The B Keeps Us Honest North Carolina Mom Blogger: October 2010

Do Your Appliances Need Rescuing?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Does your kitchen need a facelift? I know mine could use a little help. I would love for my kitchen to be about 4 times bigger but since that isn't going to happen I could at least wish for an appliance makeover. That is why I am entering the Sears Appliances and KitchenAid Rescue My Appliances Sweepstakes.

Enter by November 2nd for a chance to win a suite of appliances from KitchenAid ® (worth $7,000), Service Live Credits toward remodeling (worth $1,000), and a phone consultation with Susan Serra, Sears’ kitchen design expert (worth $200)! Submissions must be in by November 2nd, see official rules for details.

Simply submit a photo of your kitchen and 1-2 sentences to Sears and share why your appliances need rescuing!

Jude Has A Secret...

It's hard to get a 2 year old to hold still for very long so here are the two best I could get before all his attention was completely diverted.

Shirt provided courtesy of Zoey's Attic.

Holiday Cards from Shutterfly #clevercards

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

I know it's not even Halloween yet but it's time to start thinking and planning for Christmas. I mean the malls are already starting to decorate for Christmas so my mind is already in planning mode. Now that I have a family one of my favorite parts of Christmas is selecting and designing the perfect Christmas cards. There are so many creative options out there anyone can send a beautiful card that looks like you paid a billion dollars.

Shutterfly has some of the cutest pre-designed holiday photo cards. Here are a few of my favorite designs...

The key to creating a memorable Christmas photo cards is use great photos. If you're not great at taking pictures or want to have a whole family picture have a friend take a few pictures. They don't have to be perfect because you can always edit them with an inexpensive photo editing program. I think black and while pictures always look great. Also, think outside the box, the picture doesn't have to be of your whole family dressed in sweaters. Use a picture from your summer beach trip of your kids buried in the sand. Overall, have fun.

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Bug Bunny Howl-Oween Special Review

One of my all time favorite cartoon characters, Bugs Bunny is all ready for Halloween with the new release of Bugs Bunny's Howl-Oween Special DVD. This is a fairly short DVD but not at all short on fun.

Kids and adults will delight in this wonderful tale that finds that “wascally wabbit,” Bugs Bunny making holiday rounds dressed as a witch. Witch Hazel however, thinks Bugs is a real witch who has come to intrude on her home turf and makes plans to eliminate him. Joining Bugs Bunny are his popular pals including Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and Speedy Gonzales. When Bugs and his buddies tangle with Witch Hazel’s wacky magic, they are zapped into a mixed-up menagerie of oddball monsters.

This was Jude's first experience with Bugs Bunny and I do think he enjoyed it thoroughly. I like that it's the simple style of animation I grew up with and I can introduce my son to all of my favorite childhood characters. This animation is actually older than I am as it was originally released in 1978, truly a classic.

The DVD also features a bonus short, Hair-Raising Hare and an Interactive Menu-based Puzzle Game. This special DVD retails for $14.97 and is available online and at select retailers across the US.

The Handmade Market - Raleigh, NC

Twice a year a group of talented independent designers called, The Handmaidens, organize The Handmade Market. The Handmade Market features the best and brightest artists, independent designers, and crafters from NC and beyond. In May 2006 the first Handmade Market featured 35 selected designers offering products from baby clothes to jewelry.

Today the Handmade Market continues to grow and is one of the best semiannual shopping events in the Raleigh area. The market occurs once in the spring (perfect for Mother's Day shopping) and once again in the fall (perfect for Holiday shopping).

This year's Handmade Market will feature more than 50 participating designers and wonderful raffle prizes from local businesses and vendors. (Raffle proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels of Wake County)

Come out to The Handmade Market on Saturday, November 13 from 11 am until 5 pm at their NEW LOCATION! Cobblestone Hall (City Market / Moore Square) in downtown Raleigh.

If you are a local business and would like to donate to the Raffle or Sponsor the Event contact The Handmaidens.

Shout Go Play Review

Thursday, October 21, 2010

This past weekend after we took Jude to see Yo Gabba Gabba live we visited some friends in Greensboro. All the kids were running around having a blast when Jude ran right into the corner of the kitchen table and busted his eye. Cuts around the eye always bleed A LOT. Joe swooped in and help calm Jude as we rushed around to find all the appropriate first aid materials. Jude was OK with just a minor cut above his eye. While Jude didn't get any blood on his clothes Joe's new shirt had several big spots of blood. While I wasn't too concerned with his shirt at the time when we got home I immediately treated his shirt with Shout Advance.

I sprayed a bit of the gel on the spots, rubbed it in and let the Shout Advance set overnight then did a regular load of laundry the next morning. When I pulled Joe's shirt out of the wash I couldn't see a single spot of blood or discoloration. I was very pleased with the results since blood is typically known to be rather hard to clean out of clothes.

Growing Tree Toys, online retailer for learning toys, and Shout have teamed up to promote the Go Play Initiative. Shout understands that outdoor play is important for kids to remain healthy but can be messy. While I hope our kids don't get hurt while playing it is nice to know that Shout makes products that will stand up to just about anything kids can throw at it. Kids will be kids and they should play hard. If your kids have a hard time thinking up fun things to do outdoors you can check on the 52 Nature Activities card set. There are a lot of creative and fun ideas to help kids of all ages explore the outdoors.

Join the Shout Go Play Initiative on Facebook

I received the featured product free of charge courtesy of Shout and Growing Tree Toys. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Crystal Products on Sale at RiteAid and Walgreens

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

I'm a big fan of natural deodorant and I also love a good deal.

Don't miss this great deal on Crystal Deodorant products.

Crystal® products will be on sale at Rite Aid and Walgreens at $1 off for the Stick and $.50 off for the Roll-Ons and Spray 9/26 – 10/23.

I was entered in a giveaway in return for sharing this information. The opinions in this post are my own and not influenced by any company.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live - There's a Party in My City

On Saturday we took a little road trip to Greensboro, NC to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live. We kept telling Jude we were going to see Yo Gabba Gabba but he had absolutely no idea what we meant. Greensboro is just a little over and hour drive so we went a little early to have lunch before the 2pm show.

Waiting for the show to start.

This is a look of awe and amazement.

Dancing!

Jude was completely blown away. Joe and I spent more time watching him than the show. From the first beat to the last song he was completely captivated. The only time he lost interest and got cranky was during the intermission. I thought the intermission was a bit long and unnecessary but understand that the actors need to take a break.

It really was like watching a long episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. All the different sections were there from the Super Music Friend Show to Biz's Beat of the Day. (All of the parents went wild when Biz Markie made his appearance.) There were flashing lights, bubbles, balloons and of course lots of dancing. I think my favorite part was watching Jude sing along with the songs.

The rest of the day all he talked about was Yo Gabba Gabba. There is something so magical about a child seeing their favorite TV characters in real life. Honestly, I almost started crying at the show because I was so happy.

I don't want to tell you too much detail about the show because you should go see it for yourself but I will tell you it was awesome. (But be prepared to drop some serious cash not only for tickets but all of the merchandise.)

I was provided tickets to the featured event free of charge thanks to the Greensboro War Memorial Auditorium. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

Today's Living Social Deal for Raleigh + Chapel Hill folks

Monday, October 18, 2010

I have to share this deal today because I absolutely love Piola.

Today Living Social is offering a $30 Gift Certificate to Piola for only $15.

(Raleigh and Chapel Hill locations)

Piola is a wonderful pizzeria that started in Italy and now has locations all over the world. They have some of the most delicious and creative pizzas ever! Plus, they sell Guarana, my most favorite Brazilian soda!

This is an awesome deal I couldn't pass up.

It's only available today so buy it now!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! BlueRay & DVD Review

Friday, October 15, 2010

For months now Jude has been obsessing with pumpkins, trick or treating, and all things Halloween. He's only 2 but somehow Halloween has become his favorite holiday. October is a particularly exciting month for him because not only is it Halloween but there are a ton of fun Halloween themed shows available.

Originally released in 1966, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown has been remastered and is now available on Blue-ray disc. We received the Deluxe Edition which includes the Blue-ray disc and standard DVD for those like us who have yet to upgrade but plan to do so in the near future. In addition to the story of the Great Pumpkin the disc includes 2 special features: It's Magic, Charlie Brown and We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown tells the story of Linus and Sally awaiting the arrival of The Great Pumpkin. Jude watched completely captivate the entire DVD. I love that he can watch such a classic Halloween show that both I and my parents have enjoyed watching over the years.

Tea Collection Women - Special 40% Off Code

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The New Tea Collection for Women! is awesome. I've been a huge fan of Tea Collection for awhile but when they added their line for women I think I fell in love. I know what you're thinking, It's cute but pricey. For a very limited time I have a special discount code that will save you 40% off any Tea Collection for Women purchase.

Use the 40% off coupon code "TEA4UFF"
On Friday morning the discount drops to 25% off. The code expires 11:59 pm pacific on Sunday 10/17.

The YoHawk

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Who needs styling gel when you have yogurt?

Green Acres of Cary #iheartnc

Monday, October 11, 2010

Yesterday we spent a wonderful afternoon at Green Acres of Cary. While the weather was a bit on the warm side it was still a perfect fall afternoon with my family. Every fall Green Acres has a huge corn maze, hay ride, pumpkin patch and other family fun activities.

Jude navigated us through the 1.5 mile corn maze with his flag. We followed his lead and even though we didn't find all of the markers he lead us right out of the maze in record time. After our hot hike through the corn maze we stopped to get an ice cream and drink before exploring the bounce houses, hay tunnel, sand pit and tractors.

Next we were pretty exhausted so we enjoyed the relaxing Hay Ride around the farm property. It was truly a beautiful day. Finally we browsed the pumpkins before we headed out. We didn't end up getting a pumpkin because someone grabbed the one we wanted right before we got to it, Joe was heartbroken.

In the end we had a fabulous day and Jude feel asleep on the way home.

If you're looking for a fun family afternoon I highly suggest taking your family to Green Acres of Cary. It's a family owned, working farm that has a ton of fun for kids of all ages.

Don't forget to download your $1 off admission coupon.

Bounce Dryer Bar Review

I love the smell of fresh laundry. I buy candles and home fragrances that smell like clean laundry. I used to use dryer sheets years ago but they seemed kind of wasteful, use a sheet once and then throw it away. So when I was given the chance to review the new Bounce Dryer Bar I was very interested. I like that you simply attach the bar inside your dryer and just leave it there. No remembering to put in a dryer sheet each time.

I like the fresh and clean aroma of the original Outdoor Fresh scent. It was super easy to install and after a few months when the dryer bar has been all used up I can just buy a replacement bar and pop it in the bar holder. I can even choose to use a different scent if I wish.

Smell Like a Monster

Playing Catch Up

So lately you may have noticed there haven't been a lot of giveaway posts here. It's not because they aren't on my list it's because this past week was nuts. Last week I was hit with no email, no internet, and a sick family so I'm a little behind. I promise to catch up this week although it may be a little slow going since I'm still sick. I would love to complain about it all online but I should probably focus my energies toward writing these reviews. Plus, no one wants to hear me complain.

Off to work I go, time to write some posts!

Activeion ionator HOM Review + Discount Code (save $10 now!)

Friday, October 8, 2010

Work smarter not harder. I love it when I find a product that is just plain smart. That is why I love the Activeion ionator HOM™. I know it sounds like a super-hero and to be honest (cause that what we do on this blog) it kind of is. At first glance the Ionator looks like a fancy spray bottle, but after using it you realize there is something different. It really works to loosen and remove dirt from surfaces, with just water!

Joe loves the Ionator because of it's cutting edge technology and I love that technology and science make my husband want to clean things. Here are Joe's thoughts on the ionator...

The Ionator works a lot better than I expected. It cleaned up the kitchen counter with very little effort and also took the heavy pencil lines I drew on the wall right off without damaging the paint. I think it may be based on the same technology as the Ion cannons they used to disable spaceships in that Star Wars computer game I was addicted to in college.

How it works

1. Charging

A water cell applies a slight electrical charge to the tap water.

2. Transforming

The charged water passes through an ion exchange membrane, creating an oxygen-rich mixture of positive and negative nano-bubbles.

3. Cleaning

The ionized water now attracts dirt like a magnet and lifts it from the surface, enabling it to be easily wiped away.

About Activeion

Based in Minnesota, Activeion™ Cleaning Solutions products are used every day around the world to guard students in schools, patients in hospitals, guests in restaurants from harmful bacteria. The Activeion was invented as a way to clean a sensitive little chinchilla, named Chili's cage — without harmful chemicals. Chili's owner looked at the big, technologically advanced cleaners and sanitizers often used in food-processing plants and costing thousands of dollars. He found a way to miniaturize the technology to fit into a portable, and affordable, handheld appliance. And he ended up with a revolutionary product for the good of all.

SAVE: Use the code: "blog2010" to save $10 off your purchase. Exp 10/31/10

BUY: Order your ionator HOM™

I received the featured product in exchange for a previous post. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced by the company.

Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder Review

My coffee obsessed husband is always wanting a new gadget to add to his home coffee shop collection. He has always ground his coffee beans himself and had a fairly decent burr grinder, however he was sometimes frustrated by the limited range of the grind. Additionally it was very loud and occasionally woke Jude up during his nap. Now I don't know much about coffee or grinders but Joe was super excited to use the Infinity conical burr grinder. He is always experimenting with different coffee brewing techniques and loves that with the Infinity he can easily grind a wide variety of ranges.

Here are his thoughts on the Conical Infinity Conical Burr Grinder:

The Infinity Conical Burr grinder is an impressive grinder. Although you can't grind coffee silently, it's much quieter than other grinders I've used. The conical burrs grind very evenly (important for not getting bits of grounds in your drink), and ranges from coarse grinds used for French press and cold brew to very fine grinds used for espresso and Turkish coffee. Because the lid on the hopper is clear, the first time I used the Infinity I didn't realize it was there and poured beans all over the counter. I felt pretty silly, but several minutes after correcting my mistake I had a very smooth cup of French press coffee, which made me feel better.

About the Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder

Computer controlled special grinding heads cut the angles and shapes of the steel burrs to within 0.1 mm precision. Burrs are produced as matched pairs and are hand assembled in Switzerland for precise fit. The multiple gear motor produces the slowest grinding action resulting in highest precision grinding from Turkish fine to percolator coarse. The see through bean container holds up to 8.8 oz. of beans. Cleaning brush and measuring scoop included.

Buy: The Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder is available online or at select retailers. Prices starting at $89.99

I received the featured product in exchange for this post. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced by the company.

MY EMAIL IS BACK

Thanks to my awesome techy husband my email is back and running, no longer blacklisted! So email away. If you tried to email yesterday and it bounced back please try again today.

Wisk Lab Experiment

It is Fall! That means it's time for tailgate parties and the last few cookouts before it gets too cold. We aren't big sports fans in our house but we do love a good cookout, especially a good burger.

Like most 2 year olds Jude is a bit of a messy eater so I am constantly removing stains from his clothes. Some stains are really tough, like tomato based stains. The new Wisk stain fighting formula works great on removing carbohydrate stains like food. I gave Jude full reign of this project since he only has one level of mess, huge!

After letting him cover the shirt in ketchup I let the stain set for a good 10 minutes before pre-treating it with Wisk. I poured a bit of Wisk directly on the shirt and let is sit while my previous load of laundry finished washing. Then I just washed it with my regular white's cycle. (I always wash my clothes in cold water.)

After laundering. I think it turned out pretty good. I was a little worried the stain might not come out since it was so huge and set in but pre-treating it with Wisk helped break down the stain.

About Wisk

New Wisk laundry detergent is reinventing the way you’ll look at stains with a powerful new formula and a red-hot bottle. As the first liquid laundry detergent to market in 1956, Wisk® has been cleaning America’s laundry for the past 50 years. Now, they’ve upgraded their formula, but not their price, to tackle stains. Wisk is bringing science to stain fighting with an upgraded formula featuring Stain Spectrum™ Technology. Wisk’s enzymes and cleaning agents target the full range of stains on a molecular level for a powerful clean.

New Wisk® with Stain Spectrum™ Technology is engineered to target the major stain groups

New stain vocabulary:

There are hundreds of different stains but most stains fall into three major groups:

* Carbohydrates such as milk chocolate

* Proteins such as grass

* Oils such as peanut butter

New powerful stain fighting formula. It doesn’t matter which of these stains you encounter, new Wisk with Stain Spectrum ™Technology is the solution to tackle them all

Wisk is available in August at major retailers nationwide, such as Walmart, Target and Kroger

Like Wisk at www.Facebook.com/Wisk

Follow @Wisk on Twitter

I received compensation for this post by Wisk through the One2OneNetwork. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced by the company.

Free Week at School of Rock

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Before Jude was born Joe and I were in a band together. We didn't have much success but it was a common interest we both had and enjoyed playing music together. I can already tell that Jude has a keen ear for music and I do hope that he inherits some of our love for music.When I was growing up the only way you could participate in music was to take lessons or join the school band. But kids today have so many cool options, like School of Rock

School of Rock is the national leader in music education and has been teaching kids how to amaze audiences for more than ten years. They offer lessons in guitar, bass, vocals, drums and keyboards

School of Rock is offering a FREE WEEK at participating locations through October 31st.

Like School of Rock on Facebook

Follow School of Rock on Twitter

I received no product or compensation in exchange for this post. I was entered in to a drawing as a part of the One2One Network. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by a company.

EMAIL SERVER DOWN

FYI We are switching Email Servers for The B Keeps Us Honest today so if you need to get in touch with me please email jrhammlett@ yahoo .com

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Milano Moment Supports the Susan G. Komen for the Cure

I have a fabulous family. My mom and I train for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and walk it together. Fortunately, we don't have any personal connections to breast cancer but I do love that so many mother/daughter teams participate in the race. While we aren't particularly athletic we can most certainly enjoy cookies, especially Milano Cookies.

I'm super excited that every time someone posts a personal Milano Moment on Milano's Facebook Page in October, Pepperidge Farm will donate $.50 per Moment up to $50,000 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation.

I received no product or compensation in exchange for this post but was entered into a drawing as a part of a O2O Network Campaign. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by a company.

Check Your Spam Folder

I just discovered last night that the IP for my email at The B Keeps Us Honest has been blacklisted. No, I haven't been spamming people but apparently most of GoDaddy's email hosting clients have been blacklisted. Lucky Me.

So while we work on changing my email to a different hosting service please be sure to check your spam folder. I think adding my address to your contact list may help with receive my emails but am not really sure.

Hopefully, this will all be resolved within the week. However, I always check my spam folder because I often find misdirected emails in there so it might be a good practice.

I am not promoting any kind of spam in this post. Both canned meat substances and annoying emails make me nauseous.

A Crepe a Day...

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

While in Asheville for Type-A we were able to get out and eat some of they yummy local fare. During the day while I was in sessions Joe and Jude went hunting for the best places. One of Joe's favorite places was the French Street Food at Bouchon. Bouchon is a fabulous French Restaurant at night but by day they offer simple yet delicious French street food, like crepes! Yummy, delicious crepes!

We ate crepes until we almost exploded. All three of us had the Paris Sidewalk (ham and swiss), Pommes Frites (fries) and Orangina for lunch. Then we all split a fabulous Nutella dessert crepe.

The weather was cool and cloudy as we sat in the tiny courtyard. We watched people walk by and Jude greeted them all with an enthusiastic hello. Then we headed home. :(

We will me definitely visiting Bouchon next time we are in Asheville.

Growing Tree Toys - Win Your Wish List

Anyone who creates or edits a wish list at GrowingTreeToys.com from Oct. 1-31, 2010 is eligible to win - up to $1,000 in toys! Visit http://www.growingtreetoys.com/winyourwishlist for details.

I created my wish list for Jude, and maybe a little bit for myself too. Here are a few of the great toys I added to our list:

1. Oval Xylophone Toy - Jude loves music and has a great selection of instruments but doesn't yet own a xylopohone.

2. Educo Switchback Racetrack - I mean this just looks awesome and it would provide hours of fun for both mom, dad and Jude.

3. Fire Truck Wooden Chunky Puzzle - Jude loves puzzles and any new puzzle is a big hit. Plus fire trucks are cool.

Head on over the Growing Tree Toys to create your wish list and be automatically entered to win $1000 in toys.

Deadline: October 31, 2010

I received no product or compensation in exchange for this post but was entered into a drawing. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and not influenced by the company.

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Disclosure Policy

This blog is written and edited by me, Jessica. For questions about this blog, please contact jessica@thebkeepsushonest.com .

All the opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. I post about products that I like or personally prefer, products that I have found, tested, and loved. I do receive free samples to review and giveaway, the opinions expressed are still my own. I do not receive payment in exchange for a review. Please do your research on a product before you buy it and decide if it is right for you and/or your family.

Giveaway Rules

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