If you remember from past summers, Wendy is once again donating fifty cents from every Frosty purchase to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption on Father’s Day weekend (June 15 & 16). These donations will be used to benefit the cause of Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, a wonderful program that helps foster children in need find great homes.
Frosties are a special treat around our house that everyone loves. Some of my children’s favorite memories are of summer visits to Wendy’s to purchase a Frosty as a treat after a long day of gardening or on a family road trip. We love the the creamy taste and of course, the affordable price.
I love that Wendy’s is doing this for kids and need, even more so on Father’s Day. I’m glad to see that they are doing this great program again. There are several ways to help donate, and I hope you’ll take your family to Wendy’s this Father’s Day weekend to help support this great program.
How do you donate? There are several ways:
1. Facebook & Twitter – Use the hashtag #FirstFrosty and share your first Frosty memories. For each story, image or video, Wendy’s will donate $1, up to $50,000.
2. Go to Wendy’s – For each Frosty purchased on June 15-16, Wendy’s will donate 50 cents to Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption . Any Frosty purchase counts! Even their newest product, the Frosty Waffle Cone!
Enter to win two ten dollar Wendy’s gift cards below:
When I was contacted by HBL Hair Care about doing a review and giveaway, I couldn’t refuse. I really appreciate products that are sulfate, paraben, allergen and gluten free. All of HBL Hair Care products are formulated to ensure that your hair is healthy, beautiful and shiny.
They sent me out the HBL Volumizing system for review. It includes the:
· HBL Volumizing Shampoo
· HBL Volumizing Conditioner
· HBL Hair Masque
The set is supposed to perk up limp, lifeless hair. The shampoo and condition were designed to cleans and provide lightweight conditioning while the hair masque gives a boost of overall moisture.
I’ve been testing the products out for the past week and while they aren’t the most amazing hair care products of all time, they do work. Too much of the conditioner left my scalp irritated, but the overall products smell good and I really like that they are all natural. I think for people with thinner hair the volumizing set would work much better and give them a boost.
It’s the time of year when we’re all taking to the road with the kids in tow, and it’s time to get your thinking cap on to find ways to keep the kids entertained. We all find long car journeys boring, but for excitable kids with heaps of energy, they can be an even bigger challenge.
PassSmart have written a few tips to keeping in-car boredom at bay, which, hopefully, will keep the dreaded “are we nearly there yet!?” away.
Design their own game
Getting the kids to create their own game is bound to keep them occupied. If you’re going on holiday or a day trip, they could design a game to do with your destination. So, for example, if you were on your way to Disneyland, a) you’ll have some VERY excited kids, and b) they could draw or write a letter to each Disney character they want to meet.
By keeping their mind on the destination you’ll be able to keep them thinking about what they’re going to do rather than the boring journey which comes first.
Plan you breaks
Plan your breaks strategically to make sure the kids get a chance to get out of the car and stretch their legs. The more energy they use up during your stop off, the less restless they will be in the car. Try and stop off somewhere where they can get out of the car and have a little run around. This isn’t always possible, but you could consider taking a scenic detour to find somewhere away from the main roads.
Beware the sugary snacks
The best part of going on a road trip is often the in-car snacks, but try not to let them over do it with the sugary treats. Staying still in the car is tough at the best of times, let alone on a sugar high! Instead pack snacks with a natural energy boost like fruit, nuts and raisins. For something a little more appealing, you could make your own ice poles with fruit juice and pack them in a cooler bag, ready for lunch.
You don’t, however, have to cut out the sweets completely! Instead, try to impose an evening curfew for sweet snacks and, ideally, let the kids have them before you stop off for a break so that they can burn the energy off.
Old-fashioned fun
You don’t have to have an iPad, a portable DVD player and a Nintendo DS to keep the kids happy in the car. Great old-fashioned games like I-Spy or lorry spotting are fantastic ways to keep the kids occupied, and, you never know, you might even have fun too!
Take it in turns to choose a game you want to play and the kids won’t be able to complain about your choice of entertainment. You can even put an educational twist on some in-car games, like, for example, the alphabet game. Get the kids to read license plates and think of an animal/food/country/color relating to each letter. You might be surprised at how long in-car games keep the kids occupied for, and, best of all, they won’t cost you a cent!
Avoid music battles
Trying to decide what music to listen to in the car can be a headache in itself, but there is a way to keep everyone happy. Unless you all have different devices to listen to, you’ll know that someone has to compromise. Get the kids to choose 5 songs each and then take it in turns to play one of their choice. You may have to listen to a few Disney classics, but at least there’ll be no squabbling to contend with!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Protecting my children’s skin has always been important to me. Their skin is so very delicate and the sun can be so harmful. My kids love to play outside and know that everytime they go out they have to get loaded up with sunscreen. Our backyard has no shade all day long until 4pm. I’m always on the lookout for ways to keep them out of the sun or protect them the best way I can such as swim shirts, hats, and sunscreen. Sun Angels Sleeves goes a step further offering protection for the arms.
Sun Angels has developed sun protective arm sleeves for kids. Their arm sleeves are certified UPF 50+ and are made from a 60% polyester, 35% cotton jersey, and 5% spandex (latex-free) blend. This makes them extremely lightweight and breathable. The material feels very soft and thin. Each sleeve has a non-restrictive elastic band on the top to keep them from slipping down. Initially I thought they would be too tight on my daughter’s arms, but they slipped on snugly, making them the perfect fit. They didn’t fall, twist, or move at all. The arm sleeves stayed in place and looked like actual sleeves. These arm sleeves are so stylish, too! They are sold in pairs and they have many styles to suit boys or girls. The patterns are so adorable and the colors are very vibrant. They come in four different sizes to accommodate infants through children aged six.
I use these all of the time on my daughter. I am always carrying her around in my carrier and her arms are always exposed. These arm sleeves are great since they slip on and off easily and keep her skin protected. They are machine washable and fold easily into my diaper bag so they are always with me. I highly recommend these to every mom out there. You no longer need to fuss with sticky, gooey, chemical filled sunscreen. Simply slip on the arm sleeves and you’re ready to go! They would make great gifts as well! Go to their website to see all of their products.
www.sun-angels.com
“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Cascade. I received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”
Cascade Platinum
Washing dishes is an every day occurrence at our house, as I am sure it is at yours. With ten of us we use a lot of dishes and run our dishwasher 1-2 times per day. In January we reviewed Cascade Complete Pacs, which we really liked. So when Cascade Platinum came out, it was with great interest that we tried the new Cascade Platinum pacs.
The difference between the Cascade Complete and the Cascade Platinum is the advanced tough food cleaning and film protection for a sparkling machine. We have noticed the dishes are cleaner and more sparkly. Our machine seems to be cleaner but we have some hard well water that seems to have made the inside of our dishwasher a rusty color so it may take time to see if there is a change in the color with consistent use of Cascade Platinum.
We will definitely be purchasing Cascade Platinum again, as we mentioned in our Cascade Complete post, Cascade is one of our favorite brands because we have yet to find an organic, eco-friendly dishwasher detergent that does a better job than Cascade.
Cascade Platinum Contest
Cascade had partnered with Gail Simmons,Top Chef judge and editor of Food & Wine magazine, to discuss why food presentation is just as important as preparation.
• From prep to plating: It’s more than just a great tasting recipe, but also perfect presentation. Sparkling dishes, shining flat ware and spot free glasses truly!let you put your best food forward with culinary creations that pop!
• Gail recommends impressing with a)Platinum Presentation: “The easiest recipes pop with unexpected, gourmet presentations. Drizzle bright sauces on sparkling white plates or layer
desserts in crystal clean glassware. Keep your presentation sparkling with Cascade Platinum, which keeps dishes perfect for anytime entertaining and impromptu guests.”
Below is a video where Gail shares why plating is so important:
You can learn more about Cascade’s partnership with Gail Simmons by viewing the other videos available on the Cascade Facebook page http://on.fb.me/10Y8RQQ or on You Tube via the video above.
If you enjoy taking photos of your food and want to show how much Cascade Platinum enhances your presentation, I encourage you to enter the contest for a chance to win some great prizes from Cascade. For complete details of the #MyPlatinum Instagram contest visit http://tinyurl.com/PlatBlog
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Shout! Factory Kids in collaboration with Hasbro Studios has released a NEW Littlest Pet Shop Sweetest Pets DVD!
The DVD is entitled “Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets” and it is based on Hasbro’s popular Littlest Pet Shop brand and animated TV series. The DVD contains FIVE fun-filled episodes and captivating entertainment the whole family can enjoy. The DVD also features bonus content including a brand new coloring sheet.
For those of you who have not seen the series … basically, Littlest Pet Shop is an animated half-hour comedy series that follows Blythe Baxter and her father as they move into a Big City apartment above the Littlest Pet Shop store (an amazing day-camp for pets of all kinds including a doggie diva, dancing gecko, a sweet adorable panda, and others. Her real adventure begins when she discovers that she alone can miraculously understand and talk to all of the pets. Blythe joins them on fantastical adventured that include uproarious songs-and-dance sequences featuring all-new original music by Daytime Emmy Award nominee Daniel Ingram and the vocal talent of Ashley Ball, Tabitha St. Germain, Nicole Oliver, and Peter New.
Littlest Pet Shop: Sweetest Pets sees Blythe embark on five more wild adventures with her newest friends: Pepper, the hilarious skunk; Sunil, the magical mongoose; Penny, the adorable panda; Russell, the highly organized hedgehog; Zoe, the diva Spaniel; and, of course, Minka the artistic monkey!
Episodes on DVD include:
Topped with Buttercream
Trading Places
Sweet (Truck) Ride
What’s in the Batter?
Bakers and Fakers
Penny For Your Laughs
DVD Bonus Content
Coloring Sheet
The DVD is available in Stores and online NOW!
Our Review:
My children absolutely ADORE Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop Products and Toys. So of course they were thrilled when the HUB TV network aired the cartoon series and released their first DVD. Now they are overjoyed with a SECOND DVD that they can watch anytime they wish! As a mom I have to say that this is a great cartoon series. The characters are engaging and suitable for children…there are some cartoons out there that are inappropriate that I will not let my children watch …but this is NOT one of them! This is a delightful series about a young girl and pets. What I like is that even after the cartoon is over I find my children reenacting the episodes and imagining new adventures with their Littlest Pet Shop Toys and figures. I have three children, 2 girls ages 9 & 4 and a boy age 7…they ALL enjoy the series and the toys. Although honestly I have to say that my girls are more “into” Littlest Pet Shop than my son…but he will play along with them or watch the series and have just as much fun!
Overall, we cannot say enough about the release of the DVD…my household is enjoying the product and will for years to come…
For more information about the Hasbro brand please visit: www.habro.com
The DVD is reasonably priced at your local store or on Amazon.com here for 12.99
#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Sprout Foods. This could include the Sprout Foods providing us w/ content, product, access or other forms of payment. Check out the new Sprout Foods website at www.sproutorganicfoods.com.
Our family is usually game to try anything organic. So when the opportunity to try Sprout Organic Toddler Snacks we took it. Sprout Organic Toddler Snacks aren’t just for toddlers, my preschoolers, school aged children, teens and even we adults enjoyed trading these little Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews and Fruity Yogurt Bites.
We all loved the Sprout Organic Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews and Fruity Yogurt Bites. My husband had an aversion to even trying these snacks because of the blend of fruit and vegetables. Here is a photo of his exaggerated dismay:
All the younger children traded their vegetables and fruit so they could try each flavor.
This is what the all natural snacks look like:
We would definitely purchase these snacks for on the go, traveling or as a special treat. Two thumbs up from us!
Here’s a digital coupon offer for you to enjoy through the end of June:
A new coupon, from Sprout and Diapers.com, which is good for $1.00 off the purchase of Sprout Fruit & Veggie Crispy Chews or Fruity Yogurt Bites. The promo code is SPROUTSNAX, and the coupon is good through June 30th. If you want to share the coupon with your friends and followers, feel free to do so!
Now before you all start freaking out over my eye catching blog post title stating we are officially homeless….it is true…however, it’s only because we sold our townhouse and no longer own a home of our own. We closed on our house last Friday and are no longer homeowners. We are officially only renters. So yes, we have a place to live….it’s just not ours.
We are beginning a new chapter in our lives. We know we are here for another year and eight months since we renewed a 2-year contract in February of this year. But whether or not we move on to find our forever home or stay here remains to be seen. It’s exciting and scary all rolled into one.
We waited nearly 2 years for our house to sell. Longer if you count when we first put our house on the market in early 2007 just before the housing market crashed – it would have been a more profitable sale to have sold it then, but alas, it was not meant to be. We tried renting out our house, we tried selling it by owner and finally we got a realtor in March 2013. It took her less than 2 months to sell it. We were signing an agreement in late April. Then it took nearly a month for us to set up and complete the necessary repairs based on the home inspection.
We are extremely grateful for our buyers as they had looked at all the homes like ours and found our house was in the best condition, probably with the least amount of work/updates to be done. Our appraisal came in woefully low and based only on foreclosure sales in the area. Nevertheless, because of the condition of our home and our buyers extreme interest they were willing to pay above the appraisal price. We are very fortunate and knew we wouldn’t find another buyer willing to pay more than the appraisal.
So, while we are officially homeless in the sense we do not own a home, we are embarking on a new journey and possibly will begin a search for our own farm or continue to rent. Who knows? We are just glad to finally be done with the townhouse and all that went with getting it ready to sell and maintaining it from here to there. Yet a little apprehensive at the same time because we do not know what the future holds.
“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for LongHorn Steakhouse. I received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.”
Father’s Day is coming! Is your Dad a “cut above the rest”? Forget the tie! Your favorite Dad really wants a “Steakcation” at Longhorn Steakhouse!
Come on down, grab a cold one and let Longhorn Steakhouse grill experts take care of Dad this Father’s Day. With a choice of 7 different cuts of steak at any temperature, it will be hard to decide which to cut choose.
After you decide which cut to choose (18 inch bone-in Outlaw Ribeye, Flo’s Filet, sirloin, strip, flat-iron, T-Bone or porterhouse). You need to choose a side; you can even upgrade your side to roasted corn on the cob (available for a limited time off the “Peak Season Menu”).
Hungry yet?
This was my family’s first visit to a Longhorn Steakhouse and we were very impressed. Here’s what we ordered.
When the waitress took our drink order she dropped off honey wheat bread that was still warm. Very tasty, my daughter ate most of it before her dinner came out.
Appetizer – Parmesan Crusted Asparagus (New off the Peak Season Menu)
The asparagus had a great favor, was crunchy, and the batter was light. It had a few parmesan shavings on top and was served with a delicious red chili ranch sauce.
Lunch –
I had the Prime Rib – My dinner also came with a choice of salad and side. I chose a garden salad and a side of vegetables. I prefer my steaks to be rare and it was cooked perfect! Served with au jus and horseradish sauce. The broccoli was nice and green and the carrots still a small crunch.
My wife had the Bold Balsamic BBQ Sirloin, She also got the garden salad, but upgraded her side to the roasted corn on the cob. She ordered and received her sirloin medium to well done. Her sirloin was topped with roasted garlic cloves and a smooth balsamic bbq sauce.
My daughter had a grilled cheese sandwich and fries off the kids menu. There was a great variety on the children’s menu which was great. We have a picky eater and that can be a concern when going out.
We really enjoyed our afternoon out. The food is very good and cooked to your expectations.
We ate so much that we did not have room for dessert. I took a look at the dessert menu and the offerings were very intriguing. The Chocolate Stampede which has 6 different chocolates in a piece of cake and is served with vanilla ice cream. Another dessert that caught my eye was off the Peak Seasons Menu, The Very Berry Grilled Pound Cake (I’m going back just to get this dessert), it’s a piece of lemon pound cake grilled and served with strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream!
Stomach Growling? Mine is!
So, your favorite Dad is not into going out for Father’s Day. He prefers to say at home and do his own grilling? Here is Longhorn Steakhouse’s Tips on “How to Grill a Great Steak”.
You still need to get Dad a present too! My suggestion is the Longhorn Steakhouse Knives – Available at your local Longhorn Steakhouse for $29.99. The Knives are made with high carbon steel and serrated blade. Stop tearing your steak and cut it with these fabulous knives.
Click Here to find your nearest Longhorn Steakhouse to purchase your knives or a great Father’s Day Meal!
Faith and Family Reviews received the following product in exchange for writing a review. While we consider it a privilege to receive free products to review, our reviews are our honest opinion and thoughts of the product.
Luigi’s Real Italian Ice is naturally flavored with real fruit juice and is packed with a refreshing taste. Kids and adults alike love this delicious and nutritious treat! This family favorite comes in many refreshing flavors including:
Cotton Candy & Sour Apple
Cherry
Mango
Blue Raspberry & Watermelon
Strawberry & Lemon.
LUIGI’s Real Italian Ices are:
Fat Free
Most flavors are 100 calories
Naturally flavored with real fruit juice
Refreshing, unique flavors.
Our review:
We found that Luigi’s real Italian Ice live up to their reputation! They are so YUMMY! The Cotton Candy is by far the children’s favorite! We liked that there was a variety in most packs. The packages come in a 6 pack of flavors… our favorite box was Cotton Candy and Sour Apple…we opened the box and it was 3 Cotton Candy flavors and 3 Sour apple flavors. The children wished there was more cotton candy but 3 (1 for each) was a nice treat for the children.
One thing I liked as a mom is that the ices are not rock hard… sometimes I purchase Italian ices and they are so hard to spoon that the children get frustrated. LUIGI’s are just the right consistency to scoop and enjoy!
Check out the JJ snack brand and their whole entourage of products at this link:
