Bentley Loves His New Shoes!

My almost 3 year old grandson Bentley needed some new shoes, and I was SO fortunate to win a pair of See Kai Run shoes in a blog giveaway a little while ago. Now, being a Grandma, I like to get the shoes a little big so they can grow into them-which is what I did in this case. He is wearing a 9, but the 9.5 gives him plenty of room to grow into. When I happened to stop by, he had just come in from outside and was eating his Spaghetti-O's, hence the tomato stained smile :) These shoes are really well made, and very cute! Blue is one of his favorite colors (as you can see from his clothing) so of course I had to get him blue shoes! Bentley is usually pretty camera shy, but when he saw those new shoes his face just lit up and he was super excited to have his photo taken with them. They have so many cute styles at See Kai Run! I know you will be able to find something for your little one. Make sure you check their sale page as well, since they have lots of cute shoes for both boys and girls at great sale prices too. Big thanks to See Kai Run for sponsoring the giveaway, my grandson really loves his new shoes!

Maine McDonald's Twitter Contest!

Do you love McDonalds? Do you live in Maine? After posting about my love for the new Premium McWrap which is available at McDonalds, I was contacted by the local Maine McDonald's twitter team asking me to help promote an awesome contest they have going on right now on Twitter! In addition to receiving an Archcard from McDonalds so we can try more of the Premium McWraps (we still have to try the sweet chili version and the crispy chicken version on a couple too-hubby loves the grilled chicken, but I prefer crispy!)I've been asked to tell you all about the Twitter contest currently going on! The contest goes on until May 1st and 10 random winners will win a coupon for a McWrap value meal! So, if you haven't tried it now you could tweet @McD_Maine and tell them where YOU would enjoy your Premium McWrap! Be sure to use the hashtag #UnwrapWhatsFresh in your tweet too! Now, just WHERE have we enjoyed our Premium McWraps? Well, the first time it was in the McDonald's parking lot-hubby was super hungry and couldn't wait to dig in! The next time? Why right here at home on the sofa! (see photos below from my review) And this last time (shhh.... don't tell, but we ate them 3x in one week!) it was such a gorgeous day that we headed up to Colby College and ate by Johnson Pond...very relaxing and a great way to enjoy the nice weather outside which I must say has taken a LONG time to get here! I've also been provided 10 coupons for Buy one Get one Free... which I would love to share with you all. So, if you are in Maine and would love for me to send you a coupon to use, please leave me your email below (you can leave it in format such as yourid at msn dot com or something like that to keep the spambots at bay!) and I will send you an email asking you for your address so I can mail you the coupon! Don't forget to get onto Twitter and start tweeting! @McD_Maine wants to know where YOU will enjoy those Premium McWraps! Disclosure: I received a McDonald's gift card/free product and coupons in exchange for promoting the Twitter contest. Good Luck!

Knot Genie Review

My 11 year old wanted to have long hair... unfortunately, with longer hair comes more care- I agreed to let her grow her hair out now that she was getting older, but ever since she was little she's had hair that would tangle up seemingly overnight. The next morning, the tears and fighting began as I would try my hardest to get those knots out. As a Mom, it hurt me as much as it hurt her trying to get those knots out and seeing those big tears. Even at 11, she runs from me if I come close with a hairbrush. Considering her hair is super straight and smooth, I wanted it to look that way in the back as well as the front. In the past few months, she'd managed to get her hair knotted up-whether it be from sleeping, not brushing too good, or as her Aunt Ana would say when she was younger- "Los Duendes" (also known as little mischief making fairies) would play with her hair and knot it up overnight. She managed to get most of it smooth on top but underneath it was a mess. Every day she would go to school with the top layer fine, and underneath it looked like a rat's nest. I finally told her that she could NOT go to school looking like that any longer, and that we had to deal with it. Hesitantly she brought me the brush, and even though I brushed as gently as I could, it was knotted so bad that I knew that there was no getting around a haircut. While she watched TV nightly I tried to get the hair free, but it just didn't work with the brushes I tried. My mom used to wear her hair teased many years ago, and I can remember her knotting up her hair with a big rat-tail comb. Maybe then, the messy look was in-but now, it definitely is NOT. Even my 'Big' hair of the 80's didn't have the knots that Deja had. Deja's hair looked teased underneath and it was a mess. One night, as I brushed, I kept a secret from her. What she didn't know was that I had a pair of scissors on hand to cut the worst area out if need be. I figured it was underneath the smooth layer so no one would notice anyways. As she concentrated on the TV show in front of her, I quickly grabbed the area in question and snipped it off. I wasn't quick enough... if you thought that the tears from the knots were bad, this was even worse! Yes, the worst area in question was gone. And no, no one could see any bald spots. But SHE knew it was there. And she was pissed. And lemme tell you, an 11 year old tween being pissed is not a good thing. I felt terribly guilty for what I had done, but it was either that or a more radical haircut. But there HAD to be a better way. After looking around the Internet, I discovered the solution to my problems. Her hair of course still knotted up, even after my cutting out the worst area-and I was getting desperate. I'd seen the Knot Genie (http://www.knotgenie.com/) online and on a few blogs I visit as well in the past year and it definitely got me curious. I had a small credit on my Amazon.com account and decided I would order one to see if it really worked. I didn't say anything to my daughter until it arrived. I called her over to the computer and asked her to watch the video they have online and asked her if she wanted to try it out. She said she would, but didn't realize that I had one already. Her eyes lit up as I pulled her hot pink Knot Genie out of the box and gave it to her. I will say that usually the Knot Genie is probably used by Moms who comb their daughter's hair, hence the unique design. At 11, she did NOT want me to brush her hair. That being said, she did complain a little bit when she tried to brush her hair herself due to the awkwardness of holding it and brushing. After some experimenting, she holds it in her hand and flips her head/hair downward,and brushes the underside first-it seems to work best for her that way and it works very well. I am enjoying having the Knot Genie since it means no more fights with my daughter over getting her to brush her hair. One thing I noticed is that with regular brushes she would often break her hair and or the bristles of the brush fighting to get the knots out. With the Knot Genie all those bristles are still intact and there are no clumps of hair or broken hair in the brush at all. It has worked well the last 2-3 months that we have been using it and while she still gets knots in her hair, they come out easily and without tears using the Knot Genie. Thanks Knot Genie for helping my daughter make brushing her hair a pleasant, not painful-task! Disclaimer: I purchased this product on my own, as a frustrated Mom and consumer who wanted to see if this would help my daughter out. I did not receive any monies or product from the company. This opinion is my own, your opinion may vary.

Review-McDonald's Premium McWrap

A nice, sunny day in Maine calls for no cooking... I'd gone to physical therapy earlier this morning and was sore from working out a bit and hubby had been working on his car outside for a good part of the afternoon when he came inside a little while ago to announce he was hungry. We had to go out to run an errand so I suggested we head up to our local McDonald's and get one of their new Premium McWraps. I really didn't have to tell him twice-he got into the car and impatiently awaited me. After a quick stop, we headed to McDonald's. This past Monday, he had tried the chicken bacon McWrap, and he was eager to try the chicken ranch one this time. Our local Maine McDonald's restaurants were having an awesome promotion which ended this past Monday where you got a free medium fries and medium soft drink if you purchased a McWrap, which was actually a great incentive to have us get out and try it initially. This time around, I purchased the Value Meal for him. Hubby prefers the grilled chicken, so that is what he went with. As you can see by the photos, the McWraps are good sized! I had him put his on a standard sized paper plate to show you how big it is. Also, he opened it up to show you what it looks like on the inside. There was no scrimping on the chicken, with nice big sized chunks of premium chicken and yummy veggies in it. It is filling, and according to him-it was delicious. (I was craving a Big Mac, so didn't get one this time around!) I am pleased that fast food restaurants are getting more creative with their menu offerings, and publishing calorie counts and other information regarding their food items on their website and in restaurants. Granted, I know when I go out to eat, irregardless of where-I am not going to be watching calories and other stuff. But knowing this firsthand, especially if dieting or on some sort of dietary restriction is helpful with those planning their meal choices accordingly. I myself have tried the McWrap earlier this week and was very impressed with it... the one we have NOT yet tried is the Sweet Chili Chicken flavor. While that is on my to-do next list, hubby says he will pass. He does not like anything sweet (sweet BBQ sauce, sweet n sour sauce, etc...) so I can't get him to try it. However, he said that he is thinking about asking McDonald's for a chicken/ranch McWrap and telling them to add bacon to see how that tastes. Providing you can add bacon to it and make it a grilled chicken, bacon, ranch flavor I think he will be happy, and personally I think that would be a great combination as well. If you like wraps, give the new McDonald's McWrap a try. I'd be anxious to know what you think about it! Disclaimer: I purchased this item as a consumer, and did not receive any compensation or free product for my opinion on the McWrap. Please note that this opinion is mine (and my husbands!) and your own opinion may differ from mine.

Busy...

Wow... I have been busy... Seriously. Since a little before the holidays, our office has been super crazy, mad busy. I am surrounded by files-but while I am enjoying the challenge, so to speak, of getting caught up-wanted to let you all know I hope you had a great New Year! Unfortunately, I've been stressed. And stressed means eating WAY more than I should. My pants feel tighter and I feel lousy. Nothing like being fat and perimenopausal, right? So there went my Resolution to try to eat healthier. I have a feeling the nurse who checks us out at work every few months will scold me when she sees me. (hey, I have to step on the scale, much to my annoyance!) I still plan on keeping my Resolution, albeit I may start it a bit late. With cold weather, comfort foods are...comforting. So the New Year is off to a so-so start for me, but it will get better. In the meantime, hope you all enjoy the upcoming weekend. I hope to get some much needed R & R!

MLS Cup 2012~!

It's been a little over a week since hubby and I got back from MLS Cup 2012... but I thought I'd give you all a trip report. Most of you know hubby is a soccer nut, years ago he actually played soccer (goalie) in a team for his hometown and his dad coached for many years-while his brother still plays in Guatemala. Every year since we have been going to Guatemala we've picked up a few EA Sports video games for his son and nephews to play on their Xbox and PS2 systems. Knowing hubby will be taking a trip again sometime next year, and that he will be thinking about gifts-I was checking out the upcoming 2013 video games on the internet and happened to see a sweepstakes offering a chance to go to MLS Cup 2012. I didn't think I'd actually win, but I entered-hey, someone has to win, right? The particular sweepstakes was a contest, asking people to pick the cover they liked the best for the upcoming FIFA 2013 soccer video game. As a consumer, I voted for the one I liked the best-the one that would appeal to me should I be shopping in a store and looking to make a purchase. I was at work one day, nonchalantly checking my email when I saw an email congratulating me on winning this particular sweepstakes. Thinking I'd won a secondary prize (though I wasn't sure they were offering one) I opened up and read and re-read the congratulations message. Wow... hotel, airfare, and a trip to MLS Cup 2012~! Now THAT was exciting! Of course, now I needed to call hubby. And wouldn't you know the ONE time I needed to have him answer the phone he didn't answer right off???!!! Finally he called me back and listened to me as I told him excitedly in Spanish what I had won and asking him if he wanted to come with me. He got quiet, and didn't say anything. (I don't think he believed me) Finally, he said yes! Of course he wanted to go! So I contacted the person who had sent me the message and let her know that we were definitely going! Now comes the fun part-the MLS Cup final location was to be determined. In the past, they had always known the location, but this year it was being done differently-and wherever we were headed it was a surprise and we'd find out a week or so before leaving. So I put my vacation time in quickly and waited... (and watched the games!) Finally, it was set in stone...we were going to Los Angeles! Wow... the West Coast. We were flying out Friday, heading to the game Saturday and coming home on Sunday. A very long travel time for a very quick trip. But you only live once... so we went for it! We arrived in LA and were tired. We'd been invited to the welcome reception that evening at Greystone Manor, but after jet lag, hubby working the night before, and me not having time to pack the swanky clothes I wanted to wear to an event of that type, we decided to chill in the lobby and order Mexican takeout delivered to the room :) Leave it to me to find takeout anywhere I go lol. We got into LA at 5 pm but after getting a ride to the hotel it was close to 6:30, so I picked up my credentials, checked in, and went to shower and relax in the room. The hotel was full of MLS people, and check in went super smoothly, thank goodness. We were able to get some wonderful pics of LA and the skyline, and we had a great city view. We headed to bed early, excited for the game the next day. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet in the hotel before heading onto the bus that took us to the stadium. We got there a bit early so I could do some shopping-getting t-shirts for my daughter and taking more photos. Around 11, the stadium opened and they let us in right off, due to our credentials. We headed to the pre-game hospitality tent sponsored by El Jimador Tequila. Oh my gosh, there was food everywhere... and can anyone say free booze? Hubby was in his glory, and I have to admit I had a couple very well made margaritas myself. There were a few freebies as well, MLS Cup 2012 scarves and plush soccer balls with MLS Cup 2012 that we were able to get in the hospitality tent. The time came that we needed to get to our seats. I asked security where I would be sitting. They looked at my credentials and pointed to 6 black recliners set up on the sidelines... um... I didn't know what to say, but hubby just looked at me and his mouth dropped. The food, delicious. The drinks, thirst quenching. The seats? Priceless. Our view of the game was spectacular... we got lots of great photos and I was thrilled to see the actor Gerard Butler thisclose so that I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to. Lol. We also saw David Beckham play his last game with LA Galaxy, which in itself, was a moment in soccer history, and we were glad to be part of it. After the game, we hung around a bit to get player photos before heading back to the hospitality tent for MORE food and MORE drinks. This time, I had to order the Galaxy Blue, the signature drink they were promoting. Finally, it was back to the hotel-a quick trip to the lobby to purchase t-shirts for my grandsons and goodies for my mom from the gift shop, and on to bed! The hotel staff, Sara at the front desk, and Greg the concierge were wonderful. While I never met the woman (Nan) who had emailed me and made the travel arrangements for the sweepstakes during our trip to LA, I am so grateful for the trip and the opportunity they gave us to attend the game. It was a great trip-Yes, people do win these things-and BIG thanks to EA Sports, MLS Soccer and all those involved in making our trip such a great experience, we felt like true VIP's! I am posting a few photos of the trip for you to check out...

Deja's 11th Birthday!

Wow... it seems like almost yesterday I had my daughter. And to think, she turned 11 on December 7th... that young girl is now becoming a young woman. Of course, she will ALWAYS be my baby lol. But from what I have heard, a tween and teen daughter can be a handful...raging hormones, the arrival of "Aunt Flo" and the discovery of BOYS. She's already turning into a budding Fashionista-and has informed me of what is totally cool...and what isn't. Gone are the days I could pick out her little cute outfits, she now is into fashion. That means shopping. She's even been able to incorporate a little of her grandmother's clothing and mine (think 60's and 80's folks) into her wardrobe with some newer pieces to create whole new "cool" outfits that her friends in school compliment her on. I just knew that her birthday outfit needed to be special. For that, she chose black ribbed leggings (Kohls)and a women's medium beige top with beige sequins. (JCP) She also found the coolest (she says) pair of high top side zippered leopard sneakers at JCP which she HAD to have. Apparently, all went well-because 2 other budding Fashionistas promptly oohed and aahed over her outfit and stated they too were heading to buy those exact sneakers this weekend. Now, the latest fashion accessory seems to be boots. Since she isn't into high heels yet-the black Bearpaws she received made her happy. And of course, even though she's growing up-Draculaura and Frankie Stein are totally ghoul! So, thought I would share a few pics of my daughter's birthday with my readers. Pretty soon she will probably be writing her own fashion blog and getting more hits/better stats than dear old mom! Enjoy the rest of the weekend, the Holidays will soon be here before we know it!