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Review: Moon Dough is Out of This World!

September 2, 2010 By 3 Comments

Quite honestly, had I been paying attention to my emails, I would have told Team Mom “NO WAY!  Please don’t send me any Moon Dough!”  The boys had received Moon Sand as a gift before and it was a nightmare.  I figured the Dough version was probably going to be the same.

I was wrong.

Moon Dough is COOL!

Moon Dough – the amazing new dough that is out of this world!  Soft, light, wheat-free and non-drying, Moon Dough comes in 8 great colors for you to play with again and again!

We received the Moon Dough Barn to play with and experience Moon Dough for the first time.  It was a hit!  All three boys loved the neat feeling of Moon Dough.  The best way I can think to describe it is “squished cotton candy” only not sticky.  At all.  It was dense, but light.  Unlike anything I had ever felt before.  The boys literally spent hours squishing the Moon Dough into the barn compartment and churning out little farm animals.

Over and over and over…

Now.  To say that Moon Dough is not messy would be a big fat lie.  But, I honestly didn’t feel it was any worse than play dough.

Just like play dough, the Moon Dough breaks into little pieces and falls to the floor in a scattered mess.  You can take a clump of Moon Dough and use it to pick up all the bigger pieces from the floor, table, chairs, etc.  But it is a pain in the rear. After you have spent an hour time picking up as much as you can, you vacuum.  There is no way to pick it all up.  If you play with Moon Dough, be prepared to vacuum.

After a few uses, and a few vacuums, there isn’t a lot of Moon Dough left and much like play dough, the colors all melted together to form one sea-foam green clump of dough.  But 2 weeks later, the boys ask me daily if they can play with it.

I have one improvement I would suggest for the Barn (if the Moon Dough powers that be happen to read this).  Fix the handle/crank so that it doesn’t keep coming off.  I don’t know why it’s made to slip off.  But the little brothers don’t have the coordination to put it back on and I am getting a constant barrage of “MOM!  I NEED YOU TO PUT THE HANDLE BACK ON!  Waaahhhhhh!!!!!!”

Otherwise, we liked Moon Dough.  I’ll be buying some refills because it is neat to play with and the boys just love it.  And I don’t hate it.


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Have You Tried Vons Home Grocery Delivery?

August 25, 2010 By 3 Comments

Have you ever sat back and had someone else do your grocery shopping?  Someone else cruising the isles and loading the cart?  No kids to chase down the isle, no toddlers secretly adding items to your basket, no rude stares from women who can’t possibly be mothers.

Well VONS Home GroceryDelivery offers just that.  Convenient grocery shopping right from your home computer.  While your kids nap.  Sweet!

I was asked by VONS to try out their home delivery service.  I was thrilled since I do love VONS.  Unfortunately for me, I live in the boondocks and am outside of their delivery area.  Boohoo for me.  But what was a “boohoo” for me, became a YAY for my cousin, Lisa.  Lisa got to try out Vons Home Grocery Delivery and she wrote up her thoughts here to share with you:

I don’t think I would shop online again. Not because the site wasn’t user friendly, but I think I am a visual shopper ( I know that doesn’t quite make sense, but in the store everything is all before you, not in specific groups). I kept having to toggle back and forth between items/aisles as I would think of things I forgot. Like now I remember  I forgot sponges. I like walking up and down the aisle, because it jogs my memory of things I need.

They also did not seem to have the variety of things they carry in the store. For example when looking at medicines I usually go with the store brand, because their cheaper, but it didn’t seem like that have everything they offer in the store.

I didn’t like that you couldn’t use coupons (even the ones that are in their weekly add).

I did have a hard time trying to figure out how to delete something from my cart, but I think that was user/Lisa error, because I do not order much online.

Checkout was very quick and easy, and I like that they give you a print out of everything you order, so you can refer to it when they deliver.

I thought the delivery fee could get a little steep. It ranged from $6.95 up to $12.95 depending on day and time of your delivery.

Delivery was between the time frame given.

Delivery person was very nice, and refused a tip.

Everything was bagged nicely, but ice cream was slightly soft, but popsicles were fine.

Lisa mentions that she could not use coupons online.  However, you do get to take advantage of exclusive Club Card savings and specials online.

Special Offer!

If you would like to try VONS Home Grocery Delivery out for yourself, then I’ve got a special PROMO CODE good for FREE DELIVERY and $7.00 off of your first online order!  Just use code:  MOM23 at checkout.  Code expires 9/30/2010.

My cousin, Lisa is not a blogger.  But she is a busy mom and the full time test kitchen manager for a major fast food corporation.  I appreciate her taking the time out of her day to try the online shopping and write about what she thought.  Lisa and I both received VONS gift cards for our participation in this promotion.  Our opinions are our own.


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Review: Shox Scooter by Shred Sled

August 24, 2010 By 2 Comments

I was super excited to receive the Shox Scooter to review from Team Mom.  My boys have an older 3 wheeled scooter that they love, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to get a new “big boy” scooter for them.

The Shox Scooter comes from Shred Sled®, a company specializing in extreme sports products for children.  the Shox Scooter is the first ever active shock absorber scooter that allows riders to perform higher, faster and more awesome tricks.  Unlike traditional scooters, the Shox Scooter’s supreme shocks increase a riders speed and air-time, making stunts bigger and better.

Anthony loves his Shox Scooter!  Thank goodness, it was very easy to put together.  It just needed to be unfolded and parts snapped into place and he was ready to roll.  It was easy to maneuver and he was doing “tricks” in no time.  However, there were a few issues that kinda bugged me.

Random bolts would just fall out.  Maybe it was our fault and they didn’t get tightened down properly, but twice we found (the same) bolts in the driveway that had fallen out of the scooter.  Now, the instructions do say to check that everything is tight before riding.  I just don’t think this is something that a 5 year old can be expected to remember to do every time.  And the scooter is categorized as being for ages 5+.

Also, the folding mechanism was pretty difficult to slide.  We noticed that it didn’t slide equally on both bolts and this made it hard to fold.  Also, folding it up requires that you remove these weird plastic clips on  the tires.  Once removed, there is no where for them to be.  Again, a 5 year old can’t be expected to keep track of 2 plastic clips.  I don’t even understand what their purpose is?

All in all, we really do like the scooter.  We’ve just decided not to fold it up and it’s not given us any more problems.  Of course, it’s probably the older kids who would be folding it up for travel and not your 5 year old, so it’s probably not a big deal.  Older kids would be able to keep track of the clips and have more coordination with the folding button.

The Shox Scooter retails for about $59.99 and is a lot of fun for kids 5 and up.


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Giveaway: Sleeping is a Joy Again With SleepJoy! (Closed)

August 13, 2010 By

Good sleep is a very sought after luxury in my house.  Bob works nights (3rd shift/graveyard) and I have a very early riser who bugs me at the crack of dawn.  So we need to make what little sleep we get count.  We inherited a very expensive mattress from my mom and dad, but even very expensive mattresses go lumpy after several years.  We had put a small memory foam topper on it, but it just wasn’t keeping us comfortable.  Bob and I both woke un-rested and most times with various aches.

Momma’s not so achy anymore!

I received a new 3″ VitaTop ViscoFresh Latex Memory Foam Mattress Topper and a down like quilted cover to review from  SleepJoy.

A little about what makes SleepJoy special:

SleepJoy has taken memory foam to the next level with its unique ViscoFresh foam. This next-generation innovation still has the body-hugging comfort and pressure relief of ordinary memory foam, but through an open-celled, breathable formula it eliminates the problems of odor and heat.

A unique green tea additive naturally removes the “memory foam smell” and replaces it with a refreshing, minty fragrance that’s actually pleasant to sleep with.

I LOVE THEM!

My bed is now so squishy comfortable.  I look forward to crawling in and feeling my memory foam fill in all around me.  I feel cradled by it.  The unique memory foam is made for “premium comfort and pressure point relief.”  I think it provides just that.  And the green tea that is added to create a fresh relaxing smell rather than the chemical foam smell is delicious.  I’m actually sad that it’s fading because I liked it.  It’s probably just that my nose is getting used to it.  The point is that it’s not an overwhelming smell, but extremely relaxing (at least to me).

I’ve also suffered from a really bad back for all of my adult life.  I spend a lot of time with chiropractors and physical therapists.  With the walking I am doing lately, my back had been especially annoying to me.  I’ve noticed though, that since I’ve started sleeping on my SleepJoy memory foam mattress, my back is being a lot more cooperative.  It feels better and I’m a lot less achy overall.

Coincidence?  Get your own and decide for yourself!

SleepJoy wants you to experience their state of the art ViscoFresh enhanced memory foam, too and are allowing me to giveaway an Infinity Advanced Contour Pillow to a lucky reader.

Infinity Pillow Description:

Snore no more with our double-contoured pillow. Neck cradle side keeps your head and neck properly positioned to enhance airflow and reduce snoring. The other side supports your head and neck for complete comfort and a healthy alignment of the spine. Either way, you’ll relax into a deep, restful sleep. Made with top-to-bottom air channels and our exclusive, breathable ViscoFresh enhanced memory foam to increase air circulation within the pillow, keeping the surface comfortably cool.

Retail value of $79.99

First Mandatory Entry

Please take a visit to SleepJoy.com and take a look at their products.  Come leave me a comment telling me about a product they sell that you think would improve your night time rest.

Bonus Entries for This Giveaway Only

Follow @SleepJoy on twitter.  Receive two (2) extra entries! (leave 2 comments)

“Like” SleepJoy on Facebook.  Receive two(2) extra entries! (leave 2 comments)

Click Here for Extra Entries and Contest Rules

This giveaway ends on August 31, 2010 at 10pm PST.  Winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries.  Contest open to residents of the USA only.  Thank you for visiting and GOOD LUCK!

FTC Disclosure:  I already mentioned that I was provided a memory foam pad and topper to review from SleepJoy.  The opinions expressed are my own.  I am also not a doctor and can not guarantee that buying this topper will improve your back aches just because it seemed to help mine.

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GIVEAWAY/REVIEW: Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice (CLOSED)

July 19, 2010 By

Like all kids, my boys LOVE carbonated sodas.  Like all moms, I try and convince them to drink anything but. Especially lately with our trying to cut out all the junk that the kids eat, it was nice to find a great alternative.

Introducing the new Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice.

I was really excited to be offered the chance to try these new all-natural, lightly carbonated drinks.  There are currently three flavors:  Apple, orange and berry.  All three contain a whole serving of fruit!  The cans are designed to be colorful, fun and be a perfect fit in a young child’s hand.  The best part is that they have less sugar than regular Juice Juice (and way less sugar than that orange soda!) and my boys liked them just as much.

It was pretty amusing, my boys followed their normal patterns and picked their predicted favorites.  Anthony’s was orange, Gabe’s was apple and Nate’s was berry.  This mommy’s favorite also happens to be the berry, too.  We were so happy with our Sparkling Fruit Juice’s that when our samples were gone, I went to the local grocery store and bought some more.

Our local Alberstons store was selling the 4 packs for around $3.50.  I thought this seemed a little expensive for an everyday drink.  Lucky for me, my boys drink a lot of water and so  I’ll be saving the Sparkling Juice’s for special times or occasional treats.  Times when a soda would be appropriate, I will happily hand them this healthier alternative.

Us mommy’s need to be sneaky about getting the healthy stuff into them now don’t we?

I think the Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice is brilliant and delicious.  I wonder if I could convince them to actually make the “all-natural” part organic?

One lucky reader will get a variety 6 pack of this new Sparkling Juice, two of each available flavor, and a Juicy Juice tote bag!

First Mandatory Entry

Leave me a comment on ways you substitute healthy alternatives into your children’s diets.  I am always looking for new ideas here!

Bonus Entry – This Giveaway Only

Become a follower of Juicy Juice on Twitter and get one extra entry.

Extra Ways to Enter and Contest Rules are HERE

This giveaway will end on Friday July 30th at 10pm DST.  Contest open to residents of the US only.  Winner will be chosen at random from all eligible comments and will have 72 hours to claim their prize.  Thank you for visiting and entering my contests!

FTC Disclosure:  In case it wasn’t painfully obvious already…I was provided a variety 6 pack of the Sparkling Juice from Nestle’ to try and tell you what I thought about it.  The opinions are 100% my own.

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