoes. You'll need to register with their site to print it, if you haven't already.

Want to enjoy a movie at home tonight? Today, May 26th, you can save 50 cents off your first night's rental from any Redbox kiosk by using promo code MAY26 .

Trex Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of wood-alternative decking and railing, is currently holding a Trex “Island Getaway” Facebook sweepstakes. Head on over to Facebook and simply “like” Trex on Facebook between now and June 30 and register to receive one Grand Prize sweepstakes entry for an ultimate Island Getaway. After filling out the entry form, answer a series of trivia questions about the Trex brand and Trex products. Each correct response to a trivia question earns an additional sweepstakes entry. Each day you can also play the “Instant Win” matching game. What's the grand prize, you ask? One lucky winner will receive an all expenses paid getaway to the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands! For more information, including rules, and to enter, visit their page on Facebook.

Stride Rite is having a special sale Thursday, May 26 through Tuesday, May 31 at participating Stride Rite retail stores and striderite.com: Buy One Get One 50% Off ALL shandals, sandals & flip flops from Stride Rite. Use promo code SUNBOGO at checkout to receive the discount. If you'd rather shop in person, click here to find a store near you.

For the 100 days of Summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Certain Dri is giving away one Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant every day. One random entrant will be chosen to receive a Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant (roll-on or solid) each day from May 27, 2011 to September 3, 2011. Every Friday at noon E.T., all seven winners from that week will be announced on the Certain Dri Facebook page. For more information, including rules, and to enter, visit Certain Dri's page on Facebook.

Sprout and TerraCycle are asking parents WHY they are protecting the planet for the sake of their children. Email contest@teams.terracycle.net and tell them about it, in 250 words or less, for the chance to win a month’s supply of Sprout Organic Baby Food, a TerraCycle bag, and $100 for a green project. Three runner-ups will receive prize packs, too! For more info, please see http://www.terracycle.net/Protecting-the-Planet-for-Baby-Contest. You can also sign up for the Sprout Baby Food Pouch Brigade to collect and send your Sprout pouches to TerraCycle, where they will be upcycled or recycled into new products. TerraCycle and Sprout pay $.02 per pouch to the charity of the collector’s choice and all shipping costs. For more info, please visit http://www.terracycle.net/brigades/sprout-baby-food-pouch-brigade?locale=en-US.

The Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club and Icing on the Ring launched a wedding and honeymoon giveaway valued at upwards of $100,000! The lucky winner will have this dream wedding on the memorable and lucky date of 11/11/11 and will literally leave the lucky couple and their guests feeling like they just attended a royal wedding. Sounds like a great prize, doesn't it? Sadly, entering this one is a little more limited than most contests I share with y'all, but I know a few of you live in this area: Couples who are currently Southern California residents and 21 years of age may now log on to http://www.IcingOnTheRing.com/WeddingGiveaway to submit an entry video, friend the collaborating companies on Facebook and fill in a brief questionnaire. The submission deadline is July 15th, so if you're interested, head on over and check out the complete rules.

RoseArt has some fun new activity kits just in time for Summer vacation, where we all know boredom strikes often. ;) These are sold exclusively at Target stores, for a limited time only, May 22 through July 9, 2011. The 7 Days of Fun kits challenge kids to create one craft a day for an entire week. The Me & You Activity Kits include everything needed for two crafters to create together, providing a great bonding activity for kids with their parents, friends, siblings, grandparents and babysitters! Project themes include Paint Your Own Wood Cars, Create Your Own Kaleidoscopes, Pin Wheels, Pen Sand Art, Color Surprise Art, among several others.

Real Simple editors launched the Take Back Dinnertime where they will give four grand-prize winning families all the tools they need to take back dinnertime – everything from easy weekly meal plans to a refrigerator makeover to realistic time-management strategies. The winners will be featured in the October issue of Real Simple magazine and on realsimple.com. To enter, candidates can click the link below and tell us about their biggest dinnertime challenge, whether it is a house full of picky eaters, an overscheduled family, or the need for healthier, easy-to-prepare meals. Submissions are due on June 17, 2011. For more information, including rules, and to enter, click here.

Adidas has free two day shipping on orders of $99 or more now through May 30th. Use promo code FASTER at checkout.

Books To The Rescue!

The Writer's Lair Books is hosting a 72-hour "Books to the Rescue" fundraiser for the Severson Sisters Foundation, a foundation dedicated to ending bullying and inspiring girls towards authenticity and confidence, that started at 12:01am EST TODAY (May 26th) and ends Saturday (May 28th) at 11:59pm EST.

Writer's Lair Book's goal is to sell 300 books in 72 hours - that's a pretty easy goal, but it takes YOUR help to meet that goal! Simply click that fun graphic above, choose whatever book you'd like to purchase, and let them know you are for the “Severson Sisters Fundraiser” at checkout by entering it in the box. (You can let them know my blog told you about it, too, if you'd like) A portion of each book sold will be donated to the Severson Sisters Foundation.

CD Review & Giveaway: Olé & Play! The Songs of Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language

My family and I recently received a copy of the new children's CD, Olé & Play! The Songs of Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures to review.



As some of you may know, it is very important to my DH and I that our daughter is raised bi-lingual. I love to find new products and ways that help her to progress in learning Spanish - I want it to end up being seamless for her, in that she doesn't even have to stop and think about how she wants to say something in either language - she just does it.


Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures is actually a Spanish Language Learning Program over in the Washington DC area that gives it's students both linguistic and cultural fluency. It was founded by two fellow Latina mothers who were looking for high quality Spanish classes for their own children. The students are immersed in high caliber Spanish, while learning about the art, literature, music, and of course - culture of Spain and Latin America. I find this absolutely awesome, because while our families can talk plenty about Mexico, it's a little harder to talk about the traditions and art of other Latin countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, or Chile.

Once students enter the program, they also are taught La Canción de Isabel & Fernando - or "The Isabella & Ferdinand Song". Inspired by the high demand from families seeking this song and other original songs composed for Isabella & Ferdinand, the school decided to create Olé & Play! The Songs of Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures for all to enjoy.

Olé & Play! The Songs of Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures contains 13 different tracks (or themes as they call them), and the CD includes a booklet that has both the Spanish words as well as the English translations. Each song in the booklet also includes a little background history ("Las Banderas" discusses the flags of each country and what the school does to help their students learn more) Here is the complete theme listing:

1. Las Aventuras De Don Quijote (The Adventures of Don Quijote)
2. La Niña, La Pinta Y La Santa María (The Niña, the Pinta and the Santa Maria)
3. Los Taínos (The Taínos)
4. ¡Pinta, Velázquez! (Paint, Velázquez!)
5. El Mercado Azteca (The Aztec Market)
6. Las Banderas (The Flags)
7. Diego y Frida (Diego and Frida)
8. La Araña De España (The Spider from Spain)
9. El Día De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)
10. El Universo De Picasso (The Universe of Picasso) Carlos Barroso
11. ¡Que Vivan Los Gordos De Botero! (Long Live Botero's Fat People!)
12. La Canción De Isabel Y Fernando (The Isabella & Ferdinand™ Song)
13. ¡Adiós, Adiós! (Goodbye, goodbye!)

The music is fun to listen to, with such a great beat that kids will want to move around while listening to it. Grammy & Latin Grammy winner Andres Castro produced this CD, and the songs are sung by artists like Grammy nominated Colombian vocalist Adriana Lucia and Gaby Moreno. Kids can enjoy it so much, they don't even realize they might be learning something! My daughter absolutely LOVES this CD and it's been on repeat so much - I know I sound like I am gushing to death over here, but this CD is just perfect for our family! (And which would you rather your child listen to? A CD with lyrics they could learn something from, or a top 40 song with inappropriate lyrics for a child to sing to?!)

Olé & Play! The Songs of Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures can be purchased via their website, or it's also available for download over on the i-Tunes website. It has a suggested retail price of $17.00 for the physical CD.

Win it! I'm so excited that I have copies of Olé & Play! The Songs of Isabella and Ferdinand Spanish Language Adventures that will go to FIVE lucky readers! To enter, share with us one of the ways you are helping the child(ren) in your life learn another language or more about a culture.

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Win Olé & Play! CD http://goo.gl/fb/zYsm1 ends 6/4 @psychotichouse

That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends June 4th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

I did receive a copy of this CD in order to share my thoughts on it. Five (5) winners will receive the prize stated above, thanks to the giveaway sponsor.

Book Review: Stover By Kathy Brodsky

My family and I recently received a copy of the new children's book Stover by Kathy Brodsky and illustrations by Cameron Bennett to review.


Stover is the rhyming story of a chubby pink pig named Stover, who likes to spend his day eating healthy, being active, and exercising. He does exercises at home, and at the gym with his trainer named Steve. He is always on the move and loves to swim fast. Stover is excited at the end of the day when he pinches less!

At the end of the book are some discussion questions about fitness and food, which makes this a great book to read in schools and get kids talking about eating better, and most importantly, staying on the move! The illustrated pictures are bright with a canvas look to them, and easily grab kids' attention. What I loved most though, was that this book is printed on recycled paper right here in the USA - no trees were killed to make it! (Hurray! I hope more books will follow suit!)

If you're interested in learning more about the author and other books she has written, visit her website here. Kathy has 40 years of experience as a clinical social worker that helps her to write books that are relevant to kids.

Stover by Kathy Brodsky and illustrations by Cameron Bennett is a hardcover children's story book published by Helpingwords. The suggested cover price is $19.99. You can purchase this title online via the author's website, or via sites such as Barnes & Noble.

I received a copy of this book in order to read it and share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Book Review: Extra Lean Family: Get Lean And Achieve Your Family's Best Health Ever By Mario Lopez

I recently received a copy of the new book Extra Lean Family: Get Lean And Achieve Your Family's Best Health Ever by Mario Lopez with Jimmy Pena.


I actually "bonded" with this book in the intro, where Mario was talking about how he grew up on a traditional Mexican diet and was a little on the pudgy side as a small child. OK, OK, I agree some Mexican dishes aren't necessarily the healthiest - although I am more one to blame the lack of activity and portion size vs the food itself. It perhaps even more worrisome to watch how Hispanics as a whole are fighting a battle of the bulge these days - I notice it more and more, especially in kids. One of our friends back home has a daughter that is 2 months older than ours, and sadly, she is nearly twice my daughter's weight! I cried the other day seeing a new photo of her (and her sister) because their poor eating habits are going to affect them the rest of their lives. :(

Now I blog my basic menu plan each week, minus some of the side dishes, so most of you are well aware of what we eat. We snack on fruits and veggies, yogurts, etc here, and yes, some junk foods. I personally believe in a balance of moderation - you can eat anything you'd like, so long as you burn off those calories, which leads to impromptu silly dances and whatever else we can do inside on rainy days, and walking on the nicer days. While I grew up in a traditional family too, we lived on a farm, so I was much more active than my DH, who lived on a street that I call the suburbs (it's a small town, it's not really the suburbs, lol, but it had a stretch of newer houses on smaller lots... ah, small town folks probably know what I am talking about!) My DH and his siblings have always been on the chunky side, and when DH and I were married, he had seriously BAD eating habits that I'm still working on. He's doing better - he's actually lost 11 pounds over the last few months, so I'm making headway. I have this constant fear that our daughter will pick up bad eating habits too, and it's a double edged sword for me - I don't want her to be so aware of what she's eating that she starts to count calories one day and follows in my footsteps of an eating disorder, and I certainly don't want her to swing the other way and eat junk and be overweight.

Now to get back to the book, Extra Lean Family was written after the birth of Mario's daughter. He too, worried that his choices might affect his daughter. He wants her to enjoy food, just like he did growing up, but not have poor eating habits that could lead to obesity. He's learned that the three important principles to being Extra Lean (his first book) is "Understanding Extra Lean Family" where you learn changing how your family eats, "Prepare Extra Lean Family" where you evaluate foods and change the state of your home and kitchen, and "Maintain Extra Lean Family", which is where you continue on this path. You can enjoy flavorful foods and "live to eat" as long as you make the proper choices.

There are sections of "Extra Lean Kids", "Extra Lean fact", etc, with tips and ideas. On top of the advice, there is an included five week meal plan that includes snacks and all meals, with a recipe for many of the days. There are over 50 different recipes that items that are easy to find in any grocery store. The meal plans include calorie contents (remember, these may vary), as well as a nutrition content for the day. Included are photos of the foods suggested, some of which are full color.

Now depending on your eating habits, your impression of the book may differ from mine, I found all of the information easy to follow along with, and they seemed easy to implement in our personal day to day life. It's practical advice, with practical recipes. In the past when I've read healthier eating books, I'll walk away with maybe one or two items that I can use - I found much more in Extra Lean Family. When it comes to the recipes, there are many that I know my family will enjoy - including "Bacon and Cheddar Macaroni Casserole", which uses yes, real cheese.

Extra Lean Family: Get Lean And Achieve Your Family's Best Health Ever by Mario Lopez with Jimmy Pena is a hardcover health and nutrition book published by Celebra. It is 260 pages long. The suggested cover price is $25.95, Amazon has it available for $17.13 as of this posting. It is also available as an e-book for the Kindle and other e-readers.

I received a copy of this book in order to share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own, and not that of the author(s) or publisher.

Giveaway: The Royal Wedding: The Official Album

Unless you were under a rock on April 29th, I'm sure you heard all about the Royal Wedding going on that day where Prince William married Catherine Middleton.

I'll admit I was rather um, shall we say annoyed, by all the coverage plastered EVERY WHERE, but when all was said and done, I have to admit it was a wonderful show - Princess Catherine's dress was absolutely GORGEOUS! You could pretty much tell they are smitten with each other, and I really hope for them that their marriage is everything they hope for.


On May 10th, Decca Records released The Royal Wedding: The Official Album which was recorded at Westminster Abbey on April 29th, 2011 during their ceremony. It includes the vows, speeches and all musical performances - starting off when the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh arrived and all the fanfare, up until the very end Toccasta from Symphonie V. For each album sold, Decca will pay 50p to the foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry, a registered charity. The CD is a lovely memento of their wedding, and who knows - maybe it will even become a collector's item one day!

The suggested retail price of this CD is $14.26, and you can purchase it via Amazon. If you no longer purchase physical CDs, you can also download this via i-Tunes.

Win it! Thanks to Decca, one lucky reader will win a copy on CD of The Royal Wedding: The Official Album. To enter, just tell us if you watched the wedding live or not. Easy peasy! (Did you love Princess Catherine's dress, too?)

As always, you can receive extra entries for:

-Subscribing to my feed OR following my blog
-Blogging about this giveaway with a link back
-Tweeting about this giveaway 1X (leave the link in your comment below or @psychotichouse)
Win The Royal Wedding CD! http://goo.gl/fb/NNzKp ends 6/4 @psychotichouse

That's four (4) possible entries! Giveaway ends June 4th at 11:59 PM PST, and please leave your email address in your entry or have it available in your profile. US only, sorry :( Good luck everyone!! :)

I did receive a copy of this CD in order to share my thoughts on it. One winner will receive the prize stated above, as fulfilled by the giveaway sponsor.

Random Tuesday Thoughts - Bunny Voo Doo

Well, it looks like I'm still rebelling over here with Renegade Random Tuesday Thoughts, since Keely is still not back to RTT. At least I'm not the only one rebelling, so if you've been having withdrawals, head over to Stacy Uncorked.




So this past weekend we did a major pet supplies stock up - yeeeouch! We lucked out on a few great deals, but holy smokes, it adds up fast! Everyone ended up with something new to play with - but the best find were these little bunny corn husk dolls I picked up for Grim (the bunny) - they look like little bunny voo doo dolls:


He apparently thinks they are the greatest thing in the world, because he was running around with one all evening last night. lol

We met a beautiful bunny at Petpalooza this past Saturday (post on the way) and I was shocked at the way the lady from the rescue group was handling him. I almost said something to her, but decided for once I was going to keep my mouth shut. (sigh) It just goes to show that just because someone says they are in rescue, doesn't mean they know what they are talking about - or does things right. It's frustrating!

...there were some scary dressed people there. *shivers* A mirror is your best friend. That, and clothes that don't fit two sizes too small, especially when you are old enough to remember the Watergate scandal firsthand. I am scarred for life!

DH got an email about Hot Topic having 50% off clearance this past weekend, so we headed over to the mall for some play time and to check it out. I almost stepped right back out just due to the rap music they were playing - seriously, I know stores follow the money trail, but it was depressing to see exactly how icky this store has gotten. 10 years ago, I could have blown an entire paycheck there - back when they actually carried goth clothing and played real music. Sigh! This momma's gotten old. :( I did pick up a few containers of black make-up off the clearance rack for zombie make up, so I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn't have to use my good stuff to make up DH's face this summer. (LOL) It's not that I mind it, but with half of these events being outdoors, if it's hot, it will start to melt a little from him sweating, and I'll be stuck re-applying shading more often - and then I use more of my good makeup. It's kind of a, what's the point of wasting full price stuff, ya know?

It looks like it's supposed to rain again the rest of this week. Booo. I guess I better get a move on things so I can get a few more things in the yard done today. I wanted to trim some tree branches that are hanging too low to ground - I don't want any eyes poked out. ;) I need to cut the grass, and there's a bit of weeding that I need to do too. I'll let the giant pile of laundry wait until tomorrow's rainy day - I think DH has enough socks still. Well, I hope so.

The new Trader Joe's will be open June 17th! Yippee! Even better? It's right next to the Goodwill! (Can you just hear my excitement? LOL)

Under seven weeks until the inlaws arrive.

...and yes, that was panic you heard in that sentence.

Review: Safe in the Arms of Love: Deepening The Essential Bond with Your Baby

I recently received a copy of Safe in the Arms of Love: Deepening The Essential Bond with Your Baby, a CD with accompanying book, to review.


Are you worried about bonding with your new baby on the way? Safe in the Arms of Love is a lovely gift set designed to help mothers - and others relatives - bond with the new baby. The music is intended to be used during pregnancy, as it's been acknowledged that many babies remember the music they heard during their time in their mother's womb, and actually prefer it. Playing the CD shortly after your little one has arrived into this world, or while nursing that first time, can help strengthen that beautiful bond between mothers and their newborn child.

The music on the CD is peaceful and calming, something soon-to-be Moms can relax to while playing it - it's almost the perfect CD to listen to in the evenings. (My suggestion? If you have a room set aside to be the new baby's, even if it's not ready yet, have a seat in there, listen to the CD, and just relax! There's nothing that says the room has to be perfect and full of new baby stuff to be in there!)

The accompanying book has some lovely watercolor pictures inside, as well as pictures of sweet little babies. The book includes the lyrics to the music on the CD, as well as tips and ways to bond with your baby, such as exercises like "Radiating Love". It also talks about what the bonding experience actually feels like physically.

This was actually developed by sound healer and songwriter Lisa Rafel, Emmy-winning composer Gary Malkin, and clinical psychologist Dr. David Surrenda, and the music was intentionally composed to create bonding using "Positive Intention Music" - which uses psychoacoustics (insert my giggle here) and sound healing principles "to create a peaceful, attentive, heart filled atmosphere where both parent and baby can become emotionally connected" according to Gary Malkin.

Safe in the Arms of Love has been endorsed by several authorities, including Deepak Chopra, M.D., Christiane Northrup, M.D., Dean Ornish, M.D., Marshall Klaus, M.D. and Phyllis Klaus, MFT, LMSW. If you are on the hunt for the perfect gift for the soon to be new Mom, especially if it's her first child, this makes a wonderful choice!

Right now if you visit their website, you can download "Embrace" by Gary Malkin from Safe In the Arms Of Love for free.

Safe in the Arms of Love: Deepening The Essential Bond with Your Baby is a hardcover parenting/baby book and CD gift set published by Wise Parenting Press and produced by Resonant Sounds, LLC. The book itself is 80 pages long. The suggested cover price is $24.95, but Amazon has it available for $18.21 as of this posting.

Please note that I did receive the product mentioned above in order to share my thoughts on it. All opinions are my own.

Blu-Ray/DVD Review: Gnomeo & Juliet

My family and I recently received Gnomeo & Juliet on Blu-Ray/DVD combo to review.


Gnomeo & Juliet is the animated tale of two garden gnomes set to the music of Elton John via Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet from Disney's Touchstone label. Like the tragic story of Romeo & Juliet, Gnomeo and Juliet have a problem with their romance - you see red gnomes HATE blue gnomes. Yes, you guessed it - they are different colored gnomes living on different lawns.

We were waiting for this one to come out on DVD, and I totally have to say, it does not disappoint in the giggling department! If you like the Shrek movies, I think you'll like this one too - it has the same slapstick humor. And the lawnmower races are hysterical! It's neat to hear celebrity voices like Dolly Parton, Hulk Hogan, and Ozzy Osbourne - as well as Sir Michael Caine in the movie.

Here's a short clip from Gnomeo & Juliet:



(Sorry feedreaders, you'll have to click through to my site to see this one as I do not have a direct link)

Now the movie is rated G, safe for most ages - though, I might recommend it more for ages 5 and up, just so they "get" the humor. Be aware that it does have some "cartoon violence", but if the WB Roadrunner/Wiley E Coyote doesn't bother you, this should be alright. There are a few jokes that should go over kids' heads but parents will get, but it's not overly suggestive or anything like that.

Both discs in the combo set have special features. The DVD disc contains a featurette called "Elton Builds A Garden", all about how Elton John helped influence the movie. It also has "Frog Talk With Ashley Jensen" - Ashley is the voice of Nanette, and you'll see her voice her lines (and all the silly faces that go with it lol), as well as the "Crocodile Rock" music video. The Blu-Ray has even more fun stuff, including two alternate endings and a stack of deleted scenes that they show from the storyboard sequences - plus "The Fawn of Darkness", where you'll hear Ozzy "mumble" about voicing his character, a little lawn deer named Fawn. (I wonder if back in the 80's anyone really thought we'd see him featured in a kids movie? lol)

This titles also qualifies as part of the Disney Movie Rewards program, so be sure to enter the code inside the box to get your reward points. If you are interested in purchasing this title for your home move collection, there is a printable coupon currently available that will save you $5 off the 3 disc combo pack, now through May 29th. Pair it with some of the grocery store deals that offer freebies with purchase, and you can end up with this movie for much less than two tickets to most movie theaters.

Gnomeo & Juliet will be released this Tuesday, May 24th, 2011, and is available at your favorite place to purchase DVDs. This widescreen film is 84 minutes long and rated G. (see above for more on my thoughts) The suggested retail price is $39.99 for the combo pack, and $29.99 for the Blu-Ray edition. Amazon has it available as of this posting for just $24.99 for the three disc combo set (which includes a digital copy for on the go viewing), so it's a great deal if you'd like it shipped to your door.

You know the drill: I received a copy of this DVD in order to share my thoughts on it - all opinions are my own.

DVD Review: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors

My family and I recently received a copy of the new CGI animated Disney DVD Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors to review.


Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors is the latest release from the preschool aimed show. It includes a new episode that hasn't been aired on TV (and won't until the middle of July!) in "Mickey's Fishy Story". It also includes several other outdoor themed episodes, including "Mickey's Camp Out", "Mickey and Minnie's Jungle Safari", "Daisy In The Sky" and "Daisy's Grasshopper". All of the big Disney characters make an appearance,including every one's favorite, Mickey Mouse, as well as Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck.

Camping season is almost upon us here in Washington, so we were totally excited for this title to come out to start setting the mood for our upcoming campouts! I love the way the series has been updated in recent years with the CGI animation too - it's fun to watch technology evolve from what I watched as a kid to what my daughter is watching now. Here's a clip from the DVD:


(Sorry feedreaders, you'll have to click over to view it)

This is a Mickey Mote compatible title, and this DVD is available with the Mickey Mote if you don't already own one. (See my review on the Mickey Mote here) You do not need the Mickey Mote in order to play in "Discovery Mode"; you can simply use your DVD player's remote. (However, I would supervise in this case, since you don't want your DVD remote to be abused too much!) There are two levels of Discovery Mode; Level One is very simple - such as pressing a button that corresponds to the color of the dress Minnie is looking for. Level One is great for the 2-3 crowd, while Level 2 brings out the more detailed questions and may be more appropriate for the ages 3-4 and up crowd.

The combo set contains both the regular DVD feature (including Discover mode) and a second dic that is the digital copy of the DVD, for viewing on the go. The DVD disc uses Disney's Fast Play, a navigation utility that automatically starts the disc as soon as it's put in the player and pretty much remembers your viewing preferences. It also earns points in the Disney Movie Rewards program, so be sure to add in the code to your Rewards account when you open the box! And if you are planning on purchasing it, be on the lookout for the coupon on the box that will save you $10 when you purchase this title, and any other select Mickey Mote compatible Disney DVD product.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Great Outdoors will be available this Tuesday, May 24th, 2011. It's rated TV-Y and geared for the ages 2-5 set. Full screen, it has a total running time of 120 minutes long. The suggested retail price of the DVD box set including the Mickey Mote is $29.99, while the stand alone DVD set has a suggested retail price of $19.99. Right now, Amazon has the box set available for just $21.99 on pre-order. (Netflix users: As of this posting, this DVD is listed on the site, but without a release date. Simply at it to your saved list to be notified of a streaming or disc availability date)

I received the DVD mentioned above in order to view and share my thoughts on. All opinions are my own, and not that of Disney. All links included are for your convenience, they are not referral links.

Menu Planning Monday - The Busy Edition

This week is going to be a super crazy one with lots of things going on, so I'm not 100% sure we'll stick to what I am planning, but at least it's there so I'm not running around for a few ideas. I actually - GASP! - bought some frozen snacks and bread/bagels yesterday at Grocery Outlet so I'd have some quick and easy lunch (alright, and dinner) options. The Murder Mystery/Pirate/Seagull festivals are this weekend, so Saturday's dinner is out! (Yippee!)

Monday: Bratwursts, baked potato bar (YUM!)

Tuesday: BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, Seasoned Steak fries

Wednesday: Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

Thursday: Mexican Bake

Friday: pizza night - either BBQ Chicken Cornbread Pizza or grabbing a Little Caeser's on the go

Saturday: dinner out

Sunday: recipe of the week

Check out Organizing Junkie for other great Menu Plans!

Tips For Kids Camp Season

Camp season is just around the corner for many kids! Now is the time to start picking up a few items here and there to have ready so you're not just running around the last minute. The big benefit of making an early list of items you know for sure you'll need (toiletries, old clothing) is that you can actually save a bit of money by picking a few things up on sale each week. Here's a few money saving tips:

*Shop the yard sales and thrift stores. Many times you can find new or nearly new clothing for a fraction of the original retail cost. Often thrift and other resale stores will have a certain color on sale that week. Don't be afraid to call ahead and find out when the next sale is and what's on sale that day! You'll have a great chance of finding cheap t-shirts and shorts - since we all know what goes to camp, doesn't always make it back in one piece!

*Hit the dollar stores such as Dollar Tree - you can pick up things such as shampoo and conditioner. (and while you're at it - be sure to pick up a bucket or cleaning product carry-all, so your kiddo has an easy way to lug everything to the shower!)

*If your child needs a sleeping bag, and you don't already have one, hit up sites such as Craigslist or Freecycle. If a sleeping bag has been stored properly, all it needs is a good wash and it should be as good as new!


And here's some other great tips:

*Don't pack new shoes or boots - be sure your child has already broken in there shoes. Getting blisters at the beginning of camp is a nightmare for all!

*Pick up one of the travel first aid kits to add to their pack (Walmart sells a Johnson & Johnson one for just 97 cents) so your child doesn't have to go begging to a counselor for a band-aid each time.

*You can never have too many pairs of dry socks! Pack an extra pair or two of socks - remember wet socks can cause blisters, too.

*There are some great labels for clothing now so your child can easily tell what's his or not. If it's an item that's important -such as jeans, etc, make sure you pick up some (As a Lovebug, I personally recommend Lovable Labels Ultimate Camp Pack - we've used their labels on shoes and clothing, and they hold up well. Markers work well, yes, but can leak through the fabric sometimes - plus it looks more pleasant for anything you might be using again)

*Make sure you are careful not to pack anything not allowed - many camps will have a list of prohibited items, such as handheld games. Also be aware that some types of clothing may not be allowed, depending on the camp.

You'll probably have to pack several re-usable water bottles for your child to use. Make sure that noy only they are BPA free, but that they have a quality seal so they don't leak all over your child or in their backpack. One of the COOLEST ones I have found so far is from Vapur:


These bottles are incredibly lightweight (the "fun size" are 0.4 liters, perfect for kids), you can easily write a name on them, they come with a carabiner clip to attach to your belt band, backpack, etc - and the kicker? They roll up when they are empty so they fit into a pocket! Seriously, how neat is this? I'm grabbing a couple for when we go camping this summer - they are just the perfect size for my daughter I think. (and I'm digging the purple and orange ones!)

Full disclosure because that's the way I roll - I am a Lovebug, but the link is just a regular ol' link to show y'all what I am talking about. The Vapur link is because I thought it was cool - I'm just sharing tips and money saving ideas, I receive nothing in exchange for this post. I hope it helps someone!