We’ve been a big fan of Baby Einstein DVDs since Savannah was a baby. 2 years later, I cannot even begin to tell you all the words and sign language she has learned through watching.  Let’s just say it’s proven to be a valuable part of our DVD collection.  So, when Mom Central gave me the opportunity to preview Baby Einstein’s newest DVD called World Music (it comes out next Tuesday, March 31st!), of course I jumped at it. We also received the World Music CD to try out.

This DVD is full of different cultures, musical instruments, dancing styles, animals, nature scenes…and of course those funny puppets.  While Savannah was confused there were not any babies in this one (she kept asking for babies), only older children and adults unlike her other Einstein DVDs, it certainly kept her attention. Every time a new picture popped up on the screen of a zebra, giraffe, pyramid, water fall, etc. she kept asking, “What’s that Mommy?” and I would tell her. Again, this DVD proved to be a great education resource and expanding her knowledge of the world and new vocabulary.

What’s really cool about this DVD that I haven’t noticed on others is that it has a “Grow With Me” feature.  Basically, there are 2 different viewing options. One that is the typical pictures with music, and another one that adds words to the pictures encouraging recognition of words.  So as your baby turns into toddler or preschooler, it adds another layer of learning. Love, love, love this idea and feature!  The second option also includes more Puppet shows to show interaction and grow their sense of humor.

The CD contains the same instrumental music that showcase different parts of the world, from America to Spain to China. However the CD expands on the music more and even includes some songs sung in different languages!  Which, honesty might even help me some as I’m continuing my own Spanish lessons (for my English degree…? I don’t know why either).

While this is not my top favorite Baby Einstein DVD (I’m partial to First Signs because it helped us communicate when she was just a baby!), this video is definitely educational for babies, toddlers, and parents alike.  It takes us beyond our limited view and helps us explore different cultures. What I noticed is the the drum is in every puppet scene, no matter what country they were showing, as if to show that music connects us all no matter where we live.

We all have music.

At home teeth whitening products have been around for a few years now, and they seem to get better and better. The last time I used a teeth whitening product was in preparation for our wedding nearly 2 years ago. Mark and I both wanted sparkly white smiles for our big day, so we bought the Crest Whitestrips to try.  In short: I hated them.  They slid of my teeth, they produced an unsightly amount of spit in my mouth and just over all felt “yucky.” I resorted to the overnight kind because I could just brush it on, go to sleep, and not think about it.

However, a few weeks ago I received a review opportunity to try the new Crest  Whitestrips Advanced Seal and since I had an unpleasant experience before, I thought this would be the perfect chance to see if they really have improved. As soon as they arrived I tested them out, and surprisingly, yes! They have improved! The advanced strips specifically were made to temporarily adhere to your teeth to better stay put, even while you talk or drink.  They also didn’t produce all that spit since things stayed put. In fact, they were so comfortable and convenient, I forgot to take them off after 30 minutes!  Luckily, no harm done though and they easily peeled right off with no nasty left over gunk (unlike the night time brand I used to use). I haven’t completed the full recommended time of 2 weeks, but my husband says my teeth already look whiter.

The only negative issue is that it seems to burn my gums a tiny bit so I’ve learned not to place the strips on them, but to align the strip with the gum line.  It also is a bit pricey at around $45 but for the quality and outcome once a year, I think it’s worth it. Especially, compared to what it would cost at the dentist.  But, there is a coupon available on their website to help with the cost!

Overall, I think these are much improved and will continue to use them to keep my smile white

I have a confession: When I was in kindergarten, I so desperately wanted glasses I pretended I couldn’t read those eye chart things so my Mom would take me to get some.  In short: my plan didn’t work and my Mom was sure stumped at how I couldn’t see one day but was fine the next.

I’ve always wanted glasses. I’m sure people who have to wear glasses find this funny that I would want to, but I see glasses as a way to add more personality to a face, to be more distinguished looking, or to just look “cool.”   But, I could never justify buying myself a pair of glasses for those purposes until a review opportunity came along for a free pair of glasses from EyeBuyDirect.com! And, I could get them without a prescription in the lenses!  EyeBuyDirect aims to be a convenient way to buy new glasses that are the same quality as what’s in stores, but saving at least 70% of the cost!

I began searching for my new glasses right away and the website was very easy to navigate. There were tons of choices, both men and women, from simple rimless to crazy bright colored frames, they had it all.  However, like buying most things online, I was a bit hesitant…because wait…I can’t try them on first can I?  Nope. But they do have some extremely helpful tools to help you “try on” glasses virtually. All you need is a picture! They have several angles of each pair of glasses and you can even select ones to compare against each other. They also have a great 100% satisfaction guarantee return/exchange policy if for whatever reason you aren’t satisfied with your choice once it arrives.

The real beauty of this website though are the prices!  The pair I bought (the Donna in brown/copper) was only $49.95. Others are as low as $7.95.   Now, like I said, I’ve never bought glasses before but from what I’ve heard from from my relatives that wear glasses, theirs cost much more than this.  Each pair of glasses also comes with a sturdy clear plastic case and a lens cloth.

So what if you do need prescription lenses?  All you need is your current prescription numbers from your eye doctor to enter at checkout once you pick out the frames you want.   If you don’t? Just click “I use my glasses for fashion only.” The website makes it very easy to check out and has several other enhancing options from thinner lenses to light adjusting to get exactly what you need.

Overall I am very satisfied with my experience with EyeBuyDirect and I love my glasses (I would upload a picture of me with the new glasses but my camera’s batteries are dead).  My only somewhat negative experience was finding a picture of me for the virtual “EyeTry” that wasn’t too big or too small.  I had to hunt through my hundreds of photos and play with the cropping/size to find one suitable.  My suggestion: make it easy on yourself. Just take a picture with you facing straight forward and upload it. It will save time, trust me.  Also, it took nearly 2 weeks for my glasses to arrive which is longer than I expected it to be. But, I understand that each pair of glasses are made especially for one person and that takes time!

And guess what? You can win a giftcode to receive a free pair of glasses up to $100 (excluding designer glasses and sunglasses)! Just comment on this post with the link to your favorite frames by March 13th.  For extra entries (comment separately for each one)  you can also upload a photo with “EyeTry” and leave a comment with the link.  Also, you can twitter about the giveaway, blog about it, and subscribe to my feed. One winner will be chosen randomly and announced on March 14th.

I also have two 5% off codes that two runners up will win.

This review opportunity was provided by The Family Review Network.

I can’t count how many times I have to say in one day, “Savannah, please be patient!”  Whether it’s waiting for her lunch to be ready or waiting for us to be ready to go to the car, it’s a lesson that is repeated nearly every single day.  Which, is why I was glad that the new Veggie Tales movie, “Abe and The Amazing Promise,” was sent to us for review because, appropriately, it is all about patience!  Now, Savannah is only (nearly) two years old, so I’m not saying watching this video magically taught her how to be patient. But, it does help reinforce the message we tell her daily in a positive way and best of all (in our book) teaches her about God’s love and promises.

We both sat down together to watch it, however since we haven’t watched many Veggie Tale movies before so I didn’t know what quite to expect.  The movie has 2 short stories about patience: one a Bible story about Abe and Sarah, the other about an inventor who rushes to get things done instead of taking his time.  In between the 2 short stories is Larry’s famous Silly Songs, which, appropriately again, was about sneezing since Savannah was (and still is!) sick.  Therefore, this entire movie held Savannah’s attention span well since  it wasn’t too long. Even I enjoyed watching these stories and being reminded of God’s promises to us and how I too need patience!

Savannah has asked to watch it again several times, so I’m thinking we’ll be adding some more Veggie Tales to our collection in the future.  I’d say this is a great addition to a children’s DVD library with positive messages and silly songs!

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

The more I do the research, the more evident it is becoming to me the importance of “being green.”  So, when Mom Central asked if I’d like to review the new Green Works Wipes, I said yes!  Because who couldn’t use some help to get clean, and better yet, in a more natural and healthy way?  I often worry about the chemicals that I use to clean the kitchen counter tops with, or the bathtub, or anything that we touch. What does it leave behind that could harm Savannah? Green Works is striving to help to bring natural back into the cleaning.  They use renewable and sustainable resources, ingredients that are biodegradable (the wipe can be disposed in a compost if you want!), and are not testing on animals. It’s also safe to use on many various surfaces from sealed granite, to chrome and appliances.

The wipes arrived quickly and I set off to clean my bath room (I waited to clean just for this occasion!).  I’ve used other cleaning wipes before and I was curious how they compared. So, I cleaned one half of counter top, one sink, and half of the mirror with Green works, and the other half with another brand.  First thing I noticed was the smell, it wasn’t strong and actually pleasant!  Often, the smell of products quickly lead to a migraine for me, but this one was very subtle.   Then, I noticed the difference in the material, which is more fibrous, cloth-like, and thinner than the other wipes. In short: it cleaned just as well as the other cleaning wipe except the mirror. I had to scrub harder to clean the toothpaste spots, but it didn’t leave streaks. I’m pleased with the results and definitely will continue to use these to protect and clean our home.

My only negative experience was that it took a few frustrating minutes to get the wipes “started” in the dispensor. You’re supposed to take the very center and pull one up, but about 3 others kept trying to come up with it, therefore getting stuck several times. Finally, I got it working correctly so we should be good to go for next cleaning time!

Have you started going green yet?

Like I’ve mentioned before, I am a huge list maker.  The good ol’ paper and pen is still one of my list places right now, but I am on the computer so often between school and personal use that  like to keep a master list on the computer at eye’s view. Ya know, so when I’m on the computer wasting time I can see that to-do list and remember to get back on track!  When Mom Central told me about Cozi, I already knew about this awesome website and I jumped on board to spread the news.

I’ve tried a few websites, but this one by far is my favorite. Why? Because it has so many options and tools to help a busy person out.  And, I think that it’s just pleasant to look at with all the fun colors! Cozi offers not just list making tools (and more than one type of list at that), but also journaling tools, meal planning, calendars you can sync with Outlook or access through your phone. That means you can keep track of groceries, to-do list, chores, projects or homework that are due, appointments, whatever! Not just on your computer, but everywhere you go. You can even import your child’s school schedule to automatically appear on your calendar.  Need to print your list or calendar out? Easy to do!

My only complaint is that when I view the calendar for my family, the font color is so extremely light orange it is very hard see where to place my appointments or events.  I’ve tried looking around the settings, but I don’t see a way to change it.  Other than that though, I love this website.

Who couldn’t use a little more organization in this new year?  I know I do and I will certainly be using Cozi to help acheive it!

I’ve always been fascinated by “supernatural” things. When was asked by The Family Review Network if I wanted to review this book, “Along Came an Angel,” of course I was interested. I believe in a God that does send people to be in the right place at the right time to help somebody, and I believe that He also sends angels to watch over us and help as well, just as described in this book. The title of the book tells it all, it’s stories that have been complied together sharing mysterious and uplifting stories about when an angel came along in a time of need. From car wrecks, to gracious strangers, to uplifting and life changing advice, it’s all good stuff.

It’s a very easy read, divided up into many short stories only a few pages long (much like “Chicken Soup for the Soul books). All the stories are wonderfully written and each tell a tale that gives you chills, but a warm and loving way. Myself not having much time to just sit and read for hours, this was the perfect book to do a review on amidst all my final exams and projects because I could take a break, read an uplifting story, and get back to my duties.

My favorite story?  It’s really hard to pick just one.  But, the one that sticks in my mind is about a young single  woman who drank too much one night and didn’t remember a thing.  She woke up in her bed, not knowing how she got there and not knowing why her car wasn’t in the driveway.  Later, a police man showed up and told her what happened. He pulled her over because she was swerving, she willingly got onto his motorcycle, gave him her purse, told him exactly where she lived, etc. Basically, if he had been another guy she could have been in real trouble, but the police man brought her home safely. He told her that she had to stop living this lifestyle because it puts her in danger and she might not be lucky next time.  She later found her car exactly where he told her it would be, and decided to send this man a thank you note for saving her and changing her life. However, when asking every police station near her if this man worked for them, there was absolutely no record of his name anywhere.  Crazy!

There are many, many other amazing stories and I definitely recommend this book.  It’s example after example of how wonderful and in what mysterious was God works within our lives.  Want to see what others are saying about this book? Click here to see the other participants of this Angel Blog Tour.  There are some prizes going on over there!

We all strive to do what’s best for our kids, making sure they eat healthy and get enough sleep. But, do we think about the products we use on their sensitive skin? Do we think about the chemicals and fragrances that we place on their little bodies that may cause allergic reactions or -gulp- even cause cancer?  Thankfully, Kiss My Face has just come out with a whole kid’s line that is 100% natural with no artificial colors, fragrances, parabens, or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Now, in the past I’ve used natural products that didn’t smell so great. But these? Oh my goodness!  These products smell absolutely so yummy, I could eat them! Most are in the “Orange U Smart” scent that smells like orange serbert. It’s good stuff.  Savannah loves the toothpaste, that is naturally good tasting instead of with artificial sugars and flavors (there is both with fluoride and without for the younger kids!). She also loves playing with the little “Whale of Soap” bars that are shaped like whales (and again, they smell so good!).  These products work just as well as other products that do contain harmful ingredients, but it gives me a piece of mind that these are actually good for her. The packaging and cleaver titles also just makes these products so fun to use, with interesting animal facts on each. The good thing? These natural products aren’t just sold in health stores or online, but in stores like Target as well!

Want to win the entire cleaning line for your little busy body? The set includes:

1. A Whale of a Soap Pack

2. 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner

3. Toothpaste with Fluoride

4. Toothpaste without Fluoride

5. Pack of Lip Balm

6. Foaming Hand Wash

7. Hair Detangler Spray

8. Bubble Wash

9. Foaming Shampoo and Body Wash

Yes, that’s nine great products you can win!  Just comment on this post telling me what you do to help protect and encourage a “green” life for your family (I can use all the help I can get myself…).  Comments will close on Thursday, December 4th at midnight. One winner will be chosen at random and announced Friday the 5th.

Good luck!

Once again, I have to rave about the quality of Land’s End merchandise.  This time, I was lucky to receive this amazingly comfy Kid’s Sleeping Bag Set for Savannah. While she isn’t quite old enough for sleepovers just yet, she already loves playing in this and I look forward to the day she can use it for real!

Like I said, the quality is excellent. I was in awe how soft and cushy is it, it feels like a down comforter! Then again, perhaps I’m just used to the cheapo polyester fabrics of my sleeping bags growing up? The fabric is made of 100% cotton and super soft both inside and out. I also love that it includes a matching pillowcase and storage bag. And, the bag has a handle to carry it easier! My cheap ones never had that either growing up.  The zipper is very easy to use and has not gotten stuck at all.

Yes, Savannah will be stylish and cozy one day when she makes that leap into girl hood at her first sleepover. Until then, we’ll be busy putting her baby dolls to bed and pretending to go ni-night ourselves.

Ready for this good news?  One of you will win one of these great prizes of your choice from Land’s End!

1) Kid’s Sleeping Bag Set

2) Women’s Regular Long Sleeve Cashmere Tee Sweater

3) Men’s Regular Down Vest

Just comment on this post telling me which one you would like. Is it for you, or a gift? Comments will close Sunday November 30th.  One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, December 1st. That way, if it is a gift you can receive it in time for the holidays.

Good luck!

I’m a girl who loves make up.  If you know me in person, you know that I rarely leave the house without make on, and I take forever getting ready.  It’s true, I like to feel beautiful. And, ya know, cover up my eye bags and acne scars.  So, when BlogHer offered the chance to review Estee Lauder’s new and updated website, I jumped at the chance.  $100 for makeup and skin products? Count me in!

When I think of Estee Lauder I think of a classy, and that’s just what their new website is.  It’s very clean and beautiful and easy to navigate. I love the roll over feature that expands each title category to easily see what is listed without having to click on each one.  It makes it quick to find what you need and browse through all the types of products and tips. I also love that it keeps the items that you recently viewed at the bottom, so it’s easy to go back to find a product you might want more information about or to purchase.  When you click on a product, each page (for the most part, some I felt needed more explanation) is filled with helpful information about the product, what it can do for you, how to use it, including tips, and displaying all the color options. I also like how it suggests other products that compliment the one you are viewing, so it’s easy to complete a certain look or skincare routine.

The “What’s New” page helps customers to see, well, what’s new!  It’s a quick way to see the latest products from limited editions to gift sets, and even shows models examples to suggest products and tips on how to achieve the look. There are also great tips under the “Looks & Tips” tab that has more step by step examples of different makeup looks and even videos!  I love that it tells you exactly what tools and products you need and makes it feel like anyone can achieve that classy, beautiful look.

I was concerned though about buying a foundation or concealer without trying it on in store first, but Estee Lauder at least helps narrow down the choices with their Foundation Finder.  It gave me several options to choose from, from my skin tone to skin type, and picked out a certain shade and foundation for me. However, I did not buy it because I’m still hesitant to buy it without trying. But, the good news is that if you don’t have an Estee Lauder near you to test it out first, their online store does have a great return/exchange policy.  They also have a very helpful online chat with a live beauty specialist for a quick way to answer questions about products and things.  The lady I spoke with was very knowledgeable and it was like talking to a person directly in the store!

The only issue I have with this site is the Skincare Finder.  It’s completely geared toward older woman wanting to fight aging.  When browsing through the cleansers, toners, and moisturizers on my own, I found what I needed to combat my oily and acne prone skin type, however with the Skincare Finder it wasn’t listed at all.  Everything was to help with wrinkles or even out skin tone, which doesn’t apply to every woman’s needs.

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed shopping with this website and had such a hard time choosing!  I ended up ordering the Eyzone Repair Gel (for those tired eyes!), the Brush on Illuminator (to add a little sparkle to my day and appear more awake), and the Advanced Oil Controlling Hydrator (for my super oily skin). And, I also will receive the free Holiday Hit List gift AND free shipping since my purchase was over $50! They also have other special offers like free gift wrap available and even a sweepstakes to win a $350 shopping spree. So as Estee Lauder is launching it’s new look, why don’t you?

To see what other bloggers are saying about Estee Lauder visit BlogHer’s round up page.