Alice in Wonderland: 60th Anniversary Sp. Ed. on BLU-RAY & DVD 2/1

Walt would be so proud!  Sixty years old and Alice in Wonderland is still a classic enjoyed by children and parents a like. 

Beverly Hills Chihuaha 2 on DVD 2/1

On DVD tomorrow, February 11th, is yet another fun family dog movie from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (WDSHE).  This latest release brings the return of the greatest Chihuahuas to walk on all fours.  In Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2! Chloe & Papi are back in an all new, ¡Ay yay yay! fun-filled adventure—and their family just got bigger.

Yes, you guess right, this movie introduces their puppies!

Green Irene Cleaning Products Review & Giveaway

As a Mommy of 5, I'm no stranger to cleaning products.  I keep my cleaning supplies fully stocked for virtually any mess they might bring on.  Worth noting is the fact that stocking the shelves has been a lot less of a space concern with an eco friendly line I've been testing by Green Irene.  I started off with their Enzymatic Clean Starter Kit with a full set of all 6 Green Irene Enzyme Cleaners.  The kit contains 6 empty sprayer bottles and 6 concentrate packets, one for each of their 6 types of cleansers. 

Sisters need their Brothers too

There can be something rather empowering about growing up in a household with four brothers.  All in a day's time Cordelia reminded us that she can do it all.  She went from doing some demo work with Daddy to lighting up the stage at her company dance performance. 

I read a report a while back that said researchers found that people who grew up with at least one sister were generally happier, more ambitious, and more emotionally balanced than those who only had brothers.  And while I don't dispute Cordelia's four brothers will be better men having known her, I think they will have made her a better woman as well.

Game Day Recipes from Kraft + A Fun Giveaway

Superbowl Game Day will be here soon and we will be hosting a party at our home for a bunch of teenagers with a rather torn up but still functional kitchen.  My plan?  Distract them with food such as the recipe below for Chuckwagon Chili Mac.

Lucky Puppy Apparel

Both the twins awoke from naptime yesterday with a severe case of the crankies.  Perhaps it was the odd schedule we've kept with the kitchen renovations or maybe it was just one of those days. However, their moods were easily fixed once they spotted some t-shirts that came in the mail for review.  Puppies!

Two Lucky Puppy T-shirts later and the boys were both looking and feeling just fine. How cute is the winged puppy look, it's rather rocker meets rock-a-bye, no?  The crest design is really cute too.  Added bonus, Lucky Puppy donates 15% of online sales to animalhavenshelter.org.

Please Don't Touch Mommy - Save your clothes with the Kikou

Any of this sound familiar?  Spit up on your shoulder, a little red pasta sauce handprint on your back, or perhaps a runny nose wiped upon your chest.  I think most mommies have been there at some point, unfortunately these moments are often best remembered because you were decked out in your work or party best.

The Twins channel their inner Handy Manny

The weekend is off to a smashing good time.  There is nothing quite like spending your Friday evening taking turns knocking down the wall.  Everyone had a turn, the twins even pulled out some of their own tools.

Attire?  Safety glasses and pj's of course!

Dirt Devil Vision Dual Cyclonic-Pet Vacuum Review

It's a very rare day in our bustling household of 7 (8 with the dog) that a "someone bring the vacuum" call doesn't leave my lips.  Let's just look at my new vacuum's contents.  The toddler twins have donated cheerios and cracker crumbs, my daughter Cordelia is the likely previous owner of the sparkling glitter, the dirt could in fact be from anyone but I'd go for the oldest two boys in a pinch, the dog food crumbs are self explanatory, and the construction dust is equally created by hubby & I.

Room Makeover Tip: Design a Color Board

I thought I'd share a little decorating tip I have used for years.  I find it really helps myself and hubby visualize the overall feel of a project such as our mini kitchen makeover by making a color board of the elements we've selected along the way.  This can be a physical board you adhere items on, a big ziploc bag filled with the elements, or even a virtual board such as the one I've compiled.

I keep all of this long together after the project is finished and I am certain to include pertinent details such as the name of the tile, paint color / vendor, & fabric names.  This comes in incredibly handy if something in the room needs touching up or replacement later.

B.R.A.T. feel better drink

The strep virus made an appearance in our household this past week taking on half of the 7 occupants despite my efforts to clean and quarantine.  One of the twins struggled to shake it along with symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, and a bit of dehydration.  I felt really bad for the little dude.  Ultimately all he wanted to do was be held, glance at a book or the TV a bit, and sleep.  He's feeling better today.  He's moved beyond that pathetic stage to the grumpy feeling better "but still not himself" stage.

A Hunt for New Kitchen Countertops

When I take on a project, I research my options to utter exhaustion.  It's my way of comforting myself with my decisions as I go.  I need to be certain each choice is the perfect one for our family.  This kitchen project has me on research overdrive because we are trying to proceed at a brisk pace.  Today I researched Kitchen countertop surfaces.  Countertop surface options seem to be endless these days.  There is laminate, granite, marble, soapstone, lavastone, metal, tile, concrete, wood, glass, quartz, resin, and recycled materials to name a few.

Here are just some of the kitchen countertop manufactures I found online:

Twins: United We Nap, Divided We Wake

The twins love to nap in the master bedroom.  It has always been easiest for me to manage, in this scenario they go willingly to nap without argument each day.  I just plop down in the bed with both of them for a few minutes and "voila".  It's right after the "voila" part that I sneak back out.

White Kitchen Backsplash Tile that Inspires

I've been scouring the web & blogosphere looking for the perfect tile to use on our kitchen backsplash.  I want a white tile with white grout, something fresh.  We have a lot of straight boxy lines in our kitchen; rectangle cabinets, rectangle island, L shaped counters, a boxy table, rectangular floor tiles ... so I love the idea of a tile with some curve to it.

Beveled Arabesque White

Mommy & Me on wheels? Heelys Hx2

Our twin boys have 3 older siblings who they constantly are trying to be like.  It goes without saying that if big kids are heading out to ride bikes, they want to ride bikes.  And if the big kids are skating, they want to skate too.

Fortunately, Heelys has developed a new shoe that makes it easy for younger children to get in on all this fun. Heelys, creators of popular wheeled footwear, presents the all-new Hx2 for littler kids as young as 4 years old. Hx2 teaches youngsters balance and caution while learning the basics. With it's recent arrival in December, the Hx2 also comes in up to a size women’s 9, leaving mommy with no excuse not to join in the fun.

Winner

The Whomp! Charmz Giveaway winner is #13 Alinda Dubois.

Guy Fieri Game Day Recipes from Ritz

My 16 year old son is hoping to have a superbowl party at our house this year.  No small task with the kitchen torn up right?  However, I think we may be able to pull it off.  The menu plan?  Undetermined, but I'm definitely bookmarking some recipes Ritz passed along on Facebook from Chef Guy Fieri.

One of them is a Ritz Cheese Steak Slider: 

Prep time: 25 min. total time: 1 hour 5 MIN. Makes: 48 servings

Kitchen Decor Babble & Towelocs

I found a clever kitchen and bath find, but first more babble from me on my latest project.  As you know, I'm in full blown decorator mode right now working on our little kitchen project.  It is a fun but at times a bit nerve wracking as I make each of the bigger decisions.

Getting Organized

I've been busy relocating, tossing, donating, organizing, and labeling.  In order to take down the little wall between our kitchen, we had to find a new home for all the toys & games shelved in that hallway space.

More Calcium in Yoplait Original Yogurt (+ Giveaway)

Yoplait Original now has two times the amount of calcium of the leading yogurt, that’s 50 percent of the Daily Value in one convenient 6-ounce cup. Yoplait Original also contains 50 percent of the Daily Value of vitamin D, which helps with the absorption of calcium.

JJ Cole Collections is giving away a Swag Diaper Bag

JJ Cole Collections is giving away one of their popular Swag Diaper Bag in its brand new color: Bronze.

The giveaway is going on on their Facebook page & runs through Tuesday, Jan 25.  They will be giving away two Swag bags (retail: $89.95) in bronze if they reach 5000 fans by the 25th.  You are automatically entered just by becoming their fan on Facebook.

Now you see the kitchen cabinet, Now you don't

Let the mess begin! There is no turning back now.  We started our mini kitchen makeover this weekend.  We began with a few items that would still leave the kitchen fully functional and toddler safe.  Once we remove the one little wall and take up the old flooring, we'll likely have to gate the room off from toddler visitors.

Before

Chicken Cacciatore Pronto from Kraft

What You Need

1 Tbsp. KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing

8   bone-in chicken thighs (1-1/2 lb.), skin removed

2 small red peppers, chopped

1 can  (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1/3 cup tomato paste

3 cloves  garlic, minced

1/2 lb. whole wheat spaghetti, uncooked

1/4 cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

More about Disney Junior & DisneyJunior.com

If your little ones are anything like my little ones, you like to be in touch with exactly when their favorite shows are scheduled to appear.  Perhaps you even set the DVR for a few as an emergency back-up plan.  The good news is that with the premiere of the new Disney Junior, favorite programs will be running well beyond breakfast each day.

Disney Junior, a new multiplatform destination for kids age 2-7, one that reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary, will debut MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14 (8:30 a.m., ET/PT), anchored by the new animated series "Jake and the Never Land Pirates."

The Twins Walk the Line

This photo I took on vacation last month is rather symbolic of the twins of late.  In fact, as past memory serves it represents a familiar stage of all toddlers.  My instructions on our walk were to stay on the road because they only had on a low shoe.  As you can see the boys are both teetering on the line between the snow and the road.  This tight rope act was done purposely by both to prove they are abiding by my rules, but just barely.

“Be Part of the Magic” of Disney Junior

Disney Junior and Disney Family.com are inviting families to “Be Part of the Magic” of Disney Junior.

To celebrate the upcoming launch of Disney Junior on Monday, February 14, parents nationwide are invited to enter a favorite photo of their child into the “Be Part of the Magic” contest.   Six families will truly “be part of the magic” when their child’s picture is featured on-air during the premiere week of the newly branded Disney Junior programming block on Disney Channel.

Entries will be voted upon by the public, with the six children (3 boys and 3 girls) ages 2-7 who receive the most votes being selected as the winners.  In addition to the initial six winners, Disney Channel may select other photos of children entered into the contest to be featured in an on-air promotion. Entries will be accepted from now until January 23.

Deal alert on Prilosec OTC products + Giveaway including $100 AMEX GC

Deal alert! Here's a limited-time offer ending Feb 15th.  Buy two 42-count Prilosec OTC products in a single transaction and get a $25 gift card.

Additionally, P&G has provided us with the chance to giveaway a special Prilosec OTC gift pack, complete with a $100 AMEX giftcard for readers to splurge on their favorite foods without the fear of heartburn.

New Episode of Dinosaur Train by @hensoncompany to premiere Jan. 17th on @PBSKids

Dinosaur Train is roaring into 2011 with an all-new episode premiering Monday, January 17 on PBS KIDS®.

In the all-new episode, “The Good Mom;” “Diamond Anniversary,” Mrs. Pteranodon meets fellow mom Millie Maiasaura, who is a little too over-protective of her kids. The two moms share some time comparing mothering methods in a play date at the Big Pond.  And, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon decide to surprise each other with gifts on their anniversary.

Interesting factoid:  Maiasaura, meaning "good mother lizard", was a large duck-billed dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. There is evidence that Maisaura lived in large nesting colonies and that the parents diligently cared for their young.

A 2011 New Year's Resolutions Gear Round-Up

Making New Year's resolutions are easy, keeping them not so much.  According to a story I recently read on Yahoo News.  The most popular resolutions include being happy, falling in love, saving money, getting a job, reading more, trying new foods and drinks, quitting smoking, running a marathon, taking a photo each day of the year (aka project 365), & last but not least lose weight.

If any of these resolutions are on your list, you'll want to checkout our list of items below that might be helpful on this quest.

On my own list this year?  Potty Training the Twins, Being More Organized, Weight Loss, & Stealing a little more "me" & "us" time.

Pondering a Mini Makeover for Our Kitchen

Our kitchen is definitely the most lived in room of our home.  We cook in there, we eat in there, and much like other families we find ourselves frequently gathered in there.  It's the place to be when you want to see and be seen. A room with such importance deserves some pampering now and then.

The cabinets have been here longer than I have, they are strong, basic, but in need of yet another coat of paint.  We plan to do just that, preserve most of them with a fresh coat of paint.  Though I'm working hard on hubby to let me remove 1 or 2 to open up the place.

Cormac Dresses the Part

Amidst the morning rush came this precious moment from one of our twins a few days ago.  Cormac managed to get his dress shirt and tie out from high on a hanger in his closet and dress himself in them both.  Don't you love how the shirt is worn?

In his little mind, he clearly was convinced he'd be able to head off to work with Daddy if he wore the proper attire.  Careful observation has yielded that it is all about the clothes, his 3 oldest siblings wear school uniforms each day and Daddy wears a suit a tie.

He wanted his twin brother to wear his dress items too and come along, but Declan refused the provided apparel replying "I Stay Home".  In the end, playing pretend work and pretend school with Mommy most of the morning seemed to satisfy both.  The Tie was optional.

ZhuZhu Pets Random Acts of Zhu

Shortly before Christmas, I had a chance to post about a donation project initiated by Cepia LLC the makers of popular ZhuZhu Pet toys.  My role was to share personally in the joy of giving and share my experience with my readers.

As my first post mentioned, I was provided me with 104 of their popular ZhuZhu Pets to give to a charity of my own choice.  The kids and I wrapped each of the 104 ZhuZhu pets and sent them off to Suzy's Caring Place which is part of Guardian Angel Community Services.   Suzy's Caring Place was named in honor of my now deceased aunt, Sue Manner Turk.  (Suzy to her family)  My Aunt was very involved in our community until the day she died and championed numerous causes and charities including the new Transitional Living Program at the Guardian Angel Home. Numerous individual gifts given to Suzy’s Caring Place in memory of my aunt have added greatly to it's successes.

A Gift for your littlest Valentine? The Hide N Peek Chocolates Game

Looking for a special something for your littlest ones on Valentine's Day?  Check out the Learning Resources Game: Smart Snacks Hide N Peek Chocolates Game for ages 2-5.  This game resembles the classic Valentine Heart Shaped Chocolates Box making it an adorable option.

We've had this "sweet" toy for a while now and it would definitely go on twin's favorites list.  It allows for a multitude of learning options including colors, memory skills, and shape manipulations.

* Please note, this item was provided for our review by Learning Resources.

Winter Sports Tips + Giveaway for a $50 Dick's Sporting Goods GC & a Gatorade 6 Pack

Our oldest child, JC, is on his High School's Football, Basketball, & Track team. Our second oldest, Hayden, plays flag football, basketball, and runs on his jr high's the track team. Our only daughter & middle child is Cordelia. She dances 5-6 days a week and competes in Hip Hop as well as in a production number.

The importance of staying hydrated during summer months is hard for them to miss, but I find you need to remind them that winter sports hydration is equally essential. With this household of year round athletes, we keep our spare fridge stocked with Gatorade 02 Perform from the G Series. They all love the taste and convenience of it. And in our case, if the kids love something they tend to reach for it. And while I'll never stop reminding them to drink water as well as grab some Gatorade for their bags, I'm fairly confident they'd remember to do so on their own.

Winners:

Isn't it fun to win?  Big or small prize, one just can't help but smile when they win an item they dared to dream they could.  Behold the latest randomly generated numbers:

Thanks to all for entering!

Disney's Guilty Party Wii Game:  #38 Susan M. Heim
Space Chips Building Toy: #82 susansmoaks
Husky Tool Set: #201 kayte71
Arc-a-teks Building Toy: #37 Terra H.

Cabin Fever? Check out these DVD Releases from Nickelodeon

If all the snow and cold has been keeping you home bound lately, you might want to check out new to DVD releases from Nickelodeon's iCarly, Max & Ruby, & Yo Gabba Gabba.

Released on DVD Tuesday, January 4th

iCarly: Season 2, Volume 2
My 9 year old daughter, Cordelia, gave this 2 disc review copy a workout on our drive home from Colorado.  There's a lot of great episodes including:

50% Savings to Disney On Ice with KRAFT Singles

KRAFT Singles has teamed up with Disney On Ice to help families unwrap the magic of Disney with extreme savings on regularly priced tickets to any of five Disney On Ice shows, including the popular Disney/Pixar’s TOY STORY 3 ©.

Dear Target - A Hat you'll love - From Cordelia

My 9 year old daughter had an assignment a couple weeks ago that I thought was kind of cute.  Each student was told to design a hat and write a letter to a store of their choice.  The intent of the letter was to convince the store to sell their hat design.

Cordelia picked her favorite store, Target.

The letter read:

New Ice Breakers Frost Sugar-Free Mints

I just adore when an item arrives for review and vanishes within moments such as the new Ice Breakers Frost mints sent by the Hershey Chocolate Company.

Fortunately, I was able to snatch a couple to try before my 16 year old son decided to do the disappearing item trick.  It's a Magician like move that involves swiping the good stuff (money, mints, gum) from my purse and popping it into a pocket of his hoodie or the abyss known as his backpack.

I didn't even get a chance to tell him that they are sugar free!  Alternatively, the mints are frosted with a combination of xylitol's cooling and flavor crystals.  I thought they had a great taste much like other Ice Breaker mints and clearly my son agreed.  I asked him for a few more and he informed me they were gone.

Tassimo T20 Brewbot Coffee Maker Review & Giveaway

Shortly before Christmas, I received the Tassimo Brewbot Coffee Maker for review.  This Bosch manufactured machine arrived with a little sampling of coffee and one of the fun color accessory kits they sell separately.

Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese Recipe

While in Colorado over the holiday break, we ate a local barbeque place that offered among their many yummy menu items, a Jalapeno Mac & Cheese.  It was deemed a culinary wonder by our entire extended family and we even picked up a second batch for a get together later that week.  I vowed to find a recipe for Jalapeno Mac and Cheese when I returned home.  This morning I found one!  It was among a couple recipes being offered exclusively to the Kraft Delicious Byte Bloggers - from celebrity chefs The Neelys!

Handbags become Diaper Bags w/ PishPosh Mommy

This may sound like a broken record to readers that have been with me since the start ... I'm a purse girl at heart.  I love a bauble from hubby here and there, but the easiest way to win me over is a handbag, tote, or clutch.  Diaper Bags are lovely and all, but they very few stick with a girl once the need for diapering a little one is long gone.

"Change of Plans" airing on FOX Jan. 8th @ 8/7c (Giveaway)

Walmart and P&G bring us the return of the Family Movie with "Change of Plans" airing January 8th.  "Sometimes life give you more than you bargained for" is a tagline I know hubby and I can relate to personally.  After already having 3 kids, we opted to have just one more to complete the family.  However, our 4th pregnancy resulted in twin boys.  While twins weren't expected, they certainly have become an intricate part of the whole family now.

In the family movie "Change of Plans" The character, Sally Danville, is in for the unexpected as well.  As a beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities.  But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, “The Cosby Show”), she too learns that things don’t always go according to plan.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, & Back to Reality

Dear Readers:

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!  We have arrived home from our Colorado vacation and the big kids are reluctantly heading back to school over the next couple days.

What will 2011 bring?  Today it includes some unpacking and lots of organizing mingled between a blog post or two. 

I must confess the twins are really giving me a mental and physical workout today.  They've been retesting each boundary; such as helping themselves to items in the fridge without asking, dumping out bins just for a reaction, and taking items they know they aren't allowed to have.  I think it may be a long week as we re-establish all the "rules" here at home.  I'm trying to be patient yet firm, reminding myself that most of their mischief can be chalked up to missing the near constant attention they got from our extended family over the past few weeks.

Ahead for this month?  Watch for posts on cupcakes and cupcake gear, things with wheels, a few new movie releases, some great household items for both review & giveaway, and some suggested gear for all you project 365 photo snapping types.

Ahead for this year?  Watch for posts on our various home improvement projects likely to include a new floor for the kitchen.  Many new product reviews, general parenting articles, additional family friendly recipes, and perhaps a few wedding related posts as my youngest brother marries this May.  Just around the corner is dance competition season for my daughter, track season for the oldest boys, and the plan to probably begin potty training the twins when summer arrives.

Thanks for reading!

Best,

Stephanie