Mama Must Haves

Dreaming About Cooler Weather.

2011-08-07T18:39:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time I lived in Boulder, Colorado. I went to college at the University of Colorado way back in the nineties. I only stayed (less than) a year, but I loved loved loved it there. Too expensive of a school for this out-of-state gal, but I've always dreamed of going back at some point.

My aunt lives in Boulder, and this is how I discovered the town in the first place. It's small, but still close to any amenity you could want. The landscape is beautiful and the people are very friendly. It's also a very artsy community. Which I love. Heck, I went to college seeking an art degree. Not quite sure how I ended up with a law degree, but strange things happen! I like to look at Boulder real estate online sometimes and dream a bit. It's an expensive town, but I think you get what you pay for. Have I mentioned that it's absolutely beautiful there?

Colorado real estate in general is fun for me too look at. I live in hot, flat, Florida, so it's great to dream about living near the mountains and enjoying the change in seasons. Can you believe my husband and kids have never (ever!) even seen snow? Kind of tragic. The year I lived in Boulder, we had the biggest snow storm seen in over twenty years and three feet of snow fell overnight. It was amazingly fun! I lived in New Jersey for law school and that was nice, because it wasn't always hot, but the snow was nothing like Colorado snow. You can't beat the fluffy white dry snow that falls in the midwest. On the east coast it turns to muddy slush right away, but not in Colorado!

Unfortunately, my immediate family loves Florida, so I don't think we'll be making a move any time soon. It won't stop me from dreaming, though! And, maybe if we win the lottery... a second home?
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***The story is my own, but please note, this was a compensated post.

Bertolli Sauce and Wine Pairing Giveaway

2011-07-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bertolli, one lucky reader will receive a gift set with all of the tools to prepare a delicious Bertolli meal at home!

From Bertolli:

"Bertolli Sauces cover the best of Italian sauces – everything from classic to complex in a variety of sixteen different red and white sauces. With this giveaway specifically, we’re featuring our Bertolli® Olive Oil & Garlic Sauce in our Baked Gnocchi with Two Cheeses and Walnuts recipe. This recipe pairs together fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses with hearty gnocchi and fragrant basil for a dish you’re sure to love! The dish also pairs perfectly with the fruit and acidity of a rich Barbera wine, as you’ll learn from the video clip."

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To enter, leave a comment telling me your favorite Italian food. One comment per entrant, please. Contest is available to US residents only. Contest ends Friday, July 29, 2011 at midnight, Eastern time.

Please note, this contest is being run independently and I was compensated with a gift set of my own from Bertolli. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product or for product or sponsor failure. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

Advil® Congestion Relief

2011-03-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Relief may be in your future! Thanks to the new Advil® Congestion Relief which directly treats swelling due to nasal inflammation. Have you ever tried to blow your nose to relieve congestion but nothing came out? Many people are unaware that sinus pressure is often caused by swelling due to nasal inflammation, not just mucus!
In fact, a recent poll revealed that 79% of Americans were unaware that “inflamed nasal passages” are a potential cause of nasal congestion.

Advil® Congestion Relief is a new solution that directly treats what is often the real cause of congestion – swelling due to nasal inflammation. Advil® Congestion Relief is the right sinus medicine for the real problem.
Advil® Congestion Relief combines the power of Advil® and an effective decongestant, to provide relief from sinus pressure, nasal swelling, congestion, and headaches.
Advil® Congestion Relief is available at major retailers nationwide.

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*Please note, this was a compensated post.

Vacation, Oh Vacation. Where Art Thou?

2011-03-05T19:20:00.000-08:00

My husband and I never went on a honeymoon. We were uber responsible and put all of what little money we had when we got married into purchasing a home. We then promptly went back to work the Monday after our wedding.

Not a plan I would suggest to anyone. Seriously, dumb.

I wish someone had told me to live a little and take a trip. Instead everyone said "Oh! You're so responsible! How smart!" I basked in the glory of being brilliant. Too bad it was one of the dumbest decisions I ever made.

Ah well, if that's the dumbest, then I guess I'm doing okay.

About a year after we were hitched, we visited St. Augustine for a few nights and dubbed it our 'sort-of, kind-of' honeymoon. It totally wasn't. My boss called and harassed me the whole time, and we were still too hung up on being careful with our money. But it was a nice long weekend.

Now, nearly eight years in, with three kids and more on the mind, the idea of a vacation seems like a dream. One day we'll go somewhere exotic. Maybe get a Bali villa rental at the Bali Villas Seminyak? I could live with that.

Just not another staycation. Please.
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***The story is my own, but please note, this was a compensated post.

Hallmark Recordable Storybook - GIVEAWAY

2011-02-16T05:24:00.000-08:00

Before leaving for Blissdom, the amazing sponsors sent out a package full of goodies to each of the attendees. Hallmark was so unbelievably thoughtful and included a Hallmark Recordable Storybook, so we could read to our children even when we weren't actually there. Seriously, I barely made it through the book without crying.

At Blissdom, I had the pleasure of meeting the Hallmark folks in person and what a charming bunch of folks they are! So charming, in fact, they want me to give you one of the same books I received, the Hallmark original story "All the Ways I Love You." It's a good one, I promise.

WIN IT!

One lucky commenter will win an the recordable story book featured above, courtesy of Hallmark!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory):Leave a comment telling me who would read your recordable story book!

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra entry

That's a total of EIGHT entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of eight BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until March 2, 2011, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. addresses only, please.

I was not compensated for this review, aside from the sample referred to herein-above. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product or for product or sponsor failure. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

Blissdom Sponsors Rock!

2011-02-02T15:11:00.001-08:00

So, I just got back from Blissdom in Nashville. Have y'all heard of it? Blissdom is a conference for (mostly) women bloggers. It's a blast and it's made possible by the generous sponsors. So, excuse me please while I take a moment to love on Johnson & Johnson and Don't Fret the Sweat.

You may not know this. Okay, unless you know me personally, you probably don't know this, but I have a sweating problem. I don't mean, 'oh, ha, I sweat a lot,' I mean I sweat so much, it's a medical condition. I know, gross. But you can imagine how pleased I was to learn that two of the companies sponsoring Blissdom had the purposeful goals of keeping me sweat free and sweet smelling!

Yes, that's me in the background. Both hands in the
air thanks to Unilever and Johnson & Johnson!

Don't Fret the Sweat (Unilever) had a booth in the expo hall where they were available to chat about the products and their company, additionally they gave everyone who attended the conference samples of their products. Yay, deodorant!!! I know it seems silly, but this genuinely made me happy.

Johnson & Johnson had a suite upstairs above the expo hall where you could relax and pick up snacks and drinks when you were ready to get away from the hustle and bustle of it all. They were also filming bloggers talking about what it means to give back. As someone who is pretty much incapable of saying 'no' to a charitable cause, I think this was awesome.

So, sponsors? Thanks! Thank you for providing such a great experience to so many wonderful women. (And a few men, too).

photo source: mishelle lane

Rex and Fred Strike Again.

2011-01-05T07:50:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you remember our good friends, Rex and Fred? You do recall? Rex is a dinosaur and Fred is a cowboy. They live in Florida and love sticky donuts. They learned a valuable lesson about maintaining global health insurance when they're on vacation. And to always listen to your mama.

Well, when Rex and Fred were released from the hospital, they decided to track down White Rabbit so they could talk to him about how dangerous it is to text and drive. White Rabbit obviously needed some lessons on safety (and time management). Rex and Fred thought they were just the people to teach him.

First they checked the phone, book, but rabbit was unlisted. Next they looked on the internet, but there were 15,000 white rabbits. What breeders! Fred and Rex decided they would make an adventure out of searching for White Rabbit, so they purchased their visitor insurance and set to trekking.

They began at the library of congress. This was an interesting stop, but not very helpful. The sweet librarian suggested a trip down memory lane. Fred and Rex weren't sure what exactly that meant, but the remembered loving Disney World as little kids, so they checked it out next. Splash Mountain was fantastic and they saw white rabbits, but alas, they were all animatronic. Someone suggested talking to the big mouse in charge, so a chat was scheduled. Unfortunately, he was all booked up until 2014. This would not do! White Rabbit was terrorizing the roads as we speak!

Thinking back, Fred remembered how helpful Mrs. Rex was the last time they got into a bind. They called her up and in a flash of brilliance she told them to trace their steps back to the last place they saw White Rabbit.

Golden Corral!!!

Off went the friends, looking forward to finally tracking down White Rabbit (and maybe taking a short break at the all you can eat buffet). Sure enough, the restaurant manager, a sage old grey hare knew just where to find White Rabbit!

[stay tuned to find out what happens next! ]

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Please note, this completely ridiculous story (inspired by my young children) was a sponsored post.

This One is With the Help of My Kids

2011-01-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there was a cowboy. He lived in Florida and liked sticky donuts. He also was friends with a Tyrannosaurus Rex. The cowboy's name was Freddy Freddy Do Da Did, but his friends just call him Fred. The Tyrannosaurus Rex's name was Rex. His buddies call him Rex. Fred and Rex were in their early twenties and had just finished school. They didn't have jobs yet and had decided to travel around the world eating their favorite foods and staying up way past bedtime. Rex's mom told them to eat their vegetables, always look both ways before crossing the street and get health insurance for unemployed. Fred and Rex laughed heartily. Eat vegetables? No way!!! Doesn't she know we're carnivores?

They young travelers hopped around the globe enjoying their new found freedom. They paid no mind to Mama Rex's advice and ate everything and anything that crossed their paths. Sometimes very literally, I mean Rex was a dinosaur after all. They laughed at cars and crossed streets without abandon.

Until one day, following a long afternoon of tummy stuffing at the local Golden Corral, the two belly-aching buddies stumbled into the street. In their food induced stupors they didn't realize they were stepping right in front of a white rabbit driving his mini cooper. The White rabbit was late for a very important date and was driving much too quickly. Hec was also hopelessly lost and texting his friend for directions. Silly rabbit.

Crash. Boom. Ouch.

The mini cooper got all tangled and mangled in Rex's toes. In his pain and anguish Rex hopped around and landed on Fred who promptly fell over and bruised his bottom. Those kind suggestions from mommy dearest weren't looking so silly any more. Fortunately, in all her glorious all knowing motherly wisdom, she did sign the boys up for visitor medical insurance.

The hospital stay wasn't the Marriot, but at least there were hot meals and cable television.
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Please note, this completely ridiculous story (inspired by my young children) was a sponsored post.

Living in Scary Places.

2011-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

I attended law school at Rutgers University School of Law in Camden, New Jersey. It was a really great school in a really not great area. In fact, it was the Murder Capital of the Country while I lived there. Once upon a time, Camden was a ritzy suburb of Philadephia. It is literally walking distance from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A quick jog across the Ben Franklin Bridge and you're right there. The subway ride was only a couple of minutes. But, the depression hit and decimated Camden. Sad, really. It turned into one huge ghetto. With a law school.

At our orientation they had a police officer come and speak to the new students. The school wanted to make sure that we *really* understood what a dangerous place we were living. They went to great lengths to secure the campus and related facilities, but they could not be everywhere at once, so we were schooled in law AND safety. Always travel in pairs, but preferably packs. Always carry mace and a whistle. Learn self defense and don't be afraid to run if you get spooked. The one that sticks out in my mind most, though, is the officer telling us that if we are sitting at a red light and there is no one at the cross streets, just treat it like a stop sign and go. You know it's bad when the police force is telling you to disregard traffic signals.

I lived with three other women in on-campus apartment housing. It was a short walk to the main part of campus and we were very diligent about heeding the warnings. The apartment building was co-ed, and the guys we lived near were very chivalrous, so we never worried about having to walk alone. We even did a self defense video at one point, but who am I kidding. Running like hell is much more my style.

There was one murder on campus in the time I lived there. It was an undergraduate student who (allegedly) was wrapped up with some of the local drug dealers. Still incredibly sad. I haven't been back since finishing school, but I am hopeful that the community has, or will be, improved back to it's original glory.
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***The story is my own, but please note, this was a compensated post.

Blogging Conferences And All That Jazz.

2010-12-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

I am attending my first blogging conference this month! It is super exciting but I am also unbelievably nervous. Not because I will be going by myself (sort-of), or because I've never met any of the women I will be sharing the week with (well, not in person anyway), and not because it will be huge and overwhelming. Because I have to fly.

I have not flown since before September 11th. I have never enjoyed flying, but did it frequently out of necessity. Okay, not really necessity, but want outweighed fear. Prior to September 11th, I was living in New Jersey attending law school and my boyfriend (now husband) was living in Florida. About every other month I would fly home to Florida for a visit. Not after September 11th, though. I still went down, but I would drive. Probably not as safe as flying, but I was more comfortable with it. Okay, I'm a liar. My husband just reminded me that I flew to New York in 2007. But still, that was only once. And I paid for my sister to vacation with me because I am a total Nervous Nelly. Which, really is not much different than this time. Because I am dragging my mother (and her friend) with me. They will not be attending the conference, they will be enjoying Nashville on their own, but they are kind enough to be babysit me on the airplane.

But, really... I think it will be totally worth it. I am attending the Blissdom Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I have been working with the Blissfully Domestic Girls for about seven months now and have grown to love them. Unfortunately, I am absolutely terrible with names, so I hope we will have a crafty session making lanyards and badge holders. Maybe I will bring everyone a fancy pants badge reel so they will forgive me for completely forgetting their names!

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***The story is my own, but please note, this was a compensated post.

The Best Gift Ever.

2010-12-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards.

For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up to $125,000.

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! Download the SWAGG app and then visit the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes site to enter to win a trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival. Entry deadline is January 3, 2011, 11:59pm, PST.

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Once upon a time I was twelve and my little brother was six. We had a love hate relationship. Mostly love, but come on, he was my little brother. He still believed in Santa Claus. I did not. It was family tradition for each of the siblings to by one another a gift and put it under the tree before Christmas.

Except, this year there was a gift missing. Of course my little brother noticed immediately that I did not put a gift under the tree for him. I needled him about it a little bit, but assured him one would be there soon. It was being delivered.

Days went by and when no gift appeared, he became increasingly more anxious. I assured him it was just TOO big for the postman to deliver, so I was having someone special bring it. He was remarkably skeptical. I mean... who was this special person.

After much harassment, I finally told him that Santa was personally delivering his gift from me.

PSHAW.

Yeh, right.

He totally did not believe me.

(But he wanted to.)

So on Christmas eve, after my brother went to bed, I gave my dad the gift to put out. He did me one better, though. Dad not only assembled it for me, but he decorated and personalized it.

The next morning, my brother's anticipation was palpable. And I was growing increasingly anxious. Because, seriously, I had totally built this up. What if he didn't even like it?

Not to worry, though. As soon as my parents gave the go-ahead, he tore into the living room and stopped in his tracks before the tree.

"THAT'S IT!!! THAT'S MY PRESENT!!!! SANTA REMEMBERED IT!!!!!"

And, indeed, nestled into the top half of our seven foot tree was an enormous glider, complete with fancy pants electrical tape racing stripes.

It was quite a sight. But my favorite part was when he turned to me with complete awe in his eyes and exclaimed,

"Wow... you really DO know Santa."

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More info about Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)
http://www.standup2cancer.org/

SWAGG has partnered with non-profit Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C). For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to SU2C up to $125,000. Awesome, right?! Visit the SU2C site for more info http://www.standup2cancer.org/

More info about the Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes
http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/82357

Clever Girls Collective and SWAGG are sending a lucky pair of movie fans to the Sundance Film Festival! The sweepstakes is offered exclusively through the Clever 1000, and it has a pretty kick butt prize, including:

2 night/3 day stay at Yarrow Hotel in Park City Utah (Jan 21 - Jan 23, 2011)
Ground transportation to and from hotel to airport in Park City, Utah
Dinner for two at Tao Lounge, including 2 nightclub passes
All access to The House of SWAGG Gifting Suite
2 tickets to a movie premiere on Saturday, January 22nd -- movie tbd
$4,000 value

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Learn more about the coolest new app that revolutionizes the whole shopping, gifting, and gift card-organizing experience and Download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Droid. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity.

GiveBack :: It's Your Foundation

2010-12-14T05:59:00.000-08:00

I was recently introduced to GiveBack.org through the One2One Network. GiveBack is an organization that allows you to make charitable donations in a simple, easy to navigate format. It also lets you earn donations for your favorite charitable organizations by shopping through their site AND they will automatically provide you with $5 to donate just for signing up.

I think the site is brilliant. Within three minutes I had signed up, donated my $5 (to the Lupus Research Institute, Inc.) and started window shopping. There are hundreds of companies to shop with (everything from Fossil to Lane Bryant to Reebok) and some shops donate as much as 8% of your purchase (Fossil!). Not only do they donate, but YOU choose where the money is allocated. YOU CHOOSE.

Brilliant.

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This post enters me to win a Blissdom Conference package through the One2One network, but please be assured all opinions are my own and completely truthful.

We're Not Unemployed, But We May As Well Be.

2010-11-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, that's not entirely true. But with respect to health insurance, it seems so. My husband runs a computer animation business from our home and we also run a small property investment and management company. Total employees? Two. Which means, at least in the state of Florida, we don't qualify to purchase group coverage. And while private individual and family plans are actually pretty reasonably priced and easy to come by... they don't include maternity coverage. Which is no good for us, since we want more kids. So, how do we find health insurance for the unemployed? Or, visitors health insurance? Or, insurance for small business owners?

It's not necessarily an easy feat, but there are more options than many people will let on. In our case, my husband is enrolled in classes at the local university. This qualifies us for group health insurance through the college. It's a great plan, gives us access to the student health center and gives us full coverage including maternity. It's not inexpensive, but is comparable to what we would get and what it would cost through a corporate employer.

When my husband finishes his degree in August, he will work part-time for a company that has agreed to give us access to their group health insurance. He will do this until we're either done having kids and no longer require maternity coverage, or until we have grown our own businesses enough to purchase group coverage for our employees.

If you're not interested, or unable to enroll in college or start a part time job to qualify for a group plan, there are still other options. The most viable options are looking for group plans through clubs and organizations. Some alumni groups offer health insurance to their members, as do professional guilds (think freemasons, electricians, lawyers, writers). Sports clubs will occasionally offer access as will some social clubs.

It takes some searching, but your health is worth the time!
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***The story is mostly true, but please note, this was a compensated post.

Aquaphor GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-11-16T07:39:00.000-08:00

The folks at Eucerin kindly sent me an Aquaphor Wonder Set! And they want me to give some to you too!!! One lucky winner will receive a Aquaphor Wonder set valued at approximately $33.00!

From Eucerin:

"For over 100 years, Eucerin has combined leading international research and design with trusted skin care expertise to bring consumers clinically effective products that allow them to feel confident with healthy, glowing skin. To bolster public dialogue about skin health and devise new ways to educate and empower consumer health awareness, the Eucerin Skin First Council was formed. This multidisciplinary expert panel includes renowned dermatologist Deborah Sarnoff, MD, leading expert in pharmacoeconomics Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD, and mother, activist and one of the world’s leading supermodels Veronica Webb.

The Eucerin Skin First Council draws experts from a diverse cross section of professional fields including medicine, education and lifestyle to demonstrate the important role skin health plays in society. These advocates have joined together in agreement that now is the time to raise awareness of the issue and commit ourselves to incorporating healthy skin behavior into our daily routines including grooming, child care and interactions with health professionals.

The Council published its Skin First Manifesto, “The Physical, Economic and Emotional Benefits of Healthy Skin,” a digital white paper summarizing the important health stories the skin can tell and how we may use those stories to be better informed about other health conditions and overall well-being. Through its efforts, the Council hopes to encourage the public to put their skin first and to help them navigate the path to health. Through the release of the Skin First Manifesto the Council members lent their unique perspectives to demonstrate the urgent need to raise awareness of the importance of skin health." [source]

Don't want to wait for the contest to get your Eucerin? Check out their Facebook page HERE! Would you like to profess your dedication to taking care of your skin? Click HERE to take the Eucerin Skin First Pledge. Just want to win the awesome wonder set? Scroll down to enter!!!

WIN IT!

Three lucky commenters will each win an Aquaphor Wonder Set valued at $33.00, courtesy of Eucerin!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory):Leave me a comment telling me which Aquphor product you want to try most & why!

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra entry

That's a total of EIGHT entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of eight BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until December 16, 2010, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. addresses only, please.

I was not compensated for this review, aside from the samples referred to herein-above. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

Tropical Traditions Coconut Peanut Butter Review & GIVEAWAY!

2010-10-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

The lovely folks from Tropical Traditions recently sent me a jar of their Organic Coconut Peanut Butter. They asked me to try it out and then (if I liked it) give one away!

From Tropical Traditions:

"Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter is made from organic peanuts and organic coconut. Two ingredients: nothing else! No fillers, no binders, no sweeteners, and no preservatives." {source}

My thoughts?

THE GOOD:
The flavor is divine. I was worried that the coconut would make it gritty, but this is not the case at all. I haven't tried any fancy recipes with it yet, but my kids are loving it on their toast.

THE BAD:
The consistency is very runny. I was expecting something akin to normal peanut butter, but on the shelf it's much closer to a liquid than a spread. Keeping it in the fridge seems to have combated the problem, though.

OVERALL:
I would give this product a solid one and a half thumbs up. I plan on using it to make peanut sauce for my Vietnamese summer rolls sometime soon. I'm thinking the coconut will add a great flavor dimension!

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BUY IT!

You can purchase Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter along with a huge variety of other organic foods at www.TropicalTraditions.com. Be sure to check out the sales, they are always running great specials!

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WIN IT!

One lucky commenter will win a package of Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter just like I received!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory): Visit Tropical Traditions and then come back and leave a comment naming one other item you'd love to try!

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra entry
Follow Tropical Traditions (@troptraditions) on Twitter and leave a separate comment stating you do so. - one extra entry
Sign up for the Tropical Traditions newsletter (CLICK HERE), then come back and leave a separate comment stating you did so - one extra entry

That's a total of ELEVEN entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of eleven BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until November 6, 2010, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email (on or about) November 7, 2010. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. & Canada addresses only, please.

I was not compensated for this review, aside from the sample referred to herein-above. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

Wendy's Pick Two Review & GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-10-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week I attended a Wendy's 'Pick Two' lunch with several local bloggers. We were invited to try the new Pick Two menu which offers 28 combinations for $4.99.

The pick two menu allows you to choose a half-sized salad and then one other menu item from their special 'Pick Two' list. I chose the BLT Cobb Salad and chili. For being half portions, the salads were very generous. The BLT Cobb Salad was truly delicious, especially the grilled chicken (and, duh, BACON). I wouldn't have minded a teensy bit more dressing, but it wasn't a deal breaker. The chili, as always, was wonderful. I was a little surprised, though, that for $4.99 the drink was an option and not additionally included. They do have drinks on their $.99 menu, though, so it's not a huge deal.

My salad.

I think it's worth noting, that my kids ordered the children's meals so, as a good parent, I tested their fries for quality. I have never been a fan of Wendy's fries, but *WOW*, the new fries? Excellent. I'm not going to lie and tell you they're better than a certain yellow double arched Wendy's nemesis... but they were seriously close.

No, you can't have them.

Here's the part you've been waiting for... one lucky winner will receive a $7.00 gift card to Wendy's so they can try the Pick Two menu also! (or just get a mess of Frostys... whatevs.)

Left: me. Right: The Fabulous Miss Angie.

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WIN IT!

One lucky commenter will win a $7 Wendy's gift certificate!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory): Leave a comment telling me your favorite Wendy's menu item.

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra

That's a total of EIGHT entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of EIGHT BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until November 22, 2010, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email (on or about) November 23, 2010. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. addresses only, please.

This contest and event are hosted by The Motherhood and Wendy's. I was compensated for my time. The opinions expressed are mine. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

So Many Beds, Not Enough Babies...

2010-10-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

We have three children, so it would stand to reason that we have three children's beds, plus a bed for us. Okay, and possibly a guest bed. Maximum five beds in our house, right?

Wrong.

I have an unhealthy obsession with beds and bed sets. And strollers, but that's a post for another day.

Anyway... so you're probably wondering how many beds we *actually* have. Well. Nine. And I'm seriously considering a tenth. And, possibly a pullout couch.

In my defense, this includes three cribs.

Why so many beds? I really don't have any good explanation. I can speculate that I love having guests, even though we rarely do. I can also speculate that the more beds we cram into the house, the easier it is to say to my husband, 'yes! we can fit more children!!!' but, really he doesn't seem to need much convincing.

I think, the reality is... I just like to sleep.
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***The story is mostly true, but please note, this was a compensated post.

DiamondEarrings.org GIVEAWAY!

2010-09-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

DiamondEarrings.org recently sent me a pair of simulated diamond earrings to check out. They said if I like them, then I can give a pair away! Guess what? I like them!

(these are the simulated diamond stud earrings they sent me)

THE GOOD:
- Super sparkly
- Pretty, and a totally believable size. I would guess these are between 1/2 and 1/4th a carat in size. No one's going to assume they are fake.
- They came in a really cute heart shaped box.

THE BAD:
- I have nothing bad to say, these really are pretty earrings. At this point, the company is not selling the earrings, so I have no idea what the price point will be and therefore cannot provide a critique on value.

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WIN IT!

One lucky commenter will win a pair of simulated diamond earrings, courtesy of diamondearrings.org!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory): Leave a comment telling me how old you were when you got your ears pierced.

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra entry
Mention www.diamondearrings.org on Twitter then come back and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet. - one extra entry
Mention www.diamondearrings.org on Facebook then come back and leave a separate comment with the link to your status update. - one extra entry
Mention www.diamondearrrings.org in a blog post then come back and leave a seperate comment with the link to your post. - one extra entry

That's a total of ELEVEN entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of ELEVEN BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until October 29, 2010, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email (on or about) October 30, 2010. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. addresses only, please.

I was not compensated for this review, aside from the samples referred to herein-above. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

Eucerin BlogHer Giveaway!

2010-09-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to the BlogHer conference this year. I know, big fat bummer. But the lovely folks at Eucerin kindly sent me their BlogHer swag bag! And they want me to give some to you too!!! Three lucky winners will receive a Eucerin swag bag valued at approximately $40.00!

From Eucerin:

"For over 100 years, Eucerin has combined leading international research and design with trusted skin care expertise to bring consumers clinically effective products that allow them to feel confident with healthy, glowing skin. To bolster public dialogue about skin health and devise new ways to educate and empower consumer health awareness, the Eucerin Skin First Council was formed. This multidisciplinary expert panel includes renowned dermatologist Deborah Sarnoff, MD, leading expert in pharmacoeconomics Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD, and mother, activist and one of the world’s leading supermodels Veronica Webb.

The Eucerin Skin First Council draws experts from a diverse cross section of professional fields including medicine, education and lifestyle to demonstrate the important role skin health plays in society. These advocates have joined together in agreement that now is the time to raise awareness of the issue and commit ourselves to incorporating healthy skin behavior into our daily routines including grooming, child care and interactions with health professionals.

The Council published its Skin First Manifesto, “The Physical, Economic and Emotional Benefits of Healthy Skin,” a digital white paper summarizing the important health stories the skin can tell and how we may use those stories to be better informed about other health conditions and overall well-being. Through its efforts, the Council hopes to encourage the public to put their skin first and to help them navigate the path to health. Through the release of the Skin First Manifesto the Council members lent their unique perspectives to demonstrate the urgent need to raise awareness of the importance of skin health." [source]

Don't want to wait for the contest to get your Eucerin? Check out their Facebook page and get a free sample HERE. Would you like to profess your dedication to taking care of your skin? Click HERE to take the Eucerin Skin First Pledge. Just want to win the awesome gift bag? Scroll down to enter!!!

WIN IT!

Three lucky commenters will each win a Eucerin BlogHer swag bag valued at $40.00, courtesy of Eucerin!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory):Take the Eucerin Skin First IQ Test (don't worry, you don't have to subscribe to anything), and then come back here and leave a comment telling me your score.

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra entry

That's a total of EIGHT entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of eight BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until October 29, 2010, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email (on or about) October 30, 2010. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. addresses only, please.

I was not compensated for this review, aside from the samples referred to herein-above. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

I'm a Little Bit Nosey.

2010-09-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about when we get a wedding invitation is the registry. I love to see what people want. Sometimes I even look up registries of people I don't know and have never met. It's nosey, but then again kind of not really, because they put it on the internet for people to look at, right? It's not as if I'm peeking into sock drawers and medicine cabinets.

What did you register for? My registry was quite boring. Dishes, linens, silverware. I think the most exciting thing we asked for was a drill. I know. *snoooooze* We didn't even request china, just regular old dishes. Which are still working out quite nicely, thank you very much.

My sister was recently married. They asked for camping gear and camping tents. How cool is that? It never even occurred to me when we were doing our registry to put something other than (boring) household items on the list.

I think I am going to start a registry for my gift challenged husband. Instead of getting a pair of last season's pajamas that don't even fit, I will finally get my cast iron skillet! Or maybe a cute pair of earrings and some fun yarn for crocheting. Possibly a new pair of shoes? Or dare I dream... no... i won't go there.

But, if I start a registry for my gifts, and he finally gets it right... where's the fun in that? At least he keeps me guessing now. And how fantastic will the day be that he finally gets it right on his own? Grand, I tell you. Grand. I don't want to take that moment (or at least the possibility of that moment) away. In the mean time, I'll drop hints and keep looking at other people's stuff.

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***The story is mostly true, but please note, this was a compensated post.

My Idea of Roughing it is...

2010-09-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've been camping a few times in my life, and I had fun. Really and truly. And it was really and truly camping. No air mattresses or cabins, no bathroom trailers or showers. Just some camping gear, a whole lot of trees and a really big lake. Okay, and some beer and hot dogs and a hole in the ground. It was a blast, a mess of twenty-somethings with no obligations and a long weekend. We got messy, dirty and not just a little bit (okay, very) drunk. Fast forward ten(ish) years or so and, well... I suspect camping wouldn't quite be the same.

Now, with three little curious boys running about. (Nearly one, two and three years old!) I'm thinking it would be a very different experience. Aside from the fact that our camping tents would have to be... well, HUGE, to fit us all, can you imagine camping with two in diapers and one newly potty trained?

What about the fact that my youngest likes to eat dirt, the middle one loves to explore on his own and the oldest is petrified of absolutely everything. Or that they all love to touch snakes and insects? They go to bed at 7 in the evening and get up around 5 in the morning. They don't know how to swim, but they love to play at the water's edge. They think fire looks like a fun thing to touch, and hiding from mom and dad is hilarious. Yeh... I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be relaxing on this camping trip. And we DEFINITELY wouldn't be drinking.

No. Thank. You. These days my idea of roughing it is to stay at a hotel that doesn't offer room service and babysitting.

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***The story is mostly true, but please note, this was a compensated post.

To Home School or Not...

2010-09-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about the schooling situation a lot lately. We purposefully moved into our neighborhood because it is zoned for some of the highest rated public schools in the state. Despite this, and the fact that the schools have remained in good standing, I continue to read and discover major downfalls with the public education system. Add to that the people I have met and been exposed to who home school, and the situation becomes even fuzzier.

With respect to attending school... I loved school. If not for the reading, writing, arithmetic, but for the social aspect. I know that while I could (and would!) still introduce my children into social situations and environments, it's still very different than dropping them off at school for six hours a day and having them learn how to navigate the waters of life themselves.

On the other hand, I don't know if I want my kids going at it on their own. The negative influences in school abound. Even in elementary school there are kids doing drugs, cursing and treating people with disrespect. Is this what I want my kids exposed to?

What about the curriculum? Between myself (a lawyer) and my husband (an engineer), I feel like we could provide the children a very well rounded curriculum. But what of offering a different perspective? What about subjects we just plain don't like?

I guess my biggest struggle with deciding is the time issue. Both mine and theirs. As much as I love being around my kids all the time, getting a break from them (and them from me) while they attend school would be really lovely. It would also allow me to pursue things that I have had to let go over the past four years. That being said, one of my biggest complaints while I was attending school was the epic amount of time wasted during the day. I feel like as a homeschooler, I could make much better use of time since we would not be bogged down with many of the administrative tasks teachers are compelled to complete. As small business owners, it would be amazing to have a flexible schedule with the kids and to not be tied to the public school's calendar.

In the meantime, we've converted our formal dining room into a playroom with kids furniture and educational toys. We're doing learning based activities and sneaking in education as much as possible. My kids are only one, two and three years old... so we'll keep teaching and considering. And I'll keep you posted.
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***The story is mostly true, but please note, this was a compensated post.

Have I Mentioned That Our Family is Growing at an Exponential Pace?!

2010-09-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Almost four years ago I had a baby. Three years ago my sister got married. Two years ago I had another baby. Last year my sister had a baby. Last year I had a baby too. This year my other sister got married. This year my sister is going to have ANOTHER baby. OH. MY. GOODNESS! That's SIX new family members in less than four years!!! And we're just getting started.

It seems like we need to wear "Hello My Name Is..." tags at family events. Maybe we should just get an id badge printer for some fancy schmancy HID proximity cards. Hah!

In all seriousness though, I absolutely adore our huge crazy family. If it were up to me I would move our entire family into the same neighborhood (watch out, my sister and parents already own houses on the block!) and we would all have dozens of babies. DOZENS.

Maybe some people think the Duggars are crazy, but I think that family looks like crazy FUN. Not to say I think I could handle QUITE that many kids, but I would like a bunch. When I ask my kids if they want more siblings, my oldest tells me "Yes, Mommy. One baby girl and two baby boys, please." He also puts in orders for cousins. He wants "lots and lots of cousins to grow big like me and play." (No more dogs, though. He strongly [strangely] requests no more dogs.)

So, how about you? Are you into the giant family living on a compound thing? Think Kennedy style, not creepy cult style. Think voluntary Sunday picnics, not mandated meetings. Think 4pm cocktails by the pool, not spiked kool-aid at midnight.

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***The story is mostly true, but please note, this was a compensated post.

Eden Fantasys Bachelorette Party GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-09-14T10:05:00.000-07:00

Update: Contest closed, congrats to the winner Liserry. Check your email for instructions to claim your prize.

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My sister recently got married. YAY! But before that, we threw her a really awesome bachelorette party. And I'm not just saying that because I helped plan it. It really was a.w.e.s.o.m.e. See?

Eden Fantasys was so generous and sent a gift for the bride and groom, as well as party favors for each of the guests.

Would you like to win what we got? A Kissa glass vibrator & bottle of massage oil!

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WIN IT!

One lucky commenter will win a Kissa Glass vibrator and bottle of masssage oil courtesy of Eden Fantasys!

How to Enter:

- Entries will be received in the comments section of this post. All entries will be verified. You MUST leave a valid email address with EACH entry, I will not hunt you down!

First entry (mandatory):Leave a comment telling me what your drag queen name would be (or is?!).

- Additional entries:

Grab my button and put it in your sidebar, then leave two (2) separate comments with the link to your blog. - two extra entries
Tweet about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet (not to your twitter account, just to your contest tweet). - one extra entry
Blog about this contest and leave a separate comment with the link to your blog post. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to April's Little Family and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Follow or subscribe to Mama Loves Food and leave a separate comment stating that you do so. - one extra entry
Become a fan of April's Little Family on Facebook and leave a separate comment stating that you did so. - one extra entry

That's a total of EIGHT entries!!!

But, wait! You can do this EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! So, it's more like a total of eight BAJILLION(ish) possible entries!!!

The contest will run from now until October 14, 2010, midnight Orlando, Florida time. Winners will be picked by random number generator and will be notified by email (on or about) October 15, 2010. Winners have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. U.S. addresses only, please.

I was not compensated for this review, aside from the samples referred to herein-above. I reserve the right to cancel or change this contest at any time for any reason. I maintain no liability for any alleged harm borne of this contest and/or product. This contest is void where prohibited. By entering this contest you acknowledge having read and accepted my contest policies.

Listia - Auctions for FREE Stuff!!!

2010-08-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

A while ago I promised to start telling you about the reward and incentive programs I use. And while I still swear by several, my postings have fallen by the wayside. Fret not though, my friend. Here's a new one!

This is my latest discovery and I am in puffy heart *love* with it. Listia is like eBay but FREE. Yes, you heard me right. FREE.

You list items you don't want (a gift card to a store you never shop at?) or no longer use (Cheech and Chong not your style anymore?). People bid on those items with 'credits' and when the auction is up, they get the item and you get the credits. Then you take your credits to shop for stuff you DO want.

Seriously, it's THAT simple.

So what are you waiting for?

SIGN UP!!!