Friday, December 17, 2010

Christmas Advent and a contest *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®.


The video below gives the details of our homemade Christmas Advent Calendar.


We cut the stockings out of pretty scrapbook paper using a stocking stencil, wrote selected activities on the back, put numbers on the front, and strung them up on a ribbon attached with mini clothespins. For a list of my suggested activities, email me at amiedanny@msn.com

Want to win a $100 Visa gift card from BlogHer?

Sure you do! Please comment on this post and tell me your favorite holiday tradition. (Mine is visiting the LDS temple to look at the awesome Christmas lights and watch the showing of Luke II, then hit the QT for yummy hot chocolate on the way home.) Contest runs December 13, 2010 until December 25, 2010. Please leave a name and email so if you win I can contact you!

To enter, leave a comment

For a second entry, you can:

· Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

· Blog about this post with a link to it (and put your blog post URL in a separate comment below)

· Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

You have 9 chances to win! Check out the other reviewers’ creative videos by visiting the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page.

Visit the Official Pop-Tarts site

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Visit the Official Rules.

See what else we’re doing over on my main blog, Life with the Boys.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Gingerbread Pop-Tarts and a Contest *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®.

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I was asked to come up with something special using the limited edition Printed Fun Gingergbread Pop-Tarts from Kellogg’s.

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Ginger is one of those finicky ingredients that only works with so many other flavors. Eggnog for one, but I am not a fan. Instead, I decided to mingle some hot and cold foods: ice cream topped with the crumbled Pop-Tarts and a steamy creamy cup of homemade cocoa.

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These gingerbread Pop-Tarts have a little design printed on them, but you can’t see that too well once broken up.

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What do you think?

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Does it look like a yummy afternoon snack?

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Or a holiday treat while gathered ‘round the campfire?

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Everyone in the house found the combo of the gingerbread Pop-Tarts and the vanilla ice cream really tasty.

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Priceless.

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And the hot chocolate chaser kept us nice and warm on this really cold December day.

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On to the good stuff!

Want to win a $100 Visa gift card from BlogHer?

Sure you do! Please comment on this post and tell me your favorite holiday song. (Mine is “Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella” at present) Contest runs December 13, 2010 until December 25, 2010. Please leave a name and email so if you win I can contact you!

To enter, leave a comment

For a second entry, you can:

· Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

· Blog about this post with a link to it (and put your blog post URL in a separate comment below)

· Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

You have 9 chances to win! Check out the other reviewers’ recipes by visiting the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page.

Visit the Official Pop-Tarts site

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Visit the Official Rules.

See what else we’re doing over on my main blog, Life with the Boys.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

25 Days of Gratitude Thankful Jar with $100 contest *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®.




We made a Thankful Countdown jar to help keep us in the Thankful spirit all month long.


We started out by following Valerie Lee's template that you can download here. It comes with directions on how to put this advent together. There are 26 Thankful-For themes as well as suggested activities for each theme.


We cut them out, rolled them up, tied them with ribbon, and put them in our Thankful Jar. November 1st we started pulling one out a day, talking about that day's Thankful subject, and then did the activity as suggested. It's a great reminder for the kids to be more thankful for every day things (and people!)




Check out the video we made!






Want to enter the contest for $100 Visa Gift card from BlogHer? Sure you do! Please comment on this post and tell me how you keep your family feeling thankful. This contest (in association with our Pumpkin Pie flavored Pop-Tarts post) runs November 11, 2010 until November 25, 2010. Please leave a name and email so if you win I can contact you!

We have had so much fun making and using our Thanksgiving Countdown. You should try it! You have 9 chances to win! Check out the other reviewers’ recipes by visiting the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page. And learn all about Pumpkin Pie flavored Pop-Tarts here.

To enter, leave a comment

For a second entry, you can:

· Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

· Blog about this post with a link to it (and put your blog post URL in a separate comment below)

· Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

Official rules can be seen here.

See what else we’re doing over on my main blog, Life with the Boys.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts and a contest *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts®.

IMG_0009We are having so much fun learning how to use our Pop-Tarts in creative ways. We again went with the dessert theme and decided to make S’mores using Pumpkin Pie flavored Pop-Tarts! Here’s what Ethan and I did to make our S’mores.

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First, with mom’s help, we cut two Pop-Tarts in half.


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Then put a big puffy marshmellow on two of the halves.

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Have Mom microwave the marshmellows on top of the Pop-Tarts for 20-30 seconds.

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Or until they get nice and puffy like this. (Watch out, the marshmellows and Pop-Tarts will be pretty warm!)


IMG_0024 Next, slather some cream cheese on top of the two remaining halves of Pop-Tarts.

IMG_0028 Then sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the cream cheese.

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Here you can see what the Pop-Tarts look like with cream cheese and cinnamon on them.


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Then smush the two halves together! (we later decided it was better to put cream cheese and cinnamon on both halves, then add and cook the marshmellow )

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Doesn’t it look good?

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Doncha want a bite?

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“Don’t mind if I do!”

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“It’s good, Mom!”

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“Wanna share?”

(He didn’t.)

Want to enter the contest for $100 Visa Gift card from BlogHer? Sure you do! Please comment on this post and tell me your favorite holiday treat. Contest runs November 11, 2010 until November 25, 2010. Please leave a name and email so if you win I can contact you!

To enter, leave a comment

For a second entry, you can:

· Tweet about this post with a link to it (and put your tweet URL in a separate comment below)

· Blog about this post with a link to it (and put your blog post URL in a separate comment below)

· Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

We had so much fun making S’mores with our Pop-Tarts. You should try it!You have 9 chances to win! Check out the other reviewers’ recipes by visiting the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page.

Official rules can be seen here.

See what else we’re doing over on my main blog, Life with the Boys.

Monday, October 25, 2010

$100 contest for your Halloween Traditions *contest closed*


This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts.


So...Halloween is here. I've kind of been dreading it all month.

I mean, sometimes, it just gets so expensive, especially with 3 kids.

The search for the perfect costume and whatever is needed to accessorize it...the pressure of trying to come up with the perfect yet clever costume as an adult...the bags and bags of candy for our church's annual Trunk-or-Treat party and then bags and bags more for Halloween night itself....and the hubby always wants to add something to our Halloween decor. These things add up!

Then, there's the existence of all that yummy tempting caloric candy in the house (I can't turn down a peanut butter cup...I just can't!), and the constant begging by the kids, the wrappers all over the place, the hyperactivity, the cavities...

I mean it's fun, and I enjoy it always, but it's work.


As far as costumes go, we go alternate costume buying every other year. I try to recycle and make our own as much as possible, but sometimes, ya just gotta put some money into it. Sean wants to be a vampire ("not a Twilight vampire mom, a real one"), Cameron wants to be a mummy (I'm envisioning toilet paper strewn around the house for days) [*EDIT, he's since corrected me--he wants to be a zombie! huh? how am I gonna pull that one off?*], and Ethan wants to be Black Spiderman, which I was able to find for $8 since it's not a really popular character any more. This will be a buying year for all of them I'm afraid.

One thing we love to do every Halloween, and I'm not sure how or why this started, but I love it: after the trick-or-treating is done, we stay up late and watch "Goonies." Something so classic and quotable about that movie! "Heeeeey youuuuuu guuuuuyyyyyys!" Love it.

Do you have any special Halloween traditions? Share them in the comments for your chance at $100 Visa Gift card sponsored by Blogher.

Enter 9 times by visiting the other reviews on the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page. Official rules can be seen here.

Please visit my main blog and say hello over on Life with the Boys.

Monday, October 18, 2010

$100 gift card contest -- Choc-o-Lantern Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Fudge flavored Pop-Tarts *contest closed*

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Pop-Tarts.


We always enjoy the opportunity to get creative with Pop-Tarts. Have you been shopping for these little delicacies lately? There are seriously so many flavors. I swear, just a few years ago, you could get strawberry, cherry, brown cinnamon sugar, and maybe blueberry, but since then, wow! All kinds of fun fruits and desserty flavors, chocolate and peanut butter and cookies and cream... (Is it still considered a breakfast food? I submit that yes, yes it is!)

We were able to have some fun with the new Choc-o-Lantern Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Fudge flavored Pop-Tarts. These are chocolate pastries with fudgy insides, frosted orange with small sprinkles of Halloween shapes on top. How fun is that?

We decided to make our very own pumpkin patch. Here are some pictures from our afternoon in the kitchen.

First, we cut out our Pop-Tarts into pumpkin shapes. We used a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter as a guide. Cameron very carefully cut out and sculpted the shape of the pumpkin, trimming when needed.



Then we made some chocolate frosting and piped it onto the pumpkins, making fun jack-o-lantern faces.


Then we made a home-made moist chocolate cake, frosted it, and put the jack-o-lanterns on top to make our pumpkin patch.




I'm giving away a $100 Visa gift card from Blogger! From the dates of Oct 18, 2010 to Oct 31, 2010 enter by commenting on this post and tell me: what is your favorite Pop-Tarts flavor? While you're at it, I'd love if you'd share your favorite unorthodox use of Pop-Tarts. Do you freeze them? Use them as pie crust? Make ice cream sandwiches out of them or dip them in chocolate? I'm always amazed at the recipes made out of these very versatile snacks.

Enter 9 times by visiting the other reviews on the BlogHer.com exclusive offers page. Official rules can be seen here.

Please visit my main blog and say hello over on Life with the Boys.


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

$150 contest - -making 7:30-8:30pm the magic hour and not the witching hour **contest closed**

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and the makers of One A Day Multivitamins.



In the past, bedtime for three young boys has been something of a disaster. It went a little bit like this:

"Ok, it's a commercial, go brush your teeth!"
2 out of 3 kids go running off.

"Get your clothes out for tomorrow!"
1 might follow this one.

"Go potty one last time!"
("but Mom, I haven't finished brushing my teeth yet")

"Who brushed their teeth? You left the toothpaste out!"
("I haven't done mine yet")

"Where is your backpack?"
("Mom, I forgot I was supposed to have you fill this out and send in $5")

(crash)
"What was that?"
("I dropped all the cups when I went to get a drink of water.")

"Did you guys take showers tonight?"
("Can't I do it in the morning?")

"Whose toothbrush is still dry?"
(silence)

"Whose clothes are all over the floor?"
(silence)

"Why are you in the backyard???!"

"Shoot, the show's back on, let's finish at the next commercial..."

And so on and so on.

The first thing I learned these past few months, is for heavens sake, to shut the TV off. With kiddos' bed times at 8 and 8:30, there's just no way to get invested in a show and still get everything done that needs doing.

As soon as school got back into session in August, and bedtimes became more stringent, we started a new schedule that works really well.

We start at 7:30. The TV goes OFF. While child #1 takes his shower, I work with the younger two on brushing teeth, bathroom visits, last drinks of water, and then with remaining time, we read fun books out loud. This is also the time for getting clothes ready for the next day and putting backpacks in place (with snack if I remember).

The longer they take, the lesser time for fun reading. It's really up to them how they want to use their time. Once they're done, the three of us sit and read, sometimes for 5 minutes, sometimes for 20, but up until about 7:50.

With the younger two prepped and the oldest out of the shower, we all gather around for some scripture study and family prayer. This is a staple. If nothing else, we do this every night. Sometimes we read 10 verses, sometimes it's a chapter--whatever we're needing at the time, but we won't skip. We take turns each day saying the family prayer. We kiss, we hug, we say personal prayers, and kids #2 and #3 are done for the night. No excuses, stay in bed, 8:00 curfew.

Then Child #1 gets some reading time. Normally I'd let him read silently in his room, but he really likes reading together with Mom, and he's happened to pick a rather lengthy book at present that I prefer to edit slightly, so I'm reading out loud to him too. At 8:30, he too gets kissed and sent off to bed.

After 8:30, I can look around my house and see that backpacks are ready, kids are in bed with clothes ready for the next day, and I take a few minutes to otherwise clean up. I get the dishwasher started, maybe fold a load of laundry, and the Mommy day is complete.

In the past, that hour of bedtime prep has been done with a lot of yelling, reminding, scolding, whining, and otherwise going-to-bed-angry--from me and the kids. Having this routine and evening schedule, the kids know what is expected of them and things run smoothly. We stick as close to the routine as possible, and it's made going back to school time much smoother and effortless. When the kids wake in the morning, clothes and backpacks are ready and there's not too much to stress about, which makes the 6:30-7:30 am hour much nicer as well.

We all have more or less stressful times in our day, whether it be the dinner-prep hour or the immediate hour after school gets out, there are times when everything is happening at once, and all of a sudden the living room can look like the remains from a fallout shelter. We are creatures of habit, and as a rule, generally like knowing what to expect each day, know what is expected of us, and so on.

How do you plan your days? Some people use planner books or agendas, have big wall calendars or to-do lists. I've seen families use giant white boards to detail the hours of the day and what is expected when. One such tool that can help you keep organized and on track, especially during this busy back-to-school season, is the My Tree Tool from the makers of One A Day Multivitamins. The site helps you make goals and outline when you're going to accomplish them, be it daily, weekly, etc.

I used this to prioritize 3 things at the start of this Fall: Spirituality, Health, and Relationships. I can schedule and track how often we read our scriptures together, how many times a week we want to exercise together as a family outside, and set a plan to read to my kids every night. The tool offers some really insightful suggestions and ideas to implement your plans and goals. It may be just the thing you need to get life on track this season.

What do you use to keep your days and weeks on track? Answer in the comments for a chance at a $150 Visa gift card! Contest runs 9/21/10 through 10/21/10 and winner will be randomly chosen and contacted by email, so make sure you leave a valid way to contact you.

There are 5 chances to win plus a chance at a bonus $100 by checking out the Exclusive Offers page. :) Read official rules for more info.

Don't forget to check out my blog, Life with the Boys.