Fashion Angels #Review and #Giveaway

Do you know a very creative little girl?  Well, I do, and chances are you do too!  Fashion Angels has SO many options for the creative little girl in your life....of all ages.

I received 3 items to review.  The first one, The Tapefitti, my daughter wanted to dig into right away!

She immediately got to work designing an outfit.

 It comes with everything you need, including LOTS of different colored/patterned tapes and even a cutter for the tape.

 It comes with lots of patterns for you to design on, but the first time my daughter didn't wait for instructions from me and designed right on top of the Manikin that comes with this set. 

 Here is the dress she designed using one of the provided patterns.

and the back.

The second item above was the Safety Pin Bracelet Kit.  

This was such a HUGE success in my house, that there was very little I had left to take pictures of!  LOL  Ella gave most of the pins she made away before I could take pictures.  Here are some samples of some things I pulled out of her room.  She had a TON of fun making these, and more importantly, sharing them with others!

Lastly, we were given the Doodles Friffonages Bocetos Notebook.  It has 60 pages of things to design, like shoes, purses and dresses.  There is so much more!  If you have a budding designer on your hands, then this is for her!!!!  Ella has just scratched the surface.

 You can find MANY more Fashion Angels products at Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Learning Express, Wal-greens, Amazon.com, and Kohls.com

Now, ready for some REALLY good news?!  You can enter for a chance to win all 3 of these great items!  Stash them away for Christmas gifts if you want!
You must enter through the giveaway tool below.  The chosen winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.  Good luck!

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*Disclosure: I was given each of the items pictured above in exchange for this review and for hosting this giveaway.  All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others'.

PlanetBox Lunch Box #Review

With Ella heading to Kindergarten in the Fall, I'm on the hunt for awesome Lunch Boxes for her to take to school.  Ultimately, I would like at least 2 or 3 awesome ones that all work well, so if we have a super busy night, I don't have to worry about washing it to get it ready for the next day!  (Those nights seem to happen often, LOL!)  I came across the PlanetBox in my search and I'm impressed.  It's honestly, a very simple product.  There are not many bells and whistles.  It is a stainless steel lunch box that offers 3 different styles/sizes for different sized appetites!  It's great for portion control as well.

The above pictured PlanetBox Lunch Box is what they call the Shuttle.  Its great for a snack or a smaller meal.  It comes with magnets (the colorful parts you see above) that can be removed and changed for different children/moods.

 It has a very easy to use latch, which opens up the lunch box.  The shuttle comes with what they call a tall dipper for sauces, or something similar as well.

Each PlanetBox comes with a carrying case as well.  

This particular lunch box will be great for her morning/afternoon snacks, but I don't feel it's large enough for a full meal.  I'm sure one of their other two styles; the Launch or Rover; would work well for her lunch.  It definitely doesn't seal when closed, so you wouldn't be able to put anything that might "leak" inside a PlanetBox Lunch Box.

Overall, I feel the PlanetBox is a very nice lunch box, that offers some great options for your child.  They even have a Meal Planning App online where you can design, plan or share meals for your PlanetBox!  How cool is that?!

You can find PlanetBox online or on Facebook.

What kinds of healthy things do you send to lunch with your child?

*Disclaimer: I was sent a PlanetBox Shuttle Lunch Box in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All thoughts expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others'.

Look Who's Growing Review and #Giveaway!

I love when I'm contacted by a company with a super cool product that I can review!  This one will be around our house for YEARS to come!

Look Who's Growing sells personalized children's growth charts. They have 30 different designs and colors you can choose from, add your child's birth date, and you can personalize it even more by having your child's picture on their chart as well.  You can find all their products on their website, www.lookwhosgrowing.ca.

As you can see, Gavin loves his chart!  We have the perfect size wall right behind his door, where we hung the chart.  The directions given say you can hang the chart with tacks, or nails, or adhesive strips, so I used adhesive strips to hang mine.  I hate putting holes in walls.....I'm funny like that!

The cool thing is, we can use the chart for Ella as well.  She was just as happy to stand there as Gavin was!

You can find Look Who's Growing many different ways:

www.lookwhosgrowing.ca
www.facebook.com/lookwhosgrowing

www.pinterest.com/lookwhosgrowingFollow us on Twitter @lookwhosgrowing

Now, here's the super fun part!  Want a chance to win your very own Personalized Growth Chart?!  Well, Look Who's Growing has been kind enough to offer one to one of my fans!  All you have to do is enter the giveaway below!  Good luck!

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Jen Ramey Designs - Review

I love pretty things, so when Jen Ramey of Jen Ramey designs asked me to do a review on her wine charms, it wasn't hard to say yes!!!!

Look at how beautiful these are!!!!

Jen is a true artist, which means I was able to choose the design, color and imprint I wanted on my charms.  I love colorful things, so I chose rainbow charms.  The heart symbolizes our marriage, and the "C," our last name.  

Let me tell you something, you're not just getting wine glass charms when you order from Jen Ramey Designs.  Look at how well these were packaged and all the extras I got!

 The box was packed beautifully!  A beautiful sticker on the inside of the box when I opened it, with Jen's gorgeous logo.  Lots of cushion for my charms with the blue strips of paper, and my charms were gorgeously packed inside that "thank you" bag!

There is another envelope which comes inside the box, with a beautiful business card and magnet.  Also, Jen included and extra wine charm....the gorgeous one you see there with the pink heart!  So elegant!

Jen leaves no detail untouched!  She even has a charm holder tag with the charms attached to them.  The "thank you" bag you saw earlier is the bag you can store the charms in.

Jen not only sells charms for all occasions on her Facebook and Etsy Pages, but she sells cupcake toppers and key chains too!  They are all impeccably made and GORGEOUS!  

Jen Ramey Designs makes gifts for weddings, anniversaries, engagement celebrations, bridal showers or baby showers and birthday celebrations for all ages.  You can find her on

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jenrameydesigns?fref=ts

or

Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenrameydesigns?page=3
Use Coupon Code SLOWCOOKER10 for 10% off your order!

Please go take a look!  You won't be disappointed!

PYREX ® 10-pc No-Leak Lids Set - Review

Just as I was finishing up the photo shoot for my cookbook, I was contacted and asked to review the PYREX ® 10-pc No-Leak Lids Set.  I have a 2 sets of Pyrex, one I've been using for the last 7 years,and another I've been using for about the last 4 years.  I was extremely excited to get another set, with a twist!  The set I have now just have regular lids and I love them!  They're what I use constantly.  (You should know that I do have lots of the cheap disposable plastic storage containers, and most of them have missing lids.......they're like the missing socks the washer/dryer eat.  Lord only knows what happens to them!!!!)

The first thing I noticed when I took them out of the box, was how very sturdy they are.  I don't know if it's my imagination or not, but the glass seem thicker to me than the set I've had for 7 years.  I really like how sturdy they are.  The second thing I noticed are the different shapes.  They are completely different shapes and sizes than the ones I have now, so that is a bonus in my eyes.  The last thing I noticed is how different the lids are.  The lids are very thick with a very nice seal on the inside and a easily usable vent on top for microwaving.  I really like how easy the vent design is, because the previous set I had with the vents wasn't as easy to use.

I've spent the last few weeks really using these containers.  I've taken my Greek Pasta Salad with Chicken to  work in one of the containers with the red lid, I've stored the rest in my refrigerator with the big round one with the blue lid on the bottom.  They worked great.  No leakage. I've stored some leftover corn from dinner in the medium-sized round one with the blue lid, and I brought ranch dressing to dip my carrots in at work in the little one with the green lid.  

The only negative I see in these, is the lid is quite thick, so it's not as easy to store as my other pyrex.  With that being said, there is a reason they are thick.....and it's obviously because they are no-leak lids, so they need to be.

You can find the PYREX ® 10-pc No-Leak Lids Set at http://www.shopworldkitchen.com/pyrex/no-leak-lids-10pc-set-1107457 OR on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PyrexHome?fref=ts?.

*DISCLAIMER: I was given a set of  PYREX ® 10-pc No-Leak Lids Set in exchange for a review and my honest opinion of the product.  All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others'.

Jesben Slow Cooker Sauces

I had the pleasure of being contacted by Susie, President of Jesben LLC, to see if I would like to try her all natural sauces!  I was so excited when she told me they are also GLUTEN FREE!  Hooray!  It's an added bonus!  These sauces were absolutely delicious!  All you have to do is add meat.  That's it!  You seriously plop your meat (or tofu)  in your slow cooker, pour a jar of Jesben Slow Cooker Sauce over the top and turn it on!  When you get home, you have a delicious and healthy dinner!  What could be better than that?!  My family loved both of these sauces.

There are currently two flavors of Jesben Slow Cooker Sauces: Original BBQ and Italian Tomato, Peppers & Herbs. Since I had the pleasure of trying both of them, I can tell you they are both equally delicious! They are currently in the process of developing additional flavors, which I am very excited for.  

Their sauces are currently available in supermarkets in PA, OH, WV and MD, and are located near the seasoning packs and gravy. They are also gaining distribution in other stores throughout the U.S, (e.g., NY, NJ, IN) and are now are also available online at AbesMarket.com.  I found them here. You can also visit their website www.jesben.com/home/ for recipes, videos and more!

I hope you give them a try!  They are worth every penny! 

MDM Bowtique Personalized Letters

I had the immense pleasure of receiving a beautiful set of Personalized letters from Amber of MDM Bowtique!  First, Amber was wonderful to work with.  She asked what the colors of the  room I would be placing my letters were, then posted lots of sample paper for me to choose from.  Once I let her know which papers I liked, she put together some sample combinations for me so I could visualize things a bit better.

When she finished, and added the beautiful embellishments, I was SOOOO pleased!  They look absolutely beautiful!  I was going to hang them above my fireplace, but decided they looked perfect right on my mantle. So, sorry about seeing me holding the camera in the pictures!  LOL!

The letters are one of a kind works of art that can be customized to match just about any color or style.

*****For the month of April, you can get each (8") letter for $3.50 each or $20 for each connected word (family, love, welcome, laugh, faith.) Make sure to mention you saw this special here or on facebook to get this deal!!!!!!!  You can find MDM Bowtique on facebook here. She has all sorts of examples and options for you to choose from there. You can also email her at owner@123child.com with any questions of special requests you might have.

*Disclosure: MDM Bowtique sent me the letters for free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others'.

It Works! Wrap It Up Amie #Review

I had the pleasure of hosting an It Works! Party with my friends and Amie a couple of weeks ago!  What a FUN time!!!!!  While Amie was here, we got to try several It Works! Products.  I'm going to tell you all about them below!

At the party we used the Ultimate Body Wrap Applicator divided into 4 sections for our chin wraps. Look at the difference in some of my friends!!!!!!!!

 

As the host of the party, I had the privilege of trying a wrap on my abdomen.  The results were gradual over 3 days as you can see below, but let me tell you.....my pants sure did fit better in the end!

These retail $99 for a 4 pack or can be purchased as a Loyal Customer 4/$59.  They can also be purchased individually for $30 each directly from Amie.
https://amiekelp.myitworks.com/Shop/Product/135

Most of us tried the he Greens facial, which is made up of It Works! Greens and Defining Gel.
The It Works! Greens are a great source of vitamins and minerals in a powder mix of 38 different POWER foods to make up 8 servings of fruits and veggies, providing detox benefits, energy and alkaline, which also brings your system to a neutral state, preventing sickness! Amie drinks Greens daily and I hasn't been sick at all this year, even with the flu going crazy all around her! If you suffer from heart burn or acid reflux, this product will be a favorite for you! Amie was on prescription meds daily for gastritis/acid reflux and have been able to stop taking them with drinking Greens! She says they REALLY do neutralize the acidity in your stomach as well as your system!!!
https://amiekelp.myitworks.com/Shop/Product/475
$40 retail or $28 as a Loyal Customer

The Defining Gel is an awesome product with so many great uses! Along with helping maintain and maximize your wrapping efforts the Defining Gel will brighten up your tattoos, smooth out sun damaged and aging skin, help with skin conditions such as psoriasis, excema and varicose veins! Mixed with our Greens it creates an amazing facial!!! 
https://amiekelp.myitworks.com/Shop/Product/448
$79 retail or $45 as a Loyal customer

Here's crazy ole' me with my chin wrap and Greens facial on!  LOL

The Lip and Eye Lifting cream uses beautifying botanicals to to rejuvinate the areas around the lip and eye while visibly reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.  It's made with natural ingredients and goes on silky smooth!  My friend Helen had the tried it and had great results!!!!

https://amiekelp.myitworks.com/Shop/Product/461

$59 retail or $39 as a Loyal Customer

You can find Amie's It Works! Page on Facebook, or you can visit her directly on her website!

Music With Ms. Carissa CD #Review

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Carissa Knowles' CD, "Music with Ms. Carissa Not So Elementary."  What a FUN CD!  The instant I started the CD, my kids began to dance immediately!  My 1.5 year old actually promptly went to the toy drawer and pulled out instruments for him and his sister!  I LOVE that! (They are their mothers' children, you know!  I'm an Elementary Music Teacher in case you didn't know that!) Here are my kids dancing to Ms. Carissa!

The songs are all upbeat and extremely positive.  Not only are they fun, but they all have a good meaning.  The songs also teach your kids how to express themselves, rhyming and even how to go to sleep when they're tired!

Carissa has a fantastic website, where you can learn more about her and all the events she has going on!  She also has a facebook page, where she will keep you up to date on all her latest activities.  You can purchase one of her awesome CDs for $15 directly on her website through paypal.

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a CD in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others'.

Dobrasevic Food Company Review

*I'm sad to say, shortly after this review was published, Dobrasevic had to shut it's doors.  Another victim of the economy.  We with them and their employees all the best!

I had the extreme pleasure of having a beautiful box of produce delivered to my front door this past Saturday from Dobrasevic Food Company!  Here's what I opened up to.....

Looks good, huh?!  Well, there's more!  Look at all the goodies that were in this Large Box of Produce...

You're looking at Green Beans, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Zucchini, Green Onions, Oranges, Roma Tomatoes, Bananas, Green and Red Leaf Lettuce, Green Bell Peppers, Red Potatoes, and Red Pears!

The recipe possibilities are endless here!

A little information about Dobrasevic Food Company for you from their website....

"Dobrasevice Food Company located in Troy, Michigan is here to serve the Metro Detroit area with the finest fruits and vegetables delivered right to your door.

Founded in 2009, Dobrasevic Food Company prides itself in fresh, locally grown produce, delivered right to the doorsteps of hard working Metro Detroiters. Dobrasevic Food Company believes this community deserves something crisper, cleaner and more affordable than what the average grocery store provides.

Dobrasevic Food Company works with local farmers and local distributors directly. This keeps the produce supremely fresh, drives down the cost to our customers and helps boost the Michigan economy. Plus, you don't even have to leave your home. DFC delivers to most parts of Wayne, Macomb and Oakland counties, so contact us to find out if one of our Dobrasevic Food Company routes is in your neighborhood!

Be part of a new kind of industry. Where your family eats what's grown not far from their own backyard. Where you're fueling the Michigan and Detroit economies. Where you're free to do what's natural."

With so much produce coming to your doorstep, you can't help but eat healthy!  If you're not the creative type, and worried about what you'll do with this produce, your delivery will come with a Weekly Newsletter. In the newsletter, you will find recipes using the produce provided, so nothing will go to waste!

So far, I made Italian Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans.  I used about half of the red potatoes, most of the green beans and 2 of the Roma tomatoes in the box.

Today, I made the Sweet Smoothie Recipe included in the Newsletter!  Ella (and Gavin) helped.

We used 1 of the Grape Fruits, 1 Orange and 1 Banana.

They enjoyed it, although Ella had a hard time getting past the pulp.  Gavin didn't see a problem, LOL!

I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the produce I found in this box.  Nor bruises or blemishes to be found on anything in the box. 

If you're interested, you can keep up to date on Dobrasevic's Facebook Page, where they'll let you know what's being delivered each week.

There are several delivery options.  You can choose from a Small or Large Produce Package. From there, you can choose whether or not you would like weekly or bi-weekly deliveries. 

Dobrasevic delivers to Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties, so contact them soon to get your deliveries scheduled!

*Dobrasevic provided me with a large box of produce to review.  All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.  Others' opinions may vary from mine.

Dove Chocolate Discoveries

I got a VERY Sweet delivery the other day!  Becky, from Dove Chocolate Discoveries offered me a chance to review the products, and you better believe I didn't hesitate!  LOL

A little bit of info about Dove Chocolate Discoveries....

Dove Chocolate Discoveries is the home show division of Dove Chocolate (the Mars chocolate company). They began offering in-home chocolate tastings in spring of 2007. All of the products are exclusive to the home show division and are only available through independent chocolatiers.
 I had the pleasure of tasting 4 different Dove Chocolate Products; 
Chocolate Martini Mix
Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Caramels
Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries
Chocolate Covered Pretzel

The Chocolate Martini mix is one of their best sellers, and my husband and I can tell you why!  We have been enjoying Chocolate Martinis this week and they are extremely delicious! Becky had a few recommendations for me; her daughter likes it mixed in equal parts with milk. The mix is very thick so shake it well. It should be refrigerated after opening. The bottle says to mix with vodka, but she recommends equal parts vodka, milk or liquid creamer, and the mix. If you like coffee, it's great with a shot of it in a cup of coffee, with your regular cream & sugar - it's a delicious mocha! Besides the  Chocolatini, they also offer Mudslide, and White Chocolate Mint Martini. She suggests these are great to take as hostess gifts to holiday parties and fit perfectly in wine-bottle bags. In the current  catalog, they're $20 each or two for $30 (and you can mix/match the flavors.)

The Sugar Free Milk Chocolate Caramels were pretty good.  I don't do sugar-free because of my dietary situation, but I did try one.  (I made my husband try one too)  They don't taste sugar-free at all and are not too sweet.  They are sweetened with maltitol (a sugar derivative.)

The Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries were very good (and I don't like cherries at all!).  My husband said they were extremely delicious!  They are part of the Dark Chocolate Covered Fruit Collection. The full 16oz package contains a bag of cherries, a bag of cranberries and a bag of blueberries.  I can't wait to try the cranberries and blueberries if the cherries were that good.
The Chocolate Covered Pretzel was great too.  My daughter and I split it.  She really enjoyed it! They come individually wrapped (as do the Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers). Half the box comes dark chocolate covered, and the other half come covered in milk chocolate.  These would make great stocking stuffers since they are individually wrapped.

If any of this sounds good to you, you HAVE to visit Becky's website!  There are so many more products to order, such as backing mixes, smoothies, salad dressings and more!  You can also visit Becky's facebook here.

These would make awesome Christmas Gifts, so if you would like your order to come in time for Christmas, the last day to order is December 12!!!!  Hurry!

*Disclaimer: I was given products to sample in exchange for this blog post and my review.  All opinions expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others.

Simple Comforts Crayon Roll REVIEW

These Crayon Rolls from Simple Comforts would make the PERFECT Stocking Stuffer, class Christmas Gift, Birthday Party favor, etc.!  There are SO very many reasons you could gift one or 10 or more of these!  

I love that Meredith chose to send me both sizes so I could really compare the two!  (I especially love  she chose a music fabric, knowing I'm a music teacher!)

Aren't they adorable?!  And guess what?!  They come WITH the crayons!  I did not just put them in for the picture, LOL!  My daughter was BEYOND excited when she opened these up for me!  They shipped extremely well and came with all crayons in tact!  That's amazing in and of itself!  These are sewed beautifully as well!  Let me tell you how much I prefer these over loose crayons everywhere!  I love that I can just roll them up and tuck them away, or throw them even into my purse without worry!

Meredith of Simple Comforts has so much more to offer than just Crayon Rolls.  She makes Aprons, Blankets, Hats, Bags and much more!!!!  Please stop by here Facebook Page and check out everything she has to offer!  If you're not on facebook, you can reach Meredith at meredith_haataja@yahoo.com

*Disclaimer: I received 2 Crayon Rolls in exchange for my review and honest opinion.  All view expressed here are entirely my own and may differ from others.