Dial Holiday Foaming Hand Soap - Review

The holidays are fast approaching! I have been busy decorating, baking, and wrapping gifts. My son comes home for a short visit after being gone for 18 months. He is in the Navy and stationed in Japan until 2015. So I am also trying to make this a "Welcome Home" he can take back with him. I have the tree up, lights outside, and holiday scented candles scattered throughout the house. I also have these cute decorated foaming hand soaps that were sent to me to review. As a Purex Insider, I get to give my honest opinion of brands and products they promote. These holiday/winter themed bottles are perfect for my kitchen and bathroom. I can honestly say, my 4 year daughter spends more time washing her hands when there is a smiling snowman staring back at her! 

As a parent I want to keep nasty cold and flu viruses from spreading to my family. I am very diligent about washing hands, especially right after school. Dial Complete Foaming Hand Wash has a formula that kills 99.99% of germs encountered in the household setting while still being gentle on skin. It is the #1 doctor recommended antibacterial foaming hand wash. I prefer the foam over the liquid for my kids. It seems to be easier for them to rinse off since 1 pump of foaming hand wash is plenty and washes away nicely. It also smell fresh and clean!

These are just a few ways I add cheer to my home during the season. I would love to know how you incorporate little things to make your house a home in the comments below. Happy Holidays!



For more information about Dial soap visit www.DialSoap.com and like them on Facebook HERE. 

Disclosure: Dial provided a free sample of their Holiday Foaming Hand Soap for this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinions, as always, are my own.

Hasbro KRE-­O Transformers Review

 Every year before the holidays I stress out about what to get my son who is now 11 years old. He is getting to the "tween" years in which his interests are changing. You would think that him being my 3rd son that I would not have any problems figuring out what to get to entertain him. But I do. So you can imagine my excitement when the Hasbro KRE‐O Transformers review opportunity came my way. If you are not familiar with the KRE-O line of toys, they are construction sets that let kids use their imaginations for hours upon hours of creative play. Hasbro’s KRE­‐O TRANSFORMERS sets let kids build Transformers characters in either their robot or vehicle modes using the same bricks! Each set also comes with fun KREON figures, featuring your favorite Autobots and Decepticons!

Bumblebee is my son's favorite Autobot. He has hair on him in this photo, he has a great imagination - ha! I am just happy to see my son using his creativity and not wasting time on video games. He literally is quiet in his room or on the porch with friends creating and playing with his KRE-O TRANSFORMERS sets for hours. I love to hear them imitate the voices of the Autobots and Decepticons. 

KRE‐O TRANSFORMERS sets make great presents and/or stocking stuffers for the upcoming holiday season. Not to mention KRE-­O is a fun activity to keep kids excited after all the presents are unwrapped! 

The Destruction Site Devastator set is the ultimate gift for advanced builders ages 8 & up. Kids can build four construction vehicles, four Constructicon robots, or the massive Decepticon robot Devastator! There are 560 pieces in this set which truly makes it the ultimate gift. My son didn't know where to begin and he is still working on building more of the robots and vehicles everyday after school.  

The Battle for Energon set includes pieces to build two of the most iconic Transformers characters – heroic Optimus Prime and evil Megatron – all in one set! Which is your favorite? I really favor Optimus Prime but I know some like to role play the evil Megatron ;) 

Just starting your Hasbro KRE-O TRANSFORMERS collection?  Smaller sets like the Cycle Chase set and the Decepticon Ambush set are great  for beginning builders, ages 6 & up. They also have KREON Micro-­Changers Mystery Bags which make great stocking stuffers. For just $2.99, each Mystery Bag contains a random KREON figure, which can also convert into an alternate mode like a jet or an insect! My son thinks that is totally cool so we are also purchasing these for class gift exchange. 

Want to find out more about KRE-O TRANSFORMERS? Connect with them here: 

Website: http://www.hasbro.com/kre-o/en_US/

Facebook: TRANSFORMERS 

Twitter: @HasbroNews 

I now have some great gift ideas for my son this year. Hope this helped you too! 

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and Hasbro partnered in support of this campaign. Hasbro compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

  

Fun with Pinypons

 I was selected to host a Pinypon Fashion Party from Mommy Parties. These cute little dolls are recommended  for girls 4-7 years old. Their hair, face, fashions, and legs are interchangeable with other dolls so the girls can make new looks with each other. They had so much fun! Each party goer received their very own Pinypon doll and had a chance to win the Pinypon doll van to take home. 

 I was also sent 2 Nenuco baby dolls, one to keep and one to raffle off. These are great quality and encourage young girls to feed and bath them. 

The girls enjoyed cupcakes, cookies, and juice for a full afternoon of play and fashion fun. 

Want to know more about Pinypons and Nenuco brand dolls? Find them below at the following links on the web, facebook, and twitter:

Facebook.com/PinyponUSA
Facebook.com/NenucoUSA
Twitter.com/PinyponUSA
Twitter.com/NenucoUSA
www.Pinypon.com 
www.NenucoFamosa.com

Currently on the PinyponUSA facebook page they are offering discounts on purchases of Pinypon dolls and accessories. Go like the page and print off coupons here! After this party, my daughter and all her little friends definitely have Pinypons on their Christmas wish list.

Disclosure: I received products to keep and giveaway for being a host through MommyParties sponsored by Pinypons. All opinions are my own. 

#ToraniFlavors Holiday Twitter Party Tonight with She Speaks

If you are on twitter or would like to join a twitter party - this is one I recommend. Torani syrups are so versatile and can be used to create custom recipes. I know they popular in the coffee shops to flavor your favorite cappuccinos and teas - but I have used the flavors in frosting, baked goods, pancakes - the ideas are endless! And Torani has more flavors than you could even imagine! Check out their flavor page here.

There will be 4 prize packs given away during the twitter party. In order to be eligible to win, you must RSVP on the She Speaks website here.

Details: Thursday November 15, 2012 at 9pm EST
On Twitter follow @SheSpeaksUp @Torani and the full list of panelists.

Disclosure *This is a sponsored blog post by Torani and She Speaks but all opinions are my own.
Comment here and tell me what your favorite Torani flavored syrup is and what you would use it for. 

See you there!

Enter The Soft Scrub Tough & Gentle Sweepstakes

Visit the Purex web site and enter to win their latest sweepstakes! The Soft Scrub Tough & Gentle Sweepstakes is live now. There is a $1,000 grand prize and fifty 2nd place winners will each receive $40 in gift cards.

Enter HERE or click on Purex  

Feel free to "like" or google+ at the bottom of the page to share with your friends. Good luck! 

Wordless Wednesday 8/15

Wondering when my lil Princess grew up...

She will start preschool in 10 days! 

Wordless Wednesday 8/8

Big Brother is a good sport! 

Breakfast Quesadillas

Breakfast Quesadillas

How do you switch things up at breakfast? I used ingredients that I had on hand already and  "assembled" a very familiar quesadilla into a breakfast hit! I popped them in the oven to crisp up the tortilla, so easy. Serve with fresh seasonal fruit and you have covered all the food groups. Use whatever you like - my family is a fan of refried beans and chorizo so that will be the next breakfast creation. Please leave in the comments how you change up breakfast.

Eggs, potatoes, spinach, bacon, salsa, and cheese

  

Purex "Let's Be Honest" Campaign

I am amazed with the Purex brand and the innovative products they are now offering. If you have not tried them yet, you can go to the Purex website and watch for special offers and free samples. They are also running a sweepstakes promotion from now until July 24th 2012 where one lucky winner will win a year supply of Purex every day! Also checkout the funny videos and like their facebook page. 

Children's Claritin Mom Crew Member

I am so excited to be part of a great network of MOMs for Children's Claritin. My son suffers from seasonal allergy attacks from pollen, dust, and nearby fields. It makes some days impossible for him to play outside. To minimize his symptoms to a tolerable level we started using Children's Claritin about 2 years ago. It is in my opinion, the only over the counter allergy medicine that works and gets my son playing outside again. 

I invite you to learn more about Claritin by visiting their website and liking them on facebook here. 

Please feel free to leave your allergy questions here or on my facebook page and I will do my best to get answers for each one.  

"As a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience."

Wordless Wednesday 4/4/12

They really do love each other! 

Tasty Tuesday 3/27/12

Crab cakes - virtually no fillers! 

A rare find in Northwest Ohio

Broccoli Ramen Noodle Salad

My sister's boyfriend brought this very yummy salad to a family cook out a few years ago and ever since then everyone asks him to make it every time we get together. I looked the recipe up on the internet and made it my own so I could make it for my family. I am always trying to find new ways to keep our Lenten menu exciting as well as delicious and this salad/slaw always pleases. It is full of shredded veggies, nuts, and sunflower seeds. The dressing is made with olive oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar and the seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles. And, of course, the Ramen noodles are crumbled and added for texture. I actually prefer this salad the next day after the noodles have absorbed all the flavors and soften a bit.

After making this tonight, I wondered if anyone else had used these budget noodles in a creative way. Please share links to your blog or photos.

***UPDATED POST WITH RECIPE***

ChaCha's Broccoli Ramen Noodle Slaw

2 Bags of Broccoli Slaw (in produce section)
2 Packages of Ramen Noodles - any flavor (I prefer the Oriental)
1 Crown of fresh Broccoli, chopped
1 Cup of  Peanuts (Cocktail or Dry Roasted)
1/2 to 3/4 Cup of Sunflower Seeds

Dressing:
1/2 Cup of Canola Oil
1/4 Cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1 Packet of the Oriental Seasoning Mix (That comes with the noodles)

To Prepare:
-Mix all of the veggies and nuts together in a large mixing or salad bowl. I also like to add extra shredded carrots if I have them on hand, but not necessary. I know others chop green onion and include, but I prefer no onion. Break apart the uncooked ramen noodles into bite size pieces.  I add them from the beginning so they soak up the dressing.
-Whisk the dressing ingredients together until well blended. If you want a deeper flavored dressing, use both seasoning packets - I like my dressing with only 1 packet. Pour dressing over slaw mix and shake or mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least and hour before serving. Overnight is even better.

Purex Triple Action Laundry Detergent - Review

I am a Purex Insider and get to try out the new products as they come out. I recently received and tried the new Triple Action Purex liquid laundry detergent in Mountain Breeze scent. I can tell you now, these are not our mother's Purex products! The detergent works wonderful for every day laundry and even fighting the stains of my kids. "Purex’s promise is to leave your clothes bright, white, and clean, and as always, for half the price of the leading brand! My clothes are clean, bright, and smell fresh. Paired with the Purex Crystals softener it is even better!

 Keep up with me here and on the Purex site  for the launch of Free Samples that will be coming soon. You will get to try them for yourself and see how wonderful they actually are!

  **"Just like all of our current detergents, new Purex Triple Action has been specifically formulated to work in both traditional and High E ciency (HE) washers. This ensures that Purex is always available to our consumers, no matter what kind of washer you have." - Purex