New Infant Nutrition Website Launches!

I am excited to share an amazing resource for expecting and new moms....it is a new website www.InfantNutritionCenter.com, and it is really remarkable!

The site lets you explore and learn the latest research findings through video, pictures, and graphics, in depth questions like why infant eyesight depends on getting enough DHA and what key nutrients contribute to the healthy growth of your child's brain. The website shares information from leading health centers and researchers across the country to explain how nutrition is crucial to infant development. How can you make sure that your newborn gets the nutrients she needs to ensure healthy growth through her first birthday? How do you keep her stomach from getting upset? What should you, as an expectant Mom, eat to ensure that you stay healthy as your infant grows? What vitamins do you need if you're breastfeeding to ensure that you're passing along the right nutrients to your infant?

The amazing videos clearly explain how proper nutrition shapes development and how individual nutrients affect the senses, bone formation, and the immune system of infants. Breastfeeding and formula advances are discussed, and for pregnant women, there is information on healthy eating for themselves and their growing babies.

Created by Mead Johnson as a service for Moms, you can watch the webcast of the launch of Infant Nutrition Center.com, and then check out this great resource yourself. And if you know anyone that is expecting a new baby, or has just become a new mom, you may want to pass on the website information as well!

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mead Johnson. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Are You Ready For Halloween Night?

Oh the excitement is building around our house today.... costumes are ready, trick or treat bags are ready for action, and my kids are counting down to the big night! I am dreading the aftermath of Halloween night though, because then the war of the candy begins. Three kids... endless candy right in their hands ..... a stressed out mom trying to control the situation and the sugar rush....ack!

I read an interesting idea for a healthier Trick or Treat option that could replace the candy yet hopefully maintain kid-approval: chocolate milk in shelf stable cartons. I have to admit I would never have thought of milk cartons as a candy alternative for ghosts and goblins, but the more I think about it, it is not such a bad idea.

Milk served in cartons tastes good AND is good for the environment because the cartons are mainly made from paper, a renewable resource that can be replenished – plus, they have a low carbon footprint and are recyclable., and it can be conveniently stored away and chilled later, when you are ready to serve it. Maybe not a bad idea for Twick or Tweet Me night after all.

If you visit the Trick or Treat Me blog, they have some coupons for milk cartons if you are interested in this idea.

Happy Halloween!

Harry Connick Jr.-- "Your Songs" Review

Harry Connick Jr. has won my heart! Sorry to the hubby....but oh how this man touches my soul with his music....sigh.

In "Your Songs," Connick sings familiar songs with a full Jazz big band and string orchestra, and, as with nearly all of Harry's previous albums, he wrote each of the orchestrations himself. He also recruited two of his lifelong friends from New Orleans, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, as well as bluegrass guitar virtuoso Bryan Sutton, for guest appearances. 14 tracks including 'Mona Lisa', 'Smile', 'Just The Way You Are' and more.

There is something so warm and genuine in Harry Connick's singing that simply draws me in. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this new CD of his, and several songs had me teary-eyed. Because the songs are familiar old time classics, memories of times past crept into my mind as I listened. And I loved hearing some songs that I had loved before, but over time had forgotten about!

My favorite song by far has to be Harry's version of "Can't Help Falling in Love With You."

A bit about Harry Connick if you are not familiar with him:

"Harry's been indulging his musical passion since the age of 3, and played publicly for the first time at the age of 6! His career has been studded with awards and recognition, including several multi-platinum and gold albums, 25 million albums sold worldwide, Grammy, Tony and Emmy Awards; Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, and so much more.

Married since 1994 to model Jill Goodacre, they have three daughters ranging in ages from 7-13."

Check out the awesome track list on this latest CD of Connick's, and the original artists -- (I think this CD would make a wonderful Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for moms, grandmothers, sisters, etc... ! And visit Harry's website to learn more about him and his music!

All The Way (Frank Sinatra)

Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)

Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)

And I Love Her (The Beatles)

(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)

Besame Mucho

The Way You Look Tonight

First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)

Your Song (Elton John)

Some Enchanted Evening
And I Love You So (Don McLean)

Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)

Smile (Charlie Chaplin)

Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)


Thanks to One2One Network for providing information and product sampling for this review and giveaway.

Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes GIVEAWAY!!

Love the Souplantation (also known as Sweet Tomatoes)?? My family loves eating at the Souplantation not only because it is so yummy....but there is always something to make everyone happy! My kids love the ice cream/sundae bar the best...go figure! And three lucky readers will win free passes to enjoy a meal at either restaurant! But before I give out the giveaway details, check out this awesome contest:

On October 1, Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes restaurants announced the crEATe Recipe Contest (http://www.souplantation.com/create/) . Throughout the month of October, guests can submit their recipes for mouth-watering combinations made entirely from Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes menu items through the Web site, Facebook page, or by e-mail. Ten finalists will be chosen in November and all guests will be invited to vote for their favorite finalist in December. The winning recipe and chef will be announced in January and will win a year’s worth of free passes and the chance to be featured in an upcoming ad.

Here are the create contest rules: The contest is open to restaurant guests in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas Utah and Washington. Guests must submit their recipe and a photo of themselves alongside the completed dish by October 31. The recipe must contain at least 2 to 5 Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes menu items only and will be judged based on menu and visual appeal, ingredient list, and creativity. Recipes and photos can be submitted online at http://www.souplantation.com/create, on the Facebook page, or by email to create@gardenfreshcorp.com

And like I said, three lucky readers of my blog will each win a set of two passes to enjoy at a Souplantation or Sweet Tomatoes restaurant!

TO ENTER, visit the Souplantation website, and then leave me a comment telling me your favorite menu item.


Extra Entries:

Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families
Favor Happy Healthy Families on Technorati
Blog about this giveaway, linking to this post and Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
Tweet this Giveaway (extra entry each day you tweet it!)
Follow me on Twitter

Contest will end November 1oth @ 11:59 EST
Winners will be notified by email and will have 36 hours to confirm.
Winners chosen by Random.org
This giveaway is open to US addresses. Good luck!

This post was written as part of a program for Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes, who provided complimentary dining passes for review and giveaway.

Rummino For Family Game Night

I grew up loving board games....I seriously could never get enough of them, especially Clue! My daughter and hubby do not share my passion however, and it is always a challenge to get them involved in a family game night. But thanks to a review opportunity I had for the game, Rummino, I succeeded in getting them both to enjoy a fun family game night..FINALLY!!

Rummino, by Marina Games is kind of like a cross between Rummy and Scrabble. I found it to be challenging and fun, especially after we all got the hang of it. Rummino is recommended for ages 8 , but I have to say that my two munchkin boys have their own fun with the tiles matching and guessing the letters.

So if you are in search for a new game for the family, try Rummino! You can order it here from Marina Games for $19.99.


Thank you to Marina Games and The Family Review Network for providing me with the game for purposes of this review. My opinions regarding this product are my own, and have not been influenced by receiving the product.

Pen Pal Notes Giveaway Winner!!

Here are your random numbers:

13

Gianna said...

Meet the US Presidents :) Congratulations. Please check for an email confirmation from me!

Thanks to all who entered!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer awareness month, as we know, and Cryo-Cell International, Inc is partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore the potential utilization of menstrual stem cells to treat breast cancer. The partnership is underway to better understand the C’elle stem cells and their potential benefit for the treatment of breast cancer.
Stem cells from menstrual blood are proven to be a rich source of stem cells. In fact, they are the subject of extensive, aggressive stem cell research and development, and industry experts anticipate that C’elle stem cells will be the next great frontier for diagnostic and regenerative medicine as well.
For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cryo-Cell is offering contributions to the Susan B. Komen Foundation. $50 for each purchase of the “Protect Baby, Protect Mom” service and $25 for each purchase of the “C’elle Menstrual Stem Cell” service. This is such an important cause. Breast Cancer is a disease that affects so many of us everyday, our neighbors, family and friends. I know in my family we have been personally affected by this disease, and most women I talk with can say the same. Definitely we need more research! Please learn about how the C'Elle Breast Cancer Donation
Cyro-Cell Breast Cancer Donation programs work, and maybe we can all be part of a cure for this disease!

My Yoga 2 Go: Review and Giveaway

This yoga system has to be one of the coolest reviews I have done! I complain (too much if you ask the hubby) about getting some "me time" and exercise time that is just for me. Thanks to the Yoga 2 Go System, I now have just what I have been looking for!

Yoga has always intrigued me, but I never seem to find the time or extra money to actually go join any classes. So when given the opportunity for this review, I jumped at it. And I am so happy I did.

The Yoga 2 Go System comes in a fantastic portable package that just makes you want to get busy and try it all out. There are 7 different practice sequences (ranging from 30 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes in length) using 70 different posture cards (from which you can also customize your own sequence) and a multi-pocket display tote for easy visual reference while working out. You can choose the cards you want to layout a complete yoga session each day. Simply pick them out and put them in the pockets on the plastic holder. Each card has a full color picture of each pose with detailed instructions. You design your yoga routine for the day based on your level and purposes.

I love this...I really do! It is easy to store, easy to take with me, easy to set up and use, and it just makes me feel so good when I do my yoga exercises!

The Yoga 2 Go System is available online for $29.95.....what a great Christmas ift this could be! But guess what? I get too give a Yoga 2 Go System away to one lucky reader!

THE GIVEAWAY

Leave me a comment letting me know your best tip for relaxing and rejuvenating when you get "me time." Please leave a valid email address with your comment if you do not have an active blog.

MORE ENTRIES

Tweet this contest and get an extra entry for each daily entry.
Follow me on Twitter.
Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave me the url. (Three Extra Entries)
Favor Happy Healthy Families on Technorati.
Become a Subscriber of Happy Healthy Families.

This contest will end Saturday October 31st at 11:59 est.
Open to U.S. Addresses.
Winner will be notified by email and have 3 days to confirm.
Winner will be drawn by Random.Org



Thanks to My Yoga 2 Go and Family Review Network for providing me with the free product for purposes of this review. My opinions regarding this product are my own, and have not been influenced by receiving the product.

Rockabye Baby Winner!

Here are your random numbers:

17

Timestamp: 2009-10-12 19:33:30 UTC

The Demille's said... Tweet! http://twitter.com/tobinsmommy08/status

Congratulations!! And thanks to everyone who entered!

The Obama Time Capsule

"THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE showcases one of the most important presidential races in American history through the eyes of the world's top photographers. Spanning a two-year period, the book provides behind-the-scenes images encompassing President Barack Obama's road to the White House, Election Day, the Inauguration and his first 100 days in office. Including essays from TIME magazine's Joe Klein, The Huffington Post's Arianna Huffington, General Colin Powell and President Obama's sister, Auma Obama. The book also includes fascinating infographics from world-renowned graphic artist Nigel Holmes, the human stories featured in this fascinating book capture the challenges and opportunities facing America's 44th president as he takes his place on the world stage. "

I was honored recently to be given an exceptional review opportunity: The Obama Time Capsule. This beautiful hard bound book is a great memento of a piece of history. Through inspirational pictures and essays, Obama's two year journey to the White House. The book also captures moments from Obama's first 100 days of office.

The Obama Time Capsule is essentially a customized book that allows you seamlessly add your personal pictures and thoughts to the existing professional photos and essays documenting Obama’s journey to the White House. The book contains beautiful photographs and essays and gives users the ability to insert themselves into a piece of history. For some additional insight, please check out the HP commercial on YouTube which provides a great visual of what the book is all about, as well as recent broadcast coverage from ABC Evening News.

I absolutely was enthralled with the fact that I could customize this book. I dedicated it to my husband, and was able to personalize the dedication page as well. I included several different pictures of my husband, myself and one of my hubby and daughter together. I was able to customize and personalize the book online in a very short time. The hardest part for me was deciding on which pictures to use.

It is truly an incredible piece of history, that will be a special keepsake in our family always. This would make an incredible gift for any Obama/History fan in your life. You can also order it without personalizing it if you prefer. Either way, it is an exceptional tribute to our history.

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for The Obama Time Capsule, who provided the book for review.

Athletes, Shopping, Vacations...Oh My!

On September 19, 2010, the the inaugural race of the Ironman 70.3 will take place in Branson. The Ironman 70.3 Branson will serve as one of the 34 worldwide qualifying events for the 2010 Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, Florida.

For anyone planning to attend this event, Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel offers luxury and easy access to all of the activities before and after the event! And even more exciting, both the finish line and awards ceremony will be held directly across the street at the Fountains of Branson Landing.

The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel offers guests access to shops, boutiques, restaurants, a river walk and other attractions. It is within easy driving distance of Branson’s championship golf courses, lakes, museums and 49 live entertainment theaters.There is something for everyone to enjoy! Personally, I could see myself enjoying leisurely breakfasts, swimming in their indoor pool, working out in the gym, and checking out the boutiques.

Oh yea...I'm sure I could fit in some time to check out all those hunky athletes too, of course!!

Wordless Wednesday : Love Notes

I am in love with mommy-hood. Sigh.

Looking For Someone?

I checked out an interesting site today where you can possibly locate a missing someone in your life that you would like to reconnect with. At MyLife you can register for free, and then start your search. Enter the name and age of the person you are looking for and immediately have results. This may or may not actually lead you to your long lost person, but with 750+ million profiles on their site, chances are good you may. I found it interesting to see if I could track down one of my long lost friends from high school. We were inseparable back then, but with passing years and moves, we have lost touch. So I think I have found her now...have sent an email and will see what happens. I am excited and kind of nervous somehow, but it would be so cool to have found her again. She knows things about me that no one else does, LOL!
MyLife.com only accesses publicly available information from a variety of places - proprietary sources, social networks, public domain - to create the largest database of online and offline information to help you find anyone from anytime in your life. And they have created a privacy policy to safeguard your identity and give you control of your personal information. Want to reconnect with someone? Check out MyLife and see what you think!

Aloha Friday!

It has been a while since I participated in Aloha Fridays over at An Island Life.....but I hope I can come back and play???

So, my question for this week is.....

Have you ever had blogger burnout, and if so, what did you find to help you get back in to the swing of things? (Yes...I have burned out lately and need suggestions on how to rekindle my blogging flame!)

And after you answer, do't forget to post your own question on your blog and join in the fun at An Island Life!

New Charter Giveaway

Remember when Charter was giving away a laptop everyday for two months? I thought that was a pretty sweet deal. Uh. That was nothing compared to Charter's latest giveaway: A 2010 Camaro 2SS! Yes....a new Camaro. This latest giveaway ends November 26, 2009 at noon (started on Sept. 15, 2009).




In addition, you can get a $100 gift card from major retailers in clothing, home and accessories, restaurants and more, when you buy 3 Charter services, $50 gift card for 2 services, and $25 gift card when you buy 1 Charter service.

To get your chance at this awesome car, visit charter.com/camaro to register today and to view the complete rules for the Camaro Sweepstakes , specifications on the Camaro, and more. You can also visit Charter on Facebook, and follow Charter on Twitter to get more information and stay up to date with their latest giveaway.