Thursday, September 29, 2011

Bright Starts Having A Ball Cluck and Learn Review & Giveaway!*CLOSED*




My baby is seven months old now. He is army crawling and trying to get at everything that looks interesting or pretty to him. I have a toy room that all the kids toys go into, and we recently added a new toy for him to play and grow with.

The Bright Starts Cluck N Learn Barn is a super cute toy suggested for ages 3 to 36 months. The head is a big chicken and it's attached to a barn below. The toy comes with three major buttons color coded and four brightly colored, character balls. The buttons have a setting for silly sounds and one for learning sounds.




My baby can't put the balls in the top just yet but, he LOVES to push the big colored buttons and make sounds come out. He plays with the balls individually and of course puts them right in his mouth. The balls are a large enough for babies and are made from a hard plastic so baby can't bite them.

What I really like about this is that there are repetitive learning sounds and there is an activity, not just pushing a button. The balls are put in the top and they drop out in different spots of the barn. This toy can also grow with my baby to toddler and that makes it a worthwhile purchase. There are plenty of toys that get shelved once a baby reaches toddler stage, etc. Ewan likes it so far and I'm sure he'll love it once he can get to all the features of this fun toy.

Check them out on their Facebook page for all their exciting products and up to date news!

Buy It

You can purchase your Cluck & Learn Barn at Toys R Us!

Win It

One lucky winner will win their very own Bright Starts Cluck & Learn Barn!

Rules

Follow me on GFC to the right and tell me who you are! If you already follow me, just say that you already follow.

Extra Entries

Tell me another item you would love to have from Bright Starts

Follow me on twitter @kaiasmommy

Please leave a separate comment for each thing you do, and make sure you leave me an email address so I can contact you if you win! Good luck!

Contest ends October 14, 2011 at midnight AZ time.

*Thanks Bright Starts for the Cluck & Learn review item*

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Wordless Wednesday-Flower Headband

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Making Tuesday Tasty-Pumpkin Plum Tart

OK, so I'm a pumpkin fan all the way! I love it in pretty much every type of dessert I've had whether it be pie, ice cream, drinks, you name it. Here is a spin on the traditional from epicurious. Can you say delish?!

Ingredients

Pastry dough
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (not pie filling)
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup damson plum preserves

Equipment: an 11-inch fluted tart pan (1 inch deep) with removable bottom; pie weights or dried beans


Make tart shell:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Roll out dough into a 15-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, then fit into tart pan. Trim any excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang inward and press against edge of pan so pastry stands slightly above rim. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Lightly prick bottom of shell all over with a fork, then line with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake tart shell until side is set and edge is pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. 3Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until bottom and side are golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 30 minutes.

Make filling and bake tart:
Whisk together cream, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until smooth.

Put tart shell in pan on a baking sheet. Spread preserves evenly over bottom of tart shell, then pour pumpkin mixture over preserves.

Bake tart until filling is just set a few inches from edge but still slightly wobbly in center, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack, about 1 hour. (Tart will continue to set as it cools.) Remove side of pan before serving.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Winner For Uprinting Postcards!

My random.org winner has been selected....

mkjmc September 15, 2011 5:22 PM 7
GFC follower kathypersons

Congratulations! You will be sent an email to claim your prize shortly!

Thank you to all the people that entered the contest :)

Melanie

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Wordless Wednesday-Fresh Outta The Oven

Happy seven months to my baby boy! I love you :)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Making Tuesday Leek And Potato Soup

Autumn and Winter are my soup making times. I love soups of all kinds, reminds me of growing up in Oregon. My mom made a lot of soups with lots of wonderful and fresh ingredients. Potato based soups are one of my faves so enjoy this version!

Ingredients

8 leeks, white part only, washed and medium juilenned
4 tablespoons salted butter or margarine
5 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
3 quarts chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
3 1/2 pounds Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled, and medium chopped
6 medium carrots, peeled and medium chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: 1 teaspoon finely chopped curly parsley
print a shopping list for this recipe

preparation

1. Heat the butter in a medium skillet and sauté the leeks over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute more. Set aside.

2. Heat the chicken broth in a large stockpot over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, carrots, reserved leeks, dill, salt, and pepper to the broth and continue to simmer the soup, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender but have not lost their shape, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.

4. Purée the soup in batches in a food processor fitted with a knife blade. The soup will be smooth, colorful, and thick. Return the puréed soup to the stockpot, blend in the reserved marrow, and season to taste. Reheat over low heat and garnish with parsley.

*recipe courtesy of epicurious.com*

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Fisher-Price Little People Zoo Talkers Review




Fisher-Price Little People are a brand that many parents of small children know about. My daughter has a few Little People sets and loves to role play with them. Getting a chance to check out a new set was something I was very interested in. My daughter loves them, and my son will love them too once he gets a little bigger.

The set I received is Zoo Talkers, which is a little animal habitat with a Gorilla, Lion, Polar Bear and, Zookeeper. The set has some assembly required, mostly it's just popping things into each other. You need a screw driver for a few things and (3) AAA batteries (not included) for the sounds. You do have the option to add more cute animals later if you would like as well.

I let the baby play with it a bit, he really loves holding the animals and they are safe for him to chew on since they're big enough for little guys like him. My daughter loves playing with all the features. She can put the animals in the swing, she can make them slide, and she can also put each animal on the platform to hear about them and the sounds they make. This little habitat set is perfect for kids just learning about animals and what they do. It's very engaging and interactive which allows them to use their imagination! I love toys that teach a child while they're playing. Also, the set comes with a DVD with four little short movies related to the animals in the set. My daughter wanted to watch that right away and loved seeing the Little People in action.

Both my kids really enjoy this Little People Zoo Talkers set and I'm sure will be playing it for a long time to come since my son is an infant right now. It's honestly one of our favorites.

Buy It

This set retails for about $39.99 at major retailers and Fisher-Price.com

You can also enter a sweepstakes to win 10,000 here, directly from Fisher-Price, contest ends 11/30/11.

*Thank you Fisher-Price for letting us review this super fun play set!*



Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Postcard Giveaway From Uprinting!


The world of marketing has really changed a lot from what it used to be. Now you can use so many tools to get your point across, which makes it nice to personalize your message for your business!

One thing I'm seeing more and more whether it be at my house, car, or inserted in things I've purchased is postcards. What a great way to spread the word about your business, or to advertise a sale, etc!

Of course, you don't have to do only business related postcard printing. You can do lots of personal things like address changes, party invitations, and something to display your art. The bonus is this is online printing so you can order, verify, and pay all in one place without having to leave your home. I love it!

Win It!

Would you like to win a set of postcards?
Uprinting is offering one lucky winner a chance to win 100 postcards!
5x7 14pt Card stock Gloss, no folding, front only printing, 2 days business turnaround, and free shipping to U.S. residents 18 years and older.

Rules

Please tell me what you would like to use these for in your comment and enter your email address along with it so I can tell you if you won!

Extra Entries

-Follow my blog for one entry
-Follow my twitter @kaiasmommy for one entry

Contest ends September 25, 2011 at 11:59 AZ time.

Wordless Wednesday-Push up time!

Sorry this is a bad picture, camera phone! :)

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Making Tuesday Tasty-Chicago Steakhouse Sandwich

I am a sandwich person. This is one of the foods I could eat every day. Of course with sandwiches the possibilities are endless so that helps a bit! ;) Here is a recipe I came across today that I would eat in a heartbeat! Great reviews too. Enjoy

Ingredients

Steak:

One 20-ounce boneless rib eye steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauteed Garlicky Spinach:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Three 10-ounce bags fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing:
2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Sandwich Build:
1 fresh loaf crispy French bread, cut into 8-inch segments, buttered and grilled

Directions

For the steak: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Place the steak in the hot skillet, reduce the heat to medium and sear until well browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the steak and cook until medium/medium-rare, about 6 more minutes. Set aside, loosely covered with foil, and let rest before slicing.

For the sauteed garlicky spinach: Heat the oil and sliced garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is golden brown and crispy. Remove the garlic and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Add the crushed red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and stir to combine with the oil. Cover and let cook over medium-high heat until the spinach is wilted but still bright in color, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and toss with the garlic chips.

For the buttermilk blue cheese dressing: Mix the mayonnaise, buttermilk, blue cheese, dill, mustard and pepper together in a bowl and set aside. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

For the sandwich build: Slice the rested steak against the grain into 1/4-inch slices, removing any non-rendered fat. Place the steak slices on the bottom bun, top with the spinach and schmear the top bun with buttermilk blue cheese dressing.

*recipe courtesy of Foodnetwork.com*

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Wordless Wednesday-Big Sister, Little Brother

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Making Tuesday Tasty-Parmesan Thyme Crackers

Ingredients

  • 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 3 ounces grated Parmesan
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until creamy. Add the Parmesan, flour, salt, thyme and pepper and combine.

Dump the dough on a lightly floured board and roll into a 13-inch long log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the log crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake for 22 minutes.


*recipe courtesy of Ina Garten*

Monday, September 5, 2011

New Carmex Click Sticks-Review & Giveaway!CLOSED




I grew up in Oregon for most of my childhood which meant some pretty cool weather, and my family has notoriously dry lips. One of our staples was the original Carmex lip balm in the pots. The balm soothed my dry cracked lips with moisturizing ingredients and a little menthol.

I got a chance to try out some new goodies from Carmex which included a Vanilla and Lime Twist click stick. I really wanted to try these out because let's face it, it is easier to use a stick to apply your balm(no messy fingers), and the flavors both seemed mellow enough for me to like.

Both go on very smooth, no waxy at ALL! This is a bonus because I absolutely hate some of the famous stick brands for this very reason. My lips were shiny, lightly scented, SPF 15 protected, and felt moisturized in a very short time. The lime twist is probably my favorite but, that's because I like citrus flavors and scents. So, if you're curious how they work and you really like the original I think you should try one of them. It goes on lighter than the original balm but, just as moisturizing!

Buy It!

You can get these great products at Walgreen's, Walmart, and CVS.

Win It!

Would you like to win the awesome kit that I got to check out? It will include one lime twist click stick, one vanilla click stick, and one super cute picnic blanket!

Rules

This is for a few hours only so hurry quick! Tell me which Carmex click stick you would like to try. Please leave your email for me to reach you....And go!

Contest ends 6 p.m. AZ time on Sept 5, 2011.

*Thank you Carmex for letting me try out the click sticks and the cute picnic blanket*

Congrats to my winner, Mary!