be blessed!

Apple iPad2 or Amazon Kindle Fire Giveaway!

2012-01-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

Enter below to win an Apple iPad 2 (16GB) or an Amazon Kindle Fire from Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We have a winner of the ChicoBag Timeless Collection!

2011-12-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Rachel Bindel entry # 200!

You are the winner of the Timeless Collection Kaleidoscope bag from ChicoBag!

Review and Giveaway: ChicoBag Timeless Collection

2011-12-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a durable, washable, spacious, earth-friendly, reusable bag with style to tote all of your stuff in, this is the bag for you! This is an awesome plastic bag alternative, can be used as gift-wrap, can be given as a gift, is made from washable, durable fabric, stuffs into it's own little pouch, and easily fits into your purse or pocket! This bag has an open top so it's possible for things to fall out and there is no padding for fragile objects.

Full Review:
I am always surprised how light weight the package is when I receive a ChicoBag in the mail! I just received a new bag from the Timeless Collection. It is amazingly spacious and can fit huge amounts of stuff! I just realized that my laptop with 17 inch monitor fits into this bag with ease (although there is no padding, so be careful if you are carrying computers or other fragile objects)... This bag has wide comfortable straps, the fabric feels sturdy and claims to hold up to 40 lbs!

Sewn into the side of the large bag is a tiny pouch with a clip that can fasten to a strap or keychain. Turn this pouch inside out and you can stuff the entire bag into the tiny pouch! I love the fact that this makes it super easy to tuck into your purse, pocket or attach to a key chain making it easier to remember to bring your reusable bags to the store. As with all ChicoBags, this one is made from a material called rePETe. RePETe is made from recycled materials, mainly recycled plastic bottles!

These bags from the Timeless Collection are so pretty, any of them would make a great reusable gift bag!

Visit ChicoBag on Facebook and Twitter!

This Giveaway ends 12/21/2011. Open to continental US residents only.

**To Enter: If the giveaway form is not loading or says that it has ended, click here and wait for Rafflecopter to load. Thank you!

Disclosure: We received a sample ChicoBag to review and one to giveaway. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received. All pictures in this post came from the ChicoBag.com website.

Lite Sprites by WowWee: Review and Coupon Code

2011-11-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

The bottom line: This toy set is great for keeping kids attention for a long time. Lots of different interactive parts, and color learning/matching activities. Be advised if you purchase the Tree of Lite alone, it does not come with any Sprite characters...they are sold separately as are the accessories! The more accessories that you have, the more fun the whole set is.

Visit the WowWee Toy Shop and use the coupon code: blogpromo10 for 10% off of your total purchases!

Ok, the little people in our house were extremely impressed with the new Lite Sprite toys from WowWee! This set of toys kept 5 little girls (ranging in age from 2-11 years old) happily entertained for the longest time. And to be fair, the boys thought they were kind of cool too. :)

Our set includes:
Tree of Light: Tree house with a stairway, an elevator, and a green scape base for the sprites to play in. The tree top lights up, changes color, and can spin!

Lite Wand with Prisma Sprite and Pod: Sprites can ride in their pods which attach to the Tree of Lite which can be rotated taking them on a fun "ride". The wand causes other toys and accessories to react with light, color and sound!

Lite Sprite with pod: each Lite Sprite changes to a rainbow of different colors and reacts to motion and the Lite wand.

Lite Sprites Lite Pets: pets are nice to add extra "participants" in the play... they come with a log to sleep on.

Lite Sprite Swing: Sprites can ride on their swing and magically change colors as they swing back and forth.

Six-year-old Wyn was delighted when she saw the magic wand. This wand is so completely magical as it makes musical sounds and lights up a rainbow of changing colors! We were particularly surprised when we saw that the wand has a sensor that can copy a color from almost any random object and reacts by lighting up in a matching color. Press a different button, and the wand changes the color of the little Sprite fairies and all of the accessories.

**Warning: We made a fun discovery! If the there are Light Strike games going on while Lite Sprites are "playing", the Light Strikes (also made by WowWee) change the colors of the Lite Sprite toys! But never fear, the magic wand can overpower the Light Strikes until they run out of "health"! :)

Thinking of purchasing toys from the Light Sprite collection or any other WowWee toys? Visit the WowWee Toy Shop and use the coupon code: blogpromo10 for 10% off of your total purchases!

Disclosure: We received the Light Sprite toys and accessories listed above for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Paper Jamz Pro Series by WowWee: Review and Coupon Code

2011-11-25T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Bottom Line:

- Expansion of an already popular line yields some entertaining additions.
- Something for everyone results in a fun "concert" experience. Pick your favorite.
- Still have pre-programmed songs that you will hear over and over and over again!

WowWee Toy Shop 10% off coupon code: blogpromo10

We were blessed with several new items from the popular Paper Jamz line. In combination with nine children (not all of them ours), they were a lot of fun...and noisy! Now that I have recovered a bit, I can reflect on the experience as follows:

Pro Series Drum Kit
This is a pretty full drum kit, especially compared to stick-oriented setups, but it's on a much smaller scale, for fingers. It is pretty fun to play, The rhythms are challenging to keep up with, but the music (repeating over and over!) gets old fast (this applies to all the Paper Jamz players).
BUT! But now, in the Pro Series, you can load your own music on! Yes! Now we are having fun!

Pro Series Guitar
This guitar was really easy to figure out and was fun to play with. I had to threaten small children with electronic banishment unless they let me check it out, so does it rate with the 3-12 crowd? Oh, yes.
And now it rates with the 40+ crowd because you can load The Who and Rush on it! The Pro Series is the right direction.

Microphone - Amplifier
This mic - amp combo was a huge hit! The six-year-old conducted an entire TV show and did not willingly share. The voice modulator works great and is very fun, especially when you plug the unit into your stereo! If the 4-year-old gets too close to the amp, the feedback gets pretty annoying! Still, this is a great addition to the band.

Justin Bieber Keyboard Guitar
After I finally figured out how to put this keytar into freeform keyboard mode, I was able to work with it. Until that time, Justin's voice popped out with a different line with every key, which the 3 year old thought was amusing. It is well-designed (as are all the Paper Jamz), but the real reason one will buy this (or not) is that Justin's name and picture are on it...and because it says "Paper Jamz"!

If your kids, of just about any age, like performing like their favorite bands, I can't imagine a better set of "instruments"! The Paper Jamz name is well-known and the quality is good. When all the instruments get going, it becomes more of a cacophony, but maybe I'm too old. I'm still getting used to the no-button controls, but the kids pick it up just fine. Finally, the features on the "Pro" series (the ability to download your own music choices) definitely moves this series into the 12+ age range, and makes it easier on the parents' sanity.

Now, if I could only change the music on the Justin Bieber keytar... ;)

Thinking of purchasing toys from the Paper Jamz series? Visit the WowWee Toy Shop and use the coupon code: blogpromo10 for 10% off of your total purchases.

Disclosure: We received the Paper Jamz toys and accessories listed above for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Light Strikes by WowWee: Review and Coupon Code

2011-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

Bottom Line:
- A lot of friends + a lot of Light Strikers = Lots of fun.
- Extras are fun, but choose carefully if you are on a budget.

WowWee Toy Shop 10% off coupon code: blogpromo10

Light Strike is a laser tag-type system released by WowWee (the makers of the popular Paper Jamz music toys) this year. We tested two Assault Strikers, one Striker, and the various targets (mini, strike, vest, and the "Intelligent Targeting System" [ITS]). We also used several attachments (scope, refractor launch, enemy scanner, and rapid fire system).

The system works by sending infrared signals out from the Striker; any Striker that receives the signal and is not on the same team (blue, red, green, or yellow - yes, FOUR teams are possible!) loses health. How much depends on the type of shot. Each Striker can change the type of shot it produces, akin to shotgun, sniper, silenced, etc. The Assault Strikers have more options, but the smaller Strikers are quite effective and have some options. They also have an advantage: when playing in the dark (which is a blast), it is hard to find the Paper Jamz-like sensor locations on the sides of the Assault Strikers, but the Striker G.A.P.-024 that we tried has actual buttons on the top. If you get used to the locations, maybe it would not be a big deal, but I prefer a button I can feel when my other senses are engaged trying to see friend or foe.

The ITS is a cool gadget. The team who shoots it five times first "owns" it, then it goes into one of three modes: Medic, Bomb, or Sentry. In Medic mode, the "owning" team can shoot the ITS (which also rotates, making this more difficult) and restore health. Sentry mode can shoot players of opposing teams, while the Bomb sends out a signal that depletes health of opposing teams really fast. It is a fun device, but should be used in close quarters for best effect. The other targets begged one big question: "Why?" When shot, all they do is turn the color of the Striker that did the shooting. Given more time, we may think up some games to play with them (Capture the Flag is possible, but it would be easy to cheat). It may help to include some game ideas right in the packaging, or at least some on the website. Beyond that, the instructions were accurate, but minimal (and had tiny type).

The other attachments supposedly improve aim, destructive power, etc. I am sure that given enough time, maybe we would have developed greater sophistication with the system to use these effectively, but it was just a lot of fun to run around shooting each other and the ITS.

I enjoy tag-type games a lot and was really looking forward to this review. I played with a couple of 8-year-olds who enjoyed the experience immensely! The worst thing is that I wish we had more Strikers and more people - the more the merrier! The devices were robust (8-year-olds are not gentle with toys) and worked quite well. The range was about 10-20 yards, which made our large-ish yard (200ft x 80ft) a bit too big. Our small-ish house, though, was too close for comfort. Thus, I recommend a small yard with many obstacles for cover, or inside a large house or building. For us, the next stop is our big old church! It would not be the first time such games have been played there.

Overall, it was a fine experience with the system. If I were looking at scaling up for a youth group or recreation group, this system would definitely be on the short list. Again, with a limited budget, I would focus on more Strikers and less on the extras, with the possible exception of the ITS. The Assault Strikers are great for more complex scenarios, but the basic sets are good for a lot of fun. WowWee has a(nother) winner here!

Thinking of Purchasing Light Strikes? Visit the WowWee Toy Shop and use the coupon code: blogpromo10 for 10% off of your total purchases.

Disclosure: We received the Light Strike toys and accessories listed above for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the product. No other compensation was received.

Chico Bag and Cyber Monday Deals Coupon Code

2011-11-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

Check out the participating companies for "Save Green" deals on Cyber Monday, November 28th! If you've been thinking of getting a Chico Bag, now is the time as they are offering 40% off on Cyber Monday!

Use the coupon code 'savegreen' for purchases at any of the participating company websites.

During the Holidays-Teach the Gift of Sharing

2011-11-19T17:09:00.000-08:00

Article submitted by Kathleen Thomas on behalf of Primrose Schools

The principle of sharing is one that really cannot be overemphasized to children. While most children will go through a phase of thinking that everything they see or touch belongs to them exclusively, parents still need to actively teach the value of sharing one’s possessions with others, educational day cares may help but it is best if this act is taught at home. The holiday season is perhaps the best time of the year to help young ones understand how enjoyable sharing and giving to others truly can be, and with a bit of creativity, parents can ensure that this entire Christmas time is filled with fun lessons in giving.

Since the holiday season is really centered on gift giving, this time of the year is perfect for parents to model ideal behavior in this area. Involve children in the process, explaining to them that they can find joy in giving presents to their siblings (or friends); since most children will not have the monetary means to actually purchase such gifts themselves, parents should budget in such a way that they can actually support the bill of any gifts. Later, when children are older and understand the importance of money better, they can graduate to buying presents for others themselves.

A perfect way to involve the whole family in the gift giving spirit is to “adopt” a less-fortunate family in your local community. If possible, choose a family that has a child around the same age as your own child. Make a shopping trip with the sole purpose of purchasing presents for this other family; include your child in the gift-purchasing decisions, especially for those gifts for the other family’s children. This way, your child will be taught the joy of giving to others; at the same time, you are serving as a role model for sharing your own (relative) wealth with others who might not be as blessed. This latter lesson is most likely one that your children will remember into adulthood.

Another great way to teach children how to share is to encourage them to produce a “Christmas Pageant” together. The play can be as short or long as the children would like. However, let the planning of the play be completed mostly by the children with minimal adult interaction. While this idea might not include sharing tangible items, it will encourage cooperative play, sharing ideas, and sharing the spotlight—all ideals that are important for forming a giving attitude in young minds.

Finally, take the holiday season to teach lessons in sharing by planning many family activities like baking Christmas cookies, decorating a gingerbread house, and reading Christmas stories together. Most family activities, by their very nature, demand that all family members work together to accomplish a common goal, and it is only through the sharing of ideas and objects and the respect of others opinions that these activities can be executed enjoyably. Even when planned activities don’t go entirely smoothly (such as a fight breaking out over the snowman cookie cutter), these moments can be used to teach the importance of sharing. Additionally, since many Christmas stories are centered on the importance of gift giving, reading these stories to children will also encourage kindness to others.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

WowWee Toys and Coupon Code!

2011-11-17T21:35:00.000-08:00

Be watching in the next week for a review of WowWee toys! WowWee is the creator of several super fun and unique toys including Paper Jamz, Light Strike, and Lite Sprites!

In the mean time, head over to the WowWee Toy Shop and start your Christmas shopping! Use the coupon code: blogpromo10 to get 10% off of your purchases!

Free Printable: Get organized for a more relaxing holiday!

2011-11-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Need a great tool to help you get organized for the holidays? I have been using this free printable holiday control journal from Flylady for years now, and it really helps! There are places for Christmas lists, menus, recipes, receipts, decorating plans and ideas, traditions and so much more!

Review and Giveaway: Auto-B-Good: Pirates of the Parkway

2011-11-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

Pros: Nicely animated, lovable characters, cute artwork, colorful, captivating, episodes are short

Cons: Episodes are short, can't think of any others.

Summary: If you are looking for cute kid DVD's with valuable life lessons woven into the storyline for home or classroom use, Auto-B-Good series is worth checking out!

Purchase: Auto-B-Good: Pirates of the Parkway here.

The dvd we reviewed (Pirates of the Parkway)has 5 episodes:

Car Tune Pirates (a story about honesty)

Up From the Depths (Joyfulness)

Digging for Gold (Cooperation)

And bonus episodes:
A Tidy Plan (Cleanliness)

Shop 'Til You Drop (Self-Control)

Our thoughts:
My kiddos love to watch movies! As a mama and a teacher, I love when movies are not only entertaining, but also teach valuable lessons. This was a really nicely animated movie series with lovable, colorful characters and great lessons to learn! My kids love the fact that the cars and trucks in Auto B Good are the main characters. This dvd kept the attention of all the kids in our house with ages ranging from 3-8 years old. Even my 3 year old was able to tell me about the movie afterwards and understood the lesson in the story. She said, "It's not okay to take away from people when it doesn't belong to you". :) My girls said they especially liked the "girl cars" and the boys liked the "boy cars". My 8 year old said that he especially like the episode, "Digging for Gold" because he liked the way all the cars worked together to help a friend.

Giveaway: Auto-B-Good is offering one Special Edition DVD: Auto-B-Good, Pirates of the Parkway to one lucky reader!

Disclosure: We received Auto-B-Good: Pirates of the Parkway for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Review: The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher

2011-11-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

Pros: In-depth, well-acted, well-paced dramas that wonderfully capture personalities and events
Cons: Actor/actress shift confusion (if watched in a row), lack of knowledge of British politics may leave non-parliamentarians scratching their heads
Bottom line: Great for anyone who likes drama or history. Will get you looking up deeper facts and details.

I was sent these dvds for my general interest in 20th century history. Some historical dramas just drag, while others skip through events like rocks across a shallow stream. My hopes were dim for these productions until I noticed two things:
1) They were produced by the BBC.
2) There are 284 minutes of screen time.
Since they came from the BBC, I could at least assume that they had to hold closely to facts, that the writers had good access to original sources, and that Hollywoodization would be somewhat minimized. All media has slant, but my hope was that I was in a low-spin zone, even for such a controversial figure as Mrs. Thatcher.
The nearly six hours of screen time put me on guard for a snoozer...needlessly.

I loved it.

The first movie, "The Long Walk to Finchley" is an account of Thatcher's efforts to land a seat in Parliament. Other key events, as well as her struggles against sexism, are woven in seamlessly.

The second, "The Falklands Play" focuses on the Falkland Islands War with Argentina. It depicts the debates swirling around the activities of the Argentinians and the controversies and second-guessing as events unfolded. The Americans are shown as unsophisticated buffaloes that are taken to task by the Prime Minister...but maybe that's what we are and that's what happened. My 8-year-old even liked it!

The third, "The Fall" recounts the political machinations that brought her down. What I found amazing was how quickly this happened...and from within her own party! This was the most confusing of the three movies, as I am not familiar with the inner workings of the British Parliament (and this was produced by the BBC for British consumption). However, it sent me to the internet to read up on it, which was quite welcome. It also had several flashbacks to key events in her life (more on that below).

These movies were well-acted, directed, and produced. Casting was superb and the screenplay was paced just about right. I rarely say that I want to watch a movie again, (especially ones that do not have explosions), but I will someday when the kids are learning 20th-century history.

I had one important trouble with the films: they used different actors and actresses for the various parts. Thus, the Thatcher of "The Fall" actually looked younger that the "Falklands" (and much younger than I remember the real Mrs. Thatcher at the time), I believe partly due to the fact that the flashbacks required the same actress. A little more age makeup may have helped. What really confused things were that different actors were used for the same parts, so MP "John" in "Falklands" looked completely different than MP "John" in "Fall", so it was hard to remember who was who, especially when such matters are critical to the story. Then again, maybe I shouldn't have watched them so close together!

All in all, though, well-done and interesting. What more could a history trilogy need?

Disclosure: We received The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher on DVD for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

How to make a five pointed star gift with dollar bills...

2011-09-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

This is a fun way to give money! :)

Free Music Download: Julia Sinclair

2011-09-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

We had the awesome privilege of getting to know this beautiful lady with the beautiful voice. Check out her music with this free music download.

Get a free download of four of Julia Sinclair's new songs from her album Slow and Steady:

Review: A Cinderella Story, Once Upon a Song

2011-08-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

Pros: Funny characters and story line; catchy, fun music; likable actors/actresses, entertaining

Cons: Sassy, disrespectful kids; over-used, unintelligent adult stereotypes;

Summary: If you are in the mood for a funny, musical comedy in the teen/adult audience... this movie may be worth checking out.

Comedy/Musical, Rated PG

Available on DVD: 9/6/2011 for $28.98

Full Review:
It's amazing to me how many times the classic story of Cinderella has been written and played and still remains a favorite inspiration for so many movies. There are so many successful versions, all with a different twist or storyline! This movie has its good points and not so great points.

My favorite aspect of A Cinderella Story is that it is a musical... we absolutely love musicals over here! I thought the vocals were well done. The music is upbeat, fun and catchy. This one has a similar 'flavor' as High School Musical and is probably directed at a tweens and teens audience. I loved the actors and actresses that they chose for this movie. They are funny and keep you laughing all the way through!

Some aspects of the storyline in this movie were disappointing. Although this movie is hilarious at times, it takes the same road as so many films directed at kids and teens where all of the adult characters are either unintelligent, mean, or totally UN-cool. While you completely expect this of the wicked stepmother, the other adults in this movie (the music producer, the teachers, etc...) all seem to fit these descriptions as well. In contrast, the kids and teens are the only intelligent and logical of the bunch (with the understandable exception of the selfish and rude wicked stepsisters and their little brother). The little brother is so disrespectful of property and others (destroying furniture and paintings, has an extremely sassy mouth and attitude and creates embarrassing situations) that even though he is funny, cute and sort of redeems himself in the end, I would NOT show this movie to the younger kiddos in my house!

In conclusion, if you are in the mood for a funny, modern, musical /comedy geared especially towards teen girls, this movie may be worth checking out. I would not recommend it, however, for younger or more impressionable children.

Disclosure: We received A Cinderella Story on DVD for review from WB. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Super Easy Refrigerator Sweet Pickles...

2011-08-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ok..I'm not a big fan of pickles, but the rest of my family is. I decided to try this tried and true recipe from Mom this week and even the non-pickle eaters in the house love it! :) So if you have too many cucumbers in your garden..or too many pickle-eaters in your house, this is a great recipe! *note..you don't even need to can these...just refrigerate.

Easy Refrigerator Sweet pickles

7 cups unpeeled cucumbers sliced thin

Mix the following ingredients well:

1 cup onion diced

1 cup green and/or red peppers diced

2 Tbs salt

2 cups sugar

1 Tbs celery seed

1 cup cider vinegar

Mix everything and add to sliced cucumbers. Pack cucumbers into glass jars or sealed containers, fill with extra liquid and refrigerate for 24hrs...enjoy!

butterfly footprints...

2011-08-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hope you like this super cute idea....we had fun making butterfly footprints today! :)

Becoming Jewelry Giveaway Winner...

2011-07-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to #50...you are the winner of the Becoming Jewelry Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Erin Cook said... 50: GFC follower Erin Cookcookster77@aol.com; June 21, 2011 4:47 AM

Thanks to everyone that entered! More great reviews and giveaways are coming soon! :)

*Winner must reply within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Review: The Royal Wedding, William and Catherine on DVD

2011-06-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Available on DVD: May24, 2011

Official Site URL: www.bbcamericashop.com

Summary: If you missed the royal wedding on TV, or you have little girls that love to watch princesses and weddings, this is a good one to rent or own.

Unlike lots of friends that woke up way early in the morning to watch the royal wedding on TV...we are not morning people and decided to sleep in. To the delight of my little girls that love princesses and weddings, we had the chance to review BBC's The Royal Wedding of William and Catherine and we didn't miss a thing...

.
Remember the tea and scones...and you may perhaps want to wear your best hat while watching this dvd. It not only includes the complete wedding video footage, but also a bonus program, "William and Kate: A Royal Engagement", a 50-minute story of how William and Kate fell in love. The girls loved the horses and carriages, fancy dresses and hats, the music, and of course the princess and prince.

Here is a clip of the wedding vows:

If you like watching royal weddings and missed this one check out this dvd.

Order BBC's The Royal Wedding of William and Catherine here.

Disclosure: We received The Royal Wedding of William and Catherine for review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Review: Paddle Monster DVD

2011-06-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

Pros: Paddle Monster is a kid friendly and fun DVD. It succeeded in holding the attention of kids and made them eager for their own first paddling experience.

Cons: White water kayaking, and maneuvers like the seal launch which are shown in the movie are too advanced for the target audience - newcomers to paddling.

Summary: Paddle Monster is a fun and informative introduction into padding sports. It is an exceptional tool for parents or instructors to acquaint kids with the many aspects of kayaking and canoeing.

Purchase it here for $16.95.

Full Review:
Kayaking and canoeing are rapidly gaining popularity as wonderful outdoor activities for the whole family. Our family is relatively new to kayaking so we were delighted to check out this Paddle Monster DVD. The DVD has two parts. The section for parents offers valuable advice on getting kids interested in paddle sports as well as how to make it safe and enjoyable for them. The second part is a refreshing and exciting insight into the world of paddling for and by kids. It covers all aspects of paddling from safety to technique, from kids perspectives. Because the movie introduces both beginning and advanced maneuvers, some should never be tried without advanced skills and adult supervision.

The children who watched Paddle Monster with me were very attentive. They loved the silly paddle monster that popped out at random times throughout the movie. Paddle Monster came at the perfect time because the following week our 6 year old and 8 year old got their first opportunity to kayak. Now we definitely have our own Paddle Monsters!

Disclosure: We received the Paddle Monster DVD for review. The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Review: Arby's Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad Sandwich

2011-05-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

Why Try: Healthy, One-stop food variety, Drive-thru convenience

Why Fly: Mixed foods (including pecans), No customization

Bottom line: If you want a fast, healthy, yummy, complex, chicken/salad/pecan sandwich, go no further. Cheaper than the equivalent at a specialty shop.

I just tried the Arby's Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad Sandwich and I can't say I was disappointed. Then again, I rarely ever order such things for fast food, so I was glad to get out of my comfort zone.

All aspects of the sandwich hit the mark: a good balance of components (chicken, mayo, lettuce, pecans, etc). Nutritionally, it's definitely better than normal fast food fare, though there are over 800 calories, about 400 from fat. You can check the nutrition info at the website above.

However, will I purchase it again? Probably not, as I go to fast food outlets as a break from my normal, healthy routine! If you are more disciplined than I, it is certainly worth a try.

Disclosure: I received gift cards to purchase samples for review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Becoming Jewelry Review and Giveaway

2011-05-23T21:39:00.000-07:00

I was delighted when I received this sterling silver handcrafted My Whole Heart Necklace. It is so elegant and simple and also so special to me with the names of some of my favorite people stamped around it. Becoming Jewelry specializes in creating beautiful handcrafted personalized jewelry and gifts.

The beautiful hammered gold-filled heart layers on top and compliments the silver charm. I love the quotes and verses on the website and some come attached to certain jewelry items giving them extra charm! My necklace came pleasantly packaged in a tiny cloth gift bag with a tag that says:

"i love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach."
~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

This necklace would make a special and personal gift for just about any occasion and can be personalized with either names or a phrase that is close to your heart.

Below is another example of a necklace that I like with a neat saying:

If you are looking for a unique and extra special gift, check out the Becoming website!

Purchase: Becoming gifts can be purchased here.

Want to Win?!
Becoming has offered a $25 gift certificate to one Be Blessed reader!

You may enter ANY or ALL of the following ways:
***Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and also your email if it is not on your profile. Happy Entering! :)

Visit Becoming Jewelry and and leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite item is...

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Like the post about this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment here. (2 entries)
Follow ReviewMama on Twitter .
Post about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and let me know that you did. (Enter daily if you'd like..) Tweet or Facebook this:
Enter to win a beautiful personalized sterling silver jewelry gift! http://tinyurl.com/3qsquw5@ReviewMama #win #giveaway
Let me know where you heard about this giveaway.

This giveaway will end June 21st, 2011 at 11:59 pm (EST). The giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen using random.org and I will notify you by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Disclosure: We received a My Whole Heart Necklace from Becoming Jewelry for review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Sidral Mundet Review

2011-05-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

We received samples of Sidral Mundet, a Mexican apple-flavored soda to try. We had never heard of this brand, but we love to try new things...and we really liked this one! The red bottle has a light fruity apple flavor and we thought it tasted a lot like sparkling cider.

We also got to try the green apple flavor, Manzana Verde. It definitely has a distinctive green apple taste. We all liked both flavors but since I usually prefer red apples, the regular red apple flavor was my favorite.

We really liked the fact that Sidral Mundet is flavored with real apple juice and that it contains natural sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.

For more info about this soda you can visit the Sidral Mundet Facebook Page.

Disclosure: We received Sidral Mundet samples to review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Yoplait Greek Prize Pack Winner!

2011-05-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to #185...you are the winner of the Yoplait prize pack!

Atreau said... 185: I incorporate healthy snacks into my diet by limiting the junk food I purchase that way it's not in the house.; May 20, 2011 7:02 PM

Thanks to everyone who entered! I loved reading about everyone's favorite healthy snacks! :) Stop by this week to enter the awesome giveaways we have next!

*Winner must claim prize within 48hrs or a new winner will be chosen.

ChicoBag Messenger Bag Winner!

2011-05-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Julie with comment #123! You are the winner of the Amethyst Chico Messenger bag! :o)

Julie said... 123: I like Chicobag on fB Julie Jones; May 10, 2011 8:42 PM

Thanks to everyone who entered! Be sure to enter the great giveaways listed for this month! (Click on the links in the upper right sidebar of this blog to enter)
*Winner must respond in 48hrs or a new winner will be chosen.

A Story About My Mom... (a Mother's Day printable keepsake for Mom)

2011-05-01T22:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a printable fill-in-the-blank worksheet for Mother's Day. It can be used for a toddler or preschooler and filled out by an adult, or bigger kids can fill it out themselves.

Make sure you have them draw a picture of Mom inside the heart at the top. It can also be cut out with fancy edging scissors and mounted on scrapbook paper and kept forever and ever! :)

Yes...this is a picture of me! :o)

Printable Mothers Day Story

© Be Blessed! 2011

Words to the Rescue Winners!

2011-04-26T07:13:00.000-07:00


Thanks to everyone who entered! Be sure to enter the great giveaways listed for this month! (Click on the links in the upper right sidebar of this blog to enter)

#12

Raven In A Blue Room said... 12: I visited the page. Love that it is a great way to personalize a greeting card or message Thank you for hosting this giveaway Louis
#1

mverno said... 1 i left a comment about their book on their site

#8

sweetpea18 said... 8: i heard about this giveaway from prizey

Yoplait Greek Prize Pack Giveaway 5/20

2011-04-19T17:23:00.000-07:00

I received my Yoplait prize pack in the mail yesterday! It included a reusable grocery bag, a magnetic dry-erase menu planner board, ear-buds, an electronics case, and a shopping cart list and holder, a coupon organizer, as well as a free Yoplait Greek yogurt to try...

In the evening, I went looking for a snack and discovered that my Yoplait greek yogurt container was empty! It turns out that my 7 year old (sunshine boy) ate the yogurt before I could get to it...so I told him: "Guess who gets to review it?" ;) So here are 7-yr old K's thoughts on the matter:

It was good (I love blueberries, mmm!), it was purple, it was tangy, I forgot to smell it (but I`m sure it smelled good), It was soft and squishy. I think we should buy some more." -7 yr old yogurt thief. ;)

Try It!
Here is a Printable coupon so you can try it too!

Win It!
One Be Blessed reader will win a Yoplait Prize Pack including:

A Coupon Organizer
Magnetic Meal Planner Board
An electronics case
Retractable ear buds
A pocket fold-up reusable shopping tote
A magnetic shopping cart note holder and pen
A coupon for a free sample of Yoplait Greek Yogurt

Mandatory Entry:
Leave me a comment about how you incorporate healthy snacks into your diet
or leave me a comment about your favorite kid snacks.

Follow or "like" yoplait in any of the following: (2 entries each, please leave a comment for each entry)

Be Blessed on Google Friends Connect and/or subscribe to emails. This counts if you are already a follower too! (2 entries each)
Yoplait on Facebook
Yoplait on Twitter
Yoplait Greek at Yoplait.com
Printable coupon for Yoplait Greek yogurt
"Like" Be Blessed on Facebook
Like the post about this giveaway on Facebook.
Follow ReviewMama on Twitter .
Post about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and let me know that you did. (Enter daily if you'd like..) Tweet or facebook this:
"Win a Yoplait Greek Prize Pack http://tinyurl.com/4xlnm84@ReviewMama #win #giveaway @YoplaitYogurt #MyBlogSpark"
Let me know where you heard about this giveaway.
Add the Be Blessed button to your blog or website.. (3 entries)
Enter any other current giveaway on this blog

This giveaway will end May 20th, 2011 at 11:59 pm (EST). The giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen using random.org and I will be notifying you by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.

***Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and also your email if it is not on your profile. Happy Entering! :)

Disclosure: We received a Yoplait prize pack and a coupon for a free yogurt to review by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Review: Bloom Avenue, Giveaway Coming Soon!

2011-04-09T21:31:00.000-07:00

I received the prettiest, springiest bouquet of flowers delivered right to my door today! They are so colorful and beautiful that they totally brightened up the whole room! They were delivered on time by a local florist that is not the closest to my location, but just happens to be my favorite! They always do such an amazing job!

This bouquet was beautifully and carefully arranged with a lovely mixture of pink and orange gerbera daisies, tulips, roses, mums as well as sprigs of fresh greens. It came in a pretty ceramic garden dish accented with shiny pink ribbons.

They were ordered through a new website called Bloom Avenue. When you order a flower gift through Bloom Avenue they make it super easy! Choose a flower arrangement that you like from their website and they do the work of finding the highest quality florist in your desired location and having your order delivered to the place of your choice.

Bloom Avenue describes their mission as helping you express your sentiment through beautiful flowers, at the right price, and delivered in a timely manner.

These would make a wonderful surprise for Mothers Day or Easter of any occasion.

Win flowers!
Check back soon as we will be hosting a Bloom Avenue Giveaway and Coupon Code!
Disclosure: We received flowers to review from Bloom Avenue. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Review and Giveaway: ChicoBags

2011-04-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

Pros: Earth friendly and made from recycled plastic; so many great colors and designs; many styles and sizes to choose from; sturdy; light weight; easy to store, washable, water resistant,

Cons: Magnetic closures may not stop objects from falling out, and large space capacity may tempt me to carry more than I should.

Summary: If you are looking for a wonderful, spacious, earth-friendly, reusable bag with style to tote all of your stuff in, this is a great one!

Purchase it: at ChicoBag.com

Full Review:
I was so surprised how light weight my ChicoBag package was when it came in the mail! I was also surprised how spacious the bag is... it seems much bigger than it looks on-line! This Messenger10 bag features 2 cocooned pockets to keep your water bottles snug, one large inner compartment as well as 2 zippered pockets, a comfortable adjustable strap, and magnetic and zipper closures.

This bag could easily fit a beach towel, sun lotion, water bottle and a good book! It would also make a great school bag, a picnic bag, or even a great small diaper bag... Although I love the magnetic closures on the front flap, they may allow things to fall out easily if tipped or dropped.

The fabric in these bags is made with a material called rePETe™ who's main ingredient happens to be a type of recycled plastic (the same plastic used in drinking bottles)! Who knew that recycled plastic could be so pretty and useful?! The rest of the bag (zippers, straps, pockets and tags) is made of recycled materials as well. These reusable bags are super light-weight and sturdy. I love that they all fold up into a tiny pouch with a hook to make them super convenient to travel with!

ChicoBags come in a wide variety of styles, colors and uses...from school to grocery shopping, biking, or camping, or a day at the beach...there is a bag style for every occasion!

See what others are saying about them on the ChicoBag Facebook page.

Want to Win it?!

ChicoBag has offered one Messenger 10 bag in the color Amethyst to one lucky reader!

You may enter ANY or ALL of the following ways:

Become a follower of this blog through Google Friends Connect and/or subscribe to emails. This counts if you are already a follower too! (2 entries each)
"Like" Be Blessed on Facebook and/or vote in my giveaway poll in the upper right.
"Like" ChicoBag on Facebook.
Like the post about this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment here. (2 entries)
Follow ReviewMama on Twitter.
Post about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and let me know that you did. (Enter daily if you'd like..) Tweet or facebook this:
Win a Chico Messenger Bag! http://tinyurl.com/3z9tl7b @ReviewMama #win #giveaway
Leave a comment telling me how you would like to use this bag.
Let me know where you heard about this giveaway.
Add the Be Blessed button to your blog or website.. (3 entries)
Enter to win any other current giveaway on this site and let me know that you did.

This giveaway will end May 10th, 2011 at 11:59 pm (EST). The giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen using random.org and I will be notifying you by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be chosen.

***Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and also your email if it is not on your profile. Happy Entering! :)

Disclosure: We received a sample ChicoBag to review and one to giveaway. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received. All pictures in this post came from the ChicoBag.com website.

We have a WINNER for the JumpStart Wii game giveaway!!! :o)

2011-04-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

And the winner is:

Congratulations Denise S.!
Denise S. said... 53: I follow reviewmama on Twitter: @lazybones344 March 7, 2011 4:35 PM

Thanks so much for entering everyone! Be sure to click here and enter to win one of 3 Words to the Rescue books and stay tuned for more great giveaways coming soon!

Review and Giveaway: Words to the Rescue, by Steve Fadie

2011-03-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

Pros: Pleasantly designed, lots of choices for different occasions, funny and serious messages included, fun to read, time saver when writing lots of notes or thank yous...

Cons: Several sayings I will probably never use; would love more sub-categories....

Summary: If you are looking for a great little book to help you write extra-special notes to your friends, loved ones and co-workers on just about any occasion, this is a wonderful resource to have!

Full Review:
Have you ever found yourself wanting to write something meaningful to someone you care about, but had difficulty thinking of what to say? This is the book I have often wished for when trying to find the right words for special occasions and situations! Since I love being creative and I love saving money (Wow, greeting cards are expensive these days!), I often make homemade greeting cards or gift tags, but coming up with thoughtful messages to write inside is not always as easy.

This lovely little book is full of a thousand thoughtful things to say when you need ideas! Words to the Rescue includes messages for so many occasions: Birthdays, Congratulations, Anniversaries, Apology, Encouragement, Sympathy, Weddings, Thank Yous, Romance, and many many more... I like the fact that you can use the ideas word for word, tweak them to make them more personal, or just use them as inspiration to create your own. This pleasantly-designed little book would look great in a gift basket or makes a great gift with note cards or stationery and a pen or even card-making supplies for a crafty friend.

A few examples I love:

Anniversary: How much stinking happiness can one guy take?

Apology: I hope these flowers get me in the door/ 'cause what I did I won't do no more.

Birthday: To my down to earth buddy who's older than dirt.

New Home: Kick back and relax. You'll be making regular trips to the hardware store soon enough.

There are several sayings in this book that I personally would never use, but since all it takes is one and there are so many to choose from, you're sure to find something good. I also found myself wishing for more organizational sub-categories like in the card shop... for example: funny birthday, messages to children, how to write a thank-you for a gift you don't really like, etc... ;o)

Overall, if you are looking for a great little book to help you write extra-special notes to your friends, loved ones and co-workers on just about any occasion, this is a wonderful resource to have!

Want to buy it?: You can purchase this book for $9.95 here on Amazon.com or from the Words to the Rescue Website.

Win it! The Author has generously offered a copy of this book to three lucky Be Blessed readers!

Entry #1: To qualify for this giveaway just visit WordsToTheRescue.com and leave a comment about the book there and then come back and let me know that you did.

You may also enter any or all of the following ways:

Become a follower of this blog through Google Friends Connect and/or subscribe to emails. This counts if you are already a follower too! (2 entries)
"Like" Be Blessed on Facebook and/or vote in my giveaway poll in the upper right.
"Like" the post about this giveaway on Facebook and leave a comment here. (2 entries)
Follow ReviewMama on Twitter.
Post about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and let me know that you did. (Enter daily if you'd like..) Tweet or facebook this: Enter to win Words to the Rescue: The sentiment guide for the tongue tied http://tinyurl.com/5rwgvnm@ReviewMama #win #giveaway
Leave a comment telling me about the occasions you would most like to use this book.
Let me know where you heard about this giveaway.
Add the Be Blessed button to your blog or website.. (3 entries)

This giveaway will end April 20th, 2011 at 11:59 pm (EST). The giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen using random.org and I will be notifying you by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winners will be chosen.

***Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and also your email if it is not on your profile. Happy Entering! :)

Disclosure: We received a copy of Words to the Rescue to review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Book Review: The Portable Pediatrician, by William Sears, MD, Martha Sears, RN, Robert Sears, MD, James Sears, MD, and Peter Sears, MD

2011-03-08T19:54:00.000-08:00

Do your kiddos ever wait to get sick until late at night, on the weekends, holidays, etc...or is that just our kids? We could not have received this book at a better time! My whole house has been full of germs the past couple weeks and we were able to really put this book to good use!

If you are not familiar with material from Dr. Sears, he is a favorite resource in our house! He and his wife Martha and his sons Robert, James and Peter have written numerous books and articles on birth, breastfeeding, childcare, health, nutrition, discipline, etc... The Portable Pediatrician is a 575 page compilation of all kinds of health related issues for childhood from birth to adolescence.

The main topics include:

Four Things all Parents Must Do to Keep Their Children Healthy: I love the fact that this book talks about preventative health, nutrition and natural ways to keep your children healthy!
Well-Baby and Well Child Exams: How to Get the Most out of Your Parent-Pediatrician Partnership: This section covers questions about the different stages of child development, vaccines and what to look out for at your child's regular check-ups.
Pediatric Concerns and Illnesses: A-Z: This index is a wealth of knowledge listing hundreds of concerns and illnesses and is a great resource when trying to decide whether your child needs to be seen by a doctor or not.
Medicine Cabinet: A great resource for medicine safety, allergic reactions, dosing charts, and much more...

Overall this is a wonderful resource that will be used by our household for years to come! This would also make a great gift!

Want to read more? Check out the AskDrSears website for lots of helpful articles on hundreds of childcare topics. Find Ask Dr. Sears on Facebook. The Portable Pediatrician has a suggested retail value of $21.99, but you can find it on Amazon right now for $14.95.

Disclosure: We received The Portable Pediatrician to review from Hachette Book Group. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Review and Giveaway: JumpStart-Escape From Adventure Island game for Wii

2011-03-02T20:51:00.000-08:00

Why to buy:
Entertaining learning tools cover a wide range of subjects; exciting, attention-getting, complex, cool graphics; incentives to keep learning; more age-focused than JumpStart World online, fairly priced, more motion-based interactivity with the program than with the computer; takes less time to load games than the computer

Why to blow off:
Single-player mode only; cool graphics and entertainment “fluff” can distract from educational objectives

Where to Buy: You can purchase this game in many online stored including the Knowledge Adventure Store for $19.99

Full Review: My kiddos and I were very excited about the opportunity to review Jump Start Escape From Adventure Island by Learning Adventure! We began the game by creating a completely personalized avatar called a "Jumpee". There are lots of ways to dress up your Jumpee, but you will need to earn points by playing learning games and earn "sand dollars" in order to purchase and unlock all of the choices. Once you are in there is a whole island to explore, fun characters to listen to, and barnacle bay to swim through.

If you've ever tried Jump Start World online, this Wii game is very similar in that it is a seemingly endless virtual world full of kid games. A couple things we prefer about the Wii game are first that it is more age focused (there are no toddler games for big kids to play and earn points on) and second that the Wii controller allows for more motion-based interaction.

By playing the games, kids can practice over 150 reading, math and critical thinking skills. A few of our favorites games are "Jet Pack", "Runway" and "Rubble Trouble". In "Jet Pack", your Jumpee flies through space in a race to make sure that sentences are capitalized correctly. In "Runway", kids practice following directions and listening skills by choosing the best clothing to match the occasion. (For example: Finding all the parts to a yellow firefighter uniform.) In "Rubble Trouble", kids learn math and counting by 5's, 10's, etc...

Being a four-kid household, we wished that this was not just a single-player game, but alas, another opportunity to learn to share and take turns.

Summary: If you are looking for a fun and entertaining Wii game that your 5-9 year old will love with a lots of learning games in the mix at a decent price, you'll love Jump Start World!

Win It! Jumpstart has offered to give away a copy of Escape From Adventure Island for Nintendo Wii to one lucky reader!

Mandatory Entry: Visit JumpStart and let me what you would like your children to learn from this game.

Extra Entries:

Become a follower of this blog through google connect. This counts if you are already a follower too!
"Like" Be Blessed on Facebook and leave your username.
"Like" Jumpstart on Facebook and leave a comment.
Follow ReviewMama on Twitter and leave your username..
Post about this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and let me know that you did. (Enter daily if you'd like..)
Tweet: Enter to win a kids Iearning game for Wii by JumpStart: http://tinyurl.com/4e75fsb @ReviewMama #win #giveaway
"Like" this post on facebook:

This giveaway will end March 31st, 2011 at 11:59 pm (EST). The giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen using random.org and I will be notifying you by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry, as well as your email if it is not on your profile. Happy Entering! :)

Disclosure: We received JumpStart Escape From Adventure Island Game for NintendoWii by Knowledge Adventure to review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Fun Printable Worksheets and Puzzles for kids

2011-02-28T09:17:00.000-08:00

I was looking for some fun worksheets to do with kids today and found this printable worksheet website on education.com. Just type in the grade level and subject you are looking for and then choose a worksheet to print!

My bigger kids are loving the Lion Sudoku puzzles from the 3rd grade math section today...and the preschoolers are working on Cutting Snake Spirals.

Use the widget below to find a worksheet and print!

Education.com worksheets

Worksheets and Printables

Get your own widget

Sick Day Activites For Kids...

2011-02-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

Today we are home with lots of germs and sick kiddos. :o( Although we would love to be out in the sunshine on a warm beach somewhere baking the germs away, it's cold here today...so we are thinking up lots of fun activities to do inside, instead of watching TV.

Here are a few of our ideas...

Toy Car Wash: Get a big basin of warm soapy water and clean sponges.. Add plastic toy cars or any plastic toys that could use washing and let kids wash and play.

Read stories together.

Make paint hand prints on paper and date and label them. (We never have enough of these and those little hands grow so quickly!)

Make a blanket tent in the living room..

String beads, macaroni or cheerios to make pretty necklaces and bracelets.

Play a game together.

Write a silly story and illustrate it together.

Make a smoothie with fruit and yogurt

Paint fingernails and toenails

Fill a plastic container with snow to bring inside, put mittens on and play!

What do you like to do on sick days? Please leave a comment, we'd love more ideas!

Win a 3-D TV from Movies On Demand! Also Studio Poster Giveaway...

2011-02-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

Movies On Demand would like to get the word out about Awards Season and their “How Many Have You Seen?” poll on their Facebook page with a survey and a chance to win a 3-D TV! One winner will receive a 46 inch SONY Bravia 3-D HDTV and 4 weekly winners will get Movies On Demand for one year. Click here to go Movies On Demand's Facebook page to enter.

**Movies On Demand GIVEAWAY**
Also, Movies On Demand has offered studio movie posters to one Be Blessed reader... The winner may choose two posters of their choice of the following movies:

Easy A

Despicable Me

The Social Network

Burlesque

The Tourist

127 Hours

Mandatory Entry: "Like" Movies On Demand's Facebook page, and leave me a comment that you did.

Extra entries:

Leave me any comment about...

Which movies are your favorites?
Which movies you would like to see?
Did you see one that you didn't like?

Follow this blog, "like" Be Blessed on Facebook,
or
Tweet and follow ReviewMama on Twitter.

Poster winner will be chosen using random.org on March 7th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST.

Poison Control Safety Video for kids...

2011-02-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a great video to show your kids and talk about poison safety!

TRON: Evolution - Battle Grids video game review (Nintendo Wii)

2011-02-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

Note: this review is only for the Wii version of the game. The versions for other systems are somewhat different and are directed at different audiences. The Wii version is rated “E 10+”, while the Xbox and PlayStation versions (not referred to as “Battle Grids”) are rated “T”.

Why buy: fun, sci-fi, multiplayer, multi-game
Why borrow: some family-friendly games, solid graphics, some good Wii motion techniques
Why blow off: poor solo storyline play, not many customizing choices

In a world where one often asks “which came first – the movie or the video game?”, Tron simply answers, “Both”. Unlike the pod racing in Star Wars, the games in Tron are not ancillary to the movie; they are integral to it. The “Battle Grids” game is derived from the games in the movie and enjoins the player to enter into them.

The strength of this game is in its multiplayer mode. There are several games to choose from: Light Cycle Racing, Light Disc Battles, Light Runner Combat, and Hyperball. In each game, the players each choose a character, choose what they will use, and go through a basic primer on controls. Up to four players or AI bots are possible. This is where the first criticism came to light: there are only four characters to choose from and only two types of light cycles/ball launchers/discs/etc. available. Though this lack of customization is disappointing, it is not a show-stopper and it also gets players to choose quickly and get on to actually playing the game. There are ways of increasing the variety of choices, but they require significant investments in time and play (not straight out of the box).

The Light Cycle Race takes some new twists on the original from the movie(s), but is entertaining and challenging. Although it is difficult to truly go head-to-head with your opponent (like the original arcade game of the 80's) and one seems to simply run (and jump) around as if on crazy sci-fi dirt bikes, it is a lot of fun. It also uses the Wii Motion Plus capabilities fairly well.

Another game that uses the Wii Motion Plus capabilities is Hyperball. The purpose of the game is a bit murky, but it is best with four players where teamwork can be advantageous. It is not as action-oriented, but keeps a frantic pace of catching and throwing until someone misses.

One major disappointment was the disc throwing game, Light Disc Battles. It is nothing more than running, jumping, and shooting by pressing buttons, rather than throwing a disc using the Wii Motion sensor. The only major action that uses the Wii Motion is blocking. Yawn. I already have a Nintendo 64. Light Disc Battles is also the least kid-friendly as it features humanoid characters getting blasted, not cycles or tanks.

The remainder of the games are generally entertaining (though they don't use much of the Wii's motion capabilities) and may appeal to one reader or the other, but this reviewer found favorites and not-so-favorites...which is the point of a multi-game pack. This is double true for multiplayer games that get brought out when the guests come over. Easy-to-learn, not-a-lot-of-decisions, easy-to-have-fun, let's-play-a-different-one-now kind of get-togethers.

Overall, the graphics are solid. They are neither ground-breaking nor distracting, but simply do a fine job of creating the environment and projecting the gameplay.

Finally, the single-player Story mode is flat and uninteresting. It may be worth it for the die-hard Tron enthusiast who wears neon-emblazoned skinsuits, but your standard gamer will get a lot more out of a Wii Fit yoga workout.

In summary, the Tron: Evolution – Battle Grids video game for Wii is a solid, fun party game with something for everyone. The games are complex enough that their mastery is not easy and can be played for a while, but easy enough to have fun (and survive for awhile) out of the box. The focus is on multi-player fun, not gamer subtlety or sophistication.

Click here to see a demo of this game.

Disclosure: We received Tron Evolution: Battle Grids for Wii by Disney Interactive Studios to review. The opinions I have expressed are my honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies providing the free product. No other compensation was received.

Free Photo Books!

2011-02-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

Has anyone tried this out yet? HotPrints is offering 4 free photo books per month! Read more about it here... Looks like fun, I am looking forward to trying it out! These would make a great Valentines Day gift.

Free Veggie Tales Christmas Album!

2010-11-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

Click here to get this fun mp3 Veggie Tales Album called
The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree for free from Amazon!

Free Holiday Magazine...

2010-11-10T20:45:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to looking through this... A free digital copy of the holiday 2010 Old School House Magazine!

Blessed with 2 more kiddos! :)

2010-11-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Bloggy Friends!

Thanks so much for stopping by! It seems like forever since I've been in blog world... If you were wondering where we've been, it's been a little busy at our house as we have been adjusting to having and loving 2 precious (foster) kiddos... bringing our kid count to 4! We're finally back..stay tuned for more fun products, kid projects, reviews and freebees coming soon!

Walls That Welcome: Celebrations Special

2010-04-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

Receive a FREE $15. Gift Certificate
On any order of $75. or more when placed before April 30, 2010. Place your order online at:

http://wallsthatwelcome.uppercaseliving.net

then send an e-mail with

Spring Celebrations Special

in the subject line to wallsthatwelcome@gmail.com
Include your name, phone #, and how you found out about this Special in your e-mail.

You will receive your Gift Certificate
in about two weeks.

Walls That Welcome: Celebrations Special

Build And Grow workshop this weekend!

2010-04-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

We LOVE these Build And Grow workshops sooo much! The suggested ages for these projects are 6-10 years, but we have been doing them with our kids since they were 3-4 (with extra help). This week Saturday (4/10/2010) starting at 10AM you can build a wooden baseball game. On Saturday (4/17/2010) you can build a see-through planter for mothers day. Click here for details and to sign your children up for free!

Easter Egg Dye T-Shirts

2010-04-03T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what to do with that Easter egg dye when you're done coloring eggs?

We decided to tie-dye t-shirts... First we sectioned the t-shirt randomly with rubber bands.

Then we spooned the left-over egg dye onto the t-shirts until they were completely soaked with bright colors.

Removed the rubber bands and hung them up to dry...

We love how they turned out!

**We used PAAS brand Easter egg coloring. Be sure to place them in the dryer for several minutes and/or iron them to make the color more permanent.

build a butterfly house

2010-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

We can't wait to build butterfly houses this weekend at Home Depot! These kid workshops are super fun and free! Your child will also receive a Home Depot apron and a project pin! Workshops are from 9am-12noon on Saturday, April 3rd, while supplies last.

Looking forward to hanging these in our garden!

JumpStart World Winner!

2010-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Hannah! You're entry was chosen via Random.org to win the giveaway...a 3 month family membership to JumpStart World!

Everyone else, thanks for entering! Click here to log on and try JumpStart World for free...

JumpStart World Review and Giveaway!

2010-03-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Pros:

Great learning tools cover a wide range of subjects; exciting, attention-getting, complex, cool graphics; several learning levels; incentives; fairly priced

Cons:

Cool graphics and entertainment “fluff” take time to load and can even distract from educational objectives; no parental controls; no progress assessment tools for parents/teachers.

Summary: If you are not looking for a full curriculum but an excellent and wide-ranging unstructured and entertaining supplementary learning tool at a decent price, you'll love Jump Start World! You can join JumpStart for free limited access to learning games...or become a member and get access to TONS more learning games and rewards...

Full Review: My kiddos and I were very excited about the opportunity to review Jump Start World by Learning Adventure! Although we use books, workbooks and lots of hands-on learning materials in our home, computers seem to be one of our favorite and most effective learning tools.

If you've never seen Jump Start World online, it's a seemingly endless virtual world full of fun learning games for kids. Story Land is geared towards preschoolers ages 3-5. Adventure Land and Marine Land are geared for ages 5-8, and Future Land is for ages 8-10. My kids have been exploring all of the "lands" not necessarily in their age group, and have barely scratched the surface! There is sooo much more to explore.

You start out by creating a completely personalized avatar called a "Jumpee" and naming it. My “spicy” little girl that just turned five was delighted that she could make her "Jumpee" have purple pig tails and put a flower in her hair! She named her Jumpee "Julia Sparklewing". "Kyle Firewing" is a Jumpee that was created by my fun six-year-old boy and is sporting a "fast-looking" flight suit.

Enter JumpStart world and your child will be welcomed by cute animal friends with instructions and ideas on where to play. The landscape in this world is colorful and creative and is decorated to match the current holidays and seasons. Playing learning games earns virtual coins that can buy pets, new clothes for your Jumpee, as well as other things to decorate and personalize their "world". “Kyle” loves earning coins to buy pets and pet accessories. “Julia” loves earning coins to buy furniture and decorations for her virtual room.

These learning games cover a huge spectrum of different subjects... Math, Reading, Language, Spelling, Art, Music, as well as how to be a good friend, good sportsmanship, and caring for pets. “Kyle” is doing great with the spelling and math games in the“IQ actionizer” in Future Land.

There are also parent content pages, parent forums and the Jump Start Blog. The Blog has articles about new aspects of Jump Start World as well as hands-on family learning activities, recipes and projects to do together.

The site is so vast that I am not sure of anything that is missing, except the following:

I found myself wishing for comprehensive parental/teacher controls to be able to direct a child to a specific learning activity, or to put a timer on their play time. (My kids love playing soooo much that we often have to set the timer to keep them from playing all day or to give their sibling a turn.)

Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a “Land” in Jump Start that teaches foreign languages?

It would also be nice to be able to access a progress assessment for my children.

Overall, a very attractive package for a good price, but you need to keep your kids on task if you want them to get something out of it besides entertainment!

GIVEAWAY!

Now for the fun part... Jumpstart is giving away a THREE MONTH family membership to Jump Start World!

**To win, just enter one or all of the following ways below and leave a comment for each entry.** A winner will be randomly chosen on March 31^st and notified by e-mail.

1. Click here and visit the “About Jumpstart” page.

2. Become a follower of Be Blessed, Fan Be Blessed on Facebook, or Follow on Twitter. (1 entry each)

3. Post a button on your blog and post the link in the comments (3 entries)

4. Visit the Jumpstart Blog and tell me what you think...

5. Post this giveaway to facebook, twitter and/or your blog (3 entries each)

Bonus: Leave comments about what you would like to see your child learn in Jump Start World. (Enter as many times as you like! :)

Happy Entering!

Disclosure: I was provided with a JumpStart membership at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

Friday Blog Hop...

2010-02-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

Free Pretzel Day at Auntie Anne's!

2010-02-18T15:02:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Feb 20th, from 10am-3pm, Auntie Anne's will be giving away a free original or cinnamon and sugar pretzel! YUM! We'll be there! :) Click here for more details on Free Pretzel Day!

Burt's Bees Toothpaste Sample

2010-02-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

Click here to get a free sample of Burt's Bees Natural Toothpaste!

Big Green Alligator Review

2010-02-04T18:20:00.000-08:00

We LOVE music in our house! We were delighted to receive Big Green Alligator by accustic/pop artist La La Lisa to review! :)

La La Lisa has a lovely mixture of upbeat kid-friendly songs about everything from silliness and monkeys to family and faith! K, my happy six-year-old, said he thought the "My Little Brother" song was really funny! J, my dancing 5 year old, said she likes the Big Green Alligator Song and the Count Down Song. In addition to being silly and fun, the messages in the songs encourage kids to ask questions, to get along with each other and take pride in their work. They also talk about the love, faithfulness and creativity of God.

Lisa will be donating a portion of her album proceeds to a charity called Teen Mothers Choices International, a program that allows volunteers from local churches to provide a support system for teen mothers to help them to further their education and learn how to be good moms for their babies.

If you are looking for something light-hearted and fun with a good message for your kids to sing and dance along to...I recommend this CD! Preview the songs on this CD or order the mp3's individually here. To order the CD visit Blue Myrtle Kids.

This was not a paid review. The CD was sent by The Adams Group for review.
Be Blessed's Disclosure Policy

Marriage Partnership

2010-02-03T20:15:00.000-08:00

Marriage Partnership use to be an awesome magazine full of articles and stories on marriage, parenting, relationship, sex, and financial advice, etc...you name it... Now it is all on line, and you can subscribe to their on-line newsletter here for free! Check it out!

Twitter...

2010-02-03T10:06:00.000-08:00

Finally I am fully socially networked :) Follow me on twitter for great reviews, deals and giveaways...as soon as I figure out how to post them! :-D

Valentines Day French Toast Bake with Raspberries

2010-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 loaf bakery French or Italian bread
1 pkg low fat cream cheese
Small jar of raspberry preserves

8 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs Sugar

Frozen or fresh raspberries
maple syrup
whipped cream

Directions:
1. Make "sandwiches" by spreading cream cheese and raspberry preserves generously between slices of bread.

2. Slice sandwiches into cubes and pile into a 9x12 glass baking dish that is greased with butter.

3. Beat eggs, milk vanilla and sugar together. Pour mixture over cubed sandwiches and mix till bread is well covered in egg .

4. Bake at 350 for about 30 min or until golden.
Serve with raspberries, maple syrup, and whipped cream on top.

Michaels Coupons!

2010-01-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

Feeling creative? Click here to print some great coupons for Michaels valid Feb 9st-Feb 14th 2010... Visit the Michaels website for lots of Valentines Day projects and craft ideas.

Finally Facebook...

2010-01-27T20:16:00.000-08:00

Be Blessed has a facebook page at last! Now all I need is a few fans! ;) Twitter is coming soon...

Be Blessed!

Promote Your Page Too

A few great bloggy giveaways this month!

2010-01-23T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hope you are all having a happy January so far! I thought I'd share a few fun giveaways I've found just from surfing around...even though I want to win! ;) Check them out... Are you hosting a giveaway, or know of another good one this month? Post them in the comments here so we can all enter!
Happy entering!
Click here for a chance to win a $25 Walmart gift card!

Click here to enter to win a Safe Sippy, or Safe Sporter kid cup that is BPA and chemical free!

Enter here to win an adorable flower headband and tutu for your preschooler!

Enter here to win a "Mop Top Hat"...

Read here how to enter to win a Natural e Green gift pack full of organic bath things worth $125. *This site is also donating a portion of their proceeds to an orphanage in Haiti this month!

Enter here to win a Parazul handbag!

Win An Uppercase Living Rebate!

2010-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the new catalog coming out on Jan. 6th, Walls That Welcome is offering a $10 rebate challenge! Find your favorite thing in the new catalog and be the first person to e-mail it to Walls That Welcome on Wednesday, Jan 6th and win a $10 rebate! View details here.

Staples deals this week...

2010-01-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

Check out the Staples Ad this week for freebies and tons of $1 deals!
Free after Easy-saver rebate this week include: Pentel HyperG Retractable Gel Pens, Scotch Pop-Up Desk Grip Tape Dispenser, and Heavy Duty View Binders!

Michael's Coupon

2010-01-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Create a new account here and receive a 50% off coupon at Michael's for any one regular priced item, and also receive more coupons to your inbox!

The Christmas Star..

2009-12-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder if the star of Christmas really existed? Check out this VERY interesting documentary about astronomy and and the Christmas Star!

Merry Christmas!

Free Christmas Printables

2009-12-23T22:38:00.000-08:00

I love this free printable vintage bird Christmas card with money gift envelope! This may come in handy if you forgot to buy a gift and you don't feel like shopping on Christmas Eve! Or, like I ordered a few things on-line that promised to be here by Christmas...and are STILL waiting! Find more printable cards here.

Merry Christmas!!

Want to earn $$$ just for doing your every day web surfing?

2009-12-23T22:26:00.000-08:00

Sound too good to be true? Have you tried Swagbucks yet?! I was extremely skeptical about this program at first... A friend talked me into trying it, and now...I LOVE it! Swagbucks is a free search engine powered by google that allows you to earn "swagbucks" which you can then redeem for gift cards, prizes, music, etc... So far, I have earned $25 worth of Amazon gift cards in just a few weeks! This came in very handy when shopping for Christmas gifts!

Want to try it with me? Here's how to earn the most with Swagbucks:

1. Sign up for Swagbucks here and get $3 Swagbucks just for starting up!

2. Make sure you download the Swagbucks tool bar. (click on "tool bars" on the main page)This will remind you to search in Swagbucks, and also sends you messages when there are free Swag codes available. Once you start searching, you will automatically start winning at random searches. I usually win at least 2-3 times per day. You can get anywhere from 1-100 bucks at any time. I have mostly won 1's but have occasionally won bigger bucks for a single search. If you have just gotten a swagbuck, chances are it will be a few more hours or searches till you earn another one.

3. Watch the Swag blog and your tool bar for Swag code alerts. When a code is available, go to the swagbucks page and type it into "Enter a Swag Code"...and your account will be credited.

4. Fridays are Mega Swagbucks days when you can win extra!

It's really that easy! When you've saved up enough points, go to the Swag Store on the Swagbucks website, and exchange your swagbucks for a gift card or prize of your choice! Click here to start earning...

Snapfish Coupon

2009-12-20T11:53:00.000-08:00

I love great photo deals! Create a new account with Snapfish before Dec. 31st and receive a FREE photo mug, free photo cards and 50 free prints (pay only shipping)! Click here to use this coupon. .

Check out this great Uppercase Living deal!

2009-12-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Want to cozy-up your home or office and add some simple do it yourself decorating? These Amazing Specials won't last long...so order right away!

The holidays are almost here and Uppercase Living has the perfect gift for you! Two exciting new promotions are being offered to help you save big this month. Until January 4 at 11:59 p.m. (midnight) MT, all 200 designs featured in the 2009 Fall/Winter Online Transition List can be purchased at 40% off! In addition to this, your order over $50. will not be charged for shipping!

$5 Hallmark Coupon!

2009-12-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

Click here to print this $5 off $5 or more coupon at Halmark! (Expires 12/24/09)
Thanks Dealightfully Frugal!

Christmas Fun-Getting to Know You

2009-12-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Dealightfully Frugal and also by Jen at JaelCustomDesigns.com to participate in this Christmas Meme. Stop by and check out their blogs!

1.) Have you started your Christmas shopping? Yes

2.) Tell me about one of your special traditions. We like making Christmas crafts and ornaments, reading Christmas stories, eating yummy appetizers and cookies, and a birthday cake for Jesus, helping with our church city Christmas Celebration and dinner, spending time with family.

3.) When do you put up your Tree? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.

4.) Are you a Black Friday shopper? Only if it's a REALLY good deal!

5.) Do you Travel at Christmas or Stay home? A little of both.

6.) What is your funniest Christmas memory? Nothing specific comes to mind, but probably my first Christmas I was with Jeff (my hubby)..he is so much fun, and always keeps me laughing! :)

7.) What is your favorite Christmas Movie of All time? Oh my...too many favorites! Charlie Brown Christmas, and Christmas Vacation are two..

8.)Do you do your own Christmas Baking, what’s your favorite treat? Some... we love making muffins, cookies, and my hubby always makes rice crispy treats.

9.) Fake or Real Tree? Real..we like to go to a local tree farm with our kiddos and choose our own.

10.) What day (as a Mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done? Most of December, although I'm trying to remain calm.. :)
11.) Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve? No matter how much I try to plan ahead, I usually am.
12.) What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas? Watching kids open presents, relaxing and playing together.
13.) What Christmas craft do you like the best? Crafts with little hand-prints and footprints or pictures. :)

14.) Christmas music. Yes or No, and if yes What is your favorite song? Yes, I love singing and listening to my dad play Christmas music on his guitar. Favorite songs include almost anything on my Amy Grant Christmas CD's... I especially like listening to my kids sing!

15.) When do you plan to finish all your shopping? Hopefully this week!

We would love for any blogger to participate in this meme, even if you haven’t been tagged yet. Heather will go back and add your blog link to the list if you wanna play along. Just simply copy and paste the questions into your blog, and then answer them. Then tag 5 or more of your favorite blogs, and leave them a comment telling them they’ve been tagged.
When you post your blog, please spread some Christmas cheer, and leave a link back to Heather's Top Ten Christmas Blog, and the blog that you were tagged by.

Happy Christmas! :)

Christmas books we LOVE!!!

2009-12-09T21:23:00.000-08:00

Looking for a meaningful and extra special Christmas book for your little one that is bound to be a favorite for years to come? Here are just a few of our favorites this year...

Mortimer's Christmas Manger, by Karma Wilson, and Jane Chapman, is an absolutely adorable book about the Christmas story from a mouse's perspective. My kids love this one!

Humphrey's First Christmas, by Carol Heyer is a beautiful story with with wonderful illustrations and funny camel expressions...you will absolutely love this one!

Alabaster's Song is a beautiful, imaginative story about an angel written by Max Lucado. This one has been a favorite in our house for a few years now. There is also a DVD of this story and also board book version.

Does your family have a favorite Christmas story? Post it here, we'd love to find more favorites! :)

Christmas Shopping

2009-12-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things we love to do every year before Christmas is order from the World Vision Christmas catalog. It's kind of fun to go shopping for anything from sheep, goats, and chickens to garden tools or medical supplies for a needy family. World Vision sends you a gift card with a picture and description of your "purchase" which makes this a great "stuff free" Christmas gift for the person who has everything!

When my son was two years old, he said he really wanted to buy the little girl on the cover of the catalog holding a goat! He was so disappointed when I told him only the goat was for sale!

The kids have been having lots of fun poring over the catalog deciding what they want to buy this year. K would like to get musical instruments for school children, and also clean water. J really has her heart set on buying a hippopotamus for someone, but she just can't find it in the catalog! :) Maybe she'll have to settle for a chicken!

If you would like a free World Vision Christmas catalog, or to view it online, click here

Silhouette Gifts...

2009-12-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

I love making gifts for friends and family! Here's one of my favorite frugal holiday gift ideas that is relatively easy to make and will be cherished for years to come!

1. Take a clear side view picture of your subject...Make sure that it is a perfect side view and that they are looking straight ahead and not down. For very little ones, I've found it's sometimes easier to get a good profile picture while they are watching TV!

2. Size your photo down to the size you want and then print it out.

3. Choose paper that is the right size and color for your project. (I chose black to make them look like traditional vintage silhouettes) Paper that is slightly thinner is easier to cut accurately and sometimes makes a prettier image.

4. Place the printed picture on top of the colored paper, and staple (not too close) around the outside of the profile just to hold it securely in place. Sometimes it's easier if you carefully trace the profile with a contrasting colored pen or pencil before you cut.

5. Carefully and SLOWLY cut out the image. (small sharp scissors work best)

6. To finish your gift, mat your silhouettes on a contrasting color paper and frame it!

These also make great note cards (scan and print them), scrapbook pages, and if you cut them out of fabric instead...you can make beautiful pillows, tote bags, and t-shirts with your sweet children's faces on them! Also, try doing a full body silhouette of your little one. Enjoy!

Want more visitors on your blog?

2009-12-01T21:15:00.000-08:00

Want to advertise your blog and increase your blog traffic for free? Entrecard allows you to earn credits by visiting other blogs, allowing others to advertise on your blog, and by publishing new posts! Click here to sign up and install a free entrecard widget on your blog.

And The Winner Is....

2009-12-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

YAAAY!!! We have a winner of the Walls That Welcome giveaway! The winner is..."Mommy Kennedy"! Congratulations Mommy Kennedy, and be sure to check your email! Thanks everyone that entered!

Today is the LAST day!!! Get your entries in soon!

2009-11-30T04:56:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder...The Walls That Welcome giveaway ends today November 30th at 12pm PST, so be sure to get your entries in! Click here to go directly to the giveaway.

Thoughts on making Christmas more meaningful...

2009-11-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

I found this video clip recently and love what it has to say!

Change My Christmas from MZM Cornerstone on Vimeo.

Free Holiday Planner

2009-11-26T13:52:00.000-08:00

Having trouble getting yourself organized for the holidays? Download this great free printable Holiday Control Journal from Flylady and start planning! Also, if you're planning to travel this holiday season, check out this great packing list!

Finally a button!

2009-11-23T10:42:00.000-08:00

Be Blessed finally has a button! :) Feel free to take one from my side bar if you'd like!

Thanksgiving activities for kids...

2009-11-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Just brainstorming ideas for a few fun things to do with my kids Thanksgiving week and thought I'd share...

1. Thankfulness List Ask kids (even very little ones) what they are thankful for...and write it down. Have bigger kids write them all by themselves. (I just LOVE notes in kid handwriting!) Make sure to put the year on them and save them in a scrapbook or keepsake box. They are so much fun to look back on! You could also make a video clip of your kids talking about what they are thankful for.

2. Turkey Hand Prints I even like making these with babies! Paint the palm and thumb brown, and the fingers bright fall colors.. and stamp the handprint in the middle of a piece of paper. Add an orange beak on the thumbprint, add an eye, a gobble, and turkey legs and feet.

3. "I'm so thankful for you" cards These would be fun to make and mail to grandparents, friends, or someone special on your list.

4. Pilgrim and Indian Hats to wear to Thanksgiving dinner...and make sure you take pictures! Click here for a pilgrim boy hat, and here for a pilgrim girl

5. Invite someone over to dinner that may not have a family to go home to. You can also check with your local colleges that often have international students that would love to spend the day with your family!

Do you have any fun Thanksgiving ideas that make the day more meaningful for your family? I would LOVE to hear about them! :)

Walls That Welcome Giveaway!

2009-11-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

I am SOOO excited about this giveaway! Have you heard of Uppercase Living yet? It is beautiful decorative rub-on lettering and designs for walls, windows, doors, or almost any surface!

Choose from a huge assortment of pre-made expressions, or completely design and customize your own with the MyDesign Suite creator on this site! You choose the colors and size for the space you are planning to decorate! Also, I'd like to let you know that it can stay up and look beautiful for many years, and when you are ready to take it off, it is COMPLETELY removable, and will not damage your wall! This makes it great for dorm rooms, apartments and renters! I love how cozy and welcoming it makes your home feel without adding extra clutter. And more good news...it's simple to put on yourself, and it's a very cost effective way of decorating! (Think how much it would cost to have someone paint customized lettering on your walls!)

Walls That Welcome is giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky winner! Entries will be accepted until November 30th at Midnight PST, and the winner will be announced on December 1st.

How to enter:
First and *mandatory* entry number 1. Go to the Walls That Welcome Uppercase Living site, look around and leave a comment about your favorite product and how you would like to use it in your home. Be sure to post your email address for each entry so I can contact you!

Entry #2. Post this giveaway and link on your blog, facebook, or twitter. (post and enter up to once per day day)

Entry #3. Visit AND follow the Walls That Welcome blog publicly and let me know that you did.

Entry #4. Follow this blog publicly.

Entry #5. Click here to join Decorating with Uppercase Living group on facebook and then let me know that you did.

Bonus Entry: Visit the application instructions and watch how easy it is to put expressions on your wall and tell me what you think. (If I can do it you can! :)

Happy Entering!

Mega Swag Bucks Day Today!

2009-11-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Mega Swag Bucks Day, which means that Swag bucks gives you extra chances to win on Fridays! Click here to sign up and earn 3 swag bucks now just for joining! If you're not familiar with Swag bucks, it's an awesome way of earning money, prizes and gift cards while doing your usual everyday web searches and it's powered by google!

Heartfelt Award

2009-11-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

Be blessed was "blessed" with a heartfelt blog award today! :) Thank you to Delightfully Frugal for the pretty award! Check out her lovely blog for great deals and thoughts on life and being a mom!

The rules of the award are :

* Display the award logo.
* Nominate up to 9 blogs that make you feel comfy or warm inside.
* Link to your nominees.
* Let them know they have been nominated by commenting.
* Link to the person from whom you received the award.

My choices are:

Little Miss Heirlooms
Walls That Welcome
Lunchbox Limbo
Coolest Kid Reviews
Boutique Stitches
Kiddie Treasures
Namisms
Under The Golden Apple Tree

Congratulations! :)

Pretzel Perks

2009-11-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Mmmm......We love Auntie Anne's pretzels! Sign up for Auntie Anne's monthly Pretzel Perks and get coupons, special offers, and pretzel news! This month there is a coupon for a FREE pretzel when you purchase three. Click here to sign up.

Do you have a winning recipe?

2009-11-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Submit a family favorite recipe to Gooseberry Patch, and you'll be entered for a chance to win a $70 Gooseberry Patch surprise box. Enter more recipes for more chances to win. If your recipe is featured in the next cookbook, you will recieve that cookbook for free! Enter here before midnight EST on Nov. 5th.

Printable Cookie Exchange Party Invitation

2009-11-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

Want to plan a fun cookie exchange party with friends? Click here to download and print this cute cookie fairy invitation for free from The Boulie Blog. Thanks Chichiboulie! :)

Stay tuned to this blog for more thrifty holiday and gift ideas and be sure to CLICK on the picture in the right sidebar to enter my current giveaways!

Kodak Gallery Giveaway!

2009-11-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to using this one! The Kodak Gallery will be giving away $15 gift codes to be used on their site. In order to qualify, you must register and and agree to recieve future mailings from the Kodak Gallery. Learn more, and sign up here.

Thanks Dealightfully Frugal!

Perfect Pumpkin Muffins

2009-10-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
3 1/2 cups flour (I use half white whole wheat)

Add:
4 eggs
1 stick of butter
1 lg can of pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
optional:*These taste soooo good by themselves, but they are also great with chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raisins, or apples!

Mix well. Heat oven to 350. Pour into Muffin tins (I use paper cupcake holders) Bake for 25-30min. Makes 24 delicious Muffins! Serve by themselves, with butter, or cream cheese.

Free Sample from Burt's Bees!

2009-10-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

Get a free sample or a coupon of Burt's Bees Acne Solutions natural spot treatment for answering 5 survey questions! Become a fan of Burt's Bees on facebook, and get a heads up on new products, coupons and special offers.

Have you joined Swag Bucks yet?

2009-10-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

Swag Bucks is a great search engine powered by google and ask.com. Use it for your every day web searching, and earn "swag bucks" to redeem for gift cards, music, prizes and a multiude of other things! I added their tool bar about 3 weeks ago, have just used it to do normal searches and have earned $10 in Amazon gift cards! If you would be so kind as to use my referal link you will earn 3 swagbucks for signing up and I will earn a swag buck with you! Give it a try and let me know what you think...

And The Bloggy Awards Go to...

2009-10-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yay! Be Blessed's first bloggy award called "A strong cup of coffee" from Stina at Parents TLC , for having a blog "good enough to wake you up in the morning and keeping you going all day!" Thanks so much Stina!
Be sure to check out her website for all kinds of helpful parenting tips and advice! :)
Now I am to bestow this lovely award on different blogs that I am enjoying...

Walls That Welcome
Dealightfully Frugal
Diapers to Diplomas
Best Forever Family
Whimsy Wendy

And the second Award today was from: Midnite Sky at Shades of Green with all kinds of ideas on how to live a greener life ...Thanks so much! :)

HERE ARE THE BEST BLOG AWARD RULES:

1. To accept this award, copy and save the award then post it in your blog together with the name of the person who granted the award to you and of course with his/her blog link. Please do leave a comment.

2. Pass the award to other 15 bloggers of your choice. Remember to contact the blogger to notify them that they have been chosen for this award.
(Okay..I'm cheating and only posting 5 for now. Maybe I'll come back and post more when I have the time!)

Soule Mama
The Crafty Crow
Girly do's with Jenn
Babes In Hairland
Sarah Jane Studios

Congratulations Everyone! :)

Free Lego Club Magazine

2009-10-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sign up here for a free subscription to Lego Club Magazine. My little lego builder loves it! :) You'll also find kid games and lego creation ideas on their website.

Vocal Point

2009-10-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

I joined vocal point a few months ago and have been very glad I did! So far they have sent tons of cereal coupons... 4 coupons for free boxes of cereal (Kashi Honey Sunshine, Kashi Go Lean, and Rice Crispies) as well as many $1.50-$3.00 off coupons. They have also sent samples of fabric softener, laundry detergent, deodorant, and protein bars to name a few.
Go to the vocal point website to join.

Free make-up sample at JCPenney's

2009-10-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Take this coupon to the Sephora counter at a JC Penneys near you and recieve a free sample of Lorac TANtalizer Baked Bronzer or Lorac Mini Couture Shine Liquid Lipstick.

I love Hannaford!

2009-10-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

A couple great deals I found recently...
Get a Healthy Saver Plus card at the Hannaford pharmacy (for $7 a year) and recieve:

A coupon book with over $100 worth of food and medicine coupons!
Featured oral antibiotics - FREE* (unfortunately, we've used this feature twice already!)
Savings on vision care, hearing aids and select diabetic supplies
Over 450 featured generic drugs available at a discount! ( 30 day supply $4.00* and 90 day supply $9.99*)

See the Hannaford Pharmacy website for more details.

Also, now through October 31, get a $1 coupon back for every 4 Hannaford brand items you purchase and save up to $10! Click here for details.

Have you seen any other great Hannaford deals? Leave me a comment, I would love to hear about them!

Build And Grow

2009-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Register here for FREE Build And Grow projects for each of your kiddos at your local Lowes store! If you're looking for some fun family time on a Saturday, and to aquire some hammering skills...this activity just may be for you. Build And Grow projects are usually on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 10-11am. You child will recieve a free Lowes apron and safety goggles, a patch for their apron, a certificate with their name on it and will get to take home the project that they built!

Give Away Monday on The Crafty Crow!

2009-10-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Stop over at The Crafty Crow and enter to win a Dollhouse or Pirate Fortress from Calafant! While your there, be sure to check out all her fun fall craft projects to do with kids! She has just posted some great "Where The Wild Things Are" projects!

Saving $$$

2009-10-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

This is really neat! I love this story that was on NPR recently... Do you have any amazing shopping stories? I'd love to hear about them! Leave me a comment..

Coupon Inspiration!

2009-10-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

Need some good coupon inspiration? Ever wonder if coupons are really worth the trouble? Check out this video clip about using coupons.

Disclosure Policy

2009-06-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

This policy is valid from June 1, 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. All advertising is in the form of advertisements generated by a third party ad network. Those advertisements will be identified as paid advertisements.

The owner(s) of this blog may be compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog may receive compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest. For questions about content on this blog, please email reviewmama(at)gmail(dot)com.

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