Portland LEGO® KidsFest WINNER

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information and provided me with a giveaway and the winner to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Congratulations Susannah Krug, you won (2) tickets to for the opening night session of the Portland LEGO® KidsFest on Friday, October 11, 2013 (4-8:30pm)!! Winner was randomly chosen by USFG on Thursday, Sept 26.

There is still time to get in on the savings. For a LIMITED TIME, Everyone Pays Kids Prices! Use a UNIQUE US Family Guide $AVINGS - USFG13 Details: http://portlandfamilyguide.com/coupon.php?bid=11334&dealid=1412®ionid=213 Expires Friday 9/20/13

Five identical sessions are available. Tickets are $19 for kids and $21 for adults. This event can sell out fast in all promotions and so I urge you to buy tickets in advance online if you would like to go!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the LEGO® Kids Fest 2013 I am getting free tickets for my family to go and 2 free tickets to giveaway to the winner. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free tickets. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

The Little Mermaid Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack Diamond Edition Review

We received this product free to facilitate this review.

For a limited time only The Little Mermaid has been brought once again out of the vault to be transformed to Blu-ray & digital copy on October 1st, 2013 for the very first time since the epic making of the movie in 1989. The film has been digitally restored and it now has high definition sound. Now a whole new generation will find their voice with this wonderful film. This Diamond Edition also has over 3 hours of bonus features. You can watch the digital copy on a number of different platforms: smart phone, tablet, TV and computer.

We are big fans of Disney's The Little Mermaid, but since we sold all our VHS videos we didn't own a copy anymore. I was so glad to get the chance to review the Diamond Edition DVD which also includes Blu-ray and digital copy. My daughters were especially excited to see it because it was their first time. My favorite part is the Chef in the castle singing "Les Poissons". My boys were singing the lyrics with him.

 This edition also includes extras:

• Music Video: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Part of Your World"
• Disney Intermission - Press Pause and See What Happens
• Crab-E-OKE - Sing along
• Disneyanimation - Go Behind The Scenes With Today's Top Disney Animators
• Deleted Scenes: "Fathoms Below" Alternate Version, Fight With Ursula/Alternate Ending
• Never-Before-Seen Deleted Character - Harold The Merman
• Part of Her World: Jodi Benson's  Voyage to New Fantasyland
• Howard's Lecture - Music in Movies
• Under the Scene
• Plus More!!

This classic Disney movie is based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen. It portrays a young strong willed mermaid that falls in love with a sailor, but not any sailor, a prince. She trades in her tail for legs to try to win his love. This trade comes with a price and a deadline from a wicked sea witch named Ursula. What is the price and will she get what she needs in time? Watch the movie to find out!

BUY IT:
You can purchase The Little Mermaid Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack Diamond Edition for $26.98 on Amazon.com.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

The 2nd Annual Rose City Comic Con #RCCC and Some Tips

My modest take on Poison Ivy at Rose City Comic Con

Saturday September 21st and Sunday September 22nd we were all invited out to go to the Rose City Comic Con. We made the first day a family event and the second day my husband and I spent the day as a Mommy and Daddy day. We saw: vendors with their merchandise, exhibitors with their memorabilia, artists, special guests, celebrity guests, voice talent, gaming guests, live entertainment and panels, gamers and cosplayers. This comic and sci-fi/fantasy convention was definitely a mash-up of all things geeky and nerdy.

We received the final details very last minute so the night before my family got their costumes ready. I just dressed the girls up as Disney Princesses and they wanted to be twins so they were both Belle. As for the rest, my husband took me to the local Goodwill to see what I could find.

Batman Delbin and his getaway vehicle.

I found an awesome hooded back cape and a Batman costume for Delbin and was trying to find a Iron Man costume for Jaedan, but had no luck. I really didn't want to pay full price for one. Jaedan ended up making his costume out of a jumble of Steampunk looking parts to make a Iron Man arm to try and recreate this look. He had a round LED push light he used for the arc light reactor in the center of his chest and he cut the bottom of a aluminum pop can off to use as the hand repulsor. He also drew his Robert Downey Jr./Tony Stark beard and mustache on by hand. (Sorry I don't have a picture of Jaedan in costume, he is camera shy and had some slight costume malfunctions when he got to comic con.)

I was also scouting out my costume. I love cosplay and I wanted to be Poison Ivy. I wanted this costume to be a homage to my first Halloween with my husband. He was Batman and I was Poison Ivy. We threw our costumes together from thrift store finds back then also. His mask was made from a ski mask he had and black duct tape and cardboard. My hair was spray painted red. We never got a picture and I wish we had because it was awesome! My husband didn't dress up unfortunately though this time around. He didn't want to steel Delbin's thunder. This time I found a red wig and used fake ivy to wrap around me. The rest of my costume was makeup I had and clothing from my closet. The look I wanted to achieve was a more modest version of the seductive villain.

My ultimate goals in going to the Rose City Comic Con was to see the venders there, take lots of pictures of people in costume and go see The Doubleclicks perform. I was also looking for Doctor Who and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic memorabilia.

My husband checking out MLP art from Katie Cook and Andy Price.

What's this? Laura Croft with a Llama on her head??

Some very colorful people.

Arrrrrr!

Here are things about our visit I would change if I had a time traveling device:

• Know Where To Park: We spent the first moments after we arrived to the convention center trying to find parking. My husband was not too happy going around in circles.
• Plan What You Want To Do and See: I didn't even get the schedule out at all on the first day and they had some cool sounding panels that were also kiddo friendly that we completely missed out on. Also, there was the whole layout and map of all the tables for the vendors so I could have easily mapped everything all out.
• Make a Meeting Place: I was so caught up in the moment of everything that I lost track of my husband. Thankfully all my kids were still with me, but we spent hours trying to find each other because we didn't have a place to meet if we got lost from each other. Also, I didn't know that you could page people at the front desk and that would have also saved us some time. My other blogging friends that were there had trouble with their cell phones inside the building so we weren't able to meet up with most of them because we didn't set up a time and place to meet ahead of time.
• Bring a Bag: I thought that this, like other conventions I had been before supplied you with a bag to put handouts in that you would be getting. I was very wrong. I kept on saying to the vendors that I needed a something to hold all the awesome stuff I was getting. One of them finally gave me a comic slipcover bag to put some of it in. I kept on seeing RCCC tote bags, but didn't know where to get them and I found out later that they were an extra $5 to purchase at the RCCC Merch Booth.
• Bring Food and Drinks If You Can: We didn't know the policy on whether or not bringing your own food or drink was acceptable practice, so we left ours home. Concession stands and vending machines selling food and drink there were quite expensive! So knowing if we could have brought some ahead of time might have saved us some money and whiny children.
• Don't Forget a Camera AND Extra Batteries: This is actually something I didn't forget this time, but in the past I have forgotten and saw so many opportunities for pictures that presented themselves. The extra batteries are so important too because I know of so many times that my camera ran out of juice and I didn't have a spare. 
• Don't Forget Your Cell Phone AND Charger: My other blogging friends that were there had trouble with their cell phones inside the building. Signals were lost, batteries died, etc. Sometimes technology just doesn't work as well as we would like, but a cell phone could still come in handy. If you have a fancy phone or tablet with high res camera and games (I do not) you can entertain your kids when things get boring for them while sitting at panels, etc.
• Cosplaying Can Get Tricky: Seeing all the people dressed in costume was really fun for me, but some of the costumes were a little bit scary for my youngest who is almost 3. She was very intimidated by some and wasn't sure what to think. If I could go back I would have talked to her ahead of time about cosplay and how the people are just dressed up to have fun. Also, my oldest that was in the Batman costume got really hot while he was dressed up and was walking around in a mask he couldn't see very well in. Jaedan, who made his costume from scratch, had some technical difficulties and costume malfunctions with it too. So, I think more practical costumes are in order for next year.
• Know About All Kid-Friendly Things: If you are bringing kids then the key to any event is to keep them occupied and not bore them to the core. We saw so many things in the schedule after the fact that we totally missed that were also kiddo friendly. I am sure if we had planned our day out with the kids ahead of time that we could have stifled some of the whining that proceeded.
• Bring Enough Cash: Not all of the vendors took credit cards as we found out to our dismay when all our cash we brought ran out. We saw a lot of neat things we wanted to purchase while we were there at the con. There may have been a cash machine somewhere in the building, but those usually ding you with unwanted fees.

Teela and Zari in front of the '66 Batmobile. Teela has her Vanna White pose down pat ;)

Teela with R2D2 and R4 from Star Wars

Kids Area with more Disney Princesses!

The Mighty Morphing Power Rangers and Princess Teela have saved the day!

Stuff we enjoyed while we were at RCCC:

• Cosplayers: There was such a diverse lineup of characters. We saw superheroes, super villains, Steampunk, and characters from anime, manga, fantasy, sci-fi, books, movies, TV, games, and comics. My favorites were: Dr. Who, Tardis, MLP, Princess Zelda, Link, and San from Princess Mononoke.
• Kids Area: RCCC had a Kids Area that the littles enjoyed. They especially enjoyed the Little Engineers Table where they had remote control machines, robots and vehicles & LEGO simple machines to manipulate. The Kids Area also had Disney Princesses that did balloon animals/sculptures, face painting and story time for a small fee. There was also Super Hero Puppet Theater, Comics4Kids, The Alter Egos Society, and an animal petting zoo. I wish they had more for kids available for free.
• Panels: We only had time to go to one panel, The Doubleclicks. They were such a fun geeky musical group. I highly recommend going to see them! They are local to Portland too! I wanted to see and experience other panels, but didn't get to. Thankfully some of the panels you can see online for free on FlipOn.tv, but if you want to watch them all you have to pay $11.95 for the full archive. I watched the Female Comic Creators panel after the con.
• Vendors, Exhibitors and Artists: I saw so many neat things to buy and look at while I was there. My favorites included, but weren't limited to: Sock Dreams (gorgeous socks and accessories), Glow Sabers & More (had a demo unit of their marshmallow shooters for kids and others to try), Geekographs (etched metal fan art), Dark Horse Comics (had a lot of cool free stuff at their table), Espionage Cosmetics, Sabor Forge (awesome very authentic looking custom Lightsabers), Steam Baby (Steampunk awesomeness!), Yes Anime (super alloy collectable figures), Two-Faced Creations (fursuit and cosplay items), Charlie Donkin Art (really intricate and detailed fan art), Benjamin Dewey's Tragedy Series (great tragic comedy with short comics), Chooseomatic Books (Choose Your Own Adventure Books), Andy Price and Katie Cook (partners in crime in the MLP FIM from IDW), Eco Chernik (Exotic Fine Art I love the style of), Plays With Toys (Fun Toy Figurine Photography of Heather E. Ray), Erin Middendorf (Pottery Art I love), PicturePurrfect (I bought some cool MLP buttons from them and they also have prints, plushies, key chains, commissions and more!), Christa D. (She has an awesome Rainbow Dash sculpture that she made and other illustration art.), Cute Glass (Very cute fused glass chibi sculptures), Sara Richard (Love her MLP artwork she did for some comic book covers!), Cutie Bytes (Love their MLP necklaces and I also saw them at Everfree NW!), Bricks & Minifigs (Neat store in Beaverton and other places around the world that buys, sells and trades LEGO blocks and people), Project London (Special Effects Rich sci-fi movie that is all done independently with open source 3D! We bought the DVD and got it signed by one of the executive producers.), THG Props (props, replicas and restorations), and so much more!!!
• Other Stuff Worth Seeing: Old school video arcade, '66 Batmobile and Robin's motorbike, R2D2 and R4 replicas, guest stars.

The Doubleclicks performing their geektastic songs.

Yes, even Poison Ivy dresses as a Pirate if it is for charity! It's a pirates life for me.

It's not everyday you see Merida playing an arcade game.

Holy Collectables Batman!

This is a fun group: Tardis, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Steampunk

I probably left out so many awesome things we saw while we were there because well I really didn't want this to turn out to become a book...or even a graphic novel, LOL!

If you are ever in the Portland area next September 20th and 21st I hope to see you at the 2014 Rose City Comic Con! Also go follow them on Twitter and Facebook for all their updates.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Since I am in the Cascadia Connect group of bloggers I became aware of this event and was given free tickets for my family to go. Thanks to Pepper, the Rose City Comic Con and others involved for this opportunity. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this promotion.

Shabby Apple Snapdragon Dress Review

I received product free from Shabby Apple to facilitate this review.

Shabby Apple has a great selection of dresses, tops, bottoms, swim wear, shoes and accessories with a vintage clothing look and modest style. I love so much of their unique selection. Some of the dresses are great for bridesmaids and others are great for everyday wear or at church. I love that they also have a great selection of styles, colors, fabrics, lengths, and sizes to accommodate a wide variety of women.

The Snapdragon from Shabby Apple is a very cute tropical print dress with birds, flowers, leaves, and twigs all about. I love that it is 100% cotton. The fabric breathes really well and is perfect for a spring time dress or even for autumn when you want to wear something cheery and bright. It reminds me of Spring. You can accompany it with a matching shawl for a lovely retro look. The Snapdragon has a full skirt with button down top and collar. Its high waistline makes it desirable for a lot of different shaped women. It is very modest and comes past my knees. It is also very practical because you can machine wash it in cold water.

I got the XS size because I am of petite build. I tried measuring as best as I could my self. When I received the dress it fit everywhere correctly, except for around the chest. The high waistline likes to inch up even higher around me and then the top where it buttons bunches up. If I button it up all the way I am constantly pulling it down so that it doesn't stick out weird. I can unbutton two of the top buttons to lessen this. Otherwise I love the dress and I think it looks very cute on me.

BUY IT:
You can purchase the Snapdragon for $86.00 On Sale For: $43.00!

Follow Shabby Apple on Facebook, Twitter, G+, Instagram and Pinterest.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. 

Fall Festival Savings and Deals

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

Ready for some Fall Festival Deals! I have put together a great list of Corn Maze Coupons and Fall Festival savings nationwide. Download valuable coupons for Corn Mazes, Pumpkin Patches and Fall Family Activities by clicking the links below for your local Fall Festival.

Arizona
Tolmachoff Farms - Glendale
Schnepf Farms - Queen City

California
Forneris Farms - Mission Hills

Colorado
Anderson Farms - Erie
Flat Acres Farm - Parker
Fritzler Maze - La Salle
Sunflower Farm - Longmont
Mile High Farms - Bennett
Wishing Star Farm - Calhan
Harvest Farm - Wellington

Florida
Harvestmoon Farm - Masaryktown FL

Georgia
Lane Southern Orchards - Fort Valley
Poppell Farms - Odum

Illinois
All Seasons Orchard - Woodstock
Kuipers Family Farm - Maple Park
Odyssey Fun Farm - Tinley Park
Siegel's Cottonwood Farm - Lockport

Indiana
Amazing Fall Fun - Waterloo
Guffey Acres- Kokomo
Harvest Tyme Pumpkin Patch - Lowell
Hobson's Fun Farm - Rockville

Louisiana
CM Farms - Dry Creek

Maryland/DC
Summers Farm - Fredrick County

Massachusetts
Sauchuk Farm - Plympton

Michigan
Farmer Charley's Corn Maze Adventure - Monroe

Minnesota
Afton Apple Orchard - Hastings

Mississippi
Seward Farms Maze - Lucedale

Missouri/Kansas
KC Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze - Gardner
Shuck's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch - Pleasant Hill

Montana
The Maize at Grandpa's Farm - Billings

Nebraska
Camp Fontanelle - Nickerson

New Jersey
VonThun Farms - Monmouth Junction
Sahl's Father Son Farm - Egg Harbor City

New York
Wright Family Farm - Warwick
Harbes Family Farm - Mattituck

North Carolina
Patterson Farm Market and Tours - Mount Ulla

Ohio
The Corn Maze at the Sharp Run Market - Millersburg
Meadow View Growers - New Carlisle

Oregon
The Maize at The Pumpkin Patch - Portland, OR

Pennsylvania
Hurricane Hill Farm - Coatsville
Triple B Farms - PittsburghReillys Summer Seat Farm - Pittsburgh

Rhode Island
Confreda Greenhouses & Farms - Hope (Western Cranston)

Texas
Devine Acres Farm - Devine
Fiesta Farm - San Antonio
Yesterland Farm - Canton
South Texas Maize - Hondo
Dewberry Farm - Brookshire
Brazos Valley Maize- Brenham

Utah
Cornbelly's Corn Maze & Pumpkin Fest - Spanish Fork

Virginia
Cows-N-Corn - Midland
Wayside Farm Fun - Berryville
Belvedere Plantation - Fredericksburg

For Daily Updates on these coupons and coupons for other family attractions please visit and bookmark: http://www.usfamilycoupons.com

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Fall Festivals I am getting free admission for my family to go. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free tickets. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

LEGO® KidsFest is Coming to Portland, Oregon Giveaway and Savings Offer

US Family Guide provided me with this promotional information and giveaway to share with my readers. I am getting something for free in return for posting this information.

LEGO® Kids Fest 2013 is coming to Portland Oregon on October 11th!! I cannot wait and neither can my kids! This will be a great hands-on educational learning experience and fun for all ages!! There will be millions of LEGO bricks covering 3 acres of space.

Dates & Sessions:
Friday, October 11, 2013 4 pm - 8:30 pm
Saturday, October 12, 2013 Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 13, 2013 Session I: 9 am – 1:30 pm Session II: 3 pm – 7:30 pm
(Note: Each session offers the same exhibits and activities)

Where:
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard
Portland, OR 97232
Halls C, D & E
(503) 235-7575
www.oregoncc.org

Activities:

• LEGO Model Gallery: dozens of life-sized models made entirely from LEGO bricks
• LEGO Master Builders: live demonstrations and activities from the crew who get paid to play
• Creation Nation: build your own creation to add to a custom map of the U.S.
• Race Ramps: build your own custom car, then race it down the ramp against friends and family
• LEGO Games Arena: roll the dice to play LEGO board games
• Construction Zones: creative free build, play and display areas
• LEGO DUPLO®: younger visitors can explore imagination through building
• LEGO Retail and KidsFest Marketplace: purchase LEGO merchandise and official KidsFest tour goods
• Brick Pile: a gigantic pile full of LEGO bricks for creative play and enjoyment
• Monochromatic Builds: bricks of a single color to foster group creativity
• LEGO Friends: fantastic displays that combine lots of LEGO and DUPLO sets 
• And More!!

WIN!!
One of Eccentric Eclectic Woman's followers will win (2) tickets to for the opening night session on Friday, October 11, 2013 (4-8:30pm).

To enter click on this link... http://www.usfamilyguide.com/LEGO_KidsFest/?blogid=354
Winner will be randomly chosen by USFG on Thursday, Sept 26 and then announced on my blog at a later date.

SAVE!!
For a LIMITED TIME, Everyone Pays Kids Prices! Use a UNIQUE US Family Guide $AVINGS - USFG13 Details: http://portlandfamilyguide.com/coupon.php?bid=11334&dealid=1412®ionid=213 Expires Friday 9/20/13

Five identical sessions are available. Tickets are $19 for kids and $21 for adults. This event can sell out fast in all promotions and so I urge you to buy tickets in advance online if you would like to go!

LIKE and Follow LEGOKidsFest on Facebook, Twitter for all the latest ticketing updates! 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the LEGO® Kids Fest 2013 I am getting free tickets for my family to go and 2 free tickets to giveaway. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free tickets. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Ultimate Helper Meal Mixes and Betty Crocker Ultimate Potatoes Review and Prize Pack Giveaway

I admit that sometimes even I need some help in the kitchen. Usually it is because I procrastinated, didn't write up a meal plan, and have no idea what to eat for dinner. I have also had those days that are just too busy, time escapes me, and dinner is needing to be done and on the table lightning fast. I know that there are times when I need quick go-to meals to turn to when there is little to no time to prepare something else.

The contents of the Ultimate Helper Meal Mixes and Betty Crocker Ultimate Potatoes.

All-new Betty Crocker Ultimate Potatoes and Ultimate Helper mixes will help you get dinner on the table faster and create a delicious meal to feed your family. Each box comes with both seasoning and a creamy sauce. Betty Crocker Ultimate mixes come in a variety of flavors that include: Ultimate Hamburger Helper Creamy Stroganoff, Ultimate Chicken Helper Creamy Parmesan, Ultimate Chicken Helper Cheddar Broccoli, Ultimate Hamburger Helper Three Cheese Marinara, Ultimate Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Ultimate Loaded Mashed Potatoes and Ultimate Au Gratin Potatoes. I received the Ultimate Hamburger Helper Three Cheese Marinara and Betty Crocker Ultimate Loaded Mashed Potatoes plus a gift pack to try out for free to facilitate this review.

Meal spread with the Prize Pack (kale not included).

The Ultimate Hamburger Helper Three Cheese Marinara is has real tomato herb marinara sauce and an herb seasoning with real cheddar, Parmesan and ricotta cheese. The box has easy to follow instructions and Box Tops. It comes with penne pasta, naturally flavored seasoning mix, and tomato herb sauce. You will need to add 1lb lean ground beef, 1 cup hot water and 2 and 1/4 cups milk. This has artificial color which I didn't think necessary in the ingredients. (contains wheat, milk; may contain egg and soy ingredients if you are allergic)

The Ultimate Loaded Mashed Potatoes are made with real cheddar cheese and 100% real potatoes. The box has easy to follow instructions and Box Tops. These are loaded mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese, imitation bacon flavored bits and parsley. You will need to add 1 and 1/3 cups water, 2 tbsp butter or margarine, and 1/2 cup milk. This has caramel color and artificial color which I didn't think necessary in the ingredients. This box comes with enough potatoes for 2 meals (4 servings each) per box. These were very creamy and yummy. I loved the bacon flavor and the sprinkle of parsley. (contains milk, soy and wheat ingredients if you are allergic)

I included Kale from my friends garden to this meal to balance it out.

The 3-piece bamboo serving bowls are Moso Bamboo 3-piece Serving Bowl Set in Orange from Zak! Designs. These are made with 75% bamboo and are biodegradable. These are hand wash only and are not microwave safe. They have an organic shape that I really like and a radiant orange color that brightens up the kitchen (other colors you can purchase are red, kiwi and azure). I love that these are so versatile to serve all kinds of food in them. Comes in capacity of: 3.5 qt / 3.31 liters, 1.75 qt / 1.65 liters, 1.25 qt / 1.18 liters.

The Serving spoon is a Loft 12-inch Kitchen Spoon in Orange also from from Zak! Designs. This spoon has a Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR) handle that is comfortable to grip and gives the spoon a pop of color. The spoon part is made of nylon and is heat resistant up to 350 degrees. This is also dishwasher safe and BPA free. This should not be microwaved. This serving spoon is great for stirring sauces, pasta and more! It is also safe for non-stick cookware.

The 4 plates are a 10-inch Square Dinner Plate also from Zak! Designs and are BPA free. They are 100% melamine and dishwasher safe. These should not be microwaved. These are great for both indoor and outdoor entertaining. The Birdcage design has a black and white geometric flower with a dash of orange color in one corner. These clean easily and are great for kids to use.

The Ultimate Mixes Prize Pack.

WIN IT
Prize: One lucky reader will get an Ultimate Prize Pack worth $55 that includes the following:

• 1 box of Ultimate Hamburger Helper
• 1 box of Betty Crocker Ultimate Potatoes
• 3-piece bamboo serving bowls
• Serving spoon
• 4 plates

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product to review and the same product to giveaway for free. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Reading Eggs FREE 5 Week Offer

All information is provided by USFamilyGuide.com and Reading Eggs. I am  receiving 3 months FREE for posting this promotion.

Reading Eggs is a program that focuses on a range of online reading lessons, activities, and ebooks for literacy skills suitable for kids ages 3 to 12. These have been produced by a highly qualified team of teachers, educational writers, animators and web developers. Since its launch in the US and Canada in 2011, Reading Eggs has logged on more than 500,000 members and given more than 15 million lessons in North America.

Readers of Eccentric Eclectic Woman receive a FREE Five-Week Trial Offer. No credit card required. This offer is good until 9/30 then Reading Eggs will go back to a two-week trial.

Sign up to get the offer and get lessons to teach your child: phonics, letter recognition, sight words, learning to read, vocabulary, online reading, spelling, and comprehension.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Reading Eggs I am getting 3 months FREE. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free subscription. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Back to School with Children's Oxylent Review and Giveaway

We received products free to facilitate this review and have been offered products to give away as well.

Nutrition is so important for our children. How your child eats today will have a huge impact on their health throughout adolescence and adulthood. It is imperative to instill good habits when children are young so they grow into healthy adults. Getting the most nutritious food into them; however, sometimes can be a daunting task. Some children are very picky eaters and to them the nutritious food might not be the best tasting. Getting the proper vitamins and minerals everyday can be hard sometimes. Especially since we tend to live busy lifestyles.

This fall, you can send your kids off to school with strong immune systems and a big boost of brain power! Children's Oxylent delivers essential nutrients and offers a fun, great tasting, nutritious drink, sweetened with Stevia only.

Specifically, Children's Oxylent:

• Nurtures: A balance of the highest-quality nutrients supports your child's development and well-being. Vitamin A supports growth, vitamins E and B support developing nervous systems, and zinc supports brain function. 
•  Strengthens: Vitamin D3, calcium, and magnesium support the health of growing bones and muscles.9–11 Recent research shows that even kids in sunny climates don't get enough vitamin D.
• Protects: Vitamins A, C, and D, and the mineral zinc promote the health and function of your child's immune system. Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is important to replenish daily.

The Children's Oxylent multivitamin drink comes in bubbly berry punch flavor. My kids really love the flavor and it is easy to mix with 4-6 ounces of water. It is sorta fizzy. I found that it doesn't dissolve completely. There is always some white residue that is left behind after drinking. Getting my children to get their vitamins this way was not hard at all. One packet daily is recommended amount for children over 4 years old.I love the fact that Stevia is used instead of sugar, it has natural fruit flavors, and beet powder is used for coloring.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review and giveaway. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review and giveaway.

Nabisco belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuit Review and Guest Post: Easing Stress During the Busy Back to School Season

I received these products for free to facilitate this review.

Nabisco belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits are a new tasty treat that is wonderful for a grab and go breakfast! They are also wonderful for an after school snack. These come in two flavors: Oats & Chocolate and Mixed Berry. They have 20% daily fiber, 11g whole grain per 50g serving, good source of B-vitamins which help convert food into energy, and only 7g of fat. These contain NO: high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, or artificial flavors or sweeteners.

These soft baked biscuits are so yummy! I loved the Oats & Chocolate one the best myself, but the Mixed Berry one was very good too. These are extra crumbly so make sure to eat over a plate or napkin so you don't lose any morsel of goodness. I recommend these to anyone needing a quick easy breakfast!

Below I have included some great tips to help parents get ready for the Back to School Season from the Lifestyle Mom, Dana Hilmer...

Easing Stress during the Busy Back to School Season Soon families everywhere will be getting back in the school year routine.:

1. It’s important to schedule down time for you and your family. Before signing your kids up for this year’s after-school activities, think about your family’s priorities and the impact each activity will have on your schedules.
2. It’s just as important for you to have a tasty, healthy breakfast as it is for your kids. Perfect for eating on the go, belVita Soft Baked Breakfast Biscuits come in two varieties, Mixed Berry and Oats & Chocolate, grab a banana and a latte and you’re good to go with nutritious morning energy. 
3. Take a little time each night to get organized for the following morning. By making lunches and selecting outfits before bed each night, you’ll free time each morning for other things. 
4. Be sure to keep healthy snacks in the kitchen for after-school snacking. Nuts, crackers and fruit are great to give kids right when they walk in the door to keep them from grazing on unhealthy snacks, or spoiling their appetites for dinner. 
5. Moms often complain about not having enough time for themselves, but when life gets busy, it’s even more important to carve out that time. Treat “me time” as a priority. 
6. Start a to-do list with three sections: the priority of the day for yourself, the priority of the day for your family and the priority of the day for your work. Start with these items, and only move on to other less important items once they’re done. 
7. Use Sunday nights to plan your dinners each week. If you take a few minutes to think about how you can creatively use the leftovers from one night to the next, you can create a full week’s worth of healthy, tasty dinners that your family will enjoy. 
8. Give yourself the freedom to say no without guilt. Activities or commitments that may not be right for your family are okay to decline. Saying NO gives you the permission to say YES to things that are important to you. 
9. Back-to-school season is also cold and flu season. You can keep your entire family healthy with these simple habits: eating well, getting enough rest and washing hands regularly. 
10. Create a network of support for yourself. This network looks different for everyone. Consider asking your partner and kids for support. They can be a great help with tasks you feel comfortable handing over. 

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. The Guest Post was provided to me free to share by belVita. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review or posting this guest post.

Orkin Home Education Kit & Flashlight Giveaway & Blog App

The Orkin Home Education Kit includes:
• 2 Orkin Factoids 11x17 Posters
     - Poster #1 - The Pollinators
     - Poster #2 - The Recyclers
• 1 Orkin bug-finding flashlight
• 20 Rubber Toy Creepy Crawly Bugs

Be your own Orkin man! Use the flashlight and fun posters to learn about how every creature plays a part in our ecosystem.

About Orkin
Is your home at risk? The best way to protect your home is education. How much do you know about household pests? They don’t have a place in your home, but pests do have a place in the world. From science and forensics to art and culture, pests play an important role.

Take the Pest Test Quiz to find out how well you know about our tiny neighbors!

Orkin are EXPERTS in bug science and developing customized solutions for keeping your home pest-free!  

PEST CONTROL DOWN TO A SCIENCE.



Blog App:

• The Pest Test! QUIZ - See if you know your bug science by taking this quiz and testing your pest knowledge!
• Bizarre Bug Facts! PDF - Get the facts on these creepy crawly critters from the experts at Orkin!
• View the Orkin Man in Action! GIFs - Watch these exciting Orkin Man GIFs that prove he’s part scientist, part superhero! 

WIN IT
Prize: Orkin Home Education Kit & Flashlight.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Orkin Blog App I am getting a Orkin Home Education Kit & Flashlight free for my readers as a giveaway. Thanks to PartnersHub and Orkin for providing me this promotion information and free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this blog app and giveaway.

Lunchables JR. Review and Play Date

We received products free from Kraft Foods and Crowdtap to facilitate this review.

You may remember Lunchables from when you were a kid and begged your parents to buy them. I know I did. Lunchables now have come a long way since then and have much healthier choices to pick from. Sure they still have the cold pizza, but it has wholegrain crust now and they also have Lunchables with sub sandwiches! They also have added bottled spring water, fruit smoothie, apple sauce, sugar-free Jell-O, and 100% juice to the meals.

New to Lunchables are Lunchables JR. These snacks are made with little kids in mind and are great for ages 3+. They are great for kids that have a lot of energy all the time. These are easy to whip out in between meals for a great snack when little bellies get growly. Also great as an after school snack too!

 Lunchables JR. lunch combinations have 4 different awesome flavors:

• Ants on a Log: Peanut Butter, SUN-MAID® Raisins, and Honey Graham Sticks
• Blueberry Bonanza: Cheez-It® Baked Snack Crackers, Blueberry-Flavored Dried Apple Pieces, and Mini NILLA Wafers
• Teddy Bear Picnic: Peanut Butter, Dried Apple Pieces, and TEDDY GRAHAMS Honey Graham Snacks - Naturally Flavored
• Very Berry Crunch: Mini RITZ BITS Cheese Cracker Sandwiches, Strawberry-Flavored Dried Apple Pieces, and TEDDY GRAHAMS Honey Graham Snacks

Zari and her play mates taste testing Lunchables JR.

We received Blueberry Bonanza and Teddy Bear Picnic to try out. Zari and her little friends had a play date and tried the snacks out while having an indoor picnic. They enjoyed all the combinations, but the creamy peanut butter, TEDDY GRAHAMS Honey Graham Snacks, and Mini NILLA Wafers were the first to go. Zari loved everything there, but since we had dried a bunch of fruit ourselves from harvest she and her little friends were not quite in the mood for the dried apples pieces (which didn't have the crunch our dried fruit has) and left them for the very last. The girls got thirsty with these though and so I had to break out the 100% juice from Capri Sun®. We think that it would be great if they added a drink to the package so that not only the hunger of little bellies ceases, but thirst does too.

Girls polishing off the creamy peanut butter and getting a much needed thirst quencher to go with the Lunchables JR.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.