I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Better Bake Sale House Party: Apply!

What a great idea I Can't Believe It's Not Butter has going on. Apply and help your school, church or other organization.

On September 26th, gather your most altruistic pals and fellow bakers as you get down to business and plan a community bake sale to benefit a local school, charity, or organization of your choice!

At your Better Bake Sale House Party, you'll do the baking while your guests do the tasting. And you'll make your delicious treats even better with new I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Cooking & Baking Sticks. They bake and taste like butter with 50% less saturated fat!* By using I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Sticks instead of butter, you'll reduce the saturated fat in your favorite baked goods without losing the rich flavors every sweet tooth knows and loves.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® will provide exclusive recipes for you to try. You and your guests can choose from this selection of tasty recipes and add your own favorites to the mix. Then it is time to plan your bake sale! Rally for your favorite local sports team, the high school marching band, or a community food pantry or shelter. Whatever cause is close to your heart, you'll organize your Better Bake Sale to raise money to support it while having a great time with friends and family in the process.

If chosen as a host, you'll receive a generous party pack full of goodies to make your Better Bake Sale tasting and planning party a sweet success!

If selected as a host, you will receive:

For the host:

(1) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® apron
(1) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® butter dish
(1) Table top sign for your Better Bake Sale
(5) Coupons for free I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® Cooking and Baking Sticks

For the Guests:

(15) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® eco-friendly tote bags
(15) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® magnetic shopping list for the fridge
(15) Recipe booklets featuring 7 exclusive I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® recipes and a Better Bake Sale Checklist
(15 sets of 5) I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!® coupons for the guest and their friends

Apply now at I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

He Who Sings Last Book Review by Lisa Laird DiRosso & Giveaway!

Congratulations to Demmi!

Thanks to all who entered!

Author: Lisa Laird DiRosso
Publisher: Tate Publishing
Date: July 28, 2009
Pages: 316
Genre: Suspense, crime

I was given the opportunity to read Lisa Laird DiRosso’s debut novel He Who Sings Last. I was eager to read this book as I prefer crime and mystery novels given my background and experience in law. The main character, Jimmy Covelli, is an aging, down on his luck former singer of a popular band from the 80’s. There are many characters that come in and out of the story and the author does a great job in providing a good history on the characters, personalities and the relationships as it relates to the story and each other. One of the main characters, Miranda Madison, a fan of Jimmy’s from the past, provides some reader’s the ability to reminiscent about their teen idols as well as the realization how far some people will go to have love.

Understanding Jimmy’s decline and struggles with aging was easy to relate to as I suspect anyone could feel the pain of losing their youth especially someone who could get any woman in his day. Jimmy’s character is further revealed to have some skeletons in the closet with unexpected twists. Another main character, a police detective named John Vintoni, leads the path to uncover the truth behind a murder that was committed and unsolved in 1983. The author provides a good insight into the minds of Jimmy and Detective Vintoni and how they work against one another. Detective Vintoni is committed and nearly obsessed with solving this crime to the point where you aren’t sure you should feel sorry for him or revel in his need to find justice.

The story centers around Jimmy and his manipulative ways and Detective Vintoni’s pursuit to bring justice to the person who committed the murder 19 year’s ago. I found that there was almost too many details on all the characters but I understood the author’s point with trying to weave them altogether. I tried to anticipate the outcome as I kept reading and particularly enjoyed the very accurate court room dialogue. Given my experience with court rooms, the author was very accurate which made it more enjoyable.

Throughout the latter half of the book, I kept anticipating the who done it answer and was left with an interesting ending! I would recommend this book and if you like Sherlock Holmes type stories, this one has the mystery and the criminal components that keeps you reading to the end.

From Amazon's Product Description:

Just how far will one fan go to prove her loyalty? In her novel He Who Sings Last, Lisa Laird DiRosso expertly knits a blanket of obsession laced with suspicion and murder in a suspenseful crime novel centered on has-been celebrity Jimmy Covelli. He leads a quiet, post-fame existence until some ghosts from his past come back to haunt him after nineteen years, when an unsolved murder case is reopened by a zealous New York detective. Covelli charms and harms wherever he goes, and in his destructive path, he leaves behind a host of resentful family members and brokenhearted fans. Will the detective catch him and be able to prove his guilt? Find out in He Who Sings Last.

Want your own autographed copy?

Submit a comment to this blog and enter to win an autographed copy by Lisa Laird DiRosso!

Giveaway ends September 30, 2009.

Cute Monkey, Bear or Pink Crochet Baby/Kids Hat Giveaway WINNER

Contest Closed:
CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHY!

Kathy, please contact me within 48 hours as I'm unsure how to get in contact with you.

The Preppy Peach Boutique on Etsy has the most adorable handmade hats I've ever seen. After posting my monkey birthday theme project, these adorable hats were a must have.

Lori Jo carries young, fashionable crochet hats for Babies, Kids and Teens. 100% Cotton Hats for Babies & Kids - transitioning into cotton for teens and adults, read each listing carefully since some teen/adult styles are still being made from acrylic yarn.

"I have 30 years of experience in hand crafting, i.e., sewing, hand and machine embroidery, knit, crochet, rubber stamping, sketch, soy tarts/candles."

She has a 100% positive feedback on all 283 responses!

One winner will get to choose one out of the three hats above.

To win:

1. Go to the Preppy Peach Boutique on Etsy and comment here on what other item you would like.

Extra entries:

1. Follow my blog and leave a comment - leave a comment if you already are following.
2. Subscribe to my blog and leave a comment.
3. Follow me on Twitter

Giveaway ends September 20, 2009 at 10:00 pm EST

Winner will be chosen by random.org

Good luck!

Special Thanks to Cynthia at Adorable Baby Clothing

I had to give a special thanks to Cynthia at Adorable Baby Clothing for the two trendy and stylish shirts she sent my daughters! I've had the pleasure of doing business with Adorable Baby Clothing for a couple of years and have never been disappointed in the customer service, prices or quality.

The Halloween costumes are my favorites as my youngest has been the adorable pink bunny rabbit as an infant and last year, the two youngest were matching Cinderella's.

Monkey Theme Birthday Party

Those adorable monkey cookies above can be purchased at http://www.cookiegallery.com/. They added the perfect touch to the monkey themed party.
Birthday Express has pages of monkey themed items ranging from favor boxes to party supplies. The bubble gum machine is the newest addition.

I created the label below and wrapped candy bars and drink bottles after I customized it with the name of the birthday boy. You can copy and paste design below to fit candy bars and drink bottles to have a complete customized party set. Another option is to print on cardstock after reducing the size and purchase the small plastic bags you can get at Michael's for treat bags. Cut, fold over and staple to the little bags after filling with candy.

http://www.paperstyle.com/ has Peeking Monkey birthday invitations that would be perfect to compliment the theme.

For a more personalize approach, www.funandsassydesigns.com has photo monkey invitations.

Don't forget the monkey games and pinata.

Ratatouille Cooking Birthday Party Idea

http://www.zazzle.com/jbranamMy six year old loves to cook thanks to Ratatouille so what better birthday party idea than a cooking party! We started with customized party invitations that I made on Zazzle and bought the matching stamps.

The cake was ordered from a local cake baker who knows how to make terrific looking cakes.

For the party, I bought enough small rolling pins for each of the guests and had an assortment of pizza toppings (not all shown). I had two kitchen stations set up and bought pre-made frozen pizza dough from Publix.

When the girls arrived, they went to the first station which was to decorate their aprons with their names using self-adhesive foam letters all purchased from Oriental Trading Company along with the paper, tall, adjustable chef hats which the girls really liked. I bought the multi-color aprons in case any boys showed up. We put their spelled out names in baggies and set each one up at an apron upon their arrival. When they entered, there was a large Ratatouille posted hanging to make it look like a cafe.

The decorations were purchased at Birthday Direct.

They then took their place at one of the tables and made their pizza. While the pizza was cooking, they dipped pretzels in chocolate and laid them on wax paper to cool and they frosted their own cupcakes.

Each girl received a favor box of Ratatouille goodies and a box for their customized cupcake.

After we ate, we sang happy birthday, had cake, opened presents and busted open a pinata. It was a success!

ella moss GIRL Sale: Hautelook

If you love Ella Moss for girls clothing, Hautelook is having a 50% off special. Not familar with Hautelook? They offer daily sales on various products that are exclusive to those that sign up and membership is free. I have grabbed some great deals as I price checked before I purchases and it is truly discounted.

The sales are usually for a 36-72 hour period though.

Pitfall: Takes up to three weeks to receive and it really does.

Check out Hautelook if interested!

Spotlight on PR from feelslikehome.blog

This blog was started to share information on topics related to good health, beauty and anything related to the family. I began only writing about my experiences and the research I began as I learned more. I became interested in building relationship with companies that catered towards these three topics. There is so much on the internet to learn from and one of the growing common areas are blogs. I used to research and try to find out what "real" people thought of a product before I bought it. I found those product endorsements or reviews were instrumental in making my decision.

As a mother of three children at home, two step children and an Army wife, I understand the value in excellent products that are tried and true as well as new. I want to be able to forge a relationship to provide meaningful and thoughtful reviews and possibilities for giveaways as the best form of PR is via mouth. I am wanting to review and have giveaways for any product related to health, beauty and the family (mainly children and moms).

The women over at feelslikehome.blog is offering an opportunity for those wanting that relationship.

Pony Welcome Adventure Package Review: Worth It!

If your child loves horses like mine do, the Pony Welcome Adventure Package is worth every penny you spend! The package arrived today and it had quality products and a really cool bag to carry it all or whatever they want to use it for. The free clock is a little on the cheap side but total cost is $5.95 and if you aren't satisfied, you can return it and keep the clock.

Your child will receive:

1. American Dream Horses that has 80 pages of color pictures and facts. This book is very nice with great color photos and great historical facts surrounding each breed.


2. A story called Vacation at Sunshine Farm which is geared towards a more advanced reader but I think my girls will enjoy hearing me read it to them. It has black and white illustrations.


3. A copy of the monthly magazine which is smaller in size than the average magazine and perfect for kids. They have pages dedicated to the readers to submit comments, questions, poems, etc.


4. A very small horse figure but my two year old LOVED it.


5. A full size color poster depicting many horses and it's already on the wall in the bedroom.


6. The gym bag is black with a blue type background of a circle and a horse with diamond type accents. It's really nice.


7. A notebook with a horse on the cover and blank pages to write in. This will be a perfect horse riding journal.


8. A neighing alarm clock and I'll admit that I have not put a battery in it yet.

It's a reoccurring monthly package that includes the Pony Adventure magazine, books and special prizes and other packages. If you don't want the next package, there are options to skip it via telephone, online or by returning the card.

They have a new bonus program to earn points by purchasing the packages and referring new members to exchange for other items.

The package in October includes a very cool 3D puzzle.

They offer a ten day money back guarantee on any package. This was worth the trial offer since my daughter started taking horse riding lessons, she loves everything about horses and this will teach her more about them. I would recommend this to any child who likes or loves horses.

Vote on the VTech Bugsby Writing Contest

Taken straight from Twitter Moms on a new VTech Bugsby writing contest:

"VTech, proud parents of the newly launched Bugsby Reading System (you might have heard of it through our RAMBO alert last week) is hosting Bugsby’s Great Adventures, an interactive contest that allows you and your child to write your own Bugsby story together. Know what’s even cooler? Three stories will be chosen for future publication – your child’s could be one of them!"

My daughter wrote her version of Bugsby saving the toys on the moon and even though I noticed one of the objects is blocking the bubble text, it's still good.

Please help her win the VTech Bugsby writing contest and vote for her book by clicking on this Bugsby link!

Thanks!!

3m Sight Words Post-it® Notes for Children

If your child is in school or nearing the age for school, I found this terrific product this weekend called Post-it® Super Sticky Sight Word Notes for kids. If you are a newcomer to preschool or kindergarten, sight words are the buzz and a must to learn. I have created flash cards on my own but I love these Post-it® as you can stick them anywhere. I have them on a wall and sorted through the one's she already knows versus the one's she's struggling with. The fun part of it is my two year old finds it fun and tries to copy the six year old.

The sight words consists of 50, or 100 for my daughter's school, common words that kids should easily remember. They also included blank notes to supplement the learning and a download area for other areas to learn using sight words.

Size: 3 inches by 4 inches
Colors: Yellow & Green
Package: 50 preprinted notes with sight words and 100 notes with lines.

They have other products such as Word Strips, Bilingual Notes, Word Builder Notes and Alphabet Notes.

Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty: Does it Work or Typical Infomercial?

During my surfing, on the cover of some website were celebrity models without their make up on. Cindy Crawford was one of the one's who to me, looks amazingly young and still beautiful. Compared to the other women, who still looked good without their make up, Cindy looked years younger than what she actually is.

I've seen her informercials and if you are like me, you are doubtful and think it's yet another product for a celebrity to endorse to get some easy money.

Wrinkles are due to the normal aging process and things like the sun and wind cause us to produce these unstable molecules also called free radicals. These rebels break down collagen which forms wrinkles. This is where drinking your V8 is good for you since it's a source of anti-oxidants. These anti-oxidants help to ward off these radicals thus slowing down the aging process.

The plastic surgeon responsible for Meaningful Beauty, Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh found with fellow researchers that a particular melon didn't age as quickly as equivalent fruit. Their 15 years of research attibuted this to what they call a "first generation super anti-oxidant called superoxide dismutase."

Meaningful Beauty is a patented formulation containing at least seven key ingredients. The melon extract, coenxyme Q10, lipoic acid and minerals are part of what makes this product's claim for efficacy.

Dr. Sebagh coined the phrase "Age Maintenance" as a change of thinking to prevent versus to treat with plastic surgery. They claim in as little as four weeks, a diminishing of skin redness and roughness will occur as well as a brightened appearance and a smoothness of wrinkles.

This is where Cindy comes in. She started going to Dr. Sebagh ten years ago and has been endorsing the products ever since they became available. They also have a page of testimonials.

The complete system costs $29.95 plus shipping and handling for a 30 day period with money back guarantee.

What I find interesting is that the doctor has a host of other products on his own site.

Interested in reading some other reviews, click here. If anyone has tried, please comment!

CellCeuticals Winner Announced

CONGRATULATIONS TO SHIRLEY FOR WINNING THE CELLCEUTICALS GENTLE SKIN CLEANSER GIVEAWAY! I SENT SHIRLEY AN E-MAIL AND IF SHE DOESN'T CONTACT ME BACK IN 48 HOURS, I WILL USE RANDOM.ORG TO DRAW A NUMBER NUMBER.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO SUBMITTED COMMENTS AND TO CELLCEUTICALS FOR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY!

NOTE: The entries from this contest were combined with the entries from stayingyounger.net and random.org was utilized to determine the winner.

REVERSE!™: The Ultimate Anti-Aging Formula

REVERSE!™ The Ultimate Anti-Aging Formula is a product available through FreeLife International. FreeLife has several products on their site and a breakdown of their team. The Chief Scientific Officer is a Ph.D. in pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences and the rest of the team mostly consists of Ph.D. holders and one M.D. Overall, they do have a background in the area that would know how products are metabolized and the most effective dose and timing.

It appears you can purchase the products or become an agent in their compensation program.

Anyone try any of their products?

For more information on this product, this is what the website has:
REVERSE! is formulated to be consistent with the latest scientific understanding of how and why we age. Working at the cellular and molecular level, it provides an exclusive 14-way multi-functional approach to the fight against aging, with a proprietary blend of 75 scientifically validated super nutrients not found in ordinary multivitamins. These include high potencies of headline makers such as age-defying resveratrol, ultra-purified heart-healthy omega-3 fish oil, and the miracle bone builder vitamin K2. Working together, the ingredients in REVERSE! support your fight against aging with unmatched head-to-toe coverage.

Here are the 14 ways that REVERSE! can work for you:

Protects against premature aging†
Improves antioxidant defenses†
Helps to maintain beautiful hair, skin, and nails†
Supports maximum brain power†
Promotes boundless vitality and energy†
Helps promote cardiovascular health†
Promotes healthy immune function†
Promotes strong bones and teeth†
Supports supple, fl exible joints†
Supports optimal digestive health†
Increases feelings of well-being†
Supports normal healthy vision†
Promotes normal stress management†
Helps to maintain healthy hormonal balance†

Encouraging a Musical Interest in Children

I've always had a hard decision to make when it came to extra curricular activities for my children. My oldest tried the keyboard and was really good at the flute but she also loved soccer and tried her hand at track. I wished she had pursued an interest with the piano but was happy with the flute but at my dismay, it only lasted a couple of years before peer pressure creeped in with the labels and stereotypes of those in band.

Now I have two more to prep for life's fun moments. I struggle with which instrument to give them and also think that I should purchase the lesser toy versions just to give them a feel for what they might like. In 1996, ScienceDaily published that researchers proved that children who took musical lessons had different brain development and an improved memory throughout the course of one year in comparison to their peers who did not take lessons. This research was actually published in Brain journal:

Dr Laurel Trainor, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University and Director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, said: "This is the first study to show that brain responses in young, musically trained and untrained children change differently over the course of a year. These changes are likely to be related to the cognitive benefit that is seen with musical training." Prof Trainor led the study with Dr Takako Fujioka, a scientist at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute.

I found some interesting instruments and packages of complimentary instruments on Amazon. I prefer Amazon as they have reviews included to help guide my decision making.



Melissa and Doug brand has a ten piece set for those over the age of 4. It did get a rating of 4 stars with 106 reviewers. Priced under $20 is also nice.



First Act FA554 Discovery Band in a Bucket prices under $20 too but has fewer instruments. The instruments are not your typical ones either as they have a "Rhythm Fish" that you bang the mallet on and spoons to click. This one seems to be geared to the smaller kids.



Hohner has an acoustic guitar under $43. It's made for kids 3 and up and includes a song book and finger position markers.



If you are really brave, First Act also has a Junior Accordian for under $20! Out of 24 reviews, they have 4.5 stars.

Here is just one glowing review:

My daughter recieved Christmas money and chose to purchase this toy accordion. What a wonderful surprise it has been! I would recommend this instrument to anyone who wants an accordion or a good beginner's instrument.

It has a pleasant sound and is simple to operate. Don't let its simplicity fool you, though. There is room for growth with this accordion. It has a range of two octaves and is capable of good musical expression.

I've given it four stars for durability. It's out-of-box quality is excellent. Time will tell if it garners a fifth star.
A word of warning. My wife and I have had much discussion about how to help our daughter "play" the accordion. Who would've guessed it would teach us something about ourselves?

I'm still leaning towards the piano and will steer clear of drums ... at least for now!