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Breyers Smooth & Dreamy (Review/Giveaway)

Posted on July 26, 2010 11:58 am by TheAngelForever

Summer time and ice cream just go together. Of course, the calories and fat associated with most ice cream treats means that a lot of us do not splurge very often. When I was asked by Mom Central to participate in a Review/Giveaway for the new Breyers Smooth & Dreamy products, I jumped at the chance. I had seen these in a magazine and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches really caught my eye.

There are six varieties of the Breyers Smooth & Dreamy available. They include Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Vanilla Caramel Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Triple Chocolate Chip. As seen above, three of the varieties are bars and three are ice cream sandwiches. They contain no artificial flavors or colors, have 160 calories or less and 4-6g of fat per serving.

Since we only had room for one book in our freezer, we picked up the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough variety. I am a big critic for all things related to ice cream with cookie dough. Here is a closer look of what we found inside:

Yes, those are good sized chunks of cookie dough in these ice cream sandwich treats. Of course, the boys had to join in the taste testing. As you will see, they were very much involved in the process and did not want to be interrupted.

Overall, we really enjoyed the box of Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream treats that we tried. TechyDad has already requested which type to try next (he was scoping them out at the grocery store on several occasions). I really liked the cookie dough flavor throughout the ice cream sandwich. There were nice chunks of cookie dough throughout the sandwich, so it was there from the first bite to the last. The boys and I also really enjoyed the cookie part of the sandwich since it was not too crispy (we like more soft cookies). To say that we would purchase more of these and try others would be an understatement. As I said, the boys already have the next box planned out!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Mom Central and Breyers, FOUR lucky readers will win a coupon for a box of Smooth & Dreamy treats of your own.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: Which of the Breyers Smooth & Dreamy would you purchase with your coupon and why?

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

1 Bonus Entry – What is your favorite type of ice cream? If you can not pick just one, tell me your top few flavors of all time.
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Stop by for your chance to #win some ice cream. Breyers Smooth & Dreamy #giveaway from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/dA60P5
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 26 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 9, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers. They provided me with the coupons to purchase the product to facilitate my candid review. The opinions of this review are 100% mine and I will be purchasing more of these products with my own money for my family to enjoy. Mom Central will be sending me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

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food glorious food giveaway jsl nhl photos Product review summer yummy

The Kung Zhu time has come in the Zhu-niverse

Posted on July 25, 2010 7:31 pm by TheAngelForever

If you have been inside a store that sells toys in the last year, chances are you have seen Zhu Zhu pets. Each of our boys has a Zhu Zhu that they received as a gift from us for Passover. They really enjoyed playing with them, especially on the wide open kitchen floor at Nana and Papa’s house. Soon after this, I was contacted by Mom Select apply to throw a party for the latest in the Zhu-niverse.

The Kung Zhu line was recently released and have taken on a storm. Geared more for boys, the Kung Zhu line has several commercials that we have seen on television and they are in all of the stores (Target, Toys R Us, CVS and more). To help us to throw the ultimate Kung Zhu party we received pretty much everything you could imagine – LITERALLY. This is the box that arrived and everything out on the floor at Nana and Papa’s house (note how large it is compared to JSL standing next to it):

The trick has been getting kids together for a party. Kind of a nightmare when school is not in session. Since NHL really wants a Kung Zhu party, we will have it on August 22 for family and friends (many more kids in attendance). That is the day that we will break out all of the Kung Zhu games and make some Kung Zhu edible critters. For now, we decided to have our own party this weekend. This would allow us to set everything in the Kung Zhu-niverse up, test run items and celebrate JSL’s potty training success. Let me take you on a tour of the items we have.

First, meet the Kung Zhu’s themselves. There are eight Kung Zhu hamsters. The Kung Zhu Ninjas are Drayko, Yama, Azer and Thorn. The members of the Special Forces are Stonewall, Rock’O, Seargent Serge and Rivet. NHL selected Stonewall (blue) and JSL wanted Sgt,.Serge (green).

When these ordinary looking members of the Zhu-niverse put on their special armor, they turn into fighting warriors ready to do battle. Here are the battle armors that are made for each of the eight Kung Zhu’s. Scorpion Tank and Rhino Tank. Beware: the moving parts on the tanks really catch the eye of little people. . . they will not want to stop playing with these.

Once the Kung Zhu members of the Ninjas and Special Forces are all dressed, they can head into the Battle Arena. Meanwhile, the other Kung Zhu’s can man the battle area in their Spider Tank, Buzzsaw Tank,

Of course, you must also have your Special Forces HQ and Dojo for the Ninjas. These, along with the Combat Bridge, really help to get things ready for the Kung Zhu hamsters.

No Kung Zhu Ninja or Special Forces member can be ready for battle if they are out of shape. To help with this, they have multiple options for training.

Individually, TechyDad found that the pieces were not too difficult to assemble. The hardest part of the assembly was making sure that the items worked together for maximum fun for the entire Zhu-niverse. Here are some photos of our mini Kung Zhu Party.

NHL especially liked putting Stonewall through his training session. Check out the video of this member of the Special Forces team. As you will see, he is a persistent little hamster that is not intimidated by some bricks. (Please note the laughter from the kids – this will no doubt be a lot louder for the big party coming soon).

Of course, JSL had to put Sgt Serge through the process as well. Here is his little guy – note how he comes to attack me at the end of the video.

So, there you have it for now. This is just the start of our Kung Zhu party fun. In a few weeks, we will share more of our adventures with you as other children join our Kung Zhu-niverse for NHL’s 7th birthday party.

Disclosure: This review and party (part 1 – and 2 coming soon) was made possible by MomSelect and King Zhu. They provided me with all of the items shown above to throw the ultimate Kung Zhu party.The opinions of this review were mine and I received no other compensation.

Categories:
birthday fun jl jsl nhl photos play time Product review TechyDad video weekend

Potty Training Central

Posted on July 24, 2010 8:58 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

You and I have not seen eye-to-eye when it comes to potty training. I have known you were ready for a while. Once you went into a special private location to do your "business" and would ask to be changed, it was time. Of course, whenever we asked you to wear underpants or go on the potty you would scream at the top of your lungs. I didn’t push, but had mentioned to you in the middle of June that I would not buy more pull-ups. Then, we had to go away. Obviously, I was not going to start potty training two days before a car trip. So we went to the store. When you saw the pull-ups being put into the cart, you told me "Mama, you say no more pull-ups!" You got me and I knew it.

This week, something perked your interest and I went for it. I told you that we had Wiggles and Buzz Lightyear underpants. I pulled them out from storage on Wednesday and went for it. NHL was home from camp thanks to the storms and the roof getting fixed. We went for it. At first, you fought me. You did not want to wear the underpants. Then, when NHL made it exciting, you went. There was a small accident when you could not get to me quick enough. I cleaned the floor, then went to help your soggy bottom. That day, you went 4-5 times and had two accidents. The best part, you went to the Winnie the Pooh potty on your own three times and announced to me you peed.

Thursday was battle time. You had your Wiggles underpants on, but you were not in the mood to use the potty after an accident when you could not get your shorts down in time. To help with this, you played the role of streaker most of the day, or just underpants at times. I think you missed NHL. Once he came home from camp, you stopped fighting me and went potty several times for him. We ended the day with one accident and a few trips to the potty and quite a lot of frustrating moments. You did not want to do this, but day one showed Mama that you could indeed do it. My lesson learned – if I want you to deposit into the potty I had to push the water into you.

Friday was a rainy and nasty day. NHL stayed home from camp again and you had your Buzz Lightyear underpants on early. I reminded you that when you potty chart was filled we would get you a prize. Daddy and I told you we would get you a Buzz Lightyear toy like the Woody doll you have. Things went really well. Whenever NHL asked you to go potty, you went to your little potty seat and did you business. After 3-4 trips (thanks to lots of water), you learned to exploit the system. You would go more often and just leave a small deposit and scream "Mama I pee – sticker time!" By the end of the day, you had peed nine times and even pooped a little! That meant you got 11 stickers for the day. Here are the charts the way they looked at the end of Friday.

Your last sticker before Wednesday was that lonely star on the chart. Everything else was earned later on. You are doing a great job and making me so proud. I know we may take some steps backward in this process again, but you are a big boy and have taken some HUGE steps this week. I love you my little guy.

Love,

Mommy

P.S. A special thank you to big brother NHL. Without your help, I never would have been able to do this. You seem to have potty training skills with your little brother. You rock big kid!

_______________________________________

If you want to participate in Dear Kid Saturday, head on over to Cutest Kid Ever by clicking on the button below.

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brothers Dear Kid Saturday jsl milestone nhl photos sahm

Tuesday Tales – The All-American Jump and Jive Jig

Posted on July 20, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Summer time reading is crucial in our house. NHL is about to enter second grade and adores to read books. I have to admit that I am quite lucky not to have a reluctant reader. If he sees a book that does not have chapters in it and has pictures, he immediately picks it up to read.

Recently, we received some books from Sterling Children’s Books. One of the books included was The All-American Jump and Jive Jig by M.P. Hueston.

The book immediately intrigued NHL and myself. The two of us decided to pick it up and plunk down on the couch to read it. We were transported to places across the United States where we learned things about the states via fun dances. As we read along with the easy flowing rhyming lines, NHL started to ask questions. He wanted to know where all of the places were located in relation to us in New York. This is where my teacher brain started to kick into high gear. This book would be fun to use in a read aloud with a map of the USA. Student volunteers could help to map all of the locations in the book to make sure that we had indeed gone from state to state. Another interesting option would be to map out the route traveled and see how many miles the adventure takes you on. When NHL heard me mention this, he was curious and we may try this on a rainy day once I dig out a better map of the United States to use.

We both enjoyed the book, especially with our timing. NHL and I read it on July 3 and I have to say it really made us think about the country that we live in. NHL adored the fun illustrations by Amanda Haley. He was fascinated with the page about the hula in Hawaii. I think this is thanks to It’s a Small World at Disney World. He kept asking me questions about the different states and facts mentioned within the book. It lead to a good discussion and some fun after reading. On another day, the book caught the eye of JSL. Here he is enjoying it:

More about the book:

Come along on a joyful journey across America, where children from east, west, north and south show off their coolest moves in The All-American Jump and Jive Jig (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale June 2010; $14.95; Ages 4-7; ISBN: 978-1-4027-5143-1).

From the Juneau Jitterbug to the Hawaiian Hula, the Brooklyn Boogie to the Miami Mambo, these jubilant, creative and boisterous dances will entice children to gather their friends, get up, and groove. Which will be their favorite – Maine’s Rockland Sock Hop or Michigan’s Mackinac Milkshake? The Lubbock Line Dance or the Rockies’ Elevation Celebration? Every dance is irresistible fun, and will set happy feet in action!

A perfect way to celebrate the U.S.A. and the 4th of July holiday, M.P. Hueston’s witty, rhythmic verse and Amanda Haley’s colorful, vibrant pictures make following along easy….and encourage kids to come up with their own choreographic creations!

Here is NHL’s favorite part of the book as I read it to JSL. Sorry about the moving camera, it’s tough filming, reading and wrangling a wiggly three year old.

We truly enjoyed this book. Books that educate while putting a smile on a child’s face are crucial and this book hits that mark. We will definitely be looking for other stories by M.P. Hueston.

So what have you read recently? Please be sure to link up to your Tuesday Tales and/or leave a comment below. Include something you read on your own, with a child or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Categories:
books jsl nhl photos Product review Tuesday Tales

Beach or pool – that is the question

Posted on July 19, 2010 10:45 am by TheAngelForever

Yesterday, we spent the day at Saratoga Lake with family. Here are some of the people we saw at the lake:

The boys were in their swimsuits and we all had sun lotion on so we could go right to the boat when we arrived. We had a wonderful time on the boat. There is just nothing like roaming around the lake, getting sprayed with water and laughing with family.

These are just a few of the photos that I took on the fly with my cell phone. TechyDad and I took many more with his camera. I will be sharing some of those later.

After several hours on the boat, we went back to dock and decided to take the boys to the beach to play in the sand and go in the lake. Let me preface this with the fact that I am NOT a beach person. There are many reasons. Here are a few:

I am really pale (see photo below). Pale + red hair = easily burns in the sun even with mega sun screen. This happened over and over in Hawaii and throughout my life. TechyDad saw that I burned within 30 minutes of arriving at Blizzard Beach at Disney World on our honeymoon (I was crispy fried). Luckily, sun screen these days is a lot better, but I still do not like to tempt fate.
Not a huge fan of sand. Sure it can be fun to play with, but it gets into your toes, all over your body and into places within your swimsuit that it should not. Enough said!
Like swimming in clean water. You know without rocks, shells, fish, seaweed in my feet. I guess I was spoiled growing up with my Nana and Papa’s pool.

Those really are the two biggest reasons in my mind. I know they are silly. I am a good sport and will go hang out on the beach with the kids and TechyDad. We did this for a little while yesterday. While the little guy was busy doing this: