Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach Review & Giveaway!!!

On my search for healthy, all natural cleaners I know that I can always go to Tropical Traditions for what I need. Over the course of this blog I have done many reviews for them and I am always happy with the products I receive. Nothing is better than using a product that is natural and safe for me to use around Luke!

This time I decided to choose their Oxygen Bleach for review.

People have been using chlorine bleach in their laundries since the end of the 18th century. While these products work very well in whitening clothes, chlorine bleaches do have a negative effect upon the environment because of their chemistry. Care must be taken in using chlorine bleach as it is toxic to humans, animals, and plants.* Also, we all have experienced destroying a colored article of clothing because chlorine bleach was accidentally spilled on it.

Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach is a safe and effective alternative to chlorine based products and it can be used in many applications in and around the home. It is based on sodium percarbonate which uses oxygen for destaining and deodorizing. Oxygen Bleach is safe to use at all temperatures, on most washable fabrics, and all colors, in hard or soft water, and is compatible with other household cleaners. Also, it produces no harmful by-products which negatively affect the environment. Unlike chlorine bleach, which can merely cover up a stain, Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach attacks and breaks down organic stains to totally remove them from the garment.

My Thoughts

I am always up for trying something new for my laundry. I have to be careful though because Luke and I both have sensitive skin. But, if something can get my laundry sparkling white then I'm up for the challenge. When I was looking for the next item I was going to review from Tropical Traditions and came across the Oxygen Bleach, I instantly knew that I wanted to try it out. Not only is meant for laundry but there is an awesome list of the many uses for it on their site! It can be used for everything from your laundry to bathroom cleaning to wood decks! It is such a multi-purpose natural cleaner that at $16.75 for 6 pounds, you can not go wrong!

So how does it work? Well, the first load of laundry I used this in was my towels. They can always use a little stain removal, especially my dish towels. I put a scoop full in and let it do it's work. When I pulled this out of the dryer to put away, I instantly could tell that my towels were brighter. Then, as I was folding them I noticed they felt softer too! I don't think it's meant as a fabric softener, but I know that I hadn't changed anything else in this load other than adding the Oxygen Bleach. Another great plus is that this did not ruin my colored towels! I do not use chlorine in my laundry simply because I refuse to take the risk of somehow ruining my favorite pair of jeans. I don't have to worry about that with this because it is color safe. And as always, I feel confident that I am making a great choice, as this is an all natural cleaner, I know it is safe to be used around Luke and it's safe for the environment!

One of my readers will win their own Tropical Traditions Oxygen Bleach!

Mandatory Entry

Head over to Tropical Traditions and have a look around. Come back here and tell me another product you would like to try

Extra Entries:

1 Extra Entry: Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions Newsletter

If you already have, leave me a comment telling me.

1 Extra Entry: Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter

2 Extra Entry: Follow my blog on GFC

2 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: For any of my other giveaways you enter!

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this daily for an extra entry every day. You can use this sample tweet:

#Win Oxygen Bleach from Tropical Traditions http://t.co/mrg3c8r @Troptraditions @getinonthewins

3 Extra Entry: Put my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/13 at 10pm. This giveaway is open to US and Canada. I will pick a winner using random.org and they will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner. I received the Oxygen Bleach for review purposes only and was not compensated in any other way. These are my own honest opinions.

Babar School Days DVD Review & Giveaway!!!

Winner~Comment #37~Ryanac32!!!

Isn't it great when you can share something with your children from your childhood? I love it when I find a way to introduce something that I loved to Luke. I used to love watching Babar and reading books about Babar so I jumped at the chance to share him with Luke!

Babar has a great new DVD coming out called School Days!

Based on the beloved children's books by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff, this DVD Collection features four endearing tales that explore core family values including acceptance, honesty and patience.

Episodes

School Days

Kings of the Castle

Every Basket Has a Silver Lining

Peer Pressure

My Thoughts

As I said before, I was excited to share this with Luke. I knew he would love Babar and I was right. As soon as he saw the cover for this DVD, he had to watch it. This DVD has 4 episodes dealing with issues you may have in school. Although Luke isn't in school yet, he does go to daycare on a daily basis and I'm sure he has faced some issues with the other kids, just the same as in school. I love the values that these episodes teach Luke. I want Luke to grow up with strong morals and any time that I get a chance to reinforce that, I take it. This is a great DVD, very entertaining and I loved the animated Babar. Luke was entertained through the whole thing and now asks to watch "elephant show"

This DVD is set to be released on September 6th! You can pre-order yours today at eOne Vision! And don't forget about the holiday's either, DVD's make great stocking stuffers!

One of my readers will win their own copy of Babar School Days!

Mandatory Entry

Tell me another thing from your childhood that you like to share with your children

Extra Entries:

1 Extra Entry: "Like: BabarDVD on Facebook

1 Extra Entry: Follow BabarDVD on Twitter

2 Extra Entries: Follow me on GFC

2 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this daily for an extra entry everyday. You can use this sample tweet:

 #Win Babar School Days DVD! #giveaway @getinonthewins @BabarDVD http://t.co/gtRryeP 

1 Extra Entry: For each of my other giveaways you enter

3 Extra Entries: Place my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/13 at 10pm. I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner. I received the mentioned dvd for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinons.

Friday Favorites!!!

Finally, I'm back with another Friday Favorites! I've been busy collecting ideas on Pinterest (feel free to follow me)!

I just had to share with you this awesome tutorial on hemming jeans from Love Stitched!

I think that every pair of jeans that I own except for maybe one pair needs to be hemmed. I'm a fold girl, I fold my pants legs up so they don't drag, so I really needed this tutorial!

Next check out the Hot Wheels Shadow Box from WIP Blog!

I love this idea! I think this would look great in Luke's room and you can usually find Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars for a really good price!

And last but not least, check out these great ideas for Repurposing Cardboard from Declutter Organize Repurpose!

This is a really good list of ways to reuse cardboard boxes. These are so fun! I can remember when I was little and my parents would turn a big cardboard box into a car for me, complete with a steering wheel and doors that opened. I had so much fun playing in those boxes! This is something that I definitely want to do with Luke too!

So, there you have it, Some more crafts to add to your list! I know mine is about a million miles long! I may just have to do a Friday Favorites "Recipe Edition" too, to share with you guys some of the great recipes that I've been able to find!

I hope you guys have a great weekend. We have no plans what so ever and we are going to take it easy!

Dinner is Ready Cookbook & Software Review & Giveaway!

Winner~Comment #1~Miller Racing Family!!!
Being a single, working mom is not always easy. Fixing a great tasting, fast and easy meal is always a problem for me. I hate the constant worry of what I am going to fix for dinner, and the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal for myself and Luke. I want to be able to fix healthy, great tasting meals and still have time to spend with my little guy! 30 Meals in One Day is an awesome website that helps with this dilema!

Everything you need for once a month cooking is here, all in one place. Spend just one day in the kitchen preparing freezer meals and stock your freezer with lots of delicious freedom at family dinner time. From great freezer recipes to microwave containers in which to freeze your individual or family dinners!

With delicious meals in your freezer you can always say,

"Dinner is Ready"!

30 Meals in One Day offers a variety of cookbooks and software that will help you stock your freezer full of tasty, healthy meals for a whole month!

I received the Dinner is Ready Cookbook and Software combination!

More than 150 delicious freezer recipes! Every delicious recipe is family friendly and freezer worthy!!

Dinner is Ready is a new cookbook designed to change your life. Learn the 30 Meals in One Day method of once-a-month-cooking. With easy to read and clear instructions, this book details every aspect of the process including techniques, order of events, tips and shortcuts that will put 30 meals in your freezer in one day, a fraction of the time it would take to make each of those 30 meals individually. Don’t have a day to spend in the kitchen? Choose one of the shorter options! You don’t have to freeze 30 meals at once — any number of meals in your freezer will bring you satisfaction and a measure of freedom at dinner time!

Every meal you put in your freezer is one day of freedom in your future!

With delicious dinners in your freezer – no matter how busy your day – you can always say “Dinner is Ready!”

Beautiful cookbook contains clear instructions plus more than 150 freezer recipes (See sample recipes - link below). No strange recipes. No strange ingredients. All simple, family friendly, freezable and delicious.

Recipe management computer software makes it easy to plan, shop, cook and freeze meals —and it comes with the every recipe in the corresponding cookbook(s).

No more hand writing Recipes, Shopping Lists, Menus or Freezer Inventories,and Labels. This program is easy to learn, easy to use and will save you time! Each version comes with every recipe in the corresponding book, plus you can add unlimited recipes to the program.

With the program you can:

Manage Recipes

Choose from recipes in the program

Add other 30 Meals in One Day recipe collections

Add your own recipes

Edit and/or alter any ingredient/recipe

Adjust recipe size

Search by ingredient, recipe name or category

Print recipes

Generate Shopping Lists

Simply choose any number of recipes and every ingredient will be added to the Shopping List

List prints in Grocery Store categories

Add any other items to the list

Edit or Remove any items you don’t need to purchase

Print Shopping List

Generate Labels

Simply choose the recipes and the program will generate the labels

Each label has Recipe Name, Cooking Instructions and Date

Print a whole sheet of labels (10) or select any label(s) on the sheet

Create Menus or Freezer Inventories

Create any number of Menus or Freezer Inventories

Print Menus or Freezer Inventories

My Thoughts

The Dinner is Ready cookbook and software is such a great idea! This book gives you a ton of recipes to use, and it also explains everything you need to know about freezer cooking. I love this program because I can spend one day (when Luke is with his daddy) and can prepare 30 days worth of meals. That way, when Luke is home all I have to do is pop a great, healthy meal in the oven and then take the time I've saved to spend with Luke. I can't wait to actually give this a try, my freezer isn't working, but I'm getting a new one within the next month and can't wait to tell you guys all about how this goes. As an added bonus, you can purchase the disposable foil containers to put your meals in, and then throw them away when your done. I purchased a huge pack of these at Sams Club for a great price (I think around $7) and these are all ready and waiting for me to get started on this!

The Dinner is Ready software that comes with this is such a blessing! This makes the process so much easier! I have already planned out my recipes and have a grocery list to go by! You choose your recipes on the software, and each ingredient is added to your shopping list. You can remove items from the list that you don't need and when you print it, it prints out in grocery store categories! I love that you can adjust the recipe size as well, with it just being Luke and I, we don't need a huge portion for dinner.

I can not tell you how excited that I am to try this out! I have everything ready, I just need my new freezer and I'm ready to get shopping and get cooking! You will have to wait and see how this goes, as I plan on blogging all about it! And maybe, just maybe, this will be my first vlog! (I've been wanting to try this out!)

One of my readers will win a copy of the On The Side Cookbook whick contains more than 350 side dish recipes that can be prepare ahead of time and then frozen!

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment on the Dinner is Ready blog!

Extra Entries:

1 Extra Entry: Like Dinner is Ready on Facebook

1 Extra Entry: Subscribe to the Dinner is Ready emails

2 Extra Entries: Follow me on GFC

2 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this daily for an extra entry every day. You can use this sample tweet:

Dinner is Ready Cookbook & Software Review & Giveaway! http://t.co/IsCQOOV @getinonthewins

1 Extra Entry: For each of my other giveaways you enter

3 Extra Entries: Put my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/13 at 10PM. I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will choose another winner. I received the mentioned book and software for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinions.

Toddler Talk Thursday!!!

It's Toddler Talk Thursdays again! I'm linking up with the fabulous hosts of this meme, My Life As A Sippy Cup Mom, Family and Life in Las Vegas, and Crazy About My Baybah!

What do you do to help build your child’s vocabulary?

My best advice to talk to your toddler..all...the...time. Luke learns from the people who speak to him. So, if I say something to him on a regular basis, he will catch on and say it too. I also think that reading helps a ton. The more you read to your child, the more he or she will be introduced to different words. Luke's vocabulary grows a little bit every week, just the other day he mumbled something and I said "what?" and he said "nothing, I just talk to my myself"!! I was like "oookkkk" Hehehehe! I would have never thought he would say something like that!

My suggestion for next week:

Advice on making drop off's at daycare easier?

Corel Paintshop Photo X3 Ultimate Review & Giveaway!!!

Winner~Comment #16~Karla!!!
So it's no secret that I love photography and photo editing. I mean, I talk about it all the time here :) Well, after you take your photo's, the way to make them "pop" is with a great photo editing software. I have always used Corel Paintshop to edit all my photo's! I recently had the opportunity to review Corel Paintshop Photo X3!

Go Ultimate and get $400 in photo-editing software extras. Learn more

PaintShop Photo Pro X3 makes it easy to create professional-looking photos. Import, edit and share your images—all in one place. The new organizer helps you sort, rate and tag your photographs faster than ever. Make quick fixes in the enhanced Express Lab or use more advanced photo-editing tools such as the new Smart Carver™. Then upload to the web, create photo books and projects, or back up on disc. It's all your photo-editing tasks in one high-performance package.


RAW Lab – manually adjust groups of RAW photos during the loading process


Express Lab – quickly fix common photo flaws


Advanced tools – edit with advanced features such as Smart Carver, Vibrancy and more


Integrated projects – create photo books, HD slideshows, cards and more


Photo sharing – email, print or send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr

My Thoughts

Corel Paintshop has always been my go to photo editing software. It is reasonably priced and does everything I need. All the photo's that I have edited has been with Paintshop. I have tried other photo editing software but always, always go back to Paintshop. When my last computer crashed and I lost my Paintshop, I could have cried. I have not only done basic photo editing with this software but I have also used it to make my Hot Fun in the Summer button, I've made a blog header, and I use it for all my christmas cards and Luke's birthday party invitations. It is so versatile, I don't know what I would do without it.

Corel Paintshop is so easy to use. Everything is set up so all your tools are easy to find and easy to use. If you apply an effect, you can preview it right on the image to make sure you like how it looks. You can work in layers and choose different blending modes to get just the right look. If you think that is too advanced for you, it isn't. With just a little practice, it will become second nature for you.

Corel Paintshop even offers Makeover Tools to fix any blemishes in your portraits. You can whiten blood shot eyes, remove wrinkles and blemishes with this software!

Another great feature is the Project Creator where you can create your own amazing projects, from photo books and collages to cards and more!

Here are some examples of the work I've done with this software. It is great for professionals, amatures and everything in between!

One of my readers is going to win their own download copy of Corel Paintshop Photo X3!

Mandatory Entry:

Head over Corel and have a look around. Come back here and tell me another product you would like to have!

Extra Entries:

1 Extra Entry: Follow Corel on Twitter

1 Extra Entry: "Like" Corel on Facebook

3 Extra Entries: Follow my blog on GFC

3 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this once a day for an extra entry everyday. You can use this sample tweet:

#Win Corel Paintshop Photo X3 Ultimate! #photo editing fun! @getinonthewins @corelsoftware http://t.co/DT7bsqX

1 Extra Entry: For each of my other giveaways you enter

3 Extra Entries: Put my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/13 at 10pm. I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will choose another winner. I received the mentioned software for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinions.

Kettlebody By Brook DVD Set Review & Giveaway!!

Winner~Comment #6~S!!!

I have confessed my love of kettlebells on here before. I love the workout that I get with them, and love that by using them regularly, I can see results. I was excited to try out Kettlebody by Brook DVD set!



Kettlebody by Brook is a boxed set of three DVDs: Cardio Kettlebell (30-minute cardio, power, strength workout), Yogaburn (30-minutes of Power Yoga strength and flexibility), and Bell Body Sculpt (30-minutes of full-body toning, using your body weight and a kettlebell).

My Thoughts

I couldn't wait to try these DVD's out. I really love using kettlebells and was excited to see what new exercises I could learn. You are instructed to do these DVD's in sequence starting with Cardio Kettlebell, then Yogaburn and finally Bell Body Sculpt. Brook suggests that you do these, in this sequence, 6 days a week, taking the seventh day off for rest. If you do this for 8 weeks uninterupted you will see your Kettllebody by Brook. The setting on these DVD's are simple and not distracting, there is a pretty light green curtain hanging in the background with Brook instructing and two background exercisers. Of course you do these exercises with a kettlebell, if you don't have one you will need to get one, but they are sooo worth the money.

I have to be honest and say that I didn't make it through my first Cardio workout. I had to stop and take a little break, but once I caught my breath, I went right back at it. Because a lot of the exercises are done with a squat, the next day I found it hard to walk or sit down. My legs and butt were totally sore, which is a good thing because I really feel like I got a great workout. I enjoyed this workout a lot and the fact that it is only 30 minutes long makes it easy for me to fit it in. Brook's instruction on all of these DVD's is great and I love how she tells you which move to do next, before it is time to actually do it. This makes it easier for me to keep up and doesn't make me get discouraged by getting behind.

On the Yogaburn, I once again had a hard time doing all the exercises. Just to watch someone do Yoga, it looks easy but let me tell you, it is not as easy as it looks! I did the best I could and got through the workout. I know that the longer I do this the better I will get, which motivates me all the more to see how I improve. The next day my abs were sore! I love when I can feel the burn in my muscles the next day because then I don't feel like I am waisting my time.

On the third day I did the Bell Body Sculpt. This was probably my favorite DVD out of all of them because I got to tone up my arms. I would love to be able to wear a tank top with confidence next summer and I am sure if I keep this up, I will be able to do just that. This workout really works the muscles in your arms and your abs. Immediately after doing this, my ab muscles felt tighter and my arms felt like they got a great workout. I always forget how good working out feels, until I actually  make myself get up and do it. And I have to say that, this is the first kettlebell workout that actually made me wish that I had a kettlebell weighing less than 10 pounds!

As I said before, I'm excited to see how much better I get at these workouts as I progress through the next few weeks. These DVD's seem like something that I can not only fit in my schedule, but will also want to do, which is important for me to want to stick with it. I'm hoping to fit these in and follow the plan for 8 weeks, and hopefully see some results in how my body looks. I will be sure to update you guys on what happens!

And, if your interested in doing the Kettlebody By Brook DVD's and need some support, there will be a free Facebook group for you! This is a group of females from all over the world that will do Kettlebody by Brook 6 days per week for 8 weeks and support each other through a closed Facebook group, and track their physical changes.  There is absolutely no cost to join.  The group will begin the 8-week program on Monday, September 5, 2011.  We've found that workout DVD programs are most successful when there is some kind of accountability.  Erin  Brooke Williamson, owner of Life in the Dub Lane blog, has created a group to do Kettlebody by Brook DVDs together in order to hold each other accountable, and truly see incredible results from commitment to this program.  Simply visit www.everbrooke.com to sign up!

One of my readers will win the Kettelbody By Brook DVD Set!

Mandatory Entry
Head over to Cardiopump Fitness and browse around. Come back here and tell me another product you would like to have.

Extra Entries:

1 Extra Entry: Like Cardiopump Fitness on Facebook

1 Extra Entry: Follow Cardiopump on Twitter

2 Extra Entries: Follow me on GFC

2 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this daily for an extra entry everyday. You can use this sample tweet:

#Win the Kettlebody By Brook DVD Set! @BrookBenten @getinonthewins #giveaway http://t.co/piPqKh6

1 Extra Entry: For each of my other giveaways you enter

3 Extra Entries: Place my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/6 at 10PM. I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will choose another winner. I received the mentioned dvd's for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinions.

Puppy Training with Purina~Review & Giveaway 10 Winners!!!

No, I'm not currently puppy training, but at one point in time I was puppy training an adult dog. I have a chocolate lab named Jake. We got him from our local dog pound. He was an adult dog, but wasn't house broken. So we had the daunting task of housebreaking him. I wouldn't change it for the world because he is the best dog anyone could ever ask for, but there were times during the process that I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. One thing that is so helpful during this process is having the right products to help you out. Purina is right on top of this!

Bringing a new puppy home is an exciting time for the whole family, but it can also be a bit challenging for those responsible for housetraining,” explains Jennifer MacLean, oneCARE’s marketing director for pet care products. “We’ve created several new products, all designed to make puppy care simpler and easier allowing you to enjoy, play and bond with your pet.”

The new Purina® Pet Gear Ultra Dry Training Pads feature an exclusive DryStep™ cover designed to prevent leaks and paw prints from tracking through the house. The pad features an innovative top layer that contains thousands of microfunnels to quickly channel liquid into the middle, where it’s rapidly absorbed and locked away, preventing it from coming back to the surface, even as dogs walk across. The leak-proof backing also protects floors and carpets. The pads are available in 10-count, 20-count and 40-count and come in an easy-to-store box for convenient dispensing.

Even the Best Pets Have Accidents and to help in those instances, oneCARE is also introducing the Purina® Pet Gear Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator for carpet and upholstery. The superior new cleaning agent thoroughly removes pet stains and the odors that lead puppies back to the same spots, all without damaging carpet or furniture. The proprietary pro-enzyme formula is a blend of six enzymes that break down stains and eliminate odors naturally.

The 2-in-1 cleaning action lifts pet soils from carpet fibers for easy removal while the odor-eliminating technology destroys surface odors on contact. The enzymes and bacteria continue to break down deep soils as well as the source of odors until they’ve been completely eliminated; thorough odor removal discourages pets from remarking. Designed for use on carpet, upholstery, pet beds, litter boxes and any water-safe surface, the Purina® Pet Gear Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator is safe for use around children and pets.

My Thoughts

Puppy training pads are a must have during the house breaking process. Even the best puppy will have accidents at times, and if you can get the accidents to be on the training pads, clean up is way easier. These are great for those times that you have to leave the house and leave the puppy behind for a little while, it will give you a security in knowing you are covered!

The stain and odor remover is definitely a must have. This not only gets rid of unsightly stains and smells, but it gets rid of enzymes that will cause the puppy to remark. This is good for dogs who like to mark their territory (namely your front room carpet) and if you don't get rid of the enzymes, there is a great chance that the puppy will remark in the same spot. We used this with Jake and it really does work.

We also received a Evercare Giant Home and Auto Pet Hair remover. Now these come in handy for any pet owner, dog, cat, puppy or adult. This is great to get the hair off of your furniture and in your car. If you have a dog like Jake, who has two coats of fur, you will have hair everywhere, especially on car rides. This is great to get rid of the hair. This is also great to get rid of the hair that gets on my dress pants too. No one likes to walk around covered in dog hair....even if the hair belongs to your best friend!

10 of my readers will win their own set of Purina Puppy Training Pads!!!

Mandatory Entry

Tell me what kind of pet you have or would like to have!

Extra Entries:

2 Extra Entries: Follow me on GFC

2 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on twitter and tweet. You can do this daily for an extra entry every day. You can use this sample tweet:

10 Winners will #win free @Purina Puppy Training Pads! @getinonthewins #giveaway http://t.co/CHQvmA3

1 Extra Entry: For each of my other giveaways you enter

3 Extra Entries: Put my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/6 at 10pm. I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email or I will choose another winner. I received the mentioned products for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinions.

Crunch Pak~Great Kids Lunch Idea!!!

With school starting very soon, I'm sure everyone is preparing to pack school lunches. I pack Luke's lunch for daycare everyday and at times I have a hard time finding things that he will eat and that are nutritious at the same time. When I saw Crunch Pak I knew that these would be a great addition to my list of lunch foods!

Founded in 2000, Crunch Pak is committed to providing the highest quality organic and conventional sliced apples in the market. Crunch Pak’s family of brands include Crunch Pak, Crunch Pak Organic, Disney / Crunch Pak, and BK Apple Fries. Annually Crunch Pak creates more than 1 billion apple slices at plants in Cashmere, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

Crunch Pak has a wide variety of healthy and convenient foods for you and your kids! Sometimes it can be a hassle to try to eat right, but these foods are easy to take and are fun too! Their products feature favorite Disney characters including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Cars and even Phineous and Ferb!

Foodles are a convenient pack of food that includes apple slices and cheese cubes and either caramel sauce, raisins, or grapes.



Their sweet apple mini-bags are just the right amount of apples in an easy to take bag.



They even carry a family sized bag of sliced apples!

My Thoughts
I was excited to give these a try as I not only pack a lunch for Luke everyday, but I also pack one for myself as well. I try to send healthy foods, but also want to send something that Luke will actually eat too.

I absolutely loved the Foodles packs. These were great and were just the right amount of food for a lunch for Luke and as a snack for myself. I even took one in my lunch to work, and it was just the right amount of food for a snack and it was healthy too. Everything in these was delicious and I myself even enjoyed having this in my lunch!

The mini-bags of apples were great! I loved these because I have a hard time eating a whole apple because it hurts my gums and because these were already sliced, they were easy for me to eat. These were great for Luke too as they were just the right size for him and contained the perfect amount of apple slices for him. The caramel dip is great tasting and a great treat too! Because these feature favorite Disney characters, they caught Luke's attention and made him curious to try something new. These apples were delicious and crisp!

The family size bags of apples are great for a night time snack. I know that I've often found myself reaching for something unhealthy to snack on because it is convenient, although I do love apples, I don't like slicing them up. With this bag, the apples were already sliced and ready to eat and I found myself reaching for these instead!

All of these foods would be great for after school snacks too! Your kids can just grab a bag of apples and have a snack and you can rest assured that they are having something healthy!

You can go HERE to find out more about Crunch Pak and find a store near you!

I received the mentioned products for review purposes only and no other compensation was received. These are my own honest opinions.

My Own Pet Balloons Review & Giveaway!!!

Luke has such a wild imagination. At the drop of the dime he can be imagining that he is in another world, playing with a penny or even making his hands talk to eachother in the back seat of the car.  I love that he has a great imagination and that he knows how to use it, which is why I love products that help to foster his imaginiation.

My Own Pet Balloons are a great product for imaginative play!

All kids want a pet to call their very own. Now, with MyOwnPet™ balloons, they can have a whole menagerie. MyOwnPet™ balloons are the new breed of pretend pets that are taking the country by storm. There are 27 different animals in the collection, including dogs, ponies, elephants, ducks, dinosaurs and many more.

The magic of these imaginary pets is that they walk! Each helium-filled pet has specially designed, weighted feet that keep pets grounded so they can be “walked” with the attached leash. Ponies appear to trot. Ducks waddle. Dogs follow faithfully behind. MyOwnPet balloon animals spark children’s imaginations and have universal appeal to kids and grown-ups alike. Whether it’s letting a child have his or her very own puppy or pony, or sending them as a gift, MyOwnPet balloons make the perfect pet.

Made to last, MyOwnPet balloons have high-quality welded seams and inflation valves to minimize helium loss, ensuring a long life span. They can be inflated at most florists, party and gift stores and many supermarkets and, in the event they become soft over time, they can be refilled.

MyOwnPet balloons can be purchased for a suggested retail price of $14.95 and are available at www.myownpetballoon.com.

My Thoughts

My Own Pet Balloons has so many cute balloons to choose from. Luke would have liked to have had them all, but we were able to narrow it down to the Pointer Balloon!

I took this to our local florist and had it filled with hellium. The feet on this balloon are specially weighted so that the balloon looks like it's walking! As we were walking out of the florist's I couldn't help but laugh at this doggy balloon following behind me! It has a ribbon leash and I just held the leash and the good little doggy followed behind!

Once Luke saw this balloon following me he had to take him for a walk! He got such a kick out of it!

Luke was full of giggles as the doggy happily trotted behind him!

This balloon has a very realistic walk and even the adults that have seen this can't get over how cute it is! I love that this can be refilled, so when the hellium runs out, we can refill it and Luke will still be able to walk his doggy. This balloon is made out of high quality materials and definitely seems like it should last a long while! These would be great for birthday parties as well!

One of my readers is going to win their own My Own Pet Balloon!!!

Mandatory Entry:

Head over to My Own Pet Balloon and have a look around. Come back here and tell me which balloon you like the most

Extra Entries:

2 Extra Entries: Follow me on GFC

2 Extra Entries: Subscribe to my emails

1 Extra Entry: Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. You can do this once a day for an extra entry every day. You can use this sample tweet:

#Win a My Own Pet Balloon! Hellium filled pet that happily walks behind you! @getinonthewins #giveaway #toy

1 Extra Entry: For each of my other giveaways you enter

3 Extra Entries: Put my button on your blog and leave a link

5 Extra Entries: Blog about this giveaway and leave a link

This giveaway will end on 9/6 at 10pm. I will use random.org to choose a winner and they will have 48 hours to respond to my email to claim their prize or I will choose another winner. I received the mentioned product for review purposes only and no other compensation was recieved. These are my own honest opinions. 

Toddler Talk Thursdays!!!

It's Toddler Talk Thursdays again! I'm linking up with the fabulous hosts of this meme, My Life As A Sippy Cup Mom, Family and Life in Las Vegas, and Crazy About My Baybah!

This weeks topic

Do you use a reward system/charts with your toddler? How’s it working out?

No, I don't use reward systems or charts with Luke. I've thought about it, I just have never really had to do it. I planned on making one for potty training, then we didn't need it. I've thought about making one to give him motivation to sleep in his own bed, but I'm not sure that would work. Anytime I have tried to use bribery (Luke if you take one bite of your mashed potatoes, I'll give you a sticker) he will just say he doesn't want the sticker. So, it would have to be something really, really good to make it worth it. I can see having a reward chart and him not caring if he gets the reward or not. I'm curious to see what everyone else does.

My topic suggestion

What is your advice on getting your toddler to sleep alone?

Are you the parent to a toddler? Join in!