We love the Wii and recently Clever Girls Collective shared the opportunity to review the video game, Just Dance Kids by Ubisoft.  Don’t let the title fool you, this game is just as fun for adults. With over 40 fun songs for all ages, we have been having a blast competing with each other to see who can complete the dance moves and get the highest score.

Just Dance Kids has kid favorites like the Alphabet Song, Wheels on the Bus and The Hamster Dance song, and Dawson’s favorites are The Monkey Dance (sung by The Wiggles) and Get the Sillies Out (from Yo Gabba Gabba).  He tells me he loves trying to mimic the dance moves and he has only request:  ”I want to create my own dance moves that will show up on the TV while I’m dancing them.”  Can you tell I”m going to have a video game creator/programmer in the family?

I was impressed with many different songs this game offers.  My husband and I got a kick (pun intended) out of Kung Fu Fighting and my neighbor had so much fun dancing to Surfin’ USA and ABC (a Jackson 5 hit).  But the best fun of all was when we chose Who Let the Dogs Out and my toddler began dancing and chasing Murphy, our Boston Terrier.

There are 3 different game modes available on Just Dance Kids.  Dance Party Mode allows the songs to play continuously without needing to return to the menu screen.  Freeze and Shake Mode is fun for kids as they are able to shake the Wii Remote or freeze for extra points.  The last option is Team Mode in which kids (and parents!) can dance together for a team score.

The game is very easy to play, no dance skills required.  Just hold the Wii remote and dance your behind away.  The best part is that playing this game is exercise in disguise.

I only have one complaint:  the game is addicting.  Dawson doesn’t want to stop playing.  Truthfully, I really thought he’d get through all the songs and get bored after he was done.  He really loves to go through the menu and repeat some of the dances to see if he can get a better score.

We think Just Dance Kids is awesome!  You can buy your copy at Amazon.com (because Target.com is out of stock!).

While Ubisoft sponsored this review, the opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Win it!  Leave a comment to win a copy of Just Dance Kids!

As mom to a 13 month old who never really cared for processed baby food, I always wanted to make my own baby food but never really knew how to begin or what products to try. I’m grateful to be able to try these products. So, let me share my thoughts!

First things first, the Fresh Food Mill is fantastic. Owen loves fresh fruits and vegetables but with only so many teeth it’s hard for me to serve some of them without spending hours in the kitchen steaming and mashing or cutting them into bite-sized pieces. This food mill allows me to make purees that are fresh tasting and easy for Owen to eat.

The Steam Release Micro Dish is a wonderful complement to the Fresh Food Mill because it is the ideal size container for cooking single-serve portions. After steaming carrots I can then use the food mill to make a puree. So far I’ve steamed potatoes, peas, beans and broccoli and have used the food mill to grind them up and Owen loves them! The great part about these products is that recipes are included inside the packaging as well as on the outside of the box.

Next up, the Mash & Serve Bowl is great for smashing sweet potatoes and steamed cauliflower. I even use it to trick Dawson into eating “mashed potatoes” which are half potatoes and half cauliflower. These products are BPA free, so I don’t have to worry about nasty chemicals going into our foods.

For food storage, we received 6 Stackable Food Pots with easy-to-seal lids in three great colors; pink, green and blue. These containers are dishwasher, freezer and microwave safe, too. The down right perfect! We also received a Freeze Tray with nine 1 oz. sections, or food cubes, that make it easy to freeze and store the freshly prepared baby food for later consumption.

Then we’ve got the Fill & Freeze Puree Pops which remind me of those Tupperware freezer pop makers that my mother used to make Kool-Aid pops when we were kids. I like diluting fruit juice with water to make perfect pops when the boys have colds. They still get some nutrients and stay hydrated, too. These are also perfect for babies who are teething. Freeze a puree and use a pop to soothe tender gums. This product is also freezer and dishwasher safe and so easy to clean.

Last but not least we got a Double Decker Meal box which has 2 single-serve microwavable dishes, 2 large compartment storage containers and 2 plastic spoons (one is really a spork). I like that I can store either small or large portions and take them on the go. Being so busy, this is one item that is easy to use and fits great in our diaper bag.

I really like the products because of they are easy to use, BPA free, most items are freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe, and let’s face it, they are so cute to look at. Annabel Karmel designed fabulous products and I’m so glad that Mom Central sent them to us to try on behalf of Infantino.

Stay tuned for another post with recipes and photos of our creations!

For more information about the Annabel Karmel products, visit the Infantino website. Be sure to check out Infantino’s brand new website, too!

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I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) states that despite parents’ best efforts, 50 percent of children will have a cavity between the ages of five and nine. We all know that candy and soda are often to blame, however even seemingly healthy foods like fruit juice and milk can be the source of cavities. My own dentist shared (horror) stories about some infants having tooth decay from always walking around with a bottle of milk.

Protecting our kids from cavities should be a parent’s top priority. The AAPD recommends that parents schedule an appointment with a dentist as soon as the first tooth appears. I’m sad to report I didn’t know this until now, and Dawson has had a cavity before entering kindergarten, even though he brushes morning and night. Getting him into the habit of taking care of his teeth was not easy. I had to practically force him to open his mouth those first few times.

Recently we had the opportunity to participate in the Listerine and Reach Oral Care challenge as part of a blog tour sponsored by Mom Central Consulting. We received an array of tooth brushes and flossing tools, as well as 7 different mouth washes (Listerine Smart Rinse, Listerine Zero, Cool Mint, Agent Blue pre-rinse and more!).

Our family brushed daily and used Listerine mouth wash after flossing. My husband likes the mint flavor best. I’m not really picky as long as my mouth feels clean. Dawson loved the batman tooth brush and after bribing him with TV time he tried the “Batman” Smart Rinse and didn’t complain too much. The goal was to complete this oral care routine for a month, and we managed to get 3 weeks in before this review.

Dawson loves the Batman toothbrush, too. This brush helps easily clean those hard to reach places. I like the soft bristles that are designed for new and developing teeth. The brush head is not too big, so it fits well into a child’s mouth and the ergonomic handle helps Dawson hold the brush in his hand.

Our family dentist was extremely happy that Listerine and Reach had teamed up to encourage families to get involved in oral hygiene. I’m just glad that we’re setting a great example for our boys. The makers of Listerine and Reach have also teamed up with America’s Toothfairy to launch “Trick or Treat for America’s Toothfairy,” a campaign to raise awareness of pediatric dental disease and help provide life changing care to underserved children. Please visit the America’s Toothfairy website for more information.

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of LISTERINE and REACH and received products to take the Oral Care Challenge. Mom Central Consulting also sent me a Global Giving gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Here’s my creation, made at Shutterfly:

The thing I love most about photography is setting the scene of my photos. I love finding the perfect backgrounds and capturing a smile or twenty from the the boys. What I love most about Shutterfly is the great number of creative options for my photo cards.

Shutterfly offers great value when it comes to cards and stationary, but you can create photo books as well as order prints, calendars and photo gifts, too. The possibilities are endless.

Last year I designed our Christmas photo card using Shutterfly. I wanted to get that perfect picture of then 5-year-old Dawson and 2-month-old Owen and make the sweetest holiday card. Fifty less-than-stellar photos later, I decided to throw in the towel. Both kids were crying and I snapped a picture. Then creative genius hit. I decided to use the crying shot and this is what I came up with:

How can you not love that? I can’t wait to make our 2010 Christmas card.

Now that Dawson is in kindergarten he is always bringing home newsletters and special notes about all the efforts the school is making to raise money.  We’ve sold magazine subscriptions to family and friends.  We sold chocolates and gift items.  Student fees increased from $20 a year to $35.  Just last week my son brought home another fundraiser. Now we’re selling organic produce grown by local farmers.  A percentage of money raised will go to the school, and a donation of food as well as money will go to a local church that hosts a Thanksgiving Meal for homeless in our area.  Next week I have to make dozens of cupcakes for a bake sale.  The fundraisers never end.

Most of the money needed is to keep the fun activities kids can participate in after school, as well as for field trips and other learning needs.  It makes me sad that our kids suffer by going without these things.  School is for learning, but learning should be fun.

On the flip side, I understand how our community voted against the referendum.  There are so many residents who have lost their jobs and are doing their best to make ends meet.  They just can’t afford the raise in taxes.  As someone who was jobless for 9 months, I know exactly how they feel.

I was very excited to learn that Bing is holding a contest called Our School Needs where students can write an essay telling Bing what their school needs (a science lab?  a new art department? classrooms equipped with computers and other technology?). They can work in groups, classes, or even school-wide to write an essay and take pictures finishing the sentence “Our School Needs: ___________.” To enter:

•Write an essay (500 to 800 words)
•Take pictures (3 to 5 photos)
•Film a video (not required, but fun! Maximum of 3 minutes in length)
Who Can EnterAny student or teacher from a K-12 school can enter. While students under 18 are encouraged to create the entry, a parent, legal guardian or a teacher must submit it.

Bing will award a quarter-million dollars, divided among four schools—$50,000 to three first-prize winners, and one $100,000 grand prize. Pretty darn cool, right?

Check out this video:

What are you waiting for? There’s still time to enter! Entries will be accepted until midnight on Sunday, October 24, with voting remaining open until Tuesday, October 26th.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Bing and received a DonorsChoose.org giving code and gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Yes, we really did garnish our pasta with green onions — it was fabulous.

While I’ve always been a fan of whole-wheat pasta (I blame it on my obsession with carbs and not eating many of them), this brand really does taste just like the plain old semolina our mothers and grandmothers bought.  I can’t tell the difference between the two.

Getting our kids to eat better quality and healthier foods can be a major challenge.  Our lives are busy and it’s easier to pick whatever is available, but switching to Ronzoni is a small step to better health.

If you’d like to try Ronzoni Smart Taste, click here to get a coupon for 75 cents off.

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Ronzoni and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review and photo contest entry. In addition, I received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Infantino sent three products for us to try: the Twist & Fold Activity Gym, the Fold & Go Bouncer, and the Jumbo Wheel Play Space.  When the box arrived I was very excited to rip it open and see what was inside.  My first impression was very positive.  These products are bright and colorful without being too busy and over-stimulating.  I love the jungle themed activity mat with the lion, monkey and elephant hanging down from the crossbars.  Owen loves the activity gym as evidenced here:

Infantino Fold & Go Activity Gym

The Jumbo Wheel Play Space is so much fun!  There are so many things that grab his attention, from the rings to the squeaker in the elephant’s hat, to the crinkly ears on the elephant and monkey.  Check out this happy baby:

He is fascinated with mirrors and both these toys include them in the fun. My little loves to look at “the baby” in the mirror. It’s even more fun when he catches a glimpse of Mommy, Daddy or Big Brother Dawson in it, too. We took this wheel mat to the park with us and five other moms commented on how big the play space is and how much they love the colors.

Lastly, we received the bouncer. Owen is just growing too quickly; the chunky monkey barely fits in the seat, but he still loves the toy bar and the vibrating chair:

I love that this bouncer can go anywhere! It folds flat and fits nicely in the trunk (along with the stroller and diaper bag and every other baby item imaginable!). It has soothing vibrations, and by pressing a button you get a heartbeat and 2 nature sounds as well as three different melodies and volume control. This bouncer is full of options for being so compact!

My best friend recently gave birth to her first child and I’ve recommended Infantino products to her because I truly believe that Infantino puts a lot of thought into their products. Not only do they care about our precious babies, but they come up with unique designs and features that appeal to us picky parents, too. Kudos to you, Infantino!

For more information about these products click the links above or visit www.infantino.com.

Enter Sonicare for kids.  Dentists recommend that kids brush a minimum of two minutes twice daily.  To make teeth brushing more fun Sonicare created a power toothbrush, designed for kids ages 4-10, that offers patented sonic technology and other cool features.

We had the opportunity to try the Sonicare toothbrush thanks to the folks at Mom Central.  When it arrived I cracked open the package and told Dawson he had a new, fun toothbrush to try.  He was less than thrilled, but after charging the battery we tested it out.

The toothbrush itself is made of sturdy rubber with an ergonomic handle.  It offers two brush head sizes to clean teeth at key developmental stages (one for kids 4+ years, another for kids 7+ years). The sonic technology creates powerful yet gentle vibrations to aid in reaching between teeth and along the gum line in two power modes (high and low).  The KidTimer feature sets brushing time for the different modes. High power mode uses 30-second intervals for the full dentist-recommended 2 minutes of brushing.  In low power mode, brushing duration slowly increases from 1 minute to 2. This helps young children gradually reach 2 minutes of brushing. Time increases every time a full brushing cycle is completed.

The Sonicare brush offers 3 changeable face plates making it easy for kids to personalize their toothbrush, and a charging station with brush head holder.

Dawson likes the Sonicare brush better than his regular toothbrush.  The KidTimer helps him to gage how long to brush and the KidPacer makes it easier for me to be certain his teeth and gums are truly clean.  I am very impressed with this product.  It’s unique compared to other products like the spin brushes on the market.

For more information, visit the Sonicare website.

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Sonicare and received a free Sonicare For Kids toothbrush to facilitate my review.

When I was asked by Mom Central to participate in a review of Cottonelle toilet paper I jumped at the chance.  My plan was to have my husband write the review, considering how much he loves to debate the best brand of TP.  But again, the laziness.

We received 4 rolls of Cottonelle and when the box arrived I promptly rolled under.  I know.  I KNOW. Most people roll over. I am in the 28% who do not roll over, but I wasn’t always an under roller.  Before kids, I rolled the paper over.  I have only one reason for the switch:  if I roll it over, my son will use a lot of toilet paper.  He’s five.  He doesn’t understand the rules of TP.  When I roll under, he doesn’t seem to be able to grab an excessive amount of toilet paper.

Regardless of your rolling preference, Cottonelle toilet paper will accommodate over and under rolling.  This toilet paper is soft and super absorbent.  It’s a strong, textured paper.  It met all of my husband’s requirements.

The best thing about this Cottonelle is that it’s made by Kimberly-Clark, and we have a KC mill in my hometown.  After trying this brand I think I’ll buy it more often, especially since I know it will boost the local economy.  And of course, who can resist the fun of the Great Debate.  Tell me:  Over or Under?

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Cottonelle and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Recently we were asked to Banquet home-style frozen dinners.  I went to the grocery store and was amazed by the variety.  Chicken nuggets, fish sandwich, salisbury steak, beef stroganoff, swedish meatballs, macaroni and cheese and so many more.  The price was right at about $2 or less; a perfect meal in a pinch.  That day the store had them on sale for $1 apiece.  I picked up one chicken nugget meal, which had sides of corn and mac & cheese, as well as a swedish meatball entree.

These meals are so easy to make.  They cook in the microwave in about 3-5 minutes depending on package instructions.  Dawson devoured the chicken nugget meal.  I was impressed.  I sampled one of the nuggets and they taste much better than the kid’s meal variety.

Banquet also offers family-sized entrees, but the grocery stores in our town do not carry them so I was unable to sample these or make note of the variety.

Banquet has been making their frozen dinners for over 50 years.  Through the end of April they are giving away more than $1 million worth of redeemable cash prizes.  Look for Banquet frozen dinner meals with the “Thanks a Million” logo on the box. Each of these specially-marked packages will contain a special game piece, either one of over 16,000 redeemable cash prizes worth anywhere from $10 to $100,000, or a Banquet coupon.   You get a great quick meal and a chance to win prizes!

We like the Banquet frozen meals and you will, too.

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This post was written as part of a blog tour sponsored by MomCentral.  We received two coupons for a free entree for sampling purposes.