Giveaway: Precious Moments

It's always a joy when a new baby is welcomed into the world. I love seeing and holding and smelling the new babies - and of course finding ways to spoil them. It's easy when it's a first child born into the family. By the time it's the third child though, it's harder to find that perfect gift. The parents know more - and have more preferences - plus they already have so many clothes and toys.

A good friend of mine gave birth to a beautiful baby girl yesterday - younger sister to a six year old boy and a three year old girl. They have everything. Luckily, Precious Moments came to my rescue.

They have an online baby boutique full of all sorts of perfect baby gifts for a child - no matter how many siblings he has. Every child needs his own special blanket and stuffed animals. And what proud parent doesn't need another photo frame for their precious new bundle of joy?

I love that these items aren't too expensive, which makes it easier to not have to decide amongst my favorite few! Plush blankets with mini-stuffed animals attached are $10, while a mini plush animal is $5.

I received the mini plush giraffe. While many of the plush animals are truly gender neutral (lion, monkey, elephant, and lamb), the giraffe has pink feet and horns. While I'd be fine with this for my son, I know many parents who would prefer it only for girls. Fortunately, my friend's new baby turned out to be a gorgeous baby girl.

The stuffed animal has a nice amount of detail - eyes, spots, horns, mane, tail, nostrils, etc. They are all sewn on, which greatly reduces the worry of anything detaching and injuring a child. The animal itself is that lovely new soft plush that I wish had existed when I was a child! It's possible I've sat with it on my lap stroking it because it just feels so nice.

And the new baby's reaction? Well, she grabbed it and flung it around - but hey, she's only one day old. Her mom loved it though. And how could she not?

Want one of your own? You can visit the online baby boutique and find one yourself. Or you can win one here. One lucky reader will get a mini plush animal just like mine!

So what do you have to do?

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 October 14 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: What is your biggest skin problem?

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 and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a mini plush giraffe from MomSelect and Precious Moments. I did not receive any compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

1-800-Flowers.com

I have been a fan of 1-800-Flowers.com (and the sister company 1-800-Baskets.com) for a long time. Whenever there is a situation where I need to send flowers, I - ahem - call on one of them.

With Mister Man's birthday coming up, it was the perfect time for 1-800-Flowers.com to approach me with information on their new campaign: Delivery Birthday Smiles. There are three highlighted birthday products that they are featuring: Bucket of Birthday Wishes, Cupcake in Bloom, and Birthday Flower Cake (my personal favorite).

With October 5 the most popular common birthday in the States, 1-800-Flowers.com is celebrating birthdays - potentially in your area. Check out their Facebook or Twitter pages for information on what's happening by you.

And look soon for a review - and giveaway - from me from 1-800-Flowers.com. I have a special birthday bouquet coming for Mister Man, and I can't wait to receive it! And I'm sure someone reading would love to walk away with a $40 savings pass for 1-800-Flowers.com, too.

Review: Bayala By Schleich

Note: I have a bunch of great photos, but Blogger won't let me upload any.  I will be updating this soon - I hope!

This past Friday, I hosted several of Little Miss and Mister Man's friends at our house for a Mommy Party by Schleich. I have to be honest that I'd never heard of Bayala before, but they were a huge hit.

Bayala is a world filled with elve and animals. The figurines are pretty tiny, and when I first unwrapped the box they came in, I assumed they were ceramic because of the intricate detail each figurine has - from the tiny gold threading in the bodice of one elf's dress to the nails in the shoes of a horse. I was a little concerned about how quickly they'd get broken given the delicate pieces such as the horns on the caribou. Fortunately, I was mistaken, and these are flexible plastic molded figures that do not appear in any danger of breaking whatsoever.

When the party began, the third grade sister and her friend of one of the attendees came in during drop off and immediately gravitated to the elves and animals. They picked them up and started playing with them on and around Shadow Rock, and they did not want to leave. They were eventually forced out (not by me!), and all they did was tell that mom how wonderful Bayala was and how they wanted to play, too. I loved that these were toys that older children wanted to play with, too.

The younger children - the kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders - had just as much fun with the Bayala figurines. Everyone was able to choose their favorite figures without (too much) fighting over who gets what. Luckily, we were sent enough that everyone was able to take home at least one figurine, and several children took home multiples.

The girls, not surprisingly were drawn toward the fairy looking elves - Marween, Florindel, and Feya. The boys were drawn towards the warrior-looking elves, Gregis, and Apricum. It was interesting to see the games they set up and played, especially since none of them knew the stories behind Bayala. There isn't a tv series or movie that supports these figurines, which I like, as it gives the children a chance to really use their imaginations more - and use their imaginations they did!

I had several games set up for the kids to play that were Bayala themed, but I didn't even convince most of them to stop playing with the figurines long enough to eat the snacks I'd made, let alone play a different game. It was nice to see how entertained they were on their own with the toys.

There isn't a Schleich relailer near me - which may be why I hadn't heard of these before - but you can purchase them online if there isn't a store near you that carries them. There are many online retailers that carry them from Target to Think Fast Toys to Funagain Games to Amazon.

Given the intricate detail available on the toys, I was expecting them to be exhoritantly expensive, as creating molding like that can't be cheap. They aren't as expensive as I'd feared, though. The suggested price appears to be in the $14 to $17 range, with many on sale for $10 or $11 apiece.

Considering that the wee ones have played with the Bayala figurines every spare moment they've had since Friday (including Little Miss playing with them now while I finish writing this), I'd say that isn't bad at all. I do love the fact that these weren't play with them once and then ignore them toys and also that both boys and girls were interested in them and found ways to play - with all the figurines we had to choose from.

Every hour or so, I get a call from the wee ones to "take another picture of Bayala, Mommy!" because they created a new way to play and want me to capture it. And who am I to discourage that creativity, especially when these toys don't involve the guns or knives or fighting that so many others do. It's refreshing.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received toys from MomSelect and Schleich to host a Bayala party. The wee ones were able to keep two of the figurines each; the remainder were given to attendees of the party. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Winners!

Congratulations to the winners of the Strawberry Shortcake DVDs - each winner will receive one DVD, either The Glimmerberry Ball or Berrywood Here We Come.

I do want to point out that I had to disqualify some entries because they did not follow the rules I set out. If you enter a giveaway, please make sure you do what is asked! I always feel awful when I don't get to count an entry from someone.

In the end, I had twelve valid entries. Random.org chose numbers 8 and 12, meaning the two winners are:

Heather Y

Mommy Wants To Read

They have 48 hours to contact me with their information. Congrats, Ladies - and look for more soon!

Giveaway: Eucerin Gift Bags

We are officially in fall around her in Chicago. For me, that means the dry skin begins in earnest. My legs start to get that dreaded alligator skin look. My hands dry out, and my cuticles crack and peel back. It's not pleasant to look at, and it hurts!

I'm working on preventing my dryness this year, thanks to Eucerin. They are focusing on skin health with their Daily Skin and Everyday Protection lines.

I have been using the Daily Skin Balance Hand Creme daily - it now lives in my car - to try to keep my hands healthy, as that is my biggest pet peeve, as well as being the most visible to the most people. I love that the lotion absorbs completely very quickly so that it doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy. I can put the hand creme on while I'm waiting for the wee ones to get out of school and then feel comfortable driving within a few minutes - confident that my hands won't be slipping on the steering wheel.

The Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion has also made it into the regular rotation in my house. I am using the Daily Skin Balance lotion after shaving (ohhhh it makes my legs so smooth and silky!) and nighttime. It has provitamin B5, glycerin and a pH buffer which is designed to be effective for 24 hours. And I'll tell you: once I apply the lotions, they keep me feeling soft for awhile so I don't feel like I have to reapply them every hour.

I love using the Everyday Protection Body Lotion SPF15 whenever I know I'm going to be heading outside. It's the first lotion I have that isn't simply a sunscreen or moisturizer that includes SPF protection, and I think the idea is brilliant. The Everyday Protection uses titanium dioxide, as well as including Vitamin E. I'm lucky in that I don't generally burn when I'm outside - granted, I don't spend a ton of time exposed outside without applying heavy duty sunscreen - but I love that this is giving me added protection without me having to think about it.

So far so good with these lotions. My cuticles are looking good (broken nails not covered by the lotion aside!), and my skin is definitely feeling softer than it normally does at this time of year. I can't wait to see how effective it is in the middle of January when winter and dryness really set in!

When I was at BlogHer, I took a Skin First IQ Test, which was a lot of fun. It's an eight question "test" that is eye opening with regards to some of the information shared in it. I encourage you to take it (and try to best my score of 6 of 8 questions right)! Once you complete the quiz, take the Skin First Pledge to treat your skin with the respect it deserves - a donation will be made to HealthyWomen.org when you take the pledge.

Do you want to try out the Eucerin products for yourself? Visit their Facebook Page where you can receive a free sample of Eucerin Daily Skin Balance by taking the Skin First Pledge.

Or, you can win a gift pack that includes a full size product for each of the four products I mentioned: Eucerin Daily Skin Balance Body Lotion, Daily Skin Balance Hand Crème, Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30, and Everyday Protection Body Lotion SPF 15. I have three (yep, 3!) of these gift bags to give away to lucky readers.

So what do you have to do?

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 September 30 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: What is your biggest skin problem?

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 and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a sample of Eucerin product while at BlogHer. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Barbie A Fashion Fairytale DVD

With Little Miss now in kindergarten, she's starting to get into things that little girls typically like more than what she has previously. While she still loves her Star Wars, she's finally figured out who Barbie is.

This past weekend, we had a special movie night where we watched Barbie's new movie, A Fashion Fairytale. The movie isn't rated, but it is definitely appropriate for my five year old.

I loved the fact that Barbie isn't rescued by someone else in the movie. She has a problem - several actually - and she is the one who comes up with the solutions. I appreciate the fact that she is portrayed as independent, just as I wish my daughter to be as she grows up.

The movie was a musical, which surprised me. I had anticipated it being "just" a regular fairytale type movie. Barbie is a movie star who goes to visit her aunt in Paris when she's having a tough time with some issues back home in the States (she's fired from her job, and Ken dumps her). Once she's there, more problems crop up with her aunt's fashion business. It's up to Barbie to find the solution so that her aunt doesn't lose her business, and of course she does - fixing those pesky problems from back home along the way, too.

The movie is fairly innocuous, and I do like the message. It's definitely more modern than I was expecting - especially the music. Fortunately, the movie has managed to straddle the line of being more modern without being inappropriate for a five year old - which is tough to do.

The Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale DVD also includes outtakes, a music video, and a ton more that we have yet to finish exploring. But according to Little Miss, we will. We'll do a different special feature each and every time we watch this movie.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of the Barbie DVD for review purposes from MomSelect. I was not compensated, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Better for BlogHer Week 6ish

In the interest of full disclosure, I am being provided with 42 Healthy Choice meals, a counseling session at BlogHer, and am being compensated. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

You can read about my previous experiences here:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

Wow, today is the "official" end of Getting Better for BlogHer with Healthy Choice, but I have no intentions of stopping what I'm doing. This has been a wonderful way for me to focus on myself in a good way. I've been eating better and making sure I get in some exercise regularly.

Since the wee ones have been back at school, I've been doing my three time a week run (and no, I'm not running 5K anymore, but I'll get back there soon enough). I also got a call from a friend of mine asking if I wanted to walk once a week. We're now meeting at a local trail and doing a few miles at a pretty brisk pace, chatting for an hour. It's one of my favorite times of the week. And I've been incorporating some classes into my weekly routine - I've done yoga and soul grooves (I got the time wrong for Zumba, oops!), and I forget how much I really enjoy them.

Some of the meals that I've tried with Healthy Choice have inspired me to remember what foods I love eating, and I've found healthier ways of making them (e.g., the Orange Chicken I made last week). I'm also getting better about eating the smaller, more frequent meals that we so often hear are healthier for us.

I feel better... but not for BlogHer, for me!

The interesting thing is that I have never been an eater of frozen meals. This past week, I went to stock up on my weekly supply of Healthy Choices and stopped to look at some of the other options. Not many of them really appealed to me, but I saw one that looked "healthier" in that it was an Asian-inspired one that wasn't a huge portion and was cooked in a take out container like box. The front of the container touted 180 calories for the option I was looking at, and I was impressed. Then I turned the box around and saw that it had 2.5 servings per container. Ummm really? Really, a small takeout container that is maybe half filled once it's cooked is enough food for 2.5 people to eat for a meal? I don't think so. The previously slender 180 calories ballooned up to 450 calories. Yikes! While there are times when the 230 or 250 calories of a Healthy Choice don't feel like quite enough for me, 450 calories for that option shocked me.

On the other side of the coin, the highly anticipated (by me) Steaming Entrees have arrived in Chicago! I purchased a few of these this week to try out, and I've had two so far.

Honey Balsamic Chicken I loved that this had a ton of cherry tomatoes and asparagus in this dish - although the asparagus was a tad overcooked for me but still crunchy. The chicken was nice pieces, too, but the sauce left a little to be desired. It wasn't bad by any stretch, but it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. I am thrilled that these entrees use fewer ingredients and focus on the ones we can pronounce!

Lemon Herb Chicken This one also featured cherry tomatoes (apparently I love my tomatoes - and they work great in frozen entrees, much to my shock), although they are paired with green beans. The pasta is a whole grain pasta and not as overcooked as some of the others I've had in the Healthy Choice lines, but it still wasn't quite the al dente I prefer. I love lemon chicken, and the sauce on this was a nice lemon blended with chardonnay - which I didn't realize until I'd started eating it. I sorta liked this one and would definitely get it again.

Beyond these two new ones, I've been focusing on some of my favorites - the Cafe Steamers, primarily.

Oh, and did I mention that I have continued to lose weight? Another two pounds in the past few weeks without super "really" trying. Yay!

I have only one more of Tara's tips to share before the end of this series of posts. Move a bit more. Go for a 15 minute walk during your lunch break, walk up and down the stairs a few times, pace while you are on the phone, or get off the subway a stop or two early and walk the rest of the way. This is some of what I frequently forget. It doesn't take a lot of time, but the little things you do really add up. I may not be able to make it to the gym, but I can go up and down the stairs of my house inefficiently doing chores, and that helps. I may miss a run, but I can park further away from the store and walk, then walk to the next store instead of driving to a closer spot in the same outlot. It all helps.

I hope that you've enjoyed learning about this trek with Healthy Choice and Getting Better for BlogHer. I know it's been helpful for me, and I've enjoyed sharing my progress and Tara's tips with you - as well as trying out some of the Healthy Choice options that I might not have otherwise. While I didn't love all of them, I've certainly found some favorites that I will eat again!

Giveaway: Scotch-Brite Greener Clean Products

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a scrub sponge, a scour pad, an absorbant sponge, and an expanding soft sponge. I was not compensated, and all opinions expressed are my own.

I love the fact that so many companies are starting to make products the way I'd make them if I had the option - more foods are containing real ingredients, cleaners are containing few ingredients, and even cleaning supplies are becoming greener.

Scotch-Brite recently sent me some of their new product to try out. They are now making greener scrubbers and sponges that are not just reusable (if only I could break my husband from the paper towel habit) but also include recycled content and/or packaging and incorporate natural materials like agave and corn.

The Scotch-Brite Greener Clean natural fiber non-scratch sponge and scour pad work just as well as any other sponges we've used in the past. I love that they aren't dyed all weird colors (I'm not a fan of neon yellow sponges) and that the sponges are made of 100% natural materials. The scrubbing fibers are made with 50% natural agave, which is not a use I would ever have dreamed of for agave.

The sponge is just as you would picture a typical one - with the rough surface for stuck on stains on one side and the soft side on the other. The scour pad is much larger, about twice the size of the sponge and thinner. The surface throughout is the scour pad, which is not as harsh feeling as the traditional wire ones I grew up with. To date, we haven't had a problem with food getting stuck in it, which was one of my initial fears.

Overall, we haven't had any issuse whatsoever with the sponges. They clean up all the messes we gave them - and with my cooking, I'm good at creating messes! - and they survived my sanitation test of putting them in the microwave for three minutes after being soaked in water to kill all the germs. They didn't melt or change shape or texture at all. And so far, they're holding up great!

The sponges are event cooler to me in that they are biodegradable. Granted, you have to have a "composting environment" but that's so much better than the alternative of materials that will stay in a landfill forever!

The absorbant sponge is meant as a paper towel replacer, and it's the same size as the scour pad - much larger than a traditional sponge, although in other ways, it feels like a sponge. This is perfect for wiping down countertops and spills on the floors and other larger areas. Because of its size, it isn't great for getting into tight spaces (those of us who spill while cooking on our stove and need to get into the corners under our burners), but it has served its purpose well.

Given its larger size, I've had some dilemmas on where to store it because it doesn't fit neatly onto the back of my sink where we usually keep our sponges. It is simply too wide, and when it's wet, I'm not going to put it into any cabinets. It's a small complaint and easily remedied with a little wire basket.

The expanding soft sponge is also biodegradable - love that! - and is made from 100% natural materials. This sponge is one of the ones that is squashed when you buy it and only expands once you add water the first time. I love that, and not just because it saves on packaging and waste and shipping. It's so much fun to watch it expand the first time - and yes, I am easily amused.

The sponge has also taken everything we've thrown at it, although my husband hasn't tested it on the stuck on stains since he has the scrub sponge to take care of those messes. The soft sponge isn't ripping at all, which we've had happen relatively early with some other sponges we've used in the past, and it has also passed my sanitation test with flying colors.

I have to say that I'm thrilled with the fact that the cleaning materials are becoming greener - especially the biodegradable element. And they aren't that expensive either. The scour pad is the most expensive at 2 for a suggested retail price of $4.19 with the soft sponge being the least expensive at 3 sponges for a suggested $2.75.

Scotch-Brite has also created a YouTube channel with green cleaning tips that bloggers shared at BlogHer 2010 here. There are tons of great tips to check out. What's your favorite?

I didn't just receive a set of these four products, but I also have a set to give away to one lucky reader.

So what do you have to do?

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 September 28 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: What is your worst mess to clean up in the kitchen?

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 and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
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.

Good luck!

Winners!

I have two giveaways that have ended in the last day or so!

The Seventh Generation Giveaway ended yesterday, and number 36 was chosen by Random.org - so congrats go to JanetFaye from Grammy Janet's Planet!

For the Box Tops giveaway, Random.org picked 33, so congrats to Stephanie from All Things New!

I've already heard back from Stephanie, and JanetFaye has until 8pm on Sunday to get back to me before I have to choose a new winner.

Good luck with future giveaways!

Review: Disney On Ice

In the interest of full disclosure, I received tickets to the show and dinner prior to the show for myself and the wee ones. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Last night, the wee ones had a special treat. Mommy took them to see Disney on Ice Princess Classics. They had no idea where we were going until they got inside and saw the set, and boy were they stoked.

(Yeah, I know... they don't take good posed photos. I try.)

While Mister Man decried it, saying he "didn't like classic princesses" he quickly changed his mind once the show started. He was so happy to see that his favorite one was a part of the show. Mulan he adores, and I think it's partly because she's strong and does something akin to martial arts.

Regardless, it was a great show.

I love how the shows use the dialogue from the original movies in snippets to tell the stories, making it all that much more real to the wee ones - and to me. The same goes for the songs, and Disney always has such great music in their movies. So yes, I do currently have the some from Mulan going through my head.

The skaters do a fantastic job of telling the story and making it look as though they really are saying their lines, and the costuming is very true to the movies, with only some allowances made for appropriate skating costumes.

The show starts off with the wee ones' favorite fairy Tinker Bell, which was fortunate, as Little Miss had on her Tinker Bell costume. Mickey and Minnie soon appeared, as well, and then the actual show began.

Aladdin was the first show, and they did a great job of telling the story. I loved the elephant Aladdin rode in on after becoming Prince Ali, and the magic carpet was very cool - both when played by a skater and when flying Jasmine and Aladdin themselves.

Sleeping Beauty was a lot of fun with the fairies changing the dress from pink to blue and back. Briar Rose did a great job with her famous song of "Once Upon a Dream" that was very reminiscent of the movie. The story deviated some from the movie - as it would have to given the constraints of a quick ice show - with the pricking of her finger. It was a dramatic moment, and one that had the wee ones on the edges of their seats worried about what would happen next.

The Little Mermaid opens with Sebastian singing "Under the Sea" with some very cool glow in the dark fish and coral. Ursula's costume and the playing of Flotsam and Jetsam were excellent, although a little scary for the younger set.

When Mulan appeared, Mister Man was beside himself with excitement. This story was probably the closest to the version told in the Disney on Ice we saw last year, but he didn't care. Mushu was a great scamp, and the wee ones are still talking about him. I was hoping for a battle scene in this, but the story here was the least developed of all the vignettes we saw.

Snow White and the dwarves were adorable. They did a neat job skating with their chairs and creating a fun atmosphere for the show. The witch tempting Snow White with the apple really got the crowd involved, and everyone was crushed when she took that fateful bite of the apple.

Beauty and the Beast was the next show, although it picked up pretty far into the story. If you don't know what's going on (and granted - most do), having Gaston come in near the end of the vignette to stab the Beast is sort of confusing.

If you notice, all the stories end at the climax. They all stop with the princess at her most vulnerable and before the happy ending appears. This was disturbing to the wee ones, and I was a little concerned that it would continue through the end. I would have liked to see each story finish with the happy ending before moving to the next one.

After intermission, Cinderella was the focus, and it was hilarious. The step-sisters were wonderful, bumbling fools, and the step-mother appropriately hideous and appalling. The Archduke who is in charge of delivering the invitations and travling with the prince to find the owner of the slipper really reminded me of the exact character from the movie. More fun, I haven't seen this movie in ages, and there were parts of the vignette that I had forgotten about from the mice creating Cinderella's dress from scaps of the step sisters' belongings to Anastasia and Drusilla being the names of the step sisters.

As Cinderella discovered her prince, the show began to end. Each story was then brought to its conclusion with Erik dancing with Ariel, Prince Charming kissing and awakening Snow White (ditto for Prince Phillip and Aurora), etc. The audience sees that there is a happy ending for each story, although the exact ending isn't clear.

The final revue was gorgeous, and the dancing kept the wee ones entertained until the end. And yes, they're asking when they can go back!

The show is still at the United Center until Sunday, and tickets are available for all the shows: 7pm each day from tonight to Sunday September 12. There are also shows at 11:30am and 3:30pm on Saturday and Sunday (September 11 and 12). Don't forget that the Sunday 7pm show is a Spanish language show.

Ticket prices vary based on your seating area and date. However, you can get them for a discount. By using the code "MOM" you can get a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 (Valid Monday-Thursday and Friday Matinees, excluding holidays) and save $4 on all weekend shows. Just order your tickets from TicketMaster (at the United Center Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000) and enter Code in the “MC Promotions Box” on Ticketmaster.com. You need to purchase a minimum of 4 tickets for the discount, and it is not valid on Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply.

Have a great time!



PS Don't forget your long sleeves/jacket. It's cold in the UC for ice shows!

Giveaway: Strawberry Shortcake Movies

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a copy of Strawberry Shortcake's "Berrywood Here We Come" and "The Glimmberberry Ball Movie" for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

I remember Strawberry Shortcake from when I was a child. In fact, the first thing I ever saved my money for (from my palty allowance!) was the butterfly that Orange Blossom rode, Flitter-Bit (not to be confused with her small pet Marmalade). I still remember the trip to the White Plains Mall to buy the $7 toy.

I loved the dolls, and the song is now going through my head just thinking about them. They were so sweet and fun - and the little personalities that they created to fit their names were hilarious. I think I had almost all the dolls and their accessories, including Strawberry's house (which was a strawberry, as was the trolley).

The fad of Strawberry Shortcake faded as I grew older, but it has been revived in the past several years. Granted, the characters no longer look quite the same as they once did. Their makeover has given them a far more sophisticated (and, granted, modern) look, but their relatively innocent exploits continue.

There are quite a few movies that have been created for Strawberry Shortcake over the years, and two more have just been released: Berrywood Here We Come and The Glimmerberry Ball Movie. As always these movies aren't just cute and sweet, they have a moral to them that helps teach a life lesson that I'm working on reinforcing at home.

The wee ones have added these movies to their collection of acceptable movie viewing, and they are thrilled. The first time we popped one in, they sat still and silent throughout - even Mister Man loved them, although he later told me that they weren't quite as cool as Legos.

In Berrywood Here We Come, there are two parts to the movie, which makes it great to either watch the whole thing or just part one or part two if we're short on time. In the first part, Strawberry Shortcake heads off to Berrywood with her friends to go visit a friend - appropriately named Limelight. Limelight is a movie star, but the life they are expecting to see isn't exactly there. Limelight is not happy because she doesn't feel like she's successful. Strawberry Shortcake to the rescue! The moral to the story is that everyone is special and can be a star, and of course Limelight's movie is soon a smashing success.

In the second part, Strawberry and friends head back to Strawberryland and want to make their own movie. They reopen a local theater to do so, and the evil Pie Man (one of my favorite characters, especially with his twisty mustache!) appears. He decided he wants the theater, and Strawberry and her friends have to find a way to thwart him - and of course they do. Along the way, they learn the lesson from the story: if you have a problem, talk about it.

The second movie is one part, so we need to make sure we have time to watch it - although it's still just over an hour long. The Glimmerberry Ball Movie is a mystery, so Little Miss was a little bit scared, but she was fine. I have somewhat sensitive children.

In the movie, there is a Glimmerberry Ball to celebrate winter. It becomes somewhat sad when someone destroys all the decorations that Strawberry and her friends created, but they solve the mystery, and all is well again. The moral to this movie is again the importance of friends working together as a team, which is something that I love to encourage.

In addition to the movies, they have some special features, too. There is a sing-along available and a read-along storybook as part of The Glimmerberry Ball Movie, and both movies include printable coloring pages - and we can never have enough coloring pages around here. With Little Miss learning Spanish, I love that these movies can be watched in Spanish, too - although we'll wait until she's a little more profficient before doing that.

These movies were released last week, so you can buy them now! Or you can be one of my lucky readers to win your own copy. I have a copy of each movie to give away, and two readers will win one of the movies - first winner wins their choice and the second winner receives the other movie.

So what do you have to do?

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 September 24 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: Who is your favorite character from Strawberry Shortcake and why?

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 and tweeting this contest (leave a link to your tweet as your comment).
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.

Good luck!

Review: Marmaduke

In the interest of full disclosure, I was sent a DVD of Marmaduke for review, but I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

I love how so many things from my childhood are becoming popular again (the zippered jeans being an exception). Apparently, I'm at a good age, and this is definitely a time I'm focused on enjoying so many of those special memories.

One of them was reading the Sunday comics with my dad. He had his favorites, and I had mine. They didn't always overlap, but we'd always read every comic, including the ones neither of us liked. We could always both agree on Marmaduke though. He was always such a silly dog who was funny but still harmless and without a mean bone in his body.

A new Marmaduke movie was just released, and Marmaduke is now live action. For some reason, I always pictured him as a cartoon, but the advances in computers makes a live action pet movie totally doable - especially when it stars Owen Wilson, George Lopez, Kiefer Sutherland, and Fergie (apparently I'm not the only one with nostalgia for childhood?).

Marmaduke has been reinvented and has a whole lot more character and personality than he did in the comic strip. He's also got some new pals, like his best friend the cat Carlos.

I was hoping to watch this with the wee ones, since I so enjoyed Marmaduke as a child, but the movie is rated PG for some rude humor and language - definitely things I don't want to introduce to the wee ones. I was disappointed by this, as there's no need to introduce things like this into just about every movie to make it something worth watching, but that's a whole 'nother post. I'm also sure that I'm in the minority in not letting my 5 and almost 7 year olds watch a PG rated movie, but those are the values we live by.

Instead, I popped in the movie to watch myself. Marmaduke and his family have moved from Kansas (the type of Marmaduke I remember) to the O.C. Needless to say, Marmaduke doesn't exactly fit in with the family's new life. He makes new friends with mutts he meets at a park, and the usual "I'm better than you but never abandon your friends" lesson is learned by Marmaduke throughout the movie.

My view? It was ok. This is definitely not my favorite movie, and some of the humor was too juvenile for me, but this movie was totally up my husband's alley. He loved it, and that doesn't surprise me. I'll let him keep the DVD in the rotation - but again, the wee ones don't get to see this one for awhile. I was hoping for something closer to the comic strip I remember reading as a child, but I also don't see how you can turn that into a full length movie.

Review: Build-A-Bear Small Fry

I adore Build-A-Bear. We have many in our house from the Cardinal Bear my niece gave Little Miss for her second birthday to the Obi Wan Kenobi leopard Mister Man got with his kindergarten teacher and more. This year, we started a new tradition of doing back to school bears, which the wee ones loved.

There is a whole new line of bears now, and they are adorable. The smallfrys (yes, their spelling) are smaller little animals that come in a little french fry box.

Tell me this isn't the cutest thing ever. I love how on the back it provides the "nutritional information" for the bear. Ours has 100% of our daily allowance of hugs, fun, laughter, friendship, and self-expression. That's somewhat lost on the wee ones, but I appreciate it - and older kids will, too. It's the right message to send to children about what's important.

The smallfry we received is tie-dyed pink and orange (to my eyes anyway) and is reminiscent of the peace bears that Build-A-Bear has right now. She's adorable with little eyelashes sewn on that gives her a cute little personality. And since she's so tiny, the wee ones are playing with her like she's a little sister to some of their other animals. Watching them having their other bears teach this one how to do things is precious. I only wish that I'd thought to capture it on video (before now).

I have only two small issues with these. They come pre-stuffed, which was a bummer for the wee ones because they associate Build-A-Bear with truly making their own bears. Also because they are smaller, the wee ones want to take their little bear with them everywhere they go. I'm one of the moms who keeps toys in the house because I'm afraid of them getting lost, so this is new for me. So far, she's gotten a little dirty, but she isn't too worse for wear.

We have gotten several questions from people about where we got the bear because she is so cute. When I tell them, I explain that there are other options, too - a kitty, a monkey, a frog, a bunny, and more. They are only available for a limited time, however - until October 31 or while supplies last.

You can get your own smallfry from Build-A-Bear either online or in store. There are eight different smallfrys - and you can also dress them up just like you do the regular size bears. They also come with a code for buildabearville that offers a virtual accessory bag to carry the smallfry and a doll house style furniture item. Each smallfry is $12.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was sent a Small Fry bear by Build-A-Bear. They did not ask me to promote anything, and I received no compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.