Momma's Review » Reviews & Giveaways

Review: Oneida Chef’s Table Collection – plus at home entertaining tips from NY event stylist Angela Giannopoulos

Jen E @ mommablogsalot — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:05:06 +0000

We have a lot of dishes at home, mostly a mix and match assortment of things we’ve inherited from family or picked up on the cheap at clearance racks. What I’ve been wanting, hoping for, is a set of classic dinnerware – something with a little heft and a little class to use when having a nice dinner. Enter Oneida’s Chef’s Table collection – available in round, hard square and soft square – whatever style speaks to you, they’ve got the perfect set of classic white dishes that you can integrate with your other dishes easily. I love that I can mix and match these with any of my current dishes without worrying about a clashing pattern.

I was a little bit concerned when I received my collection to review from Oneida – two of the dishes arrived broken inside of their bubble wrap. Despite the many FRAGILE warnings written on the box, it looked like Fed Ex may have played field hockey with it on the way to my apartment. The box was in rough shape and I’m glad only two of the dishes had broken. After emailing Oneida, I found out they’ve been having this problem with FedEx a lot despite their warning labels on the boxes. They shipped me out replacements for my two broken dishes which arrived within a day, in perfect condition.

Still, having gotten two broken dishes right out of the box worried me a little bit. I have a young, clumsy family and most of our dishes are of the impossible to break variety. How long will these dishes last me? A little bit of quick research tells me that the Chef’s Table collection was actually designed to be “chip resistant and tough enough for every family’s active lifestyle” – and while I won’t be handing one to my four year old any time soon – I have to agree that the dishes feel fairly tough in my hands. Having already survived a couple of sessions in the dishwasher and our daughter’s first birthday party, I’m slowly gaining confidence in these classically gorgeous dishes. A friend and I both commented at the party that the dishes felt “just right” in our hands as we sat at the living room couch eating our dinner of spaghetti and fresh salad (photographed above). Oneida comments on their website that “each dinner and salad plate has a special “restaurant rolled edge” to protect it from chipping. [They] also designed a special “finger-touch grip” on the underside of each plate, so you can pick it up even when your hands are wet.”

I definitely appreciate the effort put into that “finger-touch grip” – and I can say that having washed these dishes a few times, I never felt like I might lose my grip on the dish, no matter how wet and soapy they got. Everything about these dishes feel sturdy and comfortable from cleaning, to drying, to eating off of. They definitely fall on the heavier side of dishware but holding just one or two bowls or plates feels perfectly natural. They are sturdy enough to hold a lot of food but light enough that you can comfortably eat off of them while sitting in the living room, talking to a friend. Dishwasher and microwave safe, I’m fairly confident these dishes will stand the test of time in our family and I look forward to many more dinners with them.

BUY IT! The Chef’s Table collection at Oneida is actually on sale right now. Pick up a 16 piece service for four for just $84.99. Check out Oneida’s website for even more great products for your home – with dishes in dozens of colors and designs as well as flatware and even products for kids and babies – I could easily spend the afternoon drooling over all their great things.

Tips for Easy At-Home Entertaining from NY event stylist and owner of SC3 Group, Angela Giannopoulos:

Versatility is key. Make considerations when stocking your kitchen cabinets— consider cookware and serving dishes that can be used both for smaller and larger occasions, as well as casual and formal ones.
Accessorize your home. I often hang on to things that I shouldn’t, but have learned that any little knick knack can come into play when decorating for events. I’ve made candle holders out of mason jars, a menu with a chalkboard and centerpieces using old pitchers.
Use nature to your advantage. When decorating, use sprigs and blooms grown near your home to add life to your table settings. Various shades of colors found in wildflowers often create an organic energy making a table setting more inviting for guests. Also, arranging flowers in different sized vases can be visually appealing on a long table while single, tall flowers work well with a table for two.
My last bit of advice is to choose dinnerware that is versatile. Consider something that is durable enough for daily use and chic enough for evening occasions, such as Oneida’s Chef’s Table Collection. This mix and match collection was designed with a modern look to complement any table setting.

Thanks to Oneida for providing these fabulous dishes for review. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own and I did not receive any other sort of compensation.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BABY: BornFree Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup and Pacifiers (GIVEAWAY)

Jen E @ mommablogsalot — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:30:57 +0000

Today my little girl is celebrating her first birthday! We’ve celebrated a lot of milestones together in the past year – from rolling over to crawling to eating solid foods – it’s been a mile a minute with no signs of slowing down! One of the things we’ve been working on lately is self feeding with sippy cups and finger foods.

Finding the right sippy cup (or any of the other milestone variations from bottles to straw cups) can be tough – between a baby’s potential finickiness with different spouts, speeds and textures, parents also have to worry about things like BPA, Phthalates and PVC. You won’t have to worry about any of those chemicals with BornFree’s new line of sippy cups, straw cups or pacifiers. We were excited to try out their Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup – when my son was BB’s age, he had a hard time with sippy cups, having never really gotten comfortable with bottles. Straw cups were an instant life saver and we hoped to have the same luck with Miss Baby Blueberry.

Of course, having just started using them, I can’t honestly say she’s quite gotten the hang of a straw cup. She can definitely get water to come out of the straw, but keeping it in her mouth seems to be another story altogether! I’d warn parents that unless the cover is closed (you can just twist the top and it covers the soft silicone straw and locks the cup shot) it is not even a little bit waterproof. We’re sticking to water with this cup until she’s really, truly figured it out.

One thing I like about this cup, which isn’t true with all straw cups, is that the straw is one piece. A lot of similar cups have a soft top with a hard bottom that come apart – which for us just means more parts to lose. BornFree’s straw is all one piece, easy to clean and dishwasher safe in the top rack. -edit- My apologies for being a moron – the straw is two pieces, it’s just better built and disguised that fact until closer examination. I still prefer it over other straws, as I said, I think it’s much better designed, but it is two pieces.

WIN IT!

Thanks to BornFree, we’re giving away (1) one Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup in blue and (2) two packs of pacifiers, One package of (2) two Clear Button pacifiers for babies up to 6 months and one package of (2) two CoolFlow pacifiers for babes 6 months + to (1) one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win:

Tell us: What is your baby’s favorite food? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
Become a fan of BornFree on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
Follow BornFree on twitter and leave us a comment with your user name telling us you’ve done so.

For additional entry options and giveaway rules visit our Extra Giveaway Options page!

This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Wednesday August 4, 2010.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BABY: Rockabye Baby! lullaby renditions of black sabbath

Jen E @ mommablogsalot — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:49:02 +0000

Tomorrow my little girl is celebrating her first birthday! To celebrate, we’re featuring reviews of some terrific baby / toddler products and the companies behind them – and we’ll be throwing some giveaways, too! This is a great opportunity to win a present for any birthday boys or girls in your life so keep checking back this week – it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Today I want to tell you about Rockabye Baby! a collection of CDs featuring lullaby renditions of all your favorite rock bands. From The Beatles to AC/DC to No Doubt – they are sure to have a band that will appeal to you. Baby Blueberry and I received a copy of their Black Sabbath CD to review.

My husband got really excited when this CD showed up in the mail – he is a fan of all the great classic rock bands, Black Sabbath included. We popped the disc into my computer and within seconds the tune of Iron Man began to fill the air – but not quite the Black Sabbath you might expect. Being a lullaby CD for baby, there were no loud guitar riffs or drums – but rather a soft, instrumental rendition instead with mellotrons, vibraphones, bells – and even a few farm animal sounds! Still – it was distinctly Iron Man and we found ourselves nodding our heads along to the music instantly. Want to hear for yourself? You can get a sneak peek of Iron Man from the cd here.

I actually found the music really pleasant to listen to. Being classic Black Sabbath tunes, the songs are catchy and I found I knew a lot of them – but being quiet and soothing lullaby music, I also found it to be really good background music while I worked on my computer. I think if it had been a real Black Sabbath cd I’d have gotten distracted – scratch that, I know I would have! And even better, the baby seems to like the music a lot, too! It actually managed to stop a minor temper tantrum in it’s tracks as she was curious to listen to the music instead. I’d definitely recommend Rockabye Baby to anyone looking for some great kids music that’s also great music - i.e. it won’t make your ears bleed like some of the kids’ music out there! Teach baby to love the same classic rock songs that you do but at a volume that will promote peaceful slumber – another plus for all of us weary parents!

You can buy Rockabye Baby cds and apparel (check out their adorable onesies!) at their website www.rockabyebabymusic.com. Also be sure to check out this Rockabye Baby! Black Sabbath coloring page!

Energizer – The Little Voices Want a Say

Andrea @ Red Knows How — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:42:26 +0000

As you may be aware I am entering Barefoot Mommies and An Island Life’s giveaway to be one of four to win a BlogHer Sponsorship from Energizer. A few little voices (and some bigger ones) have something to say to Energizer, let’s hope they like this as much as I do.

Energizer – Pick Andrea to be a Smart ChargHER from erin cox on Vimeo.

The giveaways close tomorrow, Tuesday July 20th. If you have a few minutes and would like to help promote the giveaway and my entry to win (which would be awesome!) then you can do one or both of the follow today and tomorrow:

“Like” Energizer on FB (which is a great idea anyways!):

And write something along these lines on their wall: “ I think Andrea from Mommas Review should be an Energizer Smart ChargHer at BlogHer 2010. Because she could use a little battery recharging in her life with a little friendship and love.”

Another option is to tweet the giveaway:

Andrea @MommasReview would be a great #energizer Smart ChargHer #BlogHer10 #BlogHer @kailani @BarefootMomma Her entry: http://bit.ly/9TFGcY

Note: This video is not my entry it is just promotional. To view my entry please visit: Pick Andrea from Mommas Review!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY BABY: BlaBlaKids Hand Knit Dolls (GIVEAWAY)

Jen E @ mommablogsalot — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:26:51 +0000

It seems like just yesterday I was expecting the birth of my second child, the darling little miss Baby Blueberry. A year has flown by at the speed of light and now in just two days my little girl will be celebrating her very first birthday! We’ve already started celebrating via skype chats with family and we’ve got more celebrating to look forward to. And for everyone here in Bloggy World, the party is just getting started!

This week I’ll be featuring reviews of some terrific baby / toddler products and the companies behind them – and we’ll be throwing some giveaways, too! This is a great opportunity to win a present for any birthday boys or girls in your life so keep checking back this week – it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Today I want to tell you about BB’s new favorite doll – the incredibly soft, adorable Yupik made by BlaBla Kids. Designed by Florence Wetterwald, all of the BlaBla Kids dolls are hand knit by Peruvian artists and made from natural fibers. They also sell knit hats, sweaters, rattles, backpacks as well as clothing and they have a paper goods collection coming soon that will include invitations, notebooks, stickers, cards and more.

My little girl and her BlaBla have been inseparable since she received the doll this weekend. She loves to snuggle her Yupik tightly and is fascinated by the tiny knit polka dot spots. It is, without a doubt, one of the softest dolls I’ve ever held and the classic, simple design is so charming. With all of the plastic clutter and materialism of children’s toys today, this sweet little doll is like a breath of fresh air in our home.

I would recommend BlaBla Kids to anyone looking for the perfect, classically simple and timeless gift for their children or a child they know. So I am thrilled to be able to offer a giveaway of a Yupik doll like BB’s to one lucky reader!

WIN IT!

Thanks to BlaBla Kids, we’re giving away (1) one Yupik doll to (1) one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win a copy:

Tell us: Did you have a favorite doll growing up? Tell us about a special toy from your childhood. This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
Become a fan of BlaBla Kids on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
Follow BlaBla Kids on twitter and leave us a comment with your user name telling us you’ve done so.

For additional entry options and giveaway rules visit our Extra Giveaway Options page!

This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Monday August 2, 2010.

American Girl Doll Giveaway thanks to Shine On Now

Andrea @ Red Knows How — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:46:35 +0000

Today, July 13th 2010 the Shine On Now program is now open to allow girls nationwide to help American Girl give $1 to four major organizations. They will help out great organizations such as: Kids in Distressed Situations, Saved the Children, National Association of the Children’s Hospitals, and the National Wildlife Federation. By visiting Shine On Now you can contribute a ’star’ for absolutely free. Each star collected (up to 1 million) will be used to help provide clothes, books, dolls and money to the above mentioned organizations. Up to 100 stars can be donated per girl per day! In addition to contributing this free star not only are you helping out your community but you are also being entered to win a new My American Girl doll.

These new My American Girl dolls are something special. I loved Molly and Samantha from the old days, but these dolls? They are spectacular. Each doll is part of an enhanced contemporary product line that allows the girl (or mom) to create a special and unique doll. More about the new My American Girl dolls:

Girls can now create their own doll from 40 different combinations of eye color, hair color and style, and skin tone through a brand-new, innovative online tool. The personalization continues with a variety of special extras such as braces, glasses, and earrings, as well as outfits and accessories that reflect girls’ favorite interests and activities.

The dolls as well as being specialized and unique also allow the girl to bring the doll to life at Innerstar University. The doll’s owner and the doll can have fun exploring the campus together.

To learn more about how to participate in Shine On Now and explore Innerstar University, go to www.shineonnow.com. My American Girl dolls are available starting on July 13, 2010, through American Girl’s consumer catalogue, at www.americangirl.com, and at American Girl retail locations. To request a free catalogue, call 1-800-845-0005.

The Prize

1 (One) My American Girl Doll a $95 Value to give to the special girl in your life or to donate to a worth cause

How to Enter

Tell us what your family does or hopes to do in the future to help the community.
Visit Shine on Now and contribute a star for free. Each star you donate is one entry into this giveaway. Once the star is donated please come back here and leave a comment for each star. Each star that is donated gives you an entry to win a My American Girl doll from the
Like Shine On Now on Facebook.
Tweet this giveaway “Share with @MommasReview what you do to help your community for your chance to with an American Girl Doll #shineonnow http://bit.ly/dy22F7″ (once daily)
I have entered for the opportunity to win a sponsorship to BlogHer from Energizer, tweet about this opportunity as many times per day as you would like. Come back and comment with a link to the tweet for extra entries (unlimited). Need tweetsperation? “Andrea @MommasReview would be a great #energizer Smart ChargHer #BlogHer10 @kailani @BarefootMomma Her entry: http://tinyurl.com/28dk6vz” Extra entry option ends July 20th, 2010.
Last entry option – Go to Energizers Facebook page and let them know that Andrea from @MommasReview would be a great Energizer Smart ChargHer! (one extra entry) Extra entry option ends July 20th, 2010.

For additional entry options and giveaway rules visit our Extra Giveaway Options page!

This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on July 30th, 2010.

Book Review: Eating for Beginners by Melanie Rehak (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

Jen E @ mommablogsalot — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:59:54 +0000

I just finished reading EATING FOR BEGINNERS, a new memoir by Melanie Rehak who you might remember from her book Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Woman Who Created Her. In this book Rehak explores all the places food comes from, trying to really understand the choices she is making when deciding what to eat (and what to feed her picky toddler). She joins the kitchen staff of a small Brooklyn restaurant, visits local farms and suppliers, battles sea sickness on a fishing boat and attempts to get her son to eat more than just cocktail party foods.

It’s kind of like the Omnivores Dilemma for mothers – except I think everyone should read it, not just parents. I found the book so accessable and enjoyable to read – her writing style is conversational in all the best ways but with content that is informative and with the potential to really broaden your view of the food industry. If you have a passion for eating local foods or are interested in why some people do, this book is a real eye opener but it’s also totally guilt-free. Rehak is all about doing what works best in every situation – and if that means frozen chicken nuggets, that’s fine!

Melanie Rehak demonstrates Carrot Puree on YouTube

The book reads like a good friend sharing her experiences and giving all the best information she can in the most accessible way. I love how expertly Rehak combines her parental anecdotes with tales of restaurant and farm life – with some fun recipes and silliness thrown in! It had me laughing on a nightly basis, drooling over delicious descriptions of food, ear marking recipes and quoting passages out loud to my husband constantly! I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the best books I’ve read this year and maybe ever – I want to share this book with everyone I know!

BUY IT!

You can get your own copy of Eating for Beginners at local booksellers and online retailers like Amazon.com.

WIN IT!

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin, we’ve got 10 copies of Eating for Beginners to giveaway to 10 lucky winners! Here’s how you can enter to win a copy:

Tell us: Share with us your best story about picky eaters OR how you decide what food to buy and where. This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
Become a fan of Houghton Mifflin on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
Follow Houghton Mifflin on twitter and leave us a comment with your user name telling us you’ve done so.

For additional entry options and giveaway rules visit our Extra Giveaway Options page!

This giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Tuesday July 27, 2010.

Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter

Amanda @ funkepunkemonke — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:00:20 +0000

Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter Digitizes Images up to 8 ½ x 11-inches, Making Them Easy to Share and Enjoy

New scanner features one-touch scanning and fast transfer for immediate enjoyment

I’m excited to hear Pandigital announce today that it has expanded its line of innovative photo scanners with a new model – the Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/ Converter – that can scan print photos up to 8 ½ x 11-inches large.

While the Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter can accommodate photos up to 8 ½ x 11-inches large, it can also scan in photos as small as wallet-sized or any size in-between.

“Consumers everywhere have photos that they want to preserve for future generations,” said Dean Finnegan, CEO and founder, Pandigital. “The new Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter lets families easily archive precious moments and milestones such as weddings, yearly school photos, and sporting events are often captured as large 8 x 10-inch prints.”

Pandigital’s award-winning line of scanners have been acclaimed for their ease-of-use and excellent performance. The local urgent care medical facility even uses Pandigital scanners to save digital copies of insurance information, which is much more environmentally friendly than photo copies.

The scanner does not require any expensive or confusing software. Further optimizing the quality, images are scanned at up to 600 optical dpi for resulting scans that are crisp and clear. In addition to being able to scan images onto the included SD memory card, it can be connected directly to either a Mac or PC computer via its mini-USB port.

Weighing in at less than a pound and measuring only 10 inches long, the Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter is incredibly portable and can be taken nearly anywhere, like grandma’s house, to quickly and simply preserve images.

Coming in 2 colors, white, red, and blue, this is a stylish addition to a mom’s office (or purse!). The Pandigital Personal Photo Scanner/Converter is available now for a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $149.99.

I Want to Be One of Four to Win a $2000 BlogHer Sponsorship

Andrea @ Red Knows How — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:17:29 +0000

I will be attending BlogHer this year sans sponsor, and I am more than excited. Yes, I am going to promote my blog. Yes, I am planning on promoting my brand. Yes, I’m going to network with some amazing people. But the real reason I am going? To help re-energize my life with a little help from my friends. I’ve made strong connections with some fellow bloggers that I am so thankful to have.

We call ourselves the Skype sisters. We are a group of women who are Mothers, Wives, Daughters, Sisters and more. Many of these women will be attending BlogHer and I just know that meeting them in real life will help energize my soul and tighten our bonds even more. We have been through heart ache, birthdays, new babies, struggles, illness and love. That is one thing that never lacks with our friendship. Love. While we have never met in person we are constantly there for each other. I know if I ever need a laugh or a friend to lean on all I have to do is log onto my Skype and there they are. Of course they are also only a phone call away, day or night as well.

Some of the many woman who inspire me to be strong
and show me what love and friendship is.

Two fantastic bloggers are giving away (4) four BlogHer Sponsorships totaling $2000 each.Visit An Island Life and Barefoot Mommies to enter. I believe that by being able to be an Energizer Smart ChargHer I will be able to spread the love I have with these friends and to build new connections with many other bloggers out there.

Energizer – Pick Andrea to be a Smart ChargHER from erin cox on Vimeo.

Many thanks for Energizer for offering me this chance to be a Energizer Smart ChargHer!

American Girl presents Shine On Now – We are an official Parent Partner

Andrea @ Red Knows How — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 13:04:39 +0000

When I think of American Girl I remember the days when I was about my daughter’s age. I remember the love I had for those dolls. Samantha, she was my absolute favorite. I would flip through the catalog for weeks after it arrived in the mail. I treasured each moment I had with the dolls, their accessories, and also reading each book.

When American Girl contacted me to be part of their Parent Partner team I was thrilled. Not only to be teamed up with such a legendary company to me but to be part of their new Shine On Now program. This new program that was released on June 28th, 2010 is a charitable initiative bringing together the power of girls and helping the community. By bringing together the strength of girls nationwide American Girl will be giving away $1 million dollars in dolls, books, clothes, and money to four organizations:

Kids in Distressed Situation
National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions
National Wildlife Federation and
Save the Children

Girls can now sign up on the Shine On Now website to become official American Girl Ambassador. When you sign up as an official ambassador you can download a free tool kit to help the girl in your life be a strong member of the community. The kit will help with tips and ideas for fund-raising, volunteering and donating to the above listed organizations.

To help girls nationwide to be the best they can be American Girl is also launching a virtual campus called Innerstar University™. Innerstar University™ is a fun virtual world where you can take quizzes, play games, and other fun activities. By learning on American Girl’s virtual campus it helps girls learn confidence building skills and strength. This is the sort of learning that is important for me to have my daughter to see and understand.

To join in to this great charitable program be sure to check out Shine On Now, Innerstar U and American Girl.

Check back here on Tuesday July 13th for an American Girl Doll giveaway.

“American Girl sent me free product samples as a part of my partnership in the Shine On Now™ program. The opinions and content posted here is my own.”