Disney on Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After in Boise - Giveaway

If your kids have never seen a Disney on Ice show, then it's definitely something to add to your "to do" list. And the good news is you won't have to wait very long to cross it off the bucket list.  Disney on Ice presents Rockin’ Ever After is making its way to Boise on October 17 – 20, 2013 at Taco Bell Arena!

The musical showcase, which features some of the hottest tunes and talent from across the Disney kingdom, will have you and your kids rocking out while a cast of world-class skaters bring favorite moments from Disney•Pixar’s BRAVE, Tangled, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast to life!

• Jam to a Scottish jig as a group of royal contenders from the Academy Award-winning Disney•Pixar film, BRAVE, competes to win the heart of adventurous, sharp-shooting Merida, making her on-ice debut! 

• Experience a show-stopping performance as Sebastian breaks out of his shell for one night only to make waves with Ariel. 

• A chorus of harmless hooligans from Tangled unleashes musical mayhem when they get a visit from the sassy and spirited Rapunzel and her charming ally Flynn. 

• And, get your feet moving as the Beast and his castle’s enchanted entourage take center stage in a spectacular show for Belle. 

Sounds like a rockin' fun way to spend an evening together as a family!  Want the deets?  Here they are:

WHEN: October 17 – 20, 2013
Thursday, October 17th – 7:00 PM
Friday, October 18th – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 19th – 10:30 AM & 2:00 PM
Sunday, October 20th – 1:00 PM & 5:00 PM


WHERE: Taco Bell Arena – 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725


TICKETS: Ticket price levels are $20, $25, $45 (VIP) and $60 (Front Row)
Opening Night tickets discounted priced at only $12 (not valid on premium seating)
Tickets available for purchase online at TacoBellArena.com, charge by phone at 208-426-1766 or at the Taco Bell Arena Box Office.

And as a bonus, I Am Boymom readers can get a $5 Off discount by using the code: MOM.  (The discount applies to $20 & $25 sections only and there are no double discounts.  Valid on select performances - Friday 7 p.m.; Saturday 2 p.m. and Sunday 5 p.m.).

GIVEAWAY!!!  

Feld Entertainment is graciously giving one I Am Boymom reader the chance to win a Family 4 Pack to attend the Opening Night performance of Disney on Ice presents Rockin' Ever After!  Wanna win?  Just follow the steps on Rafflecopter below to enter!  Terms and conditions of giveaway listed on Rafflecopter. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment sometimes  provides me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events. Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.

Bertolli Classic Risotto Review and Giveaway - Closed!

Bertolli Risotto Winner is.....

Evelyn Damptey!! 

Congrats Evelyn, I'll be contacting you to send you the coupons for Free Bertolli Risotto!  They are sooooooo good, I hop eyou enjoy them as much as my family does.  They have become a staple in our meal rotation now!



With the weather already starting to cool down here in my part of the country, it's been a great time to start reintroducing soups and heartier foods back into our dinner menu.  Luckily I have had some help from Bertolli!  Their Meal Soups are wonderfully warm and filling and make a quick and easy meal option for my family on busy nights.

 

Having said that, my boys need variety.  Man cannot live on meal soups alone.  Which is why Bertolli is continuing to expand it's line of frozen meal options to include some SERIOUSLY AMAZING risottos.

 

 

 

I love risotto, but it really is a LOT of work to make, which is why I have only ever made it one time and it didn't really turn out all that great.  I don't have the kind of patience it takes to do risotto the right way so it comes out creamy and delicious.  Bertolli Classic Risotto was made for people like me. 

 

It's full of high quality veggies and meats and it only takes about 12 minutes, from start to finish, to cook.  It comes out of the bag looking like this:

 

 

 

After 12 minutes and a few stirs, it looks like this: 

 

 

 

My family was equally divided between the Roasted Chicken and the Garlic Shrimp flavors.  I absolutely adored the Bertolli Roasted Chicken Risotto, which was full of asparagus, portabello mushrooms, big chunks of roasted chicken, all mixed with italian rice in a creamy parmesan sauce.  

 

You guys know by now that I kind of have some weird texture issues when it comes to food.  I hate mushy veggies so I'm always a little skeptical about the vegetables in frozen meals, but found the asparagus to be perfectly cooked.  The rice wasn't mushy eather.  It still has a nice "tooth" to it, even after cooking in the sauce.  The whole dish had a nice earthy flavor from the mushrooms and the chicken was moist and flavorful. 

 

My boys both loved the Bertolli Garlic Shrimp Risotto.  It was chock full of italian rice and garlic shrimp with decent size chunks of zucchini, yellow squash and red peppers in a white wine cream sauce. Again, none of the veggies were overcooked, which is actually pretty amazing, considering that it doesn't take much to overcook squash.  The Garlic Shrimp Risotto had more of a garden fresh taste to it.  The red peppers really livened up the dish.  And there was plenty of shrimp so no one felt like they got gypped with the seafood. 

 

The only problem I had at all with cooking the risottos was that regulating the heat on my electric stove so that the rice didn't stick to the bottom of the pan (I really miss my gas stove).  I turned my head for just a minute and when I got back to my pots, the Garlic Shrimp Risotto had begun to stick to the bottom of the pan, but I caught it in time to salvage the dish so no harm was done.

 

I am excited to find more quick and easy options for family dinner time.  Bertolli offers a wide variety of frozen options now that give busy moms some great options for quick, easy and healthy meals. 

 

Wanna Win Bertolli Classic Risotto? Bertolli has graciously offered two coupons for free Bertolli Classic Risottos to one of my readers!! Go check out the Bertolli website and then leave a comment telling us which Risotto you wat to try first. 

Want extra entries? Do any of these and leave a comment with links to your posts, tweets or status updates:

• Follow my blog
• Tweet about the contest
• Like the Bertolli Facebook Page
• Post a link to this giveaway as your status update on Facebook
• Mention the giveaway on your blog

Contest will end on October 30th at 12 midnight MST. Winner will be chosen by random drawing using Random.org and notified if chosen. Please make sure to leave your email so I can get in touch with you if you win! Thanks for reading and good luck!

 

***Disclosure - Bertolli provided me with products to help facilitate this review. However, the honest opinions shared on this review are my own.**

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms Review and Giveaway

About a month ago I was honored to be chosen as a "Don't Sweat" Mom.  The title doesn't come with a cool tiara or a guest spot on Ellen or anything like that.  What it does come with is an opportunity to share some insights and support with lots of other moms out there, many of whom have held me up during more than one difficult parenting situation. It also comes with an awesome new book called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms, by Kristine Carlson.

Kristine Carlson is a mother and grandmother and the wife of the late Dr. Richard Carlson who authored the highly successful "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" series.  Kristine created her own very successful Don't Sweat series by writing 3 bestsellers of her own, including Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love and Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women.  

In her latest book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms, Kristine talks to moms about finding joy in everyday parenting and reveals how to:                                                          

• be a mom (not a friend)
• balance being a woman and a mom
• pursue your passion (but not at the expense of your children)
• and reclaim your family time.                                                                                   

Personally, as a mother, I tend to be a "sweater."  I DO sweat the small stuff.  Everyday.  All of the time.  I know why I'm that way.  I have this overexaggerated need to make sure that my kids have a home life that is very different from the kind of home life (or lack thereof) that I experienced.  Many times though, that drive creates the opposite effect and my micromanaging makes things very unenjoyable at home, for ALL OF US!  So it's been good for me to step back and get some input from other women who have figured it out, ya know? 

Kristine's book lays out some good advice, in short concise chapters, that helps busy and stressed out moms gain some perspective as they navigate the daily challenges that sometimes prevent us from enjoying our families more. One of the most helpful chapters for me as a mom at this particular time is called "When Things Fall Apart".  

"Then, they enter puberty and somehow we feel as though we've hit a wall.  We are exhausted; we've lost all confidence in ourselves, in our future, in our ability to mother with the wisdom and pleasure we once had.  What happened, we ask ourselves.  Nothing much - unless you notice that our own lives are convulsing too.  One might think that Mother Nature is playing a terrible joke when we stop to realize that our kids' teenage years are taking place alongside the emergence of our own midlife issues that can exacerbate the stresses we feel with our children."

BOOM!  Someone just defined exactly how I am feeling!!  How relieved am I to know that a) I am not the only person who does not feel at all prepared to deal with teenagers at this particular juncture of my own messed up life and b) that this midlife crisis thing that I feel like I have been going through for-freaking-EVER is also a somewhat normal, albeit unpleasant, part of the parenting journey?!?  I don't know that this realization will make this part of the process any easier, but at least now I have a definition of what the problem is so I can work on developing the parenting tools I will need to make sure my family survives this period of growth.

It is truly amazing to me how things and people come into our lives when we need them the most.  This is the second book I have read in the last few weeks that has spoken directly to the issues I am facing as a mother trying to hold her family together during a difficult time and as a woman looking for fulfillment in her personal life.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms reminded me that I'm not going to get everything right when it comes to raising my boys.  I know that, but it's hard to let go of the warped idea that just maybe, if I try hard enough, things might go exactly as planned and my two boys might have a shot at being amazing people.  I get too uptight when things go wrong, which seems to happen a lot the last few years.  And knowing how it feels to be on the receiving end of someone else's poor choices or mistakes, it causes me great pain to think that I might wreck their lives because of choices I make.  So I try to control everything and I fail miserably and we all end up depressed.  As Kristine says, "there's no such thing as a perfect mom."  As much as I want their childhood to be safe and happy, things are going to happen that will be difficult for our family to navigate and no amount of micromanaging is going to change the fact that life is messy and my kids might get a little dirtied up trying to figure it all out.  The best gift I can give them is to let go of the "small stuff" that undermines my confidence and find a way to be happy with who I am.  When I can learn to do that, I will be free to create a home that allows them to feel safe and loved while they figure out who they are and what they want from their own lives.

So...now that you know my thoughts about Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms, wanna win a copy of your own?  To enter, leave a comment that tells us some of the best parenting advice you've recieved.  Contest will end on June 9th @ 12 pm MST.  Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email or announced on this blog.

To extra entries you can do any of the following, just leave a comment letting me know what you did:

• Follow I Am Boymom on this Blog, Twitter and Facebook
• Connect with the Don’t Sweat Moms:
  • Facebook ~ Facebook.com/DontSweatMoms
  • Twitter ~ Twitter.com/DontSweatMoms
  • YouTube ~ YouTube.com/user/dontsweatmoms
  • Pinterest ~ Pinterest.com/dontsweatmoms

Didn't win the giveaway?  Don't sweat it!!  (Did ya see what I just did there?  Sorry, couldn't resist.) Everyone's a winner here! You can still get a free gift!  Kristine is giving moms a chance to get the first chapter of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms for FREE!!  Woot!  Just click the link below.

**Disclosure:  I received a free copy of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms to facilitate this book review.  My thoughts and opinions about the book are honest and are my own.**

Suburban Haiku: Boys to Men Review and Giveaway

Winner Update:  I decided to give BOTH of the contest entrants a copy of Peyton's Suburban Haiku: Boys to Men!  Congrats to Miss Jenno and NoraRuth!!  Thanks for sharing your boymom haikus with me and my readers and thanks to Peyton Price for inspiring me to live a more full life!



About a week and a half before Mother's Day, mother, haiku writer and humorist Peyton Price ran across my blog and asked if I would be interested in talking about her newest book, Suburban Haiku: Boys to Men.  After reading the title, it was completely obvious that both Peyton and the book are perfect compliments to the I Am Boymom blog, so how could I say no!?  Three haikus in I was hooked.

I'm not gonna give too much away about the book, other than to say it is an insightful, touching and truly hilarious view of raising boys from a mom's perspective, written in 3 line, 17 syllable haikus.  From the first haiku to the last, Peyton draws us in to her parenting world, using humor and the familiar 5-7-5 rhythm to chronicle the lives of her family.  The end result is a surprisingly funny and tender account of a mom watching her boys grow into men.

So two things happened to me after I read Suburban Haikus: Boys to Men.  First, I remembered what I already knew but tend to forget in the flurry of daily family life:   I'm not the only mom who doesn't have perfect kids.  Knowing that there are other moms out there struggling to teach their kids how to be happy, successful adults helps me not beat myself up on the days when pre-teen emotions and hormones are raging and I can't seem to get things under control.

The second thing that happened is that I recognized something has been missing in my life.  When I started this blog, it was because I needed a way to process my thoughts and feelings about being a mom to two boys who challenge me on a daily basis to be a better person. We have been in survival mode for so long now that I lost sight of my purpose for recording our journey.  I remembered, after reading Peyton's haikus, that I can create memories with my words and that by doing so, I can help my boys find meaning in their own lives when they read about themselves through their mother's eyes.  

I am in awe of women like Peyton Price, who find ways to use their talents to bring joy and happiness to their own lives while bettering the lives of their families.  Suburban Haiku: Boys to Men is a wonderful reminder that simple observations can become poignant memories that bind our children to us forever.

I so cannot wait to read some of Peyton's other haiku books!  Are you feeling the same way?  Wanna win a copy of Suburban Haiku: Boys to Men for yourself?  Peyton Price has generously offered to give an ebook version of the book to one of my readers!!  You can get either the Nook or Kindle version, all you have to do is share a quick parenting haiku in the comments.  I'll leave the first haiku comment to get you all started.  Easy peasy, right?  Then for extra entries you can do one of the following:

• Follow my blog if you are a new reader
• Like Suburban Haiku on Facebook
• Follow Suburban Haiku on Twitter
• Follow I Am Boymom on Twitter
• Check out Suburban Haiku website and tell me what other Peyton Price book you might like

The Deets:  Contest will end on May 31, 2012  @ 12 PM MST.  Winner will be chosen in random drawing or by Random.org the following week and winner will be notified by email.  Good luck and thanks for stopping by!  vvvvvv Now on to the haikus! vvvvvvv 

Ultimate Blog Party Post

I'm a little late getting this post up, but wanted to make sure I let you all know that it's time again for the Ultimate Blog Party over at 5 Minutes for Mom.  Why?  Because it rocks!  Not only do they give away a gazillion products during the week, they also give all of us bloggers a chance to find neww blogs and make new blogger friends.

This year they asked the participants to tell a little about ourselves on our blog.  So...

I am Geri.  I am Boymom.  Mom of two boys. (Sometimes three, depending on the maturity level of my husband on any given day.)  Like my header says, it's what I do.  I have two wonderfully, hilarious  pre-teen boys and an equally hilarious husband who contstantly amazes me with his wit and wisdom.  As the only female in a house full of males, I sometimes forget what it's like to be a girl. I have an obsession with Clorox Wipes, due to aiming issues in the bathroom that are beyond my comprehension.  How do you miss a bowl with such a large opening?!  Seriously!!

I also write product reviews for various family friendly products and toys here on my own blog and I am a guest contributor for product reviews at 5 Minutes for Giveaways.

When I'm not writing reviews, I am busy working to get our fledgling non-profit up and running.  I am a founding director of Helping Our Warriors, a non-profit dedicated to the support and stabilization of military families as they deal with everchanging circumstances due to their service.  Through annual retreats, we will offer these families a safe and peaceful place to bond and develop coping skills that will strengthen the family unit so they can thrive and succeed no matter the situation.  We are excited to be up and fully running this year as we work to get a full Board of Directors in place and embark on some major fundraising events.

Finally, we just moved to a new town, so of course I had to start a new blog about our life here, right?  I just got at home in {Boise} going, so you can stop by there once in a while to find out all about our new home and the people and places in our new community.  Okay...I said stop by, which you can do, but I still have to get some posts together, so be patient.  I started a new job a few weeks ago, so it's taking all my brain power and energy to deal with training the last few weeks so y blogs have suffered.  But I'm done training this week, so I'll have more time to get caught up with posts and such! 

So that's me!  I hope you'll stop by once in awhile, introduce yourself and leave a witty or insightful comment!  I'll try to do the same for you!  In the meantime, I'm gonna put some party music on and enjoy UBP 2012 with 5 Minutes for Moms!  Join me!!   

Defiants 4 x 4s Review

This is how we spent last Saturday...

These little Defiant trucks are a blast!  Their climbing ability is pretty amazing.  As you can tell, the boys loved them. 

(I had more boys there, but some of the parents don't like me taking pics of their kids and posting them on the internet...I try to be respectful of their feelings, but sometimes it kinda kills my blog post. Ummm, HELLO!!  How can I rock the review posts when I can't show your kids loving or hating the things I review?!  I'm so KIDDING!  Kind of.  But seriously, I get it...some parents don't want their kids pasted all over the internet because of safety concerns. I don't always like it, but I get it.)

So, the boys ran the trucks until the batteries died (2 AAA's), then we had some snacks and refueled.  Caramel Rocks and Boulders with Road Rally Gully Punch to drink for the boys.  More batteries for the trucks. 

We'll be taking them out into the desert this weekend to see how they do on the rocky terrain outside, so look for some more videos in a few days.  Also, check out the Defiants 4 x 4s website for more product info. 

Defiants 4 x 4s made their debut in Phoenix and so are only available right now in select Walmart and Toys R Us stores in Arizona.  Again, check the Defiants 4 x 4s website for purchase locations. 

I love that the company supports our troops and will be contacting them to see if they will work on a fund-raising project with my non-profit: Helping Our Warriors.

FyreFlyz Giveaway Winner

FyrFlyz Review and Giveaway

Sometimes the simplest things bring the greatest pleasure.  We were fortunate enough to participate in another product review this last week and I have to say, I am really, really amazed at the awesomeness that is FyrFlyz.

The whole toy consists of this small plastic piece with LED lights on each end that is attached to strings with handholds.  The fun comes when you start to twist and spin and pull the strings using the handholds.  All that motion causes the plastic part with the lights to start moving around to create scenes like this one that took place when the boys had some friends sleep over:

Sorry for the speedy replay on the video, I'm still trying to get a good video converter/editor to work with. 

ANYWAAAYYY...how cool are these things!?!  Here are some things we loved about FyrFlyz:

• Fun for all ages
• Encourages coordination development
• Encourages creative play as kids try to learn new tricks to create different light patterns
• Easy to operate, no setup time
• Addictive!!  We sat for at least an hour trying to create new patterns!

Things we did not like:

• Improper placement of fingers while using FyrFlyz will lead to a very sharp whack to your thumbnail or knuckle.  It freaking hurts! (Remember old school Clackers?!  Same kind of pain.)

I have to state though, that if you follow instructions, place your fingers properly on the holds and don't get too crazy with the speed and maneuvering, you can avoid the whacked finger issue.  The issue really is a result of operator error, but it is something that moms with small kids should be aware of.  Other than a throbbing thumbnail, we found everything about FyrFlyz to be entertaining and fun.  After our own experimenting, we went to the FyrFlyz website and learned more about how to achieve different light patterns.  My boys are still working on some of them and are looking forward to amazing their friends with the new tricks. 

FyrFlyz come in 4 different colors and are being sold in the Phoenix area right now for under $10.  They'll be released for purchase nationwide sometime in September.  We are planning to use them as part of our 4th of July celebration...should be an intersting and colorful night!!

Wanna Win One?  Do any or all of these things:

• Leave a comment on my blog
• Refer a friend to follow my blog
• Tweet about the contest
• Post this contest to your Facebook page
• Like FyrFlyz on Facebook

The more of these things you do, the more opportunities you will have to win!  The FyrFlyz contest will end on May 29th, 2011 @ 12 midnight. 

***Disclosure:  MomSelect and FyrFlyz provided me with product in order to facilitate this review.  I was not compensated monetarily for my opinions, which are my own. ***

Giveaway Winners

Wow, the time flies around here!  Life has been crazy hectic lately with sick kids, work and a gall bladder issue that has really slowed me down.  Sorry for the delay in getting to the winners of the giveaways...

Clean and Green giveaway winner is:  Cherl F - The Lucky Ladybug! 

And Random.org says the winner of the Silk giveaway is:

Miss Hope Wins the SIlk Milk!

Congrats to both winners and as always, thanks to my die hard readers who keep stopping by even when I haven't posted for awhile!

Blackie Chan Strikes Again...Clean and Green Review/Giveaway

Okay, I have to say it out loud.  I haven't been a responsible pet owner.  I have had Blackie Chan for 3 years now and have still not had him neutered.  I know.  I KNOW!!!  It is irresponsible.  In my defense though, there are no spay/neuter clinics close to my house, they are all like an hour away and I have to have the cat there at 6 a.m.!   I used to use that as an excuse a lot...until my awesome neighbor who has the energy of five Energizer bunnies told me she made the trip for her cat a few months ago.  She's got kids and a job and all of the issues I have, but she was responsible and did the right thing.  And now I need to finally get my cat crap together and do the right thing too.  For my cat and for my neighbors.  Also because "Kitty Karma" paid me back in spades a few weeks ago for not taking care of Blackie Chan's maleness.

Here's how Blackie Chan's Ninja attack went down.  We're all sitting in the family room one day, watching TV.  Blackie is getting a major rubdown by Big Brother and loving life.  You could here him purring all the way upstairs.  Then all of the sudden he jumps up and starts running toward the front door, yowling his head off to go outside.  Well, apparently no one got there fast enough for him because while he was waiting he decided to spray my really nice, big brown, velvet comfy chair.  You know the smell, right?  It's freaking noxious and I swear I have never made it across a room as fast as I did that day to open the door and chase that cat outside.  I think I said some not very lady-like words while I was running him out the door.  

AAUUGGHHH!!!  Cat spray is one of the nastiest smells in the world, and now it was in my house!!!!   The kids were freaking out, Big Man was ready to nueter the cat himself and I was trying not to gag when I remembered a can of stuff I received in the mail a few weeks prior to the spraying, so I ran into the kitchen to grab it.

It's called Clean and Green and it is the most fabulous stuff on earth for removing pet odors!  I am so not making this up, people.  This really did happen and I really did get a sample of this stuff to try and I am telling you all about it because it is one of those wonderful products that actually does what it says it will do!  It literally saved my cat and my furniture.  I sprayed it on the area as directed and almost imediately noticed that at least the smell in the air started to dissapate.  As far as the chair goes, it took three applications to totally remove the smell, but I swear to you there is not one bit of lingering odor left on that chair.  It really is amazing stuff.  It's made by SeaYu® Enterprises.  Here's their bio:

At SeaYu®, we love animals – and we care about the world we live in. That’s why we’ve carefully developed safe, effective, pet cleaning products. Clean+Green® are eco-friendly aerosol pet cleaning products, delivering instant results in a non-toxic, eco-friendly solution. Based in San Francisco, SeaYu was founded 2002 by two fun-loving dog owners – one a former high-tech executive who is passionate about pets and cleaning her house, and the other a former apparel marketing executive who loves animals as much as he loves the planet. For more information, visit us at  www.odorandstainremover.com.

So what's the moral here?  People who don't get their cats neutered will eventually be victims of their own negligence.  So I have made an appointment at one of the clinics to get my cat neutered.  And I will drag my lazy butt out of bed at 5 a.m. to get him there so that no one has to endure his smelly spray again, although I am told that getting him neutered may not stop him from spraying, which means I'd better stock up on Clean and Green.

In the meantime, you can win a can of Clean and Green!  It's good for neutralizing all kinds of pet odors, so it works for dog owners too!  All you have to do is "LIKE" Clean and Green on Facebook, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did so. Easy peasy, right?  Contest will end on April 24th at 12 pm. Midnight.  US addresses only.  

SoftScrub Total All Purpose Giveaway

OOPS!!  So sorry!  I have been so crazy busy that I forgot to do the drawing for our giveaway!  Two lucky readers will be receiving 2 coupons each for some serious cleaning product courtesy of Soft Scrub!  So, without further delay...The winners are:

Wait for it...

TAH-DAH!!!

Congrats to Johnson Team Mom and Melanie!!  Your coupons are on the way!!  And just cuz I love my other commenting blog friends so very much and made everyone wait so long to find out who won, I'm sending something to Miss Hope and Sports Mama too.  Yay!!  Freebies for all my friends!

Mixbook Review and Giveaway

Are you one of those photo people who constanly has a camera with them, taking pics of everything and everybody (not so hard now that cell phones all have cameras on them!)?  Then do you take those pics and do amazing things with them like scrapbook or make video montages?  You are?  Then I so hate you right now.  Kidding!  I kid.  I'm actually super jealous of your organizational skills and creativity, both of which seem to be just out of my reach since having kids.

If you are one of those people who loves to document life events with photos and scrapbooks and such, then you need to check out Mixbook.  Mixbooks are photobooks that are 100% customizable in that you can choose to start with blank pages or use a template that can be edited to your liking.  Mixbook even has "stickers" that allow you to personalize your pages, giving it more of a scrapbook feel and look.  

Here are the things I like about Mixbook:

• You can choose a "theme" to help you get a certain look, and Mixbook will create a template for your book, so all you have to do is drop in the photos and maybe add a few embellishments. This a great time management tool for someone like me who tends to get stuck when I have too many choices.
• Mixbook also lets you choose and change backgrounds from all of their themes to use on individual pages.  So if you don't like the background that the template gave you on one page, you can create something totally different by pulling individual components from other themes.  If you like a sticker from a Wedding theme, you can add that to your stockpile of stickers.  If you want a background from a holiday theme, you just add it to the background choices that came with your theme.
• You don't have to choose a theme at all!  You can go completely custom and use your imagination to create some amazing and unique designs by pulling different backgrounds and design elements from all of the choices Mixbook has to offer.  Personally, I need help getting started, as the ideas and flow of creativity seem to be stifled lately.  But I have friends who are amazingly talented scrapbookers who would love Love LOVE this feature!
• You can access your Photobucket, Facebook and Picaso accounts right from Mixbook to pull photos from those sites, as well as from your computer. 
• You can invite other people to contribute to your book!  Say you and your siblings are spread out across the country and want to do an "anniversary book" or a "memory book" for Mom and Dad.  Instead of just emailing photos and putting one person in charge of designing and putting the photo book together, each family can log into Mixbooks and do their own page, with their own unique design!  The end result is a book that everybody helped create and it's totally personalized.  And nobody had to travel across 6 states or spend tons of money and time scanning and mailing photos.  The whole family can participate from their own homes!  (Okay, does anyone here have the brother or uncle who always trys to throw in an unflattering photo and then when you bring it up they go find an even MORE unflattering photo?  Because I could totally see that being an issue in some households.) 
• Mixbook has lots of help and tutorials available if you get stuck.  They also let users post their projects for others to view, which is a great resource to help you get ideas for your own book.  There is even  a live chat feature on the site so someone can walk you through whatever issue you might have while you work on your book.   

As an honest reviewer, I do have to say, I was a little disappointed that Mixbook doesn't have more "boy" type themes or stickers.  I mean, I Am Boymom, right?  So most of my pics are about boys.  They have a few sports themes and one for boy babies, but nothing really for boys my age.  Having said that, I'm not sure I have a lot of input regarding how they can fix that issue, other than adding more "boy" oriented stickers, like maybe army guys, legos, bottle caps, pebbles and rocks, skateboards, bikes, cool flame type things, little crawly creatures - you know...boy stuff.  That is really the only downside I have found about Mixbook.  

So basically, Mixbook is like Shutterfly on steroids. So many more choices and options and after some research, I found the prices are lower at Mixbook as well.  And right now?  You can save even more money at Mixbook!  I Am Boymom readers can get an extra 20% off with this code:  BOYMIX20  

Okay, I'll tell you! I wanted to wait until my Mixbook was done to tell you about it.  But it is taking me waaaaay longer than I had planned to finish it because of the custom options that are allowing me to create the "exact" look I want and because I am still sorting through some old photos to put in the book.  But I want to get the giveaway underway so the winner can use their book as a gift if they want to.  So...

Wanna Win a Mixbook Photobook?  The good people at Mixbook are giving away a 20 page, 11x8.5 hardcover landscape photo books with free US ground shipping to one of my readers!  The winner will have until January 31st to redeem the prize code, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  The contest will end on November 30th, 12 Midnight MST.  US residents only.  You can gain extra entries by

• Following my blog (if you already follow, just leave a comment saying so)
• Posting the giveaway on Facebook
• blogging about the giveaway
• Tweeting the giveaway on Twitter

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each extra entry so I can count each one. 

**Disclosure - I did not receive monetary compensation for this post.  Mixbook gave me a Mixbook photobook to help facilitiate this review.**

Hexbug Winners!

Okay, let's announce the Hexbug Winners!! I gave Hope 2 entries, 1 for her comment and one for the facebook post, Danielle had 3 entries, for a total of 5 entries.

1. Miss Hope
2. Miss Hope
3. Danielle
4. Danielle
5. Danielle

So here's the draw:

Looks like Danielle is the winner!!  Woot!!  Congrats Danielle!  Thanks for stopping by!

Light up Cars/BioGaia Giveaway Winners!

I have a little Giveaway Housekeeping to do today, so let's get this show on the road!  Starting with the BioGai Probiotics giveaway...

Congrats to Miss Hope for her win, I hope this helps!!!

Now on to the Marble Cars!!

Congrats to the Watsons on their win, I hope the boys enjoy the cars!  They really are cool at night with all the lights turned off! 

Thanks to everyone who left comments and thanks to the sponsors (BioGaia, Skullduggery and MomSelect)  for offering such great product giveaways! 

Silk Pure Almond Review and Giveaway

When I was asked if I wanted to participate in a product review for Silk Pure Almond Milk, I accepted because, truth be told, I was kind of intrigued by the fact that they (the almond milk makers) could even make milk from almonds. I am always amazed by the fact that there are people in the world who think about stuff like this and then actually find a way to make a product from their ideas.  And it actually sounds like it might be kind of healthy.  So...milk from almonds.  Weird?  Or freaking tasty.  I decided to take the plunge and find out.

I decided to try both the original and the Vanilla flavored Silk Pure Almond Milk products.  I used the vanilla flavored milk first, both on my cereal and in a smoothie.  I will NOT use it on my cereal again, it was way too sweet and it had kind of a weird syrupy viscosity to it that I found unpleasant to look at while I ate.  I know...I told you before...I have weird texture issues when it comes to food.  HOWEVER...the Vanilla Almond milk rocked out loud when I added it to my fruit smoothies!  Seriously killer and a much healthier alternative to regular milk.  The vanilla flavor and sweetness took my lackluster smoothie to a whole new level and I felt really hip and sexy while drinking it because I knew that I was putting good, healthy, nutritious stuff into my body.  Almond Milk is chock full of natural antioxidants, and as much calcium and vitamin D as dairy milk, with absolutely no cholesterol, saturated fat, dairy or soy. Best of all, a serving of Silk Pure Almond Vanilla almondmilk is only 90 calories.  I KNOW!  What a great addition to my healthy eating regimen, right? 

The Silk Pure Almond Original Milk worked better for me on my cereal.  While it does have a little different taste than regualr milk, I found the nutty kick it added to my cereal to be enjoyable.  My kids didn't even know it was almond milk when I poured it over their corn flakes, other than they found just a hint of sweetness that meant they weren't complaining about not adding a spoonful of sugar to their cereal.  Yay for healthy alternatives!   The viscosity is a little different than whole milk, it is actually closer to skim or 1%  milk, but I got over that quickly once I dug into the cereal, because the taste of Silk Pure Almond Milk is actually very creamy/silky. Hence the name I guess, huh?   

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Silk Pure Almond Milk.  I will definitely add it to my grocery list.  Honestly, it won't completely replace my regular milk, but I will incorporate it as a healthy alternative for things like smoothies and cereal and soups, etc.  And it is a great soy free alternative to dairy for people who are soy and lactose intolerant.

Wanna learn more about Pure Silk Almond Milk?  Check out their website.  Click here for a .75 cent coupon toward your Pure Silk Almond purchase. 

Wanna Win It?  Come back here and leave a comment telling me something you learned about Pure Silk Almond Milk and you will win a half gallon of Silk Pure Almond milk plus a cute little Chico Bag!  Contest will end on June 5th, 2010 at 12 Midnight PST.  Open to US residents only.

As usual, you can always win extra entries by: 

• Posting about the giveaway on Facebook or your blog
• Tweeting the contest
• Posting it to a Mr. Linky somewhere on the web

**Disclosure:  I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.  I did receive 2 coupons for Silk Pure Almond Milk from Silk in order to try the product and facilitate this review.     

BioGaia Probiotics Giveaway!!

Yes, that's right people!  Yet another giveaway!  I told you May would be a good month to stop by to help me celebrate my Blogoversary, did I not?!  Yes, I did.  Right here. 

And I also told you about what a great product BioGaia probiotics is.  I talked about it here.  My son, Little Man, has been constantly ill over the last 5 months or so and we only just found out a few weeks ago that he has had mono the entire time.  Needless to say, his entire immune system is compromised.  In addition to being tired, he has also suffered with lots of digestive issues, which is normal for him, but they have been made worse by the antibiotics he was being prescribed for the rash and strep-like symptoms that turned out to be mono (I'll talk about the whole lack of proper diagnosis thing later...That will be a long post!)   We are ever so grateful for the BioGaia products we received, he has been on a steady regimen of the drops and straws for over a month now and we have seen a huge improvement with his "gut" issues. 

Wanna Win It?? BioGaia and MomCentral are offering a set of probiotic tablets or straws to one of you, my wonderful readers!  Just leave a comment telling me which BioGaia product you would like to try - the straws or the tablets?  But the contest is going to be a quick one, so make sure you don't delay your entry too long, as this giveaway will end at 12 midnight PST on March 22nd.  US Residents only please! 

Light Up Marble Racer Review and Giveaway

Hot Wheels has some wicked new competition these days.  They're called Light Up Marble Racers.  Yes...the name is a lot longer than it's counterpart, but the coolness factor more than makes up for the lengthy moniker.  (I know - I just used the word moniker.  I feel like a real writer now!)  

We got ours in the mail the other day and the boys went CUHRAAAZZZYYY!!   Seriously.  It was like Christmas in July.  Or May I guess.  Anyway...it was way cool.  So of course we tore right into them and here is what we found:

Things we love about Light Up Marble Racers:

1. They light up.
2. They have cool decal labels so kids can customize them.
3. They light up.
4. They go fast.
5. They light up.
6. Blackie Chan the Ninja Cat does NOT like them.

With 6 different models to choose from, every kid should find a favorite. 

And more good news!!  Right now CVS is running a Buy One Get One Free special on all six models in Arizona, California and Nevada! To take advantage of this great offer:

Mail or email a copy of your CVS receipt with your Light Up Marble Racer purchase to the following address:

Skullduggery

5433 E La Palma Ave

Anaheim, CA 92807

skorders@skullduggery.com

Include the following information:

• Your name and address (No PO Boxes).
• The name of the Light Up Marble Racer you would like sent to you for free (Fire, Police, Confetti, Cat's Eye, Volcano or Cyclone).

This offer expires May 21, 2010 and Sales slips must have a date of May 21, 2010 or earlier. This offer is limited to CVS purchases in ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA & NEVADA only. Offer limited to the first 1000 entries so hurry and get yours!! 

WANNA WIN IT??  One lucky reader can win a Light Up Marble Car 6 Car Collector's Set!  Yep...a whole set!!!  Check out the Skullduggery website and leave me a comment telling me which car you like best and to whom you would give it!  Do it by May 23rd AT 12 p.m. PST, because that's when this contest officially ends.  The winner will be chosen by random.org.

To get extra entries you can do any of the following: 

• Tweet the contest,
• post it on your Facebook page,
• blog about my givaway or
• post my giveaway on a Mr. Linky somewhere

Good Luck!  Ima go scare my cat with some Light Up Racers.

***Disclosure:  Thanks to Mom Select and Skullduggery for providing me with free cars to test drive to facilitate this review.  I did not receive any other compensation for this post. 

Happy Blogoversary to Me!!

It's that time again, people!!  2 years ago this month I started this blog. (yeah...disregard the 1 on the cupcakes...I jacked the picture from somewhere on the internet and didn't take the time to change the number to 2, so for you you detail-oriented people, don't get all hung up on the number - focus on the message.  The message!)  It has been an amazing experience and I continue to be shocked, amazed and grateful for the friends I have made and the experiences I have because of this online journal.  It's really weird when you stop to think about it.  I mean, it's just a diary of sorts.  How can something so insignificant bring about such changes in my life?  Well...I could go on and on about the hows and whys of the whole thing, and you all know I will, because that's what I do.  I go on and on and on about my thoughts and feelings, my experiences, my growth...usually in great detail.  But I'll spare you the lengthy, self-indulgent post for now and I'll just thank you for taking the time to stay in touch with me as I write about my growing pains and life with my boys. 

And to thank you all for your love and support, I will be finishing out the month with lots of giveaways!!  YAY!!  Free stuff!!!  So ya gotta check in over the next few weeks to see what's on the giveaway list and leave a few comments to win a prize.  Okay?  Cool.  Now go do something totally fun this weekend to celebrate my blogoversary while I sleep off the last few weeks of 12 hour work days and this sucky work schedule of mine!  Somebody eat a giant piece of chocolate cake for me while you're at it.   

LikeWear Giveaway Winner!!

Let's do this!!

Random.org declares the winner as........

The winner is Rae's World!!!  Congrats, Rachel, look for an email with details about claiming your gift cert!!

Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk with Omega DH3 Giveaway Winners!

Wow!  What a whirlwind the last few weeks have been!  Going back to work has been...well, let's just say exhausting for now.  I have so much to tell ya'll. But first thing's first - I have some Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk winners to announce!  So, here we go with the winners:

Whoo-Hoo!  Congrats to Melanie and Cheryl!  You will be receiving an email with instructions on how to receive your coupons!