Thursday Review: Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet

    Hi everyone! I have a very special guest today! She is an amazing, talented artist, writer, musician and all around awesome person. Sure, I may be a bit biased... she is my daughter, after all. But seriously, check out her new blog for a small sample of her work.

  The Merry Lurker's Workshop 

    Today, she is going to tell us about the graphics tablet that she uses for some of her art. Enjoy!

Wacom Bamboo Pen Graphics Tablet

 Hello. I'm the Merry Lurker, and I'm here to talk about the Wacom Bamboo Pen graphics tablet.

   When I decided to cross over to digital art, I wanted something that was affordable, user friendly, and reliable. Wacom is the leading brand in the graphics tablet world, and they've been making them for years, so naturally I turned to their affordable Bamboo line. I picked up my Bamboo Pen for $69.99. So far it's been a nice, functional little tablet; and worth every penny.

Drawn in Corel Painter Essentials 4 with the Wacom Bamboo Pen tablet.

    The tablet requires no software to install, and plugs directly into the USB port like a mouse. To operate it, you hover the pen above the tablet to move the cursor. To left-click, you touch the pen to the drawing surface, and to drag you drag it along the drawing surface. The upper part of the button on the pen lets you right-click, and the lower part lets you middle click. The basic operation of it takes minutes to master.    The Wacom Bamboo Pen comes bundled with a trial of Corel Painter Essentials 4. It's basically a drawing program with a big toolbox of simulated art tools like paint-brushes, pens, and pencils. Be warned- it's easy to spend hours on end just playing with all the different effects!

   Of course, you don't need Corel to draw with your tablet. The Wacom Bamboo Pen works in any program, and will work anywhere a mouse works. That includes web browsing, video games, other drawing programs, and anything else you use a mouse for. I even used it to get a wicked high score at Mahjong Dimensions. (Shh. That's a secret.) Long story short, it's a mouse...  in epic pen form. ^_^

      So far, the Bamboo Pen has worked out just how I hoped it would. I've had it for almost a year now, and it still looks practically new, and works as well as the day I bought it. I use it all the time, and would recommend it to anyone looking to go digital.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Extra: Blog Hop!

Yay! Blog Hop Thursday! Thank you,
bassgiraffe's Thoughts!

Website Wednesday: BabyFit by Sparkpeople

Banner Courtesy BabyFit

    Last week for Website Wednesday, I wrote about Sparkpeople. This week, I want to tell you about their site for expecting mothers- BabyFit. BabyFit has many of the same features as Sparkpeople, but it is tailor fitted for expectant moms. Women can go there to track their pregnancy  and their baby's development at every stage. They can track their fitness and nutrition, as well.  BabyFit has videos to teach you pregnancy-safe exercises to help you stay fit and have a healthy pregnancy. (Be sure to check with your doctor before exercising- especially while pregnant).

Clipart courtesy
Public Domain

    One of my favorite features of BabyFit is their forums. Like Sparkpeople, there is a general forum area. This is where you can go to connect with other moms at various stages of pregnancy, pre-pregnancy, and post-pregnancy. Also, like "Spark Teams",  BabyFit  offers member created "Mommy Teams".  Members can join or start a team with other mothers whose due dates are in the same month as theirs, and connect with each other as their pregnancies develop at a similar stage. Many of these women stay connected for years to come. There are many other sorts of teams, too- Moms of preschoolers, Homeschoolers, Moms over 40, 4 or more kids, Moms expecting twins, and many, many more. If you don't see a team you are looking for, you can simply start one!
 
    BabyFit is a FREE site, and there ate so many great features! If you are a mom, an expectant mom, or you want to be, BabyFit is the place to go for tons of information and support.

Click Here To Visit BabyFit.

Tuesday Review: Claim Jumper Coconut Cream Pie

    One evening, we were sitting there watching TV. Or maybe I should say my husband was flipping through channels watching snip-its of this and that until he found something interesting. Either way, we ended up on the food channel when something caught our eye- a beautiful Coconut Cream Pie! It looked so yummy! Well, a couple of evenings later, my husband picked up a frozen Claim Jumper Coconut Cream Pie on his way home.  It says "thaw and serve" on the front, so I let it sit on the counter while I made dinner.

    When it was time for pie, I opened the package and found that it was nicely wrapped . After tearing off carefully removing the plastic, I cut into the pie. It was still a bit frozen, but that was ok with us! I served it up, anyway! It had a nice coconut flavor to it, and I really liked the toasted coconut on the top. My 4 year old; however, complained that I didn't tell her that there was chopped up coconuts in the pie. I asked her what she thought was in COCONUT CREAM pie. She just looked at me, shook her head, mumbled something about coconuts and walked off. OK, that's fine. I wanted to eat my pie, anyway.

    Like I said, the flavor was nice. I liked it slightly frozen and I liked the slice I had later that was completely thawed. Yes. I did eat another slice. I mean, someone had to take one for the team. I couldn't very well review it if I didn't taste it in its intended form, right? (I know, but just agree with me. It's easier). The thawed slice was nice and creamy and I liked it better than I thought I would. The only downside to the pie was the crust. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything to write home about. Kind of bland and just there to serve as a vessel to hold the creamy, coconut-y, yumminess. Perhaps a little salt and a little butter would have made it better. But, it was convenient and I wasn't in the kitchen for hours baking away, so I can't complain much.

If you are ever in the mood for coconut cream pie, and you don't feel like making it yourself, consider Claim Jumper. Find it in the freezer section.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢

Extra: The Liebster Award!!!

    Hi! I have an extra post for today! I am excited to share that I was given the Liebster Award today by Barbie at Lovin Life Barbie. Check her out! She's funny and crafty and I really enjoy her blog!
Thank you so much, Barbie!

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

To keep this award going and pass it along to other new deserving blogs, the recipient must now recognize five other bloggers with less than 200 followers that have really stood out in the crowd.

The rules for the Liebster Award are:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love too!

I would like to pass the Liebster Award on to some of my favorite newbie bloggers  who are also some of my biggest blog supporters.  Thank you and congratulations to:

1. The Merry Lurker's Workshop
2. Food Good, Laundry Bad
3. Call Her Happy
4. Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby
5. Mommied Life by Cynthia

Please spread the bloggy love and check out my five picks!

Thursday Review: New Ricola Dual Action Cough Drops

    When I am sick, everyone knows it. Not necessarily because I spend a little more time in bed, or because I ask my older kids to help take care of my younger kids. I guess it might mostly be because I complain. A lot. Yup. I'm a big baby. I don't try to be. It just... happens. I suppose I'd be less likely to whine about not feeling well if I'd just take some medicine, but I don't like taking medicine even more than I don't like being sick. I just can't stand how it fogs my mind. I can't even imagine taking some of that "Nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing..." you know the stuff... and trying to take care of the kids at the same time. In my haze, I'd probably let them eat candy and play video games all day long! So, I am doomed to just ride it out and try to make myself feel better in more natural ways. This usually means garlic! And lots of it! Which is okay, because I love garlic. It also means cough drops. My favorite cough drops/throat lozenges are Ricola. I like that they are all natural and I like that they are YUMMY! Oh, and they work well too... yes. That is important.

    I recently got a couple of coupons for the New Ricola Dual Action Cough Suppressant/Oral Anesthetic. It was buy one, get one free. As I was walking through the isles of our local Safeway store, I noticed that they were selling the New Ricola Dual Action at a special introductory price of only $1.79 a bag. I HAD to buy them! I picked up four bags. Later that night, even though I wasn't sick, I decided to try one. I can see how these Ricola Dual Action cough drops will be my go-to cough drop when I am sick!

    I chose the cherry flavor- easy choice, since that was the only flavor the store had. But come on... CHERRY!  Yum! The hard outer cough drop has a nice flavor, and it has a slightly numbing effect to soothe an irritated throat. The center is liquidy and it is pretty strong. It will definitely clear your sinuses! I recommend you pick some up now, to have on hand when that sore throat and sniffles sneak up on you!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Website Wednesday: Sparkpeople

    Are you looking to get a head start when it comes to this holiday season? I'm not talking about holiday decor or shopping for the perfect gifts. I'm talking about the almost enevitable 5-10 lbs. that come along with all of those yummy holiday feasts! If so, I've got a great site for you to check out- Sparkpeople!

    Whether you want to lose weight or want to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle, Sparkpeople is a great place to go. It is FREE to join, which is always nice. There are so many tools and features that you can use to help keep you on track. They even have a community forum where you can connect with other members of the site. Perhaps you would like to chat with people who have similar goals or intests as you. If so, you can join a sparkteam, or start your own team.

    Let's talk diet.

    Sparkpeople has everything you need to achieve or maintain healthy eating habits. By simply entering a little bit of basic information, you will find out just how many calories you should consume in a day. You can track your calories, as well as, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, salt, and more. They have a database of many, many different foods, or you can enter and save the nutrition information of your favorite foods. Not sure what to eat? Check out Sparkpeople's menu plans. Not sure what to cook? Check out their recipes. You can even share your own recipes. Have a question? Ask other members or ask the on staff dietition. As I said before, it's all FREE!

    Let's talk fitness.
    With Sparkpeople, you can determine your ideal weight and track your fitness progress. Sparkpeople will provide a fitness routine for you, or you can customize your own. They have some really great fitness videos, too.  They have everything from weight training to cardio kick boxing. to yoga and pilates. They even have a fitness boot camp series. Yes, all of this for FREE!

    Sparkpeople is THE place to go to track your diet and fitness, and to find motivation and support. Check it out and be sure to look for all of the other great little features that I didn't mention.
Did I tell you that it is all FREE? Now that makes smart cents!!!

Click here to visit Sparkpeople.

Tuesday Review: Barilla Toscana Tuscan Herb Pasta Sauce

 
    I don't normally buy jarred pasta sauces simply because my family likes the sauce I make better. What I DO like about jarred pasta sauce is the convenience. I had a coupon for Barilla Pasta Sauce and my local grocery store had a sale, so I picked up a couple of jars for under a dollar each. I figured that I could doctor it up beyond recognition and maybe my family would like it.

    I chose Barilla's new recipe- Tuscan Herb. It just sounded yummy. We like a meat sauce, so I also bought some mild Italian sausage to add to it. I bought a couple of cans of Italian diced tomatoes just in case I needed them (You know how some jarred pasta sauces have that... I don't know... Chef Boyardee-tomato flavor? I wanted to try to tone that down, if necessary.) I bought some cheese, because we love cheese on our pasta, and I already have a nice variety of herbs & spices to fix up a jar of sauce.

    I have to admit, when I opened the jar ant tasted the sauce to see what I had to work with, I was a bit disappointed. It was GOOD! Here I was, with my arsenal of extra ingredients, and I wasn't going to need to use most of them! Honestly, I could have used just the sauce in the jar, and that's it.  But, like I said, we like a meat sauce. I cooked up the Italian sausage and added 2 jars of the Barilla Toscana Tuscan Herb Pasta Sauce to it. I did add one small can of Italian diced tomatoes to it, but I could have done without. It tasted GREAT! Best of all, my family liked it too! It really didn't taste like a jarred sauce at all.

Overall Rating:  ¢¢¢¢¢

Extra! Please vote for Logan! :-)

Good afternoon/evening everyone! I have a special Extra edition today. Can you help, please? My friend is trying to win a "Smash Cake" photo session for her son's upcoming first birthday. Cassondra is an AWESOME Mom and her son Logan is ADORABLE! They totally deserve to win!

Please "like" THIS PAGE on Facebook...

Then "Like" this picture near the bottom of  THIS PAGE...

See... I told you he's ADORABLE! :-)

Come on everyone! Let's get together and make this happen! :-)
...don't make me beg....
(Please...please...please...)

Good Luck Logan!!!!

Blog Re-design

Hi everyone! Please forgive the mess as work on my blog re-design.
I just learned that it doesn't show up all nice and properly spaced on all computers, like it does mine. :-(
I am working on a solution. Times like this, I really wish I was more tech-y than I am!

If you know of any great sites that teach tips and tricks for blogs and blog design, I'd love to hear about them! I am working on another project that I hope to share with you all soon. So, if you have a blog tip page on your blog, or know of a great one PLEASE share!

Have a great weekend!

Frugal Friday: 10 Wallet Friendly Ways to Beat Boredom In the Fall

Hi! Today I have a special guest blogger! Kathleen Thomas, of Primrose Schools, is sharing with us some great, frugal, family fun, Fall activities! Thank you, Kathleen!

My 6 year old's Jack-O-Lantern Drawing

10 Wallet Friendly Ways to Beat Boredom In the Fall
Article submitted by Kathleen Thomas on behalf of Primrose Schools

As summer gives way to the blustery days of autumn, children can find themselves bereft of fun activities. The pool is too cold, the community programs have come to an end, and there is little in the way of mental stimulation to prepare them for the coming day care or school year.

It is critical to keep your child's mind re-focused as they recover from a long and exhausting summer. One good method is to use the calendar to your advantage. As autumn approaches, so do events that cater to fun and creativity such as Halloween.

With a little creativity, Halloween can provide fun and enjoyment beyond the usual candy hording. Even better, many of these ideas can be done a tight budget, giving you more leeway for the more expensive winter holidays. The following are ten wallet friendly ways to beat boredom in the fall:

1. Make Halloween Art - With just some basic art supplies such as glue, construction paper, and child safe scissors, you can create fun Halloween art to energize their creative juices. To add a little spontaneity, you can put the names of various monsters into a jar, and whatever name they pull out is what they have to create.

2. Spooky Stories - Halloween provides the perfect atmosphere to tell scary but age appropriate stories to children. Reading them stories about various ghosts and goblins could give them inspiration for choosing a costume. Having knowledge about the monster they wish to portray will add and extra layer of depth to their Halloween experience.

3. Halloween theater - Sometimes reading a story isn't enough to properly bring it to life. If there's a spooky story the children enjoy, try acting it out. Scour through your old clothing and bedsheets to fashion out suitable costumes for the performance. Sound effects can be done with old pots and wooden spoons, or simply playing a spooky track off the internet. Remember to record the event for later prosperity and teenage embarrassment.

4. House Decorations - Christmas isn't the only time of the year for decorations. Halloween allows families to use their house as a canvas for some ghoulish and haunting art. Let children swath the fireplace with fake cobwebs and their plastic, eight-legged spinners, or tape ominous bats to the window.

5. Halloween cookies - Baking and cooking is always more exciting when you have a theme. Make a batch of Halloween cookies or pumpkin pie in honor of the day. The children will be motivated by the promise of sweets while they inadvertently learn how to measure, follow directions, and use basic math.

6. Design a Jack-o'Lantern - As small children should not be allowed near cutting tools, another way to keep them involved in the pumpkin carving process is to have them design the look of the Jack-o'-Lantern. Seeing their artistic blueprint come to life will delight them considerably.

7. Halloween Scrapbook - A fun way to tie together past and present Halloweens is to keep a scrapbook. Have everyone in the family contribute a small memento, photograph, or drawing that encapsulates the moment. Children of all ages enjoy the nostalgia of looking back through old memories and re-piecing the stories behind each item.

8. Camping Out - Telling scary stories are even more exhilarating when done by a campfire. Moreover, since the family will be sleeping in the same tent, there are no worries about any nightmares or carryover. Pitch a tent in the backyard and set up a campsite.

9. Halloween Scavenger Hunt - Halloween doesn't have to be regulated to just a nighttime activity. Prior to trick-or-treating, you can organize a fun scavenger hunt for a cornucopia of Halloween themed items. Adding variety to the staid Halloween routine can keep their imagination occupied throughout the day.

10. Plan an Event - Many families like to enhance old Halloween traditions by providing a little entertainment for the neighborhood children. Putting together a Haunted House can be a great way to involve the kids in the creative process. Decide on a theme and assign roles for each family member.

The most important thing to remember when organizing various Halloween activities is the age of your children. Boredom sets in with children when activities are either too simple or too advanced to maintain their attention. While it's important to provide them with a challenge to prepare them for the year ahead, difficult tasks can be frustrating. However, if activities are centered around individual creativity and imagination, a child will be free to express themselves without fear of making a mistake. Using these tips as an example, you can plan a fun and creative Halloween for the whole family.

Tootsie Pop Ghosts that my 4 year old, 6 year old, and I made.

Thursday Review: Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers

    Have you seen those Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer bowls in the freezer section of the grocery store? I usually pass by them, but one day I decided to give it a try. They are actually pretty tasty! Yeah, I know... making my own meals and freezing them in individual portions would be the ideal thing to do, but sometimes things get in the way of that. Things like... being busy... or failing to plan that far ahead... or just being lazy... you know, important things like that!

    I tried the Roasted Beef Merlot steamer. The veggies were tender/crisp and the beef was tender. The sauce was tasty, too. I don't think they are quite filling enough for dinner, but I would recommend Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers for a quick, healthy lunch. At around $2.50 each, it is more economical and much healthier than grabbing a burger from the drive through at lunchtime.

Just out of the package

Just out of the microwave

Mixed and ready to eat.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢


Click here to visit their site for a $1.00 off coupon.

Website Wednesday: Education.com

 
    I have to be honest with you all. While I already had Education.com on my list of websites that I wanted to review for Website Wednesday, I hadn't planned on writing that post for another week or two. I even have another post all queued up and ready to publish. What changed my mind? I was on the site printing out worksheets to help teach my 6 year old how to count money, when I thought it would be fun to print off a couple of Halloween coloring sheets for the kids. Then I discovered it! Halloween Central! I HAD to share it with my readers right away! Education.com's Halloween Central has a ton of fun for kids of all ages. There are Halloween crafts, Halloween party ideas, Halloween activities, homemade Halloween costume ideas, and Halloween coloring pages. They also have a fun Halloween history quiz, and some great articles about Halloween history and culture. Don't forget to check out their Halloween health and safety tips while you are there.

Click Here To Go To Education.com Halloween Central

   

   Okay... enough about Halloween... I want to talk a little bit about what brought me to Education.com in the first place. Being a homeschooling family, I am always on the lookout for great resources, and Education.com is my go-to site for printable worksheets. It is fairly easy to find printable worksheets for preschoolers all over the web, but I have more than just preschoolers. Education.com is like a one-stop shop for me. I can browse through worksheets from a variety of subjects for levels from preschool all the way to high school. I can browse by grade level or by subject, or narrow it down to both. The website is VERY user friendly, and not only do I always find exactly what I am looking for, but I also end up printing out a couple of extra worksheets that just looked fun!

    Did I give you the impression that Education.com is JUST about printable worksheets and coloring and craft activities? Hold on then, and keep reading. Education.com is much, much more! Just go to their home page and mouse over their navigation bar to see all of the other wonderful features the site has. 

For Example:

Just Ask is a place where you can ask or view questions and read answers on a variety of topics from bullying to science fair, to learning and special needs, and many more things in between.

Activities is where you can find a ton of fun family activities, as well as fun activities for kids of all ages.

Worksheets is where you go to find all of the great FREE printable worksheets that I was talking about before.

Videos is THE place to go for awesome little videos of back to school projects (Did you know you can paint with ice?) Be sure to check out their other videos and great back to school tips, too.

Find A School will help guide you to finding just the right kind of school for your children, and answer important questions that you may have.

Colleges has some great resources for those of you who have kids reaching the college level. From schools to test prep, you get a lot of great info here.

Education A to Z is an index of many, many topics relevant to school aged kids.

Click Here To Visit Education.com

Education.com is one of the best all-around education sites that I have found on the web. It is a great resource for any parent or teacher. 

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Tuesday Review: John's Incredible Pizza Co.

    We recently went to John's Incredible Pizza Co. to celebrate out October birthdays.  We've been there before and it's a lot of fun for all ages. They have an expanded pizza buffet, games, rides, and even a toddler play area. We usually eat first, then move on to the fun and games. I will outline a typical visit for us. (I really wish I had taken more pictures to share with you!)


When You First Get There:
When you first get to John's Incredible Pizza Co., you have to go through the line. You must pay for an all-you-can-eat buffet to get in. Drinks are not included in the buffet price, but for just under $2 extra, you can have unlimited fountain drinks, icees, tea, and coffee drinks.

Once You Are In:
Once you have paid, and you are in, you can choose a table in one of the theme rooms. Some of the themes include: A Loony Toons room, where they have a large screen and several smaller screens playing cartoons; A Sports room, where they have various sports games playing on screens; and a Timber Lodge room, that has a fireplace and a nice cabin feel to it.

The All-You-Can-Eat Buffet:
When you are ready to eat, just go to the buffet, grab a plate, and serve yourself. They have a really good salad bar, a baked potato bar, various pastas, a couple of soups, and lots of varieties of pizza. They also have desserts- soft serve ice cream, cookies, mini doughnuts, cinnamon buns, chocolate cake, and cheesecake bars. I put some soft serve ice cream in a cup, then headed over to the fountain drinks... Mmmmm... root beer float!

Fun and Games:

They have various arcade games for all ages, and even some rides. There are bumper cars, a big spinning ride that I can't recall the name of, a kiddie roller coaster that my 4 year old was too small to go on without an adult (guess who got suckered into that one!), and more. My youngest girls loved the mini merry-go-round and some of the kiddie games, while my older kids went off on their own to enjoy the arcade games.
    You have to buy a game card and credits for the games and rides. The sign says that the card is 50 cents, but I have never been charged for one. Credits are 25cents each and everything is 2 or more credits. The kiddie coaster, for example, is 8 credits... that's $2 each! Kind of steep, if you ask me. You can win tickets with some of the games, then redeem them at the prize counter.
    After going on the kiddie coaster, playing a few games, and getting some prizes, I headed to the toddler play area with my youngest children, where they played until it was time to go. We grabbed a cookie on the way out, and had a fun day!

Toddler Play Area

My Ratings:
    John's Incredible Pizza Co. is a fun place for the whole family.The food is good and there are things for all ages to enjoy. It can get a little crowded and a little noisy, so you might want to keep that in mind. It is also a bit pricey- especially hen it comes to the games and rides.
    I would go there again, but because of the price, reserve it for special occasions.

Atmosphere/Rooms: ¢¢¢¢
I like the selection of rooms and they do try to keep the clean and neat. It does get loud and crowded at times.

Food: ¢¢¢
I really like the salad bar and the pizza selection. The food is good. Not spectacular, but still good.

Fun and Games: ¢¢¢¢
There are a good variety of games and rides for all ages. I really like that they included a toddler area.

Cost: ¢¢
The price is kind of steep. Normally, I would not pay the price of the buffet for the food that is served. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I know a few really great buffets that serve a bigger variety of better tasting foods from prime rib to an awesome dessert bar, for about what it costs to get in here.
...Then there is the price of the games and rides... at a minimum of 50 cents for the kiddie games and rides that start at $2... well, it really adds up fast.

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢ Like I said, I will go there again, but I will reserve it for special occasions.

Weekend Hoppers Blog Hop!

Looking to connect with other bloggers? Come check out this blog hop!

Weekend Hoppers Blog Hop

Thursday Review: Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo

    I mentioned in a previous post that I received a number of free sample products from my children's pediatrician's office. One of the products I received was Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo. In fact, they had so much of it that that they gave me a whole box of the sample sized bottles! Sweet!

    Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo is a gentle cleanser- perfect for Baby's sensitive skin. It is fragrance free... yes, truly fragrance free, not anything like the shower oil that I posted about earlier. It leaves Baby's skin and hair clean and soft, just as it should be. It doesn't irritate Baby's eyes either. I know this because I accidentally got a few suds in my daughter's eyes. I felt bad for about a second, but stopped because she didn't think any more of it than if it had been just plain water. Whew! I dodged that Mommy guilt!

   I really like the convenience of the Eucerin Aquaphor Gentle Wash & Shampoo being a 2 in 1 cleanser. It sure beats fumbling around with multiple bottles while wrestling with a squirmy baby! I would definitely buy this product and I recommend it to others!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢

Website Wednesday: WholesomeBabyFood.com

Photo courtesy: public domain

 When my youngest daughter was nearing the age of eating her first solid foods, I decided that I wanted to try making her baby food myself. I went online to begin the task of searching out websites, recipes, and methods of preparing baby food. To my surprise and delight, I found everything I needed on just one site- WholesomeBabyFood.

    WholesomeBabyFood has it all. They break down the stages of what foods should be introduced at what age. They show different methods of preparing a variety of foods. They have recipes from single foods to food combinations. I especially liked going to their site for their ideas on the food combinations. I not only learned to combine foods that I didn't think to combine before, like sweet potatoes and apples; but I also became inspired to come up with my own food combinations.

    By visiting WholesomeBabyFood, you will gain a wealth of knowledge when it comes to homemade baby food. While you are there, be sure to check out their tab for their Blog, the Allergies tab, and their Topics tab, too.

Click HERE to visit WholesomeBabyFood

Tuesday Review: Shasta- New California Dreamin' Orange Creme Soda

    So there I am. In the grocery store. Staring at the mega-wall-o-soda. Suddenly, something catches my eye. New Shasta California Dreamin' Orange Creme Soda! Yeah. I've Gotta try this!

    We get home from the store and I get the sodas into the fridge right away, then I start dinner. About halfway through cooking dinner, my husband checks the sodas. Hmmm.... not cold yet. He took a couple of them and put them in the freezer. Now, normally, this could be dangerous. We may or may not (mostly may) have in the past forgotten a soda or two in the freezer, only to discover the massive frozen explosion later, but I digress.

    Flash forward, dinner is finished and I break out the soda. I take one sip and I am immediately taken back to my first summer after moving to California, when I was a child. My Grandmother had bought a box of Orange Cremecicle ice cream bars. Now, I'd had popcicles before, but never an orange cremecicle, and boy was I in for a treat! I thought that it was genius to wrap vanilla ice cream in an orange popcicle shell. It immediately became one of my favorite frozen desserts.

    Shasta captured that flavor perfectly in their new California Dreamin' Orange Creme Soda! It is delicious, refreshing, and a really nice treat! An added bonus- the grocery store where I shop sells them for only $2.50 for a 12-pack! I will DEFINITELY be buying more!

Overall Rating: ¢¢¢¢¢