Winners!

I have two winners to announce tonight.

The MegaBlocks Thomas Adventure on Misty Island was won by Hyacynth of UnderCover Mother! She has 48 hours to confirm her information with me.

The Lawry's Gift Pack was won by Sherrie from Grannie Loves Gift Baskets who has 24 hours to confirm her win to me.

Congrats - and look for more soon!

Giveaway: Baby Einstein Discovery Kits

We received our first Baby Einstein movie before Mister Man was born. While we didn't do much television for him (ok, none) before he was two - and even now - the Baby Einstein DVDs were among the few that he ever saw. I liked that they were educational and had pleasant music. They were ones that I could watch, and they didn't feel like they pandered to kids.

Baby Einstein has recently introduced some new products that are for slightly older kids, and we are once again in Baby Einstein heaven. Even though technically they are meant for younger children, Little Miss has had a great time playing with the Discovery Kit that we received and working on some of her academic skills that they're focusing on in kindergarten.

The Discovery Kits launched in late November, and there are currently six available. Each kit features a DVD, a music CD and a picture book or Discovery Cards, each element complementing the others. The new kits give parents another way to interact with their babies by extending the moving picture and music experience of the DVDs to other areas of a baby’s day through the CDs and book or cards which feature the same music and images experienced in the DVD.



I really like that they have three different levels of play so that the kits can grow with your child. There are two kits each of the three different levels. The Experience kits focus on the music of Mozart and Beethoven. The Level 2 Explore kits are more focused on learning about animals with the Wild Animal Safari and Animals Around Me. The Expressions level explores colors and words, both things that become a focus not just for toddlers but for children entering school.

We received the Wild Animal Safari Discovery Kit that Little Miss (at 5) just loved. While she's probably at the high end of the age range, that didn't stop her from watching the DVD happily. The discovery cards had all sorts of cool animal facts that she now proudly shares with everyone she knows. Her favorite is that rhinos roll around in mud to keep from getting sunburned. She wants to know if she can do that this summer, too. Oh, and a lion's roar can be heard five miles away, so really, Mommy, you shouldn't complain that Mister Man and I are too loud.

My absolute favorite part of this though? It comes in multiple languages - English, French, and Spanish. Because Little Miss is in a Spanish immersion kindergarten, she needs to learn everything in Spanish. I don't speak Spanish, so I can't reinforce it very much at home. Finding educational devices like this that can provide some reinforcement for me? Priceless.

There is also a music CD that allows me to take the music from the Discovery Kit with me everywhere. And honestly, when I'm driving carpool with five children from kindergarten to second grade, a little classical music from Baby Einstein is just what I need to keep the sanity in the car.

The Discovery Kits have a suggested retail price of $19.99 each, and more kits are coming. Are you intrigued yet? I have one Discovery Kit to give away to a lucky reader!

So what do you have to do to win one of these kits? 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 December 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 was your favorite movie/tv show to watch as a small child? Tell me I'm not the only one who remembers Bozo's Circus!

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 with the following tweet: "Have you seen the new Discovery Kits from Baby Einstein? Win one from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/gmfvVm" (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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Discovery Kit from Baby Einstein for review purposes only and no compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Jewel Cookware

I was invited to a Jewel location in downtown Chicago recently where I and other bloggers learned all about some of the things Jewel is doing from building more environmentally friendly stores to expanding their fresh offerings at the deli counter to stocking more organic products.

At the time, they were also launching a new cookware promotion, available at all 175 Chicago area Jewel stores. The program is similar to some of the original loyalty programs where customers collected stamps based on their spending and turned them in for premiums.

In this case, for every $10 spent on eligible purchases at Jewel made by customers using their Preferred Customer Cards, one stamp will be awarded. As stickers are collected, customers can earn cookware products for only a penny. There are eight different pieces in the Thomas Professional Cookware set to choose from, with different pieces requiring a different number of stickers. The promotion lasts through January 12 - so it isn't too late to collect your stickers and earn your cookware pieces.

Customers place their earned stickers into saver cards, which they can then turn in at checkout for their products. They range from a 7.8 inch fry pan for 50 reward stickers (and a penny) or $5.49 and 25 stickers to a 13.7 by 10.1 inch roasting pan with rack for 130 stickers and a penny or $19.99 with 65 stickers. I love that you have the ability to purchase the product at a significantly discounted price for half the stickers (retail is $29.99 to $89.99 - and yes, you can buy it at full retail, too).

The cookware itself is made from hard anodized aluminum meaning that they are really strong, and all pieces are nonstick AND dishwasher safe (although I'll be honest that I don't put any of my nonstick pieces in the dishwasher). The program includes two sizes of frying pans, a casserole, a saute pan, a grill pan, a dutch oven, a stir-fry pan, and a roasting pan with rack.

I know it's hard to believe, but I don't own a stir-fry pan (or a wok). Or I didn't until Jewel sent me one, along with a grill pan, for me to try out and test how well the pans work.

The pans were both fairly heavy, which I like when I cook. It may be a pain to store and get them out, but I'd rather have that minor hassle than burned food. The heavier a pan is, the more it will retain heat and the less likely it is to have hot spots.

They were also nice looking. They had silver handles, and a sleek look overall. And those silver handles? I was happy to report that they did not get hot when cooking, which is the new par for the course with pans.

I loved using the grill pan to make chicken and fish - and my turkey bacon! I'm also a huge fan of using it to make grilled cheese, since you can do it without any butter and it leaves such neat grill marks. It cleaned up fairly well after each use, not requiring a ton of scrubbing. As with most pans of this type, it did need some seasoning to start, so I wiped it down with olive oil the first few times, and it is now nicely seasoned and working well. Bonus? If I am planning to grill outdoors all day and the weather turns, I don't have to scrap that night's meal. We simply grill inside!

My very first stir fry pan was a blast to use. I had so much fun cooking up veggies to crunchy-cooked with a little sauce and some meats. This was a lot of fun for the wee ones to watch, and it meant that they ate some foods that they wouldn't have eaten before. With small children, there are always distractions while cooking or delaying in eating, which makes the lid that comes with the stir-fry pan awfully handy. Most woks I've seen don't have one. It is also a great shape to use for other dishes. I've made a lot of soups in here - sauteing the veggies first and then adding the remaining ingredients. This one cleans up even more easily than the grill pan - partly because it doesn't have the same nooks and crannies!

I have to say that I am awfully happy with the additions to my cookware set. I typically cook with cast iron, and this was a nice changeup - and definitely cleaned up more easily. I wouldn't use the anodized pans to melt chocolate or anything super delicate, but that isn't their purpose, and they serve theirs well.

Some other fun facts about cooking over the holidays?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, 70% of Americans indicate that, during the holidays, food brings them and their families the most joy. Gifts, meanwhile, came in at 48%

Just under 60% of holiday meal hosts report doing all the work themselves, without asking guests to bring anything along

Despite the amount of food involved in the holidays, 75% of respondents say eating healthy is important to them and their families

Although generally perceived as the centerpiece to holiday meal entertaining, 41% said that the main entrée is the dish most susceptible to tinkering, while only 37% said they would change up their appetizer offering

Celebrating big in Chicago: People in Chicago are more likely to have large celebrations, with 33 percent saying they will host nine to 14 people, compared with 22 percent nationwide. Price of food is more of a concern among Chicago respondents, with 36 percent citing it as an important consideration versus 28 percent nationally. When asked if they could have any living person at their holiday dinner table, Chicagoans picked their family, followed by the First Family (the Obamas).

(Study was conducted by Harris Interactive research in October 2010 with information provided by Jewel-Osco.)

If you live in Chicago, go out and collect those stamps (and I know lots of charities that are collecting stamps from various people for those who are in a generous mood or who aren't collecting enough to earn their chosen pieces). Or, you could win cookware here. I have a matching set to what I received for review. I have a stir-fry pan and a grill pan to give away - one each to two lucky winners. The first winner gets first choice and the second winner gets the other piece.

So what do you have to do to win an awesome piece of cookware? 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 Monday December 27 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 favorite thing to cook? (You must answer this question to get any entries!)

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 with the following tweet: "Check out the #giveaway of Jewel cookware from @honestandtruly at http://bit.ly/fJ12yD" (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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a grill pan and wok for review purposes only and no compensation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Set

I had ten children in my house again yesterday - on purpose, mind you. We had received a giant box filled with Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt Sets, and we were having a party! And today? The wee ones are still playing with the pieces we didn't give away to attendees.

I had a feeling the Toy Story 3 party was going to be a success. The wee ones love Toy Story. The two Toy Story rides at Disney are their favorites. We go on them over and over again. And when they got to choose a nightly movie when we were in Florida in August? Every. Single. Night. They chose Toy Story.

I'll be honest that I haven't seen Toy Story 3 yet, but of course my parents bought the movie the day it came out, so they've seen it ... a few times. I actually know a fair amount about the movie from all that I've heard, and the Action Links Stunt sets are based on scenes from the movie, which is pretty cool.

As I started putting the toys together before the party, the wee ones brought the boxes to me "in order" - because they knew exactly what happened first, second, third, etc. Needless to say, I put together the very massive junkyard set first. The instructions have no words, just pictures and arrows pointing. I personally could have used some words. That or some more sleep. My biggest pet peeve with the stunt sets was the boxes. They are pyramidal, which means there's no way to open them and get the insides out without destroying the box. I hate having to work hard to open toys.

(Note, this is not a funky angled shot - the box is shaped this way)

It took me awhile to get the hang of putting the sets together, but I did get all five that we were sent together within about forty-five minutes. They were put in order of the movie, but the cool thing about the Action Links Stunt sets is that you can set them up in any order and with one set or with all of them. That means you can invest as little or as much money - and effort - in playing with the toys, as you want.

Once I got it all set up, it was actually pretty impressive. Fortunately, the connecting parts for each piece of the set allows you to turn it in almost a complete circle, so you can set up the set(s) to fit just about any space or room configuration.

The stunt sets come with the figures that were key in that part of the movie, so there is plenty to play with, something I appreciate. All too often, you have to buy separate figures for the toys. There are also supplemental Buddy Packs with two figures from Toy Story 3 - and there is just about every combination you can think of available. The wee ones would probably have been happy just playing with the Buddy Packs, but ohhhh did the Action Links Stunt sets add to the fun!

With ten children playing, it was hard to get the full domino effect totally set up before someone would accidentally (or on purpose) set off one piece of it or another. That was ... mildly frustrating to some of the children because we never did get it to go from start to finish. Had there only been two or three children (which there are now!), it would have worked far better.

That said, everyone at the party had a blast, I think. I'd made cardboard sheriff stars to decorate once the kids got bored with the Toy Story 3 figures. We never did more than pass them out when the kids walked in (Mister Man proudly ran to the table and handed one to each child as they arrived). I did manage to feed a few of them snacks, but I think that's more because of the time and the fact that they were so hyped up!

The end result? I wish that the triggers were less sensitive so that setup were easier. And it would be nice if the instructions were more clear. And there were a couple elements that were a little touchy - the conveyor belt on the junkyard didn't always wind well, and the claw from the junkyard sometimes dropped early so that it missed the next trigger point. But the wee ones? This is the only toy they want to play with now. They played with it after the party until they went to bed, and it's the only thing they've touched today.

I think I know what Santa might be bringing!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with the toys for the Toy Story 3 Action Links Stunt set party by MomSelect and Mattel for ten children, of which the vast majority were given to away to party attendees. I received no compensation, and all opionions expressed are my own.

Review: GiveBack.org

You know how sometimes you feel like something is too good to be true, only it isn't? That's sorta what GiveBack.org is all about. It's a website founded by the winner of Oprah's Big Give from 2008 Stephen Paletta. He had $1 million to give away, and he did so. The experience made him realize the power of giving back to our communities.

He recently launched GiveBack.org where anyone can set up a foundation - with just a few clicks of a mouse - and direct funds to charities of their choosing. Unlike some charitable middlemen (a certain one a former company of mine pressured us to donate to comes to mind), 100% of the donation goes directly to the charity with no overhead costs taken away because site sponsors cover the administrative costs. Phew!

You can add money yourself by making a donation from your credit card that is tax deductible. Other friends or corporations can add to your foundation. Or - bonus! - you can simply use their shopping portal to earn up to 15% of your spending toward your foundation. Stores range from Target (yep, Target) to The Container Store to Oriental Trading and more. I was surprised to see some of the companies signed up, but so many that I shop at already.

Once you have money in your account, you direct it where you want it to go. Pretty much any charity you can think of is included from major national ones like the Humane Society and American Cancer Society to tiny local charities I never knew existed and all between. It's easy to find one or ten to add to your foundation to support then direct your funds there now or later. If a 501(c)3 you like isn't listed, they will add it once they verify it.

Are you intrigued yet? I signed up, and it was so easy to do. You simply visit the site, click to create a foundation, providing just a username and your email, and ta da $5 is credited to your foundation for you to use as you choose.

I put in zip codes to find charities nearby, and there were tons. I tried searching by name, but that was difficult for smaller charities as their search function definitely needs improving. I love that you can also search by type of charity (e.g., special needs) and a list will come up there. It's impossible to not find something you like!

Personally, I'm still debating where to spend my $5, but I think I'll let it grow through my online shopping first. Hey, I might win $1,000 for my foundation for sharing my story about how a charity I'm involved in gives back to the community. Steve Nash and Serena Williams are supporting this initiative and the weekly prize. How fun to try to figure out what to do with $1,000!

So go - sign up! Support causes you care about and feel good about giving back.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have been entered to win a Blissdom conference package or conference ticket. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Winner!

Congratulations goes to Steph from Problem Solvin' Mom who won the $25 Build-A-Bear gift certificate. I hope she enjoys it!

Keep an eye out for more, as always.

Giveaway: The Dolphin

We love children's movies, and the wee ones are getting to the point - at least Mister Man - where I am comfortable to start entertaining some PG options. (Although I'm really curious, what is it about animated movies now that so many are PG and not G? What's wrong with a G rating?)

I heard recently about The Dolphin: Story of a Dreamer, which is a story about Daniel the dolphin who wantts to dream and discover the purpose of life. The movie is based on the novel by Sergio Bambaren and has a great message about staying true to yourself and following your dreams. It's a message that we all need to remember.

While the movie has some dark moments from what I've read about it - perhaps it's not something Little Miss is quite ready for - there are uplifting moments and all sorts of great friends he meets along the way. The animation that I've seen in the trailer - see below - is amazing. I am so impressed at how realistic the animation is in this movie in places.



The movie is being released today December 7 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment with a suggested MSRP of $19.98. I have two copies of this DVD to give away - just in time for a Christmas stocking stuffer! Need something to do in the meantime? Print out the coloring page and have fun with your children coloring Daniel and talking about your children's dreams and how they're going to get there.

So what do you have to do to win a copy of this movie? 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 December 21 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 was your favorite movie as a child? (You must answer this question to get any entries!)

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 with the following tweet: "Have you seen the cute kids' movie "The Dolphin" yet? Enter to win a copy from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/f4mGHB" (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.

Good luck!

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

Winners!

I have a whole bunch of winners to announce for recent giveaways. More giveaways are coming. I've unfortunately been away from my computer a lot lately, but for good reasons. Tomorrow is a home day, so at least one if not two will go up!

For the MasterMind games, the first winner was:
skkorman

The second winner was:
Niecey from The Monkeys and Me

They both have 48 hours to get back to me.

Niecey also won the Personalized Little Wonders book giveaway - it's her lucky day! She has 24 hours to respond on that one.

The $50 77kids gift card was won by Dariela from Folklore Eye. She also has 24 hours to respond to her email.

Congrats to all the winners, and thank you everyone for entering. Build-A-Bear Workshop ends tomorrow, and there are plenty more up and going up!

Review: HomeGoods

I love searching for gifts. Between teachers and family and friends - and my babysitting co-op - there is always the need for a gift here or there, especially this time of year. I actually haven't counted up the number of gifts I need this year, as it's a little daunting. Fortunately, I figured out what I'm doing for most people this year - homemade truffles.

That said, I still have some hunting to do. BlogHer challenged me to go shopping for gifts with a $25 HomeGoods gift certificate. That's the kind of challenge I love. I only wish I'd had more time to wander through the store, as I only had the time to fully peruse about a third of the store. The rest of it I had to quickly flit down the aisles before running to get Mister Man for his therapy session.

Part of the reason it took me so long is that I kept finding things. I started out looking for something for my babysitting co-op's Christmas white elephant gift that needed to be under $10. My goal is to have a gift that people trade for during the process. I was hoping I could find something at HomeGoods that would fit the bill.

I didn't.

I found too many things. I literally would pick up something and put it in my cart then find something else I wanted for the co-op. Then I'd decide that the previous thing would make a great gift for a therapist or school teacher. It's possible I ended up spending a little more than my $25 gift card, but check out everything I got.

These four reindeer mugs are adorable, aren't they? They were one of the first things I put in my cart. For $7.99 (compared to $25 elsewhere per the tag), they were going to be my co-op gift. They are now going to be divided into single mugs, filled with my truffles and given to bus drivers, gymnastics coaches, etc.

I also found these awesome vases in a ton of different colors and patterns. I can't believe that they were only $7.99 for a handmade heavy glass vase (compared to $15 elsewhere per the tag). It took me awhile to decide on the pattern. And once I saw something else, I decide on this vase to go in my new bathroom. I think. It would be perfect to hold bath salts on my new little niche.

Next up was the three piece prep bowl set. They nest and came in different colors, and the detail around the top edge of the bowls is a great accent. This was going to be the co-op gift for $6.99 (compared to $15 elsewhere per tag), but once again I found something else. Instead, this is also going to be broken into three separate gifts filled with truffles for the music teacher, Spanish teacher, and art teacher.

In the end, I found an absolutely gorgeous much larger vase, again hand made and with such gorgeous colors and details. You can't see it, but the blue swirls around the vase are textured, as well. This one was mysteriously in the clearance area for $5 (originally $14.99, compared to $28 elsewhere per the tag). I know this will make a positive impression, and I'm going to donate an additional $5 towards our charity endeavor instead.

All told, those gifts were $25.97. Can you say "Score!" with me?

I didn't stop there though. As I kept looking around, I found more things that were perfect for ... more people. It's possible that I was included in this for more than that gorgeous vase for my bath salts.

I found the perfect Christmas gift for my sister, who is notoriously hard for me to shop for. She is currently in vet school, and she has collected snow globes and music boxes for years. I found something that combines all three. This adorable snowglobe with five dogs decorating a doghouse with lights plays Jingle Bells. At $12.99 ($24 elsewhere per the tag), I think I'm doing pretty good with a gift for her that she'll love.

And for me? I love to entertain and have people over. I do a lot of appetizer and dessert type get togethers, and I never have enough serving dishes. My "casual" servingware is white squared off and fairly simple. In fact, for my birthday, I even got the start of a new set of everyday dishes in the same format (my dishes are from 15 years ago and are slowly - or not so slowly - being broken). I found a bunch of serving dishes that would fit beautifully in my collection. With all the different shapes and sizes, it was hard to narrow down what I was going to purchase, but I finally decided on two trays in sizes and shapes very different from what I owned. Those trays were $3.99 ($8 elsewhere per the tag) and $5.99 ($15 elsewhere per the tag).

I walked out of there spending a total of $50.94, with my most expensive purchase being the $12.99 snow globe. I was beyond thrilled, and you can bet I'm heading back there the next time I'm looking for something special - no matter who it's for!

Oh, and before I forget, BlogHer is also giving away one $100 gift card and 20 $25 gift cards to HomeGoods here. Go, try to win one for yourself!

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a $25 gift card to HomeGoods for review purposes from BlogHer. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Sesame Street eBooks

eBooks are a relatively new phenomenon. Instead of turning pages the old fashioned way - which I personally prefer for me; I don't own a kindle or a Nook and don't want one - you click on the side of the screen for the next page. I like this option a lot for small children.

It helps them get used to computers in an educational setting, which I love. And did I mention that there are no ripped pages? No "accidental" crayon drawings? Ahhhh....

Sesame Street now offers eBooks with 134 eBooks currently that range from books you need to read to your child to animated ebooks. I was happily surprised to find that there are also a number of ebooks in Spanish - something that I love for Little Miss who is in a Spanish immersion school (10 books).



I like the audiobooks in that they highlight each word as it is said aloud. With Little Miss still working on her reading, this is a great way to help her practice and recognize more words. Given that the audiobooks have the read aloud option or read yourself option, having books that aren't audiobooks seems a shame. Of the 134 books, 77 are "plain" eBooks.

There are also animated ebooks (26) and 2 interactive books. With the animated books, the animation is minimal, but it is enough to bring a smile of delight from a small child. They don't need fancy animations. The interactive ebooks allow children to sort colors (e.g., purple vegetable onto the purple circle) and the like. Having them be simple click once, drag, and click to drop made it easier for small children to use versus the click and drag to drop that I was expecting.

The Sesame Street eBooks feature all the characters that you know and love from Ernie and Bert to Elmo to The Count and more. In fact, several of the ebooks are ones that I own in hard copy - now dogeared and crumbling, of course. It was nice to see some of the familiar books that we know and love, and Little Miss was happy about that.

You can access the full library of these books for $3.99 per month or $39.99 for a full year. Once you've subscribed, you have access to all the books on the site. If you've discovered some favorites, you can easily save them on your bookshelf ot reread whenever you - errr your children - want.

Want to learn more? Like them on Facebook or follow Sesame Street eBooks on Twitter!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a one month trial to the Sesame Street eBooks site. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Lawry's Complete Meal Ideas Gift Pack

Tonight, I walked into my house, and my stress level immediately went down. Why? I had the foresight (and time) this morning to put a pot roast into the crock pot so that dinner was waiting for me when I got home.

Do I or can I do that every night? Unfortunately, no. Do we sometimes have PB&J for dinner (and by "we" I mean everyone in the house except me since I don't like peanut butter) some nights? Ummmm, yes?

It isn't that I don't love to cook. Cooking and baking are things I adore, but some days and nights, I don't have lots of time to marinate meat and make an elaborate meal. I was recently sent some Lawry's seasoning packets in the mail to try out as a solution to some of those issues.

When I'm tired and uninspired, I chose one of the packets at random to try out. Interestingly, the additional ingredients needed for each of these four packets are all things that live in my kitchen, meaning I needed to make no runs to the store - always a bonus.

In examining the ingredients on the packets, I was happy to see that there weren't a ton of ingredients, and not much I couldn't pronounce. Garlic, brown sugar, salt, basil, red bell pepper, onion, and the like are all things that I was happy to see listed as ingredients in the packages. The chicken marsala does have corn syrup in it, which we avoid, but that was the only one.

The Sundried Tomato and Garlic Chicken? Easy and no stress. Mix dry pasta with olives and raw chicken breast in a 13x9 baking dish. Mix water, the packet and canned diced tomatoes. Pour over the chicken stuff and mix. Cover with foil and bake. Ta da! The other three recipes are just as easy, and pretty tasty.

I will admit that they are saltier than I would make them were I doing them from scratch, but I tend to undersalt my food. Each serving contains about 300-450mg of sodium, not counting what is in the additional ingredients. That isn't bad and is more a reflection on how little salt I use.

My overall reaction? I loved having something to inspire me on days when I'm tired and just can't think of anything that sounds good. Could they taste better if I were to make them from scratch? Yeah, probably, but those are the days where I'm not making anything from scratch! Given that these have a MSRP of $1.09 per packet, I'm definitely going to keep a few of these around for those days when I need some help.

Sound good? One lucky reader will receive a Lawry´s "Complete Meal Ideas" gift pack that includes all four of the new Lawry´s seasoning mix varieties - Asian Style Beef & Broccoli, Chimichurri Burrito Casserole, Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken, and Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic & Basil - in addition to a marinating dish.

So what do you have to do to win the Lawry's complete meal ideas gift 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 Wednesday December 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 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What would you do with your "free" time if you didn't have to make dinner tonight? (Bonus brownie points if you answer "Read Honest & Truly! of course!)

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 with the following tweet: "Need a help with dinner? Win a Lawry's complete meal ideas gift pack from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/hWSxtQ" (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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a gift pack as described above for review purposes from Lawry's through MyBlogSpark. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: MegaBlocks Thomas Adventures On Misty Island

I wrote recently about the Chicago Toy & Game Fair (CHITAG) that was held at Navy Pier on November 20 and 21. I had the opportunity to attend a blogger brunch on Saturday where I was able to meet with several vendors and companies to learn more about what they are currently offering. A few of these vendors also provided items for giveaways that I will be posting over the next few days. As interests vary, I will be posting each giveaway separately.

There were several vendors who had items focused on younger children, and there were many that I'd never heard of before the brunch (although sadly, I never actually had a chance to eat anything - but that's a good thing when you're so busy talking to people that you don't have the opportunity to eat, right?) - and there are definitely some items that I'm excited about, not just for me but also for friends who have children of other ages when I'm looking for gifts and other things to help them out.

One new product I discovered was Belly Washers. These are juice drinks that aren't from your typical mold. First, they are 100% juice, so I don't have to worry about any fillers or sugar. They come in different sizes and shapes for various ages. The toddler juices are 50% water, as recommended by the AAP, which means you don't have to add water when you're on the go. The toddler size is also smaller than the preschooler or grad schooler size so that no child gets more than the recommended daily amount of juice. Other benefits? There is a no leak top. The sippy part of it can open but won't spill even when upside down. That does mean that to drink it, the child has to truly suck on the sippy part of the top, but that just helps build the muscles in and around the mouth - something Mister Man struggled with as a toddler. The tops of the juices are also fun collectible figures. They can be moved from juice to juice - although only with the Belly Washers brand - and come in everything from Superman to Cars figures to Hello Kitty and more, something for every child. And when the juice is gone, either refill the bottle and reused the no spill top or keep it as a toy to play with by itself. And best of all for me? The entire container is BPA-free, which is something that I care a whole lot about.

Playtex, of course, has the whole infant and toddler feeding side of things covered. I love their long handled infant spoons. They're just the right size and soft tips to not injure a baby's mouth (something that was an issue with some of our infant spoons - too sharp and hard on the sides of the spoons). Smartly, the tips of the spoons are flat instead of rounded, making it even easier to get all the food that spilled around your baby's mouth. They also shared with us their Playtex Drop-Ins bottles that are BPA-free (phew!) and are designed to mimic breastfeeding, meaning that there is less of a tendency towards digestive issues from bottles. I only wish some of the new fangled baby stuff was around back when the wee ones were infants!

Mega Blocks also had several toy options for younger kids (as well as a few for older kids that I'm including here). I love Mega Blocks that are so easy for little hands to put together and take apart. They were our first real tower building toys, and they've expanded tremendously with scenes Mega Blocks like a musical pirate ship and a train track toy. They also have a board game with a memory type aspect to it that is a great bridge from basic board games into the slightly more complex games for preschoolers.

For older children, they've introduced Dragons Universe, which is a limited edition series of buildable dragons and warriors that battle each other. These figures are aimed at the 6 and up market, and for Mister Man, it is definitely up his alley. There are very complex pieces down to far more simple ones, making it both affordable and at the right skill level for different children.

Mega Blocks also has Thomas now, and one of the fun big pieces is the Thomas & Friends Mega Blocks Adventures on Misty Island. This is a multi-level train track with Thomas and James who travel around the island through obstacles from barricades to rock slides. Although Mister Man has (finally) outgrown Thomas at age 7, Little Miss is still in love with Thomas and thinks this is awesome.

Mega Blocks gave me an extra Adventures on Misty Island to give away to a lucky reader (and yes, I'll be covering the shipping myself - yikes!). The very large toy has a value for $49.99 - and what a perfect present to put under a tree for a deserving child? Want to win it? You can!

So what do you have to do to win the Mega Blocks train set? 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 December 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.

Mandatory Entry: What was your favorite game or toy from early childhood?

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 with the following tweet: "Win a Thomas & Friend Adventures on Misty Island train set ($50RV) from @honestandtruly http://bit.ly/dDZxUU" (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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Playtex bottle and spoon set, a Thomas adventure set, a Captain Niveus Dragon Universe figure, and a Belly Washer juice bottle for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Adopted Ed

While neither of the wee ones is adopted, with Mister Man being autistic, I'm always somewhat sensitive to the aspects of childhood that set people apart and make life more difficult for them. When we received the autism diagnosis, we searched for books on autism and Asperger's - not just for us to better understand it, but also for Mister Man and his peers to be able to better understand and accept it.

Adoption is much the same in that many children feel pushed to the side and different and special - and not always in a good way. Darren Maddern has recently written a children's picture book based on his story of adoption to help children feel more comfortable with who they are.

I love the big pictures, and at the end, the book lists famous people who were adopted from Malcom X to Faith Hill to Nelson Mandela - showing that there are role models to look up to and follow after, no matter the interest of the child.

The book itself is written in verse, and honestly some of it is a bit trite in an attempt to make it fit. The message is great, however, and any child struggling with adoption wouldn't get stuck on that one bit. The message is far more important here.

I like how adoption is shown how it is for many children - something they discover as they grow older and are frequently fine with until other children make them uncomfortable with it. In the book, Ed (the adopted child) is presented with a great comeback that puts the bullies in their place, one I'm sure the author had to use more than once.

For anyone with a child struggling with adoption, this is a great addition to the repetoire of strategies to help the child become comfortable with himself. And even for me, not having an adopted child, the book opened up some great conversations amongst me and the wee ones about adoption and what makes people different and how different people would feel in different situations.

You can learn more about this book here.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a copy of Adopted Ed for review purposes (which I am donating to our school library for their use). I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Winners!

I had two giveaways end over the past couple days - the FiberOne Gift Pack and the InchBug Orbit Labels. And something fun happened... the same person won both giveaways - I think that Amy Anderson is now very happy with random.org!

Congrats to Amy from FunnyYellowMom for winning those giveaways. There are more up and more coming - so keep watching for your chance to win something fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Winner!

Congrats to Niecey from The Monkeys and Me for winning the Activeion Ionator HOM. She has 48 hours to get back to me from the time she was contacted before random.org chooses a new winner. Congrats!

And don't forget all the other giveaways I have going on right now. Lots of them - and more to come - most with really great odds!

Fiber One Prize Pack including a $25 gift card here

InchBug Bumpy Orbit Labels here

MASTERMIND and Animal Mastermind Towers board games here

$50 77kids gift certificate here

Little Wonders Company personalized hardcover book here

$25 Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card here

Giveaway: Build-A-Bear Workshop Giftcard

I have been a fan of the Build-A-Bear Workshop for a long time. I love how friendly they are and how you can personalize your bear with everything from the sound you put inside to the outfit to the name you give on the birth certificate. The store is so friendly and inviting, and there's always something new. I suppose there's a reason Little Miss's bed is completely covered in animals. And Mister Man's, too.

The Build-A-Bear Workshop regularly comes out with new animals from those that support a particular charity such as Turner the Owl, who supports literacy and education programs and the new Star Wars bear. This holiday season, there is a whole line from Rudolph, including Rudolph himself, Clarice, and Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster. Hal and Holly Moose are also back, as is their holiday special.

Just as Build-A-Bear Workshop supports charities with the specially designated bears they sell, you can help, too. Through the end of November, you can donate $1 for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In December, you can donate $1 to support Toys for Tots. The weekend of December 3-6, there will be a toy drive for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in all stores if you have any new and unwrapped toys to share.

Mister Man and I visited a Build-A-Bear Workshop near us to make a new bear for Mister Man from one of their new lines. Not surprisingly, Mister Man immediately gravitated towards the Star Wars collection. He decided upon the Midnight Teddy immediately, but the clothing was a more difficult choice.

Fortunately, I forgot my camera, so we had to head back to my car to retrieve it, giving him more time to think about his choice. Of course, it wasn't in my car either, so I was reduced to using my phone, but it works.

Once we returned to the store, Mister Man finally decided on a Darth Vader costume, and we were ready to stuff. Interestingly, we had yet to be approached or even acknowledged by any of the four people working at Build-A-Bear in either of our trips into the store or around the store. Mister Man actually had to walk up to the counter and interrupt three of them having a conversation (and not about a work topic, mind you) to ask if he could stuff his bear. Fortunately, he wasn't bothered by it, but it definitely was not their usual above and beyond customer service this time around.

As always, he did the extra special wishes for his bear's heart before he put it in, rubbing it on his muscles to make it strong, on his cheeks so his bear would always smile, on his ears so his bear would always be there to listen to him, and the like. He loves all the ways he makes that heart really mean something rather than it simply being a piece of the puzzle.

Once his bear was adequately stuffed, he gave it a bath. I cracked up as Mister Man held it under the "shower" and made the water noise before using the brush to scrub it. The imagination brought out by Build-A-Bear Workshop is always precious to me.

The Darth Vader costume Mister Man chose included the (correct color!) light saber, a cape, a hood, and the main costume. Because it had multiple pieces, it requires an adult to carefully remove the tags to ensure the costume doesn't rip before you get it out of the store. Getting it on is fortunately something that Mister Man can do (mostly) himself. We did discover that the costume would have better fit the smaller $10 bear, but we got it on. It gives me leverage for a $10 bear next time! And you know there will be a next time - the two Star Wars costumes I've already purchased and have hidden away in the basement are testament to that.

Once his bear was fully costumed, Mister Man went to create his birth certificate. I learned the last time we went to Build-A-Bear workshop to make a bear that I want to leave myself plenty of time so we aren't rushed at any particular spot. Creating the birth certificate is something that Mister Man is old enough to do, but it takes him time as he thinks about what each question is asking and then has to find the keys on the keyboard. I love giving him this bit of independence, and kudos to Build-A-Bear Workshop for making it simple enough that a child can do.

The process may have taken us longer than I anticipated (partly due to my own forgetfulness with the camera!), but Midnight the bear is now a happy member of our home. And Mister Man couldn't be prouder.

Yes, I have lots more photos, but I'm still waiting for them to arrive from my phone to my email - I'll update as soon as I can!

Are you jealous? Build-A-Bear Workshop has exclusive offers available on their Facebook page, and they now have an iPhone app, too! I've heard that there will be great offers on Thanksgiving Day and Black Monday online, as well as in stores throughout the weekend. I advise you go check it out.

Oh, did I forget to mention that I have a $25 gift card to Build-A-Bear Workshop to give away? Silly me. Apparently it's not just my camera that I'm forgetting!

So what do you have to do to win the gift card? 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 December 7 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 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What furry friend would you create from the Build-A-Bear collection?

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 with the following tweet: "Win a $25GC from @buildabear from @honestandtruly. Details: http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway-build-a-bear-giftcard.html" (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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a $25 gift card from Build-A-Bear to purchase a bear for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Little Wonder Book

When I was a child, my mom purchased several personalized books for me. They were generally Sesame Street or another book with a "Michelle" who was mentioned but never - or rarely - pictured who was the star of the book helping to track down a missing pigeon or involved in some other mystery. The fact that I can remember the story of the detective Michelle and the missing pigeon for the Great Pigeon Race is a testament to how much I loved having a book that was "about me."

Today, books like this are still sold, and we recently experienced one that is far more personalized than any I'd seen previously. Not only was Mister Man's name in the book, but I was able to write a personalized message to him that was printed at the beginning of the book and we also designed the look of the Mister Man character.

Yep, we designed it. For the Little Wonders books, you go online to create your star. There are characters for both boys and girls, and you select the appropriate face shape, skin tone, hair style, dimples, freckles, eye color and shape, etc.

Granted, when Mister Man and I designed his character together, he started out creating a ... unique looking fellow. After playing with it for a bit, we decided to make his character look like him. It obviously isn't exact but to be able to have a boy with light brown hair with hazel eyes really makes it perfect for him.

There are two different kinds of books - soft cover and hardcover. The hardcover is $29.99, while the soft cover is $12.99, plus shipping and handling. You could also do a digital download for $4.99.

Once the book arrived, I couldn't wait to show it to Mister Man. As he saw what was inside the box, his face lit up. He and the book disappeared for a good half hour before I tracked him down and turned on the video camera.

Of course now I can't figure out how to make the video upright - anyone who can tell me how to make it so you don't get a crick in your neck watching this wins my undying gratitude.







And of course... you can't make a video without the outtakes!





I loved that the book wasn't short or skimpy and had a pretty decent story to it that draws you in rather than just relying on the fact that the book has a child's name in it to be the attraction. It is a pretty decent quality binding and book, so I'm not worried that it will fall apart anytime soon, as this is definitely one that we'll keep forever.

Love the idea? Order yours by December 10 to ensure that it arrives in time for the holidays. Or you could be the lucky reader to win your choice of hardcover either Little Boy Wonder or Little Girl Wonder.

So what do you have to do to win a personalized book like 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 Monday December 6 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 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What was your favorite book as a child?

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 with the following tweet: "Personalize a book for the special child in your life - giveaway from @honestandtruly here: http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-little-wonder-book" (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.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Little Boy Lightning book from MomSelect for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: 77kids Gift Card

Have you heard of 77kids yet? It's a new children's store from American Eagle that started opening up this past summer. I wrote a little about them back in July. With their grand opening near me in the Chicago suburbs, I headed out to the store at Woodfield to see it in person.

The store focuses on sizes 0-14, leaving a wide age range. Although I didn't see the infant clothing at first, there is actually another section for just that in an area behind the cash wrap away from all the older children items, which I think is a smart move on their part.

As part of their plan to keep kids shopping with their parents occupied, 77kids has a variety of entertainment spread throughout the store. This isn't the movies of some other retailers but rather interactive pursuits. Children can take pictures of themselves then decorate them onscreen before printing them at the register. Two photos are printed, with one to take home and one to hang in the store.

There is also a magnetic drawing board mounted on an easel and a fun mirror toy on the other side. Giant pillows (that are not for sale, but apparently given all the requests from customers someday might be) line the floors for kids who just need a break from the tough shopping trip.

Oh - and the evidence that 77kids recognizes the issues we have when shopping with children continues. There are two family restrooms in the store with changing tables. And drinking fountains, too. No excuses for the wee ones to need to leave now!

Rather than the metal shoe measurer that has a tendency to disappear, there is a sizer painted onto the floor so that you can easily turn your child's foot to see what size he now it.

And oh the fun of the dressing rooms... I'll admit that the wee ones aren't yet old enough to try on clothing at the store (or maybe I'm just not brave enough), but once they are, I love the idea of the portholes in the dressing rooms that the child can open for mom to see how an outfit fits rather than a potentially shy child having to parade through the store.

The fun continues when you're ready to check out, too. Assuming your child has been well-behaved, 77kids also has a "Pick Yer Prize" Goodie Bar with assorted candy and small items for children to select. Tell me that isn't cute!

You can tell the store is braced for fun before you even get inside. On the front display of the store right now is a Holiday Magical Window. Children can simply press a button on the display to "race" little birds down a ski slope.

The window is the first point you learn about the current charity promotion the store is holding - Wish-4-Snow. From November 15 to December 14, people can create snowflakes either online or in-store to support children's hospitals. In-store, by donating 77 cents (or more), children receive a snowflake to decorate with their name and their wish that then hangs in the store. In Chicago, the donations support Children's Memorial.

Online, you can make a snowflake for free. The goal is to have 100,000 snowflakes created during this month - so go make yours; it's fun! If the 100,000 goal is reached, 77kids will donate $25,000 to the children's hospitals. You can create as many snowflakes as you want, and for every snowflake you create, you're eligible to win a daily $77 77kids gift card and the grand prize of a block party for you and 77 people.

Want to explore 77kids yourself? I am giving away a $50 77kids gift certificate. Don't worry if there isn't one near you (there are currently only 7 brick and mortar stores) as there is an online store. Just in time for your holiday shopping!

So what do you have to do to win the gift card? 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 Monday December 6 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 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Create a snowflake on the 77kids website. Leave me the email addres you used to create the snowflake.

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 and 77kids on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Help 77kids donate money to children's hospitals by making a snowflake. Details at http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway-77kids-gift-card.html" (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.
4) Like 77kids on Facebook, leaving me the name you liked them under.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a stipend from theMotherhood and a $50 gift card to 77kids. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.