Back in the game...

blogging game that is!

It's been almost a year since I've been able to full on blog. Many things have happened in these last months. We moved from VA and now live in the New England area, went on a cruise, had to furnish and decorate new place, my son started pre-school. I had a baby in September-another boy. Baby boy was born with bilateral clubfoot so that has made us go to countless orthopedist appointments.  Basically, we've been settling in and getting our bearings.

 I recently (last Friday) had a minor surgery to remove hardware from my knee.

Before I forget, both boys have a cold and baby E also has an ear infection and bronchiolitis to boot.

  I'm making it a point to go back to doing something that I love, which is blogging! I love my children with all my heart, but I sorta' need something that is all my own.

  Hopefully I'll be able to get back to reviewing products and I'll probably throw in a food post here and there as well as make-up tips and tricks. Let me not get too ahead of myself, so we'll see.

I'll also start making the rounds on all the blogs that I used to read and for lack of time have abandoned. Here's crossing my fingers and wishing and hoping that here are still a few of you out there that are willing to read my little blog.

Comfort Reading: Chicken Soup for the Soul

Here are some of the most recent editions of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books:

Have you read any of these books?

What is your all time favorite Chicken Soup for the Soul book?

Stay connected with Chicken Soup for the Soul 24/7:

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Disclaimer: I recieved the featured books free of charge for review purposes only. All opinions are my own and have not been influenced.  I was not monetarily compensated for this post.

Quick and Easy Spring and Summer Meals

 Recently I received these three bottles for review purposes, but the truth is I was already extremely familiar with the products :-) I've been buying French's for years!

I've been a long time fan of French's mustard, which can be evidenced in the small bottle that I already had in my fridge.

I always use French's mustard on hotdogs! One was for me and the other for the hubby.

French's Dijon Mustard is the perfect condiment for a nice and juicy turkey burger.  The mustard really helped enhance the flavor of the meat without overwelming it. It also goes well in chicken salad.

Another quick and easy meal over at my  house can consist of fish sticks with a side of mashed sweet potatoes and some French's Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce for the fish.  I'm not into tartar sauce and I find that honey mustard just adds a bit of sweetness that just nakes the fish sticks taste even better.

To find out more about different French's products make sure to visit them on:

• Twitter @frenchskitchen 
• FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/Frenchs 
•  Webpage: http://www.frenchs.com/ where you'll be able to find recipes and coupons.

Disclaimer: I received a free French's products for review purposes only from a P.R. company. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. I did not recieve any monetary compensation for this post.

Kid Friendly Cartoons: Timmy Time

My son has a varied selection of favorite cartoon series and one of them happens to be a little lovable lamb called Timmy!

 

Timmy can be found in a cartoon series called Timmy Time! This series follows a group of barnyard preschool animals as they go through funny situations that teach lessons for young children.  The animals are funny, but they don't talk. At first I wasn't sure I liked the fact that the animals didn't talk, but later on my 2 year old convinced me that the series was ok. It has a fun, catchy theme song that my son loves to sing and dance to. Now that my son is almost 3 and can vocalize what he sees he'll tell me what Timmy and his friends do in the episode. I like that because it means my son pays attention to what happens in the cartton and uses his imagination in order to tell me what he thinks is happening.

Just today, Lionsgate and Hit Entertainment released  their most recent Timmy DVD, entitled Timmy Time: Timmy Finds Treasure.

Needless to say, my almost 3 year old loved this DVD. It has Timmy along with his barnyard friends on a pirate adventure and what boy doesn't like pirates; at least mine does.

The DVD includes 5 episodes, 2 bonus features, lasts 45 minutes total and is targeted for children between the ages of 2-5.

For more info on this and other Timmy Time DVD's check out Timmy Time on Facebook or on his program website!

Do your young ones like Timmy Time or any other HIT Eentertainment cartoon?

Disclaimer: I received a free DVD for review purposes only from a P.R. company. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. I did not recieve any monetary compensation for this post.

SunChips: 6 Grain Medley Parmesan & Herb

Frito Lay is most definitely my favorite brand of chips ever! They carry a wide variety of chips, each one yummier than the next. Among the Frito Lay brand, one of my top choices are SunChips. It's the type of chip that I can enjoy eating without feeling guilty. 6 Grain Medley Parmesan & Herb is one of the newest flavors of the SunChip family.

I was lucky enough to get a week's worth supply of this yummy snack and they were a total hit with my husband and son. Not only are they good for you {21 grams of whole grains, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein in each individual serving bag}, but they taste so good.  These chips are crunchy, you get the taste of the multigrains topped off with just the right amount of parmesan & herbs. Beware, you might have to hide these SunChips from your kids because they are going to want to eat more than just one individual bag.

These chips are ideal for an afternoon snack, as a side to a sandwich, hotdog or a hamburger for both kids and adults!

If you find them in your local stores, make sure to try SunChips: 6 Grain Medley Parmesan & Herb; you won't regret it!

Are you a fan of SunChips?

Leave a comment here, Facebook or Twitter!

Disclaimer: Frito Lay provided me with a sample package of the featured product for review purposes only. All opinions are my own

Music: Celtic Woman

It's been awhile since I've posted anything music related, but I do listen to music every single day!  Although I do prefer certain genres over others, I've always considered myself to be open to listen to all kinds of music.

It's a good thing that I'm open to listening to new kinds of music because if not I would've missed out on an amazing group called Celtic Woman!

Celtic Woman is an internationally acclaimed all-female singing sensation featuring vocalists Chloë Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lisa Lambe and Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt.

They perform classic Irish songs, timeless pop anthems, and inspirational songs with their signature Celtic Woman twist.

picture c/o Sneak Attack Media

Just last month (January 24th) Celtic Woman released their new project, Believe, a studio album and a companion live concert DVD (it was filmed for the first time in America in front of some of their most loyal fans during two sold-out nights at The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA this past September). I was sent courtesy copies of both the CD and live concert DVD and as soon as I recieved them I opened the DVD and popped it in the player. I was blown away by the performances!   Everything from the songs, vocals and the outfits were just beautiful.  Each member of the group as her own unique and powerful voice which left me breathless. Let's face it, we live in a musical world full of auto-tuning and to be able to hear authentic voices makes you believe that there are still real singers out there.

Here are links to a streaming song of the CD and a DVD trailer:

"Teir Abdhaile Riu"

DVD Trailer

Please let me know what you think!

In addition, as if a new CD/Live DVD concert weren't enough, Celtic Woman is now currently on tour in the U.S. all the way through April 29th! 

It just so happens that I'm going to see their show tonight here in VA (c/o Sneak Attack Media). I'm so excited about it and can't wait to write about it. I think I won't be able to take any pictures because the arena site states the following: No Audio, Video Recording, or Photography of any kind allowed without proper credential. I don't want to take any chances at being told to leave the camera in the car because I'm walking to the stadium, so just in case I'll leave it at home. If I can I'll sneak some pics with my phone.

Who knows, maybe Celtic Woman will be playing in your city. To be sure check out their tour schedule.


Let me know if you've had the pleasure of listening to any of the Celtic Woman songs or are planning on going to any of their concerts!

Laundry Made Easy with Purex

I have a confession to make and I know I'm not the only one guilty of this laundry crime. When I pour my Purex laundry detergent into the washer I always put in a bit more than is recommended. I know I shouldn't do it, but for some odd and random reason I do. Purex laundry detergent is concentrated so all you need to do is fill up to the recommended marks on the cap and the washer also has a label saying not to pour excess liquid detergent because it is not good for the machine.

Purex might have picked up on the fact that many like myself waste a lot of product when doing laundry, so they've come up with a new product called Triple Action Purex UltraPacks {It's a brand new product that is just hitting store!}

Purex UltraPacks have become one of my favorite laundry products thus far! No more measuring, wasting excess liquid product or carrying around a big bottle along with my laundry bag and my two year old down to the communal laundry room.

Each bag of Purex UltraPacks comes with a small pre-measured liquid detergent pack that does the same work as the new Purex Triple Action Liquid.  Each little pack has powerful 2x concentrated liquid detergent which means that whenever I do my laundry I'll get double the cleaning power.

Each little pack is wrapped in a film that dissolves as soon as it comes into contact with water-hot or cold.  So make sure your hands are dry before handling the UltraPacks.  I left one out next to the kitchen sink and it got some water on it while I was doing dishes and the film dissolved right then and there leaving the space covered in liquid detergent.

I use a front loading machine, so I toss in the pack directly into the drum and I follow it with the clothes and then I set the machine.  One UltraPack does the trick for me, but you could always use 2 if it's a large or heavily soiled load.

Purex is so certain about the effectiveness of their products that starting mid February they will bring back their sampling program so that all Purex fans and newbies alike can get free product samples to try out.

To keep up-to-date on all things Purex you can visit the following sites:
http://www.purex.com/
http://www.facebook.com/purex
http://twitter.com/purex

Disclosure: "Purex provided a free sample of the UltraPacks so I could write a review. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own."