Storyland Yoga Product Review

     I've had the opportunity through tomoson.com to review the Storyland Yoga DVD from Playful Planet. Storyland Yoga is yoga for kids. It is a yoga DVD that is geared toward young children (ages 3-8). It makes yoga and fitness fun for children through story telling.

     I was interested in this DVD because my daughter often tries to imitate me when I do yoga on my Wii Fit game. She is too young to do many of the poses properly, but I think it is good for her to get in the habit, and as she gets older she will get better at it.

     The Storyland DVD uses interactive story-telling to get kids interested in yoga. For example, pretending to be a snake or mermaid or sailing a boat are all yoga poses.

     There are two different stories to choose from: Condor Trek and Save the Whale. Several of the poses in each of these stories are the same, though they are called by different names. And although the instructor only did each pose a short time, it still gives you a workout.

     Mostly I had to do the workout too before my daughter would do it. Some of these moves made me feel old! Especially the ones where you have to jump from one pose to another! So I had to rest at various intervals. It was super-cute watching her do the yoga poses, though! And she will sometimes say she wants to watch "yoga." 

     If you have kids you are trying get more active or want to introduce your children to yoga, this a great choice for a kids yoga DVD! And if you do it with them, you might get a nice little workout yourself! 

     Go here to read more about the DVD. You can purchase the DVD on amazon or download the individual stories here. The individual stories are cheaper, but the DVD has a bonus feature that shows various poses, some of which I don't recall seeing in either of the stories. 

     Make sure you also check out the Playful Planet website for lots of other resources for teaching your kids about health, fitness and conservation. 
 

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

Filipo Berio BzzCampaign

     I was really excited to into the Filipo Berio olive oil BzzCampaign. I use olive oil quite a bit and olive oil is one of those "healthy fats" we're supposed to have more of. So I use it for cooking, roasting, salads, etc. The only problem is the bottle didn't last too long! So here are some of the things I used my Filipo Berio for: 
     I used it along with vinegar for my salads. I really liked the way you could drizzle just a little out of the spout! I don't need salad dressing--just olive oil and vinegar for me!

     I used my Filipo Berio for roasting vegetables, like asparagus , eggplant or potatoes. I also used it for basting or marinating meat.

     I also used my olive oil in homemade pizza crust.

     Other things I made with the olive oil include hummus and tabouleh, dipping oil for bread and pasta tossed with chicken and cherry tomatoes! So these are all ways to use olive oil. Of course there are many other things to use olive oil for, but my bottle was only 8 oz. I guess you can see why it went so fast! I love olive oil! 
*I received this product complimentary via BzzAgent. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Skillet Pumpkin Sauce Review

     I recently got the opportunity through Tomoson.com to try out Skillet Pumpkin sauce. You may recall last week when I did a review on Skillet Bacon jam and Skillet Pumpkin sauce is from the same company. 

     There are four flavors of the Pumpkin sauce to choose from: Thai Coconut, Chipotle, Apple Vinegar and Brown Sugar. i chose to review the Chipotle flavor. 

     When I first opened my jar and smelled it, the first thing I thought of was barbecue. Which makes sense, since chipotle is kind of a southern flavor. We used it in homemade salsa first. 
     Other things I would use it for are shredded chicken bbq sandwiches, chili or burger flavorings. The pumpkin sauce does not have as many calories as the bacon jam did. I would like to try another flavor next time--I'm sure they all have their uses! 
     If you want to find out more about the Skillet Pumpkin sauce or their other products, make sure you check out their website. You can direct any inquiries to them at eat@skilletstreetfood.com

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

Trudeau Stress-Less Review

     I was super-excited to get to test a set of stress-less kitchen gadgets from Trudeau. I was given six different products to test out. The stress-less products are touted as putting less stress on your hands as other products with similar functions. 

     1. Stress less Safety can opener--This can opener works differently than the can opener that we grew up with. It was a little confusing at first, but I eventually got it. It uses a hand crank instead of the little knob you use your fingers to twist. I couldn't say that this one was better or worse than the traditional can-opener--just different. 

     Another difference is where the can opener cuts. With the traditional can opener, the cut is just inside the lip of the lid. With the Trudeau can opener, the cut is under the lip of the can. I couldn't tell it was cutting at first, until I smelled the contents and looked more carefully. A down side to this can opener is that it makes it more difficult to drain liquid out. I'm used to pressing down with the lid to drain excess liquid, but the way the Trudeau ca opener cuts makes it harder to get all the liquid out. 

     2. Stress Less Garlic Press--This garlic press really works the same as the other garlic press I own. One difference is that it comes more apart, which makes it easier to clean. 

     3.  Stress Less Easy Grind Salt and Pepper Mills--My husband was thrilled with these. They turn with a crank and the salt and pepper come out super-fine. So fine, you have to look carefully to see it and make sure you don't over salt! This is the kind of salt you would put on fries. So we really love these! 

     4. Stress Less Pizza Cutter--this really didn't work any different from me than any other pizza cutter, but still nice.

     5. Stress Less Rotary Cheese Grater--The rotary cheese grater is a "grate" product. Haha. No really, I like the rotary cheese grater, and I've never had one. My mom used to have one. You put the cheese in the grater, crank and get lovely shredded cheese. Much easier than the traditional flat cheese grater. This was probably one of my favorites--along with the salt grinder.

     These are really great, high quality products and I hope you will check them out! You can see these and other great products Trudeau has to offer on their website. 
    
     *I received a complimentary set of Trudeau's Stress Less products for this review. I received no further compensation and all opinions expressed here are my own.*

Fundamentals Product Review

     I recently had the opportunity to review Fundamentals, an educational DVD geared toward very young children (infant to preschool). As the name suggests, the Fundamentals DVD teaches the basics, like shapes, colors, letters and names of common objects.

     Honestly, I myself did not find it exciting at all. In fact I found it rather boring. The video consists of a lady naming objects or actions as they appear on the screen. She speaks very short, clear sentences like "This is blue star" and "Let's have fun."

     However, that being said, my two year old seems to like it. A lot. She especially likes the stars. There are 12 different colored stars that appear in the video and help illustrate what is being discussed. My daughter stays glued through most of the video. This very simplistic approach to learning these basic concepts is optimal for a very young child just learning language. It is much like it would be if you were going over these concepts with your child. 

     The package also included a disc that is for parents. It goes over how parents or caregivers could incorporate these principles with their children themselves. I found that disc very interesting and inspiring, even though it did have some of the same content as the main disc. 

     Most of the concepts on the disc are the things you could do on your own, but if you want it done in a ready-made video, then this would be a good, basic one to start with. To get more details or to purchase, go to the website here. 

*I received this product for free using Tomoson.com. However all opinions expressed are my own.*

My First Cravebox

     I received my very first Cravebox this weekend. Cravebox is a subscription box service that comes from the same founders of She Speaks. I was not part of the "beta testing" group, but I heard great things about Cravebox from those who were. 

     The Cravebox is $10 a month and I would say it is probably the best "deal" as far as subscription boxes go. This is the first time I paid full price for one of these boxes, but the full price of a Cravebox is in the same neighborhood of the discounted prices I've paid for other subscription boxes. The regular price of a Bluum box is $12 a month, and it only contains sample sizes of products. 

     The down side is only a limited number of subscriptions are available (I think it's something like 500) and so many people wanted one that they had to do a drawing to see who would be allowed to subscribe. And there's a waiting list in case anyone decides to drop out. They may expand further in the future--but I don't know for sure.

     Now, for my $10, here is what I got: 

     Tree Hut Coconut Lime Shea Sugar body scrub--This is a FULL-size product! I love sugar/salt scrubs, but rarely buy them, so I am excited about this product! 

     Skintersection Intense Repair Cream--I live in dry Texas, so I'm sure I will be using this. 

     Guylian Original Belgian Chocolate Shells--I looove chocolate. This wasn't the most spectacular chocolate I've ever had. Of course, the fact that it had melted into a blob may have done something to the precise combination of the flavors. 

     Sunsweet Plum Amazins--Diced dried plums. I'm not a huge fan of dried fruits, but I like plums, so i will give them a try. And I'm sure my toddle will like them--she loves raisins! 

     Lipton Tea and Honey To Go Packets--This is just one sample, but I'm sure that will be enough to see if I like it or not. 

     So, there it is. This one I may keep for a while, since it is pretty reasonably priced for what you get. And if you're interested, go ahead and put your name on the list. You may be able to get in if they open more spots!

    

Skillet Bacon Jam Review

     I recently got the opportunity to try out Skillet Bacon Jam through Tomoson.com. Though I'm not a fan of bacon, my husband is, and there are certain things (like green beans or cornbread) he thinks should have a piece or two of bacon in them for seasoning. I don't mind a hint of the taste in some foods, but I don't like the strong smell of cooking bacon. So i thought this would be great to try--the flavor without cooking. 

     Skillet Bacon Jam is pretty much what the name says. It is a rather gelatainous, bacon-flavored condiment you could use as a spread or flavoring. It contains the flavors of bacon, onions and spices and you can smell it when you open the jar! 

     My husband refused to try it as a spread, but liked it when I added it to the green beans. Green beans are a staple vegetable around here, but I think I cook them a little too bland for his taste. Usually I just add a little salt and onion, but the last couple of times I added the Bacon Jam. 

     The first time I used it I just tried to cook the onions in the Skillet Jam. The onions seemed to soak it all up, however, and I was afraid it wouldn't be enough to add the flavor, so I still ended up adding a little extra to the green beans. 

     The second time, I was in more of a hurry, so I just used dehydrated onions and added about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Skillet Jam to a can of green beans heated on the stove. Both times they turned out pretty good. I didn't taste too much of a bacon flavor--maybe I will up it to 2 teaspoons next time--but my husband liked them, and so did I. 

     If you would like to find out more about Skillet Bacon Jam and their other products, check out their website here. You can also direct any inquiries to them at eat@skilletstreetfood.com

*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

Potty Cover Review and Giveaway

     I recently got the opportunity to try out and review "Potty Covers", which was great because I have been wanting to try these since I have seen other blogs post about them!

     I have a daughter who is potty training, so these are great for her. But the package says they can be for adults too. And why not, since they do cover the whole seat? And they don't only cover the seat, like the cover you can get in public restrooms (if they're even stocked), but they cover the sides and front, too. Basically anything you would possibly touch. And sometimes kids grip the seat--especially small children who feel like they might fall in! But with the Potty Cover, they're not touching nasty public toilets. 

     I also like that they are individually wrapped. So you can just stuff one in your purse for a quick trip into the store, whether it's for you or your little one. 
     You can get them at various retailers, including Amazon, Ebay and Buy Buy Baby. They retail for about $5.99 and there are 6 in a package.  So be sure to check them out! 


*I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.*

My Teethe Me Box

     Plum District recently had a half-off deal for a month's subscription to TeetheMe, a subscription box site for baby/toddler products. A normal month of TeetheMe costs $24, so it was $12 for me. And since I had $5 of Plum credits, I only paid $7, which I thought was a great price.

     Like other subscription boxes, you subscribe and get a box of "surprises" that are allegedly worth much more than the monthly subscription fee. With TeetheMe, you enter your baby's birthdate and they send you a box based on the child's age. For ages 0-3. My only problem was that I have 2 children in that age range, so I wasn't sure which one to put in. In the end, though, I put in my 2 year old daughter, since I figure she would get more enjoyment out of the product than my 3 month old son can at this time.

     Though I didn't know what to expect from this box, I was pretty happy with it. Here is a picture of the contents, followed by a description: 

     Earth Mama Angel Baby Hand to Toe Wash--This was a foaming body wash, which I liked. It said it was lavendar vanilla and I don't really smell either of those scent. But my daughter really liked the foaminess of the soap too. 

     Nurture Me baby food--This is a really neat concept. It is basically dried baby food that need to be mixed with formula, water or breast milk for baby. Or if you have a picky toddler like me, you can mix some of the veggie ones into another food she likes so she gets the nutrient. The trick is finding out what she likes for the day! 

     Green Sprouts Baby plate set--This plate set is bio-degradable and compostable. Only thing is it seems to be of limited use. The little info card I got said something about 10 uses if you wash it in the dish washer, but it lasts longer if you hand wash. The set includes a sectioned bowl with lid, 2 sippy cups (not spill proof!), 2 small snack size containers, 2 forks and 2 spoons.

     Dr. Robin's Sunscreen for Children and Daily Moisture Cream--These were both small, one time use packets. All natural and chemical free products for children. 

     Greenleaf Scented Sachet--The scent in this thing was strong! It smells good, but it was a little overwhelming at first. It's just an air freshener of sorts. 

     Bridgewater Candle--This scented candle also had a fairly strong scent.

     Decal that says "Teach your child...to love" Not sure what company this from. It was just in the box. 

     So, there was some pretty cool stuff in the box. Not too sure I'd pay the full $24 for it, though. I will have to see what next month's box is like and will report back. :-)

Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine

     As a member of BzzAgent, I recently had the opportunity to try out Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine shampoo and conditioner. And these were full-size bottles! Not hotel room size stuff. So if you like trying new stuff, you should sign up for BzzAgent! You don't even have to be a blogger.

     Anyway, I was happy to try it, since it promised to improve dry, frizzy and/or unmanageable hair. My hair is almost always frizzy and we live in a very dry climate. And Garnier is a pretty affordable brand, so I was glad to see if it it really improved my hair. 

     Well, I love the smell. A nice fruity smell. The conditioner was really thick--thicker than most conditioners I've tried. But I figured that was a good sign--like it would add volume. End result--not bad, but not spectacular. I think maybe it did improve the smoothness of my hair a little bit. The closer to my roots, though, the more frizzy my hair still seems. Weird, huh?

     I really like the smell and thought it did a decent job on the smoothing. I was pretty happy with it. But I'm a simple, low-maintenance gal!

I received this product for free as a member of BzzAgent. This in no way influenced my opinions on the product.