Sunday morning is usually the same every week. Wake up, crawl out of bed, make some breakfast, wake up the teens and have a family pow-wow. We talk, discuss chores and then all head to our separate areas of the house.You can imagine what type of aromas linger after cooking a hearty breakfast.

I’ve found very little that worked as a way to freshen up the upholstery and pillows that my 17 year old dog likes to lie on. Then, I got some Febreze Fabric Refresher and started using it on my futon and carpet in the kids TV room, then on the couches in the main living area where everyone eats, sleeps, watches TV and manages to spill everything known to man.

Continue reading “Febreze Fabric Refresher Lifts The Entire House”

I have been sent a goldmine, literally. If the TV show Raggs ever gets into the public eye, I don’t see why it won’t take off immediately. I was sent a DVD with three episodes to review and a music CD, both of which were instant hits in our home.I love this show because it encourages a lot of creativity, and dare I say it, imagination. And I’m not just talking about those irritating pauses where you are supposed to answer Dora. In this show you are pretending to be a mechanic, pretending to milk a cow and all sorts of other fun things. There are snippits of real kids, some animation, some giant Barneyesqe dogs and lots of action all jammed together. From crazy inventions to an ornery cat, I thought this show was cute from beginning to end.

My daughter, Sophie, is too young to tell me why she likes it, but I suspect it’s the fun, upbeat music from the band that Raggs leads. (I must tell you that mfavorite is Pido, the drummer.) She already is learning the words to the songs and she dances like a mad woman when they sing.

I don’t know how else to express this more clearly, but go check out Raggs and his crew to see what all the fuss is about. I promise you will be glad you did.

Written by Andi, who teaches local high school students about abstaining from sex. She has also had two kids in 16 months. Andi’s husband thinks she needs to practice what she preaches. You can read about her adventures (or misadventures) in motherhood at her personal blog, Parenting 101.

Mom-a-licious is a fresh, fast family food cookbook for the hot mama in you created by chef domenica catelli. This chef makes cooking fabulous dinners that are not overcomplicated, are very quick and accessible to the even busiest people.

The graphics are beautiful and the photos of the food really stand out. We think you’ll enjoy taking a look around this website and you might even find something useful! Enjoy the recipe below that was adapted from “Mom-a-licious.”

Citrus Sesame Granola Parfait

Per serving:

• ½ cup organic plain yogurt
• 1-2 teaspoons of agave nectar
• lemon zest (optional)
• ¼ cup Citrus Sesame Granola from Momalicious* (or natural store-bought or bulk food granola)
• ¼ cup fresh berries
• fresh mint for garnish

Place the yogurt in a pretty glass or small bowl. Top with agave and zest. Layer with the granola and berries.

Written by Emily, who is a married working mother of a very energetic 6 year old son. They recently moved out in the country and live on a rock road. Emily had to give up high-speed internet and she blames the realtor for not informing her ahead of time that it was not available. She writes at her personal blog, Fenicle and loves to review new things.

I am just shy of my 35^th birthday and although I don’t see fault lines on my face when I look in the mirror, I can see a difference in my skin from let’s say 10 years ago. I decided about a month ago to look into some anti-aging cream, because I felt proactive about the whole idea of looking like a raisin.

The overwhelming amount of products on the market amazed me and I really didn’t know where to start. I did know that at this point in time, I did not want to invest a lot of money in a product, and I wanted one I could pick up at any discount or drug store.

I decided to try the Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Intensive Night Cream. At a price point of $19.99 for a 1.4 oz tube, it was an affordable option. Also I know that whether I’m at a Wal-mart, Target or Walgreens, I’ll be able to pick one up if needed.

I am not a huge morning regiment person, which is why I chose the night cream version of this. Taking a pearl size amount and moisturizing before I go to bed, is much more up my alley then trying to get it done in the bustle of the morning.

Since I really didn’t have any deep wrinkles before using the product, I really can’t say to its effectiveness for the claims that it visibly reduces wrinkles. However, one of the other benefits of this cream is that it treats blemishes. Those I can say I have and that it has been effective on them. It doesn’t clog up pores as some creams tend to, and for a night cream it feels quite light on the skin.

The tube seems quite small, but you don’t need a huge amount so I can see it lasting a fair while. I started using it about a month ago and the tube is not quite half empty. While I don’t want to smell like an orchard or a flower garden, I do like a little scent to my products. This is an allergy, fragrance and dye free product, perfect for sensitive skin (which I don’t have). That is a minor point though, and for most people probably preferable.

I will continue using this product, as for the price, I feel it is a decent value while providing me the benefits I need right now. Anti-wrinkle and blemish control. Hopefully the anti-wrinkle will be effective and I won’t see any folds or lines on my face in the next 5 to 10 years.

Written by Tammy, who is married to the perfect man and together they are the parents to a precocious 12 year old girl, whom Tammy homeschools. She loves to travel and gush over all things Disney (preferably those two things can be done at the same time!). Tammy also enjoys knitting and reading. Her guilty pleasure is playing WoW with her husband and daughter. She blogs at Three Different Directions.

Stride Rite: You have a new fan.

I hate buying baby shoes. There, I admitted it. They never fit the way they should. Lets face it, most kids have anatomically weird feet. They are either way wide, very thick or abnormally small, or a combination of the three. My kid has thick and small feet, so when Stride Rite sent me a pair of Natural Motion Walkers to review, I was skeptical. The only shoes I have ever really loved before were the soft sole ones that stayed on with elastic, and these shoes had leather sides, rubber soles and a tongue. There was no way they were going on, or if they did go on they would fall off right away.

I could not have been more wrong. These shoes have the widest opening for a foot I have ever seen. They are incredibly easy to put on, even when your baby is less than thrilled with being laid down to have shoes put on. Even more miraculous, they don’t fall off. Period. And the rubber on the soles is so flexible that it’s like having suede sole shoes. My son will wear them all day, can’t take them off, doesn’t pull on them and they really seem to help out in his daily endeavor to learn to walk. I am overjoyed with their performance, and the fact that they are some of the cutest shoes I have ever seen only adds to my immense satisfaction with this product.

If all that were not enough, they have fantastic customer service. I was initially sent the wrong size and one simple phone call remedied the problem and my new pair arrived post haste. Stride Rite, I’ll be coming back and bringing some friends.

by Andi

I’ve pretty much always been a fan of Stride Rite shoes since my son started wearing them a couple years back. They were the only brand I could find that carried xxw that fit great. I was excited to get the chance to try the Natural Motion Walkers from Stride Rite for my 14-month-old daughter who is just starting to walk.

I don’t think that these shoes help your child learn to walk that well. They have great skid protection on the bottom, but because of this my daughter seemed to get them caught easily since she doesn’t pick her feet up perfectly yet and discouraged her from continuing to try. They are also a bit heavy on her feet making it harder to get around with her just learning to walk. I found that when she wore these she definitely would try to crawl to get where she wanted to go or would easily take them off with the Velcro.

I think these shoes would be great for a child that is still a beginning walker but has already learned the ropes of balancing and getting around that way. However, for a child that still wants to crawl with a few steps here or there, it’s better to go with something lighter like a soft-soled shoe.

by Andrea

Our son is a huge Star Wars fan. He loved the originals films that didn’t have all the special effects that the last Trilogy did, but overall his general interest was that the characters all seemed real. With Star Wars: The Clone Wars coming out on DVD I wasn’t sure if he would still find interest in his obsession since it was animated and has a different feel. I was wrong.

My husband and I didn’t find as much excitement in this new version as our son, so I see this new release from Warner Brothers finding its audience in young children, which is probably who there were targeting with the animation anyways.

The action starts shortly after Episode II: Attack of the Clones and somewhere around Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. We’re thrown smack in the middle of the narrative with no explanation of character or setting, because we should all know by now what is going on! Obi-Wan and Anakin are deep into battle when they are called to action to find and rescue Jabba the Hutt’s little friend.

Continue reading “Star Wars: The Clone Wars Attack on DVD”

Props & Pans is giving one lucky reader a copy of the newly released DVD, “Then She Found Me.” If you haven’t already heard about this movie and it’s cast, you can read our review here.

To enter leave a comment here telling us which actor/actress in this movie you enjoy the most. The contest is open until November 21, 2008.

You can receive a second entry by blogging about the contest (linking to it) or adding us to your blogroll. Just e-mail us with a live link or let us know you have it posted on your site. You do not need a blog to enter, just leave us your e-mail address so that we may contact you. As always, it is Props & Pans policy NOT to distribute any information you give us (including your e-mail). Thanks for entering!

Said to be a labor of love for Helen Hunt, the film “Then She Found Me,” lacked the sparkle I needed for it to be a blockbuster hit. It was based on Elinor Lipman’s 1990 novel by the same name and Hunt attempts to tackle issues that are too complicated for a first time director.

As an adoptive mother myself, I found the movie to be trite and predictable. It was a little too focused on the surrounding issues rather than the real issue at hand, which was the introduction of Hunt’s character’s birth mother. This part was played by Bette Midler who just didn’t fit the role. There were many big name actors in “Then She Found Me” including Matthew Broderick and Colin Firth, so I had high hopes of a great movie.

Continue reading “Then She Found Me, Didn’t Meet The Expectations Despite Cast Line-Up”

Medela, the company who makes breastfeeding more comfortable for new moms, has introduced a new nursing tank. This camisole comes in black and white and allows you to pump hands free with their Freestyle pump. It is made from all natural bamboo fiber which is breathable, aborbs moisture and has natural anti-bacterial properties.

The drop cup openings make it easy to nurse anytime and anywhere. As a mommy still trying to get back into shape 9 months after giving birth, I know it’s not my breast I’m worried about exposing while nursing in public; it’s my belly. This is why I love nursing camisoles.

Granted, as a woman with rather large breasts, the nursing camisole isn’t the most flattering undergarment. It leaves me a little droopy. Let’s be honest. It gives me a big droopy uniboob. However, it is comfortable. I have support, just not the same kind of support I was used to before I became more focused on breastfeeding than I was on cleavage. This isn’t a complaint. It is just a fact.

Continue reading “Medela Nursing Camisole Covers With Natural Fibers”

If you’re a fan of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse series, you’ll love Mickey’s Storybook Surprises. (And by you I mean, of course, the children in your house. Because you won’t find me admitting that I liked this DVD. However, I’m not denying it.)

Cartoons and children’s shows have come a long way since the days when I vegetated in front of the TV as a child. Throughout the entire DVD you could hear my sons shouting out answers to the questions and see them dancing along with the characters. Okay, not just my sons; but how could I do an honest review if I didn’t join in the whole experience?

Mickey’s Storybook is a compilation of four episodes that are based, sometimes loosely, on popular fairy tales. The episodes are (1) Minnie’s Mystery; (2) Donald the Frog Prince; (3) Minnie Red Riding Hood; and (4) Sleeping Minnie.

Continue reading “Mickey’s Storybook Surprises DVD Delights Everyone”