#ad Making The Best Of Screen Time This Summer With Kidobi

These days, it seems that every time I turn around the kids are finding new apps and downloads that they are putting on their iPad or Laptop. The thing is, like most parents out there, I want to make sure that these apps and such that my kids are going to are safe. I know that one of the biggest things that my kids go to is YouTube, and I do worry about them seeing content that may be inappropriate for them. They might put in a search and pull up something that was not at all what they meant to find, then if they go to that video, then they have been exposed to something that I did not want them to see. Both my son and daughter love to go on YouTube, but my husband and I have to monitor what they do on there very closely, and even with us sitting right there, things that we do not want them to see can pop up from time to time. Well recently I was given the chance to review a great site that my kids have been really having a blast using. It is called Kidobi. When I first went on it, I went to set up the account and kinda look over the site myself to make sure that it was something that both of my kids might enjoy. On the site I was able to set up two accounts under my master account, that way Robert could have one and Estrella could have one. The reason for this is so that Robert could add the videos that he liked into his account then Estrella could do the same in her account. I love that when my kids login they can look up what age group or what kind of videos they are wanting to watch, then browse through the ones on Kidobi, and my husband and I do not have to worry about them being inappropriate! Estrella really loves to draw, and on the site she has found a series of videos from a guy that teaches kids her age how to draw a variety of things, like planets and stars, and even ice cream trucks. Then Robert loves animals and he has found numerous videos with animals that interact and ones that he can learn from as well. We have all enjoyed being able to use the Kidobi site and even though Wyatt is only a baby, he has enjoyed some of the videos with music and colors in them! So if you are a parent and you have kids age 2 to 6 who love to go online and watch videos, then you are going to want to head on over to Kidobi, where you and your kids can stream and watch online videos safely! You can also follow Kidobi on Facebook where they have awesome Giveaways going for their fans!!!

This post was sponsored by ChildsPlayPR and Kidobi. I am part posting as part of a Blog Ambassador Program. All opinions are my own.

#Giveaway #RC Show Your Teachers Your Gratitude This Year With Merci Chocolates CLOSED!

Another school year has come and gone, and like many parents out there, I am making those Summer preparations. I am getting ready for the kids to graduate from another grade level and prepare myself for them to enter into another in the coming Fall. I will cry, and congratulate my kids for doing such a good job, because even though I am sad to see them grow I am so proud of them and so proud to see them go on. The thing is, most of us do not think at the end of the school year to stop and thank the teachers for all of their hard work. If it were not for them and for their determination, getting up every morning and getting up in front of our kids to teach them everything that they learn at school each day, well, they would not be going on to that next chapter in their lives, to the next grade in the Fall. I know that it is a very hard job, but it is also a very rewarding job also, my mom is a teacher, and I know that if it were not for her students and the reward in seeing them progress and learn what she has taught them, then the job would not be worth it. This year was my Robert's first year of school, and I know that with just one 4 year old boy, times can be trying, so I can imagine a whole classroom filled with 4 year old children who have the same if not more energy than Robert, can be exhausting. So this year, as it comes to a end, we have given thanks to Robert's teacher by giving her the amazing gift pack that we were sent from the people Merci Chocolates. She was very grateful and told Robert that chocolate is one of her favorite things in the whole world! Well, since we are at the end of the school year, the wonderful people from Merci Chocolates would like to send one of my amazing readers their own Teacher Appreciation Pack to show a special teacher in their life some thanks as well!!

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This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

#Giveaway #RC #ad US & CANADA Goddess Gardens Organics Sunscreen CLOSED!

Summer vacation has started for many and is just around the corner for others, and that means many days out in the warm weather with the kids, playing in the sun! My kids love the Summer, they love being able to spend their entire days playing outside in the water and with their friends. For me, I also enjoy being outdoors with the kids, but I always worry about them getting burned. I know from when I was a kid and when I got burned, that could ruin several days of fun for me, and make those days no fun at all. I also know now that those burns can be very dangerous, so like most parents out there, before the kids and I head out to play, we lather up with the sunblock. Recently we were sent some great sunscreen for the kids and for my baby Wyatt to use this Summer. We were sent this sunscreen from Goddess Garden Organics. Over this Memorial weekend, we headed to my parents and we ended up spending most of it out in the sun. Between the festival and the fishing, the kids were outdoors the majority of the time we were there, and while we were there I put the Goddess Gardens Organics Sunscreen that I was sent for review both on the kids and on the baby to really test it out. While we were at the lake, the kids were playing in the water and also having water gun fights, then while we were at the festival we walked around and played the entire day. After all of that, we came home with kids who were sunburn free!

Both myself and the kids love that the Goddess Gardens sunscreen is non-greasy. I also love that it is made from 92% certified organic ingredients. For me that makes me feel better knowing that there are not any harsh chemicals being absorbed into my babies skin, and that my kids are being protected by minerals that are found to naturally occur in the Earth. Well, since the Memorial weekend is the unofficial kick off of Summer, the wonderful people from Goddess Gardens would like to give one of my amazing readers their own Goddess Gardens Sunscreen for either Kids or for Baby!
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This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

Adorable Animal Hand Puppets From Cate and Levi

With Wyatt in the house and with him growing bigger everyday, we are finding ourselves having more and more fun interacting and playing with him. The kids find that they love to engage Wyatt in imaginative play, like with his toys and with puppets, where they will put on a show for him. Wyatt loves it as well, he loves for his older brother and sister to play with him and he finds it to be so much fun when they put on little plays for him. Recently we were sent a new puppet to add to our collection of puppets that fits right in to the kids many plays that they put on for each other and for Wyatt.

We have a couple of the puppets from the Cate and Levi collection and the Elephant is one that fits right in. Estrella is a huge fan of elephants, so she has taken this puppet as her character when they put on puppet shows. I love that with something as simple as a puppet, my kids can interact and get lost in hours of imaginative play. We have been looking at some of the other animals from the Cate and Levi collection of puppets, and there are a few who my kids believe need to be added to their puppet collection as well. So when you are looking for some great puppets for your kids or for a great baby gift, check out the animal hand puppets from Cate and Levi as well as the other great products that they have!

This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

Polaroid Loves Dads and Grads! (Fathers Day Guide)

It is that time of year, time for families to gather to celebrate the big milestones like a graduation. On top of that we are also close to Fathers Day. In my family, we just celebrated a huge graduation. My mom, after many years, just received her PhD, which is a huge accomplishment, and over the Memorial weekend, we celebrated her graduation with the family commemorate this milestone in my families life. To help capture this amazing moment we were sent a

Polaroid 16-Megapixel Digital Still Camera iS2132 with 21x Enhanced Optical Zoom in black.

Polaroid is a brand of camera that has been there to capture many moments over the years in my family, from way back when my parents were dating and adopted their first puppy together, to when they brought their first born into the world, me! They captured all of our family moments with a Polaroid camera over the years and I love knowing that even after all of these years, we still turn to Polaroid as the brand of camera to capture the moments of a new generation, the grandchildren! My parents do not live close by, so not only was this a trip to see grandma and celebrate her graduation, but we also made this a family vacation for the kids. On the trip, we also took plenty of pictures of the kids fishing, camping, hiking and cooking out with grandpa as well as many other fun moments that are now captured as memories that we can look back on thanks to Polaroid! With Fathers Day right around the corner, I know that the products like the Polaroid 

Megapixel Still Camera iS2132 with 21x Enhanced Optical Zoom as well as so many other products from the Polaroid family, will make great gifts to give dad this year!! You can find some great gift ideas from Polaroid by checking out this awesome gift guide that they have put together. 

                                                 

This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

#Giveaway #RC #BetOnYourBaby Luvs Super Absorbent Jumbo Pack CLOSED!

Have you heard of Bet On Your Baby that comes on ABC on Saturdays? Well if you have not, it comes on at 8/7c and they are partnering up with Luvs! You may be asking yourself what is this show about, right? Well, as a parent, most of us think that we know our babies pretty well, well this show wants to bet on how well you know your baby! Bet on Your Baby is a new show where parents play fun games with their toddlers, and try to “bet” on what baby will do next! If they guess correctly, the family wins $5,000 in college tuition money, and the chance to play for $50,000! The show takes place in this toy filled dome called the Baby Dome, where the parents try to predict what baby will do next! Well to celebrate the kick off of this new show, not only can every one of my readers get a coupon for some Luvs diapers from the app below, but I am also going to give one of my amazing readers a Jumbo Pack of the Luvs Super Absorbent Diapers!!! 






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I was not paid nor given any product in exchange for this review. I did this post just for my readers!

Kick Off Your Summer Celebrations With The Bobby Flay Collection From Kohl's

The Summer festivities are going to kick off this weekend and it is time to go out and get all of the party platters and decorations that will make your party really stand out. I know that when I think of the official kick off of Summer parties, I think of the Memorial Weekend, it is a weekend when everyone gets together and sets up those backyard parties. I love Summer and I love the Summer parties and this Summer I will have my parties covered when it comes to the serving dishes because I will be using the line of serving dishes from Bobby Flay, which can be found exclusively at Kohl's. I love shopping at Kohl's, because when I go there I can not only shop for the best seasonal fashion for the entire family but I can also shop for the best seasonal entertaining and kitchenware as well as so much more while I am there and I can do it all within my budget! This Memorial Day not only will we be celebrating Memorial Day, but we will also be celebrating a very special graduation in my family! We are heading down to my parents house to celebrate this year. Well I was sent some great items from the Bobby Flay selection of products to review, and along with a few other items from the collection that I picked up from my local Kohl's, I know that all together, our party will look amazing!

I love the Acacia along side the blue glass and the rattan sets that I was sent, then with the vibrant colored serving dishes and table linens that I went with, I know that it will go great against the Southwestern themed home that my parents have! You can find the products that I was sent along with the rest of the Bobby Flay collection at your local Kohl's and at Kohls.com and get your Summer parties started off right!!!


This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

Join Friendship Dairies For A Twitter Tasting!

#Giveaway #RC #ad Gtech AirRam High-power Cordless Vacuum Cleaner CLOSED!

I think one thing that most of us have to do, but may not always enjoy doing is cleaning. For me, when it comes to cleaning, that means I have to bring out all of my bulky cleaning products, so that I can get it over with. Then when it comes to the vacuuming, I have to worry about the cord, and the baby crawling behind me grabbing the cord and pulling on it while I am trying to vacuum. It can make the whole vacuuming chore more than a chore, and make it task that can take a lot longer than I had originally anticipated it to. Then you have to unplug and replug in the different rooms, and lug that bulky vacuum around and move furniture so that you can plug it in. Oh, and then there are all of the attachments! Finally, once it is all said and done, and it is time to put the vacuum back up, you have to gather the cord and untwist and unwind it so that you can put it all away to pull it all back out again and do this circus act again tomorrow. Well, I have been shown the light, a solution to that bulky vacuum circus act that I went through everyday. Recently I was sent the new Gtech AirRam High-power Cordless Vacuum Cleaner to review. The Gtech AirRam is a cordless vacuum that is just amazing when it comes to the power that it has. I mean, we have dogs, and in our backyard there is straw that the dogs have in their dog house. Well when the dogs come in the house they bring that straw into our house. I have had issues with my other vacuum cleaners trying to get all of the little pieces of straw up, and it seems that Wyatt can find all of those little pieces that the vacuum might miss. Well, right after using this new Gtech AirRam on my floor just one time, then looking in the compartment where the dirt goes, I saw that it had quite a bit of straw in it! This was after I had already vacuumed my floor with my other vacuum, just in case you were wondering, and the amount of pet hair and dirt that the Gtech AirRam picked up after my other vacuum was just amazing as well. Another thing that I am in love with is I do not have to worry about a big bulky cord with this vacuum. 

I just plug it in to charge it, and once it gives me a full charge, it is good to go and can run for about one hour! I also love that when I am done, there is no mess when I need to clean out the bales, they are easy to remove and clean out! This vacuum is lightweight, so there is no heavy lifting when I go to put it away! With the slim design, it does not take up much room in the closet where I put my vacuums, and there are no clunky canisters and no bags to clean out. There are also no attachments to worry about loosing. 

I love my new Gtech AirRam High Performance Cord-free Vacuum Cleaner and you can too because the wonderful people from Gtech would also like to send one of my amazing readers their own Gtech AirRam!!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway




This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

Disney Channels Shake It Up Soundtrack on CD

Estrella loves the Disney Channel, and she has a list of the shows that she watches on a regular basis. On that list of shows is Shake it Up. Estrella loves music and she loves the music from Shake it Up. Recently we were sent a CD that is perfect for a Shake it Up fan like Estrella! We were sent the Shake it Up I Love Dance soundtrack CD to review which features lots of Estrella's favorite songs from the show. The CD includes some of her favorite singers like Selena Gomez and Caroline Sunshine as well as many more top as well as new and upcoming artists that fans of the Shake it Up series are familiar with! Estrella and her friends really love being able to dance around and sing to the songs that they know and love and your Shake it Up fans can too because this collection of music can be found at iTunes and at Amazon.com! You can also find more info about the soundtrack at Disney.com/music.


This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

#ad Have You Seen The Friendship Dairies Mobile Mixer Food Truck Tour?

Thank you to the PR firm and Friendship Dairy for sponsoring this post, all opinions are my own.

As many of you know, I am on a journey to change my way of living. From the way I exercise, or lack of, to the way I was eating. I have been very successful thus far, and I am on a quest to find ways that I can encourage my family to get excited and join me on my journey so that it can not only be easier for me, but so that we can become a healthier family together! Something that I have been doing to make things easier for all of us is finding things that we all like and making them more appealing. One item that I found that has made my diet easier and that my whole family likes is cottage cheese. Now for me, I have been going with the Fat Free cottage cheese, but for the kids, they can go with the regular cottage cheese. My kids will eat cottage cheese every once in a while, but for them, it can get boring, so when I heard about the Friendship Dairies Mobile Mixer Food Truck Tour and I saw some of the recipes where they use cottage cheese, I knew that I had to look at all of the recipes that they had! In fact, if you are on the East Coast in the New York City Metro area, you can check out all of the free recipes for the protein packed, on the go, cottage cheese creations!

5/25                      NJ Liberty Run Marathon & Fleet Week Festival               Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

5/31 - 6/2            ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer                         Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, Galloway, NJ

You can find these recipes from now until June 7th, from the Friendship Dairies. I was able to find the recipes that I know my family will love on the Friendship Dairies website, but you can also find recipes on their social networks sites like on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest! I love that there are a variety of recipes available that incorporate using cottage cheese in dishes from the appetizer to the main dish and even in a delicious dessert! In my house we love blueberries, and one our favorite recipes that we tried out and have all loved is the Friendship Smooth and Creamy With Crunchy Walnut and Blueberries

2 cups Friendship 1% cottage cheese 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon water 1 cup mixed unsweetened freeze dried blueberries (such as Trader Joeʼs) 1/2 cup calorie free pancake syrup (such as Walden Farms) 4 tablespoons black walnuts, toasted and chopped  Recipe developed by Rocco DiSpirito

Directions:

Blend cottage cheese, lemon juice, water & process on high until very smooth, 20 seconds. Spread mixture onto 4 round plates. Top with walnuts & blueberries then drizzle each with 2 tablespoons of syrup.

Thank you to the PR Firm and Friendship Dairy for sponsoring this post, all opinions are my own.

Mom Time With CalNaturale Wine and SVELTE

Just like the kids, mom wants to have her own time. Whether it be when mom goes on a walk by herself or when she is with the girls gossiping. I know that when the kids are with their friends, I always have the juice boxes ready for them, so they can come and get a refreshment when they need it then run back and finish playing. But what about mom's juice box, why can't mom have her own juice box? Recently, I was sent the "Mom" juice box, when I was sent a couple of wines from CalNaturale to sample. These are perfect for when I want to hang out with the girls and wind down on the porch in the evenings. I can pour right into my wine glass, or I can even drink right from my own box if I wanted to, lol. Either way, these are the perfect little wine box for mom to sip on after the kids have gone to bed! Not only are they very convenient, but I also love that the grapes that are farmed to make this amazing wine are organic, free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and the packaging is also eco-friendly! So, when you are looking for a great wine that you can wind down with at the end of the day, check out the CalNaturale wines!

Aside from the great wine that I was sent, I was also sent some great protein drinks from SVELTE, which is great to have when I am out walking at the park! These protein drinks not only taste good, but they also provide the busy mom with nutrition that she may need to keep her going during her busy day with the kids! I love that these protein shakes are made from the highest quality organic ingredients and they are great to carry around in the diaper bag, and they are available in several flavors, so you can grab one and go when you are running around. 

I found both of these products to be great for moms, the SVELTE Protein Shakes are perfect for the mom during the day to keep her going, then the CalNaturale Wines are a great way to end the day and wind down.

This was not a paid post and honest/original opinions were used and they are my own. Thank you to the company and/or pr agency who supplied the product for review.

#ad #NetflixKids Netflix For The Entire Family!

All thoughts and opinions are my own, I am so thrilled to have this opportunity to share my experience as part of this sponsored campaign from Netflix.

In my house, we have one night set aside for a family movie night. This is a night where we all get together and vote on a couple of movies that we will all watch together as a family. We have had this tradition since Estrella was a toddler and it has been something that we have continued and that the kids look forward to each week. They love to be able to bring their selection to the vote each week. The day that we put aside, we will all bring a movie to the table, and if we dont have a movie then we will take the other persons movies into consideration. One thing that the kids like to do before a vote is go on Netflix and stream through the great selection of the Just For Kids section on Netflix that is available!

The kids know that when they log in, they will be able to find their favorite movies and shows. Both Robert and Estrella love the shows from Hasbro like My Little Pony and Transformers Prime, and they also love the Disney shows like Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue as well as Jake and the Never Land Pirates, which are all shows that they can find on Netflix! My kids like that when they watch these shows on Netflix Just For Kids, they do not have to worry about any commercials, so there are no interruptions, and they make for great selections on our family movie nights as well! I love that we can allow our kids to go on the Just For Kids section on our Netflix and know that our kids are watching age appropriate shows and movies. We have all found that being able to stream Netflix from our different mobile devices as well as from our Blu-Ray players and gaming devices, make it so that we can watch Netflix anywhere anytime! We have also found Netflix to be a great alternative to going to the video store as well, the kids can find the movies they want to watch on our family movie nights and stream them right then, and we do not have to worry about returning movies or losing movies for that matter! It takes the time from driving to the movie rental store as well as all of the late fees out of the way, and leaves more time for family time. So when you are preparing for your own family movie night, add Netflix to your night, and enjoy all of the great movies and shows that are available on the Just For Kids!

What are you watching on TV with your family? Netflix has family favorites from Disney, Disney Jr., Hasbro, Cartoon Network and Dreamworks that are available to stream anytime, anywhere.

And streaming is easier than you think! Download the free app on your iPad, click on the Netflix app on any gaming device, go to the website on your computer – and you’re in business. Check it out here!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of NETFLIX.