I chose these fun kids t-shirts from UrbanBratz to feature as a "TWINtuitive Product", because amongst the many cool t-shirts offered by this boutique, many of them are perfect for same sex or boy/girl twins. Some of my favorites are the "I Rock" and "I Roll", "Single and Ready to Mingle" and "Sorry Boys, I Can't Date", and the two that are my favorite . . . "I'm With the Hunk" and "I'm With the Hottie".

If you are not a fan of dressing your children all prim and proper, but rather prefer a little rock and a bit of hip hop style, then you will love this boutique. Their sizes start at 3-6mos onesies and run up to t-shirts in size 4T.

What I thought about our UrbanBratz t-shirts:

1) I'm not certain if all the UrbanBratz t-shirts are heathered, but the pair I chose are and they feel extremely soft . . . a kind of soft that takes years of washing to achieve on an average t-shirt.

2) This particular design caught my eye because it works while the twins are together or if my son is with me or our daughter is with my husband.

3) Although the overall tone on tone design is very well-done, what makes these t-shirts catch your eye is the metallic ink.

4) I also like that the people depicted in the designs could be young or old. The female is not particularly curvy and the male is not particularly buff, which is a major plus in the healthy body image category.

5) I like that the tag is a soft satin and does not itch. You can even cut it off if you prefer because the brand and size are screen printed on the inside of the shirt.

6) These shirts washed very well. The design has somewhat of a vintage look, but I did not see any signs of the screen printing peeling, cracking, or washing out.






I have to say that Urban-Bratz.com is one of the funnest sites I've visited as far as shopping for children's clothing online goes (and you all know I've shopped many sites). Everything from the clothing to the website design and the music just creates such an energetic, but laid back atmosphere. I highly recommend that you put it on your list of stops to make during your next online shopping adventure.


Thank you to UrbanBratz for providing us with a review product free of charge.

Since I turned 36, I have been painfully aware of how I've let myself go. I use to be pretty vain, but that all went down the drain when I accepted the fact that I was going to have to give up things that I now view as luxuries, such as taking a shower everyday.

In the past month, I have started to take some baby steps towards making myself feel better about myself. I colored my hair for the first time in years and I am trying out Sensa to lose a little weight. And since I have to be ready to walk a block away from our house to meet our kindergartner at the bus stop daily, I have started to apply a minimal amount of make-up in the morning. These are are the two products I rely on to make myself look less blah, but still natural at the same time. It probably takes me 90 seconds to apply both of these products.



I use Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara to make my eyes be more "there". I use to think that tiny brushes gave me more control, but I actually like the thick full brush better. It does the job in less strokes, which means less clumping. I generally prefer mascara over eyeliner for everyday use because it looks much more natural.

Since some of you will be in full holiday shopping mode once Halloween has come and gone, I wanted to share about three of my favorite places to hunt for toy bargains online. This is hit or miss shopping. If you check these places regularly, you are almost guaranteed to find a great deal on something gift-worthy. I check these sites all year round and put any treasures I find away for holiday gifts. Isn't it a great feeling to be able to give a $50 gift when you budgeted $20 for it?

One of my favorite sites to shop on is DisneyStore.com . They have some really good sales throughout the year and they frequently send me coupon codes for additional discounts. The best time to shop is when these discounts can be used at the Disney Outlet and this only happens a few times a year. I often find great deals on toys and clothing at the outlet.

Another online spot I like to shop is the Toy Outlet on Amazon.com . Many times I will go there and not find much a of a selection, but a few times a year, the Amazon Toy Outlet will be packed with deals. These huge toy clearance sales are usually advertised and I always receive emails about them because I'm on Amazon's mailing list. I am so thrilled when I find a cool toy on clearance that also qualifies for Super Saver Shipping.

Amongst the wide array of custom printing services offered by UPrinting.com, banner printing is one of the services that is useful for both business and personal projects. Their vinyl banners can accommodate designs up to 61" x 100" and come ready-to-hang complete with metal grommets. There are no minimum order requirements, but you can receive a pricing discount when you order 10 or more banners for your event or business.




Thank you to UPrinting for providing us with a contest prize free of charge and for offering me a banner as a thank you for taking part in this campaign.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a 24" x 36" Vinyl Banner w\ grommets ($62 value) with Free Ground Shipping.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Leave a comment telling me what you will be using this banner for if you should win this contest. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

4) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Uprinting.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

5) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with your Facebook username.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Look who's ready for Halloween! This costume is actually reversible and I think my son is leaning towards being the blue Jungle Fury Power Ranger over the red. He had dressed up as the red Operation Overdrive Power Ranger two years ago.

Do you have children, grandchildren, neices or nephews who are already excited about Halloween? What will they be dressing up as this year?

My husband use to be a big fan of X-Men Marvel comic books. He even collected them years ago. He is why I even began to take interest in the X-Men film series. Since Hugh Jackman's character Wolverine is one of my favorites, I was excited to be able to review X-Men Origins: Wolverine on DVD, which hit store shelves recently on September 15th.


This film tells the tale of how a frail innocent boy named James Logan turns into a powerful mutant with a killer instinct like Wolverine. His story contains one carefully orchestrated tragedy or betrayal after another. Much is revealed during this film, including how Wolverine got his name, how his claws became blades, how Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart's character) comes into the picture, and much more.




What I thought about this X-Men DVD:

1) I thought the illustration of James' and Victor's (his half-brother's) immortality was very well done.

2) This film is action-packed and you will need to give it your undivided attention if you do not want to miss something important. For this reason, you will most likely enjoy watching this film more than once or twice.




3) It was nice that Ryan Reynolds' character Deadpool was deadly, yet had a touch of Reynold's comedic personality that I've grown to enjoy.


4) This film keeps you holding your breath because you never knew who will be next to betray or befriend Wolverine.


5) I did not expect the film to end when it did. It was very abrupt and the story seemed incomplete. It ended as a weekly television series would, leaving you wanting to tune in next week. Only in this case, the audience is left unsatisfied because there will be a much longer wait than 7 days for the story to resume, if it resumes at all.



Aside from the abrupt ending, I very much enjoyed this film. There was so much action and so many plot twists packed into 107 minutes that the time just flew by. If you are a fan of super hero films, I think this one is worth your time to watch.


You can find X-Men Origins: Wolverine on DVD and Blu-ray at FoxStore.com and at most local and online retailers of quality movies.



Thank you to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for providing us with a review product free of charge.

One of the requirements of half-day kindergarten is to bring food and drink for snack time daily. I saw this as an opportunity to teach my kindergartner another way to be a little more responsible by taking his unpackaged snacks to school in these reusable snack pouches made by GO FRESH called the Fresh Snack Pack. These are used in place of the plastic sandwich bags many of the other children use.

These bags come in two sizes. A closed sandwich size pouch is a roomy 8" x 6" and the snack size is 6" x 4". I chose the snack size pouches to try out for our kindergartner.


What I thought about these reusable Fresh Snack Packs:

1) I like that these reusable pouches are non-toxic and made of PVC-free and phthalate-free plastic. They also do not contain any printing or dyes, which may not be suitable for items carrying food.

2) These bags have been very durable so far. We have used and washed them many times. I predict they will last quite awhile, but it is nice to know that they are 100% recyclable when they can no longer be used.

3) These pouches are gusseted and can hold quite a bit. Because they are more structured than a disposable sandwich bag, they help to keep foods that are soft or brittle from being crushed by a juice box or water bottle.



4) These bags have a Velcro closure that is secure, but is user-friendly for my kindergartner. I was afraid that the pouch having a built-in place mat that wraps around the pouch twice might not be intuitive for a 5yr old, but he had no problems opening or closing the Fresh Snack Pack.

5) I normally pack my son's snacks for the next day in the afternoon and I have had no problems with items, such as crackers, staying fresh inside the pouch for almost 19 hours.

6) I like that these pouches have a built-in place mat. I imagine that snacks spill out of their bags all the time and it's nice to know that they will still be on a clean surface should any food find its way out of the pouch.

7) The place mat can be folded outward and under and then secured with the Velcro to prop up the pouch so that the food is more accessible. One can also use this technique to secure the pouch to something like a shopping cart.

8) I cannot help but wonder if there is a way to build a zip closure to the main compartment of these snack pouches? That would allow them to be used for something with moisture, such as berries.

9) Although, I would love it if these pouches were top rack safe for the dishwasher, I think that they clean very easily by hand. They also dry fairly quickly when allowed to air dry.

I think these snack pouches are a stepping stone to reusable plastic storage containers for my kindergartner. As an adult, I even have trouble securing the lids to such containers, so these reusable pouches are the perfect substitute for now.

To learn more about the Fresh Snack Pack, visit FreshSnackPack.com . You can also purchase this product on that website or from other retailers, such as Amazon.com .


Thank you to Fresh Snack Pack for providing us with both a review product and a contest prize free of charge.



What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a set of one Snack Size and one Sandwich Size Fresh Snack Pack.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Take a look at the list of online and local retailers who carry the Fresh Snack Pack. Then leave a comment telling me which retailer you would most likely purchase Fresh Snack Packs from. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

4) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND FreshSnackPack.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

5) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with your Facebook username.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

I have always been a fan of educational programming and DVDs. They have been a great way to supplement anything I had been working on with my oldest son, whether it was the alphabet, colors, counting, etc . . . Now with the twins, I must rely even more on such tools to reinforce what I try to teach them because it is extremely difficult to get quiet one on one time with each one. This is why I welcomed the chance to try out the new Math Tutor: Young Minds-Numbers and Counting DVD.

What I thought about this Numbers and Counting DVD for toddlers:

1) I like that this DVD uses a variety of objects to illustrate each number. Chances are that there will be something that your child will show an affinity towards. These objects include animals, foods, transportation vehicles, and more.

2) The benefits of this DVD are not limited to learning about numbers and counting to 10. Other concepts taught by this DVD are sounds, colors, and action words.

3) Although my toddlers were most excited when they saw objects that they recognized, I like that the DVD includes things that may be new to a toddler, such as windmills, jellyfish, and asparagus. This just offers more opportunity for learning.

4) In addition to pointing out the things they recognized, my toddlers liked imitating the animal sounds.

5) The classical music in the background included works by Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, and more. Although the music was beautiful, it was secondary to the visual content, which was the only thing holding my toddlers' attention.

6) Because the twins can only count up to 3, every number after 4 lost a little more of their attention. I expect this to change each time we watch the DVD as they become more adept at remembering and recognizing additional numbers.

To view the full selection of Math Tutor DVDs from basic math to physics, visit MathTutorDVD.com .

Thank you to MathTutorDVD.com for providing us with both a review product and contest prizes free of charge.

What you can win:
3 lucky reader will each receive a Young Minds - Numbers And Counting DVD.

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. addresses only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
Take a look at the list of Math Tutor DVD categories. Then leave a comment telling me which DVD category would be helpful to someone you know. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

4) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND MathTutorDVD.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

5) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with your Facebook username.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, October 12th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

I just wanted to let my readers know about this great freebie that was brought to my attention . . .

Lightcrafts, the creator of the original Aurora photo editing software has recently released a new simplified version called Aurora Quick Fix. This software is free to download.

Although I have not personally tried this new software, I have used the original full-featured Aurora and loved it. You can read my review of Aurora here. The Aurora Quick Fix allows you to relight, crop, resize, organize your photos, and more. If you get a chance to download Aurora Quick Fix for free, come back and let me know how you like it.

If you end up trying this recipe, come back and let me know how it turns out.

Sometimes the best kinds of toys are simple and require no batteries. That is why I wanted to feature these three inexpensive indoor/outdoor toys from Monkey Business Sports. The only energy these toys require is kid energy. They are also made of foam, so any accidental impacts would likely not result in any injuries.

Please take a few minutes to watch this video showing that fun toys do not necessarily need to be high tech or overly expensive:

What I thought about these toys from Monkey Business Sports:

The Ribbon Plane was a big hit, especially with my kindergartner. The toddlers did not have the coordination to spin and keep the plane airborne by holding the ribbon, but they did learn to hold the plane by its belly to simulate flying. This plane comes in blue or pink, so it would be a great gift for boy/girl twins or different-aged siblings. This plane was not only fun, but it survived being banged, dropped, and dragged, so it is well-worth $15 in my opinion.

(Click on each image to enlarge)

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The Handi-Copter was just above our 5-1/2yr old's skill level. However, I think he could master it with a little practice. The concept is very simple, just spin the stick in one direction between the palms of the hands. Even though our 2-1/2yr old son could not make this helicopter fly, he did enjoy throwing it to make it go airborne. My husband turned out to be the pro as far as flying this copter went. I think this toy would be more easily used indoors, so wind would not be a factor. For the low price of $5, this toy would be a good option for an inexpensive gift or an add-in to an Easter basket.






The Chuck'n'Duck is a toy that is fun for all ages and skill levels. It is a throwing toy that makes a quacking sound when it reaches a certain speed. Although my children were not able to gather enough speed, my husband could and everyone loved hearing the silly quacking. Mainly, this toy is fun to throw and it is much easier to throw than a football for small hands. For just $8, this toy would make a great gift for younger and older children. The younger children would just enjoy tossing the Chuck'n'Duck back and forth and the older children would enjoy testing their throwing abilities by trying to make it quack.





Overall, I have been pleased with the durability of the toys we received from Monkey Business Sports. While browsing through the website, I saw many projectile toys that looked like they would be lots of fun, such as a crossbows and rockets. Perhaps in a few years, our oldest will be ready for such toys. To view the full selection of products offered by Monkey Business Sports, stop by MonkeyBusinessSports.com .