reviews

The Great Mouse Detective Review

- brandy3

 

Product Description: From the creators of The Princess and the Frog and The Little Mermaid comes the story of a clever little hero on a great big adventure. Join the Sherlock Holmes of Mousedom on a heroic journey unraveling clues through London. If you like Sherlock Holmes, you’ll love The Great Mouse Detective. When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps the city’s master toymaker, the brilliant Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson set off to track down Basil’s lifelong nemesis. Little do they know that the evil rat’s trail leads all the way to The Queen at Buckingham Palace! Get on the case with Basil, the master of disguise, as he tries to elude the ultimate rattrap and foil the perfect crime. Now digitally remastered, fully restored and complete with exclusive bonus features, The Great Mouse Detective is better than ever in the Mystery In The Mist Edition!
Bonus Features:

  • So you think you can sleuth
  • The making of the great mouse detective
  • The worlds greatest criminal mind sing a long

**** This movie reminded me a lot of Sherlock Holmes, very mysterious. My kids being as young as they are didn’t really understand the plot or what was happening. They enjoyed seeing the Mice though. When Basil of Baker street is hired to find the toy maker who was mousenapped. he uncovers a evil plot by the Queen.  I enjoyed this movie.

Release date:April 13, 2010

Retail:$19.99

Running time: 74 minutes

My rating:

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. I did receive a product from Disney. All opinions are my own.

Win A Trip To Italy With Olive Garden GiveawayCLOSED

- brandy3 230 Comments

Now through May 9, 2010, Olive Garden is offering Italian food lovers a chance to win a culinary tour of Italy and an insider’s look at Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany. The sweepstakes, co-sponsored by Olive Garden and Colavita® Extra Virgin Olive Oil, will reward four grand-prize winners with an eight-day guided trip for two to explore and discover the sights, sounds and tastes of Italian culture. 500 first prize winners will be awarded a $25 Olive Garden gift card.

The grand prize trip consists of:

  •  learning the essentials of authentic italian cooking from the master chefs  Paolo Lafata and Romano Neri from the Culinary Institute of Tuscany.
  • experience the local culture from different cities.
  • Exploring the Rocca delle Macie Winery to learn about the process of Italian wine-making.

To enter visit www.olivegardentriptoitaly.com

This is a once in a lifetime trip, I think it’s worth it to enter. In honor of this great opportunity Olive Garden is offering one of my readers a gift pack.

It contains Culinary Institute of Tuscany canvas tote, bamboo cutting board, Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil sample, McCormick Mediterranean Spiced Sea Salt sample and recipe card for Olive Garden’s Pollo Rocca.

OG blogger giveaway.JPG

To enter: Tell me your favorite dish from Olive Garden?

Extra entries:

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Contest May 9, 2010

Disclosure:  I did not receive any compensation for this post, A gift pack was provided from the company who also provided the giveaway.

Be Prepared in a Emergency with Energizer Review & GiveawayCLOSED

- brandy3 219 Comments

With all the crazy weather we have had lately, it’s always good to be prepared for a blackout. The International Association o Fire Chiefs, Energizer and the American Meterological Society have teamed up for National Education Weather Preparedness Program.

Spring is here with all the beautiful flowers blooming and birds singing. Spring can also bring some servere storms with a lot of rain, tornados etc.  To help familys make sure they are prepared for spring, summer or hurricane season. Storms can lead to power outages and put families in a lot of danger. A great way to be prepared is to have a emergency power kit ready.

Here are some tips for what some tips for what to keep in your emergency kit.

  • Battery powered radio or crank radio, to keep you updated on weather changes.
  • Plenty of extra batteries, all sizes, to keep you going through and after the storm.
  • A flashlight for every family member, do not use candles they can be hazordous.
  • battery powered cell phone charger, to keep you in touch with family.
  • Speciality batteries, if you have a health condition hearing aid blood pressure or gluclose monitor, have the vatteries you need.

In addition to the power kit, here are some other things to have around:

  • water, if water becomes contaminated.
  • non-perishable food and manuel can opener.
  • wet ones wipe, when soap and water are not available.
  • a first aid kit
  • special items for infants or elderly

“We cannot stress enough the importance of using flashlights and lanterns instead of candles during power outages,” said Chief Jeffrey Johnson, EFO, CFO, MIFireE and president of the International Association of Fire Chiefs.  “Candles cause an average of nearly 15,000 home fires each year, resulting in significant numbers of preventable injuries and deaths.  An emergency power kit can literally be a beacon of light in a storm and can help prevent needless home fires caused by candles.”

I have a Energizer Power Kit to giveaway (US only iam shipping the prize)

Kit includes everything pictured above. Mini radio, batteries, flashlight, car charger, and wet wipe, also comes in a cute little red bag(not pictured).

To enter just leave a comment with your tip for power outages.

Extra entries:

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Contest ends 5/16/2010

Disclosure- I did not receive any compensation for this post, a product was provided by the company who also provided the giveaway.

Yo Crunch 100 Calorie Yogurt Review & Giveaway5/15

- brandy3 87 Comments
100 Calorie Packs naturally sweetened with Truvia rebiana,
marking the first use in yogurt of this natural sweetener from the leaves of the stevia plant. This
introduction is another market first for the Truvia™ brand and a breakthrough in the yogurt
category as the first calorie-controlled yogurt to be sweetened with a natural zero-calorie
sweetener. 

They come in 5 flavors cheesecake yogurt with graham cookie pieces, strawberry yogurt with low fat granola, vanilla yogurt with chocolate chip cookie pieces, vanilla yogurt with chocolate crème cookie pieces, vanilla yogurt with Nestle bunch crunch candy pieces. 

Made with no artificial sweeteners, YoCrunch® 100 Calorie Packs have added Vitamin A and D,
and are a good source of calcium and protein for women and kids. 

****This yogurt is so good. I am not that big of a fan of yogurt but these have added cookie or candy pieces that make it so much better. I was able to try out the vanilla with chocolate chip cookie pieces, it was so good kindof like eating cookie dough.

Retail:2.99-3.19 for a 4 pack 

My rating:7

I have 10 coupons to giveaway for a free 4 pack 

to enter leave me a comment with the flavor you’d like to try. 

Extra entries: 

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Contest closes 5/15/10 

Disclosure: I received a product from the company who is also providing the giveaway 

Dora the Explorer: Explore the Earth Review

- brandy3

Product description:Join Dora and Boots as they embark on a colorful adventure across the globe.  From the South Pole, to rainforests to tropical beaches, learn all about our big, beautiful planet Earth.

Episodes:

  • Mixed Up Seasons-It’s summertime, and Dora and Boots are having fun at the beach. But suddenly, they encounter the strangest sight-a snowman.The snowman doesn’t belong in summer and he will melt away if they don’t hurry and take him home to winter.Map tells them the way to go through all 4 seasons. Picking up more misplaced creatures, a flower in winter, Jack o Lantern in spring and a crab in fall.
  • To The South Pole-Rescue Truck arrives at Diego’s Animal Center to deliver a cute, little animal that’s really lost: a penguin! It’s up to Dora, Boots, and Diego to bring Pingüino all the way back home to the South Pole. Great adventure, traveling by prop plane, expedition boat and snowmobile to reunite Pingüino with his mamá and papá.
  • Save Diego-Dora’s cousin Diego protects and defends all the rainforest. But in order to save a baby Condor Diego winds up trapped himself. It’s Dora, Boots and all the animals in the rainforest to the rescue.
  • Beaches-Dora brings Boots a special present, a new floaty that will help him swim. Boots is thrilled, and they set off for the beach. But first they’ll have to go through the Dune maze, then fix the broken Boardwalk, and that’s how they’ll get to the beach.

Bonus features:

  • Moose and Zee Music Video-Neighborhood
  • Moose and Zee Music Video-Seashore

**** This movie is great for preschoolers, it has various episodes about seasons and different countries on earth.  Dora explores different continents and shows what animals or creatures belong there.  It also shows a lot of teamwork and helping each other, which is a great lesson for kids. My kids love Dora and i like that they can learn so much from her.

Retail:$16.99

Release date: April 13, 2010

Running time: 99 minutes long

My rating:9

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this post, a product was provided by Nickelodeon.

Almay Intense i-Color Review

- brandy3 2 Comments

Almay Intense i-Color Collection for Green Eyes

Description:There are many features on the body that get noticed, but only a few that stay with a person after you leave the room. Gorgeous eyes are at the top of that list. So how can you be sure that you’re remembered for your intensely blue, green, brown or hazel gaze? The Almay Intense i-Color collection with Light Interplay Technology enhances your natural eye color to reveal brighter and more intense eye color.

How does it work:

The collection, composed of an eye shadow trio, eyeliner and mascara specially created for brown, blue, hazel and green eyes, uses Light Interplay Technology to instantly brighten and intensify the unique color of your eyes. The way the Light Interplay Technology works is intense pigments are combined with mineral structures to reflect light in such an angle that it creates a more intense and alluring enhanced eye color. Blues, browns, hazels and greens are brighter and more captivating.   The collection works best when all used together: Almay Intense i-Color Eye Shadow is formulated with rich colors and light reflecting pearls to add brightness and dimension to eye color. Almay Intense i-Color Eyeliner is a rich, kohl liner that adds definition and dimension to eyes. And finally, Almay Intense i-Color Mascara delivers instantly full, mega sized lashes with an oversized brush that uses light reflecting technology and pigments to intensify your unique eye color.

Mascara:

  • Instantly full, mega sized lashes
  • Oversized brush with tapered tip that finds & flaunts every lash
  • No smudging or flaking

Eye Shadow:

  • Shadows blend smoothly for all-day wear.
  • Unique shadow illuminator can be worn alone or over other shades to bring out flecks in eyes.

Eyeliner:

  • Built-in smudger for a customizable look.
  • Glides for smooth application without tugging

**All products are hypoallergenic and ophthalmologist tested.

****I usually don’t wear makeup, but when i do people always notice. I’ve never really worn eye makeup though. When I put on the i-Color collection my family instantly noticed. My daughter said I though you were someone else, I didn’t know it was you.  This color collection is great and it really does bring out your eyes. I love the fact that each eye color has their own shade.  The eyeliner has a smudger to help make your eyeliner smoother and thinner.  This is a really great collection and I really like it. I’ve received so many compliments. Looking at the before and after pictures it’s a little hard to tell but in person I look totally different. Visit www.almay.com for more information.

This is me with no makeup

Retail: All products are $7.49 individually

Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this review. I did receive products from Revlon in exchange for myy review. All opinions are my own.

Fan Stamp Review and GiveawayCLOSED

- brandy3 28 Comments

Product description:Easy to apply designs transfer 100% hypoallergenic high-grade mineral makeup in seconds and can be applied multiple times. They easily wipe away, yet are water,sweat, and smudge resistant. By simply placing, pressing and peeling you can express your imagination in a way that’s creative and unique to you.

***These are very fun and easy to use, but will not come off without makeup remover. Great addition to dress up and have fun. You don’t have to worry about holding a wet cloth or it rubbing off. We had a lot of fun with these, although my kids were a little scared to try it out on their face. They turned out really nice , except mine was a little smudged, i moved a little.

Retail:$6.50

I have a few stamps to giveaway Images vary, with removable wipe, face powder and pocket mirror.

To enter leave me any comment?

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Disinfect with Seventh Generation GiveawayCLOSED

- brandy3 165 Comments

It’s Spring, which means Spring cleaning time. I Really hate using cleaners that have a strong smell and most of them are toxic anyway.  Seventh Generation products are non-toxic and safe for the enviroment.

A little information on Seventh Generation:

For the past 20 years, Seventh Generation has tapped into the disinfecting power of the herb thyme, to introduce an EPA registered line of disinfecting sprays and wipes that kill germs* naturally! The new line of botanical disinfectant cleaners includes a multi-surface cleaning spray, bathroom cleaning spray and wipes. The disinfectants contain thymol, a component of the herb thyme, and can be used on hard surfaces including counter tops, plastic cutting boards, high chair trays as well as children’s toys.  Best of all, they kill over 99.99 percent of germs* naturally and are effective against the Influenza A Virus, including H1N1.

*** I received a variety of cleaning products including recycled paper towels, a caddy and a book The Conscious Kitchen.   The cleaning products are great, i don’t have to worry about strong smells or my kids breathing in harsh chemicals.  the Caddy makes it convienant to carry cleaning items upstairs.

The Book The conscious Kitchen talks about what’s good for your health, what’s good for the planet and what tastes great.  Also includes tips on maintaining a green and healthy kitchen. Some tips from the book:

  • Change is Good- Choosing cleaning products without indoor air pollutants like volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, is a simple and effective way to reduce your indoor air pollution. If you’re not prepared to switch everything overnight, start by swapping out the one product you use the most, and moving forward from there.
  • Think before you spray–Residues from cleaning products can last on a surface for longer than we we’d like to know and travel to areas that we sometimes don’t intend them to. Don’t contaminate your food by prepping it on a surface that may contain harsh chemical residues – rinse cleaning products from food preparation surfaces carefully or use botanical disinfecting cleaners that do not require a rinse step.
  • Mom Was Right, Wash Your Hands–Wash your hands with soap and water before and after prepping food, and always before eating. So much of what can be potentially harmful in a kitchen can be reduced by this simple act that doesn’t require any harsh chemicals whatsoever.

 I have one Seventh Generation prize pack to giveaway (pictured above)

To enter tell me why you’d like to win this?

Extra entries

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contest closes 5/2/10

Disclosure:  Seventh Generation products, information and additional prize pack were provided by Seventh Generation through My Blog Spark.

Mothers Day Gift Guide: Audiovox 8 Inch Portable DVD Player Review & GiveawayCLOSED

- brandy3 1,127 Comments

Product Description:Audiovox D1809 portable DVD player gives you the ability to enjoy a home theater experience away from home. Make time fly on a road trip, commute to work or plane ride. Enjoy the convenience of the slim line design making it easy to store and carry in a backpack or luggage. The portable player has an 8-inch LCD high resolution monitor offering the ideal 16:9 aspect ratio viewing. The portable player comes with two headphone jacks allowing two people to watch movies simultaneously; or multiple viewers can enjoy the player using the built-in stereo speakers. The D1809 is compatible with CD, MP3, CDR, CDRW and Picture CD ¿ giving you the freedom to enjoy more than DVDs. The top loading disc access makes it easy to switch between different movies and eliminates the possibility of discs getting stuck inside the player. Connect the portable player to your home television via the included AV cables and use it as your home DVD player. The player includes a built-in high capacity rechargeable battery offering up to two and a half hours of battery life ¿ perfect for any plane ride. Other accessories include A/V cable, car power adapter, remote control and AC adapter.

Features:

  • 8 inch LCD display
  • Slim line design
  • 16:9 aspect ratio
  • Built in high capacity battery
  • built in stereo speakers
  • Audio video output
  • Dual headphone jacks
  • Plays CDs, DVDs, and picture CDs
  • Includes AC adapter, AV cable, vehicle power adapter, and remote control

*****My first reaction to receiving this dvd player is “This is so small”.I’m just not use to seeing that small of a screen. The video and sound quality is very good. It’s very easy to use and comes with a remote for the dvd player. The remote does not have a volume or power button, which is a downside. The only way you can change the volume is by a button on the side of the player. This is a great portable device for traveling and home use. We use this all the time now on car rides.

Why this is great for mom:  This is great for a distraction stress free car ride with the kids. I know A car ride with small kids, especially a long one can make kids antsy. 

A secret  low-key movie night with the hubby. I haven’t been on a actual date in years, my date night with hubby consists of  a movie in the living room. Which usually is interrupted by the kids. So the DVD player is a great way to watch a movie without the kids waking up. hide away in the bedroom. 

Retail:SRP $199.99  on Amazon for $102.28

I have a 8 inch portable DVD player to giveaway

to enter go to www.audiovox.com and tell me another product you like. REQUIRED

Extra entries:

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Contest ends 5/8/10

Disclosure: I received a product from Audiovox at no charge to me. No other compensation was received. The company is also providing the giveaway

Extract DVD Review

- brandy3

Product Details 

Product Description: The creator of OFFICE SPACE, writer-director Mike Judge (BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD), moves from cubicles to the assembly line with EXTRACT — his outrageous return to workplace comedy, featuring a hilarious ensemble cast of quirky characters. About to sell his successful flavor extract company, life is almost sweet for Joel (Jason Bateman) until a freak on-the-job accident happens. Add to that his bored wife (Kristen Wiig), his laid-back, stoner best friend (Ben Affleck), a sexy con artist (Mila Kunis) who blows into town with dollar signs in her bedroom eyes, and a dumb gigolo — and life as he knows it turns sour. Filled with laugh-out-loud one-liners and raunchy comedy, EXTRACT is 100% pure hilarity.

Special features: Mike Judge’s secret recipe featurette

 

****This movie is rated R and inappropriate for children. My husband and I watched this as part of our movie night and we both were cracking up the whole time.  This movie is hilarious! A man starts a company for extract, and hid life is just falling apart. His wife hardly sleeps with him and has an affair with the pool boy, his neighbor is nosey and never leaves him alone. Not to mention his best friend is a stoner and his company is fighting a lawsuit.  My husband loved the when the manager calls everyone a dinkis. I thought the neighbor was hilarious. This movie is a must see.

Retail: $29.99

Release date: December 22, 2009

released in the U.K. on March 26, 2010

Running time:90 minutes

My rating:10

I did not receive any compensation for this post. I received a product from Mike Judge for my review.

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