Brave On Demand Viewing Party

November 20, 2012 by Melissa

Enchanted forests and lush green hills. This was the backdrop of Disney Pixar’s Brave. The kids, my mom and I were in line that first weekend it was out in the movies and we also were first to order Brave when it became available on On Demand on November 13th. We were so excited in fact that we invited friends over for a Brave Viewing Party after school.

shae and her best friend rhoslyn

This time of year is busy so I thought a movie and snacks would be a great treat for the kids along with a red carpet and backdrop. While the kids waited for the entire group to arrive they enjoyed getting their pictures taken and indulging in some sweet snacks.

weirdo sabreena and shae posing on the red carpet

During the movie the kids got involved in Brave themed activity and coloring sheets. Since On Demand lets us rent the movie for 3 days you know it was watched another 3 times.

sharing brave coloring and activity sheets

Pixar Animation Studios whisks you away on an astonishing adventure to an ancient land full of mystery and tradition. Bursting with heart, unforgettable characters and Pixar’s signature humor, for the whole family. The Film is rated PG.

Set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland, Disney Pixar’s “Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to change her fate, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane), unleashing chaos in the kingdom. When she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters), she is granted an ill-fated wish and the ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her resources—including her mischievous triplet brothers—to undo a beastly curse and discover the meaning of true bravery.

Disney Pixar’s BRAVE is Now Available On Demand – contact your Cable or Satellite provider to order BRAVE on demand now!

Our Place, a place for teens App

November 16, 2012 by Melissa

Our Place is an app created by Louise Palanker that gives tweens and teens a place to talk and post about issues in their lives that they may be uncomfortable discussing with parents or even friends. I’ve spent the last few weeks browsing and exploring all of the interesting chat rooms that the app has to offer. I’ve seen some interesting and helpful discussions and had some great conversations with people while using Our Place.

Our Place is a Social and Support and Creativity Network for Teens and Tweens, featuring expert advice from Teen Specialist, Louise Palanker

Our Place is designed to encourage and reward Cyber Kindness, cooperation, and compassion.

At Our Place, teens are talking about: life, love, boys, girls, dating, flirting, friends, bullies, parents, school, family, gay issues, puberty, sex, fears, depression, dramas and dreams. The more advice you give and receive, the more awesome you will feel about yourself and your place in the world.

The layout of the app is very easy to navigate. I really like that the “Courtyard” is broken down into so many sections. It gives you the ability to find what kind of topics you want to discuss, whether they are serious and personal or more of a fun chat. The advice section is always crawling with users who are ready and willing to talk about issues that you may have. It’s divided into Friends/Peers/Bullies, Dating/Romance/Crushes, Family, Gay/Lesbian/Bi, and more. This allows you to put your question in a section where people are comfortable reading about and responding to those types of issues. You might even find someone with a problem similar to your own. Everyone on the app is incredibly helpful and respectful. Anyone who is found being rude or inappropriate is stopped by moderators before it gets out of hand. The moderators do a great job of maintaining civil conversation on Our Place.

Advice isn’t all that the app is good for though. The chat and creativity sections are full of activity and conversation amongst users. Teens can post stories and poetry that they have written and share it with others. This way, aspiring writers can get feedback and new ideas for their writing. It’s a great supportive community with lots of kids getting the advice and guidance that they need.

There are just a few things that bothered me while using the app. I commented on a thread but lost it when I came back a few days later to check for any updates. There doesn’t seem to be any method of marking the threads that you want to be updated on. Also, personal photos aren’t an option for your profile picture. I’m sure they don’t allow them for privacy reasons but when multiple users pick the same picture of Justin Beiber as their icon and then comment on the same thread, it can get pretty confusing. Other than that though, I really enjoy the app will continue using it.

Our Place is a FREE app available on the iTunes platform.

Rose Romano’s Italian Peppers instead of sauce

November 8, 2012 by Melissa

There are a few meals that are a hit in our house, meals that I know I won’t get any arguments, eye rolls or tears. One of these meals is pasta with sausage. The problem is the kids don’t like sauce. This means that this meal has to be watered down with broth or drizzled with oil or I have to cook up some diced tomatoes, garlic and oil just to add moisture to the dish. I don’t like any of these options. Rose Romano’s Italian Peppers were in my pantry for about a day before figuring I could add them to the sausage, peppers and onions and create something entirely new.

Rose Romano’s Italian Gourmet Toppings are a low calorie, gluten-free, locally-sourced gourmet topping made with red or green bell peppers, used on pasta, vegetables, seafood, omelets and sandwiches.

I added about 1/2 cup of the red pepper sauce to the final few minutes of cooking. Since my kids don’t like their pasta very saucy I wanted to add just enough to bring the meal together but not to much so that there was anything left in the bowl.

They loved it. I got a few looks when I presented it but assured them it wasn’t regular sauce, it was better. It was so good in fact that I never got a picture of the in a bowl AND there were no leftovers. Rob depends on leftovers for a good lunch at work but his family let him down this day.

Rob and I have been mixing it with our pizza sauce on Fridays. At first he didn’t sound very keen on changing up the routine I’ve built for the past 5 1/2 years but after 2 weeks he noted that it gives it a unique flavor, much better than our traditional pizza sauce.

I received 4 jars of Rose Romano’s Italian Gourmet Topping in a really gorgeous wooden box (that I’m totally re-purposing into a family shadow box). I’ve used 2 jars so far and am getting nervous that I’m going to out soon.

Rose Romano’s is a local business started by Michael Angotti and his family. A business that started from a love of simple delicious food. Marshall Angotti recalls memories of spending his youth prepping, washing and cutting peppers for his families grocery stores. It came naturally for him to start his own brand using the same attention to detail and focus on flavor that his family did many years ago. The end result is a refined, sophisticated blend of tomatoes, peppers and spice. For more ideas of how these Italian peppers can be used in your own home take a peek at the recipes they created for quick and delicious meals.

For that foodie in your life I would highly suggest Rose Romano’s Italian Gourmet Toppings. I call it a sauce but it’s so much more than that.

Fresh is Best with Freshfood Cook and Blend Baby Food Maker

November 7, 2012 by Melissa

Some of you might remember this photo I posted of my friend Kerry’s new baby, Kellen. He’s not even a month old but I’m already thinking of him when I get pitches for fun things that might not be a fit for my family.

Well, one came it for the Freshfoods™ Cook –n–Blend Baby Food Maker.

Fresh, homemade baby food might sound like a daunting task but when things like the Freshfoods™ Cook –n–Blend Baby Food Maker come along they take out all the guess work and mess. This system steams and blends the food in one convenient spot. Add water and your own fresh food and that’s it. No messing with pots and pans, strainers, blenders or food processors.

I took the Freshfoods™ Cook –n–Blend Baby Food Maker over to Kerry’s house last week to try out the appliance. Nevermind I needed a baby fix too. We whipped up some simple pureed carrots and a delicious batch of:

Apple and Acorn Squash Puree

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and cut
1 1/2 cups acorn squash peeled, seeded & cut
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon

Add all the ingredients to the steamer basket and close lid tightly. Fill water line to 3. Cook until softened. Set aside liquid and place apple and squash and 1 tbls of steaming liquid directly into the bowl to blend. Mix until you get a smooth consistency. Store in small containers and freeze.

The bowl is large enough to fit a couple of cups of food, enough for 4-6 servings depending on your child’s age and diet and if you are fixing a main dish or a side.

Here is an example recipe that comes with the baby food maker.

Potato, Carrot and Sweetcorn (suitable for 6 months)
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced (1/2 cup/50g)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
(1 cup/100g)
1 potato peeled and chopped (1 1/3
cups/100g)
1 tbsp butter (a generous knob of butter)
1 small leek, trimmed and sliced (50g)
1/2 cup (40g) tinned sweet corn
1/4 cup (20g) grated Cheddar (optional)

Place the carrot, sweet potato and potato in the steam basket. Place the basket into the cooking bowl and tightly twist the lid closed. Place the cooking bowl on the base and lock into place. Unscrew the water reservoir knob at the top of the unit and fill with water to level 3. Tightly replace the knob. Press the on/off button to start cooking. The green light will come on and it will cook for approximately 17 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the leek for about 5 minutes over a gentle heat until softened. Remove the basket and reserve the cooking liquid. Place the steamed vegetables directly into the cooking bowl. Add the sautéed leek, the sweet corn and the grated cheese (if using) and add 1.5 oz of the cooking liquid. To puree, turn the blender button to the desired speed depending on the texture you want.

FOR UP TO 2 PORTIONS*

Mixing veggies and fruits along with spices and meats is a great way to expand a child’s palate and prepare them for a lifetime love of food.

There were a couple changes we’d love to see made to the system as it grows in the market. Upon first using it the directions state that the bowl lid is tight and can be hard to remove at first. This was right. The problem with this is trying to open it with hot steamy food inside, you run the risk of burning yourself and possibly spilling the contents of the bowl. After steaming our carrots we noticed there wasn’t much liquid. Access to the bowl without completely removing the lid would be helpful. A place to add milk/formula or other ingredients would be a great improvement.

The cleanup was simple, everything stores in itself and I forsee baby Kellen quickly fattening up on homemade meals like his big sisters eat.

American Girl for the Holidays

November 5, 2012 by Melissa

Halloween was barely over for 12 hours and the mall was installing holiday wreaths on the lamp posts. It’s officially the holiday shopping season. I have 3 kids of my own to shop for as well as nieces and friend’s kids who are all different ages and have different interests. There are 2 little girls on that list that love dolls and all things girly. For them it’s a no brainer what is on their list.

At American Girl, we celebrate girls and all that they can be. That’s why we develop products and experiences that help girls grow up in a wholesome way, while encouraging them to enjoy girlhood through fun and enchanting play.

My American Girl Dolls are a fantastic gift for any little girl. This dolls are created to your specifications to have the same look and features as your child of choice. Each 18″ doll comes dressed in a True Spirit Outfit, comes with a charm keeper necklace and codes to keep the fun going online.

This year’s historical doll Caroline Abbott comes dressed and ready to play straight from 1812. Dressed in a gorgeous pink gown with ribbon and ruffle trim she has delicate features that make her a must have for American Girl fans new and old.

Accessories for Caroline and the rest of the dolls range from pets to furniture to additional outfits to vehicles. Each doll takes on the personality that your child wants so the fun is endless.

Annie’s New Rising Crust Pizza

November 2, 2012 by Melissa

I wrote a post on 10/17 that you can read HERE about the Annie’s Pizza Tour and I was excited to see them when they stopped in Philadelphia on October 27 and 28. We weren’t able to make it to the Saturday event so we planned to hit the Sunday event at Linvilla Orchards. The only problem with the Sunday event was that Hurricane Sandy was making her way to the east coast so the event ended up getting cancelled which was a bummer. I was really looking forward to seeing the organic garden in the truck and to get a few samples of their pizza. Thankfully my local ShopRite had all three pizzas and we tried them all last night for dinner.

The three pizzas that Annie’s offers are:

Uncured Pepperoni Pizza – features an organic rising crust made with whole grains, savory organic tomato sauce, uncured pepperoni, mozzarella & provolone cheeses.
BBQ Recipe Chicken Pizza – has an organic crust made with whole grains and is topped with Annie’s Organic Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce, white meat chicken, mozzarella & provolone cheeses, and organic roasted red onions.
Four Cheese Pizza – organic crust is made with whole grains, and on top we add savory organic tomato sauce and a blend of four cheeses including mozzarella, provolone, parmesan and romano.

All three pizzas were pretty tasty but my favorite was the BBQ recipe chicken pizza by far. I love chicken and BBQ sauce and I really like that combination on pizza. I also tried the pepperoni and the cheese and enjoyed them as well but like I mentioned my fav was the BBQ recipe chicken pizza. All three kids enjoyed the pepperoni as well as the cheese which is what I figured because they usually don’t step outside of their comfort zone when it comes to pizza, LOL.

All in all I was really impressed with all three Annie’s Pizza. The only thing that I had a problem with was finding the pizza. Melinda and I went to three different stores before finding them at ShopRite on sale for $6.99 per pizza down from $9.99 per pizza. I understand the product is still new and over time they will be easier to find in the freezer isle at your local grocery store which is a good thing.

For more details and nutritional information on Annie’s pizza be sure to click HERE.

A girl needs 2 Bratzillaz Dolls

October 27, 2012 by Melissa

This is Cloetta Spelleta. She’s been sitting in Shae’s toybox all by herself for the last couple of weeks. There are other dolls that she can play with but she just doesn’t feel like she fits in. You see the other dolls have rosy cheeks, long flowing hair, sparkly dresses and live in a fancy castle outside of the closet.

Cloetta is spunky, glamorous and very unique. She’s a Bratzillaz Doll.

These bewitching charmers are ready to brew up some fashion magic with you, and show you how glam gets wicked! Each Bratzillaz™ has a unique magical power to help her guide and empower other girls. Cloetta Spelletta™changes you into anything you want, Yasmina Clairvoya™ sees your future, Meygana Broomstix™helps your dreams take flight, Jade J’Adore™ heals your broken heart and Sashabella Paws™ hears animals speak.

Shae begged and begged for a Bratzillaz Doll for her birthday. They were pretty hard to find but since it was the only thing she really asked for (and guitar picks) we knew we had to find one. It came just in time, she loved it what she opened it. She played with it for a couple days and then I didn’t see it anymore. I saw Cloetta sitting in a toy bucket while Shae was playing with her princesses. She said she doesn’t go with the princesses, she needed another Bratzillaz. So MGA toys, makers of Bratzillaz, Moxie Dolls and Lalaloopsy Dolls sent another Bratzillaz Doll to keep her company.

Yasmina Clairvoya has fun braids, a retro style and loves purple. Together Cloetta and Yasmina are going to be great friends to Shae.

Shop At Home for the Holidays with Rendi

October 19, 2012 by Melissa

I consider myself a little crafty and love to conceptualize a fun DIY project. My problem with pulling these jobs off is my lack of artistic capability. I like to leave some things to the experts especially when it comes to words and printing.

I was recently introduced to Rendi, an online and at home shopping experience that specializes in home decor and styling. Rendi isn’t new to the home decor business but is finally making its way into the booming business of home parties. These parties allow friends and family to get together and shop from the comforts of their own home while learning about products, how they are produced, the customization available and more.

Rendi started out at a smalltown home decor business that supported their community by employing local women. These women were able to work a schedule that fit their family life, contribute financially to the household and be proud of the work that they were doing. The business is still run this same way. All products are Made in the USA, made from reclaimed wood and made with safe materials.
No matter your personal home decor style or complete lack of style Rendi is going to have something that will appeal to you.

The Gallery Collection is modern with simple lines and neutral colors, allowing easy incorporation into any theme. Using multiple pieces from the same collection lets you design a coordinated vignette without second guessing yourself.

I chose a the Modern Palette Beam for my best friend. She’s been trying to change the decor in her home. She wants to step out of the box and use more color and texture and I thought a this would be a great accent to her arched doorways and existing cultural pieces. I was able to have printed a phrase that goes perfectly well with her family. I received the wooden beam within 3 days of ordering and loved the way it looked. I was able to put together a completely personalized piece of decor that I feel is a perfect fit for Stacy and her home.

FAMILY…where LIFE begins and LOVE never ends

Shop from the comfort of your own home with Rendi and know your are getting not only outstanding quality but supporting a brand that supports you.

Supporting American jobs. Protecting the environment. Crafting products of unique design. Telling your story. Creating opportunities for women to make a better living and a better life. For Rendi, it’s the heart of the matter.

Emilie M. Handbags, style and luxury you can afford

October 16, 2012 by Melissa

It’s Fall! That means I make changes to my entire wardrobe down to my socks and accessories. I make the move towards richer colors, warmer fabrics and all around more luxurious items. Last year’s handbag just didn’t have the same lush feeling anymore so I knew I needed something more special.

Emilie M. sent me this little lovely.

Well, little she is not. She, the Annabel Tote, is a large double handled handbag big enough for all of mom’s stuff with some room left for the kids. I’m way past the diaper bag stage but I still often become the keeper of gaming systems, notebooks, Barbies and snacks. With plenty of interior space and pockets I’m able to keep my own belongings organized. My wallet, cosmetics, phone and tablet or netbook fit perfectly inside without.

My only wish is is had metal feet on the bottom so it didn’t have to touch floors, counters or even chairs. It’s a dirty world out there.

Emilie M. Handbags are designed for every woman at every stage in their life without having to compromise price. Whether you are a mom, business woman, single girl in the city or everything wrapped into on pick up a bag that’s going to take you through each meeting, playdate or girls night out. The attention to detail is what makes Emilie M. a luxury accessory.

Shop Emilie M. for the holidays. Sign up for their newsletter and get updates on new styles and awesome sales. Like this Leslie Tote for $45.

Shop Emilie M. if you want rockstar impact without rockstar budget.

She’s Going Old School Princess Costume this Year

October 5, 2012 by Melissa

Halloween is right around the corner but in our house dress-up happens all year round. In fact Shae’s Custom Dress Up Station is filled to the brim with costumes and accessories for almost any character, noble profession or scene. We’ve held to costumes, hats, belts, tutus and more even from when Sabreena was young, that’s how seriously we take dress up in this house.

Princess costumes are Shae’s favorite as I’m sure that’s the case with most little girls. This year we talked about Halloween since Disney’s Brave came out. She talked about Merida for months, swore she was going to be Merida for Halloween. It came time to look through choices and she was instantly drawn to this classic Snow White costume. She was taking it old-school this year.

This particular costume is probably the most luxurious child’s costume I’ve ever seen. With a mix of velvet, lace, tulle, ribbon and satin it has the feel of a Broadway production rather than something for a child. Believe it or not this costume was less than $30. It arrived and Shae put it on immediately. She’s been walking around doing curtseys and spins, lifting the skirt just enough to walk up the stairs; she’s taken the whole royalty thing to an extreme.

Time is running out. Get out there and get your child’s costume before the best selections are gone.

What are your your kids thinking of dressing up as this year?

Apple and Acorn Squash Puree

What are your your kids thinking of dressing up as this year?

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