Category : Featured Reviews, Giveaways, health & fitness
This 5a8 year has been chaotic where my allergies are concerned. What used to be one allergy season seems to have turned into a nearly year round epidemic. So when I read that Halls Cough Drops can help provide relief to my allergy symptoms (while I wait for the Claritin to finally kick in and work it’s sweet sweet magic) I was anxious to get my hands on a pack to try out.
Of course the minute the review package arrived at my door I had like a week of no allergies. Not sure whether to be grateful for the short break or annoyed about getting my review done, I waited somewhat patiently, knowing it would be short lived. Finally the day came. I woke up feeling like the dead, wishing my husband didn’t insist on sleeping with the windows open. I stumbled out of bed, popped the pill, and sat with a mug of coffee trying to ignore the fact that it was morning again and wishing the meds would kick in SOON when I suddenly remembered. Sweet relief was just a Halls drop away purportedly.
Growing up I always regarded Halls cough drops as “those nasty things” because they do truly taste terrible in my opinion. I usually wouldn’t take Halls growing up because I’m a big huge baby, but I do know that any cough drop that tastes 5a8 fantastic usually does nothing whatsoever. I decided that morning to attempt being a big girl and give Halls a fair shake.
For the first 5 minutes I bragged about how “they don’t taste that bad at all, I was such a wimp, geez!” But in all fairness, the longer I had to keep that cough drop in my mouth, the worse it tasted. I ended up spitting that first drop out about halfway through, despite the fact that it actually seemed to be working.
Eventually I managed to get through an entire cough drop though and while I can’t say they taste any better, I can fairly well agree with the statement that Halls cough drops are a good way to supplement your allergy relief. I’m fairly certain that most people aren’t such big babies as me and can get past the less than stellar taste (heck even I seemed to be able to get past it eventually and like I said – big huge baby). By the time you finish the cough drop your day-long pill will likely have kicked in and the cough drop will have soothed any sore throat symptoms you may have been suffering from. And then comes the best part – the part where you get on with your day, already!
Now with winter cruelly impending we’ll have the flu season to contend with also, and luckily Halls cough drops promise to get us through the season, whatever cold / flu / allergy-like symptoms we might be 10f8 suffering from. Now if only I could magically learn to enjoy the taste!
WIN IT!
Thanks to the Family Review Network & HALLS, we have ten (10) Halls Sticks to give away to two (2) lucky readers! Here’s how you can enter to win.
1. Tell us : What do you do to treat a sore throat / allergies? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
2. Like HALLS on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
One comment per entry, please. For additional entry options and giveaway rules visit our Extra Giveaway Options page!
This giveaway is open to US addresses only. The giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Friday October 22, 2010.
This post was written for Family Review Network & HALLS who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Category : Featured Reviews, Giveaways, around the home
I love Glade’s Scented Oil Candles and was very excited when I heard about the The Glade® Design and Shine™ Contest where you get a chance to design a decorative glass holder (like the one I designed above) and a chance to win $10,000 and have your design sold in stores nationwide! This contest runs through October 31st so you still have a little over 2 weeks to enter your own design!
I had a lot of fun designing my candle holder which I think looks very Halloweenish, the color almost reminds me of candy corn. I loved looking at their preview of the candle with lights on versus off – very cool!
For anyone who has not tried Glade’s scented oil candles, let me tell your briefly some of my favorite things about these candles versus a standard wax candle:
- I think perhaps the best thing about this candle is that it puts itself out when it runs out of oil. With a standard candle, someone needs to remember to blow the candle out or you risk a fire.
- The scented oil candles will b 5a8 urn for a couple of hours. When the oil runs out, the candle goes out, leaving no mess behind. Simply remove the metal base when it’s cooled and insert a new candle the next time you want to use it.
- I’ve always found the candle holders / magnetic design of the candles to be very sturdy. Because the candle is so small, there is virtually no danger of the candle knocking over or moving around.
- I’m a fickle candle scent person and I like to mix things up with new scents, rather than rely on the same old same old and these small candles are perfect for that. Enjoy clean linen one night and lavender vanilla the next.
I love the scents Glade makes – every scent we’ve tried I’ve liked, including the clean linen scent I reviewed for this campaign. I had not initially been very excited about the smell of clean linen, expecting something that smelled like detergent, but it’s really very mild and relaxing and not at all over powering. The candles actually smell better lit than they do unlit – which I’ve found the opposite to be true of many other candles.
WIN IT!
Thanks to the Family Review Network & SC Johnson, we have one (1) Glade scented oil candle to giveaway to one (1) lucky reader! Here’s how you can enter to win.
1. Tell us : Which of Glade’s scented oil candle scents appeals to you the most (click their refills link for a full line-up of their available scents)? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
2. Like Glade on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
3. Subscribe to the Right @ Home newsletter and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
One comment per entry, please. For additional entry options and giveaway rules visit our Extra Giveaway Options page!
This giveaway is open to US addresses only. The giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Friday October 22, 2010.
This post was written for Family Review Network & SC Johnson who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest review.
Category : Featured Reviews, Giveaways, music
Children’s music. It can make your ears bleed, am I right? I don’t think it’s any secret that good child-friendly music can be awfully difficult to find.
I recently had an opportunity to review the new Flannery Brothers CD, The New Explorers Club. Brothers Dan and Mike Flannery and their “honorary brother,” drummer Jonathan Merrifield created this CD, which comes out October 19, with the intent to encourage families to explore and seek adventure in everything.
My take:
Some of the songs I thin 5a8 k were a little over my son’s head at four years old, but the music was catchy enough that it didn’t matter and I think grade school kids, who will likely do better at understanding the lyrics, should enjoy it a lot.
WIN IT!
Thanks to Family Review Network & Flannery Brothers, we’ve got one copy of The New Explorers Club CD to give away to one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Tell us: What kind of music do your kids like to listen to the most? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
- Like The Flannery Brothers on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
- Follow The Flannery Brothers 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 is open to US and Canadian addresses only. The giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Friday September 24, 2010.
This post was written for the Family Review Network & the Flannery Brothers who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.
Category : Featured Reviews, Giveaways, books
I am a huge Jane Porter fan after having read two of her previous books, Odd Mom Out and Easy On the Eyes. So when I was given the opportunity to review her new book, She’s Gone Country which was just released today (August 23), I jumped at the chance (there may have been squealing and happy dancing involved). This book tells the story of Shey Darcy, 39 year old former top model and mother of three teenage boys.
After her husband announces that he is in love with someone else (a male someone else), Shey moves herself and her boys to her childhood home – a family ranch in Texas. Moving back home is never easy and Shey finds herself dealing with her Southern Baptist mama, over protective brothers, the typical struggles with three teenage boys, one of whom has been battling depression – not to mention the death of her brother, life as an older model and run ins with her ex-crush Dane Kelly.
One thing that I love about Jane Porter’s novels is the fact that things never start or finish in a tidy way. Her stories are very true to life with no perfect happy endings. She jumps in the middle of the action and leaves a few loose ties as well. Some of those loose ties stand to upset readers but I actually like that she leaves things open – and knowing that her characters will likely pop up again in future novels with more details of how things work out is an added bonus. Did I mention that the other novels of Porter’s that I’ve read feature Shey as a character? Shey’s two best friends were the respective main characters in Odd Mom Out and Easy On The Eyes and all three girls appear in all three books, with bits and pieces of their stories told in each – so the story never really ends for any of them.
Another thing that I enjoy with Jane Porter is her very conversational writing style. It’s not always perfect, in fact sometimes I find myself obsessing over her sentence structure, wanting to rew b50 rite bits and pieces – but the overall result is a book that feels like it may have been written by your best friend – it’s not perfect, but it’s so easily digestible – which is good given the often heavy subject matter of death, depression, cyber bullying, family trauma, divorce, heart break and more. Life is messy and Porter’s stories are often a bit messy as well – and a bit heavy. Her writing style makes all of this much easier to digest I think, giving an overall feel of light, dare I say chick-lit – in the midst of some pretty deep subject material.
I definitely recommend She’s Gone Country – it delivers in much the same way as Porters other books – and I think most women (especially moms or fans of chick lit or this new cross breed of mom lit) should enjoy it. I might recommend that you read Odd Mom Out or Easy On the Eyes first but I don’t think it’s necessary.
Win It!
Thanks to Book Sparks PR, we’re giving away a copy of She’s Gone Country to one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Tell us: Would you rather live in the country or the city? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
- Like Jane Porter on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
- Follow Jane Porter 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 is open to US and Canadian addresses only. The giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Monday September 6, 2010.
Category : Family entertainment, Featured Reviews, Giveaways
This Friday, August 20th, PBS Kids is airing a one-hour television special, Dinosaur Train Under the Sea (check your local listings for exact time). We had an opportunity to review the special on DVD recently so I got my four year old son together with a few of his friends to watch it.
I have been a big fan of PBS Kids show since my son first began watching tv – for two years it was the only channel I let him watch actually! I love how educational and entertaining the shows are and knowing I can trust them to provide quality entertainment for my children is invaluable. Dinosaur Train is one of PBS’s newer shows and my son adores it. Anyone with kids interested in those awesome prehistoric creatures should get a kick out of this show and parents, you can trust that this show delivers the same quality that we’ve come to know and love from PBS.
We watched our screener DVD at lunch time and I made my son a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I cut into the shape of a dinosaur using a cookie cutter for the occasion – so fun and such an easy way to set the tone! The kids were smitten with this one hour special, which follows Buddy and the Pteranodon family as they take the Dinosaur Train on an underwater adventure, exploring the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic oceans to discover new aquatic creatures. Like all the other DT adventures, this show perfectly mixes fun stories that your kids can relate to with educational lessons on prehistoric life. I definitely recommend checking it out this Friday!
Here’s a link to a snippet from the episode (sorry our layout doesn’t seem to allow embedded video):
Dinosaur Train Under the Sea on PBS Kids
WIN IT!
Thanks to Three Sixty Marketing & Communications and The Jim Henson Company, we’re giving away a copy of
- Tell us: What is your favorite show on PBS Kids – or if you don’t already watch the channel regularly, just tell us your favorite kids show? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
- Become a fan of PBS Kids on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
- Follow PBS 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 is open to US addresses only. The giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Wednesday September 1, 2010.
Congratulations to the following winners:
The winner of the Yupik doll from BlaBla Kids is:
#25: Stephanie J @ Coupon Clippin’ Mommy
The winner of a BornFree Twist’n Pop Easy Drink Straw Cup and Pacifiers is:
#18: Susan
The winner of an American Girl doll is:
#284: Jeane
Category : Featured Reviews, Giveaways, foodie favorites
I have recently discovered a love for barbecue sauce. Growing up I was one of those Plain Foods Kids and, for the most part, the only condiment I ever really used was ketchup. Well, I’ve come a long way baby! One of my favorite ways to dress up a piece of chicken or a great hamburger is with some delicious barbecue sauce so I was very intrigued when I got an opportunity to review Herman T’s BBQ Sauce Mix .
Rather than the traditional bottle of sauce that I’m used to buying in the store, Herman T’s sells a packet with seasoning that you add to some ketchup and water and cook right on your stove top! The sauce was created by Herman T Jones back in the 50’s – he shared it with anyone who came by his house and it was always a hit. He eventually passed the recipe on to his grandson, Brian, who had the good sense to get it into mass production.
I liked the idea of cooking my own sauce and was very happy to see an ingredient list that contained things I’d actually heard of – the natural foodie momma in me was very pleased with a list of ingredients that I could actually recognize in a store! One pouch of mix makes 3/4 gallon of BBQ sauce, making it quite a bang for your buck. Great for anyone who uses a lot of BBQ sauce! Buy one packet for $7.95 or two for $15.
We tested out the sauce with some burgers and I have to say, cooking the sauce couldn’t be easier. Mix 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of the Herman T’s BBQ Mix and whisk them together to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve the sauce warm over whatever’s cooking! The first time I made the mix, my husband and I agreed that it was a little on the ketchupy side. So the next time I made it, I added in a bit more of the mix – much better! I like that you can tailor the sauce to your preferences.
WIN IT!
Thanks to the Family Review Network and Herman T’s BBQ Sauce, we’re giving away a 2-pack of Herman T’s BBQ Sauce to one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Tell us: What is your favorite thing to put BBQ Sauce on? This step is mandatory and if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
- Become a fan of Herman T’s BBQ on Facebook and leave a comment here telling us you’ve done so.
- Follow Herman T’s BBQ 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 is open to US addresses only. The giveaway will close at 12pm EST on Wednesday August 18, 2010.
This post was written for Family Review Network & Herman T’s BBQ Sauce who provided the complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.
Congratulations to the following lucky readers who won our giveaway for a copy of Eating for Beginners by Melanie Rehak!
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 p b50 acifiers 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.
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!
