K'NEX Tinkertoy Pink Building Set Review

I have two little inquisitive kids and I like to feed their imaginations with educational toys. I'm a K'NEX Brand Ambassador which means we get sent a nice box full of K'NEX Goodies in exchange for our personal review. The first toy that my kids gravitated to was the Tinkertoy. I personally had not heard of these toys but the kids informed me that they have been playing with these at their daycamp forever and these are 'the best'.

The kids were so excited with their new toy and ended up playing with the Tinkertoy Pink Building Set in the hallway because they were too excited to even walk to the family room.

My daughter made a flower per the instructions and my son made a huge contraption on wheels. It is fun to see them follow instructions and/or let their imaginations run wild. My daughter was so happy that we were sent the girls Tinkertoy version. Her favorite color is pink and she loves that there are so many girly colors for her to build girly themed structures. There were 150 pieces in the box which allowed for plenty of building time. I liked the fact that the pieces were sturdy and stayed put when clicked in so no kid frustration to deal with.

Did you know 2013 is the 100^th anniversary of TINKERTOY!

To stay up to date on TINKERTOY’s centennial celebration this fall, be sure you “like” the Tinkertoy facebook page and share it with your friends. We'll be hosting a Tinkertoy giveaway soon to celebrate the 100th anniversary - so keep posted.

BUY IT

Grab the Tinkertoy Pink Building Set on Amazon for $49.89 + Free Shipping!

Disclosure: K'NEX provided me the Tinkertoy Pink Building Set in exchange for our review and opinion on the product. This is written based on my own honest opinion (other peoples opinions may vary).

Friday, June 14, 2013 | 3 comments | Read More

Jack the Giants Slayer Combo Pack DVD Giveaway

I went to see Jack the Giants Slayer with my son at the movies earlier this year. We went as part of a Mother and Son event at his elementary school. It was so nice to spend some time alone with my son and the movie was just perfect for my action packed little boy. The movie features Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Moulin Rouge!), and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones).

I grew up reading Jack and the beanstalk and when the kids were little I would say in a menacing but fun Giants voice "Fee Fi Fo thumb, I smell the blood of little kids who are not in bed". It always sent them scattering up the stairs to their bedroom with screams and squeals of laughter.

Jack the Giant Slayer comes out on DVD on June 18th! This will be in my shopping cart June 18th - a nice movie to have for the summer during one of our playdates. Movies are always fun for a little Mommy downtime and yes kids downtime too. You can pre-order a copy at Amazon for only $22.99+Free shipping!

Check out the blog app below

Take the quiz above to find out if you are courageous enough to rescue the prince. Are you brave like Jack?

One Lucky reader will win
Jack the Giant Slayer Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet)! (Giveaway open to residents of the USA and Canada). Contest ends July 8th. Good Luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, June 14, 2013 | 22 comments | Read More

Superman Flying Heroes Review and Giveaway

The new Superman movie "Man of Steel" hits the big screen today June 14th!

Are you headed to the movies this weekend for the weekend debut? I've seen all the movies and can't wait to introduce Superman to my children. Of course they have heard the name Superman as a super hero in the playground and from cartoons. So to watch a movie and learn his story helps build upon this classic iconic childhood superhero.

We just checked out this awesome Superman Flying Heroes toy. It is a flying action figure, simply pull from the launcher and kids will be able to unleash their favorite superhero and watch them fly like never before.

The instructions say to never aim at the eyes or face, or other people and pets and to play in an open area. When launching, hold at arms length and point up and away from face. I can see why we needed to be outside because the Flying Heroes can certainly take off and fly! After a few tries from Mummy to show safe use I handed Superman to the kids and they had so much fun seeing where he went. It is great outdoor summer toy. The recommended age is 4+. My kids are 6 and 8 so they had no trouble launching Superman and they soon learnt that the faster you pulled on the cord the faster he went.

You will find Superman and Batman at Target already retailing around $16.99. In August, you'll find all Flying Heroes characters (including Spiderman) at Target, Walmart, ToysRUs and K-Mart. If you are an adult Superhero fan then I'm sure you'll be purchasing this for your own collection - it is pretty fun and affordable!

CONNECT

Website: www.TheBridge.Direct.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheBridgeDirect

Twitter: @TheBridgeDirect

Your Own Superman Flying Hero. Simply enter to win through the rafflecopter form below.

Contest ends open to US residents only and ends on July 5th. Good Luck. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, June 14, 2013 | 16 comments | Read More

How does your garden grow? Spring 2013

My parents have a huge organic garden and as a kid I loathed having to help out during the spring and summer months watering, weeding and harvesting the vegetables. Little did I realize what a wonderful experience and healthy lifestyle they were providing me. It was only when I had my own children did I realize how fortunate I was to eat fresh vegetables and how much money could be saved.

We have a 20X60 raised bed garden and early this spring I planted bak choi, lettuce, carrots and peas. So far I've been able to harvest Bak choi and Black seeded Simpson lettuce. I'm patiently waiting for the peas and the carrots to be ready for harvest.

After Mother's Day I planted my summer crops which I grew from seeds at home; tomatoes and pepper and then direct sowed the cucumber, zucchini and bean seeds. I hooked up a soaker hose on a timer so I don't have to drag my hose out to water the plants. So far this has been a washout spring so the soaker hoses haven't been used too much. This year I put down some weed blocking material between plants which should help me cut back on weeding! My children are eagerly awaiting the cherry tomatoes as it is their favorite to pick those straight from the plants. I'm personally waiting for the pickling cucumbers to come in so I can start canning and also for the zucchinis to start popping so I can make my chocolate zucchini bread!

The weather hasn't been cooperating as much but it is so exciting to go out each morning and see everything grow a little bit bigger! I'll keep you posted on my next harvest! How does your garden grow?

Monday, June 10, 2013 | 2 comments | Read More

Vacation on a Budget: Staycation

There are families who go on vacations (out of town or abroad) every holiday and there are families who opt to stay at home to catch up on some errands and other responsibilities. If it’s not about finishing up some chores around the house, it’s about saving up on money for a rainy day. We sometimes feel vulnerable when we spend our savings even if it’s for a family vacation. But if you’re saving up for a grand family vacation in the Bahamas or just going upstate, there are plenty of ways to experience a great staycation on a budget.

If you think a staycation is all about watching reruns of The Good Wife or your favorite TV series, think again. To kick start your holidays, here are some tips that’s just are just as enjoyable and will make you feel like you're really on a vacation. Why not organize a barbecue? Get the grill out and invite friends and family over for a cookout. You can ditch your diet for a while and have a hotdog, maybe a cheeseburger and just live a little. You can also organize a game night and bring out the yummy appetizers. Before game night, you can practice your skills by playing online games on sites such as cheekybingo You can also meet new friends and organize your own game night with its exciting online community.

Finally, you can have a picnic in your own backyard and if you don’t want to cook for everybody you can organize a potluck. If it’s an afternoon grill, you can provide the burgers and hotdogs and your guests can bring easy side dishes to prepare such as potato salad or macaroni salad as seen on Martha Stewart and Jamie Oliver Remember to catch up on some sleep and it’s okay to skip your gym class for an all-out staycation.

Are you opting for a staycation this year?

Monday, June 10, 2013 | 4 comments | Read More

iPad Mini Giveaway Event - Facebook Follows

Facebook Signups

Saturday, June 01, 2013 | 14 comments | Read More

"Dial it Back" MommyParty, sponsored by Fruit2O

As a working Mom I try to do it all. Fortunately, I have a flexible job which allows me to feed the kids a healthy dinner before taking them to their after school activities. However, being a supermom does have its price and often there is little time left for me and I'm run ragged keeping the household clean, fed and happy. I'm often reminded by my aching body to "dial it back" every now and again. One way that I dial it back is to relax and have some other mom's over for a beverage. There is nothing better than a cool flavored beverage to rejuvenate my cells and put a smile on my face.

Fruit2O offers crisp, clear water that is flavored with enough natural fruit flavor with no sugar, no calories, no carbs and no artificial flavors. We are bottled drinkers at home so this is a nice refreshing change with a little more flavor than plain water.

We received a MommyParty pack sponsored by Fruit2O and I chose to debut the drinks at my son's First Holy Communion party. We had all our guests back to our house after mass. I served meatballs and pulled pork in crockpots and ordered in wings and ribs as appetizers. The Fruit2O drinks were well receive by our families and they especially loved the coupons and drink recipe ideas that I sent home in their party favors. The new flavors, natural cucumber and lemon was a hit with family and the natural watermelon was a hit with the kids. We loved it so much that I grabbed a huge multipack from Costco. These will be great for our baseball games.

Check out the Dial it Back Facebook App.

This lighthearted app monitors your Facebook posts and updates to create a humorous infographic dashboard, highlighting those areas in which you and your friends may want to dial back.
Check out who's guilty of shameless sweetie mentions, from the bar broadcasting, and sports team smack talk and share the app with other friends who might need to dial it back a bit, too!

Disclosure: I received free products and discount coupons for the purpose of a review from Momselect.com and Fruit2O. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for a positive review.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 | 7 comments | Read More

Novica Mother's Day Gift Review and $40 Gift Code #Giveaway

Mother's Day has crept up quick on us this year! I hope you all have a great Mother's Day and have fun with your family this Mother's Day.

This year my husband has booked a brunch with the family at a local restaurant. Breakfast is one of the meals I love best because hubby is the breakfast maker at the weekend. I get to relax with the kids while hubby makes breakfast. So I'm pretty excited about brunch this Mother's day because we all get to relax and enjoy some yummy food together.

What did you get your Mom this year? if you haven't found what you are looking for then check out Novica. Novica is a site that I often turn to. Novica's Mission page states "Novica is Different". This is certainly true. While looking elsewhere online there are so many stores that offer the same thing. Novica is unique that it offers artists and artisans around the world a global platform to express their true artistic talents and to spur their creativity, so the gifts that you choose from Novica for you and your loved ones will truly set your gift apart from others and leave a long lasting impression.

The Gift Finder feature at Novica allows you to narrow your search from their vast inventory. Of course I went straight to "Gifts for Her" option. Then I narrowed it down to the "Gifts by price" option because price can often be a deal breaker for me. I opted for the "Gifts under $50" which allows me to buy a few items.

This beaded Batik tote bag is only $47.99 and $2.99 shipping. The fine beaded detail would surely make your gift recipient think you spent way more than $47.99. Plus the artisan story which is included with the purchase adds that extra special touch. Head to Novica and you'll be amazed by the selection and I'm sure you'll be adding a few things for yourself to the cart. Go ahead you deserve it.

Thanks to Novica, we can offer one lucky reader a $40 Novica Gift code. Simply enter to win through the rafflectoper form below. The contest ends May 24th, 2013. Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We received the opportunity to receive and provide a giftcard for giveaway courtesy of Novica in exchange for our honest review. All opinions are of our own, others may vary.

Thursday, May 09, 2013 | 47 comments | Read More

Mombo Nursing Pillow Review

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Comfort and Harmony for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm a Mother of two children, ages 8 and 6. When I was an expecting my firstborn a friend of mine kindly took me to BabiesRUS and gave me the lowdown on what to put on my baby registry and what not to put on my baby registry. I pay it forward now to all my expecting friends with a "tell it like it is" trip to BabiesRUS.

One of the must have items on my baby registry list was a breastfeeding pillow. I was lucky to be able to breastfeed my babies past the 6 month stage and the breastfeeding pillow was one of my best friends during those months and especially in the middle of night when there is not a sound in the world except your precious little one snuggled closely. A breastfeeding pillow allows a firm surface to lay your baby on while feeding. It is a back saver for you but not too soft that baby sinks into the pillow. I also brought another baby pillow (infant positioner) to prop up the baby as the breastfeeding pillow was a little too hard for casual lounging. After having the second baby 21 months later, I realized that there were a lot of baby things that I didn't need or didn't have room for as toddler toys for baby # 1 started to fill the house. But I needed both the nursing pillow and the infant positioner pillow.

The Mombo nursing pillows seems to have the best of both worlds for Moms and babies alike. It is a nursing pillow with 2 sides; 1 side is firm for feeding and the other side is soft for lounging. The Mombo pillow would most definetely save you money instead of buying two pillows and also a space saver as it is 2 pillows in 1. Just becuse you will be saving money doesn't mean you will skimp on quality for your precious bundle of joy. The Mombo pillow is made to a high quality and the pillow just feels right for nursing and lounging. Where was the Mombo when I was nursing?

The washable slipcovers which are sold separately are so cute, especially the deluxe versions which come in modern patterns on one side and premium plush fabric on the other. Now why don't they make adult bedding just like that?

There is one more feature that will definetely have you running to the store for a Mombo pillow. The Mombo pillow comes with a removable vibration unit. My babies loved their vibrating packnplay and baby bouncer, the reason is because the vibration reminds them of being in the womb. A happy baby equals a happy mom.

My friend is expecting her baby in a few months so the Mombo pillow will be wrapped up nicely all ready for her baby shower. You'll find the Mombo pillows at BabiesRUS - be sure to check out all the cute slipcover designs. Isn't this Deluxe Butterfly Whispers cover just darling and for all you mom's out there the taggies cover is ingenious! My babies loved their taggies blanket!