{Never} Wordless Wednesday ~ Jayden's Camera

Jayden pulled out his Leap Frog Camera the other day.  He wanted to take pictures so we had to clean off his camera.  These pictures are old, but fun. They are not the best pictures, but they are fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Built To Amaze Coming Soon

My family will be provided tickets to the event in exchange for this post. 

     Have you ever been to the circus?  Was it a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus?  They put on the best show for sure.  I am very excited to attend this year.  The theme is Built to Amaze.  There will be more then 110 of the worlds best artists and athletes representing 17 countries as well as more then 95 exotic and domestic animals.  Some of the featured acts include comedic animal presenting duo Alex and Irina Emelin, The Trampoline Tower Tumblers, King Charles Troupe, and so much more.  And it is best to get there early for the pre-show.  It is free to all ticket holders and there is so much more to see and do at the All Access Pre-Show.  

When:  Wednesday,  June 26, 2013- Monday, July 1, 2013

             Wednesday, June 27 @ 7:00 PM

             Thursday, June 28 @ 11:00 AM

              Friday, June 29 @ 11:00 AM & 7:00 PM

              Saturday, June 30 @ 11:00 AM, 3:00 PM, and 7:00 PM

              Sunday, July 31 @ 11:00 AM & 4:00 AM

              Monday, July 1 @ 11:00 AM

Where:  US Airway Center

              201 E. Jefferson St.

Discount offer – $5 off  tickets in the $20 price levels.

$5 Off with code MOMSAVE

·         Valid on $20 & $25 tickets only

·         No double discounts

Valid on all show days and times EXCEPT Opening Night (Opening Night tickets are 50% off, excluding front row and VIP seating)

Tickets can be found at www.Ticketmaster.com.  

 My family will be provided tickets to the event in exchange for this post. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure

Happy Father's Day To My Hubby and All The Other Dad's Out There

I just wanted to say Happy Father's Day to a wonderful dad, my husband John.  The boys look up to their dad and love him so much.  I just love seeing him so involved with them and a big part of their lives.  He is a great father that enjoys just being with his boys. 
'

John with Jayden

 

John with Evan

Big hugs from me and the boys go out to John!!  

Also a special Happy Father's Day goes out to my Father in Law Jim!!

Get Your Dishes Cleaner with Cascade Platinum Pacs #MyPlatinum #Sponsored

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

 

     First off I must tell you that I don't like to do the dishes or much other cleaning for that matter.  But I just have not been one to love washing the dishes.  I will avoid using dishes just so I don't have to wash them.  So I have always had and used a dishwasher for most of my dishes.  When we moved into our house it had a dishwasher.  It seemed to work alright, but then it just died.  It stopped working.  So imagine my dismay when I realized that means I would have to hand wash all those dishes.  But lucky my grandmother had an extra since she thought hers broke, but turned out it just needed a part.  So my brother brought over the dishwasher and hooked it up for me.  I was so happy to have a dishwasher again.  But after only a few loads I realized that something was wrong.  My dishes were not coming out very clean at all, actually they would come out just about as dirty as when they went it.  So finally I gave up and went back to hand washing all my dishes.  When I was given the opportunity to try Cascade Platinum Pacs I was hopeful that this would be my answer to using my dishwasher again.

 Cascade© Platinum Pacs Dish Care Features:

• Powers away tough, 24 hour stuck-on food
• Eliminates the need to pre-wash dishes
• Helps maintain the look of new machines & helps prevent additional hard-water build-up
• Delivers exceptional dishware shine

      The Cascade Platinum Pacs clean so well they leave dishes with a sparkling shine like new.  Gail Simmons, Top Chef Judge and editor of Food & Wine Magazine, has partnered with Cascade.  She boasts that presentation is everything.  By having sparkling plates, shining flatware, and spot free glasses you will have culinary creations that pop.  I am not one to take lots of pictures of my food, but every so often I do for a post or something.  I would like to have sparkling clean dishes to set the stage for great food. 



     When I first received the Cascade Platinum Pacs I immediately noticed that they smell really good.  I was actually excited to do the dishes.  I wanted to see how these little pacs would work to clean my dishes.  I was very hopeful that they would work and I would no longer have to hand wash everything.  I took a couple of before and after pictures so you can see how they came out.  My dishes were clean!  I was happy that I was not pulling half of them out to be rewashed.  These little pacs were able to get all my dishes clean.  With my previous detergent I had to prewash everything, which always seemed redundant to me.  With the Cascade Platinum Pacs I didn't have to do the pre-washing and they got even cleaner then before.  We have hard water here and the dishwasher tends to get a little ugly build up inside, but I think the dishwasher itself is cleaner inside thanks to Cascade.  It seems to sparkle a little. 

     Cascade is hosting the #MyPlatinum Instagram Photo Contest right now through June 30.  Each week this month you can upload a photo related to the weekly theme to Instagram and add the hashtag #MyPlatinum.  Each week there will be two winners with a grand prize winner at the end.  The weekly winners will win a Kitchen Aid Dishwasher, 6 month supply of Cascade Platinum Pacs, and Cascade Complete Rinse Aid.  The grand prize winner will win a 10,000 Kitchen Aid Makeover, a year supply of Cascade Platinum Pacs and Cascade Complete Rinse Aid.     
    
Connect with Cascade on facebook.  

 I was provided the above mentioned products in order to provide a review. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure

Must Have Games From Super Duper Review & Giveaway

I was provide the below mentioned product in exchange for my honest review.

 

     I have shared some of the great products from Super Duper before.  Super Duper has been around for many years, but just recently their products have become available to the consumer market.  They have some great learning games for different ages and stages.  They also have great games to help support speech development.  I am not surprised to learn that The National Parenting Center has rated six Super Duper games as must haves.  I was given the opportunity to review three of these great games.

     The first game we received was Which One Doesn't Belong? Secret Decoder Super fun Deck.  This game includes 100 double sided cards that challenges children to choose which of the six items on the list does not belong.  There are two levels of cards.  Level one has a red border and the item that does not belong is very different from the other items on the list.  Level two cards have a blue border and the answer choices are a little harder to figure out.  After making their choice players can check their answers by using the secret decoder key.  The cards and decoder key come in a sturdy tin box to keep all the materials in one place.  Jayden really needed some mommy time so we took this game and went to play in his room.  We sat together and just went through the cards taking turns trying to decide which item does not belong.  Jayden really liked using the decoder key to check our answers.  Not only did we saw why something doesn't belong, but we briefly discussed why items did or did not belong and named the catergory of the items.  Jayden was challenged by the level one cards.  This game is for 6 years and up.  This is a fun game and I really like that it can be used in a few different ways for different educational goals.

     The second game we received was Ring Bling.  In this game children will choose a card and act out what it says to do, usually something silly.  Then they spin the spinner to find out how many rings they will get for their happy hand.  But watch out you might have to give your ring to your friend.  The child that earns the most rings will win the game. Some of the learning areas for this game includes following directions, pretending, and thinking creatively.  Children could also work on articulation, language, reading, and math skills.  Jayden was a little unsure of this game at first.  He saw all the rings and immediately thought it was for girls.  But he joined me to play and quickly discovered how much fun it is.  Doing the motions on the cards is really funny and we had a great time with just that.  When it came to adding rings to our happy hands Jayden was excited to find sports rings.  There are rings with basketballs, footballs, baseballs, etc.  Jayden told me he wanted to collect all the "sports rings".  Once the game went on he was very determined to win and have all the sports rings on his fingers.  And he did win the game.  This game could be used in different ways, including just using the cards and follow the directions to do some fun silly things.  This game is for ages 5 and up. 

     The last game I received was Vocabulary Chipper Chat.  This game is for building language and vocabulary skills that align with the national core curriculum objectives for grades K-5.  This game has 12 colorful game board designs with five copies of each, that is 60 total boards.  That means you can have up to five children play at a time.  There are 12 different vocabulary skills that this game works on including:

Analogies Associations Attributes Categories

Compare & Contrast Context Clues Figurative Language Functions

Homonyms Homophones Synonyms & Antonyms Verbs

     By using this 1 game with twelve different game boards you can address a variety of vocabulary and language skills in a classroom, in therapy, or one on one.   Each set of game boards represents a category in vocabulary chipper chat.  There are so many different ways to play this game and so many vocabulary and language skills to learn.  Jayden and I played this this game with the categories boards.  When I read the words Jayden would pick out what category the items all went into.  We would discuss if there were different categories that we could use also, like foods and more specific fruits.  We had a lot of fun with this game and identifying the categories.  I really like that the game has so many ways to play and learn from.  I am sure this game will keep Jayden learning for years.  This game is for K-5th grade.

     I really like that Super Duper has games that can be adjusted and used for many purposes.  Many of the games come with different ways to play.  Super Duper is a great place for teachers, speech therapists, and moms to get fun learning games.  

 Buy it: Just for Laughs  $24.95
              Ring Bling  $29.95
              Super Duper StoryMaker App (iOS) $4.99
              Vocabulary Chipper Chat  $64.95
              WH Question Cards App (iOS) $11.99
              Which One Doesn't Belong?  $34.95

 Win it:  One (1) Arizona Mama reader will win their choice of Super Duper games from this list: Just for Laughs, Ring Bling, Super Duper StoryMaker App (iOS), Vocabulary Chipper Chat, WH Question Cards App (iOS), Which One Doesn't Belong?   

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below! This giveaway will be open until 7/2 at 12:01AM (EST).  Open to US and Canada.


     a Rafflecopter giveaway
  

Thank you to Super Duper Publications for sponsoring the review & giveaway

 I was provided the above mentioned products in order to provide a review. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure

Tommee Tippee Closer To Nature Added Comfort Bottles and Feeding Accessories Review & Giveaway

I was provide the below mentioned product in exchange for my honest review.

     Evan is 9 months old now and growing like crazy.  I still can't believe how much he is growing and how fast it is all going.  He is a very healthy and happy boy.  I owe a lot of his health to breastfeeding.  I am so happy to be able to give him all he needs through breastfeeding.  Being a working mom I have to rely on using bottles to provide the milk he needs when we are apart.  With Jayden we went though many bottle before we found the right ones.  I was happy that this time with Evan the very first bottle we tried is the only bottle we needed.  Evan has been using Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles since the beginning.  Recently I received some of the new Added comfort bottles to try along with some other feeding items.

     Added Comfort bottles are specially designed to help in the reduction of air bubbles in milk.  They are also designed to encourage a good latch-on to help reduce the risk of baby ingesting air while feeding.  They have a unique tube and value system that provides venting during feeding.  The air bypasses the milk by going down the tube and into the air-space at the base of the bottle.  The silicone nipple helps to switch between breast and bottle.  We tried the Added Comfort bottle.  Evan does not have Colic or problems with ingesting air while feeding, but I still like that it will limit air in his tummy.  Just as the other Tommee Tippee bottles we have used it helps when switching from breast to bottle and back to breast.  I do have a friend that uses these bottles and she loves them.  Her baby has Colic and often has tummy problems.  The Added Comfort bottles help him to keep down more milk and limit the amount of air in his tummy.

     We were sent some of the Lil Sippee cups too.  These cups are truly non spill with Easiflow technology for easy drinking.  The easy to hold handles are detachable and can even be used on the Closer to Nature bottles.  There is a soft spout and a lid for hygiene.  They are dishwasher, microwave, and sterilizer safe.  Lil Sippee cups hold 10 oz and are for babies 7-12 months.  I gave Evan the Lil Sippee cup with a little water in it.  He knew right away that it goes in his mouth, but played with it some to see how to hold it.  He did get a drink from it, but the spout was a little too fast of a flow for him.  He is used to the stage 1 bottle nipples or breastfeeding which are both slower flow.  But that didn't stop him he kept trying to drink more.  He loved holding the cup and having control.  We will continue to use these as Evan gets more used to using a sippy cup.

     We were also sent section plates and heat sensing spoons.  The section plates come in a set of 2 and the plates have three sections to keep food separate.  For dinner Evan will have a cereal, a vegetable, and a fruit.  So the 3 sections are great.  The heat sensing spoons will change color if food is too hot.  They have long handles making it easier to reach inside jars and storage pots.  They feature a shallow base for tiny palettes.  I really like the color change since I often have to use the microwave to defrost and heat Evan's food.  I make all of Evan's food and freeze it until we are ready to use it.  I can microwave the food and using the spoons to mix and serve it I know if its too hot by the color of the spoon.  The spoons really change quickly and are very easy to see the change.  Both the plates and the spoons are dishwasher, microwave, and sterilizer safe.

      Tommee Tippee has so many great feeding products for infants and toddlers.  I really like that they are all BPA Free.  Also, all their items are functional.  I like that I can find them easily at Target and Babies R Us.  Jayden still uses his Truly Spill Proof Drinking Cup and Truly Spill Proof Straw Cup from Tommee Tippee. 

Buy it: Tommee Tippee 2 Count Lil Sippee Trainer Cups, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature Added Comfort 9oz Bottle - 3ct, Tommee Tippee 2 Count Section Plates, and Tommee Tippee 4-Pack Explora Heat Sensing Weaning Spoons

,Win it:  One (1) Arizona Mama reader will win 2 - 9 oz Added Comfort Tommee Tippee bottles and 2 - 5 oz Added Comfort Tomee Tippee bottles. 


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Thank you to Tommee Tippee for sponsoring the review & giveaway

 I was provided the above mentioned product in order to provide a review. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure

AMF Summer Unplugged: Kids Bowl Free All Summer

I will be provide the below mentioned product in exchange for this post. 

 

     Jayden loves bowling.  We have an AMF just a couple miles from us and Jayden loves to go there.  I am excited that they have their kids bowl free program again this summer.  

     KIDS BOWL FREE ALL SUMMER! Summer fun is just around the corner, and so are we. Sign-up for Summer Unplugged and Summer Pass now! Free bowling for kids all summer long! Kids registered in the Summer Unplugged program can bowl two games per day, every day, all summer long! Sign up today! https://freebowling.amf.com/?source=USFAMILY

  I will be provided the above mentioned product in order to provide a review. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure

{Never} Wordless Wednesday ~ Chuck E Cheeses Fun

Last week was Jayden's birthday.  I can't believe my baby boy is 5 years old already!!  Anyway,  his birthday was on a Monday and his birthday party was not scheduled until Friday.  So we asked Jayden what he wanted to do and it was no surprise that he wanted to go to Chuck E Cheeses.  So John and I both had the day off and we all went for some pizza and fun.

John and Jayden love playing this football game called 2 minute drill.  The could stay and play all day. 

Jayden beat me at air hockey as usual.  

Evan had fun playing on some of the rides.

Aurora Wold Inc. Sea Sparkles Review & Giveaway

     I was provide the below mentioned product in exchange for my honest review.
 

     My nieces love dolls.  They love to carry them around and care for them like their own babies.  When I was offered the opportunity to review the new Sea Sparkles mermaids from Aurora World I just knew the girls would love them. 

  

     Aurora’s Sea Sparkles line shimmers and shines its way into 2013 with an expanded offering to include new styles and sizes of the popular mermaid dolls and sea life. The Sea Sparkles collection now includes new 10”, 18”, 38” mermaids plus four 27” mermaids. Each mermaid has long yarn hair and her dress is accented with a shiny jewel (small, medium, large and extra large sizes; SRP: range from $8-$70).

     I received both medium Serena and medium Marianna.  Both dolls have beautiful sparkles and long flowing blonde hair.  Serena has a beautiful sparkle purple mermaid tail.  Marianna has a beautiful sparkle pink mermaid tail.  They both shimmer and shine.  They both have a streak of color in their hair and have a braid across the front of their hair.  In the center of their chest they have a rhinestone for a little extra sparkle.

     When I went to my brother in laws house last time I took the Sea Sparkle mermaids to give to the girls.  The moment they saw them they both got very giddy.  I let them choose which they wanted and lucky they both easily picked.  Both girls hugged their doll tight.  The spend most of the afternoon playing with their new Sea Sparkle doll.  And as they do with all their dolls they named them "baby Evan".  Yes, they name all their dolls "baby Evan" or "baby Jayden".  They love their cousins.

     These mermaid dolls are beautiful with sparkle and color.  They sit up easily with the way they are weighted.  I really like that you can get a sea sparkles doll with some features similar to your own child.  The reason I picked the two dolls I did was the blonde hair so the girls would have a doll with hair like their own.  Aurora has a great selection of toys and dolls.  The Sea Sparkle dolls come in different sizes. 

Buy it:  Medium Sea Sparkles  $15.00

Win it:  One (1) Arizona Mama reader will win a Sea Sparkles doll of their choice.

 Enter in the Rafflecopter form below! This giveaway will be open until 6/27 at 12:01AM (EST)


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Thank you to Aurora Wold Inc. for sponsoring the review & giveaway

 I was provided the above mentioned product in order to provide a review. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure

Loving Moments Nursing Collection by Leading Lady Review & Giveaway

       Evan is 9 months old now and we have reached a milestone together.  I have been nursing him for 9 months!!  This is huge for me.  My goal is a minimum of a year and we are almost there.  With Jayden I had to exclusively pump so actually nursing Evan has been wonderful.  I enjoy every moment of my nursing experience (well maybe not when he nibbles and pinches me).  I have come to discover the importance of good nursing wear.  Leading Lady has recently added a new nursing collection called Loving Moments.  I received a couple of bras from the Loving Moments nursing collection to review.

     Loving Moments by Leading Lady has a great line of quality nursing essentials at affordable prices.  The Loving Moments nursing intimate apparel is fun and fashionable.  It features stretch lace, cute and supportive nursing tank tops, comfortable sleep and leisure bras, seamless every day styles, and washable nursing pad.  Loving Moments has nursing bras for every occasion.  Loving Moments are available only at Wal-Mart and WalMart.com.

     I received the Molded Wirefree Nursing bra and the Molded Underwire Nursing Bra.  I was excited to get some new nursing bras.  I have used the Molded Wirefree Nursing bra first and the most.  It is very comfortable and fits great.  It has a lace trim neckline for a prettier look.  The Polyester/ Spandex mix offers a smooth comfortable fit.  The clasp is easy to use with one hand for easy nursing.  The Molded Underwire Nursing Bra features soft, molded cups that are lightly lined for added support.  It has a seamless design, which makes it a great bra under clothing for a smooth look.  This bra also has an easy to use one handed clasp.  In addition to nursing bras, LovingMomentBra s was created as a resource for new moms.  You can find sizing assistance as well as breastfeeding tips.  LovingMomentsBra.com is a great destination for new and expecting moms. 

     Loving Moments by Leading Lady and Pampers have teamed up to offer new moms a limited time gift with their purchase with your purchase of a Loving Moments Wirefree Sports Nursing Bra.  When purchasing either of these styles and pampers are teaming up to offer a sample of Pampers Newborn diapers and wipes. 

Buy it: Molded Wirefree Nursing Bra and/or Molded Underwire Nursing Bra

Win it:  One (1) Arizona Mama reader will win their choice of one (1) item from Loving Moments by Leading Lady + Loving Moments by Leading Lady nursing pads + a gift pack of Pampers Newborn diapers & wipes.

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below! This giveaway will be open until 6/24 at 12:01AM (EST)


a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

Thank you to Leading Lady for sponsoring the review & giveaway

 I was provided the above mentioned product in order to provide a review. I was not compensated in any way. All thoughts and opinions are my own and not influenced. disclosure