Grandparents Day Gift Basket Review

August 27, 2014August 27, 2014 - brandy3

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. A product was provided for my review.

Grandparents Day is in less than 2 weeks, and unfortunately it’s one of th most forgotten holidays. Don’t let it slip by this year, remind your grandparents how much they mean to you, or your parents how much they mean to your kids.

Some great gift ideas are gift baskets. You can do something simple like a basket of nuts or cookies and chocolate. You can also go all out and get a big basket with wine and cheese with crackers.
I received a baked goods basket, and it was so adorable when it arrived. Packaged very neatly with a big bow. Inside the basket was a assortment of cookies and brownies, including cheesecake brownie that was just delicious. Everything was very soft and fresh baked. It was the perfect gift for a loved one.

GourmetGiftBaskets has tons to choose from for Grandparents Day: The top 4 gifts include….

Almond Strawberry Delight $19.99
Baked Goods Sampler Basket $29.99
Wine Party Picnic Ravenswood Duo $99.99
Ultimate Margarita Madness Bucket $119.99

They have bigger versions of all the baskets available also.

The cookies and brownies are very cute and soft, so no worrying about having to bite into a hard baked product. My favorite product out of the basket would have to be the chocolate chip cookies. They are so moist and my grandmother would make them for me all the time as a child, so it’s the perfect reminder.

I am sending a big package to my grandmother this year, as she is my only surviving grandparent and she is over two thousand miles away from me, so daily phone calls and pictures always work for me.

Don’t Forget Grandparents Day is September 7, 2014, Show them your love this year.

What will you be getting for your Grandparents?

Big Fish Games Introduces Panda Pandamonium #Games

August 21, 2014August 27, 2014 - brandy3

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Big Fish Games. All opinions are 100% my own.

Panda Pandamonium is releasing today for both iPhone and iPad.

In Panda Pandamonium you Make matches of the same tile type to clear the level and rescue the Pandas from the hungry Dragon! Test your puzzle skills – match powerful tiles to trigger massive bonuses and compete with your friends!

The game is fairly simple just match the bricks and free the pandas. You don’t even have to clear the whole board just the bricks around the pandas.

My 6 year old is starting to love this game because it is really easy for him to win, as it is a match game.

Trailer of the game:

You can download the Big Fish Panda Pandamonium game here.

Rev Wraps are Perfect For Back To School Lunches #HormelFamily

August 18, 2014March 14, 2016 - brandy3

We go back to school in 2 weeks and I am excited to get back into a routine with the kids. My kids prefer packed lunches to school lunches. They say that sometimes they don’t like what is provided or they don’t have enough time to eat. Rev Wraps are the perfect solution to quick lunches

Hormel REV Wraps are real meat and real cheese all wrapped into one delicious wrap. There are tons of varieties to choose from:

Pepperoni Pizza
Ham and Cheese
Peppered Turkey
Three Meat Pizza
Italian Style
Spicy Italian Style
Ham and Swiss
Turkey and Cheese
Ham, Pepperoni, and Mozzarella
Turkey, Ham and Cheese
Bacon Club
Turkey Bacon Ranch
Buffalo Chicken
Jalapeno Pepperoni

My favorite is Pepperoni Pizza, and my kids love it too. They have actually been asking for me to buy more for lunches. It would be so much easier in the morning as it is already packaged and ready to go.

What REV Wrap do you want to try?

Disclosure: I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

Embassy Suites Is A Family Friendly Hotel #EmbassySuites

August 16, 2014March 14, 2016 - brandy3 1 Comment

This past weekend we were given a complimentary stay at the Embassy Suites hotel In Buffalo NY.

When we first arrived I was amazed at how big and beautiful the hotel was.

When we first checked in there was a bit of confusion as a guest had a last name similar to mine and the room were mixed up. We got it all sorted out though and walked into the biggest hotel room I have ever seen. It was complete suite with a separate bedroom, and living room, a big bathroom and a kitchenette complete with a mini fridge and microwave. Plus the views from the 6th floor were amazing.

The first thing my kids wanted to do when we arrived was swim. The Embassy Suites has a indoor pool and spa. My kids loved it.

When we came back from the pool, we were pleasantly surprised with some goodies the hotel staff had left us for the room mix up with a lovely note.

Embassy Suites has a complimentary breakfast, and if you stay in a suite you can get made to order breakfast. Either way the breakfast is delicious and very kid friendly. They had things like cereal, eggs, sausage, and other things.

My kids thoughts on the hotel:

Hotel Room Tour:

There are so many kid friendly things to do around Embassy Suites Buffalo. The waterfront and Naval yard are only a few short miles.

There is the Buffalo Zoo, they also have a baby Rhino and Baby Gorilla.

Niagara Falls is only 30-45 minutes away and is a must see, if you are in the area.

Buffalo is known as the home of the orginal Buffalo wings, the Anchor Bar and Duffs are in the area and a great place to try for lunch and dinner.

I would definitely recommend staying here when you travel to Buffalo.

Have you ever stayed at a Embassy Suites? What are your thoughts.

Halloween Costumes Are Fun For Dress Up

August 6, 2014April 3, 2016 - brandy3 1 Comment

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. a product was provided by the Costume Reviewers Program.

Halloween is fast approaching and my kids are finally deciding what they want to be. You can never have to many costumes, and my kids love to play dress up so we get them early.

My daughter has been going back and forth with what costume she wanted, a batgirl, cat woman, Monster High, she just couldn’t decide. This year though I convinced her to go with something scary, like something you would see in old horror movies.

We searched Scary Costumes, but everything was to gory for her. She still wanted a it to be dressy, I finally found the Forsaken Souls costume and it was perfect.

She was very hesitant about it and wanted something else, but I new she would love it so I ordered it anyway. The minute she saw it she loved it. I couldn’t get her to take it off after she tried it on. She has been playing dress up with it everyday.

Every detail on this dress is just beautiful. The costume includes a black and white dress with wide sleeves and skirt, also has attached hood. The dress has forsaken soul images, their eyes empty and mouths wide open with silent screams.

You can get this dress on Halloween Adventure for $24.90

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. a product was provided by the Costume Reviewers Program.

Hormel Lloyd’s BBQ Beef without the wait #HormelFamily

July 30, 2014July 29, 2014 - brandy3 2 Comments

Disclosure: : I’ve partnered with Hormel Foods as part of the Hormel Foods Extended Family Blogger Program. Throughout the year I’ll be receiving product, coupons, giveaways and promotions. However, no payment was given or expected for posting about the program, and as always, all opinions given here are fully my own.

We lived in the south for 4 years and came to love the taste of slow cooked BBQ beef, no one can make it the way they can in the south. Unfortunately for me I don’t even have the patience to try. It’s a lot of time, even though the slow cooker does most of the work.

Luckily for me their is Lloyd’s BBQ Beef available and ready anytime. All you have to do is heat it up in the microwave. It has cme one of my easy go to meals for dinner or lunch and my kids love it.

Lloyd’s BBQ comes in both Chicken and Beef and retail for $3.99 at retailers Nationwide.

Big Fish Games Introduces Cascade #Games #SP

July 18, 2014July 17, 2014 - brandy3 2 Comments

Big Fish Games is launching their newest game cascade.

Cascade is a level-based Match-3 game that combines a unique mash-up of skill and luck with a slots mechanic. Each hand-crafted puzzle is quick and fun so you can play anywhere, anytime, and for as long as you want. Cascade also comes with social features that allow players to invite their Facebook friends to enjoy the fun, send each other gifts, and compete for the high score in the Daily Challenge. With new puzzles and challenges being added every month, it’s a never-ending cascade of fun

Cascade may look familiar to a popular candy crushing game on Facebook, but I guarantee you it is way different. Cascade lets you match 3 in any way, it really makes you think about different combinations. It was a big challenge for my kids at first. They were only doing straight across combinations, but they are finally getting the hang of it.

They are already starting to want to play it all the time. For me it seemed very easy, but also challenging at the same time. I couldn’t believe how many combinations I was missing in the game.

You can download Cascade today and start playing.

Farm Rich Appetizers Are Perfect For Summer Giveaway8/17 Closed

July 16, 2014August 26, 2014 - brandy3 473 Comments

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. Coupons were provided for review.

Summer is here and that means school is out and the kids are home. I find myself constantly in the kitchen making snacks and meals for them, and I try and look for easy snacks.

Farm Rich frozen snacks are easy appetizers for any occasion. From our famous Mozzarella Sticks and Queso Bites to Meatballs and Toasted Ravioli, these tasty treats are perfect for a family snack or party.

We have come to really love the Mozzarella Bites and Mozzarella Sticks. They take less than 15 minutes to cook in the oven, or you can choose the microwave. They are easy and fun for the kids, and you can prepare them with dipping sauces.

I am giving away two coupons for free Farm Rich Frozen Snacks.

To enter: Visit Farm Rich and let me know what you would get?

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Contest closes August 17, 2014

Retail: $6.99

Summer Signature Pancakes at iHop

July 3, 2014July 2, 2014 - brandy3

Disclosure: A gift card was provided to help facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

We love iHop, it’s one of our favorite places to eat. You can eat breakfast anytime of day, or if your not a breakfast person dinner anytime of day.
One of their newest menu items available for a limited time is there Summer signature pancakes. My kids love the pancakes, they said it’s like eating dessert for breakfast.

The Summer Signature Pancakes include 3 new flavors including:

Raspberry Peach
Blueberry Canoli
Strawberry Banana Cream

they are joined by new salads, sandwiches and teas on the menu.

We tried the new Raspberry Peach Pancakes and Strawberry Banana Cream French Toast (they also have as pancakes). They were delicious and came to our table very fast.

My daughters loved how the pancakes were topped with their favorite fruits. As I said before they think they are getting dessert for breakfast. They are a full size serving to, not one the kids menu, so my kids get excited that we always have leftovers for the new day.

What Signature Summer Pancake flavor are you going to try?

AppleBee’s Is Changing It Up For the Better #SeeYouTomorrow #SP

June 23, 2014June 23, 2014 - brandy3 5 Comments

Disclosure: No formal compensation was received for this post. A complimentary meal was provided for my review.

I have not been to Applebee’s in a few years, the last time was on Veteran’s Day and my husband insisted on going so he could get his free meal. It seemed like your standard chain burger restaurant.

Today our visit changed my opinion for Applebee’s overall. The atmosphere and new menu were just make the whole restaurant colorful and family friendly.
First I just loved the way the restaurant was decorated. Each wall was decorated and dedicated to different things around Long Island. The wall where we were sitting was decorated with events like the Tulip Festival and information about Walt Whitman. Both are a big part of our local area and Walt Whitman Birthplace attraction is right across from AppleBee’s in Huntington Station NY. As soon as we walked in we were welcomed by the most friendly people and were seated to accustom our family. The Manager and staff were so pleasant.

Kids Menu:
It always seems like every time we go out to eat my kids are only eating French Fries. With the revamped Kids Menu, They have new menu options and tons of sides to choose from. The side options are great instead of fries you can choose from things like:

Yogurt and Strawberries
Mozzarella Sticks
salad
White Rice
Baby Carrots with Ranch
And more

My daughter decided on the Cheesy Bread Pizza (a new menu item) with a side of yogurt and strawberries. You can choose 1/2 a pizza or whole. She loved it and said it was very delicious. She also chose a new drink option they have and thought it was very sweet, The Strawberry Lemonade.

New Menu Options:

Applebee’s brings New Flavors Of Summer to their menu including

Freshcado Chicken
Grilled Vidalia Onion Sirloin
Strawberry and Avocado salad
and many more

There were so many new menu items it was hard to choose just what I wanted, but I decided on the new Chicken Freshcado.
The Chicken Freshcado is a fire grilled chicken breast with avocado relish and served with rice. The dish also includes avocado, pineapple, peppers, onions, zucchini, and more. Freshcado Chicken is also part of Applebee’s Weight Watchers Menu items at only 440 calories

The Chicken Freshcado had a great citrus taste and was just a bit spicy from some of the vegetables. It’s also a large portion, I could barely finish it myself.

My husband chose the Citrus Lime Sirloin another new menu item. The Citrus Lime Sirloin is a grilled sirloin placed over crispy red potatoes and a vegetable blend. Drizzled with citrus lime sauce and then topped with cilantro and lime juice.

He was very impressed with this dish and thought it was very delicious. The steak was very juicy and the lime juice gave it just the right touch. It is also a dairy free meal option.

New Dessert
For Dessert they have their classic brownie bites and cookie sundaes, but for a limited time they are re-introducing The Butter Pecan Blondie.

The Butter Pecan Blondie is a a delicious blast from the past. Baked With nuts and topped with ice cream, glazed pecans, cream cheese sauce and served sizzling.

I have never eaten a sizzling dessert before. I was a little nervous, but it was the best thing I have ever tasted. In all seriousness, it was delicious. The pecans, pumpkin bread, cream cheese sauce and ice cream just blended so well together.

What Applebee’s new menu item are you most excited to try?

No Time Mommy

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