Archives for October 2012

Oct 07

Halloween UNJUNKED: An UNREAL Ice Cream Social #GetUnreal

Oct 07

Halloween is only three weeks away! Have you stocked up on your candy, toys, and treats yet? This week I began buying little by little, each time I go to the store. If I buy it all at once, I just end up eating it! Trick or treaters will be getting a surprise this year when they knock on my door. There is a new candy on this block, and it’s UNREAL-literally! They are on a mission to unjunk your candy and show you it can still taste great without the yucky additives. To introduce family and friends to UNREAL Candy, I decided to put together a Halloween inspired ice cream social. Yes, this was not only an excuse to put out more decorations but to eat yummy ice cream too! I offered a variety of ice cream, candy toppings, treat bags for my guests, and great company. It’s finally October which means we are all entitled to have candy this month and with UNREAL you can eat it more often without feeling guilty.

UNREAL candy focuses on the ingredients of the product rather than the appearance. They contain less sugar and are also made with more cacao, real caramel, peanuts, protein, and fiber. Since it is free of any artificial coloring, the chocolate covered candies are dull in color. This doesn’t mean they are dull in flavor though! Without all the preservatives and corn syrup, you can actually taste the true flavor and sweetness. Buying the same old candy can get boring, but when you see something new it tempts you to give it a try. We all agreed that the bright packaging makes it stand out from the rest.

There are five different types of candy available: candy coated chocolates with or without peanuts, peanut butter cups, and caramel & nougat bars with or without peanuts. When you open the candy for yourself, you will notice the concept of each is very similar alternative to popular brands on the market.

While their names aren’t very traditional, their taste makes up for it. You can find all of these sold in stores under UNREAL 54, 41, 5, 77, and 8. I served each of them as toppings for ice cream but we couldn’t stop eating them on their own. My favorite was the caramel nougat because it was chewy and packed with thick caramel. The crowd favorite was the Peanut Butter Cup. It was time to sit back and relax with our customized ice cream creations in hand. Even the dogs enjoyed the ice cream social! They sure weren’t complaining when they got to lick the bowl either.

The ice cream social appeared to be a hit. Everyone enjoyed their refreshing ice cream and candy toppings. I was happy to send each guest away with their own UNREAL gift bag containing a sample of each product they tried today. I think I successfully converted them after hearing a lot of chatter about the UNREAL 77 Peanut Butter Cups tasting better than the leading brand! They were shocked to hear it contained half the amount of sugar and also less fat. With it still being a few weeks away from Halloween, there is still plenty of time to make better candy choices this year. I know we will be stocking up on UNREAL Candy to hand out and spread the word to our neighborhood trick or treaters.

To find out more information on UNREAL Candy you can visit their website where you can learn more about each product and the mission behind them. You can also interact by following along on Twitter and Facebook. Want to get unjunked before Halloween? You can purchase UNREAL Candy at CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Michael’s, Staples, and many other stores listed on their site. This month they will also be debuting at Target locations so keep an eye out!

Disclosure: This post and party have been sponsored by Global Influence and UNREAL Candy. I have been compensated but all opinions are my own.

Oct 05

Kidfresh Frozen Meals Provide Healthier Options #KFHealthyKids #CBias

Oct 05

As parents we are always searching for healthier meal options for our children and ourselves. It can be tricky avoiding processed foods, artificial coloring, and mystery ingredients labeled on boxes. This past year has been a stepping stone for my family because I have changed our eating habits tremendously. In addition to purchasing fresh vegetables and fruits, I read labels and make sure I know exactly what we are eating. I have not only been trying to improve my own eating habits, but also those of my daughter who is growing like a weed. Since it is not always possible to cook a full course healthy meal every single night, it is nice to have other nutritious options to choose from. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and even snack time can sometimes be stressful and conflict with busy schedules. With this in mind I took a trip to my local Publix supermarket to find the Kidfresh frozen kid’s meals. The team behind Kidfresh has mastered the art of sneaking vegetables into their meals and getting them into little tummies! Before leaving to the grocery store, I checked the Kidfresh Facebook page and printed a coupon for $1 off. You can print one too by entering your email.

Prepared with my KidFresh coupon and a list of groceries, we arrived to Publix for some late night shopping. My plan was to tackle the freezer section but I decided to get the essentials first. It had to be the quickest shopping session ever. I think I really got myself excited about checking out Kidfresh!

After picking up what we needed, I headed over to find the KidFresh meals in the freezer section. I expected them to be near the other healthy kid’s meals but was surprised to see the display by the ethnic foods. The bright green packaging stuck our like a sore thumb and caught my eye immediately. Every variety was fully stocked and available for purchase. I also noticed that there was a small sign under each, listing the nutrition facts. This gave me a quick glimpse as to what the meals offered. I didn’t see this information under any other brand, only Kidfresh.

Having a hard time choosing which to toss in the cart, I decided to get one of each! With the $1 coupon handy, two of the meals were almost free. What is better than saving money AND getting healthy alternatives for your children?

I wanted to learn a little bit more about Kidfresh and what made them so unique. The back of the package was full of useful information and taught me a thing or two. I took a moment to read further. Each delicious entree is made from all natural ingredients and contains 1 half cup of vegetables per serving. Seems like an easy way to get protein, fiber, and calcium into my daughter’s diet without her even knowing. I am liking Kidfresh already.

With all of the benefits presented, I piled in the packages and headed to check out. It was a relief knowing that I was purchasing food that may be frozen, but is still loaded with vitamins and nutrients.

Tonight’s dinner would be the true test. I heated up the Easy Cheesy Ravioli in hopes that Toodie was enjoy it without noticing the hidden veggies. I recognized that the tomato sauce was thick, chunky, and made with real vegetable. The ravioli squares were plump and stuffed with Ricotta, Romano, and Parmesan cheese. This was such a refreshing change from what we are used to. Most frozen meals are processed and very bland. Before serving, I snuck a bite in myself and enjoyed the medley of tomato, squash, and natural cheese. I was sold. It was hard to believe that this meal consisted of so many hidden vegetables, even carrots. The flavors blended perfectly and now I understand why Kidfresh is so good at what they do. Toodie loved her dinner and actually finished her whole entire meal. It may seem like no surprise, but with her being such a picky eater this rarely ever happens. Her bowl was empty and her belly was happy. Finally, I don’t have to feel so bad about giving my kid a frozen dinner. Kidfresh came out on top tonight!

If you would like to find out more information about Kidfresh, you can follow along on Facebook and Twitter. This will allow you to stay up to date with their products and be the first to hear about promotions.

Also, take a peek on my Google+ album for a closer look into my shopping experience & new found love for Kidfresh meals!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Kidfresh #CBias #SocialFabric

Oct 04

Teething With Style: Teethease Review

Oct 04

When we enter motherhood it doesn’t mean that we have to give up being fashionable, trendy, or accessorizing our favorite outfits. Yes, we do enjoy spending time in our jammies but sometimes we want to dress up to feel like we’ve still got it! Teethease has created a line of functional jewelry that acts as accessory and a useful baby teether. At the moment, Teethease offers seven products ranging in an assortment of colors and styles. These include necklaces and bangles with different shapes and sizes.

Each piece is wearable and also practical. All of their affordable teethers are free of BPA, PVC, phthalate, latex and heavy metals making them safe as well. The soft and flexible silicone gives your baby something to chew on while relieving the aches from teething. It doesn’t hurt that these pieces are all stylish and look like a normal piece of jewelry you may wear everyday. I love the color pallete used and that they are almost all neutral. The white, grey, and black pieces can be worn with anything while the teal adds a pop of color! Unlike your typical teething toys, these can all be washed and sanitized in your dish washer. I remember when Toodie was teething and how her little frozen rings were always falling on the floor. With germs making their way on to everything, it really helps to have a teether that can be easily cleaned. Since you are wearing the Teethease, you also don’t have to worry about it dropping or getting lost in a black hole known as the diaper bag!

Teethease was kind enough to send me their Heart Pendant Necklace in lavender. While the heart comes on a soft black rope, you can easily slide it off and give to your child to hold. I really love that there is a break-away clasp holding the necklace together. This allows you to easily pop the necklace on and off without any tugging. The heart pendant is very soft, softer than it actually looks. At the same time, there is no way your baby is going to break through this thing! I can imagine it gives hours of soothing satisfaction when those little teeth are breaking through. Any of the Teethease products would make neat gifts for an expectant or existing mom. I know when I decide to make an addition to my family, this will be on my list.

You can get a closer look at all of the Teethease products by visiting their site. You can also follow along on Twitter and Facebook. Teethease was just awarded the PTPA Media Inc. Award and seal of approval from parents! Now is a great time to stop by and congratulate them.

Disclosure: I received the product above for my consideration and to share my honest opinion and experience. I am under no obligation to post a positive review on them. I will not be compensated for this post. As always, opinion are my own!

Oct 03

BuyCostumes.com : Candyland Girl Costume Review

Oct 03

I can hardly believe it’s already the first week of October and Halloween is less than a month away. This time of the year has the most exciting holidays back to back. Since I never have patience for anything, we even started putting out or decorations the last day of September! Halloween is going to be here in no time and I hate looking for costumes at the last minute. I can’t stand the long lines, crowds, going on scavenger hunts for matching accessories, and fighting for sizes. Last year I learned my lesson and started costume shopping online as early as possible. Once Toodie had an idea of what she wanted to be, I was on the internet searching away. This brings me to the popular online costume retailer known as BuyCostumes.com. Founded in 1999, this site has become the top retailer for costumes and accessories year round. I had the opportunity to review one of their costumes and looked forward to browsing their full collection of choices.

When I was asked to choose which costume I would like, I HAD to include Toodie in the decision. As she has gotten older Halloween has become more exciting and eventful around here. Over the years she has been a few different things- a flower, ladybug, and Rapunzel the Disney Princess. We have been through quite a variety as you can see. This year I was hoping she would choose something a bit more unique so she wouldn’t look exactly like every child while trick or treating! While browsing through all of the toddler costumes in her size we both called out “Candy Land!” in unison. The Candyland Girl Classic Costume is described as being perfect if your little girl has a sweet tooth. How did they know? That’s my Toodie! This costume was adorable and can definitely be considered different. I can’t wait to get additional accessories and make this sweet fantasy come to life.

The Candyland Girl Classic Costume is available in both children and toddler sizes. In the below photo Toodie is wearing the 3T-4T size and even though she is tall and slim, it fit perfectly. At first, I was worried it was going to be too short but when we tried it on the dress was long and hit below the knee. This whimsical costume retails for $24.99 on the Buy Costumes website. It includes the pastel dress covered in components from the popular children’s board game that we all know and love. Candyland is such a CLASSIC but I have noticed it’s been making it’s way back into birthday parties and play time. For such an affordable costume, I was very impressed with all of the details. There are noticeable lollipops, a colorful path, and the well known peppermint Candy Land logo tying everything together. It just goes to show you don’t have to give an arm or a leg for your child to have a good quality costume. Well maybe you do .. this is HALLOWEEN and limbs aren’t exactly guaranteed!

Buy Costumes has endless pages of affordable costumes for infants, children, teens, adults, couples, and even our pets. While regular sizes are offered, they also have a selection for plus sized shoppers as well. You can even find accessories and party supplies within their site. They have everything you need for Halloween! With their prices being as reasonable as they are, you can find costumes for your whole family and stay within your budget.

Stop by the Buy Costumes website and get an early start on picking out your costume this year! You can also connect on Twitter and Facebook for spooky updates.