ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer Review & Giveaway

As a mom, when your little one is sick it's important to know if they are running a fever. I can't tell you how many times I have taken my children to the doctor in the past only to hear the nurse ask me if they are running a fever. I am sure I sound pretty stupid when I stammer and tell them I think so, because they sure feel hot to the touch.

When kids are sick, as we all know, it is hard to get them to sit still. Mine used to squirm, whine and moan while waiting to see the doctor. At home, trying to take a temperature orally often had to be re-done because they would cough or spit the thermometer out before it was time to come out. As for taking temperatures rectally, well, this mom was just not going there! I was so scared I would hurt them that I absolutely refused. So I went out and spent money on one of the newer thermometers that went in your ear. And for awhile, it worked pretty darn good.

It's been about 7 or 8 years since I have had it, and the plastic sleeves that go over the earpiece are getting harder and harder to find, and I hate the fact that they are an added expense as well. Plus, they no longer make my thermometer anymore-so it really has become quite obsolete. The hardest thing was making sure that you stuck it in the right spot in the ear, if it was off a little bit you didn't get an accurate reading. However, when your child has a double ear infection and his or her ears are sore enough already-the LAST thing you want to do is be positioning some instrument in the ear canal to take a temperature!

Thanks to the good folks over at MomSelect, I was able to review the ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer. Let me begin by saying that this was the easiest thermometer I have ever used! No tip covers are needed, and it comes with the battery included-so you can take it right out of the package and start using it immediately.

Some great things about this thermometer:

Non-Evasive: Meaning you can take their temperatures when they are awake or asleep!
Quick Results: Rapid, accurate readings in about six seconds
Memory Function: Memory recall for those times when you need to know that last temp.

My little grandson makes a cute little model showing exactly how easy this thermometer is to use. Lucky for you my readers, I have a brand new ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer to give away!

The giveaway begins today and will end on Sept. 15th at 11:59 pm EST. Because I am sending this out, I will send it to either US or Canadian addresses. Please leave your email in your comment or have it available in your blog so I can tell you you've won. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email. If you don't respond to winning email in 72 hours another winner will be chosen.

First Mandatory entry: Leave me a comment telling me the feature that you love the most about the ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer.

Optional entries: (separate comments for each please!)

Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway for one entry
Blog about this giveaway, and leave a link in your comment for three entries.
Subscribe to my feed for two additional entries.
Follow my blog (or already be a follower) for one more entry.
Tell me what you are currently using in your home to take temperatures-1 entry.

Good luck! And thanks to MomSelect for this opportunity!

Softlips Review & Giveaway

This morning I woke up and it was cold. Well, not FREEZING cold like in the middle of winter, but definitely downright chilly. I don't know about you, but one of the things I hate about winter time is getting chapped lips. You know the kind- dry, red, cracked painful lips. The ones that split and bleed every time you want to smile :(

That's where Softlips come to the rescue. With regular use, your lips can feel soft, supple and kissable. And you can prevent the bleeding and cracking that can be so painful too. Softlips moisturize and protect your lips, and come in a variety of flavors too. There are even ones that come in tints, such as rose, bronze and pearl. But Softlips are not just for winter usage either. They offer SPF 20 protection from another damaging factor...the sun. I really never knew that our lips could burn, until one day many years ago when I actually got a very bad burn on my face and lips. I had to have special cream slathered on my face and back then Mom put Vaseline on my lips to soothe them. So really, no matter what season it is-SPF protection is something you should really be using to protect yourself from the sun's harmful rays.

I was recently sent several packages of Softlips to try out. In the past, I had used Softlips once in awhile, but I was genuinely impressed with the great selection they currently have. The last few weeks, our whole family has been trying out the Softlips products and we all seem to agree on one thing: they definitely keep your lips feeling very soft and while I definitely don't recommend EATING it, if you happen to have it on while eating or lick your lips it doesn't give you a horrid taste in your mouth like some of the cheaper brands we have tried in the past. With Old Man Winter on a fast approach, we are planning on relying on the protection Softlips can give us to keep our lips feeling great.

Since I am trying to become more "green" in regards to the environment, I was happy to see that Softlips has come out with a new PURE line of organic lip conditioners. They are 95% organic and 100% natural. Using a blend of organic oils, beeswax and shea butter they nourish and moisturize your lips. Also Vitamin E is added and they are gluten free and don't contain any chemicals, parabens or pesticides. (and an added benefit...they are cruelty-free which means no animal testing!) I would love to offer my readers a giveaway of the new PURE organic line of Softlips products! And I am sure you would love to win a set of the new PURE products!

Giveaway starts today and ends September 14th at 11:59 PM EST. US only please. Please leave an email contact in your comment or a way to contact you via your blog.
For your first mandatory entry please head on over to the Softlips website and come back and tell me one of the lip tips that you found interesting.

For additional optional entries, you may do the following: (leave sep. comments)

for TWO entries become a Facebook fan of Softlips & leave me your FB name in the comment

for ONE entry, follow my blog or be a current follower and let me know

for ONE entry, follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway

for THREE entries, blog about this giveaway & leave the link in your comment

for TWO entries, subscribe to my feed or already be a subscriber

Winner chosen by Random.org-good luck!

Headed off to Second Grade!

Wednesday was the first day of school here where I live and luckily for the kids, it was still warm and sunny. (after about 3 weeks of heat and humidity, we have gone to very cool evenings in the 40's and what I believe is the start of Fall weather) Deja was pleased with her back to school outfit and new Bratz backpack on wheels that Grandma got her.

So far, so good-she really enjoys her new teacher Miss Saulter and happily showed me the goodie bags filled with candy and other treats that Miss Saulter gave to everyone in the class. Apparently, Miss Saulter isn't worried about 18 children running around her room at the end of the day suffering from a sugar high. That in itself tells me she is a pretty patient woman, because I seriously doubt I could handle that many kids daily. Heck, Deja is a diva drama queen just by herself, so it will be interesting to see how the year plays out.

They are predicting LOTS of rain for tomorrow... as the tropical storm or whatever is left of Danny makes its way into New England. So much for the BBQ we had planned! All that rain (3-5 inches predicted) is going to make the weekend soggy, as the ground is most likely to be saturated as well on Sunday, even if it is clear. Lucky for me, the BBQ will go out-but we'll all be inside instead. Once a month a great group of friends get together to chat, so it will be fun even if the sun isn't shining :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, enjoy the time spent with family, friends or just some time alone to yourself. I plan on getting caught up on email (yikes! Almost 1000 unread!) Earlier bed times leave lots of work to do nightly, but there isn't much I can do about that-I hate sharing the bathroom, so have to get up early to get in there ahead of everyone else! Sigh... the joys of sharing the house with two teens, a baby, a 7 yr old going on 18, and of course hubby and the four cats. If it's not a kid wanting to get in, it's a cat scratching to be let in to go in the litter box, lol. Enjoy the weekend folks!

Do I Hear GOOOOOOOOLLLLL.... I'm an EventChaser!

I recently joined The Product Review Place and happened to hear about a great opportunity to become an Official EventChaser which would mean going to events I love, like concerts, sporting events, theater etc... for FREE and then writing a review about it!

I filled out the easy application, and was pleased when they emailed me back very quickly to tell me they were interested in working with me. I checked out their site and was excited to see other EventChasers reviewing such exciting venues-and the best part was they looked like they were having so much fun doing it!

Since my hubby is from Central America, soccer is his passion. My living room is usually the site of some pretty cool soccer parties, as his co-workers from Brazil and El Salvador often come over to watch the games. We used to live in Rhode Island, basically a hop, skip and a jump from Gillette Stadium. In the 7 years we lived there, we were lucky enough to go to a regular season Revolution game and the MLS championship (it was like 60,000 soccer fans, it was nuts!) But since moving back to Maine in 2003, we haven't been back to Gillette. Since then, Gillette Stadium has grown so much and we've been wanting to go to another game.

Lucky for me (and hubby too, of course!) I will be checking out the Seattle Sounders vs New England Revolution game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA on September 26th. While the Seattle Sounders will be playing at Gillette Stadium in an away game that day, they have tickets available for home games in Seattle too, in case you are interested. And, if Seattle isn't your favorite team check out all the great games coming up in your area. I am looking forward to have a great time and letting you know all about it after the game! Thanks to EventChaser and RazorGator for the opportunity!

Stonyfield Farm winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

6

Timestamp: 2009-08-25 17:25:59 UTC

Congrats go to

Debbie said...

I follow your blog.

Debbie: rebbiedeed(at)hotmail(dot)com
August 18, 2009 1:18 AM

congrats Debbie! Emailing you now for your info. Make sure that you get back to me within 72 hours or I will have to choose another winner.

Certain-Dri Review and Giveaway

Have you ever been near someone and wanted to say, "Pee-Yew! You just plain old stink!" I have, and it's not a pretty picture. It could be a close friend, a co-worker, or even a loved one. Or it could be YOU.

There are days I know I have reeked, and this is AFTER putting on my favorite deodorant. Most people tend to be polite, and really don't want to tell you exactly how offensive you are. But I look at it this way: if YOU can smell yourself, you can count on someone else smelling you as well.

Sweating is an essential bodily function which allows us to keep cool. How much you sweat depends on how many sweat glands you have. A person is born with 2 to 4 million sweat glands-wow! During puberty, you start to notice the sweat glands more, since they become more active.

However for millions of people, sweating is a big deal. It can cause anxiety and embarrassment because they sweat TOO much. This is called axillary hyperhidrosis. It can keep them from attending social functions, wearing certain types of clothes, and enjoying life. No one wants to worry about underarm wetness and stains on your clothing, or odor caused by excessive sweating.

These past several weeks have been very humid here in Maine. My hubby works nights cleaning floors and sweats...alot. Trying to get those yellowish sweat stains out of his white tee shirts when doing the laundry has been a pain in the you-know-what for me. When I was sent a sample of Certain-Dri to try out, I gleefully told hubby he was going to be a willing guinea pig for this experiment. Certain-Dri Solid is available with 12 percent aluminum chloride, the active ingredient used in prescription anti-perspirants, and since it is water-based you don't need a doctor's prescription.

And if you have odor problems to go along with the wetness, check out New Certain Dri A.M. Underarm Refresher. It was created for Certain Dri Anti-Perspirant users as a daily supplemental product for added protection against odor. Both products are available online or through mass-market retailers and cost about $5-6 each.

Back to the experiment: hubby has been wearing this for about a week now. The first thing I noticed when he put it on was that it smells nice. Not floral, not manly-just a nice clean scent. It's supposed to not have any scent, but there is a very subtle scent to it. He went out to work on one of his repair projects in the humid air, and came back in awhile later. Normally he would have sweat so much I could have wrung out his shirt in the sink, but amazingly there was very little perspiration there. Two very tiny wet spots, which was a definite improvement. I have been checking his work shirts as well, and no yellowed stain marks either! When I asked him, he said he noticed the difference, he just wasn't sweating as much.
Normally he is very sensitive as to what he can use for underarm deodorants and anti-perspirants. He gets very itchy and can only wear a certain manly brand, which smells good, but really does nothing for his excessive sweating. The first night he wore the Certain-Dri, things got a little itchy but now he is just fine, and wearing it every day.

For us, Certain-Dri will make a wise investment. Hubby will be able to feel comfortable and dry, and I will not have to throw out tons of light colored tee shirts due to yellowed sweat stains. Unfortunately, Deja sweats just as much as her dad, and she is only 7. When I go to pick her up at childcare, all the other little kids look great, she is sweaty and her hair is stringy and greasy from the sweat build up. I have a feeling Certain-Dri will be around for quite some time :) At least in my household.

Don't ya wanna win one... I thought so! Give Certain-Dri to a friend or family member, or keep it for yourself. Put it to the test and see if it makes a difference in your life. And raise those arms with confidence!
Giveaway is US only, begins today and ends Sept. 7th at 11:59 pm EST.
So here's what you have to do:

For the first MANDATORY entry (if you don't do this, all other entries won't count!)

Go to the Certain-Dri site and either tell me something that I haven't mentioned above about the product, or tell me a place where you can buy it near you.

Optional entries (separate comment for each, leave email or way to contact via blog)

follow my blog for 1 addt'l entry
follow me on Twitter and tweet this (link in comment) for 1 addt'l entry (daily ok)
sign up for my RSS feed for another entry
Put my button on your sidebar for 3 entries
Blog about it and leave link in your comment for 5 entries

Winner will be chosen by Random.org, notified by email and will need to respond within 72 hours or I will have to choose another winner. Good luck!

Look who ended up on my bed!

And even had a cute little smile to share with me to boot! He really wants to talk to me badly, and we coo and gurgle back and forth, but I haven't a clue as to what on Earth he is saying.

Drooling has become the new theme of the day, as he has a couple of teeth that will be coming in soon. He has also discovered his hands and feet and is quite fascinated by them.

It's amazing how much my grandson has grown since he was born on June 5th-every day is something new, and it's neat to be able to have him so close by to experience it.

My son and his girlfriend were a little freaked out by the pics since he has the "red-eye" syndrome, but I plan on removing it using the Aurora software I won from being at the Not-At-Blogher twitter party awhile back. It has made such a difference in my photos, and I LOVE the auto-lighting feature too, so easy to use! Check it out here: http://www.lightcrafts.com/aurora/ It really makes a difference for me since I am a point and shoot type of photo taker.

No Fleas Please!

My house is... infested. I kid you not. My cats are going crazy, I am going crazy. They run back and forth quickly, and stop and spin around, incessantly scratching and biting, hoping to get the fleas off them.

Now I haven't been neglectful. Just the opposite. I have given them all their monthly dose of Frontline Plus. But it isn't working, and it always has in the past. Today we had an article about fleas, and how our rainy Spring and early Summer rains contributed to the population growth of these pesky blood suckers.

My husband is scratching constantly. I seriously think they prefer his hairy legs over mine. Of course I can get more Frontline Plus, which I will apply to the cats the first week of August, but I can't give them TOO much of the stuff. It's expensive and could be harmful if applied too often.

Currently I have a nice warm bowl of water sitting on my living room floor. My dad used to swear by this: he said the warm water tricks the fleas to thinking it is an animal and they jump into the bowl and drown. Going to check it in a few hours to see if it works here. How are the fleas in your area...and what are you all doing to get rid of them---

Party in the 'Hood

Taken from the front door while trying to remain inconspicuous. Every year our neighborhood has a gathering of people on our street put on by a neighbor down the street. And every year the crowd gets smaller and smaller, since our neighborhood has become home to a lot of undesirables who have no intention of going to a potluck BBQ to mingle with the neighbors. Apparently, the man just gave up and our new neighbors took over.

Now mind you, these are the new neighbors who celebrated their moving in 3 weeks ago with a party. That celebration lasted until the early morning hours and involved no less than 3 visits by the police. Basically a bunch of young people who don't work, and sit around doing nothing most of the time. That particular fight started when the boyfriend of one of the young ladies (and I use that term loosely) was apparently being accused of sleeping with one of the other neighborhood guys-who was not the same color as her. The arguing ensued all night, and finally the boyfriend was told to leave by the police. He came back a couple more times, and was told to leave again. I don't know what happened after that, but at 10 am the next day he was outside taking out the trash, so apparently all had been forgiven.

When my son came home and told me that these neighbors gave his girlfriends mom an invite, and that the party was opened up to included not just street residents but the whole South End-I knew it was not good. Then, looking at the invite and seeing that they were selling BEER for $5 a cup and $1 refills, I knew that this was going to get even better. It said no ID over 21+ no beer. That didn't last very long as I counted several 10-15 year olds getting intoxicated over the course of the day. I certainly couldn't call their parents-because their parents were there at the party WITH them.

As the evening progressed, the beer and marijuana freely passed hands. The smell of the peace pipe wafted over to my house, and I knew that this particular partaking of the herb was going to be the very opposite of a peaceable event. As it got darker, people in taxis began to arrive and the sounds of laughter and fun started to be replaced with argumentative tones and f-bombs. Ah, another night in the hood.

The party hit a crescendo around midnight as an older woman and a younger girl took it upstairs. Sitting on my computer and tweeting, I could hear the action from my seat. My son and his girlfriend woke up and joined me outside as we watched from the driveway, mesmerized, as a thin young man stood between the two women in the well-lit front room while they screamed like banshees and it appeared a cat fight was looming on the horizon. We were distracted for a moment by the sound of another young man yelling and an older man telling him to unwrap the tee shirt he had wrapped around his arm. They were in the middle of the street in front of us, and apparently the younger man had punched out a window and the older man was concerned that he might have hit an artery.

The screaming ensued, and another young girl rushed into the action from outside. Apparently, the whole argument was all about some other girl who had gone to the party and gotten beaten up earlier-and had some ribs broken. (that was police visit #1 late afternoon) Just as they were going to take it outside, and things were going to get interesting-we heard the sound of sirens. Four police cars showed up, and the officers began talking with the party goers. The young girl who had shown up late started screaming about being accused of something she didn't do, but was belligerent enough to dare the officer to arrest her anyways. Lucky for her, she didn't have a ride in the paddywagon. Under the supervision of the police, they began to take down the tent and were told that they could continue quietly inside their apartment. I finally fell asleep around 1 am. I got up periodically through the night, just to check on things-but, for the most part, it was quiet.

Tonight, it remains quiet as a steady rain falls on the 'hood. The only action comes from the single woman next door, listening and singing along to her Aerosmith music while drunken dancing and bobbing around in her living room. (as seen through my bathroom window).

Starbucks Winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

16

Timestamp: 2009-08-23 17:04:54 UTC

Teresa won a $5.00 GC to Starbucks, enjoy!

Sound Asleep...

Took a quick photo of my little grandson who lives with us last night...

It was around 11 pm, so of course he was sound asleep! He'd just come back from the fair with his parents, and all the sights, sounds and people were just too much fun. I snapped a photo of him just before he went upstairs to his crib :) He is almost 3 months old now, and sleeping through the night (at least most of the time)talking, gurgling and so responsive. His aunt Deja is thrilled to see that when she talks to him, he tries to answer her back and focuses on voices and faces. He has his dad's flat feet (like my son, who got them from his own dad) but his coloring is more like his mom. We also think his eyes are going to stay blue now-my son has brown eyes because his dads Guatemalan genes were a bit stronger than mine, but my eyes are blue and I am very light myself, so it looks like my genes and those of his mom's were stronger than my son's. (my mom has brown eyes, dad had blue, brown is dominant, but you just never know sometimes! My mom's dad had hazel eyes) So here he is sound asleep!

Birthday Party for Cassandra

Our friend Manuel's daughter Cassandra had her 4th birthday party on Sunday. Being we are in the midst of a heat wave, and this was an outdoor BBQ-I was lucky enough to be able to find a nice, shaded spot to watch the festivities from a distance.

In spite of being very hot and humid, we all made the most of it. Me, with a two liter bottle of Diet Coke firmly place in my hand and hubby and most of the other men with a cooler full of beer ;) The food was wonderful, BBQ carne asada (marinated steak) chicken wings and legs, and cheeseburgers and hotdogs for the kids. To round off things a bit, there was a huge platter of white rice, potato salad and beans. I have to admit, I ate well.

Cassandra was certainly a little princess at her party, and Rozzi from Rozzi's Sweet Peas was sweet enough to design and make Cassandra's gorgeous dress that she was wearing during part of the festivities. (she had to change when she went outdoors to play since it was so darn hot! She was VERY upset that she couldn't stay in her princess dress, which explains the sad, pouty look)

I am so impressed with the design and color of her dress-without even seeing a photo of her, Rozzi whipped up the dress and shipped it off to me in no time, and when it arrived the coloring was perfect for her~! Deja, my own daughter, was quite jealous and says she wants Rozzi to design her dress for her Quinceanera party...she has a few more years to go before her 15th birthday, so we shall see...

I was happy to see that Rozzi also does other lovely items, and am thinking of getting my grandson a First Birthday shirt for next June when he will be a year old. For special moments like that, I think it's important to perhaps spend a little bit more and get something custom made since it will be a keepsake later on-and maybe even passed on down the line as well. I was extremely fortunate to win Cassandra's custom made dress in a blog giveaway that Rozzi had a few months ago. I was told by her parents that photos of her in her dress will be sent to relatives in Brazil and El Salvador where her parents are from. If you have ever been to a birthday party or baptism, etc... in a Latino family you probably know that dresses like Rozzi makes are what is usually worn to these fiestas. And usually these dresses are kept as keepsakes or passed down later on to other family members down the line to wear to their own parties.

I am putting up a few pics of the pinata smashing, the cake (OMG so good! It came from MA, with mandarin oranges and strawberries inside...) and of course little Cassandra in her dress. Check out Rozzi's site to see all the super nice things she makes, you really won't be disappointed! And visit her blog too, more cute designs there~

Chance to win FREE Ugg boots!

And what a great giveaway it is~Ugg boots are soft, comfy and oh so warm here in the wintry Northeast. Not to mention stylish as well, lots of celebrities wear Uggs! Also, Uggs are quite the fashion accessory and will be PERFECT to complete your fall fashion "look."

You actually can wear them year round, and they provide great support for your feet. I'd love to own a pair of Uggs, they certainly look durable enough to withstand the weather here in Maine. I have only seen Uggs once in person, worn by a friend of mine a few years back. She had a pair of brown super soft ones and was wearing them as she was heading to a local ski resort. I have to admit, I was a bit jealous ;)

My 7 yr old already told me she wants the mini PINK ones pictured above. She wants to wear them all year round. Actually, she can because while they can withstand very low temperatures, the inner fibers actually allow the air to circulate letting your foot breathe and not overheat.

Right now, Whooga Uggs is running a competition letting you promote this giveaway on your blog, Myspace, Facebook or other social media site. Make sure you leave the banner above (or the one on my sidebar) where they can see it. You will get a 15% off discount for entering AND be entered to win a free pair of Uggs. Be sure to check out the sizes and colors available, I like the mini chocolate ones for me!

Aluminum Bottle Winner!

Random chose #10....

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

10

Timestamp: 2009-08-16 13:25:01 UTC

who is..... xxX Irina xxX!

And after checking things out, it appears she lives in the UK! So, I am going to be emailing her for her addy very soon. I've never sent a package to the UK so this should be interesting. And for those that did NOT win, I will have another one to give away later this week!

Reverse Cell Phone Searches-My Results

I got a notice last night that my cell phone bill was due from Verizon Wireless. Curious, I decided to check it out online. I happened to check the record of numbers and noticed that there was one that had been dialed from my phone several times and I just didn't recognize it.

A few times this past month, I had left my cell at home charging. Thinking back, I saw that these were the times the calls were made so I know it could not be me that made them. Because reverse cell phone searches really don't tell you much since cell phone numbers are not public record-I knew I wasn't going to get very far. I knew this was a cell by the first three numbers, and confirmed it by looking at the "FREE" info you can get online which told me it was a local cell to boot.

My curiosity was at its peak by then, and I was thinking that it may have been a billing error on Verizon's part. It was multiple calls over several days, and though I have Verizon to Verizon free calling this was using up my minutes since it was calling another local carrier NOT Verizon. When looking at the "FREE" info that comes up, it asks you if you want to find out more about that number. Yes, I did. So I clicked on it,and various options came up to purchase reports on the number. But at $29.95 for a full report, it was more money that I was willing to pay. It was late, around midnight, and I certainly wasn't going to call the number either. The last thing I needed is some very pissed off person getting woken up because I was checking their number since it had appeared on my cell phone bill.

After browsing the Intelius site some more, I actually found an option that would give me the phone owner's name and address for $4.99. So I bit the bullet and paid for the report. Within seconds, I had the name and address of two owners that had the number. One of the owners was listed as a man in Nashua, NH. Kind of strange, but maybe he had family here. I ruled that one out and moved on to the very first name. Ok, a local 51 yr old man, let's call him Mr. X. It said that Mr. X lived at a local apartment complex not too far from where I live but I had no clue as to WHO he was. And thinking that the "report" was up to date I figured it was a billing error.

Problem is-the report was incorrect. Hubby fessed up that the number belonged to his co-worker, who had the number for about a year. When I pulled up hubby's usage on our bill, I saw that indeed there were many calls made to the number during the month. Hubby sheepishly told me that his cell was in the car and he had been too lazy to go and get it, so used my phone a few times while it was charging.

My advice... save your money and just call the number yourself. These reports are not current, and just a waste of money. The guy had the number for about a year and all they could come up with is perhaps two of the former owners of the number...definitely not accurate and up to date in my book. I'd never used one of these services before, and while I am out $4.99 am glad that I had the chance to try it out and see what a rip off it really is. Consider it a lesson learned... the hard way!

I had a craving last night for Chinese takeout, so off I went in search of a PuPu for 2 and some ham fried rice. Thought I would snap a photo of it before I dug in...

I just hate getting the PuPu platter to go though... it just is so darn romantic eating it in the restaurant when they have the little fire going and you are gazing not so lovingly at your significant other over the platter hoping to snatch the last piece of fried shrimp before they do and trying NOT to get burned in the process. (I always notice that he turns the bowl around to where the good stuff is and keeps it in front of HIM!)

And of course, you would never know I had a dishwasher and could eat off fine china nightly if I wanted to. I am strictly a paper plate, cup and utensil type person. My bad, since I know I shouldn't be doing that as it is not good for the environment. But memories of my poor gram and her dishpan hands back in the day keep me from the sink if I can help it. Gram didn't have a nice portable dishwasher, well, except for me that is. My mom is strictly a paper plate person as well, she figures since she can't cook all that well she doesn't need to impress anyone with her culinary skills and have everything nicely laid out on her best dishes. Before my grandmother passed this past April, my mom only knew how to cook a decent bowl of popcorn using an old fry pan, some oil and the top of the stove. Memere didn't allow a microwave in the house, she liked making her meals the old fashioned way-by scratch. Sure, she'd cheat every now and then with a fast food meal or TV dinner, but for the most part, she made it. A week after she passed away, mom went to Kmart and got...a microwave. I guess she figured out that she couldn't survive on popcorn alone, no matter how darn good it tastes! (she knows I tease her all the time about this, so I know she won't be upset by my revealing her lack of cooking skills in my blog)

All this talk is making me hungry.... time to go get that leftover egg roll calling me in the fridge!

It's Tea Time!

Deja was so excited when I won a hand painted tea set from Front Porch Reviews awhile back! Big thanks to Kymm in NC for doing such a great job, I can see my daughter passing this down to her own daughter one day.

Stonyfield Farm-YoKids Review and Giveaway

I grew up in a household where healthy eating was not a priority. Even though my kids do eat fast food and unhealthy snacks more often than they should, I have been stressing to them the importance of eating healthy too.

And that means rice cakes, air popped popcorn WITHOUT butter, and lots of yogurt. Dairy products are good for them now, as their bones are still developing. However, even though I do like to eat fast food or a quick processed TV dinner I know it's not good for myself or my family either. While I can't say that I have gone totally organic, I can say that I make every effort to shop local farmer's markets for fresh produce and fruits. We even have a small garden, however this year due to the blight that has hit tomato plants here in the Northeast our garden has just not done well. Even those peppers and cucumbers we planted aren't thriving because of the very wet, rainy June we had. With all the pesticides and chemicals going into our foods now, I like to use items from our own garden and those of the organic farmers in our local market. (if hubby had his way, we'd have free range chickens roaming in our yard like he did in Guatemala!)

Living in Maine, I can say that Stonyfield Farm is a brand that I have seen in our local grocery stores. I also can say that my kids eat Stonyfield Farm yogurt because I know that I am not feeding them artificial flavoring or preservatives either. Instead, they are getting yogurt made from farm fresh milk and fresh fruits, with added cultures to help with keeping their tummies and immune systems healthy. Stonyfield Farm products taste GOOD, but even more important they are GOOD for YOU. My kids love the Yo Kids line, and in addition to eating them right out of the cup or squeezer packets we also like to freeze them over night and make yogurt pops which is a healthy snack and neat alternative to regular ice cream. And yes, they do have frozen yogurt and ice cream that I am going to be trying very soon as well. And their smoothies...all I can say is YUM! Just think, Back-to-School time has arrived for some of you, and will be coming up soon for the rest of us. I think a YoKids product packed in their lunchboxes will make a great nutritious treat instead of the stuff that is in the candy machines.

Stonyfield Farm is based in Londonderry, NH and is very involved with supporting family farmers and encouraging them to use organic methods of farming so that we can eat and drink healthier, and our environment also benefits from the use of less pesticides too. Unfortunately, many farms have been lost due to the sheer cost of operations. Huge companies have taken over these lands and animals are being treated with growth hormones and other harmful ingredients to speed up the food chain process and keep up with the demand for their products. In all due honesty, I really didn't think or care much about that in the past. If it was convenient, cheap and satisfying, then I would eat it. But I have become more aware of things since so many food recalls have been happening lately. I am definitely incorporating more organic foods into my meal planning and buying locally as well. I just wish Maine had growing seasons year round :(

Stonyfield Farm has been generous enough to sponsor a giveaway here on my blog! If you would like to taste the difference, AND feel good serving it to your family as well be sure to enter the giveaway below!

Here is what you can win: A YoKids Cape, A Stonyfield lunch bag, an Eric Carle growth chart, a Stonyfield Farm Activity booklet with YoKids crayons, and 5 FREE YoKids coupons along with a coupon packet worth $5.00 off other Stonyfield products.

Giveaway begins today August 12th and runs until August 24th 11:59 pm EST. US only, please. You do not have to be a blogger to win, however you must leave an email address in your comment or have a way to reach you through your blog profile. Winner will be selected by Random.org.

FIRST REQUIRED ENTRY: Please visit Stonyfield Farm and either tell me something about the company that I haven't mentioned above OR let me know of a recipe that you would love to try out.

EXTRA ENTRIES: (leave separate comments for each)

follow me on Twitter @micaela6955 and tweet (leave link) about this giveaway. +1
follow my blog through Google Friend connect or already be a follower +1
subscribe to my feed either in a reader or via RSS or already subscribe +2
blog about this giveaway with a link back here +5
either subscribe to receive their moosletters OR join the mystonyfield community +3
Tell me your favorite flavor from the YoKids line that you would want to serve to your little ones! +1

So that's it! Lots of ways for extra entries-Good Luck!

Looking for treasure...

Last month we took a drive to the coast and visited the state park. The tide happened to be out and hubby got very excited when he saw all the sea life left behind in the tidal pools.

I was not enthused when he asked me to find bags for him because he was bringing home STUFF. I can see an occasional seashell or two, but I was totally against taking home the contents of the beach. Rocks, shells (some with sea life still in them) broken shards of sea glass, you name it-he was picking it up. Even Deja who loves doing stuff with daddy gave up and let the man find his own treasures because she said it was too darn hot and came up to sit on the nice, shady bench with mom.

I managed to go through his bag like a cautious mother inspecting Halloween candy. Items with sea life still very much alive that would likely bake and die in my hot car were returned to the sea. I may like to visit the tidal pools, but having my car smell like the contents of one was pushing things a bit.

Ignoring pouting husband, who proclaimed that said sea life was something he wanted to EAT (it was shells with clams, oysters or something of the sort still in them) I continued searching through his treasures. If he wants clams or oysters, he can buy them from the guy who sits in the parking lot selling them out of a truck. He will still be alive the next day and I will happily have use of my bathroom later that evening.

We got some sea glass, which Deja kept and is bringing for show and tell when school starts up again in a couple of weeks. Hubby got to keep a few of his shells (empty) and pretty rocks that he and Deja managed to find as well. Before the summer ends, I know we will be heading to the beach again-this time, with our metal detector-so he can search for real treasure. Besides searching for our seashells, we will search for metal. There just might be gold lurking somewhere on the beach, and THAT is a treasure I am not wanting to pass up!

Memory Lapse and the Missing Wallet

I spent the entire morning looking for my wallet... really, I did. I enlisted the help of hubby, my teen son, and my daughter as I struggled to remember where I put the darn thing. See, it is always in my purse-but this time around when the pizza delivery guy came on Friday night I decided to get adventurous and take it out. Mistake Number One.

Yesterday morning when I got up I saw it on my computer desk next to the keyboard. But I swore I picked it up, took it with me in my hand to another room in the house, and left it. For a few moments, even one of the cats looked guilty. I knew then that I was losing it.

I am beginning to think this happens as you get older. And I am not liking it. I can literally spend HOURS looking for something and have it turn up right under my nose. Or be really embarrassed and have someone else find it for me-right where I put it last. I have noticed this happening more frequently, and I wonder if it is a sign of things to come. I know forgetfulness often appears with old age, but come on-I am only 43! My hubby can be very forgetful, he always has been. I never have been, and that is why it is so darn frustrating for me. Maybe it's a new grandma thing, I dunno.

After some searching by all, hubby located my wallet. It had fallen on the bottom of my computer desk-behind my printer. It really should have been one of the first places I looked, but I didn't. Considering I had it right next to my keyboard yesterday morning, and I had visits from a couple of affectionate cats who like to curl up on the keyboard as I type-I now have a clue as to why the cat had a guilty expression and ran to hide while I was carrying on about my wallet. Looks like the cat knocked it off my desk and it fell behind the printer.

I have yet to discover the guilty party, Stubby or Brujita-but I've already warned both of them that if they knock anything else off my desk they are going to bed with no cat treats that night!

Review-Piggy Paint

I recently won a $20.00 gift certificate from another blogger for Piggy Paint and my 7 year old was quite happy and very excited to choose her colors. Instead of the usual pink she goes for, I was shocked to see that she chose the Clown n' Around gift pack: the Tea Party for Two, Ice Cream Dream and Macaroni and Cheese colors. She really wanted the blue and green polishes, but because she has such a great tan in the summer time (and she uses SPF 30 too!) I knew the Macaroni and Cheese yellowish orange color would also look just great on her.

Now I am not used to paying $9.99 for nail polish-I will be the first to admit that I am cheap, lol. However I know that there are many name brands out there that charge much more than that, and are not natural either. Piggy Paint is safe for your little ones, no toxic chemicals! I get migraines, and the smell of the nail polish and the nail polish remover usually triggers one for me. Not all the time, but a majority of the time so I try to put it on in a well-ventilated area. There is usually such a strong chemical smell, but Piggy Paint has no odor whatsoever! Another factor is Made in the USA-I am trying to avoid the Made in China products that seem to be everywhere while supporting our own manufacturers here in the States.

Deja decided she would put the Macaroni and Cheese Please on her toes since she really wasn't sure about the color. I liked it on her, in the photo excuse the dirty feet-she needs a bath but wanted you all to see her toes too! (although all you can see is her big toe!) The ice cream dream is just gorgeous, so much prettier than the photo online. It has a hint of a shimmery shine in it, as does the Tea Party for Two polish. I didn't notice it in the Macaroni and Cheese Please but that could be because it is a bit lighter than the other two colors and not as noticeable. Or it could just be made with different ingredients :) It also dries very quickly, which is perfect when you are in a hurry or have a squirming little one wanting to run off and do something once her nails have been done.

Earlier today I caught Deja putting a finger in her mouth and my first thought was panic since she was wearing nail polish. But then I remembered she was using Piggy Paint and I just wasn't worried. (Apparently she had something caught in one of her teeth and was trying to get it out not sucking on her finger like I first thought lol) The only disappointment was that when she came home from summer camp on Friday I noticed quite a bit of the Piggy Paint had come off her fingernails and toenails. I had just painted them that morning so was somewhat surprised. They swim in chlorinated water and she told me it started coming off in the pool, so be aware that this may happen. Apparently there is something about chlorinated water that doesn't like Piggy Paint or vice versa. She did say that she had TONS of compliments from her girlfriends on her awesome nail polish. School is starting in a few short weeks and she has definitely said that she wants painted nails in Second Grade. Ah, she is growing up way too fast for me!

Given the fact that this is natural, has no odor whatsoever and the colors are fabulous-I would definitely buy this again for her. (and probably use it myself too!) If you are looking for a safe, natural alternative in a nail polish, definitely check out Piggy Paint!

This Chocolate Milk Lovin' Mama is givin' away some Starbucks!

I'm not sure about you, but I am a chocolate milk fan. While coffee smells WONDERFUL, I really get into Nesquik chocolate milk in the mornings. And I hate to say it, but I don't share! Well, I will share with my kids-but I even give hubby the evil eye if he tries to get near my A.M. Chocolate fix. (not to worry though, he prefers the Strawberry flavor anyways!)

That being said, I know how much of you love your morning fixes as well. And because not all of you are into chocolate milk like I am, I am giving you the chance to win your OWN morning or anytime-of-the-day fix at Starbucks! I have one $5.00 gift card from Starbucks to give away to my readers, so you can get whatever your little ole heart desires. Because even I have to admit, some of those drinks at Starbucks look yummy and smell even more amazing!

Giveaway starts today August 7th and ends at 11:59 pm EST August 21st. US only ! Winner chosen by Random.org.

So, for your first entry tell me: Your favorite morning drink. C'mon now, I really wanna know what you all are drinking! (my hubby swears beer is pretty darn good...)

Extra entries: (please do each one separately so it will count! And be sure to leave email in your comment or a way to contact you via your blog if you are a blogger)

+2 for NEW Follower of my blog
+3 for current blog followers
+2 for following me on Twitter AND tweeting about the giveaway (leave link pls)

Good luck!

Shopping with my new friend Alice!

After hearing my co-worker and fellow blogger buddy Exotic1 rave about the benefits of Alice.com, I decided to check it out. Now this woman hates to shop in the first place, and often sends my mom in search of bargains. (believe me, my mom loves to find bargains for all of us at the office!) I also love a bargain, and have been somewhat slacking in cutting my coupons and putting my inserts in my binder.

When Rhonda (aka Exotic1) mentioned Alice.com I instantly knew the name since I had seen it around the blogosphere these last few months. Actually, I had entered a giveaway on one blog and had to sign up for an account to get an entry. But I soon forgot about it, and figured I would never use it since I use coupons and most online sites don't accept coupons. Well, when Rhonda mentioned to me that the prices were lower than her local supermarket and drugstores AND they had coupons too I knew I had to jump on this bandwagon.

I placed my first order and saved half off the price. From $16 down to a little over $8 after taxes. AND free shipping too! That is one of the things that prohibits my spending more online-I absolutely HATE to pay shipping fees for anything. I got two full sized Colgate toothpastes, some Bic razors, Kotex, 2 Dawn dish detergents and some Dropps since I wanted to try out their sample 2pk before I buy more for my new HE front loader. Considering I had just gotten back from CVS and had spent $3.29 on a tube of toothpaste ($2.29 after $1 coupon) and the Colgate they had was 93 cents after their online coupon I was pretty darn impressed.

While I will still continue to use the local drugstores and grocery stores, I also want to check out Alice.com more frequently for good deals such as what I got in my prior orders. I think both will compliment each other nicely for the type of lifestyle I have, but I can see where this will be wonderful for people like my coworker who hate actually going to stores, are too busy to bother with clipping coupons and have to drive a distance before getting to the local chain stores. Heck, you can just sit at home, place and order, and wait for it to come to you! And you will also get reminders telling you it is time to order again, perfect if you are forgetful and realize you just used your last roll of toilet paper.

I have since placed two more orders with Alice, and check weekly to see what is on sale. The site is easy to navigate and you can search by item, brand or coupons and % off as well. I tend to search the best deals first, the site will pull up the first 50 deals and often some are half off (or more!) of their original prices that you would find in a store. I will say that all my orders came in about 3-4 days and were packaged great. I liked the fact that they taped the shampoo covers shut and put the liquids in plastic bags as well, just in case something happened they couldn't leak all over my other stuff. Hubby even likes the Alice packages because he steals the packing materials and "pops" them to make noise. Such a kid!

And Rhonda, if you are reading this-you left work early and guess who showed up at the office after you had already left... Alice, of course! Don't worry, she's safe and sound on your desk waiting for you to get back in the morning!

Random Ramblings

I have been somewhat under the weather these past few days and just couldn't stand to be online a whole heck of a lot. But now, I am hopefully on the mend and anxious to get back to the bloggy world.

The weather has been warm, but sunny these past few days and it has totally sucked being sick and not able to enjoy it. Being sick I didn't get much housework done, and it is really too nice NOT to be outside so it looks like the cleaning can wait until a rainy day.

Tippy the cat I wrote about on an earlier post had been missing a few days (like 5!) and I thought he'd met his maker but he showed up one day, thin, tired and exhausted. I was sick, but managed to pick him up and put him in the pet carrier and take him to the vets that same day. He had apparently been shut in a garage or someplace where he did not have the chance to get out, so he got some hydration via IV-and some antibiotics because it appeared that he also got into a cat fight. The ugly looking marks he had were self inflicted, all that scratching from fleas made him miserable. He also got a shot and some antibiotics to calm things down a bit there-all the cats got their monthly dose of Frontline. Apparently Tippy will survive-he had a rabies shot and tested negative for Feline Aids and Leukemia which I was really worried about. So this is definitely a happy ending to Tippy the cat and his adventures away from home. He was so happy that when I left him some food outside the night before last, I got up yesterday morning and found an "offering" in the empty plate. I honestly don't know what he thinks I would do with the half eaten back end of a mouse but it was the thought that counts.

Tonight is the Neighborhood National Night Out party and my daughter (who was sicker than heck yesterday) is bound and determined she is going and jumping in the bounce house. I have no desire to go, but it is right at the end of my street so her brother will be taking her when it gets a bit cooler outside. I am going to check out some of my favorite blogs and relax!

Just thought I would add a random photo, added a pic of our friends Joao and Regina's parakeets-they fly from their cage in the kitchen to one of Regina's plants and love to hide behind it thinking we can't see them. I caught them when they weren't looking ;)