BBMReview

Hickory Farms

I have a very distinct memory of being a little girl during the holidays and my dad coming home from work.  He often would show up with fruit and candies from gift baskets from clients and vendors.  But, the one thing I remember more than any others was how he would come home from work with something from the Hickory Farms basket.  Cheeses, summer sausage, crackers-yum!

When asked to do this review, it's the first thing I thought about-Hickory Farms equals Christmas to me.  When I think about gift baskets with variety, I think Hickory Farms.  I was able to sample numerous cheeses, a mustard, crackers, all from a beautiful basket.  This year we have even more people to buy for and Hickory Farms is our solution.  The cheese are a rich and creamy texture of high quality.  Crispy crackers with a tasty mustard.  There are a number of price points to choose from from the nice hostess gift to softening up the boss.  

Need someone to buy for this year but don't know what to get them?  Check out the Hickory Farms website and choose from a bunch of different options.  With a long history of providing memories for families, Hickory Farms has shown year after year that they are your go to gift provider. 

TKDDaughter gives Hickory Farms baskets a:

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a Hickory Farms gift basket to facilitate my review."
 

Nancy's Appetizers + Giveaway

Every year, my husband and I host a cocktail party for our friends at Christmas time.  It's the one time each year that we get all of our friends together from all parts of our lives.  This year it will be even bigger as social networking with the past has become much easier.  When it started, we hosted around 50 people-now?  We're looking at close to 100.  In the past I have always supplied all of the food, but this year, with everyone scrimping, I have elicited some help...from Nancy.

Nancy who?  The Nancy of Nancy's Appetizers.  Nancy's has just about everything you would need to host a nice cocktail party without the fuss of phyllo pastry sheets and long hours of standing in the kitchen.  I tried the Three Cheese Spinach Stars.  They are a fabulous blend of Neufchatel, Feta, and Asiago cheeses.  YUM!  They will be perfect to pass around at our party!  I also plan on purchasing the Petite Quiches, the Seafood Crab Cakes, and the Cheese Souffles.  I'm a huge appetizer girl, so I can't wait to try them all!

I'm so glad to have found Nancy's Appetizers to make my holiday party so stress-free!  YOU can have the chance to try Nancy's, too.  Leave a comment between now and December 4th to have your name entered into a drawing for one coupon for a Nancy's appetizer. 

For making the holidays so much easier for me, TKDDaughter gives Nancy's a

 

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Nancy’s Appetizers and received 2 coupons to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate.

Kellogg's Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks

Some days, every meal consists of a dry cereal.  It's not that I don't provide well-balanced meals, because I do (well, most of the time), but some days my son just wants cereal.  Sometimes it's because he hates whatever I am providing , sometimes it's because he doesn't want to take the time to sit down and eat, and sometimes it's just because he loves cereal.  What's a mom to do?

Well, cereal has just gotten a bit more nutritious!  Kellogg's has taken two of their staple children's cereals (for the record, there is nothing "kid" about these two-I'm a huge fan of them both!) and added in something that is void in so many people's diets-fiber.  Did you know that nearly 9 out of 10 children and adults do not have enough fiber in their diet?  Wow! By adding fiber to the whole grains of the cereal, you can feel a lot better about letting cereal be a go-to snack or meal!

I was initially concerned about flavor-not so much for my son, but for me.  I tried both varieties, and I have to be honest that the fiber tastes almost exactly the same as the regular.  If I wasn't doing an actual taste test, I doubt I would have noticed there was a difference. 

I plan on making a Christmas snack mix with the Apple Jacks with fiber for my son's preschool class.  It's below if you'd like to try it out...it makes a ton (5 quarts) and kids love it.  What a great way to re energize the preschool troops than with a favorite cereal in healthier form?

TKDDaughter gives Kellogg's Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks a big thumbs up for providing moms another healthier snack option:

 

"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s and received boxes of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Apple Jacks Snack Mix

7 cups popped popcorn
4 cups Crispix
4 cups Apple Jacks cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

In a large greased roasting pan, combine the popcorn, cereals and peanuts; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; bring to a rolling boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook, without stirring, until mixture turns a medium amber color, about 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat; quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda until mixture is light and foamy. Immediately pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.

Bake at 250° for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread mixture onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

Yield: 5 quarts.

Lakeshore Christmas (The Lakeshore Chronicles) by Susan Wiggs

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by MotherTalk on behalf of Lakeshore Christmas and received a copy of the book to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

What is it about small town America that draws us towards it?  Is it the simple life that we really all desire, or is it the honest people we imagine living there, or the great sense of fellowship?  I find myself drawn to stories set in these small towns, being pulled into a life I think I would enjoy immensely. 

Lakeshore Christmas, part of The Lakeshore Chronicles by Susan Wiggs, delivers that small town feeling at a time of year that reminds us what friends, faith, and simplicity really mean in our lives.  The characters are typical, but that's what makes them so endearing to us...the reserved librarian with a past, the Hollywood star/rocker with a heart of gold, the struggling teenage mom, the bad teenagers who find the right path. And of course, the conflict...

At the heart of the story is the town Christmas pageant, the one thing that can save the characters and the heart of the town.  In the end, miracles will happen and it makes the reader believe again in the goodness of others. 

Lakeshore Christmas makes you want to get those decorations out and start baking cookies.  Grab a cup of tea and your coziest blanket and enjoy a heartwarming and fulfilling novel! Thanks for MotherTalk for hooking me up with yet another delightful read!

TKDDaughter gives Lakeshore Christmas a:

Magnificent Manicure Kit

When I was in high school, chemistry class was a real drag. I barely passed. The lab smelled terrible and the experiments we did scared the living daylights out of me. Bunsen burners are scary people; admit it.

However, if chemistry had been made relevant to me, I might have had a different opinion about it. Enter the Magnificent Manicure Kit.

 

Named one of the best toys of the year, I can definitely see why. My husband, who happens to have a degree in chemistry, jumped right on board with this fancy toy. The girls spent an hour, sitting at a table, mixing things and creating their very own manicure materials including fragranced lotion and buffing cream.

When all was said and done, they had learned a bit about cosmetic chemistry and they both had beautiful nails to show for it. And, even better, the husband had helped them. While the "experimental" part is actually pretty simple, the girls couldn't help but feel like they could now get jobs at Clinique Cosmetics.

The toy completed occupied them and they actually learned something too. How often does that happen at the same time? While using the Magnificent Manicure Kit, kids will be able to make their hands silky with crystal mud, get to soak hands in a sea-salt scrub, create their own custom scented lotion, and buff and shine their nails. It's like a little kid spa in a box.

If I had to find a negative, it's that you can only do it once. I mean, sure you can give yourself manicures, but the actual mixing and making only happens one time. The girls enjoyed that part so much that it would have been nice if they could have had some options for future play, maybe several different scented lotions or something along those lines.

The manicure kit is for ages 8 and up, but with strict supervision, I'm sure younger kids could potentially enjoy it as well. The kit retails for about $18 and you can find it everywhere from Big Box retailers to small creative toy outlets online. The maker of this kit? Elmers of all people; you know, the glue people. How about that.

BBM gives the Magnificent Manicure Kit a. . .

Sonicare for Kids

This is a compensated review from Sonicare for Kids and BlogHer.

I'll be honest. I always thought that the people who spent mucho dinero on toothbrushes that came in a box were insane. I mean, the dentist gives you a free one every six months. What did I need with one of those crazy Sonicare toothbrushes. More so, why would my kids ever need one?

People, Sonicare has made me a believer.

At first I was worried about whether or not my kids would go for it. Sonicare for Kids does not come shaped like a princess or a mermaid. It does have interchangeable panels for the front of it, but they're definitely more generic than your grocery store toothbrush. I wasn't sure I could get my girls to switch.

However, when it came, it was red and my girls liked that right away. It also came with two different toothbrush heads which was perfect considering one was for 4 year olds and the other was for bigger kids, 8+. My girls are easily able to tell their toothbrush head apart since one is red and the other is blue. They quickly learned how to pop their toothbrush head onto the Sonicare and get busy.

Right away, I fell in love with the Sonicare for Kids and it's special feature to make kids brush longer. Every minute, for four minutes, the toothbrush plays a little part of a song. When you complete the entire time, it plays the entire little tune. We went from brushing for only seconds to brushing for the full time overnight and I know that will make a big difference in their oral health.

The toothbrush comes with two settings and the girls can easily turn the toothbrush on with their recommended intensity by themselves. I thought it would take some time to get used to the Sonicare for Kids, but it has become a wonderful addition to our family and the girls' brushing routine.

I can speak for myself on this issue, as I also received a Sonicare FlexCare to try. It is like visiting the dentist every single day, twice a day and it's amazing. The clean that you get from it is completely unlike any other toothbrush I have ever tried. My teeth feel silky, the way they do when you leave the dentist. In fact, when I visited the dentist last week and told them we're using Sonicare's now, they were thrilled! They said they notice a big difference in their patients who use Sonicare's.

My only criticisms of the toothbrush are that one needs to be really careful with little ones. The toothbrush head for my 4-year old doesn't stay on the way it did when we got it. She says she didn't drop it or anything, but whatever held the head on tightly doesn't work anymore. Now we have to hold it on until we get a new toothbrush head. My only other criticism is that the Sonicare is pretty intense and one needs to make sure that when you turn it on, the toothbrush is in your mouth! If not, the spray from the toothpaste is going to make cleaning your vanity a daily thing. I happened to spray myself in the eye the first day I used it; but people, let me just tell you that you only make that mistake once. This shouldn't be a reason to prevent you from getting one yourself.

A Sonicare for Kids starter package starts at around $69.99. The package comes with two brush heads, three interchangeable plates for when your kids get bored with the looks of the toothbrush, a plug-in charger and complete instructions. You can find brush head replacements for around $21.99 for a package of two. A Sonicare for Kids toothbrush would make a great Christmas gift for kids.

I never understood why people would spend so much money on a toothbrush, but I now know that the family and I will be life-long converts. Thank you Sonicare and BlogHer for the opportunity to review these wonderful products!

You don't have to be a BlogHer reviewer though, to try the Sonicare. You can enter for one of eight chances to win a $100 Visa card or a Sonicare prize package below. You can also check out the other reviews simply by going here.

If you'd like more information, directly from Sonicare, please click here.

Contest Rules:

To enter to win a $100 Visa card, leave me a comment below and tell me "How do you handle your kids' dental hygiene?" - or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below.  The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m. (PST) 10/15/2009 and will end 5:00 p.m. (PST) 11/15/2009.  Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct. 

Rules:

• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US-residents, 18 years of age or older
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here.

Winners will be chosen with this random generator. There are eight reviewers which means you have eight chances to win a $100 Visa card so you can buy your own Sonicare for Kids. And, there's also the Sonicare prize pack. Visit the link above for the complete round-up! Good luck!

BBM gives the Sonicare for Kids. . .

Wendy's High School Heismann Program + GIVEAWAY!!

I teach high school, ninth-graders specifically.  I am amazed each year as more and more parents are stressed out about college when their children enter the ninth grade.  While I understand that every decision and choice in high school impacts the college application, it makes me a bit sad that children have so much stress so early. 

Students today work hard.  They are over scheduled and still maintain good grade averages and help in their communities.  As a way of showcasing and congratulating these students who work so hard and achieve so much, Wendy's is continuing its eight year tradition of the Wendy's High School Heisman Program.  Here's how it works:

High school seniors who have a 3.0 average or higher, participate in a school-sponsored sport and contribute to their community can apply at www.WendysHeisman.com, or a high school educator, guidance counselor, or coach can nominate them. As a little reward, the first 41,100 applicants will receive a free Wendy's gift card in amounts ranging from $5 to $50. One male and one female from each high school will win the award and continue on in competition for state and national awards. Twelve national finalists will participate in Heisman Weekend festivities during an all-expenses-paid trip Dec. 11-13 to New York City. ESPN2 will feature all 12 national finalists during the Wendy's High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which airs Dec. 13.  The Wendy's High School Heisman website will display the names of all applicants and individual school winners on October 22, 2009.

I encourage any parents or teachers to let the high school seniors in their lives know about this great opportunity.  And anyone who leaves a comment here will be entered into a drawing for a $20 Wendy's gift card-you can't beat that! 

For encouraging kids to keep working hard, TKDDaughter gives the Wendy's High School Heisman Program a:

 

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy's and received a gift certificate to giveaway and to thank me for taking the time to participate.

L'Oréal Paris Color of Hope-Now YOU Can Help!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and L'Oreal Paris.

When I first "met" Lisa aka Clusterfook, it was online. She was writing a blog called "Not the 'C' word" for our local online newspaper, and I was publishing a syndicated version of my own blog at the same place. My visitors were frequently unfriendly, as our area is not known for having the nicest people; but Lisa became a visitor and left me a friendly comment which prompted me to visit her blog.

I started reading her archives and realized she had been through quite an ordeal. Recurrent ovarian cancer was her diagnosis and she was finally free from it. . . or so she thought.

As I began to follow her main blog, "Clusterfook" I realized that her battle was just again beginning. Lisa went through months of surgeries, missed diagnoses, and pain before she finally decided that her fight was over. No matter what she did, her cancer got worse. No matter how her readers hoped and prayed, it wasn't going to bring a cure.

I met Lisa at Tequila Con in Philadelphia and was amazed at her sunny outlook despite her diagnosis. It wasn't long though, before going places like Tequila Con couldn't happen anymore. Lisa entered hospice care.

That's Lisa with the glasses.

When I don't know what to do for someone in this situation, I cook. So when Karl came to visit Lisa to get her blog in order before she passed, I cooked up a ton of food and sent it back to her house with him. A few weeks later, I cooked up a storm again and delivered it myself. It was just three days before Lisa passed and although really difficult, after she was gone, I was glad that I was able to see her one last time, squeeze her hand and tell her goodbye.

Before, all I could do was cook. Now I can do something else and you can help too.

L'Oréal Paris has partnered with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF), and has created a "Color of Hope" make-up line to help raise money for research. The purchase of individual items (including eye shadow quartets, lip sticks, lip glosses, and nail polishes will result in a $1 donation per purchased item. The prices of these individual items start at just $4.99 and go up to about $9.99.

As with the ovarian cancer bracelets that Lisa used to make in pretty shades of teal, L'Oréal Paris has also created a beautiful quartet of teals and blues, as well as collections in mauve and plum. There is something for everyone in this collection.   

If you choose instead to purchase the make-up bag you'll get eye shadow, lip gloss and lipstick (a retail value of $50) for $29.95. The L'Oréal Paris Color of Hope Cosmetic bag will be available for purchase beginning in September 2009. Purchases can be made online via www.lorealcolorofhope.com while supplies last. L'Oréal Paris will donate $5 from each cosmetic bag purchased to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF).

I've had about a week to try the colors out myself. The mauves are just beautiful and the "Color of Hope" lipstick has to be my favorite, tied with the lip gloss. Unlike most lip glosses that have a small want, this wand is soft and helps you to avoid looking "goopy" when you put it on. The teal shadow took some practice at first, but it too is just lovely. Applying it with a q-tip allows for more precise application and that made all the difference.

Because every girl needs some new fall make-up to match the new season's colors, I hope you'll pick up a make-up bag or some of the individual products today. This is a great way to help future generations of women so they don't have to have their lives cut short the way Lisa's was.

For more information and other reviews of new products, check out BlogHer's special offer page for more information.

If you would like more information about L'Oréal Paris' "Color of Hope" program, please visit the L'Oréal Color of Hope site for more information.

BBM gives the L'Oréal Paris Color of Hope line. . .

Have you or any of your friends and family been affected by Ovarian Cancer? What do you think of L'Oréal Paris and their 12 year committment to help the OCRF?

"Daniel X: Watch the Skies" by James Patterson & Ned Rust

If you're looking for a teenage friendly alien hunter, you're not going to find any better than Daniel X. Daniel returns in this sequel to the first alien hunting book, on the hunt for Space Alien #5. His journey is not your typical Star Wars-ish adventure.

    

Set in "Holliswood" and reeking of aliens and society's current craze with reality television, Patterson and Rust have created yet another enjoyable and adolescent friendly novel that both boys and girls will enjoy. The best thing about these books is that there is no shortage of aliens, which means the series will surely continue on for quite a while.

What's great about Daniel X books is that they are smart, entertaining, and seem to relate well to younger generations without seeming contrived. Patterson and Rust are good at nailing the sarcasm of a teenager without sounding mouthy. And what parent can resist a main character who conjures up his parents for advice whenever necessary?

An added joy in this book, at least for me, was the mention of martial arts several times. Although it only stayed on the surface and didn't delve any deeper than that, the mere mention of Daniel X using martial arts techniques to defeat evil aliens made me happy.

My only potential criticism or more of a concern actually, is that over time, the books and Daniel X's adventures could become a bit formulaic. But for now, it works so read away.

Although in the first book, Daniel X only has an imaginary girlfriend, in this book we have a bit of a love story that is super sweet, but not over the top. With electric eels, electric first kisses, and electri-charged aliens, this book is one you'll want to put on the list for your kids. With manageable chapters and a fast-paced story, Daniel X: Watch the Skies is another Patterson success. Thanks to Mothertalk.com for the opportunity to review this book!

BBM gives Daniel X: Watch the Skies. . .

Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend

A little over seven months, my father suffered two massive strokes.  By the grace of God, he received medical help within the needed time frame, and we are blessed to have him with us today, with very little long-term damage.  DUring the recovery, diet became a huge concern.  Low-fat, low sugar, low cholesterol, low sodium-ugh!  If you do low-fat, the sodium is high.  If you do all of the above, there's not taste. I spent hours in the grocery store, reading labels, hoping I wasn't adding to my father's health issues. 

That's when I checked out Mrs. Dash.  We always had Mrs. Dash growing up, but what I didn't know was that many varieties of Mrs. Dash that were out there (over fifteen!!!).  Mrs. Dash is introducing two new seasoning blends, Fiesta Lime and Caribbean Citrus, and Mom Central asked me to play around with one of the seasonings and let you know what I thought.  They sent me the FIesta Lime blend and yum!  It popped with flavor and I wasn't dying of thirst afterward.

There are recipes at Mrs. Dash, but I decided to make something up.  My friend's garden is plentiful, so I steamed up some yellow zucchini and some fresh green beans, mixed it with a little olive oil, sprinkled on the Fiesta Lime seasoning blend and served over a bed of brown rice, black beans and a touch of salsa.  Fresh and yummy!  The husband even enjoyed it!

I can't wait to try the Caribbean Citrus blend soon.  Both new flavors would be great on fish or in a salsa...hmmmm, now I know what I'm having for dinner tonight! 

TKDDaughter gives the new Fiesta Lime seasoning blend by Mrs. Dash a