WAT-AAH!'s Second Annual Halloween Effort

WAT-AAH!, will be conducting its second annual Halloween Effort to encourage and teach kids the importance of drinking water this Halloween!

WAT-AAH! will be stationed in several schools, neighborhoods and distribution outlets throughout New York City, New Jersey and Philadelphia this Halloween. WAT-AAH! will be educating kids about the importance of drinking water and encouraging kids to limit their consumption of sugary drinks and snacks. WAT-AAH! Bones, with its neon orange label, will be handed out along with FUN merchandise such as backpacks, school supplies, tattoos and reusable plastic bottles!

What a great program WAT-AAH! is doing to help ensure kids make the right choices...kudos!



             

Don't forget the WAT-AAH!

Sprout Baby Thinkbaby Stainless Steel Feeding Set Giveaway 10/31/09 - CLOSED - WINNER

CLOSED - CONGRATULATIONS TO LUV TO SAVE

AN E-MAIL HAS BEEN SENT

PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

I am so excited to announce a new giveaway sponsored by SproutBaby! 
If you are not familiar with SproutBaby, I have another post where I was able to try and review several flavors of their baby food.

Sprout Baby was co-created by chef and father, Tyler Florence. With his culinary experiences and knowledge, he was able to create recipes that included multiple ingredients to offer a delicious complimentary combination.

Click here for the full post and review.

SproutBaby has a new product called the Thinkbaby Stainless Steel feeding set which offers the latest in 100% sustainable and certified organic utensils specifically made for newborns and babies.  Given all the news and concerns with BPAs and who knows what else is molded into plastic, I became very concerned.  I even swamped my daughter's plastic water jug for school with a stainless steel alternative.  Had I known about Sprout Baby then, I would have bought one of theirs as it looks sleek and cool!  They have many options to choose from but this is my favorite.  Click here to see the various types and options available from SproutBaby.

SproutBaby Facts:  Only the highest quality organic and eco-friendly solutions for new parents. Our specialized feeding sets boast unique assets including:

• Reusable feeding sets reduce waste
• BPA, Phthalate, PVC, and Polycarbonate-free
• All containers come with lids for easy travel
  

The Thinkbaby feeding set is just one of the environmentally friendly products sold on SproutBaby.com. SproutBaby espouses a philosophy of providing eco-friendly solutions at reasonable prices for discerning parents and their newborns. Through education and environmental advocacy, SproutBaby believes that parents would gladly choose products that are as healthy for their children as they are good for the earth.


The Giveaway:   Your own SproutBaby Thinkbaby Feeding Set

To Enter:

• Follow my blog AND leave a comment after going to SproutBaby and write about something you learned.

Extra Entries:

1. Follow me on Twitter - leave a comment here
2. Tweet about this giveaway - leave a comment here
3. Blog about this giveaway - leave a comment
4. Sign up for SproutBaby news - leave a comment
5. Enter any of my other giveaways and leave five comments

Giveaway ends October 31, 2009 at midnight EST.

Winner will be chosen by random.org and thanks for entering!




* I was not paid to provide the prior review on SproutBaby organic baby food.  My daughter loved it and I still purchase it at my local Publix Food Store.

Get a FREE Sample of Rachael Ray Nutrish

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Get your free Rachael Ray Nutrish sample at RachaelRay.com.

Earth Baby Organic Forget Me Knot Hair Detangler Review

UPDATE:  After getting to try this product, I love it so much that I just purchased two more detanglers and a shampoo.  The scent left on the girl's hair is AMAZING! 

I highly recommend this for any child!

Earth Baby provided their organic Baby Hair Detangler for my review. What I thought was cute were the words "Forget me Knot" imprinted on the bottle. I was given the opportunity to review this product because of my membership at The Product Review Place.

When I received the Baby Hair Detangler, I liked the bottle as it was attractive and had a tiny picture of the endangered Tarsier Monkey which they are a friend of (support through charity). The bottle was white with light green accents and had an easy flip up top. I stress that as I almost bust my fingernails opening other bottles.

All you need is a quarter size of the detangler and it went a long way on my daughter's hair. It smelled amazingly good too. She has to use medicated shampoo so this was a welcome change to the smell. The texture of the detangler was smooth and washed out of her hair with ease. Some products require a lot of rinsing but this didn't.

Her dad usually brushes her hair after a bath so I asked him how it rated and he said "no rats!" This was a first as she always has rats so this hair brushing event went on with no "ouchs" or "that hurts!"

Earth Baby organic products are made in the USA. Earth Baby products contain organic and natural ingredients in efficacious hypoallergenic combinations to cleanse and protect baby’s skin as purely as possible. All ingredients and formulations meet the most rigorous standards of quality and safety.

Earth Baby uses advanced award-winning technology and for more information, visit http://www.earthbaby-organics.com/pages/our-tech

Earth Baby is the first organic company to develop a line of baby products using the best and most advanced technology in the baby product category called OleoSpheres™.

Earth Baby’s own OleoSpheres technology, winner of the Frost & Sulliven Technology Innovation of the Year Award in the category of personal care application. This allows targeted delivery of natural nutrients in safflower oil in the skin. This moisturizer, emollient, and emulsifier in one received the Ecocert compliance and approval.

• Finalist in the 2009 Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers & Distributors Cosmetic Innovators of the Year for Personal Care Product Innovation.
• Finalist in the 2009 Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers & Distributors Cosmetic Innovators of the Year for Personal Care Package Design.
• 2008 Innovation Awards Finalist Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.

You can purchase them online or from Amazon (three actual products attached but more are available).





Earth Baby has everything you need ranging from moisturizing wipes, baby lotion, refreshing mist, bath gel, diaper rash cream, sunscreen, baby shampoo, cosmetic bags, diaper totes and changing mats or you can purchase the entire collection.

If you are concerned about what you are placing on your child, want a product made in the USA, want to support a business that supports great charities and was created based on more than 30 year’s of experience, try Earth Baby. I will have to try out more products since we love the Detangler.


Here are the product information and ingredients in the Organic Forget Me Knot Hair Detangler:

• hypoallergenic
• tear free
• certified organic ingredients
• pediatrician recommended
• OleoSpheres™technology
• manufactured in the U.S.A.
• 6 FL OZ/ 177 mL ℮

Baby Hair Detangler leaves hair tangle-free and easy.

Our creamy detangler conditions hair as it separates strands for easy combing and brushing. The fragrant Chamomile, Vanilla, Honey and Mango formula is pH-balanced and packed with rich jojoba and murumuru butter to leave hair silky soft and full of shimmer and shine.

Ingredients:

• Lippia Citriodora (Lemon Verbena) Extract, Ceteary Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Carthamus Tinctorious (Safflower) Oleosomes, Astrocaryum Murumuru Butter, Jojoba Alcohol , Potassium Jojobate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Cocoyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (and) Oryza Sativa (Rice) Extract, Water (and) Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract (Fresh Cells), Fragrance (Parfum).

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. BOTANICAL INGREDIENTS. PURE JOY.

Bioidenticals & Custom Compounded Hormones: Pursuit of Alternative Medicines

Organic, natural, alternative and the list goes on as the age of internet produces more information to anyone with access can handle.  The ease of researching and to promote and publish books is making it blatently easy to market your opinions and products whether founded or not.  We all are hearing the benefits of organic products and who can not admit that the concept is good?  The older I get, my quest to stay younger and live longer has grown beyond my wildest imagination.  Now when I crave a Big Mac, I contemplate the millions of calories I'm adding to my already challenged body not to mention preservatives, flavorings and hormones utilized in the meat and buns.

I work at a pharmaceutical company so I understand the in's and out's of clinical trials and research.  The trend within the whole beauty and well being market is on bio this and bio that and gene this and gene that.  The latest buzz and I might be wrong but I think Suzanne's Somers book has started the flap is around Bioidentical.  I admit that I've not heard that term until this morning when I was reading this AP article titled "'Bioidenticals' Not FDA-Approved, Contain Estrogen."

The key take away from this is any health care supplement/product that is deemed natural is not required to go through the FDA process of proving safety and efficacy.  You might recall the Hydroxycut recall and prior to that, years ago, ephedra (I think).  Both products were deemed "natural" so the unsuspected user assumed it was safe and I was one of those. 

This trend with Bioidenticals is within the name as the appeal to consumers.  Per the article: 

"Bioidentical" is a marketing term that has no accepted medical meaning. Its implied benefit is not unique to alternative remedies; many prescription drugs contain hormones that chemically match estrogens and progesterones made naturally by the body.

Women need to understand there's no rigorous evidence these preparations are any more effective or any safer than traditional hormone therapy. In fact, there's much less evidence for efficacy and very little research on long-term safety," said Manson, who has no industry ties and was a key researcher in the big federal study that warned women in 2002 of the health risks from long-term hormone use."

The article also mentions compounding pharmacists which according to the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists are those 'who provide personalized medication solutions, mixed safely by trained, licensed pharmacists.'

I had no idea that they could do that either so I definitely learned a lot about this topic.

One final quote from the AP story:

In 2001, the government tested 29 products from compounding pharmacies and found that one-third did not meet standard quality benchmarks, including potency problems, Manson writes in her book, "Hot Flashes, Hormones and Your Health."

Want to know more or look at available products? Try Amazon:

       

Pumpkin Patch & Halloween Party Recipes With Ideas

I LOVE Halloween for the great pictures I get to take of the girls.  I decided to spare the oldest in this round of pictures and kept it to the youngest one's.

Even though we aren't having a formal Halloween party, I think I'll go ahead and plan a little feast for the kids post trick-or-treating unless the rain cancels it out.

Here is the menu to date

(Click on Each Recipe Title to Go To BHG)

Haunting Hot Chocolate

Ghouls Just Want to Have Fun

Super-Easy S'Mores

Skull Madeleines

(Martha Stewart)

Boo-tiful Cake

Anyone have any good ideas to share?

Slow Down and Savor Alouette® Cheese Review & Four Recipe/Coupons Booklets to First Four Responders

I think I recall seeing a brand of cheese called Alouette® but never really paid much attention to it until I had the opportunity to try it from SheSpeaks.com.  I received two coupons to try two varieties of Alouette®  to slow down and savour.

If you are not familiar with Alouette® brand of cheese, here is more information:

• Soft Spreadable - fresh and natural ingredients that provide a creamy, flavorful cheese
• Sundried Tomato & Basil
• Garlic & Herbs
• Savory Vegetable
• Spinach Artichoke
• Light Garlic & Herbs
• Alouette® Crème de Brie® - Ultra-creamy, spreadable cheeses, there's no rind to remove.
• Fine Herbs
• Original
• Alouette® Baby Brie® - Rich, double crème Brie, has a soft, creamy center with mild flavor, and silky white rind, all characteristic of a fine Brie.
• Original
• Garlic & Herbs
• Original Wedge
• Hickory Smoked Wedge
• Alouette® Crème Fraîche - All-natural, kosher cultured cream product is a culinary alternative to heavy cream and sour cream.
• Alouette® Elégante® - Multi-layered, flavorful spreadable cheese blend.
• Roasted Garlic & Pesto
• Roasted Red Peppers & Olive Tapenade
• Sundried Tomatoes & Garlic
• Alouette® Crumbles - gluten free
• Feta
• Feta Garlic & Herb
• Goat Cheese
• Blue Cheese
• Gorgonzola Cheese
• Feta Mediterranean
• Goat Cheese Provencal

I used my two coupons to try the Sun Dried Tomato & Basil and the Spinach Artichoke spreadable cheeses. 

Although I didn't really care for the Sun Dried Tomato & Basil, I LOVED the Spinach Artichoke spreadable cheese.  I loved it so much, it was gone in one day..oops!

If you need ideas on how to use the various products, Alouette® has a great site for recipes.  The options are endless on picking the right one and I choose the Alouette® Mediterranean Pizza to showcase:

• Category: Entrees
• Makes: 4
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Product: Alouette® Soft Spreadable Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (6.5 oz.) Alouette Garlic & Herbs, or Alouette Spinach Artichoke, or Alouette Peppercorn Parmesan Spreadable Cheese
• 1 10"-12" ready to use pizza crust
• 1 can (12 oz.) of artichoke hearts, drained and sliced.
• 1 jar (7 oz.) of roasted red peppers, drained and julienned
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spread Alouette Cheese on pizza crust.
3. Top with sliced artichokes and roasted red peppers. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
4. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
5. Cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Special promotion here on Baby Brie Wedges HERE.

I have FOUR booklets of recipes and three $1.00 coupons attached to each booklet to giveaway.

The first four people interested, can have them.  Please leave a comment if you would like to experience this great tasting cheese!

Importance of Vitamin D in Children: Get Out in the Sun!

I have posted before about my two youngest, who have chronic medical condition, and it was nearly a year ago on Halloween that my then, one year old caught a cold trick-or-treating and ended up intubated and on her death bed two hours away in Savannah, Georgia. Her condition still baffles her doctors and her every day medications are troubling to me as I can't fathom how it can be good for her to be on a twice a day inhaled steroids and a once a day dose of Singulair.  The six year old is on Keppra for Benign Rolandic Epilepsy. 

Both incurred the onset of these conditions in June of 2008 within two week's of one another so I've learned a lot about both conditions and in pursuit of finding out how to stop my littlest one from crashing everytime she got a cold, we kept up with our routine doctor visits and followed all advice.  One of the important orders he prescribed was Vitamin D exposure.  He told me to take BOTH of them outside for 15 minutes a day.  He told me how Americans are in a deficit for Vitamin D and especially children which can lead to all sorts of health implications. 

He explained with all the scares behind skin cancer and the use of sunblock and our growing inactive lives, we stay indoors more which makes sense as I remember being brown all summer long from the hours of play outside.  Unfortunately due to the fear of bad people, I never let them play outside alone and I certainly don't have the time to do so which 15 minutes minimally is a great compromise.

I think this exposure to the sun has helped as we have had no trips to the ER or hospitalizations.  This has been a GREAT relief because in the past year, we had well over 10 visits to the ER or were hospitalized between the two.   Vitamin D is a great defense against colds and boosts the body to ward off things or harsher symptoms with the flu or H1N1.

Here is a great article that just was released today on Vitamin D and the need for it to promote healthy kids.

50 FREE 4 x 6 Prints at Shutterfly Expires 10/28/09

I'm still trying to get back into the Kodak great special as I think it expires today but there are server issues.

Shutterfly code to use GETPRINTS

Expires 10/28/09

Gorgeous Hair Color You Can Get at Home

Gorgeous Hair Color You Can Get at Home

Posted using ShareThis

My Husband's New Army Deployment: One Year in Kuwait in 2010

My husband, who was just in Iraq and returned in August, was just informed he got the choice of his next location for our PCS.  For those of you not in the military, a PCS means Permanent Change of Station.

Now, you may think that the word choice means a lot but when you hear of the choices of the two locations, you will understand my not so happy thoughts:

1. Iraq - 15 months
2. Kuwait - 12 months
   

He will miss a very valuable year of our two year old's life since they grow and change so much and of course, he will miss out on our six year old as well.  They are both daddy's girls.

Unfortunately, I'm not alone as since 9/11, 1.9 million men and women have deployed and 876,000 of those are parents.  According to the Department of Defense, 245,000 have been deployed twice, 91,000 have been deployed three times and 48,000 have been deployed four or more times which the latter, is where my husband falls.  He has served in Afghanistan, Iraq (twice) and Kuwait (not to mention his other assignments in Germany, Korea, etc).

I'm proud of my husband, all the men and women who have served their countries and to all the spouses, children and loved one's left behind to keep up the fort.

CVS $15 Off of $65 Online Purchase & Free Shipping Expires 11/01/09

Great offer from CVS if you purchase at least $65 of nonprescription items, you get $15 off until November 1, 2009 so hurry!

Click HERE for more information on this offer.

*$15 off $65 offer available online only. Maximum $15 value. This coupon excludes prescriptions and gift cards. Tax charged on pre-coupon price where required. This coupon is not transferable. No cash back. This offer is not valid for orders placed on the CVS/pharmacy Online Photo Center. Expires 11/1/09 at 11:59 PM EST.

Free standard shipping on nonprescription orders that total $49 or more after all discounts have been applied - exclusions/surcharges may apply.

Great American Classic: Necco Wafers Review

 

New AP Update:

Iconic Necco wafers go all-natural - Released today

Remember Necco Wafers when you were a kid?  With Halloween coming, the surge in all sorts of candy comes to mind but it makes me also think of these multi-colored, fat free wafers that come in eight flavors:

1. Orange
2. Lime
3. Lemon
4. Clove
5. Chocolate
6. Cinnamon
7. Licorice
8. Wintergreen

What I didn't know is that in 1847, a young immigrant from England invented the first American candy machine and went on to become one of the pioneer members of the Necco family.

Another interesting fact I didn't know is the U.S. Government provided them to the troops during WWII since they don't melt and are virtually indestructible in shipping.

Four billion of these wafers are produced annually which equates to wrapping around the world twice if laid out next to each other, side by side.


Have some free time or kids?


Check out the fun things they have:

• Test Your Necco Knowledge <--- baby boomer fun game!
• Get Cooking <--- my middle daughter will love this!
• Writing a Report
• Take a Tour
• Games <-- this is really cool!

The best thing about Necco Wafers is they are available ANYTIME!

We just received our package ... yeah!!!

Unfortunately, my six year old didn't like them but the two year old smiled and proclaimed "yum yum!" as she ate her first ever chocolate Necco!  They are a hit with her and they are natural which is a bonus.

I haven't had Necco Wafers since I was a kid so it's nice to see a renewed interest in this timely classic.  Thanks to Danielle and TwitterMoms for this opportunity!

Clever Pumpkin Carving Ideas

These are so neat looking!  I had to share and will try out one or two and post pictures.  If you have any cool ideas or pictures you have taken, please share!

It looks easy to make:

1. Use a grey pumpkin for the rat. Cut a circle from the bottom of the pumpkin.
2. Transfer two ear patterns to the circle.
3. Transfer the eyes and mouth patterns onto the pumpkin.
4. Using a knife or carving tools, cut out the openings.
5. Use a gouge to carve a thin mouth, carving just deep enough to reveal the inner rind.
6. Use half a gourd for the nose and attach it using wood skewers.
7. Push pieces of floral cloth wire into the nose for whiskers.
8. Add a chef's hat, a wire whisk, and checkered dish towel to complete the design.

How To Make It:

1. Transfer the patterns onto pumpkins. Editor's Tip: Use a gray pumpkin to make an alien.
2. Using a knife or carving tools, cut out the openings.
3. Use a gouge to cut into the teeth, cutting just deep enough to make them "pearly-whites."
4. Drill large holes into the pumpkins to receive the gourd antennae (for the left and center pumpkins) and the gourd nose (for the far-right pumpkin).
5. Paint the outside of clear plastic ornaments in bright colors for eyeballs.
6. Cut large white circles and smaller black circles from crafts foam for eyes.
7. Glue the circles together and add red veins using a felt-tip marking pen.
8. Hot-glue the eyes onto the painted eyeballs. Except for the one-eyed alien, hot-glue the assembled eyes in place.
9. For the one-eyed alien, cut a circle in the front of the pumpkin and slip an eyeball in place.
10. If desired, cut a tongue from pink crafts foam and slip it into a mouth.

I found these and many more at Better Homes and Garden 100 Days  of Holidays.

Horizon Little Blends How to Make Sneaky Fruits and Vegetables Thermos & 4 Pack Giveaway 11/25/09 UPDATED 2 Thermos: Winner!

Delayed Winner Announcement Due to the Holiday!

Winner is:

andrews_bella@yahoo.com

An e-mail will be sent!

Congratulations and thanks to all who entered!

Getting my children to eat good foods has always been difficult.  I think my now 21 year old's body would shut down if she had to eat fruit and vegetables every day.  My now six year old wasn't much better although she's a little easier to persuade into trying something here and there.  The two year old LOVES food!  I hit the jackpot with her compared to the other two but she still has aversions to certain appearance, texture an color as all three do.

In a challenge from TwitterMoms, here are some of my favorite ways to get them to eat include:

*courtesy of i.ehow.com

Fruit on pancakes:  They love pancakes and it makes it more appealing when I let the six year old put on her chef's apron and help to whip up the gourmet food. 

Sundaes:  Can't go wrong with multiple varities of toppings for ice cream.  Pineapple, bananas and whatever else they might remotely like is always appealing to pile on top.

Fruit and cheese plates:  This is a classic in our home as they really enjoy making little customized plates of fruit and cheese cubes arranged with toothpicks.  If you want to jazz it up, pay a little extra for the fancier toothpicks as there are so many now to choose from.

Chocolate covered fruit:  They can't pass on the chance to dip their favorite fruits into melted chocolate.  The whole process of melting the chocolate is fun in itself and imagine putting them on swords of little wood and letting them have fun?

*courtesy of smoothiefresh.com

Fruit smoothies:  This is a great example on how to best sneak fruit into something that is fun. 

The thing I found most appealing if the kids are at the right age is to have them help make everything.  They tend to eat what they make and if they are having fun creating it, what more can you ask for?

As for other vegetables, you can puree them or smash them up into foods such as spaghetti sauce and anything else that can hide the color and appearance of healthy.

Horizons has this treat line of products called Little Blends and if you click on the link, there is a coupon!  This new brand of yogurt blends fruits and vegetables in a great tasting healthy food for unsuspecting little ones.  There are so many benefits to this yogurt which includes all pure and hidden goodness.  Take a look:

"Little Blends™ does that by bringing together veggie and fruit purees in a delicious yogurt with a creamy texture that kids love. So your kids get the benefits of whole milk yogurt and an extra helping of vegetable goodness.

Plus, produced without the use of artificial flavors, preservatives, colors, and sweeteners, Little Blends is natural. And that means no high fructose corn syrup and only milk from cows free of growth hormones (rbST). In fact, every container supplies 25% of the recommended daily value (DV) of protein Natural goodness means no added hormones, no artifical flavors or ingredients, and no high-fructose corn syrup.(great for growing bodies), 20% DV of calcium (crucial to developing strong bones and teeth), 20% DV of Vitamin A, plus Vitamin D, Iron, and probiotics.

Little Blends is also a source of DHA Omega-3, a nutrient that doctors agree children don’t get enough of. Shown to help support eye, brain and heart health for growing kids, DHA Omega-3 is a fatty acid that has been recognized as playing an important role in children’s development.

DHA Omega-3 For the Brain
Highly concentrated in the brain, it accounts for up to 20% of total brain mass. Scientists are currently researching the possibility that a lack of DHA may contribute to certain behavioral and mood disorders.

DHA Omega-3 for Eye Health
DHA is a major structural fat in the retina of the eye, accounting for up to 50% of the total fatty acid in the retina. Because of this prevalence, researchers suspect it plays a critical part in visual development for infants and children.

It’s all part of our commitment to ensuring kids get the best start with the best foods. And why Little Blends isn’t just good, it’s naturally good."

The Giveaway:

TWO cool thermos with matching Horizon Little Blends Spoon and a coupon for  one FREE four pack of Little Blends Yogurt. 

To Enter:

• Leave a comment that you follow my blog ... easy!  You can even be creative and list any tips on how you get your kids to eat veggies!

Extra Entries:

• Subscribe to my blog - leave a comment - worth five entries
• Follow me on Twitter
• Follow Horizon on Twitter
• Vote for me on Divine Caroline (see widget on left side of home page), return here and tell me what number you are) - worth five entries
• Enter one of my other giveaways, return here and leave a comment on which one you entered - worth five entries

Giveaway ends November 25, 2009 at midnight (EST).


Winner will be chosen by random.org


Thanks for entering!