Hey Arnold Season 1 DVD Review

I used to watch Hey Arnold on Nickelodeon. It was a great cartoon and really funny. So, when I had the opportunity to own the first season on DVD, I was excited. I want to share shows I watched when I was younger with Noah. Hey Arnold is one of those shows that aren’t too full of weird potty jokes, which find their way in to kids’ shows these days. It always seems like there is a lesson in each episode. There is just something endearing about Arnold. He is a good kid that always does the right thing.  Arnold has a football shaped head, and is occasionally referred to as Football Head.  Arnold lives with his grandparents in the boarding house their family owns. Grandpa is the typical tall tale telling grandfather. Arnold’s grandma likes to go on crazy adventures that usually have her dressed head to toe in black. You get to know the boarders who are all very funny.

Gerald is Arnold’s best friend and partner in crime. I mean if Arnold would commit a crime.  He is a cool cat that loves listening to jazz music.  Then there is Eugene, he is a typical nerd that gets hurt in almost every episode. It’s nothing serious, just a lot of broken bones.  Eugene is considered very unlucky and even thinks that Arnold is a jinx.  Helga is the bully of the school. She is very mean to Arnold, she treats him badly. Arnold is always really nice to her, even when she treats him badly. We quickly find out that she is secretly in love with Arnold.  She even has a diary of poems about him and a secret Arnold shrine.  There are so many more characters, all very lovable in their own way.

I hope you enjoyed Hey Arnold as much as I do. Hey Arnold is out on DVD now. Check it out and share your favorite Football Head with your children. Hey Arnold is at major retailers now.

Thank you to Nickelodeon for providing me with Hey Arnold Season One for my family to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Cutter Insect Repellant Review

I love summer. It is my favorite season. I love being outside at night talking to friends on the phone, watching fireworks and simply playing outside enjoying the weather. I personally think there is something magical about summer. I can’t really explain it, but I have had some of the best times in my life during the summer. I have so many fond memories that take place in the summer. I am not sure if it is the heat or if there is something in fact different about summer, it just has a different feeling to it.  Everyone seems to be in better spirits and more friendly. You see neighbors outside, kids playing and yard sales. One thing I don’t like about summer is the bugs, especially mosquitoes.  I am not sure if my sweet personality seeps through my skin or what, but I am always the victim of multiple bug bites. I am not someone who journeys out in to the woods often, so it isn’t like they find me there.  One summer I went to Kentucky to visit a friend and I ended up with many bug bites after picking raspberries with her children.  So, when I had the opportunity to try out some Cutter Products I was excited.

Last summer I decided I would sit in my yard and watch the fireworks. I wasn’t out there very long and I was covered in bites. My grandma taught me that if you mix baking soda and water in to a paste it will help with the itching. She taught me that when I was very young and I still use the recipe to this day.  I was hesitant to sit outside this summer until I received my awesome package of Cutter products. 

This is what I received:

Cutter All Family Mosquito Wipes

Cutter Natural Insect Repellent

Cutter Natural Fogger

Cutter Skinsations Ultra Light

Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent

Cutter Backwoods Insect Repellent Aerosol

Cutter American Holiday Candle

Cutter Backyard Bug Control Spray

My favorite thing was definitely the Citronella candle.  I love the scent of Citronella and I was able to sit outside at night on my patio and talk on the phone or just relax while looking at the pond.  I used the Mosquito wipes on Noah because I know that he doesn’t really like sprays and I could just wipe his skin and he was free to play until bedtime without getting bitten. He has sweet skin like I do.  I remember going to camp and always having to pack insect repellant. It was probably the most important thing to pack. If you forgot it, someone would always share with you. Now, with the West Nile Virus the reason of always needing insect repellant is more serious than just itchy bites. While there isn’t a lot of case of Malaria in the US, West Nile Virus can be deadly. It is nothing to mess around with.  Always make sure you wear insect repellant, it’s important like sunscreen. Don’t play or hang out around stagnant water where bugs are known to hang out waiting for “dinner”. Keep your family safe with Cutter Insect products.

For more information, please visit the Cutter Website.

Thank you to Cutter for sending my family a selection of products to try out. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Castaway Cay and The Crab Race

                                             This picture was taken from our private verandah.



When we were on the Disney Dream, Noah and I did so many activities. One of the days we went to Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island. Cay is pronounced key; because that is the way it is spelled in the Bahamas. Castaway Cay was not only beautiful but a lot of fun. Before we left I decided to look at the excursions. I found a glass bottom boat ride that I thought Noah and I would love. It was going to be on his birthday after all. I excitedly called my mom to see what she would think. I wasn’t 100% sure that Noah would like it. We both agreed that he would. I went to order tickets and my heart sank they only had one ticket for each ride. Obviously, we couldn’t take turns going. I decided to check later to see if there was any openings. I didn’t realize that I couldn’t check merely a couple days before we set sail. I decided to maybe check when we were on board, hoping while not getting my hopes up. We went to the Port Adventures desk and they had lots of tickets for the Glass Bottom Boat ride. Just a tip if you are doing a Port Adventure, do it later in the day because we almost missed ours. I planned on going back to the ship and getting our tickets and my digital camera before. Well, we didn’t make it back to the ship before. More about that in a little bit.

Noah’s favorite thing of the whole cruise was The Crab Race. One of the Bingo people told Noah about it and he wanted to race a crab. So, we promptly went to the gazebo and talked to the crew to find out information. I wanted to know how much the crab race cost, what it was, etc. I was very excited when I found out it was free. There were all kinds of free activities on the cruise, but there were some with an expense. We were crab #1 and Noah named our crab Pet Crab. Since you probably don’t know what a crab race is, I will explain it to you. There are two big circles on pavement and all the hermit crabs are let go and the first one to the outer circle wins. It is pretty goofy, but so much fun. They have four races. The first race Pet Crab came in second. In the second race, Pet crab was the winner. After the four races, they take the winners and have The International Crab Race Championship. You might have seen it on ESPN and ESPN 2. Well, Pet Crab was all ready to win; he took off his little crabby robe and was ready to crawl. Pet Crab is the Champion of The International Crab Race Championship. Noah was so proud, he told everyone about winning. We even won a few prizes, as if the title wasn’t enough. I took some pictures so we could commemorate the occasion.

Next we went to The Family Beach. Noah and I could have played in the water all day. It was beautiful. It was shallow, but not too shallow to where I couldn’t enjoy myself too. We had a lot of fun being able to splash about. It’s hard to explain. I would just occasionally float a long. Noah was wearing a float vest so I felt better about letting him roam a little. We had an underwater camera that we took in the ocean with us. I can’t wait to see those pictures. We ended up staying in the water too long, to where we had to scarf down our lunch to make it to the glass bottom boat. I was able to get a receipt for the tickets that were locked in the safe in our room. The Glass Bottom boat wasn’t exactly what I pictured but it was still really cool. The water was really choppy so I had to sit down most of the time, but I could still see. We saw lots of fish. We even fed the fish oatmeal. I had never seen so many tropical fish. When we got off the glass bottom boat, I decided it was time to go back to the ship. We were both covered in sand so we had to rinse off in the outside showers. We made it back to the room and got something to drink and just relaxed while I took a shower to remove all the extra sand. Castaway Cay was awesome. I can’t wait to go back someday.

Come On Betty!

Let’s talk about Bettys. Of course some of the famous Bettys are Betty Grabel, Betty Rubble, and Betty White. All of them are awesome in their own way. Let me introduce you to my newest Betty. Her given name is Bingo Betty. Noah and I went on a Disney Cruise on The Disney Dream. The first night we were on the cruise, I dropped off Noah at the Oceaneer Club to play. I decided since I was all alone, I would check out the Navigator, which was a daily calendar of the day’s events. After a conversation with my mom about if there was a casino on board, she asked me if I was going to play Bingo. As I have mentioned before I had never played bingo in person except in school. I kept waiting for the text message to pick up Noah right away. I hadn’t received one and it had been over an hour. So, I decided I would walk down to the D lounge and find out about playing Bingo.

It was the first session of the cruise and of course knowing my luck, I was the one who was called up on stage to check that Betty had all the balls to play. I was insanely shy. It ended up being a good thing because I broke out of my shell some. I received a gift of a Disney Cruise Line water bottle. At first I was thinking, oh “wow” like I don’t want this…. but believe it or not, it was actually very useful and I used it a lot. The drink stations were on deck 11 and we were on deck 7 and so I would fill it with Coke and take it back to the room. They had milk on tap as I called it, so Noah was able to drink a lot of milk on the cruise which is something you don’t always get to do on a vacation.

I had to go pick up Noah in the middle of Bingo, I was able to bring him back with me and we were able to play together. He wasn’t too sure about the game, all the people and the loud announcer and his really corny jokes. All the bingo crew were really nice and always talked to Noah and made him feel special. After the first Bingo session, Noah was hooked. He kept asking to go to Bingo. We went to almost all the sessions on the cruise. It was so much fun. I was loud and obnoxious, which you don’t see often. I wasn’t ridiculous but I was shouting out the things they told us to say, and hooting and hollering. I noticed that Noah was too. He was so loud sometimes I would have to tell him to quiet down. We won one game of Bingo, it was a split pot but it was just a much fun I wasn’t upset the other times we didn’t win. The entertainment crew was awesome. I love their personalities and one of the crew members, Chris was in a British Band called The Spice Studs. I googled it and there was nothing on Google. I really wanted to hear the band.

When we would leave Noah would say come on Betty, which is what you say when you want her to give you your numbers. Noah and I had a blast playing bingo and will remember the following probably forever.

B1 is the baby of Bingo and they play a really creepy baby laugh. It’s disturbing

B9 is the seagulls

I22 are the ducks

074 is the Grandma of Bingo

B11 is the crew’s favorite number. I am not exactly sure why but they start dancing.
There is pretty much something for every ball called, plus sound effects. So, I recommend playing bingo it is fun. We had a good luck charm. It was a light up dolphin named dolphin. It worked because the first time we brought it, we won. I know I will be one of those little old ladies playing bingo with 7 good luck charms every Saturday night.

Have you ever played bingo in real life for money? Did you have fun? Did you win?

The Rainforest Room at Senses Spa On Board The Disney Dream

As some of you might know I turned 30 on August 29^th and never had been to a spa. I have never had a professional massage, maybe someday.  I felt like I was really missing out, because even little kids go to spas. Every time I thought I would get to go, something happened to where it just didn’t work out. Being a single mom, alone time is very important so I thought it was something I wanted to experience.  Recently, when we were on our Disney Cruise, I had the chance to have a spa day. It only took me thirty years to get one. I was offered a day pass to The Rainforest Room at the Senses Spa on the Disney Dream. I was really looking forward to it. I had to work while on the cruise. I had to relax.  I might not have done it, if I wasn’t doing it for my blog.  I took Noah down to the Oceaneer Lab and off I went.  The cool thing about the Navigator was you know what time things are going on.  So, I knew that  Super Sloppy Science was not during the time that Noah was going to be there.  I was armed with my wave phone and a prayer that he wouldn’t want me to pick him up for a while. He knew that it was a blog thing and he had to stay for a bit, while I worked.  Yes, I worked on my cruise, they made me relax, not the typical work task.

I went up to deck 11 and in to The Senses Spa, where I redeemed my certificate for The Rainforest Room.  They handed me a comfortable robe, and pointed me to the changing room and told me to leave my belongings in a locker.  Well, I left my wave phone in the bag in my locker. I didn’t want it to get ruined and I just didn’t really want to be bothered.  I was having a selfish moment I guess.  I knew Noah was in good hands, he knew I was at the spa. If they really needed me they could find me. During one of the sessions they had spa bingo and Matt the entertainment host was talking about the ceramic heated chairs.  I thought that sounded amazing, so that is where I went first. I could have sat there for forever.  You have the ocean view that just makes you relax. The heat felt so good. I felt like I was butter melting in to the chair. It wasn’t too hot, it was just right. I actually sat in the chairs twice.  I also went to the hot tub, it was perfect, the water was pretty hot, which is the way I like it.  Everything was inside the boat, with huge windows. I really didn’t want to be outside because I was burnt and I didn’t want to burn worse. 

There were some things in The Rainforest that I didn’t really care for. It is probably just a personal preference, but the idea is cool. They have these showers and each one is a different rainforest experience.  Each experience has three different settings.  I didn’t like that most of the experiences were freezing cold. Thankfully there were other guests saying this one is cold, this one is hot, which was extremely helpful after a few cold showers. Maybe I should have stood right under the shower. It wasn’t that big of a deal, just not my favorite.  I also went in to a steam room.  I am not sure if it was just me but I walked in and walked back out. It was too steamy for me. Maybe I am not used to it, but I had trouble breathing and at this point, I knew that the lab was texting to come pick up Noah. I checked the wave phone and called them to make sure it wasn’t an emergency or that he wasn’t really upset.  I talked to him and I talked to the crew and told them I was at the spa and that I would pick him up at 2 pm.  I was really able to relax and have some alone time with beautiful views and quiet places to do so.

I highly recommend you spend some time in a spa, just to rejuvenate and relax.   Check out Senses Spa aboard the Disney Dream.

For more information, check out Sense Spa & Salon and be sure to book a special spa treatment on your Disney Cruise.

Thank you to Disney Cruise Lines for providing me with a complimentary Rainforest Pass for me to try out the Rainforest Room. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Football and Soccer vs Donut and Crumpet

Noah turned 5 on September 6^th while we were on board of The Disney Dream.  My dad sent him some wonderful presents for his birthday using rapidparcel.com. One of the things in the box was a pump for his football. I was confused for a minute, because the ball was round. I told Noah what the pump was and what it was for.  I said for your football. He opened his present and it was a soccer ball. Not to confuse Noah I said oh look a soccer ball, how cool is that? I keep forgetting that in England, soccer is called football. I had a similar confusion when my dad said something about getting a World Cup Football. I was thinking isn’t the World Cup hockey, no wait that is the Stanley Cup. World Cup is soccer. Now cue Mrs. Doubtfire saying something about how soccer is called football in England. Mystery solved. 

My dad also sent a really cool Crayola Color Explosion 3-d thing. You use a thing that looks like a glue stick and you rub it on the black paper and it shows a picture and you can “color” it.  Noah used the first stick coloring like crazy. He is now mad at me because I want to save the other stick for another day.  I love this dad, because its  not messy at all. It would be a great thing to have for traveling.  Thank you so much for all of Noah’s gifts. We love you!

How Do I Lose My Stomach Fat?

I have always have had a little stomach fat, I remember it was referred to as an inner tube, I am not sure that was the best thing for my self esteem because I wasn’t fat, I just didn’t have a six pack or wore size zero. Before I was pregnant with Noah I wore a size seven. I didn’t weigh too much I just had hips. I only weighed 116 pounds. I gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy, I was hoping it would come off quickly. Noah will be 5 in a few weeks and I still have most of my pregnancy weight. I have spent some time looking online how to lose stomach fat. I really don’t consider myself overweight. I just need to lose some of the fat and tone up so I am not so squishy. I have a normal BMI, but I would feel better about myself if I would lose some weight, my life is just so hectic to where I don’t really have time to work out. I don’t even really like working out. I have never been a runner. I hated gym class. I am not athletic, I was that kid that didn’t excel at gym class and didn’t play any sports in school.

I have been about the same weight for a long time. I am not really losing any weight or gaining any. My weight stays in a scale of 3 or 4 pounds difference. So I am thankful that I am not gaining any weight, which is a great thing. Maybe someday I will have a six pack. Right now I am focusing on healthy eating and exercise for Noah. His growing body needs healthy foods and lots of exercising and running around outside.

How do you work out or try and loose that annoying stomach fat?

A Bargain Hunter’s Pick: Brilliance.com

You know those times when you really go out of your way to find that shop that gives the best deals which make all your efforts worth it? Thanks to the Internet, you no longer have to squeeze into crowds of hagglers or tread some back alley to find a great bargain, you just need to type in the following letters in your address bar:
http://www.brilliance.com

Diamonds are notoriously expensive, and I think everyone is already well aware of that fact. But for the gentleman who wishes to propose to his woman, for the jewelry aficionado wanting to acquire another potential heirloom, or for the fashionista who is looking to dazzle, backing down is not an option. The only question in their minds would be “How much?”

Everyone wants to get their money’s worth and perhaps more, and this is exactly what you are going to get at Brilliance.com. These guys are somewhat of a well-kept secret; they’ve been around for almost 2 decades now and have amassed a small following of loyal customers, but their prices are definitely at par or lower than most of the big names in online jewelry shopping.

Their Low Price Guarantee is possibly the only thing you’ll need to be convinced. Brilliance specializes in diamond engagement rings, and their Solitaire and Preset rings are very competitively priced, but their Low Price Guarantee effectively assures you that they’ll match the price of the same item found elsewhere.

At this price, you get not only the item you had in mind, you also get additional complementary services for free. Brilliance’s Free Complementary Shipping and their stylish Lacquered Gift Box is a particularly classy touch, while their 30 Day Returns, Lifetime Warranty and Upgrades and Free Ring Resizing are signs that you are buying from an esteemed retailer.

All of their certified loose diamonds are conflict free, as Brilliance’s is a staunch supporter of the Kimberly Process. They only sell diamonds and gems which have been mined in an ethically and environmentally conscious manner. This means that while every item you purchase from Brilliance is definitely a steal, you still get to enjoy it guilt-free!

Medibag Review!

Kids end up getting scrapes and cuts when they play. Short of putting them in a big plastic bubble it will happen. It is really important to have a first aid kit for times like these. I don’t know how many times I have had to search for bandages even though I always seem to put them in a normal place. It is really hard when you need a bandage fast and you can’t find them. I didn’t have a first aid kit. I had most of the items in a first aid kit that I kept in a container but it never seemed to stay in there. So, when I had the opportunity to try out a Medibag from Me4kidz.

I was really excited. I have been looking at first aid kits since I found I was pregnant with Noah and he is almost 5. I couldn’t find one I liked, I am allergic to latex too. A lot of items in first aid kits have latex bandages in them. While Noah isn’t allergic to latex someone has to put the bandage on him and I would prefer not to have those in my home or on my child. I can’t resist hugging and kissing him.

Here is what is in the Medibag First Aid Kit:
(12) Assorted Kid-Friendly bandages
(12) Junior bandages
(12) 3/4" X 3" Sheer bandages
(20) Antiseptic Wipes (sting-free)
(6) 2 X 2 Gauze Pads
(6) 3 X 3 Gauze Pads
(2) Knee & Elbow bandages
(1) Anti-Itch Ointment
(2) Antibiotic Ointments
(1) Burn Gel
(2) Hand Sanitizer packs
(1) Instant Cold Pack
(2) Blue Kid-Friendly Exam Gloves
(2) Fingertip bandages
(1) Plastic Disposable Tweezers
(10) Application Swabs
(1) Sting Relief Pad
(1) Emergency Information Label
(20) Kid-Friendly Fun Stickers
(1) First Aid Guide
(1) Kid-Friendly Organized Doctor's Bag
(1) Coupon for a Free 45 Item Refill Kit

Noah pretends to get hurt so he has an excuse to use the first aid kit. I ended up actually hurting myself by scraping my foot on a spindle of DVDs. It really hurt and my skin was still hanging on to the sides of the DVDs from when I was putting all the videos of Noah when he was a baby. I had Noah pretend to be Doctor Noah and had him help me put a bandage on my foot. He did such a great job fixing me up I gave him one of the stickers from the Medibag. It was so nice not to have to look around the house for a bandage while I am attempting not to bleed on the carpet. We both really like the Medibag because it’s so practical, latex free and fun. I really like the kid friendly bandages enough that I use them too. They stick really well too. The bandage on my foot made it through the shower without falling off. Noah really likes the stickers. If you are in the market for a first aid kit, I hope you check out Medibag. They also have travel sized first aid kits called Medibuddies that would be great for your purse or the car.

For more information and to see the other products Me4kidz has please check out the Me4Kidz website.

Thanks to Me4Kidz for providing my family with a complimentary Medibag to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bargain Jill Helps Save Shoppers Time

It’s no secret that I love shopping online. I also like to get a great deal. I spend quite a bit of time trying to find the best deal when I am buying something that could be available at many different stores. I take the time to look for the best deal, so I can save money. Sometimes it can become a time consuming task. I am sure that there were sites I didn’t even think to look at. The other day I was buying a couple DVD’s that I have wanted for a while. I looked at all the usual suspects and was able to find what I thought was a good deal. I have recently learned about a site called Bargain Jill, it will look across the web for you and find a good deal for the item you want to purchase. You don’t have to check many sites now for a deal. I think that is really a time saver. They also have coupon codes available for even more savings. I hope you all check it all out.

For more information please visit Bargain Jill.

Del Webb joins KitchenAid for Cook for the Cure® and Kitchenaid Mixer Giveaway

Breast Cancer is an illness that affects everyone’s lives. It is a very sad and unfortunate disease that plagues many women and their families. I have been lucky to where no one in my family has had breast cancer, but we have had family members with other cancers. Cancer is a horrible thing. My favorite teacher had breast cancer. She is a survivor. I remember when she told me, I was so heartbroken. I am so glad that she is ok now. It’s crazy because she was always in great shape and took care of herself. I know that doesn’t have to do with anything but, it is just something that you can’t really prevent. It is really important to get a mammogram and do self breast exams. Have a set date every month and check yourself in the shower. If you notice anything please get it checked out. A yearly mammogram is a great idea too. I know some people get one the day after their birthday so they won’t forget. We get so busy with life and this is something we really have to remember to do. Everyone usually remembers their birthday so, pick a day or close to a day that you won’t forget.

I wanted to tell you guys about an event where you can help raise money for breast cancer. Del Webb, an active adult community builder, is sponsoring a series of Cook for the Cure® events across the nation to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. These events are an easy and fun way for people to support the fight against breast cancer- by simply attending. You are able to attend for free, there is a suggested donation of $2 to help fight breast cancer. It looks like a lot of fun. There is one close to my house so hopefully I will be able to attend.

From July 15- 24, 45 Del Webb communities across the nation will be hosting the events.

They are free, open to the public and will feature:
• Cooking demonstrations
• Food samplings
• Live entertainment
• Silent auctions
• Raffles, prizes and more
Attendees are invited to come eat, enjoy the Del Webb lifestyle and enter to win KitchenAid® small appliances. Those interested in attending can find a community nearby and RSVP on Del Webb’s website.

In addition to the public events hosted by Del Webb communities, many Del Webb residents are also hosting private dinner parties to benefit the cause. Proceeds go toward Susan G. Komen for the Cure® for breast cancer research.

Del Webb is sponsoring Cooks for the Cure as part of the event’s 10th anniversary, which challenges America to host 1,000 dinner parties to raise money for breast cancer research and community outreach programs. The annual event has raised nearly $8 million since 2001 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

I have a giveaway for you guys. I am so excited because I love KitchenAid products.

One (1) lucky winner will win a Cook for the Cure® edition, pink KitchenAid® Mixer.

Thank you to Del Webb for providing the Cook for the Cure® edition, pink KitchenAid® Mixer for giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mandatory Entry: share your favorite "pink" recipe ideas for summer goodies that could be baked and shared at these events. (The recipes do not have to be pink in color, just something that would be great for the event)

You must do the mandatory entry for the bonus entries to receive the bonus entries.

Extra Entries:

Like Del Webb’s Facebook page - 1 entry

Share your recipes on Del Webb's Facebook Page- Each recipe you post on the Del Webb Facebook page is worth 5 extra entries (please make sure you comment for each entry)

Subscribe to my blog via email – 1 entry

Follow my blog on GFC – 1 entry

Follow @sheilacakes7 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway including a link. This can be done once a day.

Tell me how breast cancer has affected your life. – 1 entry

This giveaway is open to US Residents only.

This giveaway will end at July 24, 2011 at 11:59 pm ET.

Kids Do The Darnest Things

Thanks to Plum Organics for sponsoring my post about fun kid photos and the stories behind them. Enter Plum's "Babies for Yum Caption Contest" on Facebook and you could win a $100 gift card or Plum goodies.

I absolutely love this picture of Noah and his dog Gordon. He received him from his Aunt Julie for his first Christmas. He had a matching outfit and everything. He used to chew on him until he was soaking wet. I mean so wet you could wring it out. He did that to a lot of his special toys though. This picture was taken on his first trip to Florida in our hotel room. Noah is just so cute. You can see how even at 8 months old he was full of personality and was always smiling. I love his facial expression in this picture. This is definitely one of those priceless moments I happened to get on camera.

I often wondered if his stuffed toys were sprinkled with something that tasted good because he was always chewing on them. I wasn’t going to find out though. It gives me creeps even thinking about it. I literally just got the chills as I thought about biting down on stuffing and toy material. I am sure it was just because he was a baby and he loved chewing on things. He would chew on them so much that they would fur would get hard from being wet from his drool. Man, Noah was a drooler. I would end up covered in it. It’s ok though because just sometimes when we were laughing and playing really hard I would kind of drool on him back. I didn’t drool anywhere near as much as he did. I didn’t have a bib that said world’s best mommy. I like to think that drool is the way a baby kisses you, they can’t really kiss yet so it is the same basic principle. I spent a lot of time looking at many baby pictures of Noah today and this was one of my favorites.

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

We Went to The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social

We had the opportunity to take a part in The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social yesterday. We were really excited to be able to sample the Lil Drums Drumsticks from Nestlé. They had two kinds of treats, Cookie Dough and Chocolate Brownie. I am a huge cookie dough fan so I went with Cookie Dough, I brought my mom with us and she tried the Chocolate Brownie. Noah had trouble deciding which one he wanted. So I told him to pick yellow or purple, however he would have preferred both, but we didn’t want to be little piggies. The man giving out the samples was really nice too. After a few minutes of deciding, he chose cookie dough or yellow as he called it. I had to wait a couple minutes to eat mine, I had to take some pictures of Noah enjoying his treat. It was pure torture. As soon as I tasted the cookie dough Lil’ Drum, I was so happy. It has chunks of cookie dough on the top and I walked around Walmart saying yum and oh yum. I know what I am buying when we go to Walmart again.

I saw so many people walking around with Lil’ Drums and everyone had smiles on their faces. I could tell that everyone really enjoyed it. It was fun. I think they should have them every time I go to Walmart. It was so incredibly hot yesterday. I felt like I was in a sauna every time I went outside. It was so nice to have a delicious ice cream treat to enjoy while we shopped. We didn’t buy much yesterday, just a couple things. We didn’t end up purchasing any ice cream this time because we going to be very busy the next week. I love looking at all the different types of ice cream and ice cream treats. Every time I see a carton of ice cream I think of the trip my cousins and I took to the Edy’s Factory, my cousin’s ex-wife worked there as an ice cream taster, she had a more professional title but I forgot what exactly it was. It was really cool to see how they test the products and to make sure everything is distributed properly they cut the carton long ways to take a look inside. I felt really cool because I was able to try some ice cream just off the line. If I were to create an ice cream flavor it would probably be some kind of peppermint since peppermint is my current favorite flavor. There used to be Starburst Ice Cream and it was the best ice cream. I wish they would bring it back. I miss it. It was an orange and cherry sherbet with soft chunks of starburst. It was the absolute best.

The highlight of our shopping trip to Walmart was definitely The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social. Sometimes as a mom, shopping can be stressful, especially when you have someone asking for everything he sees. This was really a great trip and I am so glad I was able to participate. Let me know if you were able to attend and what your opinions of the Lil Drums and The Walmart Ice Cream Social are. If you missed it, I am hoping they do it again next year!

This shop/project has been compensated as part of a campaign for Nestlé. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Special Surprise at The Freedom Festival.

We went to our local Freedom Festival, we go every year. This year it was a little different. Sure we went around and collected all the branded freebies we wanted. We went to the Children’s activity tent, where Noah was able to make some really cool crafts, since he wasn’t in a stroller anymore. He doesn’t use a stroller anymore which is such a great thing because his stroller was pretty much a pain in times like this when there are a ton of people in a tent full of booths. It was really nice not to have to try and maneuver it while attempting not to smash people while enjoying the events. Noah was able to make a chain of beads that he strung all by himself. It was supposed to be a necklace but he said necklaces are for girls so I made it just a string and attached a car that he colored on to it. He made a foam picture frame that can be put on the fridge. He had a great time.

We were walking and we saw this thing on a truck. I read the banner and it said something about 9/11. I couldn’t figure out what it was, I thought maybe it was a coffin or something because it had a flag draped over it, but it didn’t really look like one. I asked my mom what it was. She knew. It was a part of The World Trade Center. When my brain registered what she said, I just started crying. My body was covered in goosebumps and my hair was standing straight up. I couldn’t speak. I was so overwhelmed with emotion. It was like wow. I didn’t know what to do or say. I just stared at it and thought about all the lives lost, what a tragedy it was and still is. I thought about all the families that lost loved ones. I was just in awe. I have only been to New York once. It was back in 1997 I believe. So, I wasn’t prepared for this. When you go somewhere like Ground Zero, you are prepared for the emotions. You know you are going to be sad. You understand what is going on. I guess when it totally blindsides you like this you just don’t know it’s there.

I can’t get the image out of my head and the great loss it was and is to our country. It was right there, I was seeing it with my own eyes. It wasn’t on TV, or a picture on my computer or a photograph, I could reach out and touch it. It was real. When something tragic happens, it is no doubt sad, but you don’t fully understand how sad until you see it with your own eyes in real life. It solidifies it, and makes it more real. They are building a monument to 9/11 with two pieces of The World Trade Center in downtown Indianapolis. It will resemble The Twin Towers, it looks like it will be a beautiful and amazing tribute to September 11 th and all the lives that were lost.

The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social

One of my grandma Rose’s favorite sayings was When the weather’s hot and you sweat a lot and you can’t get ice cream cones it taint no sin to take off your skin and dance around in your bones. Well, it sure is hot, but don’t take your skin off yet because I have some exciting news to share with you. This Saturday July, 2, 2011 is The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social at Super Walmarts all over the country. The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social is a fun event that Walmart holds every year.

We happened to be at Super Walmart last year when they were doing The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social last year and it was a lot of fun. It is sponsored by Nestlé, Edy’s and Dreyers ice cream brands. This year’s star is the Nestlé Lil Drums, which are small snack sized Drumsticks, which are the perfect size for Noah. I am really excited to take part in it this year. I hope you can make it out to The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social at Walmart and tell me how much fun you have. I will be doing a post about it, so make sure you check back, and I can’t wait to sample some ice cream. It’s the perfect summer treat.

Check out if The Walmart Great Ice Cream Social will be at your local Super Walmart HERE.

This shop/project has been compensated as part of a campaign for Nestlé. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Better World Facebook App Review

Everyone is on Facebook. One of the coolest features besides being able to find old friends and keep in touch with family is the apps. There are so many of them, there is all kinds of games, horoscopes, television apps. I spend quite a bit of time on Facebook talking to my friends and playing some games. I have found some really cool games and some really boring ones that I only played once. I had the opportunity to try out a game on Facebook called A Better World. I really like A Better World because it is a game about doing good deeds. There are so many games online about shooting and fighting, so I love that A Better World is one of those positive games. I think that it could inspire people to do good deeds in real life.



Here is the official press release about A Better World:

A Better World, a Facebook game that rewards players not just for in-game activities but also for real world acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude, has soared to more than 120,000 players.

Popular with women, A Better World, adds a new layer of social activity to casual gaming. Gameplay activities are designed to help everyone who participates feel better about themselves, be supportive of others and make positive choices in their everyday lives. Players also can play mini games with inspirational themes; personalize their own characters and spaces in the game and play with and care for virtual pets.

The game offers more than 15 locations for community members to explore, including the:

• Department of Do Good – A place you can share real world good deeds you’ve performed and see what other members of the community have done

• Gratitude Grotto – A charming area where you can reveal what you are thankful for and express your support for messages left by others

• Sanctuary of Hope – A building where you can communicate your hopes and dreams and send encouragement to other players

• Arcade – A play area with uplifting mini-games to enjoy alone or with friends

• A new feature is the Better Pets Pet Shop, filled with adorable puppies, cute kittens or even a magical unicorn

A Better World was created by ToonUps, a digital entertainment company that has focused on developing digital content that encourages a positive outlook and altruistic behavior for more than a decade.

ToonUps hopes A Better World’s original approach could usher in a new genre of “do good gaming.” Research shows that being encouraged to think about things they are thankful for and doing activities that provide encouragement to others improves their mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

I enjoyed playing A Better World. It was really cool to see my friends houses were in my neighborhood. We are so far away in real life it is pretty neat that we are so close together in the game. I don’t have to hunt for them, they are all there. I had fun designing my character. I normally make characters to look like me. So, no crazy hair or outfits for me, I found an outfit that was similar to something I own. I even named my character Sheila. I have spent some time looking around the game and I really like the message and how much fun it is. It did take me a little bit to figure out the game. I must have hit invite friends a half a dozen times, when I didn’t want to invite anyone at that time. I hope you check it out and let me know what you think.

Play A Better World at http://www.facebook.com/ABetterWorld

I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on A Better World. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.