Sunday, April 28, 2013

Octonauts... To Your Stations!








Sound the Octo-Alert!  For the first time ever, Octonauts fans can bring the excitement of this underwater adventure series home with a new line of Fisher Price toys! Create exciting memories at home with the new line of playsets, action figures and Octo-gear, as you and your child “Explore, Rescue and Protect” the ocean with the loveable underwater sea heroes of the hit series, Octonauts, airing on Disney Junior (check your local listings for airtimes)!

We were sent some of the great new toys available to check them out...


Octonauts follows the daily adventures of a team of eight underwater heroes that explore the world's oceans, rescue the creatures who live there and protect their habitats- above and below the waves!

The kids were thrilled, and really have been enjoying them...there is something for everyone, and even our older boys liked to join in the play. 

Nolyn really liked the Octo-Compass (SRP $12.99)... although he calls it his "clock":


You hear phrases from your favorite Octonauts characters Barnacles, Kwasii, and Peso along with creature sounds and the Octo-Alert signal. 

The Octonauts Octopod Playset includes everything you need to renact your own octonauts adventures. The Octopod has over 10 play pieces. Our kids have enjoyed using this toy because they can all play together. SRP is $34.99. 

If you have an Octonauts fan, you'll want to keep your eye out for these toys!

Check out all the great toys available on Amazon.com below...


And don't forget to check out the Octonauts Facebook page!

The toys were provided to me as a media sample for the purpose of this review and post. No compensation was received and all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Protect your pets from fleas and ticks!



This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Vectra flea & tick control for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


As many families do, we have pets. We have a bird, a snake, and a dog and cat. Our pets are very important to our family, and very much a part of it.

Our cat and dog are nearly always by me, even as I blog!


Fleas and ticks have no place on your pet... but in order to keep your pet safe from them you need to have some help. There is a loving, protective spirit that comes with a close pet relationship. You will do anything to protect your best friend. That means using Vectra 3D – long lasting, broad spectrum parasite control for dogs – flea and tick control. For your small dog or puppy, use Vectra for Dogs and Puppies. Or for your cat, use Vectra for Cats and Kittens.

  It only takes one bite to potentially spread disease.

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Enter Vectra’s Protect the love Facebook Sweepstakes for a $100 gift card to use at their next veterinarian visit. A gift card will be rewarded each week for the duration of the Sweepstakes.

Each entrant to the Protect the love Sweepstakes can also claim a free dose of Vectra flea & tick control. You  can print out a coupon for a free dose to redeem at a Vectra veterinarian near you. All you  need to do is enter the sweepstakes, then visit FirstDoseFree.com and fill out the form!

Be sure to like Vectra on Facebook and follow @VectraPet on Twitter

***Protect the love™ is the official social identity of Vectra flea & tick control. Vectra is a product of Ceva Animal Health, LLC and has multiple formulas for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens.
*DO NOT USE VECTRA 3D ON CATS*
Visit Sponsor's Site

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

This Mother's Day, be sure to send her a treat!




Sometimes Mother's Day gifts can be hard to decide on... there's jewelry, flowers, pictures, candy- just so many options! I was given the chance to check out Shari's Berries and was provided with a gift card to pick something out that I thought would be a great gift for a mother.

There are a lot of options... so many yummy treats, and even some flowers available to go along with them as well. Well, I have to say I think I picked out a great gift. I, as a mother, sure did enjoy it!

I chose the Cheesecake Trio and Full Dozen Swizzled Strawberries.. I was happily surprised that they were shipped overnight (I was wondering how shipping would happen since they are strawberries and cheesecake...both which need refrigeration).  The day before my order was scheduled to arrive I received an email letting me know the order was on it's way. 

The next day... it was on my porch!

See the instructions? "INSTRUCTIONS: Close and lock door. Hide behind large piece of furniture. Quietly open box. Savor and enjoy!". 
The instructions were great... but it wasn't until I opened the box that I knew why they were there!  


They came packaged well with freezer packs and in between insulating foam. Nothing was melted or warm.


Don't they look DELISH!? Well... they were. 

These treats were sooo yummy. The cheesecakes were my favorite, and they were absolutely divine. The strawberries were ripe and yummy, too. The only thing I wish was different is I wish they hadn't covered the stem in chocolate. While they remove the leaves, they leave the stem. I am not one to just chew up the stem and eat it, so it kind of bothered me to have to bite the chocolate off and make sure not to eat the stem. If they had left the top of the strawberry undipped I would have enjoyed them more. Maybe it's just a personal choice though, as I know a lot of chocolate covered strawberries come like this.

Now, remember I said I knew why those instructions were there? Yeah... that's because if anyone else sees these, or worse yet- tastes these, you won't be able to keep from sharing them. They are so good. Thankfully there was plenty to share. 

If you're looking for a great gift for Mother's Day (May 12, 2013! It's not far off!), then I would definitely recommend checking out Shari's Berries. You can also click to see if there are coupon codes or discounts available for the items you are interested in!



I received a gift card to check out the product and purchasing process for Shari's Berries. All opinions are my own and no monetary compensation was received.


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I Bump'd it!



Oh, Baby! Yeppers, I am thinking about our eighth little one who will be arriving in July... We've decided on a name by the way, his name will be Orrin!

With a new little one coming soon, I like to get an idea of what I would like to get for him and what I need to get. There are many sites out there for exactly that and I have been given the chance to become an ambassador and compensated to check out and tell you about SunnyBump.

SunnyBump is geared for pregnancy and baby related items... so I've been Bump'n all my favorite wish list items for Orrin! When you join you get to make your own collections. You can make collections for pregnancy, for baby, and for an older child, too!

For Orrin by inthenest
For Orrin



As you can see I'm pretty interested in owl items and green gear... they happen to be a couple of my favorite  things. It was fun and easy to make my collections, and I can share them easily with friends and family...and of course, all of you!

What would you put on your SunnyBump collection?

Friday, April 12, 2013

Transformers Prime Beast Hunters! #BeastHunters #spon





I have had the chance to bring you this review because I have been chosen to be part of a campaign to review Transformers Prime Beast Hunter toys. I can tell you, my kids were super excited about this opportunity. I mean, most boys would be thrilled to try out a super cool Transformers toy!


When a fearsome new faction of Beast TRANSFORMERS robots emerge on Earth, the AUTOBOTS must evolve to fight them — they must become BEAST HUNTERS!

We received the Voyager Class Optimus Prime to play with and review. This toy retails for around $20. RJ was very excited to transform his new toy... but he was a little overwhelmed at first. The box says it's for age 5+, and it's "intermediate level" for difficulty. At first, I didn't think RJ would be able to do it without help... and the first time he did needs some help, but after a couple of times transforming the toy he was a pro!


He really was excited about being able to do it (just not super excited about the picture. :p)!  RJ really loves this toy, and is very proficient in transforming the toy without the instructions, which is a good thing since the instructions didn't last long around the younger kids!

These toys are the touchstone for TRANSFORMERS brand entertainment in 2013, driven by the award winning TRANSFORMERS PRIME animated series which is produced by Hasbro Studios and airs on The HUB television network in the U.S.!  The lines of toys that will be available are the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Voyager Class assortment, the KRE-O Transformers Beast Hunters line, The KRE-O Transformers Beast Hunters Ripclaw Strike Building Set, and the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters Deluxe Assortment. Check out the toys here.

Don't forget to check out @HasbroNews and the Transformers Facebook Page!



Sunday, April 7, 2013

Healthing?


This post is written by me and I will receive a promotional item in exchange for the following post. Any opinions are my own, and not influenced by compensation.


Healthing. A new term, coined by LYSOL. It's the idea that you use cleaners that you know will kill the germs, not just clean it.


When spring rolls around I think about spring cleaning. I just get that bug to clean the house, you know, when the sun is shining and you can open all the windows and feel the nice spring breeze. Well, LYSOL wants to take spring cleaning and turn it up a notch. Not just a clean home, a healthy home. 

I don't know about you, but this winter has been SO rough on our family. It seems like we've gotten every illness that has crossed our paths, and for a good two months there was at least one person sick at all times. I am excited to see how spring helps improve our health, and I think our spring cleaning can be amped up by looking at ways to truly disinfect, not just make our home appear cleaner. 

Of course, organizing and getting rid of dirt and grime are important steps, but so is actually getting rid of the bacteria and other germs hiding on those frequently visited places. LYSOL has an entire team of products there to help make sure that your home is a little better protected from those germs. A healthy family, after all, is a family that can thrive and enjoy life together. In my house, when one person is sick, it affects us all...and not just once another person catches it. 

LYSOL's healthing is not only about their products. LYSOL is also teaming up with 65,000 schools to promote healthy habits and good hygiene. LYSOL's Mission For Health can tell you more about how LYSOL is reaching out to your community. 

LYSOL and television personality Giuliana Rancic have partnered together to visit YMCAs in select markets across the country to demonstrate Healthing in action. At each YMCA location, LYSOL will provide attendees with hands-on education about the products and steps required to practice improved hygiene habits in their own home, while making the idea fun and relatable to kids. LYSOL will also provide educational information and disinfecting products to the local YMCAs, along with the donation of a one-year membership to a deserving family. 

See how you can take part in LYSOL's Healthing Initiative:



I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for LYSOL®. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Spinlight Studios Preschool App Sale!


Do you have a preschooler in your life that likes to play some fun apps? Check out the great sale below! Limited time!


Friday, April 5, 2013

#ad White Cloud GreenEarth




This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Most of us know the positive feeling of accomplishment we get when we do something to help the environment, right? Maybe we recycle empty cereal boxes and milk jugs, maybe we make a conscious decision to turn the lights off when we leave a room, maybe we purchase eco-friendly products for our homes. Regardless of how we help, we know it feels good to help and we want to do more!

 White Cloud GreenEarth product line allows you to celebrate these moments of environmental responsibility and encourage everyone to keep “Living the Green.”  White Cloud is a paper-product brand carried exclusively at Walmart ( Find a Store Near You! ). GreenEarth is the innovative, eco-friendly line of White Cloud products (bath tissue and paper towels), made from 100 percent recycled fibers. Check out the line at White Cloud GreenEarth products page  . Now you can feel better about purchasing those paper products! With White Cloud's affordibility, being green is within reach.

With GreenEarth, there is no compromise. GreenEarth products maintain the highest standards of quality while still remaining affordable, and all GreenEarth® products maintain a Forest Stewardship Council certification.

If you are looking for more great ways to be greener, the White Cloud “Living the Green” Pinterest board is full of green living tips and ideas! Check out the White Cloud Pinterest page  to see what you can do.
Our family tries to be green by keeping our water consumption to a minimum, recycling paper (and using "scrap" paper for kids coloring), and repurposing old items. We definitely enjoy thinking of new things we can do with old things instead of throwing them out- the kids all seem to enjoy that.

Are there anything specific that your family does to be green? Is there anything you'd like to work on more?
Your ideas could possibly make you a winner in the  White Cloud’s Pin it to Win it “Living the Green Sweepstakes” here's how you can enter to win:

1. Follow White Cloud on Pinterest
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4. Visit mywhitecloud.com/promotions and complete the sweepstakes entry form

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Visit Sponsor's Site

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Tyson Chicken Nuggets #TysonPickyEaters




Picky eaters... oh my, we sure do have some experience with this. All of our children have been picky at at least one point in their life. Currently we are struggling with our daughter choosing to only eat dill pickles and potato chips (true story). The struggle can be difficult, as parents we worry- but kid just know what they want.

Trying new foods can be a challenge as well. We do have a trick, though. We like to get a little creative at times. Broccoli...oh no, that's not broccoli. They are trees and we are the big hungry dinosaurs ready to eat those trees! Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do to make sure those little ones are getting what they need.

Tyson chicken nuggets can be one of those foods that are fun to play with, too. Gather your favorite sauce and take them for a "swimming lesson"...but wait, oh no! The shark got them. Poor nuggets....but happy belly! Tyson also has a great plate that they are giving away (with redemption of 3 codes from Tyson Chicken Nuggets) on their Facebook page that can help kids see food as fun. There are tons of creative ways to make fun faces out of your meal and make the kids smile.
Tyson® Chicken Nuggets are a great start at a healthy plate. Learn how to get a free colorful plate to make mealtime more fun!

Now that I’ve shared how I got my picky eaters to eat balanced meals, share your success story for a chance to win a $1,000!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Tyson Chicken Nuggets. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
 
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