TempleTouch™ Thermometer Review and Giveaway

When Lindsi and I were contacted by Medisim to review their TempleTouch™ thermometer we jumped all over the chance.  After all, we've had our share of sick kids during this never ending winter.

Lindsi's review of the Premium Temple and Underarm Thermometer: 

It was perfect timing to receive these TempleTouch™ Thermometers when we did. I unfortunately became ill (with pneumonia of all things). I will be honest and say that I was leery of the accuracy of the TempleTouch™ at first because, being a nurse, I knew all too well the inaccuracy of thermometers that weren't under the tongue. I was running a low grade fever throughout my recovery. I used my trusted under the tongue thermometer as well as the TempleTouch™ Thermometer to compare the accuracy of them. My under the tongue thermometer read 100.4 at one point and the TempleTouch™ read 100.1. I'd say that was pretty close to the same.

When I tested it under my arm my thermometer read 99.5 and the TempleTouch™ (when changed to the under arm setting) read 97.9. That's pretty far off if you ask me. I continued to use the TempleTouch™ along with my home thermometer and each time I used it with the temple setting it was incredibly accurate. Overall I was impressed with this thermometer and will continue to use it in our home, especially when my kids are ill and sleeping. I LOVE the fact that I can get a trusted reading without having to wake them! That is a HUGE positive! Will I use it to check temperatures under the arm? No...and in all honesty I rarely check that way anyway so it wasn't a big deal to me.

Jamie's review of the Temple Touch Mini: 

I, fortunately, did not get to test my thermometer as well as Lindsi did.  Thank goodness no one in my family has been sick enough to take temps lately.  I basically just went around taking everyone in my family's temps randomly through the day with both my TempleTouch™ thermometer and my oral thermometer.  They were within .5 degrees of each other so I'd say it was pretty accurate.

While the TempleTouch thermometers are super easy to use, there are some key points to keep in mind when using "heat flow" (as they call it) thermometers:

• You need to wait at least 2 minutes between readings for the thermometer to adjust to room temperature again or you will not get an accurate second reading
• You need to wait a few minutes to use the thermometer if your temple has been exposed to any heat or cold such as direct sunlight, or hot/cold compresses
• It is best to place the thermometer on the temporal artery (just slightly above the eye line by your hair line)

If you keep these three things in mind, your TempleTouch™ thermometer should be as accurate, and much easier to use, than your oral thermometer!

TWO of our lucky readers will win a TempleTouch™ thermometer of their own!

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We received TempleTouch™ thermometers for our review and to keep. We were not compensated in any other way. All opinions are 100% our own.

Fuel for Active Kids -- #QuakerEpicAdventures

March was a crazy month for our family. Nutty started gymnastics on Mondays on top of swimming on Tuesdays and church on Wednesdays. Hubby and I shoot in a pool league on Thursdays. Uff-da (as we say in Minnesota)! I'm making some changes for this month!

Unfortunately, there was a period of two weeks where gymnastics and swimming both fell on Monday evening (until I could reschedule swimming to Tuesdays). Nutty would get home from school at 4:15, change clothes, grab a quick snack, and head to swimming at 5:00, immediately after swimming and a shower, we'd head to gymnastics at 6:00. We didn't eat dinner till around 7:30pm!

So what did I give Nutty for a snack to keep her fueled for swimming and gymnastics? Granola bars of course! Quaker® Big Chewy Granola Bars to be exact.  They're bigger than most granola bars and with 14g of whole grains they gave her the fuel she needed to make it through till dinner.  

Unfortunately, the box we received to try for this post did not last long in my house as the whole family eats Quaker® Chewy Granola Bars like they are going out of style.  Fortunately, the new bigger Big Chewy Granola Bars were more filling so I (I mean Hubby, no really, I mean the girls) only needed to eat one at a time.  At Nutty's request, I quickly bought another box and reserved it for her after school snack.  (Then I bought more boxes for me, Hubby, and Tottie to snack on through the day)

I never know what my days will have in store for me and my family, so keeping Quaker® Big Chewy Granola Bars on hand help make sure we have the fuel necessary to get the day. Now the Quaker® Big Chewy Granola Bars have chocolate drizzled on top and are 60% bigger – perfect for my hungry family!

Share what activities you need fuel for everyday and see other stories on Everyday Health. 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker®. The opinions and text are all mine.

Ruum American Kid's Wear Giveaway!

HAVE YOU HEARD THE RUUMOR? 

There’s a new kid’s fashion brand on the block— 

RUUM American Kid’s Wear! 

From the founders of The Children’s Place comes Ruum (pronounced “room”), a store that offers head-to-toe kid’s outfitting with great quality and value. The American Eagle brand of children’s clothing, 77Kids, was bought by the former chairman and CEO of The Children’s Place thus changing the name to Ruum. Though Ruum plans to keep some of the same manufacturers as 77Kids, they are reinventing themselves as a new, unique clothing line with the same quality at lower prices.
I had the chance to visit the new Ruum store at the Mall of America last week during their grand re-opening celebration. I was impressed! The clothes, shoes, and accessories were super cute (some I wish they made in my size) and the prices weren’t bad. The store itself was a ton of fun too. They have interactive spots where you can stop and snap a photo of yourself and the check out area is set up like an ice cream shoppe with all kinds of fun treats.
The clothes Ruum carries are based on American classics such as cardigans, plaid cargo shorts, oxford and polo shirts, lace embellished dresses, vibrant sundresses, sweaters, accessories, canvas shoes, and denim jackets. Graphic tees, distressed jeans, and leggings keep the styles trendy. Dress your kids up, or dress them casual, Rumm has all you need! With sizes ranging from 0-14 you won’t have to shop at more than one store for your different sized children.
Ruum celebrated the grand re-opening of their 21 stores around the US last week but if you don’t live near one, don’t worry, you can still check them out and order online at Ruum.com!

Enter their Grand Ruum Event Sweepsakes for a chance to win a $2000 Rumm shopping spree or one of their daily $100 gift card giveaways. Get coupons every time you enter too! 

One of our lucky readers will win a $25 Ruum Giftcard!  Just enter below!

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Nurturing the Soul of Your Family-People First, Things Second

I am excited to bring you a review of the book Nurturing the Soul of Your Family by Renée Peterson Trudeau.  To be completely honest, I did not read the entire book.  Instead, I skimmed some chapters (bullet points throughout the book make that easy to do) and read others that stood out to me.

Nurturing the Soul of Your Family isn't a necessarily a "how to" book.  It's more of a guidebook that helps you look at yourself and who you want to be with and for your family.  It stresses that your family and the obligations that go with them are not burdens as we sometimes feel, but that they are gifts.  When we take care of ourselves, we can appreciate our gifts.  This book is a motivation and inspiration to slow down and find peace in the often chaotic family life.

There was one chapter in Nurturing the Soul of Your Family that resonated with me (and that makes a good fit for this blog too).  It was "People First, Things Second: The Digital Divide," a chapter that talks about unplugging from the digital world.

"People First, Things Second: The Digital Divide" starts with a short "family media use survey" which asks questions such as what electronic devices does your family use and who uses them, and is your digital use a source of enjoyment for your family or does it get in the way?  The chapter then goes into some interesting statistics such as,

"The amount of time families spend together each week, on average, is less than five hours; people spend more time with computers than they do with their partners or children."

 Next, the chapter talks about the emotional toll of being constantly plugged in.  Boy this this section hit me!

"The more time [my sons] spent plugged in...the grumpier, more distant, and more defiant they were..."

That's me!!  Me, my husband, and my daughters all know when I've been blogging too much.  I start to get grumpy.   Turn off the computer and do something with the girls (so I can blog about it when my grumpies leave).

After some confessions about people's digital use and how it affected their family, Renée talks about the "gifts of being unplugged."

"I noticed a range of effect from being unplugged from technology for an extended period of time:...I was more present and less reactive in my relationships; I was a better parent, boss, partner, friend, and sister." 

Next, Renée give you some practical, "baby step" advice for becoming less plugged in:

• If you watch TV every night, try giving it up for one night a week. Then progressively add more TV-free nights each week (until you reach three or four), and instead enjoy music, reading, time outdoors, or playing games on those evenings. 
• If your habit is to often or always have the TV on as background noise, replace this with a classical music station. (My family finds this to be really calming in the morning and at dinnertime.) 
• Some families allow their kids to have screen time only on the weekends — establish a total number of hours (say, two to five) that your kids can spend however they like from Friday to Sunday. 
• Ditch the cable and only use the TV for watching family-friendly movies, either through a subscription service or by checking DVDs out of the library. Then, make a regular occasion of “family movie night” — reserve one night of the week for watching a movie you can all talk about afterward. 
• Allow for one hour of educationally oriented screen time a day, and schedule this time for when Mom and Dad need it the most, such as while cooking dinner, replying to emails, and so on. 
• Maintain a land line and answering machine at home. This way you can screen phone calls without interrupting precious family time. 
• Insist that all cell phones and electronics be turned off during meals and whenever the family is enjoying time together. 
• For the parents: abstain from getting online before work in the morning or after work in the evenings. These are natural family-gathering and transition times each day, so make your priority being present for your kids and for each other as a couple. Talk, connect, and share the day’s events. 
• Consider making electronics off-limits during everyday car rides around town. Let your child sit quietly and “get bored” looking out the window, or use travel time as an ideal moment for talking about school, friends, and what’s going on in your child’s life.
• Avoid temptation by not getting a smart phone. These gadgets are a slippery slope, and how much do you really need all that they do? Instead, get a regular, basic cell phone with texting (you’d be surprised how many are choosing this!). 
• Move the TV from the family room, or the center of your house, to an upstairs guest room. It’s interesting to see how viewing habits change, and usually lessen, when the TV is in an out-of-the-way spot. 
• Make one weekend day entirely, 100 percent unplugged, with no media and no phone calls at all until a certain hour in the evening. Reserve this day for 100 percent family time, and make it fun: go hiking or to museums, make fancy all-day meals, visit friends or relatives, or go swimming.  Initially, long stretches of unstructured time may seem hard to fill, but propose this as an experiment and give your family’s collective creativity a chance. Your older kids might continue to complain, but I bet they will secretly like it!

Lastly, the chapter gives you some time for reflection to think about all the wisdom you just soaked up.

If you liked the quotes and excerpts I wrote about from Nurturing the Soul of Your Family you'll definitely like the book as much as I did!  Go check it out for yourself!

Life balance coach/speaker Renée Peterson Trudeau is the author of the new book Nurturing the Soul of Your Family.  Thousands of women in ten countries are participating in Personal Renewal Groups based on her first book, the award-winning The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal. Visit her online at www.ReneeTrudeau.com

Excerpted from the new book Nurturing the Soul of Your Family ©2013 Renée Peterson Trudeau.  Published with permission of New World Library http://www.newworldlibrary.com

I received a copy of Nurturing the Soul of Your Family for my review.  I received no other compensation for this post.  All opinions are 100% my own.

FRUCHI™ Smoothies

Our families love smoothies.  Lindsi quite frequently makes them for her kids, and it's a super big treat when Hubby and I take the girls to our local smoothie store.  Needless to say, when FRUCHI™ Smoothies contacted us to do a review for them, we jumped all over it!

Our smoothies arrived super cold in a dry ice packed cooler.  Remember early science?  Yeah, don't touch the dry ice with your hands (Jamie--don't worry, I only touched it with one finger then quickly remembered.  I didn't cause myself any injury)!  And...if something is packed in dry ice, it's probably just as cold as the ice (Lindsi--Yeah, I probably should have worn something on my hands when I removed the smoothies too).
OK, moving on...

Jamie--My entire family was excited about these smoothies and they couldn't wait to eat them.  If I would have read the package, I would have realized that you could thaw them in the microwave for a few seconds.  Unfortunately, I made my family wait a few hours to try them while they thawed on the counter...My favorite flavor--Raspberry Rush (duh! raspberries are my favorite fruit).  Hubby loved the Island Splash and the girls both loved Strawberry Banana.

We loved that the smoothies were fast and easy to eat.  Hubby even took a few for lunch.  The pouch does get cold in your hand but the cardboard wrapper helps to keep your hand from freezing.  I loved that the smoothies are all natural and each pouch contains one serving of fruit!  I also loved is that these smoothies aren't chunky.  I'm a texture eater and small chunks of fruit or pulp in smoothies tend to make me gag.  No problem with FRUCHI™--they were perfectly blended!

Lindsi- To say my kids liked them was an understatement. My hubby and I had to "limit" them from going into the freezer to grab one because they were plowing through them at a pretty good clip. I shared one of each flavor with my good friend and her kiddo too so I could get a few more points of view. Like Jamie, my personal favorite flavor was Raspberry rush...because I LOVE me some raspberries! My daughter loved the Strawberry Banana and my boys loved the Berry Blast. Sadly, we are allergic to Mango in this house so we didn't get to try the Island Splash flavor...but not to fear....I got my neighbors opinion on that one! She thought it was great. She said it had a great "fresh fruit" flavor to it, not like a lot of smoothies out there that tend to be really sugary. My one and only negative for the FRUCHI™ is that they contain corn syrup (NOT High Fructose Corn Syrup). I'm kind of a "crunchy" person in that I like as little ingredients as possible in my food and as little modified ingredients too. I only wish that FRUCHI™ was putting cane sugar in the smoothies instead of the corn syrup.  Other than that, these smoothies were awesome and a huge hit in our house. One other thing I really liked was that FRUCHI™ is based in Minnesota (where Jamie and I live) and that really impressed me. I am a huge fan of local foods and companies! We'll be adding these to our shopping list from Schwan's® the next time we order................which reminds me, I gotta get that order in.

FRUCHI™ is a Minnesota based company that was started in 2006 and was recently acquired by the Schwan's® Food Company.  They primarily focus on nationwide fundraising but they can also be found in some Midwest grocery stores.

We each received FRUCI™ smoothies for our review.  No other compensation was received for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% our own.

Tuesday Morning Grand Re-Opening!

Have you heard of the store Tuesday Morning?  To be honest, until this past week, I had heard the name but didn't know much about it and I had never been to one.  I am now a HUGE fan!

All photos in this post were taken at the Woodbury, MN store.

I was asked (as a Blogger in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota) if I would help promote the Grand Re-Openings of the Woodbury and Burnsville stores.  I almost declined the offer because I didn't think it would be a fit for our blog.  Boy am I glad I did some research and changed my mind!  

Tuesday Morning is a national closeout retailer that has been in business since 1974.  They have 840 stores nationwide and 9 stores in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.  I had a chance to shop at the newly revamped Woodbury store.

Don't be fooled by the concrete floors and industrial shelving, they've got some nice stuff at Tuesday Morning!  They've got everything you can think of too, from kitchen stuff to decor, to craft stuff, toys, furniture, clothes, and outdoor/gardening items... You can't beat the prices either!  The same "Let's Pretend School" was $14 less than a popular store retailer and $33 less than a popular online retailer!!
This Barbie doll?--$9 less than the store and $4 less than online.  Why wouldn't you shop at Tuesday Morning with these prices?  Take advantage of their TM Perks™ program and their sales and get even more for your money. I guarantee I'm buying my daughter's friend's birthday presents here!

Ok, so I got totally distracted in the toy section during my shopping trip (because I'm such a good mom) but there were a ton of things I could have bought for me, my house, or my husband too.  I settled for a much needed sports bra ($12 for a brand name that usually retails or $20 or more!).  I left with two super nice toys (not the ones above) and my sports bra for under $25!  Tuesday Morning really has everything you need for the whole family. What are you waiting for?  Go check out Tuesday Morning for yourself!   If you're in the Woodbury or Burnsville area why not attend their Grand Re-Opening events on March 2nd?! I was given money to shop at the Woodbury store.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Flash Pals--A Unique Easter Basket Gift

Looking for something unique and fun to put in an older child's Easter basket this year?  How about FlashPals!  These super cute USB drives will have all their friends talking!

FlashPals are the creation of Doug Stienstra who's girlfriend asked for a "cute" flash drive for her birthday.  When he couldn't find one he liked, he made one.  His creation was such a hit with his girlfriend and her friends that he turned it into a full-time business!  What's better, is that FlashPals has partnered with the world's leading giraffe organization, the GCF, to support their efforts to protect giraffes through sales and donations, so now FlashPals save data AND the wild.

Each FlashPal represents a real animal species that faces real threats and each has a name.  Jamie was lucky enough to review Zena the Zebra.

Zena came in the cutest little box.  When I opened it, I was instantly in love!  Here was this super cute zebra flash drive in this awesome clear storage tube.  I was a little worried about the construction at first, but after tugging at the seams a bunch, and giving her to my girls to play with, she held together just fine.  (I wouldn't recommend purposefully trying to pull your FlashPal apart, but to give it a fair review, I did.)  She looked adorable sticking out of the side of my computer and my girls were excited when her "heart" lit up to let us know she was working.  She's got 4GB in that body of hers so there's plenty of room for all my storage needs.

I really only have one (minor) complaint.  Zena has a lot of white on her so if I want to take advantage of her nifty key chain attachment, I run the risk of getting her dirty.  I don't want to get her dirty--she's too cute!  According to the tag on her (which I cut off for general use) she is surface washable but I'm still not convinced I want to grub her up.

Lindsi received Jack the Giraffe in the mail. When I saw the little tube he came in I thought "well, that sure is adorable!" Jack came to our home with plenty of storage in his long neck, 4GB to be exact. This is a great deal of storage for such a little guy. I used Jack to store my photos from 2012 on it. I loved how when Jack the Giraffe is attached to my computer (or my sons) a little fact sheet popped up about Giraffes. Just some fun information for you and your kids from the FlashPal info sheet:

In 1999 there were over 140,000 giraffes in the wild, now there are less than 80,000. The color of a giraffe's tongue is BLACK! Giraffes have very big hearts- they weigh up to 25 pounds!!! And my personal favorite: The neck of a giraffe can be over 6.5 feet long!

Once Jack the Giraffe was plugged into our computer his BIG HEART lit up. This is a great idea because it helps my son know it is working. A great "visual" tool for a kiddo. I also loved how each FlashPal is attached to a clip that allows you to keep it on your key chain, making it portable and assuring it's with you whenever you might need it.

If you check out FlashPal's website you will see that there is an option to have them preloaded with information that would be fantastic for school! We hope you will check out FlashPals and fall in love with them like we did. This is a sponsored post written and expressed by us. FlashPals provided Jamie and Lindsi with their own FlashPal to use and review.

Cooper & Kid A Valentine Gift for Dads and Kids

Welcome to day 10 of Toys In The Dryer 14 Days of Valentines! 

From January 25 through February 7 we'll be posting non-stop Valentine's posts to celebrate this lovely holiday.

Do you buy Valentine's gifts for your husband and your kids?  Do you struggle with what to get them?  We've got the perfect gift for BOTH of them!  Cooper & Kid is a new start up that has a mission to be the first retailer for today's modern, engaged dads.  How are they going to do that?  With boxes of fun!

Today's fathers spend 3-7 times more hours per week with their kids than their fathers did with them.  The term Stay-At-Home-Dad is no longer un-heard of, and dads are proud to spend quality time with their children.   Cooper & Kid wants to create a year of monthly boxes that are fun, but also help dads tap into their inner child as well as their power as a man to raise the next generation.

Cooper & Kid recently completed a Kickstarter campaign but still have some fundraising to do before they get completely off the ground and are able to do monthly box subscriptions.  Right now they are offering the How Things Fly Cooper Kit as an introduction.  The How Things Fly Cooper Kit gives you an idea of what types of things you will be getting in each month's themed box. 

Lindsi and I (I mean our Husbands) had a chance to review the Cooper Kit.  Let met tell you, both Lindsi's Husband and mine were really excited when they opened the boxes! 
    Lindsi's Husband: He loved the idea of the monthly changed topics. He thought it was a fantastic and unique idea to create a special bond between a father and his child. His favorite part was the time that it "created" for him and our kids to spend talking about the topic (which just happened to be flight).
Jamie's Husband:  He loved that there was a variety of things to do and that even though the topic was flying (typically geared toward boys), the girls had fun with the toys.  He enjoyed watching the girls get excited over what was in the box and was thrilled when he found out that the box could be made into a toy too (something I didn't notice at first).  "It shows extra thinking on their part," he said.

Overall impression:  We (and our Husbands) LOVE the idea of monthly boxes that encourage dads to spend quality time with their kids, after all, that's what we blog about!  Though some things in the box broke after limited use, all the kids and our Hubbies enjoyed trying the things out.  Is it worth it?  For the time spent with the kids, and the ideas on how to spend it, yes! 

What are you waiting for? Show your husband and your kids how much you love them this Valentine's Day by giving them the gift of time together. When you buy your gift, you'll be supporting the start-up of a company that promises to bring fun for dads and kids for years to come!

Click on the button below to see all of our past Valentine's posts.

We received Cooper & Kid How Things Fly Cooper Kits for our review.  We received no other compensation for this post.  All opinions are our own or that of our Husbands.  

Until We Hug Again from Hallmark--Giveaway!

Welcome to day 2 of Toys In The Dryer 14 Days of Valentines! 

From January 25 through February 7 we'll be posting non-stop Valentine's posts to celebrate this lovely holiday.

Lindsi--Jamie and I had the pleasure of receiving Hallmark's "Until We HUG Again" bear and bunny last week. When I first got my package from Hallmark in the mail I opened it up and thought "oh, for cuteness sake!" The bear I received to review is incredibly soft and lovable. He has the cutest heart shaped nose and adorable patches sewn on him as well. (I will add that Hallmark must have paid very close attention to our families as they sent me the more "boyish" version and Jamie the more "girlish" version! Two thumbs up Hallmark!)

Each adorable animal comes in a chair shaped box with very clear instructions on the bottom. Hallmark has the most amazing patented Voice Save Technology which safely records, saves and plays back treasured voice recordings for years to come. The content is saved even when you change the batteries or they run out. So there is NO need to fear that the special message will be lost years down the road.


I brought the bear over to my grandfather's house and had him record a special message for my kids. This way years from now they will have this treasure and papa's voice saved! We did something similar with Hallmark's recordable books with my grandma. We asked her to read a story to the kids while she was on hospice and now that she is gone from our sights we have the special book with Grandma's voice on it! What a treasure!!

Jamie--Much to Nutty's dismay, Tottie claimed our Until We HUG Again bunny the minute we opened the package.  She has been sleeping with it every night since we got it and loves to hear "mom sing me the lullabye".  
I am completely impressed at the quality of the bunny, how well the electronics are hidden so that the Velcro doesn't scratch and the voice box isn't too hard, and the detail that went into the design.  Here's my take:


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Click on the button below to see all of our past Valentine's posts.

A Mom's Review of the Nexus 7 Tablet by Google

My family debated on getting some kind of tablet for Christmas for the family to share.  Nutty uses them at school, Tottie plays with Grandma's when she visits, and I would love to have one to tote around to blog meetings and conferences instead of hauling around my large laptop.  Ultimately, however, we decided that we would spend our money on things for our boat because that's how we spend time together as a family in the summer.   

As luck would have it, a few weeks ago I fell into contact with a marketing rep from Staples who offered a Nexus 7 32GB Tablet from Google for my family to review.  I don't know who was more excited, me or the girls!

Our Nexus 7 Tablet arrived from Staples at the perfect time.  The girls were heading to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the long weekend which meant that I had time to play with it and set it up before the girls stole it got their hands on it.

Set up was a breeze!  Since my cell phone runs on the same operating system (Android 4.1 Jelly Bean) and I downloaded all my phone apps from Google Play, once I logged into my Google account on my tablet, it automatically copied all my apps from my phone to our tablet!  No having to find and re-install all of our favorite apps!  I used the USB/charging cord that came with our tablet to connect it to my computer and transferred some photos over to use a screen backgrounds.  The set up was done!

The actual usage is a breeze too.  It's just like a larger version of my phone.  Even my 4 year old navigates the Nexus 7 Tablet without problems because she's used to playing on my phone.

Just so I don't ramble on and on, I'm going to bullet point the rest of this post.  It's only fair so you can easily see the highlights of my review:

Pros of the Nexus 7 Tablet by Google:

•  Super easy to set up and if you already have an Android phone and a Google account

You already read that above :)

•  Light and portable!   

So much easier to carry around than my laptop!  It fits right in my purse and is great device for keeping my 4 year old busy during my physical therapy appointments!

•  Decent battery life

Since we got our Nexus 7 someone in our house has been on and off it all day.  The battery has lasted through the day with only the need to charge up at night.  Much better than my phone which dies after just a few hours of game playing!

•  High resolution screen

This is the one thing Hubby was thrilled about--Angry Birds™ on a larger, high-resolution screen.  I won't go into specs because I'm not technical.  Just know that things are not at all grainy or pixely (is that a word?)

•  Fast response 

I notice no lag in the response of the tablet.  Granted, as I said before, I'm not technical, I am an impatient person who does not like to wait for things and I don't feel like I'm waiting for anything when I play with the Nexus 7.

Cons of the Nexus 7 Tablet by Google:

• Finger prints, finger prints, finger prints!

The glossy face of the tablet easily attracts and keeps finger prints (especially when the kids are using it).  I would suggest you get a screen protector that helps to cut down on them if you are going to let your kids play with your tablet.  (Off to Staples I go!)

• No 3G/4G only WiFi

Though not having 3G/4G isn't a deal breaker since most places we go have WiFi, it would be nice to be able to connect to the internet while we are in the car or in places where the WiFi isn't very good.

• No rear camera, poor front camera

Again, the cameras are not a deal breaker.  I have my phone and my real camera to take photos with.  After all, who wants to hold up a 7 inch tablet to take a picture.  The girls, however, wanted to take photos with the tablet since they can take them on my phone.

• Location of the power and volume buttons

The power and volume buttons are located on the side of the tablet but more toward the back.  It takes a bit of getting used to to locate them.

All in all, my entire family is thrilled with the Nexus 7 Tablet by Google.  Though there are some cons, for us they are not that big of a deal and can easily be worked around.  We are very happy with and thankful to Staples for allowing us to try out this awesome Tablet!  

Does your family own a tablet?  What types of things do you do with it?

Staples provided me with the Nexus 7 Tablet for my review.   I received no further compensation for this post.  All opinions are 100%  my own.  To see the full line of tablets that Staples offers visit Staples.com.

The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years Review

The Mommy MD Guides are a series of books that give you expert advice on parenting starting with pregnancy and going through the toddler years.  Though my girls are past toddler-hood, as a nurse and mother, I was curious about the books when I was contacted to review one.  Why?  Because every book claims to be written by the experts on raising children, most books written by doctors are kinda stuffy, and quite frankly, I wanted to see if they had the same advice I would give my patients.

I chose to review The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years because that's the closest stage to my girls.  Tottie is 4 and I swear still dealing with some toddler issues!

Let me say that I LOVED this book both from a mom perspective and a pediatric nurse perspective!  Here are what I thought were the highlights:

The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years doesn't tell you how to do things, it gives you the opinions of multiple different doctors.

You can take and leave what you want.  Sometimes the opinions differ and that's ok.  It just goes to show that there is no real right or wrong answer to raising kids.

These doctors offer real life tips/tricks, not some stuffy advice that you'd hear from an expert in an office.  

They say what works for them in their own house which is not necessarily what they tell their patients to do.  I admit, I don't always practice what I preach and neither do these doctors.  Some even admit to spanking their kids!

The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years is super easy and quick to read and is often times humorous.  

It's one of those books you can easily pick up and skim through during those rare moments alone in the bathroom (did I just say that?!).

You don't get just one point of view.

62 doctors came together to give their advice in this book.  The tips/tricks in the book come from multiple different kinds of doctors as well--from family practice, to specialties such as cardiologists, to psychiatrists.

The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years covers the gamut of topics!  

They cover everything from your typical toddler problems (those that you'd see in every other book), to buying and organizing shoes and clothes, to nurturing your relationships with friends and family (including in-laws), even celebrations and play dates!

Where was this book (or the other two books) when my girls were younger?!  I really hope they continue this series into the school age, tween years, and even teen years.  You bet I'd be buying those books!!

I received The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years for my review and received no further compensation for this post.  All opinions are 100%  my own.

Oral-B Smart Series 4000

Put a spin on your friends and family’s oral care regimen with Oral-B® Professional Care 4000 power toothbrush. The Oral-B Professional Care4000 power toothbrush uses clinically-proven oscillating-rotating-pulsating technology to attack sticky plaque from multiple directions, providing more plaque-disrupting movements than regular manual brushes and the leading sonic technology brush. 

I was given the opportunity to review the Oral-B Smart Series 4000 electric toothbrush, and boy oh boy was I glad to! Now, I'm going to admit something to all of our readers...I FEAR the dentist....and when I say fear I mean, shaking in my boots, sweaty palms fear! I had a bad experience when I was around 15 and it scared me for life. Since then I have used electric toothbrushes. Why? Because I feel like I can get a better at-home clean of my teeth and avoid any further "adventures" with the dentists drill. I have owned three different brands (which I will not name) in the past and have thought they were all great for their own reasons. Then I was asked to try the Oral-B Smart Series 4000...well, I am so impressed! (I am NOT just saying this because I was given a toothbrush to review, I truly and honestly am SO impressed!)

My favorites:
1. I love that this brush keeps track of the time I have been brushing for me. It has a wonderful built in two minute timer with 30 second intervals for brushing each "quadrant" of your pearly whites.

2. It has 4 wonderful settings for the "type" of clean you are looking for: Daily Clean, Sensitive, Whitening, Deep Clean. (My personal favorite is the Deep Clean- I feel like my teeth were just polished by the dental hygenest.)

3. The bristles have a handy dandy fade built in to remind you when to replace the head of the toothbrush. It reminds you to replace your brush head every 3 months, once they’ve faded halfway. How cool is that?

4. This fantastic toothbrush has (in what is my opinion) the best built in sensor. It actually stops pulsations to notify you you’re brushing too hard...along with a light on the end that will light up in red to alert you.

5. Once you have invested in the base, the replacement heads are not anymore expensive than a manual toothbrush. I found at my local store, that I could get 3 replacement heads for $25! (That's good for 9 months!)

6. Lastly, and this is a direct quote from my hygenist: "Wow, Lindsi, you've really done a fantastic job with brushing since we last saw you. You even managed to keep those problem areas clean with hardly any plaque build-up." Yes, I swear to you that is what she told me!

The only negative:
The pulsating of the brush seriously makes my nose tickle. I have rubbed my nose to pieces while brushing. But if this is the only negative to this brush then I will deal with that.

The best part:
P&G is giving away a Oral-B® Professional Care 4000 power toothbrush to one of our readers! Simply enter below.

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Edwards Créme Pies Review and Giveaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Edwards for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Do you eat pies during the holidays?  It's pretty much the only time my family eats pies.  I don't know why.  I guess I'm too lazy to make them and too cheap to buy them during the rest of the year.  That's ok though, pies symbolize the holidays for us.
This year, I might be a bit lazy again and buy Edwards Crème pies for our Christmas celebration.  Ok, maybe lazy isn't the word--I'm just too busy to make them this year!  Luckily Edwards has the perfect pies for my family.   I was able to try the Hershey®'s Créme pie and it's not as good as my mom's, it's better (shhhh...)!
Wanna know another reason I think I'll buy Edwards Créme pies for Christmas?  For every Edwards dessert product purchased during the month of December, $1 will be donated to Toys for Tots!!  It's the perfect way to treat your family and a family in need!

Speaking of family, Edwards wants to help you stay in touch with your family this season.  They've developed a micro site where you can create and send a holiday e-card to anyone you want!  The best part about sharing their holiday e-cards?  You'll each (sender and reciever) get a $1 off coupon toward a pie!  I sent a card to my parents.  It was quick and easy.

So let's get this straight--you visit the micro site and make a holiday e-card, you and your reciever get a $1 off coupon, you buy a pie, and Edwards gives $1 to Toys for Tots.  You can't beat that!

But wait, I'm not done!!

One lucky Toys In The Dryer reader will win a coupon for a free pie and will get $20 donated to Toys for Tots in their name! 

To enter use the Rafflecopter form below--leave a comment telling us what Edwards Dessert you would try and why.  Other entries include tweeting this giveaway and liking Edwards Desserts on Facebook. a Rafflecopter giveaway

SimplyFun®--Family Connections and Learning Through Play

How often do you play games with your family?  Growing up, my family played games together all the time, especially around the holidays.  My husband and I play games with our girls as often as we can too.  It's fun to sit by the fire, "unplug" and have family time in the winter.  In the summer, our air conditioned basement is the perfect place to unwind and play a game after a day of fun in the sun.


SimplyFun® is a company that promotes family connections via game playing with your kids.  They believe "play must be a priority for all families."  Their mission statement says, "Play allows important human connections to take root, to grow, and to flourish. It allows us to share with each other...It relieves stress and creates joyful memories...Play keeps our families connected!"

When SimplyFun® contacted us to do a review of some of their games, we jumped at the opportunity!  After all, at Toys In The Dryer, we believe the same things they do.  Our site is all about spending time quality time with your children.

Here's the kicker though, not only does SimplyFun® promote spending quality time with your children, they also promote learning through play!  Each and every one of their games has a educational element to them.  However, they are so fun, you kids won't even know they're learning while playing and spending time with you!

Jamie--I chose to review the Treasure Trot game.  Ever since Nutty's birthday, the girls have been into horses.  Plus, this game looked girly and has two sides (hard and easy).  I was impressed with the quality of the box, game board, and pieces.  This is not a flimsy game and will last through hundreds of uses!  My girls and I found the game a bit hard to understand at first but once we figured it out, it was a lot of fun.  My 4 year old needed some help but I expected that because it's meant for 5 and up.  My 6 year old (and her friend) could easily play both sides of the board once we figured out how to play it.  They play the game every time they get together!  Though "girly," my husband didn't mind playing it with the girls too.   


Lindsi--I chose to review Bee Alert game. Let me be honest, my husband isn't a fan of board games so I was surprised when I came home from the store to find him sitting on the floor playing Bee Alert with our kids. He actually said "this game is great! This game is perfect for all ages, I can even see playing this with adults." No kidding!!! The game pieces are quality made and sturdy. My favorite part of this game is that it works well with all ages and challenges. My son (one of the twins) is a HUGE perfectionist and he was rockin' this game, big time! My daughter (the other twin) doesn't have the same patience level as her brothers and she really got into this game. All in all I'd say this was a "win" and will likely remain a favorite in our home for quite some time.

The board games from SimplyFun® make the perfect Christmas gift for children in your family!  Hurry and order though because the deadline to guarantee delivery before Christmas is December 15th!

You can find SimplyFun® via their website, Facebook, and Twitter.  For more information on becoming a SimplyFun® consultant, please visit their website.

Do you play games with your children?  How often?

SimplyFun® is a consultant based company.  We were asked by the headquarters of SimplyFun® to review the games.  This review is NOT linked to any specific consultant and the links within the post go to the general website.  We were given games to review and keep.  The opinions expressed are 100% our own.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas!--Giveaway

Have you seen the commercials for The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas? Did you watch it when it debuted on TV a few days ago?  If not, you are missing out!

Lindsi--Let me start by saying my daughter does NOT watch TV.  I can't get her to sit down and watch an entire show (so I can get things done) for the life of me (or her!).  I put in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas for movie night for my kids and all of them (including my daughter) were enthralled through the whole thing!  They even asked to watch it again!

Jamie--We watched The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas the night we received it in the mail.  Both my girls loved it and were dancing along to the songs.  The only complaint my 4 year old had was, "Mom, it's not close enough to Christmas to watch this."  Thanksgiving we went to my in-laws house and it was on TV.  My girls went on and on about how they owned the movie so they could watch it again.  My nephew was jealous!

Both--We loved the movie because the kids loved it and they didn't realize they were learning while watching it!  It was cute and is tolerable for adults to watch along with their kids.  Even our husbands didn't mind it!  

Official description of the movie: Sure to be a holiday favorite for the entire family for years to come, this adventure finds the Cat in the Hat, Nick and Sally on a journey around the world to help a lost reindeer find his way home to Freezeyourknees Snowland in time for Christmas. On the way, the Thinga-ma-jigger breaks down, and they depend on a variety of animals – from African bush elephants to bottlenose dolphins to red crabs – and their remarkable abilities to help them make an amazing journey home.

Overall impression:  Definitely worth watching and buying because your kids will want to watch it over and over again.  Yes, it is sure to be a holiday favorite for the entire family!

Win a copy of The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas on DVD!

Yes, one of our lucky readers will win their own copy of this movie!  Just enter below.  Please note, the giveaway entry form does not work on some mobile devices.
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Nevella To Go! #SweetnessToGo Challenge

This month I started a 5 month long weight loss challenge.  My goal?  20 lbs (but I'd be happy to lose one pant size no matter how many actual pounds I lose).  

One of the biggest things that gets to me as far as calories go is sweetened drinks.  Coffee in the morning (decaf of course), iced tea in the afternoon, some alcoholic drinks that are sweetened with extra sugar in the evening...they all add more calories that interfere with weight loss.  

At work I've been suffering with using the fake, yucky sugar substitute that they provide because I have yet to find a good, portable alternative--until now...

These little babies arrived in the mail last week.  What are they?  They are Nevella To Go--completely portable, easy to use, zero calorie, natural, liquid sugar substitutes.  

As you can see, Nevella To Go comes in 3 varieties:

• Sucralose To Go--(My favorite) is sweetened using sucralose, the main ingredient used in Splenda® brand products. This sweetener is made using a process that starts with sugar and converts it to a zero calorie and zero carbohydrate sweetener that is almost 600 times sweeter than sugar. 
• Monk Fruit To Go--(I had never heard of Monk Fruit until now) is a fruit from Asia that has been used for nearly 800 years by locals as both an all natural sweetener and for other potential health benefits. Monk Fruit contains mogrosides, a naturally occurring zero calorie sweetener. 
• Stevia To Go--Stevia is a plant that grows mainly in the plains areas of South America. Stevia contains rebiana, a naturally occurring zero calorie sweetener.

I've been adding a squirt of these babies (equal to 1 teaspoon) to any drink I can think of that needs sweetening and I have not been disappointed.  (Ok, in the interest of transparency, I'm not thrilled with the Stevia To Go but I do like the Sucralose and Munk Fruit.)  They dissolve quickly because they are liquid and they taste great!  Best of all, they can go anywhere with me (including  work)!

I took the Sweetness To Go Challenge using Nevella To Go. These handy little bottles fit perfectly in your purse or pocket, come in stevia, monk fruit, and sucralose varieties, and best of all, they're calorie, carbohydrate, and guilt free! Take the Sweetness To Go Challenge yourself and click here to get your $1 off coupon!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Nevella. The opinions and text are all mine.

An Interview with the Directors of "Paranorman" and a Giveaway!

There's only 2 days left until the new animated movie by LAIKA, "Paranorman", hits theaters!  Yep, that's right, "Paranorman" opens nationwide on August 17, 2012.  No doubt you've seen the commercials for it on TV, heard sound bites on the radio, or viewed the trailer in the theaters.  If you've been living under a rock without TV, radio, or the movie theater, and have no clue what I'm talking about, see the official trailer below.
Jamie was lucky enough to get a press screening of the movie and was even luckier to get an interview with the directors, Sam Fell and Chris Butler!  I would throw in a huge "EEEKKK!" here but that would sound unprofessional.

Lets start however, with what's so special about LAIKA and "Paranorman".  I mean, what's all the hype?  It's just another animated movie, right?  Wrong!  LAIKA produced the Academy Award-nominated movie "Coraline", it's first stop-motion movie.  What is stop-motion animation?  Well, according to Wikipedia, stop-motion is...

an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence. Dolls with movable joints or clay figures are often used in stop motion for their ease of repositioning. Stop motion animation using plasticine is called clay animation or "clay mation".

If you thought the animation in "Coraline" was good, "Paranorman" kicks it up a ton of notches with larger sets, more characters (including crowds), and finer details.  Yeah, LAIKA went overboard with this animation!  It is truly unbelievable.  Check out a sneek peak in the official trailer.  You won't believe that this is all real sets and real "puppets" they are using!
As far as the plot of the movie goes, it is an interesting idea: 

A small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman, who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst, of all, grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

What's nice about the plot, and what most people won't really discuss, is that it has a underlying anti-bullying theme.  You wouldn't think that scary zombies and anti-bullying would go together but Chris Butler (who wrote and co-directed "Paranorman") did a seamless job of combining the two.  A clip of my interview below discusses the anti-bullying side of "Paranorman".
I Overall, the movie was awe-inspiring to watch, humorous in parts, thought provoking, at times emotional, definitely entertaining, and a little scarier than I expected.  It was slightly slow in the middle but I wouldn't deduct any points as the rest of the movie makes up for it.  Though I did pick up on the anti-bullying theme as an adult, I'm not sure it will be as prominent to children because of the fascination of the zombies and the overall showyness (is that a word?) of the movie.

Speaking of the scariness...what age range is "Paranorman" appropriate for?  Well, let's ask the directors:
So, should you go see "Paranorman"?  ABSOLUTELY!  I'm going to see it again with a few friends, their kids, and my kids next week!
One of our lucky readers will win a "Paranorman" prize pack which includes:

T-shirt

Backpack

Activity head

Toothbrush

Book

Slippers

Notebook

Pencils/stickers

Light-up logo

Bumper sticker

Button

Activity book

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I'm a #DontSweatMom! You can be one too--Giveaway

A few weeks ago I (Jamie) decided to join the campaign to become a Don't Sweat Mom.  What is the Don't Sweat Mom campaign?  It is based on the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms" by Kristine Carlson. The campaign is creating a community of moms that are coming together to stress less and choose happiness more. It’s about finding our joy in everyday parenting.

As Colorado Mountain Mom said in her book review, I too had a little blogger regret after I signed up for this campaign.  Like her, I didn't think I was going to have time to read the book.  I quickly discovered, however, that the book was broken up into short, easy to read chapters.  It doesn't have any particular flow, so it's convenient to simply pick the chapters that you want to read and skip around.  In fact, this blog post has taken me MUCH longer to write than actually reading the book!

There were many chapters in "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms" that struck a cord with me.  "Make Special Mommy & Me Time" became clear when I finally got my first large chunk of time alone with my 5 year old (Nutty) since my 3 year old (Tottie) was born.  As the book states, "Sometimes our kids don't know how to verbalize that all they really want is some of our attention."  Since Nutty has been in preschool and now Kindergarten, it's been easy to spend alone time with Tottie, and because Tottie is more demanding than Nutty, I often forget that Nutty needs one-on-one time too.  Nutty and I got some great, and much needed Mommy & Me time when Hubby took Tottie to his parent's house for a few days.  The "Don't Sweat..." book reminded me that I don't need to wait for Hubby to take Tottie away for a few days, I could easily take 10 minutes a day to pull Nutty aside and spend time with just her.

"Keep The Lines Of Communication Open" along with the chapter "Practice Breathing Before You Speak" made me realize that I am in desperate need of a communication revamp with my girls!   I often react rather than respond to situations, and I end up yelling a little too much.  I need to remember to breathe before I speak allowing me to "access [my] inner wisdom and bring [myself] into a calm resolve that is conducive to healthy responses.  Keeping in mind the 12 factors for effective communication that Kristine shares will hopefully improve the way I relate to my girls and in turn, I hope, strengthen our relationships.

"Don't Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms" doesn't tell you how to be a good mom, it makes you think about the type of mom you are now and gives you ideas for how to improve by focusing on who you are as a person.  You are first a woman, and second a mom.  By improving who you are as a woman, you improve who you are as a mom.  

Want to be a #DontSweatMom too?  Enter to win a copy of "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms" below (or buy your own copy) then join the community on Twitter and Facebook or check out the website.  

You can get the first chapter of the book for FREE here! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway I received a free copy of the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms" for the purpose of this review post.  I received no other compensation.  All opinions are 100% my own.