Showing posts with label blog reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog reviews. Show all posts

Kelloggs Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks With Fiber: Review


The kiddlets and I were recently recruited for a Kelloggs Taste Test between Kelloggs regular Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks, and their new fiber-added cereal versions. Tough as this assignment would be (yes, I am giggling here) on my family, they all courageously agreed to be involved.

Seriously, when the package of Kellogg Cereals was delivered to us, you would have thought Santa himself had made the delivery. My munchkin boys could not have had bigger smiles plastered on their faces. And my 5 year old knew...just knew...that he was going to be allowed to indulge in his favorite cereals, because after all, it had something to do with mommy's work. Smart kid.

Inside the big box, we found boxes of  Kelloggs cereals. We had the regular Fruit Loops, the regular Apple Jacks, and boxes of Apple Jacks with fiber, and  Fruit Loops with Fiber. Four big family- sized boxes of cereal. I believe I saw tears in my children's eyes for a minute. We normally are an oatmeal kind of breakfast family. We do get cereal, but not as an everyday breakfast option. I have found my boys to be so much more pleasant to be around when their sugar content is low. Very low. But they love "cereal mornings" when we have them! And they are in heaven when on occasion I let them have a snack with cereal.

Anyhoo. Back to the taste test. I decided to do this test over a few days time instead of all at once. So the first day I gave the boys the regular Fruit Loops and the regular Apple Jacks. No surprises here. They were very happy and gobbled up their cereal, making sure to drink up the milk at the bottom of their bowls. (Which I might add, is one of the perks in serving cereal to my kids....it can be difficult to get them to drink milk these days.)

 The next morning I substituted the Fiber added cereals for the regular cereals without mentioning this fact to the taste testers, of course. Again, no surprises. All was bliss as the kids munched contentedly on their cereals, and again, the milk was slurped up. Hmm. I next decided to pour two bowls of cereal for the hubby. One was Fruit Loops regular, the other with Froot Loops with Fiber. I had him take bites of each without telling him which was which. He enjoyed both bowls, and could not say which bowl had the fiber and which didn't. Hmmm. So I then had the hubby pour me two bowls. I tasted both bowls, and while it was more a guess than a "know for sure" thing, I did pick out which bowl had the fiber-added cereal. But both bowls of cereal were yummy as usual.

The following morning I gave my kids the regular Apple Jacks (did I mention how happy my kids were during the test tasting days???). All smiles and empty bowls. Next day was the fiber-added Apple Jacks. Again.....happiness and milky chins prevailed at the breakfast table. No complaints. No left-over cereal in the bowls. Nada. Just kids asking for rmore. Which they did not get.

Again my hubby and I did our part. And again the hubby had no clue. And this time I could not tell any difference. Both bowls of Apple Jacks tasted the same to me.

So as a mom, I appreciate the added fiber Kelloggs added to the cereals. While I still will limit how much and how often my kids eat cereal, I can honestly say that when I buy Kelloggs cereals, I will have no problem picking the Fiber Added cereal over the regular.

Read more about the importance of fiber in our diets, and Kelloggs' nutrition, here.



"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."

Winner of My Yoga 2 Go!!


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Review: Rand McNally Boredom Busters

Rand McNally recently introduced a series of innovative games and activities to keep kids entertained and families connected in the car. The Boredom Breakers™ products are designed to bring families together, encouraging conversation, laughter and fun. Rand McNally developed the five games based on extensive parent research. Moms across the country were clear about what they like - creative activities that make kids laugh and allow family members to learn more about one another - and what they don’t like - games with a lot of little pieces (Amen!).

We received the
Magnet Message Makers, activity to try out and review, thanks to Rand McNally and Role Mommy. The Magnet Message Makers includes two reusable and removable magnets that will not harm your vehicle and five sheets of removable stickers for decorating the magnets. While these would be perfect for long car trips, the stickers were something my boys could not resist playing with right away. The very best part of this activity set are the two magnetic boards that come in the set. My boys could sit for long periods of time ( an uncommon event in our home!) placing stickers on their boards and changing them around. The stickers all came in themed sets such as cars, nature, beach day, and signs. This made it even more fun for my boys to create scenes on their magnet boards, remove the stickers and make new scenes. I was very impressed with this activity set and very happy to see my two munchkin boys happily involved in an activity side by side that kept them content for more than a few minutes!

The Boredom Breakers Line offers 5
activities which are sold separately at RandMcNally.com and Amazon.com. From the Rand McNally website:

"Story Starters: Packed with 72 minutes of funny stories, mysteries and games, this interactive CD will be an instant road trip hit. Story Starters combines the best of classic radio-style drama and audio effects to get families telling stories together. Hearing is truly believing!

Car Karaoke: Mom can sing lead and kids are back-up vocals. Just pop in the CD with 12 classic rock, pop, and kid favorite songs. Includes everything needed to be a rockstar: an inflatable microphone, rating cards, and three lyric books. Choose from favorites like “Build Me Up Buttercup” or “Twist and Shout,” to see who’s got the pipes in the family. Earplugs not included!

Car Game Countdown: Car games are fun, but they are even more outrageous when you’re trying to beat the clock. Car Game Countdown includes a car-shaped digital timer with electronic sound and laminated dual-sided game cards featuring 18 games on a clip ring.

Travel Card Games: Travel Card Games features three great games to pass time and start conversations. Includes a slim storage box to easily stow in the backseat pocket.

Magnet Message Makers: Magnet Message Makers is a mess-free way to get the kids and the car ready for the road . It includes two reusable and removable magnets that will not harm your vehicle and five sheets of removable stickers for decorating the magnets."

If you are planning a long car trip (or are just looking for fun activities for your family to enjoy together at home), the Rand McNally Boredom Breakers are something worth checking out!


Thanks to Role Mommy and Rand McNally who provided the product for review. The opinions expressed are my own.




Texas Instruments TI-Nspire Review

This is the Texas Instruments TI-Nspire....does it not look awesome?! I was seriously excited to be able to review this product because my daughter has just started Junior High School this year, and math is not one of her best subjects. I can relate. Math and I never got along either. And Texas Instruments must understand the reluctance some of us have when it comes to math and science subjects, because they also included a "TI-Nspire For Dummies" Book!

I admit it was a little daunting to start learning how to use the TI-Nspire, but oh my goodness, what a wonderful thing this instrument is. I know my daughter is going to be using this for her Junior High, High School and College years.

Here is an idea of what you can do with TI-Nspire with TI-84 Plus Keyboard:

  • View multiple representations of a problem on a single screen
  • Grab a graphed function and move it to see the effect
  • "Link" representations: Manipulate the properties of one and observe instant updates to others without switching screens
  • Create, save and review work in electronic documents, like a computer
  • Activate the handheld's Press-to-Test feature to block access to certain geometry features not allowed on state exams
  • Experience identical functions on the handheld and TI-Nspire Computer Software (Windows© or Mac©). Your students can use the software independently or in tandem with the handheld for work in and out of class
  • Project a full interactive handheld alongside a large handheld screen to demonstrate concepts to your class usingTI-Nspire Computer Software - Teacher Edition.
The TI-Nspire is perfect for Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, Statistics, College Math, Pre-Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Business, and Finance. Impressive.

And even though the SAT/ACT's are still a bit away for my daughter, guess what? The TI-Nspire is actually APPROVED for using with those exams. Thank-you Texas Instruments!

From their website:

"TI-Nspire and TI-Nspire CAS technology was developed hand-in-hand with educators worldwide and built on proven graphing technology which research* shows has a positive impact on student achievement. This exciting learning technology offers both handhelds and computer software for the flexibility to meet different classroom needs.

Permitted on SAT, ACT, AP, PSAT/NSMQT, IB and Praxis exams, as well as many state tests."

I am so looking forward to watching my daughter use this new calculator and getting the added support she needs to succeed in her education. Thank-you Texas Instruments. Seriously.


This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Texas Instruments, who supplied the product for review.

Sleepy Bear Review and Giveaway!



I am a huge fan of baby wearing. Even to this day when I see a mom with her baby snuggled up against her in a wrap, my ovaries start twinging. Sigh. So when Sleepy Bear arrived at our house, my kids had to wait for MOM to snuggle with this adorable toy first, and of course unwrap and re-wrap the baby bear, hehe. But then I played fair and shared. The boys, being boys, I assumed might lose interest quickly. But to my surprise, my five year old especially loves Sleepy Bear. He is constantly unwrapping the baby bear, and then doing his best to wrap him back in with his mommy. My son just started Kindergarten. One day after dropping my son off at Kindergarten, I arrived back home with my two year old in tow and started picking up the morning toy flurry. I found sleepy bear on the couch....but no baby. I searched everywhere...found the snuggly wrap...but no baby. My two year old helped with the search, calling out, but we did not find the baby. Later that day, when I was checking my son's backpack for school papers...voila! There was the baby bear...snuggled into a small pocket of the backpack! Aw. That touched my heart and so I left him where he was..a hidden comfort for my Kindergarten boy!

So some days I will see mommy bear with her baby snuggled tight...and other days, the baby will be missing (but now I know where to look!). So cute. Perfect timing for my son to receive a new "friend."

Sleepy Bear, introduced by NAP, Inc., is the very first stuffed toy to help promote babywearing, and is intended for children ages 3 and up. There are NO removable parts that could be potential choking hazards – the eyes, nose, etc. are all stitched on so that curious little hands won’t have anything to pull off.

And Sleepy Bear is made from the softest 100% organic cotton ever! The wrap itself is an Organic Khaki wrap, which is also available in full size for mom’s who love the color at: www.sleepywrap.com/organic.

The Sleepy Bear is available exclusively through the fine retailers listed here:

Tadpoles & Butterflies
Sherwood Park, Alberta CANADA
info@tadpoles.ca
www.tadpoles.ca
1.888.312.6554

The Extraordinary Baby Shoppe

1131 Wellington Street W, Ontario CANADA
900 King Street West, Ontario CANADA
spearso@bellnet.ca
http://www.extraordinarybabyshoppe.com
613.321.7249



USA


Heavenly Hold
510 Briarfield Crossing|
Marietta, GA
amber@heavenlyhold.com
www.heavenlyhold.com
404.849.5394

Supermommy’s Superstore
2411 Ring Road, Suite 105
Elizabethtown, KY
info@supermommyssuperstore.com
www.SupermommysSuperstore.com
270.769.6693

Sweet Infant
1007 S. Country Club Rd.
Lovington, NM
support@sweetinfant.com
www.sweetinfant.com
575.441.3005

Oregon Soap Shoppe
91C South Daysville Road
Oregon, IL
glcamling@aol.com
www.OregonSoapShoppe.com
866-411-6614


Nurtured Family
8525 Jackrabbit Rd., Suite B
Houston, TX
support@nurturedfamily.com
www.nurturedfamily.com
832.239.5140

Baby Carriers-n-More
265 W Cimmarron Way
Erda, UT
robyn@babycarriersnmore.com
www.babycarriersnmore.com
801.671.5740

Attached to Baby
Seattle, WA
sara@attachedtobaby.com
www.attachedtobaby.com
800.887.1461










WIN SLEEPY BEAR!!

To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment telling me what your child's favorite cuddly friend is right now, OR Visit the SleepyWrap site and leave me a comment telling me your favorite wrap color they offer.

FOR EXTRA ENTRIES:

Follow Happy Healthy Families on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. ** Each Daily Tweet gets you an Extra Entry**
Blog about this contest, and link to HappyHealthyFamilies and The Sponsor. (Five Entries)
Grab a Blog Button from my sidebar and put on your blog.
Add Happy Healthy Families to your Blog Roll.
Favorite Happy Healthy Families on Technorati.(Five Entries)
Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families.
Become a Follower of Happy Healthy Families' Blog.
Enter the "Teddy Wolf" Giveaway!(until Sept. 3rd)(Five Entries)

Contest Ends September 15th @11:59 EST.
Winner will be notified by email and will have 36 hours to confirm or new winner will be drawn.
Winner will be chosen by Random.org
Open to US Addresses only.



Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by Parent Reviewers for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own.


Meet Teddy Wolf !


Isn't he a cutie?? Teddy Wolf is a soft, plush, toy that is made for "LOTS OF HUGS." He is 16-inches tall, and made from safe, non-toxic materials. We received a Teddy Wolf for my kids to enjoy and cuddle with, and the makers of Teddy Wolf would like to give one more Teddy Wolf away to one reader of Happy Healthy Families!

To Enter:

Visit the Teddy Wolf site (some pages are still under construction), and read about Teddy Wolf some more. Then come back here and let me know something about Teddy Wolf not mentioned in my post. Please leave a valid email address in your entry.

For Extra Entries:

Follow me on Twitter, and Tweet this contest (leave me a comment with your tweet url)
Blog about this contest, linking to Happy Healthy Families and the sponsor
Add the Happy Healthy Families Button to your sidebar.
Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families
Become a Follower of Happy Healthy Families Blog
Favor Happy Healthy Families on Technorati
Enter the Dreyer Family Band CD Giveaway


Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry.
Get an extra entry for each daily tweet.

Open to US addresses only, sorry.

Contest ends September 3rd. Winner will be randomly drawn and notified by email. Winner will have 36 hours to confirm or new winner will be drawn.


MckLinky Blog Hop

Wendy's New Boneless Chicken Wings


A tempting review came my way...for Wendy's Boneless Chicken Wings! But since I myself do not eat chicken ( I am vegetarian,) I passed this review on to dear old hubby. Hehe..I knew he would be thrilled and very happy to step in for me!

When he went and picked up his treat from Wendy's, he was under strict orders to return home without a bite taken out of any of them. He is a good guy....he followed the rules as hard as it was, hehe. So when he walked in the door, I must admit that the bag he was carrying from Wendy's smelled sooooo good! Then he took out the container of the chicken wings, and they looked delicious. Yes, this from a vegetarian. What can I say?

Let me tell you a bit about Wendy's new chicken wings-- see if I can get anyone salivating over their keyboards (yea...I am being mean, sorry.) The chicken wings are boneless of course, and made with 100% whole chicken breast. They are hand tossed in one of three flavors: Bold Buffalo, Honey BBQ, and Sweet & Spicy Asian Chicken. The aroma was amazing, I kid you not.

So back to the hubby and his review. He eagerly started eating, and once started, barely stopped to take a drink. He loved them, and the guy is actually very particular about chicken wings. They happen to be one of his favorite things to eat, and he has his very favorite places to order them from, and places where he has ordered them from in the past and vowed to never do so again. He said the sauce was amazing...and that the chicken itself was moist, not dry, and plentiful in each wing. And his final verdict: two thumbs up, and a guarantee that he will be ordering Wendy's boneless chicken wings again (and again.)

I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Crazy4Jigsaws : Review


Thanks to the Family Review Network and Crazy4Jigsaws.com, I had the fun opportunity to check out the Crazy4Jigsaws site....and I love it! I have to caution everyone right here though that it is addicting, LOL!! I am having so much fun solving (or trying to solve) puzzles on the site. I find myself taking breaks from work to go to the site and play around.

Crazy4Jigsaws is an online jigsaw puzzle website with puzzles over 800 beautiful jigsaw puzzles to play free online, with a new puzzle added daily. Players can solve puzzles ranging from 12 to 300 pieces and compete for fastest solve times. Members can upload their own photos to turn into jigsaw puzzles and send them to their friends as e-cards. Members may also compete to win real jigsaw puzzles in monthly contests.

You can sign up for a free membership or for $4.95 /month, enjoy the premium membership that comes with some extra goodies like being able to save a puzzle you are working on, full screen puzzles, personal user icons, rotating puzzle pieces, customized backgrounds and more!
But either way, it is a blast. Go on and take a peek at the site...I bet you stay and do some puzzles right on the spot. Relax for a few, and enjoy!

This review was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Crazy4Jigsaws, who supplied the premium membership to their site.

Look What I'm Getting....And I'm Giving One Away Too!

I am sooo excited, and I wanted to give everyone a sneak peek at a very cool giveaway I have coming up! This awesome Zuma Insulated Backpack comes from the Kitchen Furniture Collection at Accent Furniture Direct. It will be perfect when I take my munchkin boys to the park, and our family getaways to the beach. As soon as I get mine, I am taking the kids and hitting the great outdoors! Can you tell I'm excited?

Ans I get to give one away to a lucky reader...watch for the Giveaway coming soon!

Music Box : Review and Giveaway!


I so love reviewing children's music because my little guys enjoy music...alot...which I am so surprised and amazed at sometimes. Music is a powerful thing ---brings out emotions, creativity, inspires physical movement (not that my boys really need more physical movement, hehe), and makes you happy and carefree, if even for a bit.

We received a copy of "Music Box" in our mail recently, and of course when my munchkin boys see a CD, they want it played immediately! Music Box is the latest CD from the amazing singer, Mary Kaye, set to be released July 2nd.

The songs are fun, silly and very melodic, all at the same time. We bounced around, got our respective grooves on, sang along (my kids especially love singing to the "Bug" song...go figure!) and enjoyed the Music Box CD immensely.

Mary Kaye has a quality to her voice that is so mesmerizing that you enjoy listening to it many times over--which is a good thing for adults with kids like mine who want to hear the same thing over and over again !! The words are clear and easy to hear, which I appreciate very much, and the stories behind the songs are so cute and realistic.

Mary Kaye is is an award winning singer/songwriter based in southern Maine, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. She has worked as a professional actress, an elementary classroom teacher, and as a director of several drama camps for children. With a beautiful voice and an obvious love for and understanding of children, it is no wonder that she has produced such wonderful and successful children's CDs such as "Spin Your Web," "Mouse Jamboree," and "I Sang It Just For You" previously.

Music Box will be released July 2nd, and you can purchase a copy at Amazon for $16.98.

Or You Can Enter To WIN A COPY !!

Mary Kaye has graciously offered to send a copy of Music Box to one of my readers!

How To Enter:

Check out the songs from Music Box here. Then come back and tell me your favorite song. Please remember to leave a valid email if you are not a blogger.
Extra Entries:

Tweet this giveaway for 2 extra entries! (please leave url in a comment)

Follow me on Twitter for 1 extra entries! (leave your Twitter name in a separate comment)

Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families for 1 extra entry (or let me know if you already are in a separate comment)

Blog this contest, linking to Mary Kaye and this post for 3 extra entries!

Stumble this contest for 3 extra entries!

Favorite Happy Healthy Families in Technorati and leave your name ina separate comment ( I will be checking) for 3 extra entries

Open to US addresses only. Contest will end July 5th at 11:59 EST. Winner will be drawn randomly, notified by email, and will have 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen.

Get Sited and Blogged Today!





I am proud to say I have become a contributor at Sited and Blogged! Have you checked out this new site yet? If you haven't, go on over and take a peek! We have launched today, and to celebrate there are a couple of fun giveaways going on!

I will be on the lookout for some great posts to "site and blog" about (check out that cool "I've been sited and blogged" button on the right, and if you have a post you'd like considered, just send me a link to it! This is a fun way to read posts from around the blogosphere in one place, and help build some extra traffic for your own blogs as well.

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@2023 HappyHealthyFamilies.com. All Rights Reserved.