>U Mom Knows Best: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

Safe E-mail for Kids!




Safe E-mail for Kids!
KidsEmail.org is a safe email service for kids and families. Your kids can now have a safe email account while allowing parents to be aware of any correspondence their children send and receive. You supervise your children when they go outside to play. Do you know who is contacting your child inside of your home? Let us help you keep your kids safe online! Safe Email for Kids? We've got you covered! Get a Free 60 Day Trial Now! This is for US Family Guide users ONLY! 
@kidsemail Use promo code: US Family when registering. www.kidsemail.org


Color Crafts

Since 1990, over 5 million children and adults have loved creating t-shirts, pillowcases, backpacks, tote bags, bandanas, and more for parties, slumber parties, and scout meetings with our permanent fabric markers. We have provided our customers the opportunity to entertain their guests with a creative activity that becomes a permanent keepsake. Also, we are a licensed vendor of the Girl Scouts of America. Check out our wholesale program, great for your organizations.

We also offer free downloadable coloring pages (http://www.colortime.com/Free-Coloring-Pages-c64.html) and a "Birthday Club" (http://www.colortime.com/Birthday-Club-c85.html) with special incentives.

Get 15% off all orders Promo Code: 15USFG when you check out at colortime.com





Thursday, November 29, 2012

Torani Syrup

Do you like fancy coffee drinks like gingerbread lattes and caramel macchiato's but not the high price that comes with it? Well I will share will you my secret to having this great tasting drinks at home. All you need is some Torani syrup and you are on your way to making those fancy coffee drinks. I love Torani syrup and have about  9 different flavors in my pantry. I can make a different flavored coffee every day. All I do is add milk and sugar free salted caramel to my coffee and I have a caramel latte that is so yummy. Torani has over 100 flavors including fruit flavors. Just think of a flavor and Torani probably has it. They even have bacon flavor.  On the Torani website there is many recipes to make many different drinks- http://www.torani.com/#/recipes. Torani syrup is also good for adding wonderful flavor to desserts. I made a mint chocolate pie with peppermint Torani and Vanilla Torani and it was wonderful. My family ate it up in a day and asked me to make it again. Below is my recipe and I showed how easy it is to use Torani to make it taste wonderful.
Crust
I made one with chocolate cookie crumbs or you can buy a premade one
Filling
1/2
cup sugar
1/4
cup cornstarch
1/8
teaspoon salt
1
cup milk
1
cup semisweet chocolate chips
2
egg yolks, slightly beaten
1
package (3 oz) cream cheese, cubed, softened
1 1/2
cups whipping cream
1
teaspoon vanilla
I reduced the milk to 6 ounces and added 2 ounces Torani peppermint syrup. I also used mint chocolate chips for the semisweet chocolate chips. I omitted the vanilla and added 2 teaspoon vanilla Torani syrup.
  


  1. In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk until well blended. Add chocolate chips and egg yolks; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat. Beat in cream cheese with wire whisk until smooth. Cover surface with plastic wrap; refrigerate just until cool, about 1 hour.
  2. In large bowl with electric mixer, beat whipping cream and vanilla on high speed until soft peaks form. Reserve 1 cup whipped cream for topping. Fold remaining whipped cream into cooled chocolate mixture. Spoon evenly into cooled baked shell. Refrigerate 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Spoon or pipe reserved whipped cream over filling. Store in refrigerator.

You can order Torani online at http://shop.torani.com/ or at Amazon. My Albuquerque friends if you want some Torani right now,you can buy it at World Market and the Shamrock store on Montano.

"These opinions are my own and I was sent product from She Speaks and Torani to review."

Monday, November 26, 2012

PRIVATE SELECTION® HOLIDAY



I enjoyed sampling some yummy products from Private Selection.
Private Selection® is determined to bring you food crafted from the finest ingredients available. Offering a wide variety of artisan-inspired options, Private Selection® will help you prepare the best menu of the holiday season. Created for those with the finest tastes in gourmet fare, you'll find everything you need for your holiday party, from appetizers to the main course, right through to after dinner coffee.

I was sent crackers,coffee,and coupons for cheese,olives,and pasta sauce. For my Albuquerque friends,you can buy these products at Smiths grocery stores. For other friends,the products are sold at Kroger grocery stores.
I had to sample  the coffee right away and brewed some as soon as I opened the box.

The coffee was a nice dark color and smelled wonderful. The taste was wonderful,like premium coffee should taste.

The other products I saved for Thanksgiving dinner. I had lots of family over for Thanksgiving dinner and made a yummy tray with the crackers,cheese,and olives. The cheese was flavored garlic and herb monterey jack and the crackers were water crisps. The jar of olives that I bought were a greek olive mix. My husband added some other cheese and crackers to the tray,along with some ham roll ups. The Private Selection crackers are the round ones and the cheese the triangle pieces.

My guests loved the cheese tray especially the greek olives. I loved the way the cheese had a great garlic taste to it and the crackers brought out the taste of the cheese. So the next time you are looking for great tasting products to serve,look for Private Selection products. They are great for entertaining.
"These opinions are my own and I was given products to sample from Bzzagent."

Lose Weight for the Holidays with Diet Doc Pre-Packaged Weight Loss Food!


I was sent some Diet Doc prepackage food to sample and review. Diet Doc makes prepackage food to help you make cooking easier when you are on a diet. The food goes along with the Diet Doc's HCG diet plan .

You might be asking, “What is the hCG diet?”  The hCG diet was initially created over 60 years ago by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons where hi s patients achieved rapid weight loss when the human-produced hCG hormone was given in a low dose, coupled with a 500 calories per day diet.  Diet Doc is the only modern day version of the hCG weight loss diet.  The doctors at Diet Doc took the original Dr. Simeons’ hCG diet protocol and updated it to one where dieters consume no less than 800 calories per day in conjunction with prescription level hCG injections or sublingual tablets.  Each dieter also consumes hCG diet foods, weight loss shakes and weight loss oil specifically created for an hCG diet. 

I was able to choose from this selected list:

  Diet Doc Chili – 20 calories per serving – just add chicken and any vegetables
                Diet Doc Steak Soup – 20 calories per serving – just add meat and vegetables
                Diet Doc Hot & Sour Soup – 20 calories per serving – just add tofu or chicken
                Diet Doc Chicken Gumbo – Add chicken and vegetables
                Diet Doc Thai Chicken –Add chicken and vegetables

I choose the Diet Doc Chili,Diet Doc Hot & Sour Soup,and the Diet Doc Thai Chicken. This is how the food looked when it arrived.

They are pouches of seasoning mixes that you add lean meat to and veggies to create a yummy meal. I choose to make the Diet Doc Thai chicken for dinner tonight. I first added water to the mix to re-hydrate it.


Then I added some yummy peppers,canned tomatoes, and turkey to it,as we had leftovers from Thanksgiving.



I then put it in my slow cooker to cook and waited for my yummy dinner.
 Right before serving the soup,I added some coconut milk. The soup was yummy for a light supper,although my husband wanted more spicy heat to it. Tomorrow I will be making the Diet Doc Chili, using beans instead of the meat,for dinner. Then I will make the Diet Doc Hot and Sour soup,using tofu,for another night. I can't wait!
To learn more about these Diet Doc products and the HCG diet go to these links:
HCG Diet Plan
HCG Drops
What is HCG?


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.

All I For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth


One of my younger boys is singing the song "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth." Poor Kodi had to get two bottom teeth pulled today at the dentist. My boys have strong roots and don't loose their teeth,they get them pulled. Kodi has had a loose tooth for the past 5 weeks. He wiggled and wiggled it along with the help of his older brother. That did no good and two other teeth started coming in. So I had to make an appointment to get them pulled. The good news is that this will be the first time the tooth fairy will visit Kodi.  His older brother will walk him to the store another day to help him buy something with the money the tooth fairy brings. Funny how last year my oldest son was singing the same song, as he lost his two front teeth in a bike accident.

Dial Holiday Foaming Hand Soap


 Christmas is almost here and that means it is time to decorate the home. My favorite way to make the home festive is with my soap in the bathroom. I received from Purex insiders two very cute soap containers. My favorite one is the candy cane one. The soap they sent me was made from Dial and is a foaming hand wash. The soap is a part of Dial's limited edition holiday design. The holiday collection features four cheerful designs: Santa,Snowman,Candy Cane and Holiday scene. The soaps will brighten up your sink with holiday cheer,both in the bathroom and kitchen.
 These decorative bottles contain Dial Complete's #1 recommended antibacterial foaming hand wash. This formula kills 99.99% of germs encountered in the household while still be gentle on skin. My boys love the way the soap foams on their hands and are happy to wash their hands. The bottles are so cute you will want to buy one for every sink in the house.
 For more informatio about Dial soap visit Dial soap and also on Facebook


"I received two bottles of soap from Purex insiders for my post and these opinions are my own."

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Campus Book Rentals



Hey all you college people,next semester is coming up and you will need to buy books. Want to save some money on those costly books? Well,check out Campus Book Rentals  before you buy your books at the college bookstore. Campus Book Rentals rents out books for a cheaper price than buying at the bookstore on campus. Some of the perks of renting your books are:
                                 -save 40-90% off of bookstore prices 
-free shipping both ways
-can highlight in the textbooks 
-flexible renting periods
-they donate to Operation Smile with each textbook rented
 I have a daughter who is in her last year of college so I know how expensive books can be. I wish I had known about Campus book Rentals her last 4 years at college as books cost us $500.00 a semester. That is a lot of money I could have saved! Next semester I will have my daughter rent her books at Campus Book Rentals and she will save a lot of money. That makes me happy!

Here is an example of how much money you can save on a math book elementary statistics. Wow, that example shows the book listed for $155.00 and you can rent it for $23.17. That is over $125.00 you will save. At http://www.campusbookrentals.com/ it is easy to search for the books you need and you get to choose how long you can rent the book. So what are you waiting for? Go check out the savings at http://www.campusbookrentals.com/ and keep more money in your pocket.

"These opinions are my own and I was compensated with a small gift for my reveiw."

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Sears Holiday Cheer and A Giveaway

I was given an opportunity from Smiley360 and Sears to shop the Christmas shop at Sears. They gave me a $15.00 gift card to spend in the Christmas shop. I love shopping at Sears as I earn points with every purchase that I can redeem as cash off my next purchase. Shop Your Way Rewards  So off I went with my 2 younger boys to shop at Sears.
My boys were excited to look at Christmas trees and decorations. They love these cute pig and hippo outdoor decorations. Too bad I can't convince my husband to let me buy them.

The first thing I notice at the Sears Christmas shop was their display of trees. They were all decorated with items that they sell in the store. The decorations were on display by color,so you get a beautiful looking tree. To see more go to Sears online Christmas shop





Sears also carried many other things like lights, ornaments,gift wrap,outdoor decorations,and snow houses. Notice in the pictures the Craftmen's tool ornaments,they are unique to Sears and the man in your life will love them. I still want the hippo and pig for outside my house.









To get ideas on decorating Sears has a special place for that 
Sears Cheer and you can even enter to win a holiday home makeover with Ty sweepstakes.
To see more of what Sears offers for the holidays go to Sears Online Christmas Shop

I decided on a Snoopy nativity set to spend my money on. The kids and my husband will love it.

Now for the giveaway! Sears is giving away a $ 15.00 Sears gift card to a lucky reader. All you have to do is enter my giveaway on the form below and good luck. The winner will have fun shopping at Sears.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

"These opinions are my own and I was given a $15.00 Sears gift card from Sears and Smilely360 for my reveiw"

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Cooking Halloween Pumpkin On Stove


My neighbor gave me a huge pumpkin the day after Halloween that she did not carve. My frugal nature would not let the pumpkin go to waste. It was a lot of work to cook it but I now have 14 bags of pumpkin chunks in my freezer to use throughout the year. I cut the pumpkin into pieces and boiled it for 20 minutes. Then I sliced off the peel and cut it into chunks. You may be asking what will I make with my pumpkin. I will, of course, make pie, soup, and add it to veggies and pasta. Pumpkin is rich in fiber and vitamin A. My favorite way to use the pumpkin is to saute it is kale. I never thought I would like kale but read how it is so good for you. The pumpkin takes away the bitter taste and makes for a yummy dish. I now look at Halloween pumpkins as a yummy vegetable.

Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty Holiday Gifts for 2012

I am excited to tell you that the Melissa & Doug have announced their Terrific Twenty Holiday Gift 2012 list. This list compiles the “best of the best” holiday gifts for the 2012 holiday season! To celebrate, Melissa & Doug is having a “20 Days of Terrific Twenty” Giveaway on their Facebook ! Every day (starting TODAY, November 6) they will be giving away one item from the Terrific Twenty list to at least one lucky Facebook fan! Melissa & Doug make cool toys that you kids will love. To enter this contest go to 
 http://www.facebook.com/MelissaAndDoug 

My favorite from the list is the

Big Rig Building Truck Wooden Play Set







Big Rig Building Truck Wooden Play Set
My boys love trucks and tools,so this will be a great toy they will love. All the toys on the list are fun toys that are great gifts for kids of all ages. So what are you waiting for go enter the Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List Giveaway . You can't win unless you enter. Melissa & Doug are also allowing me to host a giveaway for one of the toys from the list. I will be giving away a Tunki suitcase,this is a wonderful kid's travel suitcase that kids can ride on. Winner will be able to choose the color. Just enter on the form below.

Trunki Terrance (Blue)Trunki Trixie (Pink)

Visit Metro Detroit Mommy and enter to win a Melissa & Doug Fashion Design Activity Kit. 
Visit Great Ideas and Moreand enter to win a Melissa & Doug Beeposh Elvis Lion Stuffed Animal.
Visit Michigal mom to win a Melissa & Doug My Own Mailbox
Visit Buzz 4 Mommies and enter to win a Melissa & Doug Let's Play House! Grocery Basket with Play Food. 
Visit Saving U Green and enter to win a Melissa & Doug Big Rig Building Truck Wooden Play Set





"These opinions are my own and I was given a toy as compensation for this post."











a Rafflecopter giveaway





Thursday, November 1, 2012

Cuddleuppet


It's a blanket! It's a puppet! It's a Cuddleuppet!

My boys received a Cuddleuppet the other day and were so happy! These things are a cool product. A Cuudleuppet is a soft blanket that is also a puppet. The blanket is perfect size for preschoolers and younger and it measures 28" x 39". The puppet part of the blanket is fun for your child to play with. Children are able to make the puppet's mouth open and close. My boys had seen the Cuddleuppet commercial and were singing the song when they opened the package. My youngest quickly claimed the Cuddleuppet as his giving it a big hug.
He did not care that it was pink puppy as it was a cool toy he had seen on TV. My youngest had fun playing with the Cuddleuppet and snuggling with it.

My son is four and on him the blanket fits him perfectly. The Cuddleuppet is sold in many different animals like a purple monkey,a green crocodile,a yellow puppy,and many more. To see all the animals go to www.cuddleuppets.com. You will have a hard time choosing just one as they are all so cute. The Cuddleuppet is priced at $19.99 and makes a great gift for children all ages. Christmas is comming and your kids will love you when they find a cute Cuddleuppet under the tree.  My 13 year old son even played with the puppy and tried to sneak it away from my 4 year old. My 4 year old loves his new blanket. He would not let the puppy out of his sight and fell asleep that night cuddling his Cuddleuppet.

"I received a CuddleUppet courtesy of Jay at Play through The Blogger Connection to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own"

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