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Movie Review: The True Story of Puss ‘N Boots

Puss n BootsTitle: The True Story of Puss’n Boots

Actors: William Shatner, Yolande Moreau
Directors: Jerome Deschamps, Pascal Herold
Rated: G (General Audience)

The anticipation…

I received a free copy of this new movie to review as a Team Mom with Child’s Play Communications – and the kids were super excited when we got this in the mail! I had to make them wait over 2 weeks to watch it, since I wanted to watch it with them so I could share it with you guys – and I swear, little guy asked me every darn day if we could watch the cat movie yet! So, this past weekend we finally made a movie day, and I snuggled up on the couch with little guy and baby girl to check this out…..

What we loved:

The animation in this was gorgeous. I’m still amazed sometimes that when I was a kid we had Atari’s and Looney Tunes, and the kids now have Wii’s and these realistic graphics! The scenes are so pretty, full of color and texture, and just perfect. There was enough action and adventure to keep little guy intrigued through the whole movie, and Abby giggled and danced along with the princess during the singing scenes – so adorable, and made the whole movie worth watching!

What I didn’t Love:

This movie features William Shatner, who I have to admit, I am a big fan of! My mom and I used to watch Star Trek together when I was a little girl, and I thought he was soooo cool. I was hoping he’d use his regular voice as Puss ‘N Boots, and was a bit disappointed that he didn’t – but the kids loved it, and I guess that’s the important part. I think the movie could’ve gotten a few more big kid fans like me though, if they’d had him use his real voice :) And, while the movie kept the kids full attention the entire time, and totally entertained them – I’ll admit, it confused me a bit. The story was quite a bit different than the fairy tale as I remember it, {again, not something that the kids would notice} the King and Queen were a bit odd, and it just felt a little strange at points. BUT – since the kiddo’s loved it, and it’s a movie for them, and the animation is so great – I give it two thumbs up!

How to find it:

You can purchase The True Story of Puss’n Boots at Amazon for $17.49, and it’s available for rent at most Redbox rentals. You can also visit the official Puss ‘N Boots website for more info, and some fun interactive features!

{Disclaimer: As I mentioned, I received a complimentary copy of this DVD to review as a Team Mom for Child’s Play Communication to review, so that I could share my thoughts with you – but as always, I speak the truth :) All opinions are 100% my own!}

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Moms Meet Halloween Party with Kashi!

Moms Meet - Kashi Halloween Party!

Moms Meet Halloween Party!

My latest Moms Meet sample party with my Mommy Group was a Halloween party – featuring the amazing Kashi TLC Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars! These bars were seriously soooo good! The kids all loved them, and the moms loved that I didn’t load everyone up on sugary candy.

Alternative to candy:

I was super excited when I got my shipment of these great new Kashi bars, because I knew that they’d be just perfect for my Mommy Group’s Halloween party. I knew that most of the kids were having Halloween parties at school today – {why today? Monday would make more sense, right? But they had parties today. Weird.} – and I wanted to have snacks that were still sweet and fun, but healthier and more nutritious. Well, these Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars sure hit the spot!

Learn a little more about these Kashi Bars:

“Kashi’s all natural TLC® Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars start with a chewy granola base made with peanut butter and peanut chunks for a nutty flavor. A thick layer of real soft fruit mixed with rich, dark chocolate tops the granola along with roasted runner peanuts and dark chocolate pieces for hearty, natural goodness you can see and taste.” Are you hungry yet?? They really are as good as they sound too – they’re a perfect combination of sweet and salty, crunchy and smooth. They almost taste like a candy bar, but much better – there’s not that artificial taste you get with a candy bar that’s filled with bad stuff. These are totally guilt free!

Abby Loves Kashi!Abby Loves Kashi Too!

These layered granola bars are a great choice for everyone – the moms {and one dad!} loved ’em, the kids gobbled ’em up, and even my toddler wanted to eat more than one! Here are some reasons why I feel great serving these as her snacks:

  • They’re free of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and unnatural preservatives. Meaning – no yucky stuff.
  • They’ve got 7 grams of whole grains, 4 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein from peanuts and soy crisps. Meaning – they’re full of good stuff!

We eat a lot of different types of bars in our house – from cereal bars {the Kashi fruit and grain Pumpkin Pie bars are another BIG favorite!}, to the trail mix style bars, and of course loads of chewy granola bars. But I’m really liking this new bar from Kashi – the texture is pretty unique, and I like that combination of sweet and salty. Perfect.

Abby LOVES Kashi’s Peanutty Dark Chocolate Layered Granola Bars!

This is the little wiggle she does to show her total approval of something. She’d already had one with the other kiddo’s. When I didn’t see her in the playroom, I went looking…. and found her in the kitchen, where she’d snuck away with another granola bar. So I asked her if it was yummy – and you can see her reaction! Make sure to watch for these at YOUR favorite local grocery store, and pick up a box to try with your family. And check out Moms Meet Mom Ambassador program for your chance to host great parties like this too!

{Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.}
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This Halloween, be a Hot Momma!

Eden Fantasys Halloween Costume

Eden Fantasys Halloween Costumes

Yesterday I shared pic’s of Abby’s new super-adorable Halloween costume – I am so excited for our big Halloween party to show it off. She is so stinkin’ cute running around in it, chasing the dogs. Now it’s time for me to find MY costume! I wanted something kind of sassy – I want to look like a hot momma, but not too HOT since I’m having a party with a bunch of kids, you know? I think I’ve found a winner in this fun Flapper Girl Costume from Eden Fantasys!

Finally – a Flattering Flapper Girl!

I’ve actually reaaaaaly wanted a Flapper Girl costume for a few years now, but the ones with all of those cute layers of fringe make my hips look humongous! But I LOVE the sequins on this dress – and with just one layer of fringe, it’ll be a heck of a lot more flattering on me! It’ll be perfect – fun to wear out to “grown-up” parties, but family-friendly enough to go trick-or-treating too.

Amazing Prices!

I’m pretty impressed with the price too – for under $40 bucks you get the dress AND all of the accessories too – the sequined headband, the long satin gloves, the cigarette holder {but you know I’m not using a real cigarette – ick} and the super cute beaded necklace too. At our local Halloween store, most of the prices were around $40 for the outfit only, no accessories at all. So this is awesome!

Loads of great choices

Yes, Eden Fantasys has some pretty risque items – {I wouldn’t open up the site in front of the kids, you know what I mean?} – but they have a really wide selection of stuff. Tons of great gifts for bachelorette parties or for newlyweds. Really classy gift sets for anniversaries or Valentines Day. And seriously – they have some amazingly cute costumes for the winter holidays – I just might get the little Eskimo Costume, just for fun.

Do you have a costume yet?

I’d love to hear about it! Are you going “hot momma” style, a funny costume, a mom and me type of get-up? Do you have a theme for the whole family? {I have friends who are dressing the entire family, baby and the dog too, as super heros. LOVE this.} What do you think of my pick here?? Leave me some comments! Or, if you don’t have a costume yet – check out the great selection at Eden Fantasys today!

Michael's

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Ready for the Best Halloween Ever? Check out CostumeDiscounters.com!

The most important part of celebrating Halloween is the costume – don’t settle for cheap-o, boring, over-priced costumes this year. Get something amazing to impress your friends today at CostumeDiscounters.com!

Halloween Costume

Are you ready for Halloween yet?

I was SOOO excited to get Abby’s new Halloween costume from CostumeDiscounters.com!! They let us pick our favorite to review, and I tell ya, it was tough to choose – they have super adorable costumes!! You can find something for everyone in your family, from infant Halloween costumes to fun get-up’s for mom and dad – and you can even find some of the cutest costumes I’ve ever seen for your dog. The doggy dinosaur is so great, totally want to get that.

Abby’s first time Trick-or-Treating this year!

Last year she was just a few months old, so we stayed at home – I live in Washington state, and it’s coooold on Halloween here! But this year she’s big enough to go our trick-or-treating with her cousins, and she’s going to LOVE it!

Abby Halloween CostumeLittle Pinkie Poodle!

This little stinker would NOT hold still for pictures at all — she was running around the kitchen, chasing the dog, barking like a puppy! So funny. This is the Pinkie Poodle Costume, and it is just perfect on her. We got our puppy when she was just a baby, and they are the best of friends – she even shares her snacks with him. Her third word was dog. She loves her doggy – and she LOVES dressing up like one too! She seriously had so much fun- love it.

Great Quality

Most Halloween costumes are made so cheap – really flimsy material, and terrible construction. I get it, they’re only made to wear one night, so they don’t need to be really sturdy. BUT – if I paid $30 bucks for a regular outfit for Abby, I’d expect her to wear it for a few months, right? So when I buy a costume, I always look for better quality. And I was super impressed with the quality here – it’s a really thick material, well made, and the details are all amazingly cute! Plus – there are loads of great sale-prices costumes too, as low as $10 bucks!

Halloween is only a few weeks away!

Does your family already have costumes – if so, what are you going to be? If you DON’T have anything yet, make sure to check out CostumeDiscounters.com! Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite! {Oh yeah, and get some AWESOME Halloween coupons for Michaels too – check it out below!}

Michael's

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Every Cup Counts – Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Breast Cancer Awareness Donation - Activia Yogurt

Every Cup Counts – Join Activia in the Fight Against Breast Cancer!

Are you a busy mom like me? Do you find yourself missing meals, because your day was so hectic you simply forgot? {No, the last 2 chicken nuggets left over on the kids’s plate, that you eat while clearing the table, does NOT count as a meal} Do you need an easy, yummy, nutritious snack that’s convenient to grab on the go?

Of course you do! So check out my new little secret – Activia Selects yogurt cups. They’re not just good for you, they also support a great cause that’s near to a lot of people’s heart –

“In celebration of our NEW Activia Selects and Dannon Oikos Single Serve yogurt, these cups will have a bonus donation of $0.10, for a total donation per cup of $0.20 directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation! All other cups will still be worth a $0.10 donation.”

What else is awesome about Activia Selects Yogurt?

  •  Activia Selects contain a unique probiotic culture with the tongue-twisting name of  Bifidus Regularis, that helps to naturally regulate your digestive system when taken daily for two weeks.
  • Why does this matter? Because your digestive system is also where all of your vitamins, nutrients and minerals are digested and absorbed, so it’s important to take care of it!
  • And, it’s super yummy! There are a bunch of great options – greek, fruit-on-the-bottom, and even a fun granola and fruit cup! It’s a great way to get a nutritious snack, fast and portable, that tastes as good as it is for you!!

Try it today!

You can find Activia Selects in just about any local grocery store – and be sure to register for the Activia Newsletter for coupons and other sweet savings!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting  on behalf of Dannon Activia Selects Yogurt Series and received a coupon to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.}

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Busy Mom Solution: Toddler-Friendly Cleaning Products!

Green Works Products

The Problem –

We all want a clean house, right? For the last few months we’ve battled grass stains, mud from the yard tracked into the house, and other summertime messes. Now, with the return of school, and the changing of the weather, we face a whole new set of challenges!

You can no longer get away with dressing the kids in the same shirt 3 days in a row, {hey, in the summer they wear what they want! Don’t judge… :)} -plus, they bring home LOTS of germs from school each day. And if you’re like me, and have little ones in your home, you know that it’s important to use safe cleaning products to take care of all of that mess!

Green Works LogoThe Solution –

Clorox Green Works new line of cleaning products! The amazing team over at Mom Bloggers Club sent me a big package of these new cleaners, so I could test them out, and see if they could keep up with my super-challenging housekeeping routine. We got to try the Compostable Cleaning Wipes, the All Purpose Cleaning Spray, the original scented Laundry Detergent, and a great Bathroom Cleaner. Can I say- LOVE??

Becoming Greener, one step at a time….

Most of you know that I’ve been slowly but surely making small changes towards a cleaner, greener, more frugal lifestyle. It started when I found out that I was expecting – I wanted to be super careful about what I was eating, drinking, and breathing, since it was all getting passed down to this teeny, tiny, little baby. I told you about using products from The Ultimate Green Store to set up a new space for my baby girl. {FYI, enter to WIN a gift certificate from them here.} And now that she’s a toddler, it’s super important to me that I use safe cleaners – if I wouldn’t want her drinking scary chemicals, why would I want to clean the floors that she plays on with them?

Tough on Dirt, Gentle around kids!

Green Works Cleaners still need to be kept out of reach of kids, of course. But they are made from 95% natural ingredients like coconut-based cleaners, citric acid, essential oils, and other plant-based cleaning agents – meaning you don’t have those super scary toxic warning labels on the package, like you see on most cleaners. And they don’t give off those awful fumes, or have harsh residue. But they still pack a lot of cleaning power!

What Other Moms Think….

My little Abby is JUST like the cutie in this video – EVERYTHING she finds makes it’s way into her mouth! And now that she’s a toddler, and fully mobile, she is a busy girl. She has ridiculous daily ideas to do things like:

  • Lick the refrigerator door, just for fun.
  • Attempt to eat her blocks, rattles, and toy dinosaurs.
  • Dump Cheerios on the floor and eat them while mommy’s not looking.

You know, fun toddler stuff. So it’s super important to me to keep things clean, and ensure that I don’t leave icky chemicals behind when I clean up. The Clorox Cleaning Wipes are perfect for wiping down the high-chair, car seat, toys – and everything else she gets sticky, crummy, or dirty during the day.

What do YOU think?

Do you give much thought to the cleaning products that you use in your home? Is using green products a priority for you? If you’re ready to try some of these new Green Works products in your house – sign up for the Green Works Newsletter for some instant savings coupons, and make sure to follow them on Facebook too, to stay updated on cool promotions!

{Disclaimer: As mentioned in the post, I did receive a complimentary set of these products, so that I could try them out, and give an honest opinion of them. When I say I love ’em, I mean it!}

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Free Party Planning Checklist and more!


Party Planning Checklist

Free Party Planning Checklist and SO much more!

Putting together a big party or event is a lot of work! I know this, since I love to entertain, and just recently hosted a few HUGE birthday parties over the summer. There is so much to plan, and it can be tough to keep it all organized. That’s where the FREE Party Planning Checklist saves the day!

Theme Party Queen

This helpful checklist is from a super fun party idea site that I refer to often, Theme Party Queen. She has tons of cool ideas, and loads of great printables! I’m loving her Super Bowl Party ideas – and am totally going to buy a couple of the NFL themed Lighted Mason Jars she mentions – these would be so fun at our party!

Read More about the Checklist:

When hosting parties, food is usually the star of the show. It is very important that the host choose enough recipes for the number of guests attending and that they complement each other. This Party Planning Checklist ebook was created to not only help entertainers choose enough of the right recipes, but to also help keep everything organized so that shopping and preparation is stress-free.

Get your copy today!

Head over to the site, and learn how to get the checklist ebook totally free – and make sure to check out some of her other fun ideas too!

{Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.}

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