Friday, December 16, 2011

Review: Just Dance 3

I recently received a copy of Just Dance 3 for the Xbox Kinect. I was excited to receive it, having first played with the Just Dance family on Wii at Type-A last June. It was a blast, and yes, my team amazingly managed to win the dance off (and the copy of Just Dance 3 was our prize for dancing our rear ends off). When the newest member of the Just Dance family came, I was excited to see how it worked on my Kinect.

The best way to find out is not only to try it myself, but to have friends and family play, too. Fortunately, I tried it out before they arrived, as the game required that I do an update to my Xbox before being able to play it. The update didn't take long, and I was quickly ready to try it out.

The game was easy to maneuver. Once we got into the game, we got to the segment where we could choose our songs intuitively. I do wish that there was a list of all songs available for the game in the package so that we could more easily decide what we want to dance to next. We did have a little bit of an issue sometimes choosing the song we'd intended. The list would scroll one too far when we tried to swipe a song to select it, but fortunately you can still go back a step at that point.

And the songs are a hoot. Many of the wee ones' favorite songs are options from Taio Cruz's "Dynomite" to Katy Perry's "California Gurls." They love playing it just as much as the adults do, which is great as we can only do a couple songs before we need to take a break because we're too tired. This really is a great workout.


The game is designed to be played by up to four people, which keeps arguments over whose turn it is to a minimum. That, I like. We've had to be careful about where we place people to avoid the sensor getting confused, but four people playing at once definitely works. We enjoy it with most songs, but there are a few songs where there are multiple dancers onscreen who do different things, and each player needs to first figure out which figure to follow then do that dance. This has proven to be our biggest challenge, as we can't always tell who is supposed to do what. We mostly avoid those songs now.

The good news is that Just Dance 3 is something easy enough for everyone to do. While we did have one friend who tried to do the exact thing the dancers did instead of the mirror image (e.g., when the dancer moved to her left, my friend moved to his left), but all the other adults got it and enjoyed it. We even got my mom involved, and she's not exactly a dancer yet joy still enjoyed it.


This is definitely a keeper of a game. I love the exercise I get, and it's a great bonding experience. We have a blast seeing who can earn more stars - as you accomplish moves (and the game tells you how you're doing with each movement), you gain points and at certain point levels, you earn stars. I am proud to say that I was the first one to earn five stars during a dance - and I even did it before the end of the song.


Just Dance 3 is available on both Wii and Kinect for Xbox. You can purchase it anywhere games are sold. You can buy Just Dance 3 for $39.99. There are lots more features available - from the ability to shout out lyrics to gain extra points to the Just Sweat mode that gives access to playlists and challenging workouts. You can also purchase more songs from the Just Dance store, but I have to be honest that I don't feel the need to do this.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Just Dance 3 from Clever Girls Collective via their Ubichamps program. I received no compensation. Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Pillsbury Appetizer Potluck - Yum!

It's the holiday season, which in my neck of the woods means that we're partying up a storm. And the parties inevitably involve food. Lots and lots of food. I love cooking things that are a little bit different from the standard fare, just to be interesting. At the same time, I need the foods I make not to be super fussy because there are a lot of people eating and never enough time to do all the cooking and cleaning.

This holiday, the focus is on creating appetizers that don't require a ton of ingredients and are tasty and simple. Pillsbury has lots of recipes like this available, and they invited me to host a potluck with my friends that included appetizers made with their products. Now that's something up my alley (although I will admit that I don't generally purchase prepared dough, other than phyllo, because of so many of the ingredients and because it's not too hard to make myself - that said Pillsbury has introduced the Simply line that has more natural ingredients), and I jumped at the chance.

Preparing for the potluck was relatively easy. I just had to put drinks and other sides and desserts together, all of which can be done ahead of time and keeping me more relaxed. Of course, that extra time just means my house is a little closer to the cleanliness standards my mom tried to impress upon me when I was a child.

We had a ton of fun at our potluck, with each of my friends bringing a very different dish using the Pillsbury coupons and all sorts of tasty accompaniments making for quick prep for our varied and tasty potluck. We all ate until we were stuffed silly, and then we tried to decide what our favorite was. I think we all could happily have had any of the items again.

I made the Tomato Basil Cups that I posted on my regular blog earlier today. I used a recipe I found on the Pillsbury website - and wow are there a ton of recipes - as the inspiration for my dish, but ... I had to change it up, of course. It turned out really well, and I actually made it again when I hosted bunco this weekend. Let's just say I had more than one request for the recipe.


My friends brought other dishes from the traditional baked brie - with strawberry preserves inside:


And an awesome twist on bruschetta:


And a really good ham sandwich with dill and all sorts of original yumminess made by a friend who used no recipe but instead just made up her own awesomeness:


We had the pesto pinwheels, too, which are always so yummy and look so much fancier and harder than what they actually are. I know I had a photo of that one, but it's hiding somewhere on my computer, and I can't find it at the moment.

We loved how there are so many possible flavors for the appetizers, although interestingly we so often focused on Italian flavors. Apparently that's just my friends! In the end, I think the most popular recipe is the one I made. The flavors were great - not too rich but oh so satisfying. I liked the changes I ended up making, putting the basil into the filling instead of baking fresh basil atop it (ick - basil burns) and using cut up cherry tomatoes instead of a single tomato sliced across the top. And of course I amped up the cheese in it. How can you not?

There are tons more ideas for appetizers for all seasons on the Pillsbury site. If you're hosting or attending a holiday gathering, there are plenty of recipes including many with few ingredients and quick prep times. What will you make?

And yes, the widget has a coupon for $1.10 off any 3 Pillsbury products, just to make things a little easier for you. What would you make?



Enjoyed learning about what Pillsbury is up to with their recipes? Feel free to like Pillsbury on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received coupons for myself and my friends to purchase Pillsbury products for the potluck courtesy of Pillsbury via MyBlogSpark. I also received a gift card to help offset the expenses of the potluck party. That said, all opinions expressed are my own. Those can't be bought. Period.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Eversave Deals - Great Gift Ideas

Please tell me I'm not still the only one out there shopping for gifts. And don't talk to me about the Christmas cards that I have yet to send. Fortunately there's not only time to purchase gifts, there are tons of great savings out there for everyone on your list. Check out Eversave online for tons more deals in lots more locales.

Even better? Now through midnight December 8 (don't ask me the time zone - it doesn't say, so pretend it's EST so you don't get burned) you can get an extra $5 credit towards any Eversave purchase. Use it before it expires!

Online: Wine.com



Wine.com

Cheers:$35 for $70 worth of premium wine and gifts at Wine.com


Online: Vice Couture



Vice Couture

A sound gift:$74 for a set of BeatTubes+ portable Bluetooth speakers, plus free shipping!


Travel: Villa De Cerritos Beach



Villas De Cerritos Beach

Today's Save:Five-night stay + massage, yoga, dining and surfing from $259 in Baja California Sur


Atlanta: The Polish Bar



The Polish Bar

Today's Save:$35 for a Shellac manicure and express pedicure


Charlotte: Burgundy Moon Spa and Winehouse (my kind of place!)



Burgundy Moon Spa and Winehouse

Today's Save:From $35 for a Swedish massage and foot soak at Burgundy Moon Spa & Winehouse


Denver: Go Green Gourmet (LOVE this!)



Go Green Gourmet

Today's Save:$65 for an in-home cooking class for two from Go Green Gourmet


Philadelphia: On-Site Detailing



On-Site Detailing

Today's Save:$99 for a full auto detailing service from On-Site Detailing ($199 value)


Seattle: Larson Family Medicine and Medical Aesthetics



Larson Family Medicine and Medical Aesthetics

Today's Save:$29 for a medical-grade glycolic chemical peel


St. Louis: Dining Delicacies



Dining Delicacies

Today's Save:$49 for an in-home, four-course gourmet dinner for four


Washington, DC: Misty Clean



Misty Clean

Sparkling savings:$45 for house cleaning from Misty Clean ($110 value)


In the interest of full disclosure, I am an affiliate of Eversave. I do receive a commission for any items purchased on Eversave using the links shared above. That said, I am posting only those deals that I find interesting, and all opinions expressed are my own. Those can't be bought. Period.

Winner!

Congrats goes out to i find bargains who won the giveaway from MyBlogSpark, General Mills, and DC Entertainment for the Justice League prize pack. Congrats - and the 48 hour window to respond with contact information is ticking down.

Congrats again!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Eversave: Today's Deals

Cyber Monday may be over, but there are still a ton of great deals out there, both for the gifts you know you need to buy and the pampering just for you that you so desperately need this time of year. Don't see one for you or in your area? Check out Eversave online for tons more deals in lots more locales.

Online: Smoky Mountain Minerals



Smoky Mountain Minerals

Today's Save:$16 for a mineral makeup kit from Smoky Mountain Minerals, plus free shipping!


Online: Isaay.com



Isaay.com

Today's Save:$50 for $100 worth of Merrell, Frye, Sorel, and more designer shoes and apparel, plus free shipping!


Travel: Riviera Palm Springs



Riviera Palm Springs

Today's Save:$195 for a one-night stay plus a spa or dining credit at the Riviera Palm Springs (up to a $430 value)


Atlanta: (Wish I lived there now!) Cherokee Valley Ranch



Cherokee Valley Ranch

Today's Save:$15 for an hour of unlimited tubing and tobogganing for two


Austin: Austin Zoo



Austin Zoo

Today's Save:$8 for admission for two at the Austin Zoo


Columbus OH: Nail Elegance of Dublin



Nail Elegance of Dublin

Today's Save:$29 for a spa mani-pedi from Nail Elegance of Dublin


In the interest of full disclosure, I am an affiliate of Eversave. I do receive a commission for any items purchased on Eversave using the links shared above. That said, I am posting only those deals that I find interesting, and all opinions expressed are my own. Those can't be bought. Period.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Winner!

Apparently the Activision DS games giveaway was just a little bit popular. It's always good to see new people come enter giveaways and hopefully find something that they like and then stick around.

That said, the winner of the DS game bag was Laila of Only Laila who I'm guessing is just a little bit excited right now. That said, she has 48 hours to get her contact info to me or I'll have to draw a new winner. Congrats!

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Review: Apothederm Firming Serum

I'm starting to get to that again. You know, the one where you have parties with your friend and they discuss the impact of pulling grey hairs instead of coloring them? If you don't know, good for you. For the rest of us, stick with me here. I've done my best to take care of my skin over the years, but it always feels like there's more I can do. I recently had the opportunity to try out the firming serum from Apothederm which has data from clinical studies showing that it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in fourteen days.


The serum is very easy to use, and I love that it doesn't have a scent. For those of us with sensitive (scensitive?) noses, that's huge. There are many products I can't use because they give me a headache. The firming serum is applied morning and night to a clean face before moisturizer. I really like that it isn't greasy. In fact, when I apply it, it feels cooling and absorbs quickly without feeling like it's drying out my skin. When I put my moisturizer atop it, I need less moisturizer than I normally do, which tells me that the serum is doing something.

I haven't noticed that my fine lines (I refuse to admit that I have wrinkles yet) are disappearing yet, but I haven't used it for the full fourteen days yet - and I look at my skin constantly, so it's hard to notice a difference. I do like the way my skin feels, however. And I like that the firming serum comes in a one ounce container, which means I can fly with it in my carry on. That said, the one ounce is a decent size (at a cost of $75) and will last me quite awhile. It takes less than two squirts of the serum to cover my entire face and neck.

Even hours after applying it, my skin still feels smooth and not at all oily, as it frequently does when I just apply my moisturizer. That's a nice benefit in and of itself. And yes, my makeup (I use mineral foundation only) goes on easily and smoothly and requires less buffing to get even coverage than what I normally require. I'm officially a fan.

Ready to try it? Not only does Apothederm offer free ground shipping on all orders over $75, but you can use the code TENOFF that will get you $10 off any order on the Apothederm website now through December 31, 2011. Winter is coming; it's time to take care of your skin!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a firming serum for review from Apothederm. I was not compensated for this campaign. As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Tiny Prints:Talent Search Contest

We all think we have the cutest kids and pets ever, right? I know that Mister Man was the cutest baby who ever lived without a doubt, and Little Miss really takes the cake with some of her precocious expressions. The Tiny Prints community agrees - to a point. They are holding their third annual contest to see who has the cutest baby. Or pet. Or couple.

It's easy to enter, and the grand prize winner walks away with $1,000 cash plus a $500 Tiny Prints gift card. Who wouldn't want that? You can enter for the Cutest Baby (From ages of 0-24 months), Cutest Kid (From ages of 25 months to 10 years old), Cutest Family, Cutest Couple, or Cutest Pet & Owner. You only have until November 21 to submit your photo, so hurry!

After the first phase of the contest, the community will vote on the their favorite photos in each category until November 30 when the top ten vote getters in each category will be presented for voting by the entire community December 5 to December 16, 2011. There will be three winners for each category and one grand prize winner, and I can't wait to see what those photos will be. You can find the official rules on the Tiny Prints site.

To enter, you can go to the contest page on the Tiny Prints website or via the contest form on the Tiny Prints Facebook page (which you can access only by liking the page) and submitting all the required information as directed on the contest page. And yes, you can only enter one photo per category per person. As for me, I think I'm entering Little Miss in the "Cutest Kid" category with this one. What do you think? (Nope, not retouched or edited at all - both of which are prohibited in the contest.)


In the interest of full disclosure, I received 25 complimentary cards from Tiny Prints in exchange for publicizing this campaign. I was not compensated for this campaign. As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Giveaway: Big G Cereals DC Super Heroes

I remember growing up when my mom would every great once in awhile allow me to choose a special cereal. It was always a big deal, and I would walk up and down the aisles trying to decide which cereal that I loved had the best prize at the time since we didn't generally get to choose our cereal. Once we had our cereal, we would also have the special treat of getting to eat our cereal while sitting in front of the tv and watching cartoons. Oh, how I loved the cartoons of old - especially Super Friends. I loved all the heroes of the Justice League.

And super sweet? The Cartoon Network is launching a new Green Lantern cartoon series in 2012, and General Mills is getting in the act with Justice League comic books inside specially marked boxes of Big G cereals - Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Honey Nut Cheerios, Trix, Golden Grahams, Reese´s Puffs, and Cocoa Puffs. There are four different comic books to collect.


Let's just say that the comic books have been a hit around here. We received a box of Honey Nut Cheerios, along with a set of the four comic books, and a Green Lantern action figure. I know I set the comic books on my counter when I opened the package, but I haven't seen them since. I've heard the wee ones talking about them, so I know they've swiped and read them - repeatedly, by the sounds of it - which I suppose isn't the worst thing. It's always good to see them excited about reading.

I love having some of my special memories from childhood that I can pass along to the wee ones and have them enjoy and cherish, as well. I think this weekend, we may need to go sit in front of the tv with a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios and watch some classic cartoons. Just because.

Courtesy of MyBlogSpark, I have 1 box of a participating Big G cereal, 1 set of the collectible DC Super Hero comic books, and 1 Green Lantern action figure to give away to one lucky reader. So what do you have to do to win the prize pack? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!


This contest is open until Thursday December 1 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me: who was your favorite superhero growing up?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Are you a Justice League fan? Big G cereal, action figure & comic book #giveaway from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/rp6ibz via #MyBlogSpark" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

And no, you won't earn any extra entries for it, but you will get good karma for liking me on Facebook!

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received gift packs as described above courtesy of General Mills and DC Entertainment via MyBlogSpark. I was not compensated for this campaign. As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Winners!

Yes, it's once again time for some winner announcements. I've had two giveaways end, and I think there are going to be some happy people.

For the Shutterfly giveaway, I had three winners who will receive codes for 25 free cards each - note that they expire December 31, 2011! The winners have 48 hours to contact me with their information or I will have to choose a new winner. Congratulations go to: Shutterfly Adict from Shutterfly Experience, Angie from Angie's Spot, and Carrie at In the Hammock. Congrats, ladies!

I also have the $100 Red Envelope gift card winner to announce. Congratulations, Eunice from Random Walk Down Mommy Street! She also has 48 hours to get back to me before I choose a new winner.

Enjoy - and come back soon for more great fun and giveaways!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Giveaway: Activision DS Games For Girls

We got a video game system for the wee ones because Mister Man needed some help. He's autistic, though very high functioning. Socially, he's got a deficit, and his fine motor (ok his gross motor, too) is not quite on par with his peers. As he got into elementary school, he needed to have some things that made him fit in with his peers who have been walking around with their noses glued to their DSs since preschool (not joking - in preschool, he was the only kid on the bus not playing with a DS on the way to and from school every day).

The gaming would allow him to improve his hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills, I justified. And he'd know about video games and be able to jump in when his friends at school talked about them. Little did I know that there's actually research to support this! I recently attended the Activision Games for Girls Summit featuring Suzanna Kantra, a mom and tech expert, cohosted by Chicagonista where not only did we learn more about the benefits for gaming (and they are out there) but also many of the new games Activision is releasing this fall that are aimed at girls - yay for Little Miss!

The stereotype is that girls don't game. It's the boys who are enmeshed in the world of gaming and who are the ones who want to spend all their time playing. Not true in our house, as Little Miss is just as anxious to play as Mister Man when they're given the opportunity (and yes, we strictly limit our screen time for them, so they don't have anywhere near an open invitation, nor can they play every day even). In fact, according to a 2010 A&U study, 40 percent of gamers 8-12 are female. Little Miss is definitely one of those, even though she's only 6.

When she plays, I am always in the room with her, and I'm frequently playing with her because ... well, the games are fun. Brigham Young University's School of Family Life conducted a study in February 2011 where they found that girls who played video games with a parent had positive impacts on their lives. They behave better, they feel more connected to their families, and they have stronger mental health - all things that I want for Little Miss. Interestingly there aren't the same impacts on boys who play with an adult, but I'm still using this as proof in my excuse that I need to play with them.

There are overall benefits to gaming for everyone, including some of the ones for Mister Man that I instinctively knew and others that I hadn't been aware of. According to “Reality is Broken,” By Jane McGonigal of the University of California at Berkley’s Institute for the Future, published January, 2011 Penguin Press, games provide us with the 4 ingredients that make for a happy meaningful life: satisfying work, real hope for success, strong social connections, and a chance to become a part of something bigger than ourselves. More critically, since gamers spend 80 percent of their time failing at the game, it helps make them more resilient in the face of other failure - something both of the wee ones need.

Part of the reason for this is that video games progress - they get harder as we go further into them. According to an article in the Boston Globe in October, 2009, this helps to keep people at the edge of their abilities and constantly pushes them further, something we all need to learn to be comfortable with if we want to succeed in life. Adaptive challenge is stunningly powerful for learning, according to John Gabrieli, a neuroscientist at MIT.

There are measurable benefits, as well. The Office of Naval Research has proven that playing video games teaches our brains to process information faster and that gaming improves our fundamental abilities to reason and problem solve in novel contexts. In 2004, a study on the cognitive neuroscience of games showed that those who played video games had several improvements compared to non-video game players. They had faster reaction times and increased hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity, as well as increased spatial skills. The video game players also showed a better ability to divide and switch attention, meaning they could pay attention to more than one object/person at a time. I feel better about using video games sometimes as therapy for Mister Man since he can use improvement in all of these areas - as can we all.

That said, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one to two hours for kids older than 2 (and zero for children under 2), which includes all screen time from video games to computers to television and the like. Setting those limits is critical to ensure that the other parts of their brains and bodies also develop. Fortunately, the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California found that children who strongly agreed their parents had rules about television viewing time were less likely to exceed recommended screen time limits. Set your limits!

So what is Activision doing in this realm? They have more than twenty new games coming out this fall, with several of them aimed specifically at girls who frequently are interested in playing games but can't find any that are interesting to them. The games Activision is releasing are all on the DS platform, as research has shown that girls are more likely to play DS compared to other platforms (interestingly, not in our household, however, where the Kinect gets the biggest workout and the DS often goes forgotten). We brought up the concern that the DS is less social than many of the other platforms, but research apparently shows that girls talk about what they're doing, watch over each others' shoulders and otherwise interact about the game even when it isn't on a large screen where everyone is playing the same game at the same time.

At the Summit, we had the opportunity to see six of these games in action and try them out before five of them were even released. And I promise that although I was having lots of fun playing Squinkies 2: Adventure Mall Surprise during part of the presentation, I promise I was paying attention to all that was said and done - see, gaming does help improve your ability to divide and switch attention. In that game, you use your Squinkie to find other Squinkies throughout the mall to invite them to a party. Your Squinkie has to search to find the over 600 Squinkies in the game to invite them by jumping (including a funny squishy high jump), bouncing, climbing and more. Each DS game also includes aan exclusive, limited release and ultra-rare 3-piece Squinkies playset. This game was released on October 25, so you can go find it now.

We also played Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo where the online game is now expanded to the DS as of November 6. Here you explore the Wooly Wilderness in search of ultra rare Moshlings to add to your zoo. You can play games within the game to keep your Moshlings happy and healthy. This isn't identical to the online game, and it isn't meant to be. The game instead focuses on becoming an extension of the online game so that it isn't simply a repeat.

Are your girls wayyyyy into Lalaloopsy? There's a DS game now, also released on November 6! You choose your Lalaloopsy friend and then work to match the Lalaloopsy girls with their missing pets. You can then do all sorts of fun crafts once you've found the pets; each one has their own mini-game craft. And yes, each game comes with an actual mini Lalaloopsy doll. Too cute!

Zoobles! Spring to Life! launched November 1 has players care for their companions. They can bathe them when they're dirty, cook for them, and play different games with them. Each Zooble also has a Happitat (happy + habitat = happitat) that players decorate to perfectly suit them from furniture to decorations and more. You can make friends with other Zoobles in the game, as well, though the game focuses on paying attention to and caring for your own Zooble. And yes, for now each Zooble game includes a Zooble toy.

And of course there has to be a ZhuZhu Babies game (also released November 1). ZhuZhu Pets are huge in my house, and with this game, players care for the ZhuZhu Babies in a nursery as they run wild. When the ZhuZhu Babies are tired, you must put them to sleep, feed them when they're hungry, and more. They each have their own personalities, which makes the game fun. As you explore the world to find the missing ZhuZhu baby Razzmataz, you have to also find hiding spots for them as they travel. It's much more fast paced than I had expected but tons of giggling fun.

And then there's the Wappy Dog, which is a brand new interactive pet. You can either interact with him via your DS (home mode) or leave him at home while you play with a virtual version of the Wappy Dog on the DS (travel mode). Through the DS, players can communicate by selecting prompts on their DSs where the dog responds via barks and moving, and yes, he does tricks. The perfect pet, no? When the Wappy Dog isn't with the player, you can play games online from grooming to feeding and more. Once you reconnect the dog to the DS game, there is a data exchange so that the dogs are really one dog to the player. It's pretty cool, I think, and nice for when you can't bring the dog with you. He is released today - November 8.

At the event everyone attending was given a bag filled with goodies from Activision from the not yet released DS games - Lalaloopsy, Zoobles! Spring to Life!, Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo, Squinkies 2: Adventure Mall Surprize!, and ZhuZhu Babies. There's also a Wappy Dog. And toys featuring characters to go with most of the games. And Moshi Monsters trading cards. And a magazine. Phew - in my house this is Santa for a few kids! So what do you have to do to win all of this? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!


This contest is open until Tuesday November 22 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what video games you remember playing growing up - what was your favorite?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Love your DS? Need some games for your girls? Check out this score #giveaway from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/t8DyrP" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

And no, you won't earn any extra entries for it, but you will get good karma for liking me on Facebook!

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a bag filled with similar items to the giveaway described above at the Activision Games for Girls event. I was not asked to write about my experience, nor was I compensated for this campaign. That said as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Review: Sleep Innovations Mattress Topper

Remember the first time you laid down on that new mattress? Do you remember how soft it felt, how perfectly it cradled you, how restful you sleep was? Yeah, me neither. In fact, it's been (shhh) almost fifteen years since I last purchased a mattress. When my husband walks across the floor, I can actually feel the mattress move and sway. When he rests his hand on it to set an alarm or a foot on it to put on his socks, I feel it. When he rolls over in the night? When he comes to bed after I do? Yep, I feel that, too.

Well, I did anyway. I feel it much less now. The solution wasn't a new mattress - yet - but instead a new mattress topper I received for review. The Sleep Innovations mattress topper is a two inch gel memory foam topper that you place atop your mattress. For me, it's meant that my husband can roll over in bed without disturbing me, which is a huge feat given how lightly I sleep. When I lay on it, it is incredibly comfortable and supportive, and I am less likely to be tossing and turning all night myself.

When the package arrived, I was shocked by how heavy it was. For some reason, it didn't dawn on me that the mattress topper would be quite so heavy, but that's not a bad thing. In my mind, the fact that it is heavy means that it has enough material making up the foam topper that I will enjoy the comforts of my "new" bed for a long time to come. Opening it up was similarly daunting. The topper comes rolled up in a tight little package, and I was nervous cutting off the wrapper that I would accidentally cut the topper, too, but fortunately I did not!


Actually getting it onto my bed was both more complicated than I had initially expected (naive me, I thought I'd just put it on my bed and voila be done) and much better than I had thought it would be. The mattress topper itself is actually encased in what is essentially another fitted sheet, which means that it won't move around on the bed and instead stays in place. That meant I had to take my bed completely apart to put on the mattress topper, which wasn't really a big deal but did make me wish I'd procrastinated a few hours on changing my sheets! Once you have the cover in place, the mattress topper goes atop that and then there is another layer that zippers the sheet fully together to protect the mattress topper and keep it in place. That also means that the cover is completely washable, which I love!



Once I got my bed put back together and made again, I laid down on the mattress the first time. I was tempted to not move again. I had forgotten how nice it feels to be comfortable and supported when resting. This was nice. This was very nice. I could feel myself slowly sink into the mattress topper, but when I moved I didn't feel any resistance from the impression I'd made where I was first laying, which was one of my concerns. More than once since then, I've taken my laptop upstairs to sit on my bed to work because it's simply so soft and comfortable and not what I'm used to. Given how much the mattress topper expanded when I first removed it from the packaging, I was mildly concerned that it would be comfortable for a week or two but then slowly lose its support. Three weeks later, it's as firm and supportive as the first day I laid on it.

The only real downside to the mattress topper is also one of the benefits of the topper. It's gel foam itself is two inches thick. Placing the sheet above and below it to secure it plus my mattress pad warmer before I get to my regular fitted sheet means that I probably need to buy new sheets. They are absolutely stretched to the max to get to the base of my mattress, and it doesn't stay there well. Granted, it's just an excuse for me to get new sheets, but I'd rather it were my decision. If the mattress topper were thinner so that my sheets fit well, the mattress topper probably wouldn't do its job.

All in all, I'm thrilled with my new Sleep Innovations mattress topper. It's making my nights - and some of my days - a whole lot more comfortable, and the price for the mattress topper is significantly cheaper than purchasing a brand new mattress!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a foam mattress pad as described above for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this campaign. That said as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Giveaway: $100 Red Envelope Gift Card

I wrote recently about Red Envelope and their personalized gifts for kids. Little Miss absolutely adores her pillow. Lucky me, Red Envelope also sent me some canvas wall art that again was personalized for Little Miss.

Note: I blacked out Little Miss's name and birth date for privacy purposes. The text matches the pink of the canvas and fits nicely with the rest of the artwork.

I've been working on completing her room, as I mentioned in my last post about Red Envelope. It's hard for me to find items that work for her because she isn't your traditional girly girl, but we have her room painted lilac which reduces our options. This canvas art was perfect for her. It has her first and middle name and is also customized with her birth date.

I wish that we could customize the text further like I could with her pillow (we did her first and middle name instead of first and last as is suggested, but that was all we could do). She loved it anyway because it's all about her. The canvas comes in three sizes - 24x32", 18x24", and 12x16" so that it fits in the space that you have to fill. While the canvas shows Little Miss as a little light skinned blonde haired girl, there are other options - including boy options - for hair and skin color. Oddly, you can't choose any skin color with any hair color as I could with the pillow, which may limit you if you have a child with black hair and medium skin tone, but the vast majority of options are available.

I will say that when I first received my canvas - wrapped securely in bubble wrap and then in a couple of very sturdy layers of cardboard to prevent any damage - the canvas was wrong. There are multiple possible ways to spell Little Miss's name, and unfortunately it came out wrong. Red Envelope immediately made it right with no questions asked, and a corrected canvas arrived very quickly. Things happen sometimes, and I absolutely respect companies that take care of issues immediately and politely. Red Envelope definitely fit the bill here. After all, when you're doing this much personalized kids room decor, you're bound to have something go wrong now and then.

With all the options, what would you shop for? Red Envelope has tons of gifts for everyone in the family, and I have the fun of giving away a $100 gift card to Red Envelope to one lucky reader. Yay, right? So what do you have to do to win? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Wednesday November 16 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you would spend your $100 gift card on.

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Sweet! There's another $100 Red Envelope GC #giveaway from @honestandtruly - holiday shopping made easy http://bit.ly/vpM1OU" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

And no, you won't earn any extra entries for it, but you will get good karma for liking me on Facebook!

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a canvas featuring Little Miss for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this campaign. That said as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Giveaway: Shutterfly Cards

Now that it's officially November 1, I can start to talk about Christmas. I still have my focus on Thanksgiving, but this is finally going to be the year when I get my Christmas cards out on time. By on time, I mean mailing them early enough in December - or, la! in November after Thanksgiving - so that it doesn't look like I'm only sending people cards because they sent me cards first. That means I need to think about what cards I want to send and start getting a holiday picture taken now.

I was one of the last people I knew to convert from the traditional Christmas cards where you sign them yourself and write a little note inside to the preprinted photo cards. I resisted them a long time because they seemed so impersonal to me. They've changed a lot, however, in the past few years, and I actually enjoyed sending them last year - along with a Christmas letter, of course.

Now many of the cards are more traditional folded cards where I can still sign myself and write a little note congratulating people on their new babies or asking how lives are going in new cities and the like. I can keep my connection with them, and it feels much better to me.

In fact, I think I've already found the card that I'm going to send this year. I'm not sure it fully replaces the Christmas letter that goes in each of the wee ones' memory boxes, but I love how the card itself is personalized with memories.


Because so many of my friends aren't Christian and don't celebrate Christmas (hello, my Jewish friends!), it's important to me to find a card that is something I can share with them. In the past, I've had to carefully sort through my cards to find ones that are focused on the "season" - though I hate that expression as it has been co-opted - to send to them in recognition that not everyone celebrates Christmas. Fortunately, Shutterfly offers lots of holiday cards that aren't so religious, including many that focus on it being the end of the year and recap and reconnecting rather than Christmas. Fortunately, even some of the ones that are overtly Christmas in the Shutterfly collection can be edited to not say "Merry Christmas" as needed - and yes, I need it.

On second thought, maybe I'll go with this card this year.


Or maybe this one.


Ok, so maybe part of the reason I always get my cards out late is because I can't decide. But hey, if Shutterfly didn't have such a great selection of holiday cards, I wouldn't have this problem, would it?

Because misery loves company (yes, my tongue is placed firmly in my cheek here), I'm not the only one going to have to agonize over what card to send this year. I have three codes for 25 free cards from Shutterfly to give away to lucky readers. Yay, right? So what do you have to do to win? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Tuesday November 15 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 48 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner. Though there are two prizes, a person can only win once.

Mandatory Entry: Tell me which holiday card you would choose.

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter, then tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Time to start thinking about your holiday cards. Win a 25 card #giveaway from @Shutterfly and @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/s3mu0f" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

And no, you won't earn any extra entries for it, but you will get good karma for liking me on Facebook!

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a package of 50 free cards from Shutterfly. I was not compensated for this campaign. That said as always, all opinions expressed remain my own.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Event: Hallmark Between the Moments

I recently attended a breakfast with Hallmark to share their campaign around the Moments Between the Milestones. I love the idea behind it. It's about celebrating the little things and recognizing that they're out there instead of rushing through them as we so often do.

The breakfast event was great. I loved being able to ask questions of some of the writers and marketers about what they're doing with cards and how they're created. Did you know they make step parent cards that don't focus on the evil step mother? If your local store doesn't have them (each store has a different assortment), check online for the perfect card for you - or make your own customizable card.

We spent a lot of time talking about the connection that Hallmark tries to make with their cards, by using photos to evoke emotions without having them be completely apparent who the person is and thus limit the applicability of the card. We were then sent out to create our own emotions with photos by taking photos but not showing faces. I loved the challenge and had all sorts of ideas. What kind of a card would you put this photo into?


Note that the photo is taken vertically. Most of us take our photos horizontally, but for cards, the pictures tend to be vertical. Try flipping your camera sideways to see what comes up.

My favorite part of the day, though, was the writing exercise we did. Apparently this is something they do sometimes at Hallmark itself, and wow did it work. We were each provided with an envelope filled with words. We selected three or four words randomly then spent ten minutes writing. We could write anything so long as it included those words, then we shared them. I was amazed by the heartfelt stories that emerged from these quick minutes. Every one was so different, and many provided some great ideas for future posts for me, as well.

My story actually became a full post here. And I wrote it in ten minutes. I'd never before written down a post longhand, let alone in ten minutes, and I was amazed by what I came up with. I could actually write something that made some sense. I'll be using this technique again - and I'm planning to do a linky like this potentially.... I think it has great potential.

The breakfast was inspiring and educational, with the most awesome slide show of photos and videos from the attendees showing our own perfectly imperfect moments. Mine? Well of course that was a video of my husband playing with Mister Man tossing him over his head and ... promptly being puked on. I still can't believe I caught that on video.

Thank you to Hallmark for including me in their Moments Between the Milestones tour. This is so what I can get behind. And the card I sent to Mister Man congratulating him on his awesome work doing his best at school? Now that made his day when it arrived. Because really, who doesn't love getting a surprise card in the mail?

In the interest of full disclosure, I attended an educational breakfast with Hallmark where I received a gift bag including two recordable story books and a lovebug. I was not compensated in any way, nor was I asked to post about the event. As always, all opinions expressed remain my own.