You are here: Home / Archives for Promotions

Free Sacramento Driving Program on March 12-13

February 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

TOYOTA OFFERS FREE SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM TO EDUCATE SACRAMENTO TEENS AND PARENTS ABOUT DANGERS OF DISTRACTED DRIVING.

Program Demonstrates Dangers of Distracted Driving in Hopes of Battling 1.6 Million Crashes Caused Annually by Cell Phone Usage and Texting While Driving

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (Feb. 17, 2011) – Even though California state law prohibits drivers under the age of 17 with restricted licenses from using wireless communications devices, including cell phones and text messaging devices, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of teen related accidents in the country today.  To help reinforce the dangers of distracted driving and better prepare teen drivers, Toyota is hosting its hands-on teen and parent advanced driving skills program, Toyota Driving Expectations, for nearly 600 Sacramento area teens and parents.  The safe driving program will be held at Cal Expo, located at 1600 Exposition Blvd. in Sacramento, Calif., March 12 – 13. Registration is open online at www.toyotadrivingexpectations.com.

Since the program began in 2004, nearly 16,000 teens and parents have gained critical defensive driving skills and learned firsthand how everyday distractions, to which new drivers are especially prone, can have unexpected, dangerous consequences.  Participating teenagers must be between the ages of 15-19 and have a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit.

Program Overview

In the United States, the crash rate per mile driven for 16-19 year-olds is four times that of older drivers, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  Moreover, in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 5,000 people were killed in U.S. roadways and an estimated additional 448,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved distracted driving.  Within this statistic, the age group with the greatest proportion of distracted drivers was the under-20 age group. In an effort to prepare young drivers with crucial safety knowledge, Toyota Driving Expectations goes beyond what is taught in standard driver education courses, putting newly permitted or licensed teens behind the wheel to face challenging, real-world scenarios in a secure environment.  The program’s curriculum is designed for teens and parents alike to:

  • Learn defensive driving skills and accident avoidance techniques
  • Identify the dangerous driving situations that they encounter daily
  • Experience firsthand the dangers of distracted driving and understand the relationship between distraction and reaction time
  • Understand vehicle dynamics and safety features

In an effort to foster an open dialogue between teens and parents about safe driving habits, a parent or guardian is required to attend the Toyota Driving Expectations program. As a result, parents learn the best practices to promote safe driving habits with their teen drivers, providing them with tips about how to continue improving driving skills at home.

The curriculum for Toyota Driving Expectations was developed in partnership with multiple organizations committed to safe driving, including the National Safety Council and the Defensive Driving Academy in California, as well as from direct teen and parent feedback at three highly successful pilot programs.

Quote

“By bringing Toyota Driving Expectations to cities across the country, Toyota is committed to reducing the rate of fatalities and accidents among young drivers.”  – Michael Rouse, Toyota’s vice president of philanthropy and community affairs

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) established operations in the United States in 1957 and currently operates 10 manufacturing plants.  Toyota directly employs nearly 34,000 in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion, including sales and manufacturing operations, research and development, financial services and design.  Toyota is committed to being a good corporate citizen in the communities where it does business and believes in supporting programs with long-term sustainable results. Toyota supports numerous organizations across the country, focusing on education, the environment and safety. Since 1991, Toyota has contributed more than $493 million to philanthropic programs in the U.S.  For more information on Toyota’s commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit www.toyota.com/about/philanthropy.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Holiday Cards

October 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Can you believe that it is almost time to start thinking about Christmas?  Ok, so some crazy people have already started their Christmas shopping too, like my MOTHER! Crazy.  It seems like every year I scramble at the last minute to get our Holiday cards out and mine end up looking like everyone’s card because they also waited until the last minute and went to Walgreens or CVS.

This year is going to be different because I am going to use an online card creation service called Purple Trail where you can create personalized holiday cards and hyperlink those keywords to.  They have so many designs and card options to choose from so my cards will look different than everyone’s card this year.   With each of the designs you can use it as is or you can kick it up a notch and use their ‘personalization’ mode move the photos, add other photos, change the text and the colors of the card.  They even have a blank design option and you can create a card from scratch.

I am participating in a contest for Purple Trail and I am supposed to tell you the 5 ways that I make our holiday cards unique, but quite frankly I don’t do anything special.  I just have a few rules that we have come up with over the years so I am going to pass those along to you.

  1. Don’t go to the ‘one hour photo’ type of joints so your card doesn’t look like everyone’s card. They don’t allow you to change where the image is on the card and they limit the amount of text you can input.
  2. Try and take a photo somewhere else instead of your living room, everyone has seen your living room and they don’t care to see it again.
  3. Don’t take your photo in front of your Christmas Tree, it is cliche and becomes ‘seasonal and dated’. Instead use a background that is nice enough to have displayed all year around such as outdoors at a park or just in your backyard.
  4. Don’t dress up your pet in a Santa hat, need I say more?
  5. Don’t have your family wear matching sweaters or all in the same color, that is soooo 1992 and not even necessary in this millennium.  Let your families unique style show, even if your 3 year old is sporting stripes and polka dots together he/she will look cute anyway.

I am participating in a giveaway for PurpleTrail.com and it makes you eligible for a PurpleTrail gift code. Here is more information about the contest http://www.purpletrail.com/blogcontests

PurpleTrail is a print and online invitation service that allows users to create amazing invitations and cards.  With thousands of designs and the ability to fully personalize them, PurpleTrail offers a unique blend of creativity, inspiration and customer service that can’t be beat.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

Hygiene Heroes

October 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Soap SoundzSoap Soundz® Musical Hand Soap is a brand new product that is just starting to appear in major retailers.  It might look like an ordinary bottle of liquid hand soap….but when the user pushes the pump down, they are treated to a musical tune or message, emitted from the bottle, as they wash their hands.

The Hygiene Heroes line is targeted toward children and toddlers.  The fun music and message helps encourage kids to wash MORE and MORE OFTEN which ultimately leads to more healthy kids and households.  The music also acts as a timer, playing for 20 seconds, the minimum wash time for effective hand washing (CDC).

Lily (age 5) received the blue soap called Captian Cleanhands which smells like Raspberry and it actually does smell good.  The sound that is played when she pushes down to pump out the soap is fun and sometimes she presses it just to hear the guy talk.  I think that this product is a good idea because it keeps kids entertained while they wash their hands.

The Season Harmony line a decorative accent to kitchens and baths during various major holidays.  Right now we offer a Halloween, Memorial Day and Christmas version.  The music played is relevant to the particular holiday being celebrated.  I’d have to say that the Halloween one is my favorite because I would love to have that wicked laugh.

You can view their products online and sample the sounds at  http://soapsoundz.com/ or follow their tweets at http://twitter.com/soapsoundz or like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Soap-Soundz/374181075297?v=wall

This Product Was a Free Giveaway

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Seamless Socks Rock

October 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment


SmartKnitKIDS SocksSmartKnitKIDS Socks are 100% truly seamless; they have “No Seams to Bug Ya!”  A truly seam free sock is great for kids with Sensory Processing Disorder, Autism, or for those who simply cannot stand annoying sock seams.

As well as being completely seamless, our socks are also form-fitting.  This ensures that there are no wrinkles or bunches.  A form-fitting design makes SmartKnitKIDS perfect for infant socks.  No matter how much your little one may wiggle, the socks don’t come off.  SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks do not have a heal so they can easily and confidently be slipped on.  The heal-less design also keeps your child from out growing their socks as fast. For more information about SmartKnitKIDS, please visit us online at www.smartknitkids.com
Lily (age 5) has long suffered with sock seams.  We have turned socks inside out, purchased ‘soft seams’ type of socks and without fail they never work for her.  All summer long I am happy to not have to deal with her sock issue, but once the cold weather comes I dread our daily sock battle.  She complains that her socks are too tight, the socks itch, the socks are too big, the socks are too small.  But then I saw the SmartKintKids Socks and knew that this would be perfect for Lily.  When we got the socks in the mail, she immediately put them on and had a look of relief on her face.  They worked, she loved them and there were no complaints about her socks at all.  The socks are very soft and I might even order a pair of them for myself, yes they make adult sized socks as well.

This Product Was a Free Giveaway

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs

October 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs (dvd)Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs is a multiple award winning dvd that teaches how to write both upper and lowercase letters in traditional print. Selected as the “DVD of the YEAR” by Creative Child Magazine and as one of the “Best 10 Children’s Audio Visual Products” by child development expert Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D, this dvd offers tips on how to: hold a pencil correctly, support left handed writers, and avoid letter reversals. This child friendly dvd also shows how to draw using select letters to make writing practice fun. Used in schools and homes throughout the USA to support students. (All products are made in the USA and comply with material safety requirements).

Lily (age 5) loves to do the letters on the DVD, she actually asks me if she can do it.  What she especially likes it the animals that she can make with the letters that she is learning.  I liked the DVD because there are tips for parents on how the children should hold the pencil and how they should sit while doing the DVD.  I think that this DVD is great for kids in preschool & kindergarten who are just learning how to write their letters.  I recommend not just turning on the DVD and walking away to do the dishes while your child watched this because it does move rather fast and you might need to use the pause  button while they practice their letters.Steps4Kids to Write Their ABCs (dvd) sample

This Product Was a Free Giveaway

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

“Burn The Floor” fires up Sacramento

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The ballroom dancing the world recognizes today is competitive ballroom dance, sometimes known as dancesport. It is comprised of ten dances, which can all be danced in “closed ballroom” hold. The style danced in BURN THE FLOOR is called “international style” and has been danced in competition since 1920. International style ballroom dance consists of ten dances, split into five Latin American dances and five ballroom dances (standard). Each BURN THE FLOOR dancer has spent a lifetime training to compete against other dance couples. This show allows the dancers to demonstrate their love and passion for their art.

Burn The Floor has finally made it’s way to Sacramento, CA this week (September 27 – October 10, 2010) and it is firing up the audiences.  I was thrilled to be able to see this fantastic show with Lily (she is 5) and she really enjoyed the show as well.  The show felt like part concert and part Dancing With The Stars.  The show runs for 2 hours and 15 minutes but it certainly didn’t feel like it was that long, before we knew it the show was over and I wanted MORE!

If you like to see guys dance with their shirts off then this is for you! No, I am kidding (not really) but there is more to just totally hot guys dancing!  The women were remarkable as well, very talented.

If you are a fan of shows like Dancing With The Stars and SYTYCD then you will love Burn The Floor.  Many of the dancers that are in this current tour have either been on SYTYCD, Dancing With The Stars or were part of the Original Broadway and West End productions so you know that these dancers are the cream of the crop. The cast includes Sharna Burgess, Santo Costa, Ashleigh Di Lello, Ryan Di Lello, Sasha Farber, Jeremy Garner, Anya Garnis, Karen Hauer, Patrick Helm, Sarah Hives, Ash Leigh Hunter, Robbie Kmetoni, Pasha Kovalev, Tristan Macmanus, Janette Manrara, Emma Slater, Sarah Soriano, Damon Sugden, Rebecca Sugden, Gary Wright, and Andrea Zelinkovia

The styles of dances that are featured in the production are the Standard Dances and the Latin Dances.  The show features the Cha Cha, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Swing, Lindy, Jive, Samba, Rumba, Quickstep Tango, Paso Doble.  The music in the show was fantastic as well many of the songs are toe tappers or the kind where you want to just jump up and dance too.  Songs like “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) and “The Dirty Boogie” were the songs I just wanted to jump up on stage and dance too.  The last two numbers are amazing, and I am not going to give those song titles away because not knowing what they are will make it even more special.  Speaking of the music, I had no idea that there would be such fabulous live vocals by Rebecca Tapia and Peter Saul.

You can check out the Burn The Floor YouTube channel to check out some of the dances and see what all the rave reviews are about.  http://www.youtube.com/user/BurnTheFloorVideo

For more information about the show you can visit The Burn The Floor website.

I highly recommend grabbing you tickets to this show, it is hot and not to miss.  The show we went to looked to be sold out!  Also, don’t park in the parking lot on 13th and J, it was very expensive at $13.50.  I meant to park at a different lot but got lost (per usual) and just parked in that lot. Check out the rates for the nearby garages before you go Memorial Garage on 14th & H , Capitol Garage at 10th & L (where I should have parked, would have only been $5 because of the weekend rate)

For tickets you can check out this link – http://www.burnthefloor.com/tickets.php

P.S. – Wicked is coming to Sacramento in May/June 2012. If you didn’t get a chance to see the Broadway run then now you have another opportunity to see it when it comes to town.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

The Reality of SIDS from the Authors of Heading Home with Your Newborn

October 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for HH2 Final cover lo res.jpg

Pediatricians, moms and authors, Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP offer a wealth of “parent-tested, pediatrician-approved” advice in Heading Home With Your Newborn: From Birth to Reality, Second Edition (American Academy of Pediatrics, September 2010). Available on the American Academy of Pediatrics official Web site for parents, HealthyChildren.org. Also available in bookstores nationwide.

The following is an excerpt to help you navigate those first crucial weeks of parenthood and caring for a newborn:

The reality of SIDS: Creating a Safe Sleep Environment.

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), sometimes called crib death, is the sudden, unexplained death of an otherwise healthy baby during the first year… there are simple things you can do to create a safer sleep environment for your newborn right from the start.

Be Safe. Play it safe by making sure that you and anyone else who cares for your baby always puts him down to sleep on his back.

Be Firm. This means making sure your baby always sleeps on a firm surface. Make sure your crib meets all safety standards, and that the crib mattress fits securely in the crib. Being firm also means keeping all soft items out of your baby’s crib-including such tempting but potentially dangerous items as fluffy blankets, stuffed animals, and soft or pillow-like bumpers.

Stay Cool. Overheating increases the risk of SIDS. Dress your baby is lightweight sleep clothing.

Clear the air. Keep the air your baby breathes smoke-free, both to reduce the risk of SIDS but also for your babay’s overall health!

Provide a pacifier. During your baby’s first year, consider offering him a pacifier when he is falling asleep. If you are breastfeeding we recommend waiting until nursing is going well (about 1 month) before introducing the pacifier.

Share a room. The AAP recommends sleeping in the same room but not the same bed as your baby for at least the first 6 months. This can make breastfeeding easier while at the same time help protect your baby from SIDS.

*Book excerpt from Heading Home with Your Newborn (Second Edition/Copyright 2010/American Academy of Pediatrics).

The Heading Home with Your Newborn excerpts are sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer’s Network.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Baby Diner Product Review

September 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Baby Diner attaches to any smooth table top or structure and allows a parent or guardian to secure any smooth bottom sided plate, bowl or any other dishware to prevent young children from accidentally knocking or throwing dishes on the floor.

I was given one of these to review at home and have to say that I was impressed that our ceramic plate never came off the Baby Diner contraption.  I did try our normal every day kid “IKEA” plate but those didn’t work because they have a curved bottom and this only works on flat bottomed plates.  Which at first seems like it would be a bummer, but what I think you should do with this is take it with you when you go out to a restaurant.  At restaurants they normally don’t provide special plates for kids, they use the same plates for everyone.  If you have a kid that happens to tip over their plate a lot then this is a must have if you like to eat out.

Here is an picture of one our our normal ceramic dinner plates attached to the Baby Diner.  It is kind of hard to see but it is the white plastic ‘thing’ under the plate.  =)

Here is Lily trying to move the plat off the Baby Diner.

If you want to get your hands on this handy gadget you can do so at a savings of 50% off.  Just hop on over to www.babydiner.net to take advantage of  The ”50% off Baby Diner” promotion.

This Product Was a Free Giveaway

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Are You Ready To Start Your Own Business?

September 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I normally don’t blog too much about my other business on my personal blog, but this topic is a good one and it is relevant to all my mommy friends.

If you are thinking about starting  business or you want to fine tune the one you have then you will need to go and download a boat load of freebies from 30 Entrepreneurs that I know.  =)  Many of them are mom’s just like you who have built their own successful businesses and want to share their “know how” with you.  I wouldn’t lead you into opting in for ‘junk’ or ‘fluff’ I’m not like that.  I really truly believe that these products are going to help you out.

There are two things here for you:

  1. IAWBO (International Association of Women in Business Online) is turning 1 year old and the fearless leader Gina Bell has gathered 30 free gifts for you.  Each of these gifts are available as digital content as either an audio program or e-book.  If you want to get this awesome freebie, all you need to do is go to IAWBO’s Gift Page and opt-in to get the gifts.  You will then be taken to a download page where you can get access to the gifts right away.Here is just a peek at a few of the freebies:
    • A Woman’s Worth Audio Interview on Wealth Tips and Gratitude from Linda P. Jones of the Global Institute of Visionary Wealth
    • Believability Makeover Program + Power of Mentorship eBook from Gina Bell, Founder of IAWBO, The International Association of Women in Business Online
    • Dare to Thrive Audio Set: 5 Essential Practices for Building a Sustainable Home-Based Business by Joan Friedlander of Lifework Business Partners.
    • Discover Your Authentic Life Tele-Series from Kimberly Englot, Founder of The Centre for Authentic Self Development
    • How to Grow Your Business by Turning Passion for Your Work into Passion for Your Price Audio + Handout from Barbara Bellissimo of HowToAskForMoney.com
    • Mompreneurs ROCK with MOJO! 5 Keys to Finding (and Keeping) Yours! eBook from Cathy Alessandra, President of the National Association of Entrepreneur Moms
    • Simple Start-Up Strategies – What You REALLY Need to do to Attract Clients and Make Money Now from Katrina Sawa of Jump Start Your Marketing
    • Smart Mompreneur Start Up Manual from Britt Michaelian of Work Smart Mompreneurs
  2. If you like any of the products that you downloaded for free you can take the next step and invest a little bit of money in yourself and your business by purchasing the Mega Package. This package involves the same 30 women but this time they are including one of their products in the Mega Package.

    Each one of the items in this package is worth over $200, and all of them together would cost you over $5000.  Gina Bell is offering the Mega Package for just $297.  It is like buying one of the info products and getting 29 of them for free.  If you are serious about starting a business then this should be one of your first steps.  Having all of these items at your fingertips will certainly put you on the right track to huge business growth.  There are several programs geared towards women.The products focused on Moms are:

    • Three Months Premium Membership to IAWBO + The Original How Does She Do It? Interview Series from Gina Bell
    • Build Better Habits: How to Get Into the Daily Habit of Getting Things Done Audio Series from Carla Young of MOMeo Magazine
    • Shine Your Inner Light personal growth and life vision Kit from Kimberly Englot
    • Ready Set Rezults! Grow Your Business One Project at a Time from Kim DeYoung of MetroMom
    • Big Self Series from Laura West, Founder of The Center for Joyful Business
    • Get Clear System from Debbie LaChusa, The Business Stylist
    • Mompreneur Kick Start Your Biz Kit from Cathy Alessandra, Founder of NAOEM, the National Association of Entrepreneur Moms
    • The Laptop Mom SUCCESS System Bootcamp from Nika Stewart
    • Work Smart Moms Business Building Basics from Britt Michaelian This is just a peak at 9 of the products, there are 20 more geared towards starting and growing your online business.

I bought the Mega Package and I am so thrilled with all of the products, and I know that you will be too.  As a Mom, I am really looking forward to The Laptop Mom SUCCESS System Bootcamp from Nika Stewart.  This is a real online bootcamp that is starting in mid October.  The Mompreneur Kick Start Your Biz Kit from Cathy Alessandra is awesome as well.  There are also plenty of other products that are geared towards your business growth as well.  I am really looking forward to listening to Jennifer Bourn’s product as well as Pink Spoon Marketing by Tina Fortsyth.  Here is just a sneak peek at some the business focused products:

  • Online Marketing & Organic SEO Acceleration Course from Jennifer Bourn of Bourn Creative
  • Your Personal Wealthy Mindset Blueprint – Transform your vision into reality! from Linda P. Jones
  • Grow Up Your Business: Stop Flying by the Seat of Your Pants! from Joan Friedlander of Life Work Business Partners
  • How to do Your own PR from Elena Verlee, President of PR in Your Pajamas
  • Jumpstart Your Biz Kit from Katrina Sawa of Jump Start Your Marketing
  • How to Ask for Money Quickstart Program from Barbara Bellissimo of HowToAskForMoney.com
  • Protecting Your Brilliant Real Business in the Virtual World: Terms of Use and Privacy Policies from Jessica Eaves Mathews
  • Proven Publicity & Online Press Release System from Lisa Manyon
  • Easy Article Submission Secrets from Lisa Angelettie
  • Pink Spoon Marketing from Tina Forsyth

Check out the Mega package here on IAWBO’s site. You wont be disappointed!  But hurry because the offer ends on September 30th.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With: ,

Fracture Me

September 22, 2010 By 1 Comment
Fracture Me - Back

This is the back of the frame.

This blog post is in follow-up to a previous posting about Fracture Me http://dawncullo.com/fracture-is-the-new-picture-frame/

I had the opportunity to order a print through Fracture Me and loved it.  The process is simple, it just involves uploading a photo to their site and selecting the size of the finished print.  You can even add a border around the image and that will be printed as part of the picture.  I opted for the full image, no border and was thrilled with the results.  Shipping time was good, I didn’t have to wait very long from the time I ordered the product for it to arrive. Speaking of shipping, the photograph was shipped in a very sturdy box and it was easy to open as well.

Once I unpacked the photo I had the hard task of having to decide where to put it.  It did look odd placed next to other images in frames.   The really cool thing is that if you wanted to hang these side by side or make a pattern of some type you could do that.

The photo comes with a screw that you just twist into the wall and hang your image on.  There is a cut out on the back of the image where you hang it on the screw and it can be hung the portrait or landscape orientation.

Once hung on the wall the image is amazing, so clear and so real.  Just make sure you rub off any fingerprint marks left behind from handling the photo while you were unpacking it.

I think that Fracture Me is a great gift to give, especially for the Holidays or for that new grandparent in your life.  The prices are very affordable starting at $8 for a 5 x 7. The size that I have is an 8 x 10 and that only cost $12.  I think that is a great price for a gift and this one will not be  shoved in the closet or re-gifted!

Here are some photos of the image.  See how thin it is?

Fracture Me - Front

Image hung on the wall

Fracture Me - Side

Side view of the image hung on the wall

No audio on this video, just wanted to show how thin the photo is. Be sure to watch it in HD. =)

I received a free Fracture frame for review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.  You can learn more about Fracture at http://www.fractureme.com

Want to know more about Fracture Me?

Printing and framing pictures is often a huge hassle and can become really expensive really fast. Between getting your photos printed, finding a suitable frame, and figuring out how to mount them, the frustrations (and dollars) have mounted, and the magic has gone away.  However, you now have a contemporary, affordable, and practical way to show off all your favorite family pictures — Fracture.  Fracture is the fastest, easiest, best way to get your pictures from your camera to your wall.

Fracture’s introductory product lets you print your digital pictures right onto glass!  There’s no paper, film or anything involved.  Simply ink and glass.  We have effectively combined printing, framing, and mounting into one simple process.  You upload your photo to FractureMe.com, we print it on glass, and send it on it’s way with everything you need to mount and display. It’s a one-stop, complete photo decor solution.

Fractures are very safe: all sharp edges are removed, and they are completely okay to touch and handle.
Fractures are durable: the prints are shatter proof (unlike traditional glass frames), and the images will not fade for years beyond average prints.
Fractures are very practical and elegant: you can use them for any occasion, from Christmas and graduation gifts, to simple “Thank You’s”.
Fractures are for everyone: from avid photographers to snap happy point-and-shoot lovers, anyone can get Fractured!
Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With: , ,

Just Milk It

August 30, 2010 By 10 Comments

With the new school year starting up again, how can you be sure your children are getting a good start to the day with a healthy breakfast? One way to be sure of this is to add milk to their daily food intake. But, if your children don’t like to drink milk with their meals, you may need to sneak milk into their diet.

My favorite trick to do this is to make breakfast smoothies. You can find some super recipes online here at Smoothies Recipe, but I like to just wing it and use what I have on hand at the time. Smoothies don’t have to be an exact science and you can have your kids help you put the ingredients in the blender. All you really need to make a yummy smoothie is milk, yogurt, some fruit and some ice. I like to also have some honey around too just in case we want to make it sweeter.  If you plan on making smoothies every day, I suggest grabbing a bag of frozen fruit the next time you are at the grocery store. A mixed bag of fruit is best.

Another idea is to make breakfast muffins.  I like to do this on Sunday afternoon with my daughter, because this gives her something to look forward to eating when she wakes up in the morning.  We like to make a different type of muffin for each week and wash them down with a cold glass of milk.  Our favorite ones to make are Bacon Cheddar Muffins and Chocolate Chip Muffins. We especially like to make the mini muffins because they are so cute.

When my daughter is at school I like to pack some cereal in her lunch box and I send along some milk in a thermos.  Having cereal as part of her lunch is different, but that is what also makes it fun, and she is more likely to eat something if she thinks that it is fun.

Finally, the after school snack.  I normally leave this snack up to my daughter to make because she is a creative little girl and likes to make her own snacks.  One of her favorite things to make is her Checker Board Pepperoni.  She takes 1 slice of Swiss cheese, cheese crackers and pepperoni and then makes a checker board design out of the whole thing, and before you know it, the whole thing is gone.

If you want to find ways to sneak milk into your child’s meals you can check out some recipe sites online and just type in the word ‘milk’ in the search area.  You will be surprised how many recipes include milk as one of the ingredients.

Another place that I have found some great recipes is on the Real California Milk site; they even have a section devoted just to milk recipes. One that we recently tried as part of our Sunday baking time was the Cocoa Cupcakes. We baked the Cocoa Cupcakes last night and they were hands down the best cupcakes I have baked in a while because they were very moist and light. Even the batter was tasty.

The tops of the cupcakes are huge, look how they overtake the cupcake pan.

Topped with Whipped Cream and Cinnamon

Lily explains why she likes the Cocoa Cupcakes

Powered by Cincopa WordPress plugin

Center of cupcake with marshmellow, yum

For more information about how good milk really is for your child to drink check out the nutritional chart from Real California Milk here.

Disclosure: I wrote this article while participating in a blog campaign by the California Milk Advisory Board, who paid me a fee to participate. All opinions expressed are my own.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

Cullo Family Favorite Family Time Ideas

August 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

1. I Spy – We love to play lots of little games in the car and when we are out and about because we are always on the go. We play I Spy because it is an easy game that can be played in the car, at a restaurant or waiting in line at the grocery store. Sometimes we play it at home when waiting to leave for school too.

2. Go for a Walk – This seems like it might be boring but we have a baby and a 4 year old so it is fun to walk around the neighborhood and say “hi” to our neighbors. Also, a good opportunity to play I Spy!

3. We go to the Dollar Store & have a Art Party - My daughter has a blast when I give her a dollar and I let her decide what she wants to buy in the store. I also pick up art supplies at the Dollar Store such as Popsicle sticks, glitter glue, google eyes, construction paper, markers and color books and then have an Art Party when we get home.

4. Cards – Our family loves to play cards we play Uno, War, Go Fish and a fun game called Rat-a-tat-cat. It is also fun to just toss the cards up in the air and pick them up, this is serious fun for little kids.

5. Family Meeting – Even though having a meeting doesn’t sound like to much fun this is a time when we all give each other uninterrupted time to talk and bring up any issues, family ideas and we also review our weekend activities. We do the meeting on Friday night after dinner. Even though Lily is 4, it is great to hear the things that she comes up with at the meeting. Last week she told us “I’m really excited about starting school on Monday”.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Fracture Is The New Picture Frame

August 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There’s a new way to get your photos from your camera to your wall and I am excited to tell you about it.  It is called Fracture – http://www.fractureme.com.  Fracture is the fastest, easiest, best way to get your pictures from your camera to your wall.

Fracture’s introductory product lets you print your digital pictures right onto glass!  There’s no paper, film or anything involved.  Simply ink and glass.  They have effectively combined printing, framing, and mounting into one simple process.  You upload your photo to FractureMe.com, and they print it on glass, and send it on it’s way with everything you need to mount and display. It’s a one-stop, complete photo decor solution.

I am excited to possibly have the opportunity to try the new Fracture product. If I am among the first 100 participants, I will be writing a follow-up post about Fracture with my own feedback after testing it out.

I visited their website at http://www.fractureme.com and was just drooling at how cool this service is !!  The prices are great too, a 5×7 is just $8.00 !

“I wrote this blog post in response to a TwitterMoms RAMBO alert, making me eligible to get a Fracture picture frame for review. You can learn more about Fracture at http://www.fractureme.com.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Giant Dunkin’ Turbo RV Dispenses Free Coffee At The CA State Fair

July 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

KICK-START YOUR DAY WITH THE DUNKIN’ TURBO™ BIG TASTE TOUR

Giant Cross-Country RV Brings New Dunkin’ Turbo Coffee to Sacramento July 30 – August 1

Dunkin’ Donuts® new Dunkin’ Turbo packaged coffee offers an extra boost of delicious Dunkin’ Donuts flavor to kick-start your day!

A giant, Dunkin’ Donuts RV that’s designed to be a coffee-brewing kitchen on wheels to dispense free coffee samples and coupons to consumers at the California State Fair on Friday, July 30 – Sunday, August 1 from 10:00 am – 10:00 pm daily at the  Cal Expo Fairgrounds.

Here’s what will be at the fair, look for the big pink and orange bus!!

  • Dunkin’ Turbo Wheel – Consumers spin the Dunkin’ Turbo wheel to win a variety of prizes, including a year’s worth of Dunkin’ Turbo packaged coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts grocery lists, reusable grocery bags or 11 oz. coffee packages.
  • Big Taste Mascot – Take a picture with the Dunkin’ Donuts mug mascot to remember your time with the Dunkin’ Turbo Big Taste Tour.

Check out www.dunkinathome.com for a full listing of Dunkin’ Turbo Big Taste Tour stops.

But wait…there’s more! Would you like to win a bag of Dunkin’ Turbo coffee to try at home?  Just visit the Dunkin’ At Home website and  let me know what is your favorite flavor of coffee or why you need an extra boost of flavor in your coffee, submit your comment below. Winner will be selected via Random.org, contest ends on August 15, 2010 at 9:00 pm PST.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

Ramona and Beezus Movie

July 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lily and I were able to see a screening of the Ramona and Beezus movie a few weeks ago and it was really good.  There are no flying dragons or animated toys or vampires and nothing to scare your little ones.  It is a live action “G” rated movie and perfect for little girls and Tweens.

The story is based upon Beverly Cleary’s book series so you may have read it when you were in school.  If not, you can check out her books on Amazon.  What I liked about the movie was that there are no cell phones, computers or mp3 players in the story yet the story is still modern, the problems that Ramona and Beezus face are relevant to any time period.  They deal with first loves, sibling issues, the economy, school related issues, parents having disagreements and even death.  These are issues that our children will face at sometime in their lives and seeing how these characters react to the situations are good examples for our children. I even got teary eyed a few times and really thought that the story was told well.

Selena Gomez plays the role of the older sister Beatrice “Beezus” Quimby and new comer (and sooo cute) Joey King plays the role of Ramona. There is also some eye candy in the movie with yummy Josh Duhamel and John Corbett.

You can check out a clip of the movie at their site Ramona and Beezus

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Tommee Tippee Tablewear

July 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I started using the best bottle feeding system Closer to Nature by Tommee Tippee a few months ago and we have grown to love their other products as well.  That is why I was so excited to by able to try their feeding system because Abigail is now eating ‘solid’ food, which is just the pureed food. I received products from the Mom Bloggers Club and Tommee Tippee in order to facilitate this review. What I got to try are the Tommee Tippee weaning bowl, feeding spoon and non-slip spill mat.

The feeding spoon that I was given to try is a normal feeding spoon but is flexible so it is soothing to sore gums.   They also have another type available where the spoon changes color if the food is too hot.  I really like that the bowl sticks to the non-slip mat because little Miss Abigail loves to try and feed herself. As you can see from this photo here, she doesn’t quite get the spoon in her mouth often.

She tried with all her 6 month old strenght, but could not get the bowl to come off the mat, she wasn’t too happy about that.  When it came time for me to remove the bowl to clean it the process was very easy.  You can just tug a little on the pink tab under the bowl and it comes right off.  The bowl even comes with a nifty travel feature where you can insert the bowl in a bigger bowl and attach a lid.  The lid even has a place to store the spoon.  That will come in really handy for us as we are always on the go.

I asked Lily to try out the Truly Spill Proof Water Bottle and she said that it was good because it was light weight and she could hold it with one hand.  I like it because it uses the same valve system as her Explora Truly Spill Proof Drinking Cup so when Abigail outgrows the toddler cup we can still use the valve in the next stage of cups.  But what I really love about their cups is that they are spill proof, and that is no lie.  You just need to make sure that the valve system is inserted correctly and there will be no leaks.  Lily has been using the drinking cups for months now and not one leak.

Want to get your hands on some Tommee Tippee? Well, here’s the good news, now through July 23: Buy any Explora item (cups and toddler feeding), get the second 50% off at BabiesRUs.com (http://bit.ly/cDYhv8) Tommee Tippee products can now be found in all Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores nationwide as well as on BabiesRUs.com.

If you want to know more about Tommee Tippee you can Like Tommee Tippee on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/tommeetippeenorthamerica or Follow Tommee Tippee on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/tommeetippee_na

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

The Waiting Game: Tips to Keep Kids Busy

July 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MobiStories.com Guest Contributor Wendy Toone shares great tips on how to keep your kids occupied when you’ve got tons of errands to run!

iStock_000012475640XSmall.jpg

As a mom of two, I know I’m not alone when I say how challenging it is to keep young kids occupied while doing any sort of waiting. And by challenging, I mean “grit-your-teeth, pull your hair out, I can’t believe they’re doing that in public” challenging. How many times have you had to stop in to the bank for a quick transaction with a toddler in tow, only to find a line so long you think you made a wrong turn and ended up at the DMV. What to do?? You look at your toddler…at the line…at the very important banking you need to do…at your toddler…. at the line. It may seem like a hopeless situation, but it’s not. I’m here to help.

Here are a few of my tried and true tips and ideas to try the next time you find yourself in a queue, a waiting room, on a plane, or any other situation where you may need to keep your little ones quiet and at bay. They’ve worked for me; I hope they work for you. The basic premise is to keep your child busy. By giving them something specific to do you’ll be combating boredom, and may have fun in the process. So, give your toddler a job…Part 1 offers Gross Motor Exercises. In my follow up article I offer some Fine Motor Exercises. And the series will finish with the all-important Cognitive Exercises, to keep your little one thinking all the time.

“Gross” Motor Exercises (exercises for the large muscle groups, not the yucky ones)

Youngsters need to be active. It seems as though they’re wired that way. Running, jumping, rolling are all part of everyday life for toddlers – after all, physical and cognitive development is their job. So, since screen time may not be an option, how can we expect them to stand still for any length of time? That doesn’t mean you can turn your little one loose in the lobby. But you can encourage the use of large muscle groups, keeping them active but in one spot.

1. Flamingo Stand – have your child extend his/her arms out to the side for balance, then pick up one foot and see how long they can stand on the other foot. Naturally you’ll want to make sure you both have a bit of room in case of tips and tumbles. But the goal is not to fall down. The goal is to stay up…counting helps and creates an opportunity for improvement as each time they try they get to higher and higher numbers.

Once your child (and probably you as well) tire of the Flamingo Stand, move on to this one.

2. Little, Big – have your child do basic squats. For those of you who workout, you know how fatiguing it can be to burn those thigh muscles. Your child reaches as tall as she/he can, up on tiptoes, then squats down as little as they can, but staying on their feet. Think duck squat. In fact, you can even give a whispered little “quack, quack” if it helps. You can get big, now get little, as often as you’d like. Be certain not to go too fast…. otherwise you move into jumping, which may require more room than you have at hand.

We adults will probably feel the burning sensation in our legs much sooner than your child; however, you can probably stop at any time and watch your child go, go, go, go.

These are just a couple of gross motor exercises you can do with your child. By the way, why do they call them gross motor exercises? I’m sure you can now think of many others along these same lines. When it comes to waiting on long lines, giving your child something productive to do will make the waiting time pass more quickly. I look for anything to pass the time by. Whether it’s Gross Motor, Fine Motor or even just watching digital picture books to exercise your child’s brain. You know, whatever it takes. They’re only this young once!

a5b224b2-03de-47b6-ac1f-08120eaf7d35.jpeg

Wendy Toone is a child expert having owned and operated a leading franchise children’s fitness center and now producing MobiStories, Virtual Books for KidsTM, as well as being a mom to her two children. To experience the world of digital children’s picture books, visit MobiStories.com.

To download a free digital book for your PC visit MobiStories.com, click on Summer (in the Ages 2 – 4 category) add it to the cart along with Michelle Obama (Ages 6-10) then enter the code SUM0710 in the Coupon Code Box.

*This advertorial post is sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer’s Network.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Got Milk? Tour in Sacramento – July 15th – 17th

July 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I’m super jazzed to be heading out to the Milk the Moment Got Milk? tour this week and thought you might like to come too!  Here is a link to their website with more detailed information http://www.whymilk.com/milk_tour.php.

At the tour you can:

  • Enter the “Milk the Moment” contest for a chance to win the ultimate family dinner experience with Milk Mustache celebrity chef Tyler Florence
  • Explore interactive dinner plate that puts milk head-to-head with other dinnertime beverage choices and about the benefits of being a milk drinker and receive tips on how to set a healthy dinner table
  • The NFL and the National Dairy Council’s (NDC) Fuel Up to Play 60 football toss that focuses on the importance of eating healthy and physical activity
  • Snap your very own souvenir Milk Mustache photo
  • “Pass the Gallon” through Facebook to benefit Feeding America to help moms build strong families with milk

This year’s theme is about building strong families. A recent survey found that most Americans are not regularly sitting down for dinner – and when they are, the nutrient value of the meal is often lacking, especially when it comes to what’s in their glass. To encourage moms to set the table with milk to help build a strong family, the national “got milk?” Milk Mustache Mobile Tour is traveling coast-to-coast to celebrate those special moments that families share around the dinner table. More information on whymilk.com.

Events:

  • Thursday, July 15 – Arden Fair Mall, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. & 2 – 4 p.m.
  • Friday, July 16 – California State Fair, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 17 – Sacramento Zoo, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 2 – 4 p.m.

UPDATE – 07/15/10

We attended the event today held at Arden Fair Mall and it was fun.

Tall Glass of Milk

Lily having her Chocolate Milk

We had our picture taken with milk mustache’s and got free milk!  They even had pink milk available and Lily finally got to try some but Lily still prefers chocolate milk.  I was able to pick up some great tip sheets for packing a healthy lunch, benefits of chocolate milk and an eating right sheet for kids.

You can still check out the tour as there are still 2 more stops on the tour in Sacramento

  • Friday, July 16 – California State Fair, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 17 – Sacramento Zoo, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. & 2 – 4 p.m.

If you are not in the Sacramento area you can check out the tour schedule here http://www.whymilk.com/milk_tour.php

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

Bonsai Birthday

July 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I am so very allergic to flowers and when I receive them I feel so bad that someone wasted their money because I will not be able to enjoy them as much as I would like.  I feel like saying “Thanks but can I get a box of chocolates instead?”  I was recently presented with the opportunity to review and item from ProFlowers and thought, no thanks, but then I was happy to hear that they offer more then just flowers.  I was able to receive this Bonsai Tree for free from ProFlowers to review for you on my blog. The tree arrived in a nice sturdy box and packed well.  It includes the ceramic pot and a bonsai brochure on how to take care of it.

I really like the idea of sending someone a bonsai tree as a gift for any occasion.  It is appropriate for any gender and looks great on a desk or table and I think it is a great idea for someone who lives in an apartment.  I was afraid that my cats would eat the leaves but for some reason they have actually left it alone.   The tree is easy to maintain as well, I only need to water it 2-3 times a week and leave it in a sunny location. The care routine is great for me because unfortunately I don’t have a green thumb and tend to not have much luck with growing plants and flowers in my backyard.

Just think, if you send someone flowers they will die and if you send chocolate it will get eaten and they will gain weight (boo) but a bonsai tree will last for years and is a unique gift idea.  The price of the tree I received was $39.99 and that is comparable to a bouquet of flowers.  There are many different bonsai trees to choose from, and in different price ranges as well.  You can check out the Bonsai Trees and Tropical Plants section of ProFlowers site here – http://www.proflowers.com/bonsaiandtropical-bnt I’ve got my eye on the “Lucky In Love Heart Bamboo”, go to their site and take a look at it,  how cute is that?

Here is a photo of my Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai, isn’t she cute?

Item Description:

  • One 4-year-old Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai (6-8″ tall)
  • 8″ ceramic pot
  • Care instructions
  • Item #2309

This Golden Gate Ficus Bonsai is approximately 4 years old, and a fitting present for a budding executive or a treasured relative: no occasion necessary! The Golden Gate Bonsai (Ficus microcarpa) is a tropical plant and will thrive in a sunny area. Place indoors near windows facing southeast or west. Care instructions are included.
Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Want To Share Your Opinion About Healthy Meals?

July 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Qualify to participate in one of our upcoming market research surveys, and you will be paid $20 to complete a survey that will take about 30-40 minutes of your time from the comfort of your own home.

You must click on the link below to answer a few questions about yourself for us to determine if you qualify to participate in our consumer research study. If you do not answer these questions, you will not be considered for this job!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LV38R77

IMPORTANT information:
-This is a legitimate posting from a California-based consumer research company. We do not use the information for any other purpose and we do not share your answers with any third parties.

-The survey included in this ad is to determine if you are a good fit for an ACTUAL survey that will be sent to you via email if and when you qualify.

-Qualifying participants who complete the study will be paid shortly thereafter through a VISA virtual giftcard for $20 that will be sent via email.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Summer Reading 2010

June 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Keeping the momentum of reading books during the summer months when school is out can be a challenge.  Luckily many local libraries have stepped up to help out with Summer Reading programs.  At the Sacramento Public Library you can find an awesome program called Summer Reading 2010 where you can sign your child up for their summer reading program and best of all it is free.  Kids and teens can earn a book, and adults will get a book bag for their summer reading accomplishments.  My daughter is in the ‘pre-reading’ stage and they even have a reading program for her as well.  The library is offering a bingo card for different levels of readers.

When your child completes a row of activities on the card they can claim a prize and be entered into the drawing for one of the grand prizes such as:

  • Sony Reader with a $25 Reader Store gift card
  • iPod Touch with a $25 iTunes gift card
  • Nintendo DSi with a $25 Target gift card
  • Target gift card

Another way you can help your child continue reading books during the summer is to make up your own reward chart and let your child choose the reward.  Other ideas include helping your teen start a book club with their friends or meet up with new friends at the library.  The Sacramento Public Library has several book clubs available such as the Sci-Fi book club, Banned book club, Mystery book club and even a Twilight book club.  For more information check out the Sacramento Public Library Events Page for times and locations.

We visit the library often and I let her choose the books she wants to read instead of me suggesting books.  She mostly picks out books about animals.  We also sit at the library and read a few of the books before we leave.  I think that it is important to stay there for a little while and allow her to be surrounded by books.  I tell her that she is just like Belle from Beauty and The Beast when she visits the library.  I feel that the best way to keep her interest in reading is to not only read to her at night before bedtime but by reading to her during the day as well.  I also suggest that she gather her stuffed animals and dolls to join us in the reading session.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an “I Can Read!” book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

I Can Read! Books

Become an I Can Read! Member

About I Can Read!:

The number one beginner reader series in the country, I Can Read!, is the open door to a child’s adventure with the most beloved characters in the history of children’s literature. It is the premiere and proven series for encouraging young readers from early reading together to advanced reading alone. The series debuted in 1957 with the introduction of a familiar favorite, Little Bear. It was one of the first ever easy-to-read books that children could read independently, and has been in print ever since. Now with more than 6 million I Can Read! books sold, including 200 titles, I Can Read! books is the best series to take children step by step into the wonderful world of reading on their own.

Complete list of I Can Read! books and activities

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With: ,

Ford Introduces Rear Inflatable Seat Belts

June 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Ford Rear Inflatable Seat Belt

Lily Demonstrating The Rear Inflatable Set Belt

I was invited to attend the Ford Safety Tour last week.  The event was held at the State Capitol North Steps and Ford was demonstrating one of their new safety items which is the Rear Inflatable Seat Belts. I was really interested in seeing how it works, it sounded pretty cool.

They had a cut-away of a back of car where you could hop in and demo the seat belt.  Lily hoped right up there and did it, she called the rear seat belt a banana when it inflated.  Normally she would be in a booster seat but I think that the rear inflatable seat belt is pretty nifty. I also tried the demo and when it is not inflated, the seat belt is actually pretty comfy too.  For more detailed information about how this new technology works, you can visit the Ford Media Page.


KCRA TV in Sacramento has a great news spot about how it works.

Excerpts from Ford’s Press Release

•    Ford introduces the auto industry’s first-ever production inflatable seat belts, which are designed to provide additional protection for rear-seat occupants, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries

•    Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts will debut on the next-generation Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, which goes into production next year; Ford eventually plans to offer inflatable seat belt technology in vehicles globally

•    Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts spread crash forces over five times more area of the body than conventional seat belts; this helps reduce pressure on the chest and helps control head and neck motion for rear seat passengers

ford_demo•    More than 90 percent of Ford research participants indicated that Ford’s inflatable seat belts are similar to or more comfortable than traditional belts, which could help increase the lower rate of rear belt usage


1983 Mustang Convertiable

My 1983 White Mustang Convertible (photo is from 1989)

Ford is also coming out with some other great safety items.  One which would have really annoyed me when I was a teenager and I would have been so mad if my Mom use it.  The safety item is called MyKey™ and it allows parents to limit the vehicle’s top speed and audio volume to encourage safe driving behavior in teens.  It also has other features such as a seat belt reminder and fuel reminder.  Here is a link to Ford’s MyKey™ technology page for more detailed information about each feature.

Lily eating her Leatherby's Ice Cream from the Ford Demo

· Ford introduces the auto industry’s first-ever production inflatable seat belts, which are designed to provide additional protection for rear-seat occupants, often children and older passengers who can be more vulnerable to head, chest and neck injuries

· Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts will debut on the next-generation Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, which goes into production next year; Ford eventually plans to offer inflatable seat belt technology in vehicles globally

· Ford’s inflatable rear seat belts spread crash forces over five times more area of the body than conventional seat belts; this helps reduce pressure on the chest and helps control head and neck motion for rear seat passengers

More than 90 percent of Ford research participants indicated that Ford’s inflatable seat belts are similar to or more comfortable than traditional belts, which could help increase the lower rate of rear belt usage

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

It’s Time for Summer Camps

June 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Lily is headed off to summer camp, not the kind where you live in a cabin for a few weeks.  She is only 4 and besides I am pretty sure she is allergic to nature, like me.  The summer camp that she is going to is actually a Kindergarten Redines program at her ‘New School’ as we call it.  This school is where she will be attending Kindergarten in the fall so we thought it would be a good idea to enroll her in their Summer Camp so that she can become more familiar with her new school.  In addition to KinderCamp they also offer KinderSpanish, KinderArt and KinderHipHop.  There are many programs available for all grades.  Check out the St. Mary’s School Summer Session, it runs in two sessions the first is from June 14 – July 2 and the second is July 6 – July 23.

If you are looking for something else such as horse riding camp or singing camp you can check out the Sacramento Parent Magazine Camp guide for some great ideas.  I know that The Little Gym is running a fun summer camp with a new theme each week and you pick how many days your kid wants to go.  They can go all week or just a few days, it’s up to you.  And as always check with your local park & recreation catalog for fun summer time camps.


Mabel's Labels! www.mabel.caWhen you send your kids off to camp, be sure to label their gear or  you might end up with some other kids lunch box or shoes!  I buy my labels from Mabel’s Labels and they are awesome.  They don’t come off in the dishwasher and they have some pretty snazzy designs.  They have a special combo pack called a Camp Pack / School Pack.  The pack comes with clothing labels, bag tags and sticky labels.  You will get 15 Sticky Labels 8 Shoe Labels, 2 Bag Tags, 40 Iron-Ons or 50 Tag Mates™.  If you want to place an order I have a special coupon code for the first person who emails  me and asks for it!  The coupon code is good for $6 off your order of a Camp Pack / School Pack.

So tell me, what are your kids up to this summer?

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With: , ,

3rd Annual M&M’S Most Colorful Fans of NASCAR Contest Launches

June 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Here’s your opportunity to be recognized as the most colorful, passionate NASCAR fan! Simply upload a photo that shows off your NASCAR fandom for a chance to win a $10,000 prepaid cash card and a trip to Charlotte to be featured in the NASCAR Hall of Fame® for one year! Submit your photo today and tell your friends!

From May 31, 2010 through September 6, 2010, you can enter M&M’S® Most Colorful Fans™ of NASCAR® Contest and showcase your unmatched love for the sport, favorite teams and drivers, by submitting your most colorful racing-themed photos to www.NASCAR.com/mostcolorfulfans.  The bonus is that all entries receive 15% off a one-time purchase at the NASCAR.COM Superstore, including free shipping.

I entered the contest last year with the photo here (taken at RPM – Race Place Motorsports in Sacramento) and plan on taking a new photo of Lily this year.  We are lucky enough to have a Home Depot by our house and they are having a special event on June 19th from 10:00 – 3:00 where the #20 Home Depot car driven by Joey Logano will be making an appearance, just the car no Joey.  If you happen to go to the Home Depot in Rancho Cordova, CA on June 19th they will be having a special Home Depot Kids Workshop as well from 10:00 – 3:00 where you can build the #20 Race Car and they will have Hot Dogs and Juice Boxes for the Kids. That weekend the Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway is taking place on Saturday June 20th so if you are in the area then that would be a great place to take a photo for your entry.

More Information About The Contest

“M&M’S® Most Colorful Fans™ of NASCAR® Contest is unique because it’s 100 percent ‘fan generated,’” said Suzanne Beaudoin, vice president, Sponsorships and Sports Marketing, Mars Chocolate North America.  “Everything from the weekly winners to the lucky fan who gets to be featured in the new NASCAR Hall of Fame is decided by the boss of NASCAR – the fans!”

Each week of the contest, the votes submitted on NASCAR.COM will be tabulated and the photo with the highest average rating and the minimum number of votes will be selected as that week’s winner and receive a $500 gift card.  Fans can also participate in the instant-win game with one hundred (100) fifty dollar ($50.00) gift card instant-win prizes available.

As the elite of NASCAR drivers head into The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ the 14 weekly winners will compete head-to-head during the “Final Round.”  At the end of the Final Round, three “Finalists” with the most fan votes will vie for the grand prize: a trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum, $10,000, and a featured display in the NASCAR Hall of FameTM for one year.  The 2009 contest winner, Cynthia Peace of Havana, Ill., bested thousands of other colorful NASCAR fans who participated in the contest and became the first fan honored in the NASCAR Hall of FameTM earlier in May.

Fans can also follow alongside Left Turn Lindsay and Right Turn Ryan, with at track behind-the-scene photos and videos starring fans at M&M’S® Most Colorful Fans Facebook page, www.facebook.com/colorfulfans and via Twitter at @mmscolorfulfans.

“The fans are a crucial component to what makes NASCAR successful,” said Jim O’Connell, vice president of Corporate Marketing for NASCAR. “M&M’S® ‘Most Colorful Fans™ of NASCAR®’ is a one-of-a-kind promotion which celebrates the creativity of our fans, and rewards them in a fun and memorable way.”

For more information about M&M’S® Most Colorful Fans™ of NASCAR® Contest, visit www.NASCAR.com/mostcolorfulfans.

Filed Under: Nascar, Promotions Tagged With: ,

Taste What’s New & Delicious

June 7, 2010 By 6 Comments

Kraft Foods brand has provided me with the free gift basket and coupons so that the Cullo family could try some of their new products.

Kraft New & DeliciousHere is a list of what we got to try

• New KRAFT HOMESTYLE DELUXE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner: a delicious homemade taste complete with a crunchy breadcrumb topping.
• New KOOL-AID FUN FIZZ Drink Drops: a fun and delicious way to get kids to drink water with only 5 calories per serving.
• RITZ CRACKERFULS Filled Crackers: made with real cheese and 6 grams of whole grain per serving to help keep you satisfied.
• New DIGIORNO Pizza & Breadsticks: fresh-baked taste with big juicy toppings plus cheesy breadsticks along with marinara sauce — all in one box.
• OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Meats: sliced, packed and sealed at the peak of freshness.
• New KRAFT 100 CALORIE PACKS CHEESE BITES: big cheese flavor in every bite-sized piece in these satisfying 100 calorie packs.

KRAFT HOMESTYLE DELUXE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner

Kraft Homestyle Macaroni & CheeseWe first tried this as a side with some BBQ chicken.  This is not your normal box of Mac & Cheese, they’ve stepped it up a notch by using ridged elbow macaroni, four cheeses and a bread crumb topping.  Around my house that is called ‘fancy’ because I am normally making Sponge Bob Mac & Cheese for Lily.  I followed the optional directions and finished off the macaroni and cheese by putting it in the oven and covering it with shredded cheese and the bread crumbs.  Louis and I really enjoyed the macaroni and cheese because it was a more ‘hearty’ type of mac and cheese as the sauce really stuck to the macaroni and the optional method of finishing it in the oven was a nice touch because I really felt like I was making something special for my family.  It also didn’t take much of an extra effort to make it dinner a little bit more special.  Lily didn’t like it very much because of the bread crumb topping, she just doesn’t want ‘crunchy’ things in her macaroni, guess this one is not for 4 year olds.

KOOL-AID FUN FIZZ Drink Drops

Kook Aid Fun FizzLily was so excited to try this because she told me that she has seen a Kook-Aid commercial on TV and the drink looks good.  At first I was hesitant to try it because when I think of Kook-Aid I think of sugar and when Lily has too much sugar it is like watching a cat on ‘catnip’.  Once I read the package I was pleasantly surprised that the FUN FIZZ Drink Drops are a different type of Kook Aid drink and contain no sugar.  The package contains 8 small individually packaged tablets, think alka-seltzer, which is great because you can keep a few in your purse or diaper bag and use them on the go.  They are a fun and delicious way to get kids to drink water. To use them just tear open the pack and drop into an 8oz glass of water or water bottle.  Each drink drop dissolves into a fizz kids will love to watch and then drink!  You can view the nutritional information here on the Kool-Aid website.

Here is a video of Lily talking about the drink, Louis and I also liked them too as they have a little bit of a ‘fizz’ to them that makes drinking water fun.

RITZ CRACKERFULS Filled Crackers

Ritz CrackerfulsThese crackers were not what I expected at all, they were a nice surprise because I thought that they would be a box full of cracker sandwiches but I was wrong.  They come as 6 individually wrapped cracker bars which is basically two long crackers that have cheese in between them like a cracker sandwich.  The cracker tastes great and the cheese is soft and has a nice taste to it as well.  I liked them so much that I went to the store and purchased the bacon and cheese version.  Holy cow, they reminded me of Bacon Thins Crackers that Nabisco used to make, I LOVED those back in the day but they don’t make them anymore.  Ok, back to the Ritz Cracker…this cracker not only tastes good but leaves you satisfied until your next meal.  Each one contains real cheese and 5 grams of whole grain as well as 2 grams of protein per serving, now THATS a good snack.  You can visit the Ritz site for more information about the different varieties available as well as the nutritional information. I really loved that they are individually wrapped because that is my kind of style, I am on the go all the time and need to bring snacks with me so having a product like this is fantastic. Lily didn’t care for them too much, she just ate the cheese but not the cracker, she is crazy like that so I ate her crackers.

DIGIORNO Pizza & Breadsticks

digiorno Pizza & Breadsticksmmmm the Pizza and Breadsticks was by far the Cullo families favorite one to try.  We tried out the supreme style pizza which came with garlic breadsticks.  They also have available a cheese pizza or a pepperoni pizza and those come with cheesy breadsticks.  The cost of the pizza was $8.49 at my grocery store and that is a good deal because not only do you get the pizza but you get some delicious breadsticks and marinara dipping sauce as well.  I suggest making a salad to to along with the pizza and breadsticks for a complete meal.  I really liked the taste of the sauce, it was thick, not a watered down cheap sauce and there were also a generous amount of toppings for an $8 pizza.

OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Meats

We opted to try out the roast beef and found that even a few days after opening the package the meat was still tasty.  The meats are sliced, packed and sealed at the peak of freshness.  The roast beef has only 60 calories per serving (6 slices) and 10 grams of protein.  That amount of meat with some cheese, lettuce and tomato sure made for a hearty sandwich.

KRAFT 100 CALORIE PACKS CHEESE BITES

Kraft 100 Calorie PacksLastly we tried the 100 Calorie Cheese Bites and these fit into our families snacking style because we are always on the go and we love love love the 100 calorie packs.  What I liked about the cheese bites is that they are very tasty, we tried the Cheddar & Monterey jack variety.  Theses are similar to cheese cubes, but they are cut in half.  You can view more information about the different variety of cheese bites and even print a $1.00 coupon so you can try them out now by visiting the Kraft site.

If you love to check out new products and talk about them with your friends then consider joining the First Taste community today, and you’ll be among the first to try exciting new Kraft products.  It’s free to sign up and you get access to fabulous coupons to try new products and you can provide your feedback about new products  http://www.kraftfirsttaste.com

Giveaway

Are you interested in trying these new foods?  If so, you can also win a basket filled with these products and free coupons so you can taste them for yourself.

Kraft Foods has generously provided 1 gift basket filled with samples of New KOOL-AID FUN FIZZ Drink Drops, New KRAFT HOMESTYLE DELUXE Macaroni & Cheese and RITZ CRACKERFULS Filled Crackers along with gratuity coupons for New DIGIORNO Pizza & Breadsticks, OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Meats and New KRAFT 100 CALORIE PACKS CHEESE BITES.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Tweet about it (only 1 entry per twitter account)

Here’s what to tweet:

Taste What’s New & Delicious! Win a gift basket filled with kraft foods and coupons.  Check out @DawnCullo post here http://bit.ly/aBOBhm

2. Post a comment below

Leave me a comment below about which product you are most interested in trying.  If you want more information about the products you can visit the Kraft Foods First Taste Website – http://www.kraftfirsttaste.com/offers/taste-whats-new/default.aspx

Winner will be determined by a random number drawing based upon the number of entries by Random.org.  Contest ends on Friday June 11, 2010 at Midnight (PST) Winner will be announced on this blog post on June 12, 2010.  If you are the lucky winner I will contact you via Twitter ID or email address.  Please respond by Monday June 14, 2010 so I can have enough time to provide the prize distributor with your name and shipping address so you can promptly receive your prize.

Please note: Kraft Foods brand is not a sponsor of the giveaway but they have provided the gift basket and coupons. This  promotion is not linked to Kraft Foods, and Kraft Foods is not responsible for conducting the promotion or for selecting the recipient.

June 12, 2010
Winner Selected via Random.Org is #3, the winner has been notified via email.  Thank you to everyone who entered on my blog and for those who Tweeted.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

Shabby Apple Girls Dress Review

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I was contacted by Shabby Apple and they asked if Lily would like to review one of their dresses.  We were given the dress called “45 Words Per Minute” to review. This is the information about the dress from their website.

Taking after its matching dress for moms, 90 words per minute, this dress knows how to be stylish and flatter any woman young or old. Taking the nickname “Little Secretary Dress”, it has a dressy tie-collar at the neck and adorable puff sleeves with a band that ends conveniently just above the elbow. The hem ends at the knee and includes trendy ruching at the hips. With its easy to care for poly / rayon / spandex jersey fabric, this dress is perfect for any little girl who’s always on the go. A classy fit for a little busy body, 45 WPM is hassle-free and comfortable! We love this dress so much, we offer it in three beautiful colors: Apple Green, Fuchsia, and Turquoise!

Lily’s review

“Normally, I like a dress that poofs out on the bottom, but I also liked this one.  I like that it is blue, but pink is my favorite color, but I didn’t care what color it was because it was nice of them to send it to me.   I like that it has a pretty bow.  I like that it does not have long sleeves, the sleeves are a perfect length.  It would have been cool if the dress had pockets on the side.  The dress was comfortable,  it felt like I was wearing a dress.”

Dawn’s Review

I thought that this dress was so cute on Lily, it is a more sophisticated dress than what she normally wears.  It did make her look less like a 4 year old and more older, but I still love how it looked on her.  She prefers to wear dresses that have more pouf at the bottom so that when she spins around the dress poufs out.  The dress is super soft because it is made from a rayon & spandex jersey fabric mix, like a soft t-shirt.  There is a gathering on the sides of the dress to give it the bunched up look on the hip area, this is a nice touch.  I was surprised that she liked the bow that tied in the front, normally this isn’t her cup of tea but she liked it.  The sleeve length is nice too, I don’t like having her wear long sleeves because I just end up rolling them up anyway so she doesn’t get all dirty.  The sleeve length is perfect because the dress is a light enough fabric that is can be worn in warmer weather as well.   The dress comes in three colors Apple Green, Fuchsia, and Turquoise.  The one that Lily is wearing in the photos is Turquoise.

You can view their entire collection of girls dresses by going to their site http://www.shabbyapple.com
Charity

Not only does Shabby Apple sell dresses they also help women worldwide.  Every $100 donation from Shabby Apple Dresses provides at least 20 women with access to financial services – and the chance to live a life without poverty.

Each new Shabby Apple Dresses dress features a unique hang tag with a micro-credit success story.

Here is what was on the dress that we received:

Name: Suchitra Gain - Haringhata. West Bengal, India
Age: 30, married
Children: one son and one daughter
Current loan: First loan, $68
Business: Weaver, garment-maker
Microfinance client since: 2004
“I’ve always worked hard, but now my hard work is resulting in profit and I can improve my own life and the lives of my children”

You can read more about Shabby Apple’s charitable contributions on their site -  http://www.shabbyapple.com/t-helpingWomen.aspx.

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With:

Want a chance to win a car, just for buying some lip gloss?

May 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Avon’s Glazewear Lip Gloss comes in 16 fabulous colors and is on sale now for $1.99, normally $6.00, that is a savings of 66%.  Right now when you purchase the lip gloss you will receive an entry  into the Now Is The Time To Shine Sweepstakes.  The grand prize is a 2010 Red Chevy Malibu, five runner-up winners will receive a $1000 check and 250 Beauty Bundles valued at $150 will also be awarded.

If you place your order through my online store I will personally send you an additional entry for each lip gloss that you purchase.  But hurry, because I only have 15 extra entry forms and this offer ends on May 19th.  Click to  visit my store – http://dcullo.avonrepresentative.com/ and be sure to use coupon code FSANY when you check out so that you can get FREE shipping.

Click here to visit my store’s page and find your Avon’s Glazewear Lip Gloss

Filed Under: Promotions Tagged With: ,

Curves® for Women Toning Trainer

April 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I was at the Sketchers store a few weeks ago to check out the Shape-ups shoes.  They basically are shoes that have a funky sole and they help improve your posture and work your muscles in a whole new way so that it helps to tone up and burn more calories.  I was so excited to try these new shoes out, they had so many cute colors too but (insert car screeching break noise here) when I pick up the shoe to see the price I was in shock, $110.  Seriously, seriously, really, they need to be that expensive?  I could buy a gym membership for that price.  So I said “screw it” and walked out of the store.

I sell AVON (yes, like your mom did) and they have a ‘lifestyle’ section which I pretty much have ignored because, well I am not sure why but I’ve never paid attention to it until now.  They have some Toning tennis shoes as well, and they are made by Curves® and the price is a bit more manageable at $50, but with my representative discount I got them for less.  (woot)

I’ve been wearing them for about a week now and they are a bit different than your normal tennis shoe.  At first I felt like Frankenstein walking around or like I had big bricks on my feet.   I am a bit of a klutz and not very coordinated so  I was impressed with myself that I never fell down while wearing them.  I have since gotten used to wearing them and find them to be quite comfortable.

After the first day of wearing them my legs were sore.  I guess that means they work!  I am pretty sure that I am not going to drop those 40 pounds of I’ve been dying so much to get rid of but wearing these could at least help a little bit.  Now I wear them everywhere so that I can multi-task and burn some calories while running some errands.

If you want to check them out you can view them here at my Avon store. The shoes are very popular and they only have a few sizes available right now so if your size isn’t available you can either check back later or send me and email and I will see what I can do.

Tennis Shoes

Link to my Avon store -http://dcullo.avonrepresentative.com/

Click the “Shop Now” tab and search for Item # 36393

Flip Flops

Also, they have a flip – flop version that just went on sale (limited sizes).  They are item # 33860  I am totally going to have to pick those up too!

If you want to order the shoes, be sure to use the Free Shipping coupon FSANY at checkout.

http://www.skechers.com/shoes-and-clothing/styles/fitness/women_s_shape_ups/list?cm_sp=WP-_-MGShapeups-_-Shapeups
Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With: ,

Getting Your Schedule Organized with Casablast

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Casablast online calendaring system can help you organize your family schedules and ‘to do’ lists from any computer.   You can even send out event reminders and text messages to your families cell phones right from Casablast and best of all, it is FREE.

To make using the service even more fun for our family we had all of the text messages and reminders to sent from our 2 month old baby Abby.

Visit Casablast today to learn more and to sign up

Here’s what you can do with the Casablast system.

  • Family Calendar

The CasaBlast™ Family Calendar is the easiest way for the family to organize and share one family calendar.

  • Visual Voicemail

Hate waiting to get home to pick up your new voicemails. Wait no longer! CasaBlast™ allows your family to play and manage your voicemails from any connected PC.

  • FamilyBlast™

FamilyBlast™s are the quickest and easiest way to reach out to every family member at once – whether everyone’s at home or out and about.

  • Notification and Reminders

Having an online family organizer is great. Having one that sends you friendly notifications and reminders is even better!

  • To-Do Lists

CasaBlast™ provides your family a single place, other than the fridge, where all your To-Do’s are stored and easily accessible

  • Family Address Book

Create and manage a shared online family address book

Filed Under: Blog, Promotions

Tommee Tippee Is Tops With This Sassy Mama

February 17, 2010 By 2 Comments

I am a reviewer for the Mom Bloggers Club and so I was thrilled to receive two products free from Tommee Tippee to review.

Tommee Tippee is the #1 brand of infant and toddler feeding products in Great Britain and they are making a splash in the United States.  Beginning in January, Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature and Explora infant and toddler feeding products will be available in the United States exclusively at Babiesrus.com and in Babies“R”Us stores nationwide. The Tommee Tippee line will then be introduced in Toys“R”Us stores nationwide in March.

The first product that I reviewed was their Closer to Nature bottle.  I have a 1 month old baby and I am breastfeeding her as well as using formula so finding the right bottle system was important.  I wanted to use a system that would provide her with an experience as close to breastfeeding as possible.   I had already tried two other bottle systems that claimed to be ‘just like breastfeeding’ but they failed to produce the result I had hoped for.  When I used the other bottles she seemed to struggle while taking the bottle, the formula would come pouring out of the sides of her mouth, her arms would move about and she just seemed uncomfortable.

When I got the Closer to Nature bottle in the mail from Tommee Tippee I sanitized the nipple, cleaned the bottle and used it right away.  I couldn’t believe it, she was relaxed during the feeding and hardly any formula came pouring out the sides of her mouth.  As I continued to use the bottle for the next few days I noticed that her gas had reduced as well.  I was shocked that the bottle actually worked!

The other features of the bottle that I really like is the contour shapes on the sides of the bottle and on the cap.  The shape of the bottle is comfortable and comes in handy if you don’t have a table to put the bottle and  have to balance the bottle between your knees when burping your baby.  The bottle also fits into my First Years bottle warmer, woot!

The Closer to Nature bottle design offers a uniquely soft, super-wide nipple that naturally flexes and stretches like the breast, an intuitive bottle shape for a more comfortable hold and breastfeeding-like closeness, and an ultra-sensitive anti-colic valve that lets babies feed at their own pace with less air, vacuum build-up, and nipple collapse. This innovative design can help reduce gas, colic and fussiness. All Closer to Nature bottles and nipples are Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalate free.

I was so impressed with the Closer to Nature bottle that I headed out to Babies R Us to buy more of them and to check out more Tommee Tippee products.  One of the products I was impressed with and purchased is called the Formula Dispenser system, it comes with 6 small containers and lids.

To use the system just  fill one of the containers with formula and put the lid on.  Then fill the bottle with water and place the small container in the bottle, it sits on the rim of the bottle.  Then put the nipple and cap onto the bottle.  This unique system keeps the formula and water separate until you are ready to use it.   Just drop the bottle in your diaper bag and you are ready to go or use for your night feedings like I do.

For more information about this system you can visit the Tommee Tippee Formula Dispenser site and even view a video demo of the system.

The other product that I was given to review is a drinking cup for my 4 year old called Tommee Tippee Explora Drinking Cup.

We received two cups, one green and one pink.  The pink cup came with a green lid, which she did not like and she suggested that it come with a pink or purple lid.  She immediately switched the lids on the cups.

The advance-flo™ valve used in Explora cups was designed by a physicist and requires almost no force to drink from, yet still remains spill- and leak-proof. Each Explora cup is progressively staged with a specific grip to fit little fingers and unique spouts, from soft touch to dura spouts, to meet the needs of every age, and to support natural oral development.

Many companies claim to have spill proof or leak proof cups but then after a few weeks of using the cup you find yourself with a leaking cup of milk or juice and that is not fun.  Since using the cup for a while we have not had one leak yet!  The valve system is very unique as well and easy to clean.  The cup also keeps the beverage cold, which will be great during the upcoming hot summer weather here in California.  We will be heading out to Babies R Us to pick up the purple cup as well, gotta have a pink AND a purple one!

For more information on Tommee Tippee and its products, please visit www.tommeetippee.com, or find them on
Twitter @TommeeTippeeUS and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tommeetippeeus


Related Posts with Thumbnails
Filed Under: Blog, Promotions Tagged With: ,
« Older Posts