Nestle Seasonal Holiday Candies

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

What do you do with all of the left over Holiday candy in your house? After the Holidays, I seem to have bits and pieces tucked away that need to get used.

Try using them in your everyday baking. Crunch them up and sprinkle them on top of your cakes or cupcakes. Add them to your cookie dough before baking, or even sprinkle them on top of the cookies about 2 minutes before the cookies are finished baking.

Get creative and use them up. In fact, try using them before the Holiday and share them with your friends and family for an added treat.


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Kroger Skillet Meals

Dislcaimer: I received the product described below free of charge. No monetary compensation has been recieved by me for this posting.

We are all busy during the Holiday Season. We are shopping, cooking, and getting ready for guests. When you are running short on time Kroger Skillet Meals can be on the table in ten minutes. We all have that much time!

Kroger Skillet Meals

• Ready in just 10 minutes, each Kroger Skillet meal contains at least two servings per bag and 20 grams, or more, of protein per serving
• Enjoy a wide variety of authentic Italian flavors including NEW Tuscan-Style Penne, Sausage Rigatoni, Penne with Grilled Chicken and many more!
• Also available in delicious NEW Asian and Mexican varieties like Shrimp Lo Mein or Chicken Fajitas
• Create a complete meal by pairing Kroger Skillet Meals with your favorite sides, such as Kroger Garlic Bread, and Fresh Selections Salad Kits

Power Rangers Megazord Beats The Grinch

FTC Disclosure: In exchange for this review and giveaway, I was given the product for free. However, my opinions are my own and 100% honest.

I know that headline up there caught your attention! But Power Rangers definitely win in my home. 
With a fiver-year-old boy running around, good versus evil is everywhere. In fact, I went through this same phase nearly twenty years ago with my oldest son. Oh my, did I just say that out loud?

Now that I have dated myself publicly, I will let you know how Battlefire Megazord won. First of all, this is not a small action figure. He is a good 12 inches tall. That means he will be easy for your child to hold and even easier for you to see so you don't step on it.

Megazord has fifteen, yes that is 15, missiles that he can fire, reattach, and fire again. What young boy would not have fun with that? I think that twenty years of success for the Power Rangers characters speaks for itself.

This is a toy that my five-year-old loves. He runs through the house making Megazord fly and firing missiles at anything he can, including Frosty the Snowman, my Christmas Tree, and of course the Grinch. Well, recently, the Grinch had to run away after taking a fall off of the Holiday table from the impact of Megazord's missile. He has been locked in a dark dungeon, also  known as the closet, to keep him from ruining Christmas.

Ahh, the creativity of a five year old with a fun toy. As a parent, I love the imagination the Power Rangers action figure has brought out in my child.

Give A Gift Anytime With California Delicious

FTC Disclosure: In exchange for this review and giveaway, I was given the product for free. However, my opinions are my own and 100% honest.

This is the perfect time of year to look around on the internet for the perfect gift. We all have at least one family member that lives too far away to drop off a gift, so why not get them something that they will enjoy?

When I picked out my gift set from California Delicious, I went straight for the chocolate! Sorry guys, I am only 1/4 human and 3/4 choco-holic!

The gift set arrived quickly and came right out of the shipping box looking just like this...

A beautiful tower of bright red shiny boxes (that I knew were filled with chocolate) and a shimmery gold ribbon and bow. I don't know anyone that would not think that the packaging alone was not beautiful.


Inside each of the five boxes was a different type of Godiva chocolate confection. But you have to keep it a secret from my husband, I told him it was just empty boxes and hid all of the chocolate in my end table. I managed to hide, a small box of Godiva dark chocolate covered pretzels, a bag of Godiva milk chocolate covered caramels,  a bag of Godiva dark chocolate covered caramels, and several others. I have been in chocolate heaven for over a week.

Don't worry, if you or your gift recipient is not a choco-holic, there are many other gift baskets to chose from. Everything from fresh fruits to nuts. Everyone of their baskets are elegant and beautifully arranged to ensure satisfaction from the gift giver and the recipient.

California Delicious has graciously offered me the opportunity to give away a $50 gift certificate to one of my lucky readers. Please note that the giveaway will be open to US residents age 18 and over and will only be up for a limited time to ensure that the winner can be notified before Christmas.

Use the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win!



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Get Ready For Santa with TastyKake

FTC Disclosure: In exchange for this review, I was given the product for free. However, my opinions are my own and 100% honest.

About Tastykake

For nearly 100 years, iconic Philadelphia snack cake company, Tastykake  has baked the freshest cakes, pies, cookies and doughnuts to satisfy their devoted followers' craving for indulgent little treats, creating a celebrated line of classic snack cakes nationwide. 

Are you ready for Santa to come to your house? Do you have your milk and cookies ready too? Why not mix it up a little bit this year and sneak a TastyKake on the plate for Santa Claus? Not only will Santa love the Holiday treats, but your entire family will. 

  

There are currently 3 Holiday varieties that are available for you to choose from. I recently was just sent a box of TastyKake goodies to try and I may fit into the Santa suit myself this year. I could not stop eating them!

 

• Candy Cane Cakes: Tastykake's Candy Cane Kakes provide sweet lovers with a fun and delicious combination of layered white cake with red peppermint creme' and a white peppermint flavored coating with a decorative red drizzle. These festive cakes not only taste great, they are a perfect way to show-off traditional candy cane colors during the holidays. 

If you like peppermint, this is the treat for you. With a light peppermint frosting tucked inside a soft cake then dipped in frosting, who could ask for anything more? These were definitely the favorite in my house. I found that what I need is an industrial sized box to satisfy my peppermint sweet tooth this Holiday Season.

• Coconut Frosty Cakes
• Featuring a dark chocolate covered coconut candy kake, Tastykake's Coconut Frosty Kakes are the perfect treat for chocolate lovers.

Here is another weakness. (Gosh TastyKake, how did you manage to find two of my weaknesses?) Coconut Frosty Cakes are a little bit of delight in every bite. Packed full of sweet coconut and dipped in chocolate. Yum!! I know that not everyone is a coconut fan, but if you are, these are amazing! I think that Santa and his reindeer would all love to find one of these waiting for them next to a tall glass of milk.

• Santa Snacks
• Tastykake Santa Snacks include tasty creme-filled vanilla cake with holiday icing and festive sprinkles.

Santa Snacks are the everyday TastyKake cupkakes with an added twist of red frosting and Holiday sprinkles. If you have never tried a Tastykake, you should know that the Kake in every bite is moist and a dense. There is no skimping but fluffing the cake with air. There is no hint of a sponge in there either (Admit it, you know what I am taking about). They are pure heaven with a little delight in every bite you take.  

Next time you are at the store shopping for your upcoming Holiday dinner, don't forget Santa Claus and Ms Claus too. They will appreciate the extra thought in your plate of goodies this year.

Create Order Out Of Your Chaos

Disclosure: I got this product free of charge to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

 

As someone that has managed to hold a full time job, go to school full time, take care of a family member during and after surgery, raise young children, and attend clinical all in the same day, I know what chaos is. If I did not remain organized, I would never have succeeded.

Do you ever feel like you cannot keep up with all of your commitments? Maybe you missed a homework assignment or forgot to remind your child to finish writing that paper that was due yesterday.

The academic planner from Order Out of Chaos is a great tool to help you stay organized. The large pages allow more room for writing in your assignments or appointments. Or if you are like me, I need the extra room for my large handwriting.

The academic planner is the same size as a spiral notebook. It will not take up anymore room in a backpack or on a coffee table than any other school item that your or your child may have. The pages are made from a nice durable paper that is easy to write on. 

As I used the academic planner over the last couple of weeks, I actually decided that this would be perfect or students and teachers. I think that teachers can always use help keeping track of when their assignments are due and when to set the next due date.

A few Special Features

An index page at the beginning enables students to record their class subjects once. The actual weekly planner pages then line up on a subject-by-subject basis. This system maintains continuity and creates an easy, natural method for students to look at each week and quickly see assignments and due dates they have for each of their classes.

The planner allocates space for after-school activities and weekend commitments. Coupled with the grid system for entering information, the recording of this information is essential for providing accurate visual cues of available time in order to complete assignments and prepare for tests. Each open page quickly reveals blocks of time when the student has scheduled activities and when they are free. This facilitates weekly time management and planning strategies.

Seeing open blocks of time helps students break down multi-step and long-term projects into manageable parts. It also enables students to plan their weekly workload and to feel more in control of their schedule and their time.

Ample, larger format pages to allow for more room to write assignments and appointments! The overall size of the planner is 8 1/2 x 11" and the interior pages are an ample 7 x 11".

Flexible plastic coil binding and more durably constructed covers

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Immortal Sleep

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

With my current work schedule I find it hard to sleep. I currently work a 12 hour night shift, which means that I sleep during daylight hours. For those of you that do not work nights, that means each time I lay down to sleep, my body tells me I should be awake like everyone else. It is a natural fight from my body, but I become exhausted and need sleep to function. When I was given a chance to try Immortal Sleep, I jumped up and down hoping to find a great solution and finally get some of my needed sleep. 

About the product:

Immortal Sleep in a natural blend of herbs that:

•  Promotes Healthy, Restful Sleep

• Creates Deep Relaxation of the Mind and Body

• Increases the Alpha Waves in the Brain Associated with Feeling Calm and Peaceful

• Promotes Your Body’s Ability to Produce GABA, Which Acts as Your Brain’s Own Tranquilizer

To be safe, I used the product when I knew that I did not need to get up for work. I did not want to take any chances with a hangover effect or just plain drowsiness. I took three capsules about 30 minutes before I would normally go to sleep and then climbed into bed.

When I woke up, I felt good. I did not feel like I had not slept. I did not feel groggy or have any indication of a hangover effect. I felt rested. I also realized that I had not tossed and turned and woke up several times through my sleep.

I love the idea of using a natural blend of herbs instead of a compound concocted in a laboratory someplace. I also love the idea of waking up well rested and not groggy. The only downside is the cost of the product, but I put a high price tag on my sleep. If I don't sleep well, I can make an error at work that will cost much more than a bottle of Immortal Sleep. So for me it is well worth it.




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Presto Photo Book

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. If I could do one thing to create lasting memories, it would be to create my own personal books of cherished family memories. Sometimes memories are all we have of people and places that meant the most to us.

Printed photos are a treasure of the past since they are not easy to store and tend to take up a lot of room if placed in a photo book. Besides, not many people will pull out their old photo books to look through them.


Presto Photo is like many other sites. You can upload your photos and create your own compilation in a soft or hard cover book in several different styles. But, there is one place they stood out for me. I was able to upload a .pdf file to their site for printing and the timing was perfect.

To give you a short version.... about 15 years ago, my sister and I got together and compiled family photos and recipes and put together a family cookbook. The technology was very different then, so all of the cookbooks were color photocopies and held together with brass brads. After 20 years, the books are showing a lot of wear and tear and we felt it was time to upgrade. The catch is, I did not want to lose the original cookbook in the process.

I uploaded a scanned copy of my original photo book to Presto photo and voila! Cookbook is now saved in hardback form with all of the wear and tear showing just like my 20 year old paper copy. I love it. I was worried that I would not like the way it turned out, but it is so much fun to have and I cannot wait to print the newest version of our family cookbook when it is ready.

I ordered a hard copy book to ensure it would last for the next 20 years. I was very impressed with the quality of the pages. They are thick and have a nice sheen to them to help avoid my dirty finger smudges as I use the recipes inside. Because of the high quality, my family cookbook now has a nice weight and durability to it that I could not have had in my original version.

Now I just need a little more time to organize some old photos so I can create memory books out of them instead of keeping old shoe boxes filled. I would love to have a coffee table book printed next with some fun old family photos.
 


I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Hallmark Creations For The Holidays And Beyond

Disclosure: I received the product described below free of charge to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own and may vary from your own.

If you are anything like me, you are doing your best to be budget conscious during the holiday shopping season. At the same time I want everything that I do purchase and give to my loved ones to be special and unique.

I found a great way to do it! For the Holidays, Hallmark is carrying a Pic's 'N' Props Christmas Fun Kit to help you capture your own holiday memories. The kit includes 18 fun props that will help you make fun, creative, and personalized family photos for you to keep or share with your family. It even includes a small 4 x 6 photo album for you to store some of the fun photos that you take.

All of the pieces are made of a thick paperboard material and have bright and true to life colors. Don't think that you will only use this kit once either. With 18 separate props and the sturdy construction, you will be able to place the props right back in the box and use them for next year too.

A few of mine are not going to get re used, they have been eaten by the Jaz monster!

Hello Kitty Headphones

FTC Disclosure: In exchange for this review and giveaway, I was given the product for free. However, my opinions are my own and 100% honest. 

My older kids have always been music fanatics. I have never understood their obsession with loud music and I quickly learned that in order to live in peacefully in a house with kids, headphones are a must.

Why not have your kids rock out in style? Hello Kitty headphones are designed to be comfortable, fully functional, and stylish.  These headphones are adorable and comfortable. Just like any other headphones, they have a nice quality padding that covers the ears and they are fully adjustable for just about any size head.

I was surprised to see that not only did my daughter love these headphones, but my adult friends did as well. The bright pink coloring of these headphones will also make them stand out too. I am pretty sure that these will not get lost anytime soon.

If you need a unique idea for a music lover, the headphones are available with other characters as well. If your child likes Monster High, Spiderman, My Little Pony and more. You can see all of the designs here. The Hello Kitty headphones can be purchased at Kohl’s and on Amazon for quick easy delivery for the Holidays or any occasion.

Eliminating Bulk with Isabelt

Over the years I have been called many names from string bean, to twig, and I am sure you can think of others. I am tall, thin, and after having my children, have lost any resemblance of my hips that were once very curvy. No, I am not bragging about being tall and thin. I am telling you that finding clothes that fit, especially pants that stay up, is a complete nightmare!

When I was given the opportunity to try isABelt and write a review, I jumped at the opportunity. I hate having my pants fall down and I also hate to have my belt leave a big lump under my shirt. There is nothing more unattractive.

I am sure that you are asking what an isABelt is. Well, to keep it simple, it is a thin stretchy clear (or black) palstic belt, about 1/2 inch wide, that is designed to fit anyone with a waist from 0 to 50 inches. There is even a wider, one inch, version and even options with designs available.

 There is a small round magnetic clasp that keeps the belt closed. To adjust the belt is super simple. It is just like any other item you may need to adjust the length of. Pull a little slack out of the belt at the adjustment and pull the slack through the other side.

The plastic is thin and flexible. That is what keeps it well hidden under those thin T-shirts. This also means lightweight and flexible. The isABelt will pack in a purse or suitcase very easily and not take up any room at all.

I would not tell you that the belt is "slimming." However, I will tell you that it gets rid of that huge buckle mark that shows through your shirt. It eliminates the bulk of a traditional belt, which in turn makes you feel less bulky. There is no harm in eliminating a bump around your waist right?

Enter below for your chance to win a isABelt so you can try one before you buy one. 



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Celebrating Firsts With Pampers #SwaddlersFirsts

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Double Duty Divas and Pampers. I was provided the featured product free of charge to facilitate my review, but all opinions are 100% mine.

As parents, we all love the small little things that our children do during their first few years of life. We want to cherish those memories forever. Every little thing that your child learns or does is a first and should be recognized by us as parents.

I will never forget when my children came home from the hospital in their teeny little outfits that they swam in. Then as they developed, small little things happened that made me grin from ear to ear. They were all simple things too. A small smile, a first tooth, first pair of shoes, the first haircut, the first step, and even the first fall. 

Sometimes I wish I could relive the feelings of those events over and over. But there are ways to keep the memories a live a little longer, and keep your child comfortable too. With the launch of Pampers Swaddlers in sizes 4 and 5  Pampers Swaddlers are Pampers’ softest diaper ever, and while moms have always loved Swaddlers for their newborns, Swaddlers are now available through size 5! Which means, baby can stay in the diaper mom loves throughout her baby’s diapering years. 

From your baby’s first smile all the way through to their first step, Swaddlers can now be there for many more firsts to come! To celebrate the newest size Swaddlers, Pampers has 30 days of incredible giveaways and a grand prize of FREE Swaddlers diapers & wipes for a year. Join the celebration and enter our 30 days of sweeps on the Pampers Facebook page, where you can win daily prize bundles, or even the grand prize of free Swaddlers diapers and wipes for a year.

Pampers is also hosting a Twitter party for #SwaddlersFirsts. 

Prizes will include:

3- Celebrating Firsts Gift Packs, which include:

• Baby’s First Friend Plush Doll
• Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure Box
• Baby’s First Words Book
• Baby’s First Steps Push Toy
• $50 Shutterfly Gift Card to celebrate all “firsts” moments
• Baby’s First Bath Robe
• Pampers Swaddlers
• Grand Prize: Canon EOS Rebel T3 DSLR camera worth $450!!!!!!

#SwaddlersFirsts Twitter Party Information:

The Twitter Party will take place on Thursday, December 5th at 9pm EST.  Join us for a evening of fun and prizes. You can RSVP here

      

 Now for the good stuff!  As a Grammy2Kaiden reader, you have the chance to win a Swaddlers Firsts gift pack.
The prize pack will include:

Baby’s First Friend Plush Doll

Baby’s First Tooth and First Curl Treasure box

Baby’s First Words Book 

Baby’s First Steps Push Toy

Pampers Swaddlers

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of the US that are 18 years old or older. All entries will be validated before a winner is notified. The giveaway will be open until 12/15/2013 at 11:59pm EST.

 



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