mom central

Holiday Gift Guide 2010:Celebrate The Holidays With Hickory FarmsClosed

- brandy3 328 Comments

I am a Hickory Farms Brand Ambassador through Mom Central. I am really excited since this is my first actual ambassador tour. I’ve only tried Hickory Farms a few times and it was so long ago. I will be receiving a gift pack soon and will share my experience with you.

Hickory Farms’ commitment to personalized service and the legendary quality of its products has kept the company popular
on gift lists over the decades. Customers can find Hickory Farms’
savory sausages, favorite cheeses and other gourmet goods
online, in catalogs, in leading supermarkets and in retail shopping centers throughout the holiday season.

**** I received two hickory farms gift boxes, and they are so yummy. I have only tried Hickory farms a few times ( I know its sad). The picnic basket pack is full of summer sausage cheese, peanut brittle, crackers, and strawberry hard candies. The strawberry hard candies have become my kids favorite.   I haven’t even been able to get my husband and kids to eat their dinner, because they are always getting into the boxes and eating everything. We tried the cranberry mustard last night, and it was so good even my picky little ones liked it. The only thing so far that we are not fond of is the pineapple mustard. We always  give Hickory Farms gift boxes to family as gifts, You can never go wrong.

Right now when you buy any Party Planner Gift Box, Hickory Farms will donate $5 to Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign, a national nonprofit that is ending childhood hunger in America.

I have a Hickory Farms party planner gift box to giveaway to one lucky reader: (pictured above)

Contents are:

  • 7 oz. Beef Summer Sausage
  • 5 oz Italian Recipe Beef Summer Sausage
  • 6 oz Original Cheese Ball
  • 4 oz Smoked Cheddar Blend
  • 4 oz Mission Jack Blend
  • 4 oz Creamy Swiss Blend
  • 4 oz Big Barn Cheddar
  • 2.5 oz Cranberry Mustard
  • 2.25 oz Sweet Hot Mustard
  • 1.5 oz Sesame, Caraway, and Sea Salt Crackers

To enter visit www.HickoryFarms.com and tell me another set you want?

Extra entries:

Subscribe to my feed-8 entries

Blog about this-7 entries

follow on twitter- 5 entries

Leave a comment on any non-giveaway post-4 entries

tweet this-2 entries

Contest closes-12/11/10

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Hickory Farms and received two signature gift boxes from Hickory Farms to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

HealthyWomen Time Saving Tips

- brandy3

Day light savings time just ended and now we have lost a hour of time.  Every women specially mothers have a certain time of day that is just craziness. For me it’s the mornings when I have to get the kids ready for school, breakfast etc before the bus comes.  HealthyWomen.org knows how crazy it can get, so they have compiled some tips to help you.

HealthyWomen conducted a survey of over 1000 women to uncover their busiest hours as well as tips to help cope with the crunch.  Their survey revealed that most women feel most pressed for time in the early morning hours of their day, from 6am to 9am and many report the biggest time pressures during early evening, from 5pm to 8pm., when many families are preparing for and eating dinner, as well as finishing up tasks from the day.

Here are some tips they have provided:

  • Make Fridays left over night – you will clean out the fridge and save time and money.
  •   We know you want to be watching TV, but how about making that personal time a bit more productive? Use commercial breaks to squeeze in some of the end-of-day chores – sort laundry, start the washer, vacuum a room, unload the dishwasher, organize the kitchen counter.
  •   Sign up for free automatic bill-paying services for all recurring bills such as utility bills, etc. Then set up an online bank account for free, one-click payment of all other bills – saves time, postage, and gas!
  •  Combine as many errands as you can into one outing – grouping them by location and reducing travel time.
  •   Ask for help!  Keep a list of your errands and an ear open in case your spouse, relative or friend is headed to the same place.
  •   Ride your bike, walk or run to run local errands – eliminating the need to take time to exercise later.
  •  Set a schedule and establish boundaries throughout the day. For example, at the beginning of each conversation, tell others how much time you have available.  It’s as easy as saying, “I’m glad you called, but I’ve only got about 10 minutes to chat…”
  •   Make email more efficient – spending the time to unsubscribe for all the junk emails will give you an inbox with just the information you want, and less time deleting the stuff you don’t.
  •   Take public transportation to work, and use that time to read, update your to-do list, or answer personal emails
  • 10.  Reconsider your definition of clean and don’t shampoo every day – your hair will be healthier and shinier and your shower will be shorter.
  •  11.   Keep your period light – at least packing for it.  Wear a menstrual cup all day and save time packing up other protection.
  • 12.   Tried and true – set your clothes out the night before. Women who don’t can waste time trying on different outfits or having to iron at the busiest time of the day.

For me as I said before I struggle the most in the morning and in the evening. My husband is in graduate school so when it comes to housework and everything else i’m almost always on my own.   So in the mornings, I have truble getting all 3 kids up and dressed , fed, washed, etc. before the bus comes. Then in the evening I struggle with cooking, cleaning up after, dishes, kids baths, pajamas and bedtime before I crash myself.

Some tips I use are:

  • make simple things like a frozen pizza for dinner, when things are really tight
  • try giving the kids a shower rather than a bath, my kids love it.
  • have everything set out and prepared for school the night before

 

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of HealthyWomen and Softcup and received a  gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

PopChips Blog Tour and GiveawayClosed

- brandy3 104 Comments

Healthier, delicious, all-natural. Actually, we are all that and a bag of chips. How do we do it? Well, first, let’s talk about how we don’t do it. We never fry our chips. That just puts a lot of stuff in there that we could all do without. We never bake our chips either. That just takes a lot of flavor out, which, as snackers, we simply can’t do without.

****These chips are tastey and come in a variety of flavors. They never baked nor fried, which makes them better for you, but they just don’t have as much flavor as regular chips. My husband and kids didn’t seem to mind the chips having less flavor, but my husband did not favor the salt and pepper chips.

I have a box full of PopChips to giveaway to one lucky reader

To enter all you have to do is like Popchips on Facebook, don’t have a facebook account just leave a comment letting me know if you ever tried these.

Extra entries:

Subscribe to my feed-7 entries

Blog about this with a link in the comments-6 entries

Follow on twitter- 5 entries

Tweet this giveaway-3 entries (can be done daily)

Contest ends 12/1/10

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of popchips and received a “Get Popped” box of popchips and a $30 gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Cottonelle Flushable Wipes

- brandy3

With a Pop-Up Tub for single-sheet dispensing, Cottonelle Fresh Flushable Moist Wipes remove what dry toilet paper leaves behind. Cottonelle brand provides a shower-fresh feeling that leaves you confidently clean every day.

***My 5 and 4 yr old have been potty trained for a couple of years now, but they still have some trouble with wiping. I usually keep a tub of baby wipes in the bathroom to help them out, you can’t flush baby wipes though. The Cottonelle Flushable wipes are so easy to use and help out with those potty training the most. It hooks on to the wall like regular toilet paper, but gets all the stuff that toilet paper leaves behind. With kids it makes sure they are wiping clean. We really have enjoyed these and it has become a favorite amongst my potty trainers.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of the Cottonelle brand and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Bing “Our School Needs” Your Vote

- brandy3

In a bid to win $100,000 for their school, parents, students, and teachers around the country have been telling Bing what their school needs through essays, photos and videos.  Bing is awarding a quarter-million dollars in prize money divided among four schools in need, and your vote can make all the difference. The entry with the most votes wins $100k, and 3 others will each win $50k.

You can visit here and vote for your favorite video

We live in a wealthy neighborhood(we are not), and my daughters school is one of the top rated elemenatry schools here in Long Island. I receive letters at least twice a week for some kind of donation. The first two weeks of school we had 6 fundraisers, it was crazy.

If you are one of the first 30,000 to vote, you will receive a $3 DonorsChoose.org Donation code. voting is only open until Nov. 7 so hurry.

One of my favorite videos is The video from Fort Carson Co., My husband was stationed there for a while. I know how hard it is on kids to only have one parent around and worry about the other fighting overseas.

Don’t Forget to go vote

 “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Bing and received a gift card and DonorsChoose.org giving code to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Smuckers Uncrustables Review

- brandy3

Now that my daughter is in school, things have been very hectic. My daughter is so picky that we make her  a lunch, I’m afraid that she will never eat what the school provides.   Everyday its a fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, capri sun, and a snack.  My daughter is not very fond of the crusts on her sandwich. Thankfully we found Smuckers Uncrustables.

Smuckers Uncrustables sandwiches are wholesome snacks that have great homemade taste without the crust.

My children absolutely loved the uncrustables.  No need to worry about knifes, you don’t even need to warm these up, just thaw out for about 30 minutes and they are ready to go.  No mess, just put in a lunch and its good for 8-10 hours after thawing. The bag is a little hard to open for little hands.

Retail: $2.99 for a 4 pack

 “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Smucker’s and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

New York Style with Avocados

- brandy3

Now New York is known for the Statue of Liberty, Time Square, Empire State building.   Pizza is very big in New York (and NYC), so I thought it would be fun to try to make an avocado pizza. Given there are already recipes out there for  this, but hey it’s still good.

Avocado pizza

  • 1 thin pizza crust
  • 1 package mozzarella cheese
  • 1 can pizza or tomato sauce
  • pepperoni
  • 2 avocados

pre heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread pizza sauce on crust, sprinkle on cheese(use whole bag). add Pepperoni lots of them. bake for 10-20 minutes until crust is brown and cheese is melted.

Slice avocados and add them to top of pizza, serve and enjoy. DO NOT add avocados to pizza before baking, they will taste bitter.

I’ll admit sometimes i just buy a pizza from our local hometown shop and add avocados.

Another big thing is bagels again just add them on top of your bagel and cream cheese.

Avocados are very healthy at only 50 calories per ounce (3 slices), plus they are sodium and cholesterol free. You can use avocados in everything and they boast 20 vitamins and minerals per serving.

The MAHIA is holding a contest for the Big Hit, and want to see your hometown recipe. visit www.TheAmazingAvocado.com,  you could be a avocado league MVP and win avocados for a year.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Nickelodeon Your Stay At The Marriott

- brandy3

I’ll admit it I dread going  on trips with my kids, I have a 2,4, and 5 year old, it can get pretty crazy.  We usually pack way to much to ensure they will be preoccupied.

Nickelodeon and the Marriott Hotel have teamed together to “Nickelodeon Your Stay” at over 2000 locations. All kids will receive free activity book and bracelet with a code for free games at www.nick.com.  You can upgrade your package for $10-$20 dollars(depending on hotel) to also have the package include Spongebob activity bag, splash ball, Nickelodeon sunglasses, and a build your own Spongebob. Also kids who eat at the restaurant hotel will also receive a Nickelodeon character placemat. visit www.nickelodeonyourstay.com to start booking.

Nickelodeon Your Stay

****The pack is so fun for my kids. The buildyour own Spongebob hands and eyes wiggle, and even comes with Gary the snail.  The splash ball is fun for the pool or beach. This will definitly keep your kids at play for at least a little while.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Marriott and received a Nickelodeon gift pack to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Breyers Smooth and Dreamy Ice Cream8/15

- brandy3 156 Comments

It’s been so hot even here in New York, tempuratures have reached in the triple digets.It’s always nice to cool down with some ice cream. Breyers has 6 new bars and sandwiches that are so delicious. The flavors are Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Vanilla Caramel Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Triple Chocolate Chip.  With 6 grams of fat per serving and 160 calories or less, these are a great treat

****These are good, The best would have to be Cookie Dough sandwiches. It’s like having two chocolate chip cookies with cookie dough ice cream in the middle.My only complaint is that they are very small ice cream sandwiches, and here in NY they are $4.49 for a box of six.
I have 3 coupons for Breyers smooth and Dreamy bars/sandwiches to giveaway
To enter: tell me what variety you want to try?
Extra entries:
subscribe to my feed-8 entries
Blog about this-6 entries
follow me on twitter-5 entries
leave a comment on any non-giveaway post-4 entries
tweet this-2 entries ( can be done daily)
Contest ends 8/15
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers and received products necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Barilla Share The Table

- brandy3 3 Comments

Everyone in our house has a busy life. weather it’s work, chores, school, running around. I find that most of the time, I am at the the table alone, or at least with my youngest child. I really like when we all sit at the table together, and talk about each others day.

Barilla launched “Share the Table,” a program aimed at empowering families to make the most of dinnertime. In it’s second year running, www.sharethetable.com has a new look and great new recipes from Chef’s like Mario Batali, plus there are tips on how to get your family back to the table.  Barilla has even started a sweepstakes, called “Pasta Friday”, with great giveaways of pasta and pasta sauce. They also have launched the Mealtime Moments Contest, which gives families who commit to enhancing mealtime the opportunity to share their stories and win select prizes throughout the summer.

You can help donate a $1 to the Meals On Wheels Asscociation, by visiting www.sharethetable.com and become a fan of Meaningful Meals.

I was able to try the Mezzi Rigatoni with Lentils recipe, It was very good and kid friendly my kids loved it.  We chose this recipe because there is no cheese.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Barilla and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review.”

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