Bratz Action Heroes- review

If you girls then you probably heard of Bratz Dolls. I have 5 girls and all of them love the Bratz dolls. So when we got the chance to test out there newest doll you bet we couldn't wait.

Bratz newest line is the Bratz Action Hero dolls. My girls love this idea because all the action heroes are geared more for boys and none towards girls so they were so happy to have a girl super hero! These dolls have adorable brightly colored action hero outfit and each one has their own special super power. Plus to top it all off each doll comes with a mini action figure that you can scan and download 2 fun apps to play on your Apple device from iTunes. I dont know which is my girls favorite part whether the cute doll or the fun addictive App games.

We got the Action hero called Shira. She has this cute purple and red super hero outfit with a bright red cape. Shira's™ Super Power is flight! The mini Action Hero figurine that comes with the doll unlocks 2 exciting games! One augmented reality game where you can mix and match their fashions, practice new tricks and much more! The other level of game play takes each girl into a unique world where they are on a mission to save the color in each of their cities! The free game app will be available for download at iTunes.

Overall we are pleased with fun and excited doll. My girls have loved it and it's apps. So if you have a Bratz lover then you have to check out this new line. You will love it and so will your girls! Plus it lets them know even girls can be heroes too! So check it out today at Walmart, Kmart, Target and Amazon! Plus follow Bratz on Facebook and Twitter!

Fun Friday crafts- Crayon vase

Supplies:
box of 24 crayons ( I used the 25 cent pack from walmart)
a container ( I used a old peanut can)
Hot glue

Directions:
1. heat up hot glue gun.

2. Glue crayone to side of can side by side all the way around can.

3. Let dry! Then the vase is done. You can add a small potted plant or fake flower with styrofoam.

This is so fun the kids can help make it and its one way to use cheap school supplies and makes a awesome teacher gift!

LOREX Baby Sweet Peek monitor- review

Being a mom to six and a aunt to many lol I worry about all the kids and babies safeties. I mean not only the health safety but stranger safety too. Now I had a few kids that were born early and one that stayed in NICU for over a week on oxygen and the CPAP because her lungs werent ready. I remember the first couple of nights I didn't get any sleep because I was watching her to make sure she didnt stop breathing. I heard so many horror stories about SIDS and I didn't want nothing like that to happen. Then with my other kids after watching news about people breaking in in the middle of the night and kidnapping the kids and babies I was scared to death to let my kids sleep in other rooms. This is where LOREX Baby Sweet Peek Moniter is awesome for.

 LOREX Baby Sweet Peek monitor is a baby moniter that is also a video camera so you can keep a eye on your baby ev are  the key features the great 2.4" portable LCD monitor, 8 hours battery life, Crystal clear night vision, crisp sound, two way talk, night light and my favorite is the soothing lullabies. Plus digital zoom and a 450 ft. outdoor wireless range. You can even expenad up to 4 cameras. Honestly not only is this a great baby monitor it is a great nanny cam and security camera. I mean with all this features and how well it actually works I have not found another like it for under $500 but this one goes for about $150 online. That is amazing.

So if you are like me and want to know your kids are safe and secure you have to check out LOREX Baby Sweet Peek Moniter. You can find them on Facebook, and Twitter as well. So head over and check it out trust me you will love this and it is so worth the investment!

Success Jasmine Boil in Bag rice- review

We love Chinese food. We love rice! I don't always have the time to make the rice that takes forever to cook so when I don't I use boil in the bag rice which is awesome because its done in like 10 minutes and tastes wonderful. Now we eat all kinds of rice like brown rice, white rice and now our new favorite is Jasmine rice. Success has a new Boil in the bag Thai Jasmine Rice and it is absolutely heavenly. 

 I love that I can use this rice in every rice recipe I have and it turns out fabulous every time. It is so soft and fluffy and almost sweet. I have used it for stir-fry and for a yummy rice pudding. It was to die for. I love cooking yummy foods that are so easy! I do recommend this if you love rice! You will love it and its cheap too!

About: 
Success® Thai Jasmine Rice is a fragrant, aromatic or scented long grain rice now available in a boil-in-bag. Grown in the highlands of Thailand for centuries, rain-fed Jasmine Rice was cultivated for the royalty of the kingdom of Siam. Named after the sweet smelling jasmine flower of Southeast Asia, Jasmine Rice has a naturally distinctive scent, released during the cooking process, likened to a flowery perfume.Jasmine Rice is known for its whiteness and aroma. When cooked it is soft and fluffy with a taste that enhances traditional spices of Oriental cuisine. Check out Success on Twitter, Facebook and even Pinterest!

Success Rice Pudding Recipe

Ingrediants:
1 bag Success® Rice
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins
boiling water
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla, cinnamon or ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:
Prepare rice according to package directions.

 Combine rice, 1 cup milk, sugar, and salt in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick and creamy, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, place raisins in small bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover raisins; let stand 15 minutes.

Beat egg with remaining milk in small bowl. Gradually pour into hot rice mixture, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Drain raisins, fold into pudding. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

 Serve warm or chilled.

Fun Friday- DIY Homemade Sidewalk Paint

Side walk Paint

 Ingredients:
Flour
food coloring
corn starch
water
paint brush
containers for paint I used muffin tin

Directions:
1. in bowl combine 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup corn starch and about 2 cups water then mix well until its a paint consistancy.

2. pour into containers or muffin pan

3. add about 4 to 8 drops of food coloring to each container and mix for vibrant colored paint.

4. take out side and enjoy painting. Its all natural and safe for consumption so no worries if kids try to eat it lol. It is messy and may stain clothing so beware. But nice alternative to buying side walk chalk or paint!

Wholly Guacamole and OMGuac contest

The Wholly Guacamole® brand wants to help you make lunch for you and your kids OMGuac -tastic!  After all, Wholly Guacamole is the Offical sponsor of the OMGuac Lunch!

Stop by eatwholly.com/omg for some great ideas, a coupon and a chance to win $100 gift card with FREE Wholly Guacamole products! Three winners are chosen weekly through Sept. 27.

The One Lunch, Two Ways gives you inspiration on how to create two completely different lunches with most of the same ingredients! Take a look and print out the shopping list for your favorite ideas. 

OMGuac! It's a contest!
Here's how it works. Use Wholly Guacamole minis and a little creativity to make lunch fun! The best lunches will win a lunc box full of guacalicious products and a gift car for $100! 

For complete contest details and rules, visit eatwholly.com/omg

We'll be picking three winners each week through September 27th! 

Purex Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar review and giveaway ends 9-6

In my house of 8 people the laundry is a never ending story. Then to buy those clothes can be very expensive. So I hate when I have to throw clothes away because of stains or fading. So when I got the chance to try out Purex Fels-Naptha Laundry Bar you bet I said yes because if it works it saves me money and time!

Purex Fels-Naptha is a stain remover and pre-treatment and a laundry soap all in one. It's even suppose to remove greasy stains and oil stains. So I couldn't wait to try it. I have 6 kids all 14 and under so there are always all kinds of tough stains on my kids clothes. We have had to throw things away because of grass stains, blood stains, oil and grease stains. So I have tried almost everything out there to help with these stubborn stains and there are very few that even help a little.

When I receive the Purex Laundry Bar it looked like a bar of bath soap lol. My kids thought that it was haha. My mom and husband recognized the name from stuff way back in the day that I guess my grandma used for laundry and stuff and they said back then it was harsh and smelled awful. This they were surprised smelled wonderful and like a clean soap. Now there are a couple ways to use it. First is as a pre-treater on tough stains by wetting the stain and rub the bar on it and let it soak a few minutes then wash. The other way was to grate some of the bar up into the wash as a laundry booster and help get the clothes even cleaner.

Before

I decided to try it on my 5 year old shirt which after a day out at the park playing and picnic there was juice spilled on it, grass stains and food stains. So yes it was a mess! I rubbed the Purex Fels-Naptha on the stains and tossed the shirt int the wash and I was surprised that 99% of the stains came out but I think it would of all came out if I would of coated the stains more with the bar and let it soak in longer. I was completely happy now with this product.

After

Next I tried it grated into the whites because even with bleach my whites still come out stained or dingy looking. I did notice a huge difference when they came out. They were whiter and way less stains. Plus they smelled wonderful and less like bleach. They were also softer. I am now a pleased customer of Purex Fels-Naptha and will and have bought it again. So far this is the best working product I have tried so far! So head out to your local store and pick up some today and best part is it is usually under $2. Wow that's amazing!

I am giving 2 readers a coupon for a free bar! Yay!
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Purex provided me with a sample of Purex Fels-Naptha Luandry Bar in exchange for a product review. However all the opinions expressed here are my own!

Fun Friday- Sun Cooked smores

Sun Cooked Smores

supplies:
box ( we used a pizza box)
Aluminum foil
graham crackers
chocolate
marshmallows

Directions:
1. We lined top and bottom of the pizza box with the aluminum foil

2. place graham cracker on bottom tin foil, then place chocolate and marshmallow on top. then top with another graham cracker

3. We tilted the top of box at a slant so the sun would hit it and bouce off and hit towards the bottom foil and heat every thing up.

4. wait! ours took about 10 minutes to get the chocolate all melty and marshmallow soft. The kids were surprised we cooked them outside and they loved they could do this them selves. This was a fun science experiment and they learn how hot the sun can get to actually cook stuff.

Lookie Lous- Reading glasses/ headband

Do you or anyone in your family wear or need reading glasses? Do you also notice that you lose them or don't have them when you need them? Well so did Kelly the inventor of Lookie Lous and she came up with a solution! This is where Lookie Lous came in.

These new reading glasses also substitute as a head band this way you put them on your head or hat and you always have them when you need them. They are hard coated for scratch resistance, weigh less than a ounce, UV rated, made from flexible polycarbonate, made in different magnifications from 0.0 to 2.0, and best part is they are handmade! Plus they are kind of stylish too. So whats better then stylish glass that are with you always and making you able to read when you need it? Nothing lol!

We got a pair in Vegas Violet and I love them. Well if I can keep them away from my 5 year old lol. Me and 3 of my kids needs reading glasses so these are great. Especially with school starting soon. These are great for kids that are nervous about reading glass at school and getting teased. Now they can wear them as a headband and just slide them down to read then back up. Kids will think they are neat instead of strange. I think they are great! So if you need reading glasses I would suggest you check out Lookie Lous.

Wordless Wednesday- Water Fun

Care Bears: A Belly Badge for Wonderheart - The Movie on DVD Aug. 6- Giveaway ends aug. 30

Care Bears: A Belly Badge for Wonderheart 

On DVD Aug. 6th, 2013

Run time 65 minutes

Synopsis:

In the magical world of Care-a-Lot, Wonderheart Bear wants to join the Cub Bouts, but it’s only for cubs with active Belly Badges. When she resorts to using the wishes from Care ‘n Share Charms to fake her powers, it leads to disastrous results. Her final wish accidentally lands her in the Moody Mountains in the center of a Stardust Storm! With the help of Grams Bear and her loving Care Bear friends, Wonderheart learns an important lesson about using the Belly Badge Beacon responsibly and discovers the joys of honesty and caring.     

Our Opinion:

We love the Carebears. This movie was fun, cute and entertaining. My kids loved it and so did I. I love the little lessons learned and how the Carebears work through their problems. This is definitely a cute kids movie and a must see so pick it up today at your local store that sells DVDs. Your kids will love it and so will you!

We are giving one DVD to one lucky USA reader.Yay!

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Comcast Xfinity on Demand Summer of Kids

“Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC, through its contractor, Mom Central Consulting, provided a promotional item as a thank you to the blogger who made this post for participating in this campaign. The opinions and experiences expressed in this post are solely the bloggers opinions, based on the blogger’s experiences and do not reflect any positions or opinions of Comcast Communications Management, LLC”

Being a mom of 6 kids going out of the house anywhere with them all can be a adventure. There has been times I had to take all 6 with me to doctor appointments and dentist appointments. It is completely crazy! Then top it off with taking that many kids camping or on vacation. Most people think am I crazy and I think probably haha. I must say though Comcast Xfinity On Demand Summer of Kids has been a huge help this Summer with everything we did!

What is this amazing Comcast Xfinity On Demand Summer of Kids thing I am talking about? Well it is this awesome program where you can download your kids favorite movies and shows onto you mobile devices like iPod, iPad, tablets, Laptop, etc. and then while your out your kids can watch them and it keeps them busy while your busy. This is great for long trips and for long doctors appointments. So you want to know more?

Comcast Xfinity has tons of Children's programming available on multiple screens and devices. We use it alot on our iPods and Laptop and Tablet. It is easy to use that my kids navigate through it by themselves. Best part is since I have teenagers, kids and toddlers there are shows for all of them. They can watch Dora, Blues clues, Nickelodeon, Disney and much more. This is wonderful for me!

Comcast On Demand's Catalog has over 1000 downloadable kid-friendly shows with Xfinity Digital TV and Streampix subscriptions. The Xfinity APP helps take the kid-friendly shows on the go during family trips or appointments or food shopping etc. This is great because we have been going camping, fishing and we have had alot of doctors appointments and still have more. Plus my niece is getting married soon and we will be driving 12 hours to go see her so this will come in so handy because there is only so much I Spy and counting cars and alphabet game you can play in 12 hours. We even tried coloring and other car activities but the kids get bored and watching their favorite shows keeps them entertained so they are not asking are we there yet? So where can you learn how to download this Xfinity TV Player APP well right Here.

One more great feature is Common Sense Media is integrated with Xfinity TV, providing a media ratings system based on child development guidelines so you can make informed choices about the entertainment you choose for your family. This means you can filter shows by categories like age and most-watched shows. I’m pretty picky on what my kids are allowed to watch even with my 12 and 14 year olds so I love knowing what they are watching and making sure they are not watching something they are not allowed to. So check out Comcast's Parental Control site to learn more about controling what your kids are watching.

So if you need a new way to entertain your kid or kids while out of the house, appointments, long trips, dinner out or whatever check out everything www.Xfinity.com/summerofkids has to offer you and your little ones. You will be glad you did! Also stop by and check them out on Twitter and Facebook.

Tasty Tuesday- Bacon Wrapped Apple Barbecue Chicken

Bacon Wrapped Apple Barbecue Chicken

Ingredients:

3-4 chicken breasts
½ cup barbecue sauce
1-2 apples, peeled and grated
Juice of 1 lemon
6-8 slices of bacon

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce, grated apple, and lemon juice. 

2. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around each chicken breast half.

3. Place wrapped chicken in a greased 4-5 quart slow cooker and top with BBQ sauce mixture.

4. Set to low and cook for 8 hours.

Better Oats Oat Revolution Steel Cut Oats review

School is getting ready to start again and in my house of 8 we are always rushing around trying to get ready and eat in time to get out the door in time. I want them to eat a healthly and nourishing breakfast before school. One of our favorite is oatmeal. We love the instant pop it in the microwave and it is done kind. So when we got the chance to try the new Better Oats Oat Revolution Steel Cut Oats you bet we said yes!

I love steel cut oat but normally I have to cook it over night in the crockpot for it to be ready in time for school. So I love that Better Oats came out with the instant kind. It is only 170 calories, a 1/2 a gram of SAT FAT, 5g of protein, 8% iron and 4g of fiber and tons more stuff. So it is a great healthy option for breakfast. They even have Flax seed which is great for your dietary fibers! Best part is its ready in a little over 2 minutes! Then even have great flavors! I love the Maple and Brown Sugar and the kids love the Apple Cinnamon.

So if you are looking for something easy, fast and healthy for breakfast for back to school check out Better Oats Oat Revolution Steel Cut Oats. You will be glad you did and so will your kids. Everyone deserves a healthy, hearty breakfast!

Summer will fly by with these activity books from Candlewick Press

Summer vacation is almost over here only two more weeks until school starts back and my kids are so bored. We have been doing crafts and parks and more to keep them entertained but on days we cant get out activity books come in so handy to keep them reading and busy. Candlewick has some great activity books to keep your kids entertained this summer and they are just what your kids need to enjoy reading again before school starts.

Doodle with Maisy:
Creative Maisy fans - it's time to make your mark! Take your pencil on a doodling adventure in this irresistible Maisy activity book created by Lucy Cousins. There’s hours of fun and something for everyone in this hands-on Maisy doodle-fest! This is such a fun book that you can use your own imagination to make the story even better. We love it!

Magical Mixups: Pets and parties:
Glitter at the ready, this book needs YOU! Princess Sapphire and Emerald the Witch live in the mixed-up land of Mixtopia, where everything is just a little bit odd…let’s face it, perfect princesses and scruffy witches are not usually best friends. Doodle, design and draw while you read and make Sapphire’s birthday wish come true! My 11 year old loves this book! She loves designing the scenes and reading the story!

Sneaky Art:
For young artists, tricksters, and crafters, here is a hip, friendly how-to manual for creating removable and shareable art projects from easily found materials. The sneaky part is in the installation! Each work of art is custom-created for display in public places. This utterly unique guide offers a stylish and sweet “made-you-look-twice” spirit of fun meant to put a smile on the faces of strangers and loved ones alike. This book is so fun. There are so many craft ideas and I love how you can share it with the world by making them and placing them sneaky places for others to find.

Let's build a playground:
What’s your dream playground? Grab a piece of paper and let your imagination go wild! That was the first step when two hundred kids and grown-ups got together to build the playground in this book—one of two thousand that KaBOOM! has helped create. Michael J. Rosen’s lively free verse, together with colorful photographs, capture the enthusiastic teamwork leading up to the final build of a playground in one day—a playground that will welcome kids of all ages well into the future. This is a great book to help spark my kids imagination and get them thinking if they were to build a playground what would it be like. My kids came up with some awesome playgrounds!

Go Out and Play:
Go outside and play! Here, at your fingertips, are how-to's for more than seventy best-loved games, all set to spread the fun of active play to kids of all ages. This lively, infectious guide to games runs the gamut from classic to contemporary: freeze tag, blindman’s bluff, red light green light, four square, duck duck goose, and so many more. It’s all sparked by KaBOOM!, a nonprofit with a passion for creating outdoor play spaces nationally and around the world. This is my favorite book! It has so many outdor games to play with the kids. There is classics like Red Rover and new games my kids play like Sardines and 500. This will get your kids moving and having fun. Best book ever!

Look up: bird watching in your own backyard:
This conversational, humorous introduction to bird-watching encourages kids to get outdoors with a sketchbook and really look around. Quirky full-color illustrations portray dozens of birds chatting about their distinctive characteristics, including color, shape, plumage, and beak and foot types, while tongue-in-cheek cartoons feature banter between birds, characters, and the reader. I love bird watching and my kids are really into learning about the different kinds of birds so this book was perfect. It is fun to read the illustrations and see the birds telling other birds their features and all. Great learning book!

Where’s Waldo? The Totally Essential Travel Collection:
Waldo seekers on their own voyages will be raring to go with this compact compilation featuring all seven of his renowned excursions: Where's Waldo?, Where's Waldo Now?, Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey, Where's Waldo? The Wonder Book, Where's Waldo? In Hollywood, Where's Waldo? The Great Picture Hunt, and Where's Waldo? The Incredible Paper Chase. My kids love Wher's Waldo books. I swear we would have everyone if I'd let them lol. They love searching through the pics trying to find that little guy and I must admit I love searching too! Definitely keeps them busy for a while!

So If you are looking for some fun books to keep your kids busy and their little minds active check out these great books from Candlewick! You will be glad you did and your kids will love them!

Tasty Tuesday- Cake Mix Cookies

Cake Mix Cookies

Ingredients:
1 box of your favorite cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

Directions:
1. mix together cake mix with eggs and oil. It will form soft dough mixture.

2. scoop a tablespoon or so of dough on to lightly greased cookie sheet

3. Bake on 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes

Honestly these are the easiest and tastiest cookies ever. Plus you can make all kinds of flavors and mix in add ins like chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles, pieces of candy bars, etc.

Fun Friday- Playdough recipes

So if your kids are like mine they love playing with play dough but I hate the smell of play dough and clay so we make our own using these yummy recipes. They are edible and safe for little ones and they smell awesome! They are easy to make and if you keep them in air tight containers or bags they will last a long time!

Simply Snackin- all natural on the go protein jerky

With exercising and trying to eat right I really look at what I eat. I try to increase the protein and lower the carbs, fat and calories. I love jerky of all kids but usually it is high in sodium and fat. So when I found out about Simply Snackin jerky I had to try it!

Simply Snackin has 1/2 a gram of Fat, around 8 grams of Protein, around 5 grams of Carbs and low Sodium and low Cholesterol. Its also has a good amount of Iron and they are Gluten free. There is Chicken jerky and Beef jerky plus they have some dried fruits in them as well. Some of their awesome flavors include Beef Sirloin with Cranberries and Blueberries, Beef Sirloin with Apples and Cherries, Teriyaki Beef Sirloin with Pineapples, Chicken Breast with Italian Seasonings and Romano Cheese, Chicken Breast with Black Bean Salsa, and Teriyaki Chicken Breast with Mangoes and Papayas.

 Me and my family absolutely love them. They were juicy, tender and full of flavor. They were the best jerky I have ever tasted. I couldn't get enough of them. I wanted to hide them from my family because ones they tasted them they wanted more as well. Even my husband couldn't get enough of them. I mean they are literally that good. I cant wait til I have money to order more!

So if you love jerky or want some high protein snacks that taste wonderful or are on a diet and want a snack that wont ruin your diet then you have to check out Simply Snakin Jerky. You will love them and they will turn into you favorite thing! So get some today!

 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.