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Have you ever wished you could ask someone – ANYONE – a question about your kids, your husband, your life or your self – not someone who knows you and therefore, is biased – but someone who has been there, done that, has the tshirt?

Mamapedia.com is the answer to your wish.  They have “the wisdom of moms”.  We all know we can easily come up with solutions for our friends/sisters’ problems.  But when it’s us and our families, those answers aren’t always so easy to find.  Mamapedia is the perfect place for that!  You simply go there and type in your question.  Mine was “12 yr old son wants a cell phone”.  What comes up are other people’s questions regarding cell phones and kids.  Nothing fits your search? Write your own question and then other moms can answer you!  Sort of like a blog, but with a bazillion readers!

You’ll also find product recommendations, business reviews, and you can help other moms with your knowledge as well.  I love it!  When you put in your zip code, you’ll also see requests from other moms in your area.  It’s a great way to help out.  Check out mamapedia & mamasource (it’s parent) today.

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Special thanks to Mom Central for allowing me to share this great resource with you!

One of the first things that people give up when they’re looking to lose weight are things like candy, cookies & ice cream.  Obviously, those are the things that you’ll also miss the most.  But Skinny Cow has come to the rescue!

I picked up Skinny Cow Mint ice cream sandwiches and was (frankly) a little skeptical.  How could low fat ice cream possibly taste good?  Reluctantly, I took a bite.  I MOO’ed!

It was that good.

In all seriousness, at only 150 calories and 2 grams of fat, this was like heaven wedged between 2 chocolate cookies!  It was delicious.  The ice cream tasted like full-fat normal ice cream.  The chocolate cookies were rich & chocolately and just simply a w e s o m e!

AND!

It’s Best Live Approved!  That means that when I do my 30 Day Challenge on the Wii Active, I can still eat them!  Woot!

Skinny Cow offers lots of varieties of yummy frozen treats, and they really are yummy.

Check them out – check out their site – and moo for yourself!

 

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My thanks to Mom Central for allowing me to try them out and share their yummy goodness with you!

My kids haven’t been big sports nuts.  In fact, they haven’t played any organized sports at all, yet.  But for thousands of kids across the country, sports is BIG.  REALLY BIG.  Sometimes, though, the places they have to play those sports aren’t on anyone’s budget.  They become run down, and that takes a toll on team spirit and morale, and pretty soon, no one is showing up to the games. Then no one is signing up to sponsor them.  Then no one is signing up to play.  It all gets lost.

Frosted Flakes wants to help.  Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes believes that every kid should have a place to be active and play hard, so they can be their best.  Thus was born the KELLOGG’S FROSTED FLAKES® PLANT A SEED PROMOTION.

First, they asked for nominations.  It could be any field.  They took the top 100 from that, and now are asking us to vote for our favorite.  There’s just 19 days left to vote.  THIRTY fields will receive the grand prize of an athletic field makeover.  You can vote once a day, every day, per email address.  THINK of the good that kind of power can bring to a kid, and to their parent!

So go check out Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Plant a Seed promotion and vote for your favorite field.  Help a kid!

 

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Special thanks to Mom Central for giving me the opportunity to share this great promo with you!

“GREEN” is a very popular concept right now.  Everyone is going GREEN!  Every THING is going GREEN!  And now, so is Electrolux.  They’ve partnered with Kelly Ripa to introduce to you their “Kelly GREEN” high-efficiency, front-loading washer & dryer. 

 

Just in time for Earth day, Electrolux kicks off its virtual flower garden campaign to drive awareness and raise funds for Global Green USA.  Starting today, when you go to http://www.electroluxappliances.com/ and plant a virtual flower for a friend, Electrolux will donate $1 to Global Green USA to support their healthy green schools initiatives across America.  Everyone who logs on to the site and plants a virtual flower will be automatically entered for a chance to win a new eco-friendly Kelly Green front-load washer and dryer!

I have been using a new laundrymat that has high-efficiency washers and dryers and they’re amazing!  They’re so fast, and only require 1/4 of the laundry soap, so it saves time AND money.  How great would it be to actually WIN a set of Electrolux machines !?!?

So head on over to Electrolux’s virtual flower garden and plant a virtual flower and win a chance to win!

I have FOUND my new breakfast! 

I must hide these from my kids.

I want them all for myself.

Isn’t that sad? LOL

But those are the thoughts that went through my head when I tried Kellogg’s new BakeShop Twists!  With just the right amount of delicious (real fruit!) fruit filling and a light, flaky pastry, it wasn’t OVERLY sweet, and really did taste like I’d gotten it from a bakery, NOT the freezer.

Although the directions say to make these in the microwave, I did mine in the toaster! (Because I’m a rebel like that!) 

You can find Eggo BakeShop Twists in the freezer aisle, right next to all the other yummy Eggo products! 

 

My thanks to MomCentral for the opportunity to try these out. Yum!

As the person who is responsible for the maintenance on our cars, I have favorites when it comes to brands.  I tend to specifically go for those things that have proven themselves.  Rain-X is one of those brands.  I KNOW when I buy a Rain-X product, I’ll be happy with it.

As a result, I jumped at the chance to review this awesome Rain-X pack!  Living in New Hampshire, the snow, sleet and ice is horrible – even in March.  So as soon as I received my new Latitude wipers, on they went!  These new wipers literally HUG the windshield, so clearing whatever happens to be flying around here is a cinch. 

 

Visibility is so paramount to safety, so I go through wipers like tissue!  But the Latitude are so well designed, I know that even when it comes time to replace them, I’ll replace them with more Latitudes!

In fact, according to a report released in June 2008 by sciencedaily.com, nearly a quarter of all automobile accidents occur in rainy and wet weather so making sure you have properly working wiper blades is important to help avoid accidents in poor weather conditions. By routinely checking your wiper blades and performing safety checks on your car you can help increase your safety while driving during inclement weather.
Since winter is not quite over yet here are some tips from Jody DeVere to stay safe while driving in the rain, snow, slush and ice:
• Conduct a regular walk around checking your lights, antifreeze, windshield washer fluid and wiper blades regularly
• Ensure your tires are properly inflated and have sufficient tread
• As the temperature drops keep your gas tank at least half full; the extra gas reduces condensation that can plug your fuel line with ice and stall your engine in cooler weather
• Create an emergency pack; items like a blanket, first aid kit, snacks, bottled water, an ice scraper, flashlight and a bag of kitty litter

Despite the fact that Spring “officially” began last week, it’s certainly not here!  A blizzard this week in Colorado proves that.  So how cool is it that I have a Rain-X Car Care package to give away.  Unfortunately, due to my own problems with computer, sick kids, etc. today is the last day that I can give the company my winners – so I need you to fill out the form below with your name, mailing address, make & model of your car, etc. so I can give the company all the necessary information. Any entries missing the required information will be discarded.    I have locked the entries so no one else can get your info so your privacy IS protected

My kids love cereal.  Of course, they REALLY love sugar cereal, but I buy it so infrequently, they have learned to like pretty much anything.  There are a few exceptions.  Those cereals that are really plain looking tend to get me the hems and haws if I try to even SUGGEST that they eat it for breakfast.  So when I opened the box of Honey Kix and gave it to them, I figured I’d get the same ‘tude.  But I didn’t!  They didn’t  even ask for the sugar jar.  Honey Kix  has all the goodness of Kix® cereal but now with a touch of honey! Honey Kix is a good source of fiber, calcium and vitamin D, contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams recommended daily) and has no artificial flavors or preservatives. A perfect balance of taste and nutrition through simple ingredients, which both moms and kids can agree on!

If you would like to try the new Honey Kix, I have a great giveaway for you!

You will receive a coupon for a free box of Honey Kix, the cereal container, Kix cereal bowl, insulated on-the-go cereal container and an ADORABLE honey pot!  Just leave a comment telling me what your favorite cereal is. No, not your kids – YOURS.

I’ll draw a winner on Monday (March 23).

With the plethora of stuff (putting it mildly) that’s out on the market for kids’ snacks & such these days, it’s really no wonder that America’s youth are obese.  It is so hard for parents to fight the onslaught of product placement, commercials, sponsorships, etc. for JUNK food that their kids are subjected to and inject some healthy alternatives here & there.

Enter Fruit Roll-ups.  It’s fruit.  But it’s fun.  But it’s fruit!  But it’s fun!  (See a pattern?)  Fruit Roll-ups have contiually evolved and changed to keep kids engaged and wanting more.  When the first ingredient in a kids’ snack is a FRUIT, I’m sold.

Now Fruit Roll-Ups can be PERSONALIZED, too!  Now, I have to explain something.  My oldest son has never liked Fruit Roll-ups because he doesn’t like getting his fingers sticky (I know… ), so I ordered our personalized Fruit Roll-ups for my daughter.  When she first opened the package and unrolled it, she saw the message I’d put on there for her: 

She got SUCH a big kick out of that!  Over the next couple of days, as the box of 30 dwindled, my oldest decided to try one.   HE LOVED it! LOL 

Ok, so anyway – you can order your own personalized fruit roll-ups for any occasion!  I am thinking they’d be a great birthday party favor!  

The best part, of course, is that I have a code to give away for you to receive your OWN box of 30 personalized fruit roll-ups (a $30 value)! 

If you’d like to win, leave a comment below!  Want extra entries?  For each thing you do, leave an extra comment!

• Tweet about my birthday bash giveaways and use #dawniemom in your tweet.
• Post my button and a link to this blog on your blog, then enter your blog address in your entry.
• If you have a food blog, head over to my food blog and sign up for the Food Buzz Publisher program through my link – that’ll earn you 10 extra!

When I was asked if I’d like to take a look at a mattress protector, I jumped at the chance because – HELLO!? – I have a co-sleeping toddler.  My mattress has really taken a beating from Zachary’s leaking bottles and leaking diapers.  The fact that we’d only bought it 2 years ago, just before we had him – PRICELESS.

I also have a major issue with allergies so yeah, this was perfect for me!

I put the Protect-A-Bed Premium mattress protector on my bed & pillow immediately, and was pleasantly surprised!  I was concerned that, because it’s got a waterproof protection side to keep moisture from the mattress, that we’d hear it crinkle when we moved around.  But this thing is so quiet!  You’d never know that it’s waterproof at all.  Even the pillow case is waterproof!

The very next morning, I noticed that when I woke up, my head wasn’t all stuffy, as it typically is because of my allergies.  The pillow protector had worked!  It was awesome! 

I know, there’s not a whole lot I can say about a mattress pad, but seriously, I’m SO pleased with it!   Visit Protect-a-Bed’s site and check out the variety of products they have for your bed and even the baby’s CRIB!

Best of all, of course, is that I have a giveaway for you!  One lucky lucky reader will win their choice of AllerZip Mattress protector, a Premium Mattress Protector or Crib Mattress Protector!  You’ll also receive a Premium Pillow Protector!  

Would you like to win? Tell me why you need a Protect-a-Bed Mattress Protector! Allergies? Other?   [USA & Canada Please]

I’ll draw a winner on my Birthday!  (March 12th)

This is only 1 of several giveaways I’ll be having during the next week in celebration of my sisters’ (March 6th) and my birthday (March 12th)!  So be sure to come back and see what else I have in store

Add me to your feed reader. I have lots of really cool giveaways coming up in the next 6 days!

My daughter Libby has EXTREMELY sensitive skin.  A routine tickle session with her results in hives. Long sleeves and pants make her itch, no matter what I’ve used in the laundry.  So when she takes a bath, she can’t use any of those cutesy bath sets that they make for kids, particularly around the holidays.  She has to have something safe and gentle. 

Enter Johnson’s.  From the day she was born, she’s been bathed in Johnson’s.  The very first bath your baby receives in the hospital is done with Johnson’s Baby Wash.  How comforting that is!   Johnson’s has always been the best choice for babies – but for us, even as they’ve grown up, we still use Johnson’s for all the same reasons:

• JOHNSON’S® is the #1 choice of hospitals
• NO MORE TEARS® formula is as gentle to the eyes as pure water
• Soap-free, dye-free, hypoallergenic and allergy tested Dermatologist and pediatrician tested
• Rinses easily
• Gentle enough to use everyday for both girls and boys

That last point is particularly important when it’s a little girl with extremely sensitive skin, too!

Also – just ONE time getting shampoo in her eyes is enough to remind me that we MUST use Johnson’s for her hair – because all hell breaks loose if we don’t!

What’s hard to believe, though, is that Johnson’s has been doing this for FIFTY years! So that means that even MY first bath was probably in Johnson’s.  That’s good, seeing as I also have extremely sensitive skin!

Johnson’s just released a brand new Head-to-Toe Foaming Wash that I simply LOVE.  Getting Zachary to stay still long enough to wash his hair with 1 thing, and his bod with another – not possible.  Johnson’s new Head-to-Toe Foaming Wash makes it SO much easier.  Just pump it into one hand and go to work!  No worrying about things running into his eyes because he’s wiggling around, and no worrying about his skin drying out, which is always a problem in the winter.   With Johnson’s, I don’t have to worry – and that’s probably the BEST thing of all

You can pick up Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Foaming Wash, as well as their Bubble Bath & Wash in food, drug and mass-market stores (like you didn’t know that!)