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Do You Live in Suburgatory

September 21, 2011 by

There’s lots of buzz going on about new shows, season premiers, this year’s hottest cast and more. Suburbatory is ABC’s newest comedy airing Wednesday, September 28 at 8:30|7:30c.

Single father George (Jeremy Sisto) only wants the best for his sixteen-year-old daughter Tessa(Jane Levy). So when he finds a box of condoms on her nightstand, he moves them out of their apartment in New York City to a house in the suburbs. But all Tessa sees is the horror of over-manicured lawns and plastic Franken-moms. Being in the ‘burbs can be hell, but it also may just bring Tessa and George closer than they’ve ever been.

Tessa and George have been on their own ever since Tessa’s Mom pulled a Kramer vs. Kramer before Tessa was potty trained. So far, George has done a pretty good job of raising Tessa without a maternal figure in their lives, but suddenly he’s feeling a little out of his league. So it’s goodbye New York City and hello suburbs. At first Tessa is horrified by the big-haired, fake-boobed mothers and their sugar-free Red Bull-chugging kids, but little by little, she and her dad begin finding a way to survive on the clean streets of the ‘burbs. Sure, the neighbors might smother you with love while their kids stare daggers at your back, but underneath all that plastic and caffeine they’re really not half bad.

For a limited-time, watch an advanced screening of Suburgatory
To view, visit www.abc.com/suburgatoryscreening
Enter Code: DAGcrc5K6

You Know You’re From Suburgatory When…
1) Your dog’s haircut is more expensive than yours.
2) The drinking fountains offer sparkling or still.
3) The school cafeteria serves tuna tartar.
4) The majority of medical procedures are elective.
5) “Brunette” is a dirty word.
6) The top three industries are tanning, spandex and peroxide

Do you live in the suburbs? Can you relate to any of these? Visit Suburgatory on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the show and how city and suburb girls differ.





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Toob Time

September 11, 2011 by

When Shaun entered the 2 year old class in daycare back in 2005 the teachers were impressed with his animal recognition and sounds.

Typically kids know cat, dog, cow and bird but he could recognize an iguana, zebra, walrus and sloth. While I’d like to take the credit for this braniac moment it wasn’t me. I had Animal Toobs to thank. Purchasing these toobs actually goes back to little Sabreena. We would pick them up at zoos, museum gift shops and often stuff her stocking with one come Christmas. By the time Shaun came around we had already accumulated a grand collection. He truly played with them and we ended up losing a good amount of them by the time Shae got to them. We’ve been adding to the collection again. Here you see we opened up a Farm Toob from GummyLump.com. They are an inexpensive and educational gift for kids of any age especially since they come in a variety of themes like Pirate, Coral Reef and Dinosaurs. Whatever the obsession of the week is I’m sure there is a Toob for it.

Shamu, not a Toob animal but they live together

A great way to learn animal names and sounds

it was a rainy day so we brought the water table inside, empty

horse and farm animals

mooooooo

Thanks to GummyLump.com for including me in your DotCom.Mom Program and sending great toys for my kids to try out. The Toobs were and always are a hit. Visit GummyLump.com for great prices on Toobs, Melissa and Doug and Arts and Craft Supplies for kids.

 

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Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur DVD

September 9, 2011 by

Some of you may already know what a huge Scooby-Doo fan I am and how I converted Shae into a huge fan as well.  Recently we added Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur to our already large Scooby-Doo DVD collection.

What’s creepier than a dinosaur? A ghostly dinosaur! Just ask Scooby-Doo and his pals after they encounter a Phantosaur, one of the creepiest creatures ever, in Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur, the all-new, must-have, original movie from Warner Home Video (WHV). Viewers will want to join in the high-jinks and fun with the lovable Great Dane and the Scooby-Doo gang as they investigate a strange haunting that’s plaguing a group of paleontologists searching for ancient fossils.

Scooby-Doo is one of those cartoons that never gets old even though it has been around for ever and almost everyone at some point in time has seen a least a few minutes of Scooby-Doo.  My favorite characters are Shaggy and Scooby-Doo.  They are huge chickens who are afraid on every mystery but not afraid enough not to eat the biggest meal in town.

What begins as a relaxing spa getaway for Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne, somehow takes a very strange turn when the gang uncovers a frightening Phantosaur, a ghostly dinosaur that’s come to life to protect hidden treasures buried in secret desert caves. The Phantosaur appears to be on a mission to keep a group of paleontologists from digging for fossils. The gang sets out to investigate the prehistoric haunting and in the process, uncover all sorts of colorful suspects including a free-wheeling motorcycle gang, greedy corporate investors and over-zealous scientists. Will it be prehistoric panic or will our teenage sleuths put all the pieces together and solve this strange mystery?

Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur is available in stores as of September 6, 2011 and will retail for $19.98 SRP and Blu-ray™ Combo for $24.98 SRP.   I love the Blu-ray combo pack because it comes with a digital copy that I can put on our iPad and take it with us wherever we go.

For more information on this and other titles distributed by Warner Home Video, visit www.whvdirect.com.

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This Car Looks Good In Our Driveway

August 31, 2011 by

A little while back Melinda and I had a chance to drive the Ford Flex Titanium while heading to Reviewers Retreat 2011 in the Poconos. First reason I was excited was because we currently own a Ford and love it and the second reason was because the Flex is awesome.

The Ford Flex comes right off the assembly line with 20 inch polished aluminum wheels which makes the cars ride smooth as could be and we didn’t feel the road at all. Another awesome feature of the Ford Flex is the 3.5L EcoBoost twin turbo charged, direct-injected V6 engine which delivers the fuel economy of a V6 with the power of a V8. Trust me when I say even though the Flex is a large car it gets up and goes and yes I tested the engine to see what it could do and I was extremely impressed.

The outside of the Ford Flex is something to look at for sure but the inside of the car is where it’s at. The Ford Flex Titanium comes with voice activated navigation system, SYNC in car connectivity system, Sony audio system, ambient lighting, rear view camera and active park assist. In addition to all of the things I mentioned the Flex we drove had dual head rest TV/DVD players which were awesome because Shaun and Shae could each watch whatever movie they wanted and didn’t have to fight over the movie that was selected. We also tested the navigation system on the way to the Poconos and it worked great and was simple to use as well as the SYNC. I like SYNC because the car’s stereo is the phone’s Bluetooth allowing you to drive safely while talking. The leather heated seats were awesome and the ambient lights inside were cool because the kids liked that is could be orange or purple or blue inside the car.


One of the biggest features for us as a family of five was the spacious interior.  It had a third row with plenty of room and all the way in the back behind the third row was a huge space for all of our luggage for a three day trip.  Shaun and Shae had a ton of room in the second row to relax with their stuffed animals and blankets and Sabreena has more then enough room in the third row.  Overall the Ford Flex was a blast to drive and we received a lot of comments on how nice it looked.  It drove and handled like a dream and had every feature plus  a lot more that you would want on the inside of your vehicle if at a ll possible.

The Ford Flex is a fast sporty vehicle that any person at any age would love to drive.

 




Case Mate iPad 2 Versant Case

August 26, 2011 by

For the past two years Melinda and I have wanted an iPad and we finally got one about two months ago. After getting the iPad 2 we realized that we needed some form of protection to protect our investment and thankfully we recently had the opportunity to analyse the Case Mate iPad 2 Versant Case.

The Versant is a multi functional case with a hand strap for gaming, a small stand for typing and a large stand for watching movies. This is an all in one case that helps you fully use your iPad for what is was intended, fun as well as work.

Here are a few more details about the Versant Case:

  • Built-in stand with adjustable heights and attached nylon strap for extra mobility
  • Form fit feature covers back and corners
  • Available in black, pink and brown
  • Impact resistant, flexible shell
  • Access to all ports and functions
So we have been using the Versant Case off and one for about a month now and are very pleased.  It is a great looking case and provides good protection but if I could change one thing I would make the case a little more durable.  With three kids who ALWAYS want to play the iPad I am always afraid they might drop it and I want to feel like I have the most protection I can have.  Other then that slight improvement the Versant Case is a really awesome simple to use case that I would recommend to friends and family.

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P-Touch Tough Test-It Challenge

August 21, 2011 by

We are big into organization in our house and luckily I am currently involved in the Brother P-Touch Tough Test-It Challenge.  The P-Touch Tough Test-It Challenge is to show how tough and durable Brother P-Touch labels are.  I recently received my extreme test kit which included:

  • P-touch label samples
  • Plexi glass block
  • Nail Polish remover
  • Travel size bleach with palm brush
  • scrubber sponge
Here is my video showing how well the P-Touch label stood up to rough conditions

Stay tuned for further posts on how Melinda and I use our Brother P-Touch Label maker in our home.  We are pretty excited to use the P-Touch around the house because we have a ton of craft items as well as a lot of items in the garage that need to be labeled.



I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Brother P-Touch and received a product and gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.










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Happy 4th Birthday Shae

August 21, 2011 by

happy birthday shae

Last weekend we celebrated Shae’s 4th bday. It turned into a HUGE event with over the top decorations, goodie bags and even the cake. A special thanks to Birthday In A Box for supplying the décor and supplies to make this day extra special for Shae.

Shae chose a Tinkerbell theme and Sabreena and I went all out on decorating the house. Birthday in a Box provided the Happy Birthday banner, streamers, centerpiece, HUGE balloon that is still attached to her dining room chair and all the cutlery/plates/cups/tablecover. I purchased bright packages of tissue paper and made paper flowers and balls to complement the colors of her theme. The balloons were all over the house and there was a dyed coffee filter flower banner draped across the deck.

mango-salsa-tinkerbell-centerpiece

tinkerbell centerpiece

tinkerbell-cake-cannons-bakery

tinkerbell cake

happy birthday banner and balloons

tissue-paper-flowers

balloons and paper flowers

Birthday in a Box is a one-stop shop for everything party related. Get the basics like plates and forks or go the extra step with piñatas, masks, craft kits and personalized coloring books. Characters from the big screen and cartoons can be found as well as classics like princess, monkey and trains.

Make your child’s next birthday extra special with some help from Birthday in a Box.




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Crocs for Back to School

August 20, 2011 by

Back to school shopping is among us. With 3 kids you can imagine the list of things we have to get is huge. Clothing and shoes is tops on that list since they don’t seem to stop growing. Shaun has become a bit particular about his footwear; he actually has an opinion now. Crocs sent over a pair of Hover Sneak slip on shoes in blue and I’d be lucky if he wear them out before school even started.

shaun wearing his crocs

look for this photo and CLICK

If you click on the shoe within the video it’ll take you to the Crocs page for THAT shoe, cool HUH? Take another look; if you see an Easter Egg CLICK IT and you’ll get a surprise, hint hint FREE SHIPPING.

Just like the traditional Crocs clogs these shoes are made with the Croslite footbed for comfort. The outer canvas is durable and washable and easy to slip on. We’ve had great success with Crocs for the kids, they are always the first shoes chosen. Visit Crocs.com today to see the new collection and enter to win a Trip to San Diego.





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iPad Protection against little hands

August 19, 2011 by

My kids love electronics, they are always asking for my phone, the teens iPod, our iPad or their laptop. I don’t mind letting them play sometimes but I panic when it comes to them handling the actual devices. See, the little one already broke a Nintendo DS by dropping it repeatedly so I’m leary with giving her the iPad especially. I turned to Otterbox and asked for the best ipad protection solution. They recommended the Defender Series iPad case.

otterbox silicone case

Talk about rugged, severe protection. This multi-layer system really protects against drops, bangs and bumps. The 1st step is a silicone shock absorbing wrap. This part is what protects against the drops. I know this because our iPad took a spill the other day and it literally looked like it bounced. The second step is a hard plastic cover which also acts as a stand for video viewing or scrolling through recipes. This is how I read my magazines or scroll websites while eating breakfast.

reading time

top input cover

My only complaint is the loose headphone jack cover. It doesn’t fit into the rest of the casing so it’s not a snug fit. Rob’s smartphone Otterbox had the same problem. It’s not a big deal just a bit annoying. Overall the security of Otterbox outways this small defect. Removing the Otterbox was tough.  We had to watch the installation video 2 times to make sure we were doing the steps correctly.

For those times when you need a little extra security the Utility Series Latch is the only accessory you’ll need.  This strapped holder works perfectly in the car for movies and reading or trips to the pool and park for assurance of NO dropping.  It can be used with or without the Defender Series attached.  This particular carrier works with the iPad, iPad 2 and the Motorola Zoom.

Otterbox is known for being the innovator of protection for everything from cell phones, mp3 players and ereaders. While they aren’t the most sleek and modern looking they do provide the most protection again little hands and multitasking moms.

 

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Watching TV and Movies on the go

August 15, 2011 by

Let’s say last week you missed your favorite cop drama. You want to watch it before the next episode right. Verizon FiOS Flex View lets you do just that. Finish your rented or purchased OnDemand flicks on not just your home television but on your pc, laptop or mobile device. Watch what you want when you want.
FiOS allows up to 5 devices including your set-top box to stream your Flex View programs. This give mom and dad lots of options for watching their own fave shows or movies or letting the kids watch their own. Think of all those peaceful moments at the grocery checkout line or soccer practice rain delay you could have if your kids favorite cartoon episode was at your fingertips.
Doing this has allowed our family to enjoy long car rides with entertainment at no extra cost. Our recent drive to the mountains was much more bearable watching guilty pleasure reality trash tv and the hysterical Phineas and Ferb shows.
Please note that Verizon FiOS is only available in select parts of the country. Find out if you can get the same great service, options and fun as us. http://j.mp/CIGFa

I wrote this review while participating in a brand team campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Verizon FiOS.Verizon will send me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.




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