Eggo, the quick and easy breakfast company, has come out with a new, non-waffle offering: Eggo Real Fruit Pizza. These frozen "pizzas" consist of a cinnamony crust (somewhere between a biscuit and shortbread in texture) topped with fruity cream cheese, fruit and berries. This is what it looks like straight out of the package:
They can be cooked in the oven or heated in the microwave for a minute if you're in a hurry; the paper tray has a thermal finish that keeps it from getting too soggy. I thought it tasted better cooked in the oven, although I'm not sure it would be an everyday thing for us since we don't have a toaster oven and it seems wasteful to heat up the big oven for such a small item. I cut it into wedges and garnished with more blueberries for the kiddos.
The kids approved of the cream cheese and fruit but were skeptical of the granola. I thought it tasted pretty good and made a welcome change to our everyday cereal or bagel routine.
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Eggo Real Fruit Pizza and received a sample of the product and a $20 Amazon gift certificate to facilitate my review.
You've probably been wondering what the "coming soon" button that is currently counting down on my sidebar is all about. A few of you have even emailed to ask me about it. Well, readers, let me tell you about a new way to shop online: OpenSky.
OpenSky is a new concept in online marketing that gives bloggers the power to sell only what they would choose to recommend to their friends, kind of like a cross between Etsy and an Amazon affiliate code but with a better payoff for everyone involved - the blogger and OpenSky split the earnings above wholesale price 50-50. Vendors/distributors get visibility and real-world feedback while bloggers/shopkeepers get products to review and recommend, plus a decent commission. Win-win!
I haven't technically opened my OpenSky shop yet (the platform launches on August 10th, keep your eyes on the ticker…) but I have started perusing the wares available and they run the gamut from culinary tools and foodie items to pet gear to beauty supplies to (seriously) air compressors. There is literally something there for everyone and being a gal with eclectic tastes, I am sure I will ferret out all sorts of cool stuff for you to discover.
Here's a sneak peek at the first Naomi-approved OpenSky Store stock item, perfect for your Labor Day BBQ:
My husband, Bob, started blogging a while back and we thought it would be novel to cross-post sometime. Here's something he wrote about a daddy-daughter camping trip he and Roo took a few months ago. Check out his artwork, too!
Last year my daughter, Roo, joined the Girl Scouts as a Daisy. Naomi and I have enjoyed watching her learn and participate with the other scouts. We had fun during the cookie sale. Roo really got into selling the cookies. We canvassed our neighborhood, teachers at school, even a few firemen and, of course, most of our family. Roo did so well, selling 264 boxes. She received the 250+ badge for doing such a good job. I know she is just waiting to do it all over again, as much as I am looking forward to eating the cookies. Some of the things her troop did together: volunteering to visit with the elderly, learn knife safety and outdoor camping skills, along with many craft projects in between. Watching all of the Scouts at the end of the year ceremony was great; the smiles on the girls' proud faces made all the parents so happy. Roo was very proud of herself and of all the patches, pins and buttons she earned and got to wear on her Daisy tunic.
In June, we had the opportunity to participate in a father and daughter camping trip in western Kansas near Scott City at Scott Lake State Park. The whole week leading up to the camping trip, Roo could hardly contain her anticipation. The only other time I have taken her camping was in our back yard. I began to get as excited about the trip as Roo, we would be going camping and hiking together for the first time.
Scott Lake is about five hours away from where we live. As any parent knows, this can be a trying task for anyone traveling with a six year old. We made an adventure out of the drive and stopped en route to take a look at Myron Liggett's roadside sculptures.
Our first day was spent mostly in the truck, driving west over some of the flattest country I have ever seen. Some of the other sights we came across included smelly feed lots and gas stations. Lucky Roo spent most of her time sleeping.
For our first adventure with the Girl Scout campers, we hiked around in the woods on a scavenger hunt. Roo took it very seriously and I think we did all right. I might have been more help if my attention wasn't focused so much on keeping ticks off our legs. We had fun despite the creepy creatures.
The Scouts met Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson at a dedication ceremony for the new Visitor Center at the park. They shared a BBQ lunch with the Governor and his entourage.
Roo made fast friends with several of the the other Scouts, running around playing all sorts of games and having a great time. I enjoyed camping with Roo and she still talks about how much she wants to do it again. I will be very happy to take her camping with me again soon. I think she wants to climb a mountain next.
Pop On Pals is a new line of playsets that gives toddlers the power to create their own pals and pets by mixing and matching modular pieces. The pieces "pop" together with a signature sound that encourages kids to develop their imaginations and their fine motor skills. I see them as a cross between Weebles and Mr Potato Head, scaled for younger children to be able to manipulate.
We received the Pop On Pals Amusement Park Playset pictured above to review. It has plenty of bells and whistles, literally, with lights and music that toddlers can activate by putting the Pop On Pal into one of five points. Jasper liked the sounds and the ability to spin the ferris wheel and push the dragon boat swing but I wished that it had included more than one Pal so we could have played with the interchangeability more. The Pop On Pals are recommended for ages 2-4 but I think they would be more successful with younger toddlers. Jasper tends to be more interested in things that go fast and crash these days. Sigh. He wanted to keep the playset but I decided to donate it to our Parents as Teachers playgroup that serves kids 0-3. I think they will get more use out of it in the long run, especially if we add on a couple of the Pal, Pet and Vehicle playsets later in the year.
Disclosure: We received the Pop On Pals playset shown above to facilitate this review. We were asked to share our unbiased opinions and no compensation was provided.
We actually did follow through after Free State Social and start a local social media group. It's called Digital Wichita and we're now the prairie outpost of Social Media Breakfast, meeting at 7:30am on the third Wednesday of each month at Mead's Corner. We've had three or four meetings thus far, launched our Digital Wichita Facebook group and a dedicated site is forthcoming.
Heated discussion about current trends in the field at our last meeting resulted in me creating this new logo representing the vitality in our organization:
Yeah, we could probably use some new blood. If you're in the Wichita area and have an interest in social media, please try to stop by a Digital Wichita meeting. We'd love to have you in our pack!
I wrote about Elmer's Bag It Forward project the other day and mentioned that there would be an opportunity for everyone to participate. Here are the details about how you can help Elmer's raise up to $10K for Adopt-A-Classroom by participating in a simple blog meme. The Virtual Bag It Forward lets bloggers "gift" others with the virtual bag of school supplies, shown below:
For each post written about these virtual school supply "gifts," Elmer's will donate $10 to Adopt-A-Classroom, up to a maximum of $10,000 through August 12, 2010.
It's easy to join in:
Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward and by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post with specific rules described below.
Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 12 PM EST on August 12, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section below for your participation to be counted.
In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:
ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES
Copy and paste these rules into your blog post.
Create a blog post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by August 12, 2010).
Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.
I am hoping all of my readers will consider participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward since it is such a quick and easy way to donate to a good cause. Consider yourself bagged! Please spread the word so we can earn some much-needed money for underserved classrooms this back-to-school season!
The VitalWear VitalWrap is a hospital-grade heating/cooling/compression system designed to efficiently provide therapeutic relief to achy muscles and joints. Soft, flexible fabric wraps conform to any body shape or size, making it convenient for the whole family to use. A set of smaller VitalWraps, specifically sized for kids, is forthcoming.
So far, my household has eluded injuries that would require intensive thermal therapy. My stepfather and mom have both been suffering from what I like to refer to as tennis elbow lately, so they gave the VitalWrapa spin. Tom is a physician and gave the system high marks for usability and functionality. He had surgery a while back and had a similar system on loan during recovery and he said the VitalWrap was significantly easier to use and was more efficient at delivering relief where needed. He especially liked its ability to switch from hot to cold quickly and also the compact, portable size.
I think the VitalWrap system would definitely come in handy for families with chronic muscular or joint pain or frequent athletic injuries. It's a bit of an investment but it's a step up from homemade icepacks and microwaved rice bags. I also like the idea that you can treat the pain without necessarily relying on medication.
Disclosure: I received a VitalWrap system to facilitate this review. No compensation was offered or received other than the product itself.
This totally harshes my mellow, so to speak. More info about the scary truth behind beauty can be found at The Story of Cosmetics. You can also join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to persuade lawmakers to take a stand.
When I was an impressionable preteen, staying up late watching Night Flight, I remember seeing Ladies and Gentleman the Fabulous Stains and being immediately entranced with the idea of punk rock girls. I didn't find out about The Runaways until much, much later.
Flash forward to college, one of the first annual SXSW BBQ and softball tourneys. Some creepy guy asks me if I play any instruments and gives me his card: Kim Fowley. I was clueless but my friends told me who he was. I believe the description was "like an American Malcolm McLaren" which I thought was pretty cool at the time. I never called him but I still have his card somewhere, probably stuck in a record sleeve.
I enjoyed The Runaways, although like all rock movies made about currently living people (except for drummer Sandy West, who passed away in 2006) it seems sort of endless/pointless. Drugs are bad, kids. Don't do them. The beginning, with the formation of the band and the melodramatic quips from Fowley, was really fantastic but none of the characters gets developed much, aside from Cherie and, even then she never really gets deeper than an average disgruntled teen. It was fun seeing two of the girls from Twilight rocking mullets and being saucy but disturbing, like a seventies version of Thirteen. Only, uh, prettier.
Roo can sing Cherry Bomb now. We're in for some trouble.
Yes, I realize that Evo was nearly a month ago and I haven't really blogged much since then. Family issues, summer doldrums, running behind. You know the drill. Anyway, it's hard to express just how great Evo was, both as a social event and as an inspirational, learning experience. I was lucky enough to win a paid registration via Clever Girls Collective and shared a room with pals old and new from Collective Bias, which made it a more affordable (and fun!) trip.
"The connection that can only happen when we let go of who we think we're supposed to be and embrace who we are."
I got to spend a lot of time with my Collective Bias friends, as I mentioned, but I didn't end up taking many pictures. Thankfully, everyone else seemed to be toting impressive cameras! Sandy Jenney managed to be everywhere during the conference AND still post her pics and videos instantly, proving that she does indeed have mad organizational skills. We were the early birds, arriving on Wednesday morning, so we got to take the cabriolet down the mountain to the Farmer's Market.
It was great to spend time with old friends and meet so many new friends in person, way too many to list here. I wish I'd taken more photos of everyone. (As a sidenote, Karen Walrond has made me vow to be less camera shy. I hate being photographed but I am trying to squelch the urge to run and hide whenever I see a camera. Yes, you are welcome to hold me to that at BlogHer next month.) It felt good to be around such a diverse and vibrant group of women. And the handful of men who braved the estrogen fest!
There was some celebrity spotting, too. Danny Masterson a.k.a. DJ Mom Jeans played at the local bar he owns (photo courtesy of the indefatigable Kadi Prescott) and the adorable and talented UKOne Eskimo performed acoustically and plugged in at Evo.
If you look closely, you can see me snapping the picture in the reflection, wearing the YummieTummie undercover tube top that Zippy won and gifted to me. Of course, I was too shy to wear it solo so I had a lace top over it. Wuss. You can also see Esther's gorgeous curls, which were apparently created with a spiral iron. I am so going to have to get one…
This last picture was taken at the closing party at Park City Mountain Resort after I rode the alpine coaster. It was an amazing experience but I felt like I was cheating on my kids, seeing all the locals with their kiddos, taking advantage of the zipline and slide. It was unfathomably gorgeous. Next year, I hope to bring the whole family to Evo '11 so they can share in the experience.
Elmer's has just launched a new campaign, Bag It Forward, to encourage shoppers to "pay it forward" as they start this year's back to school shopping. The idea is that everyone can add a couple of extra school supplies to their list and donate them to a needy student or underfunded classroom. I am very proud to have been selected as one the five blogger ambassadors to launch the Bag It Forward project and spread the word about how easy it can be to help others right in your own community– sometimes in your own schools.
The bags I created for Parents As Teachers.
Please take the time to check out the Bag It Forward site for updates throughout the campaign, with fun tips and tutorials for back to school and ways that you can participate. I was pretty impressed with how much you can stuff into a backpack for how little. Just think about how much of an impact we could have!
So far, Roo and Jasper tend to favor animated movies over live action ones but I am hopeful that one of these days we'll be able to share classic movies on the couch together. P&G and Walmart have partnered to produce films that the whole family can enjoy, in an effort to bring back family movie night. Their first effort garnered more than 7 million viewers and the second release, The Jensen Project looks to be just as successful. In fact, it looks much more appealing to me since it reminds me of the sci-fi shows of my youth! The Jensen Project airs July 16 at 8/7C, on NBC.
The following review/giveaway is for adult eyes only because it involves sex. Mommy and daddy sex. (Everyone under 18 just clicked away, right?) No super explicit stuff here but the links might contain NSFW content. Consider yourself warned.
So, everyone agrees that pirates are sexy, right? Swashbuckling adventurers with a penchant for bodice ripping and rum, knee high boots and leather pants. Yep, stereotypical but still sexy. Apparently there is a whole line of Pirates booty at Babeland, all based on the tongue-in-cheek porno romp Pirates. I haven't seen it but apparently it's full of lusty ladies and dialogue like "Last night, I dreamed my cock was a triple-masted Spanish galleon." So obviously I totally want to watch it to see how that exactly that plays in context. The mind boggles, I tell you…
I received the Pirates Pendant Vibe to review and was very surprised at what a lot of oomph it packs into such a dainty and demure piece of finery. I wouldn't say it blends in with my normal wardrobe but it would not look out of place at, say, a renaissance faire. And there is definitely a subversive thrill to wearing a teensy vibrator with a very, very powerful motor as jewelry. It has two speeds and three vibration modes that will satisfy most needs. Personally, the programmed vibration reminds me of lawn sprinklers, but whatever floats your galleon… the real clincher here is that the Pirates Pendant Vibe high setting gets the job done while looking like a tiny treasure. Available in gold, silver or copper (shown). The tattoo flash emblazoned Pirates Rocket Vibe looks like a good time, too. I'm a sucker for the classic line art.
