Running From The Little People Reviews

Military Wives' Cookbook

2009-05-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent a copy of The Military Wives' Cookbook to review just in time for Military Spouse Appreciation Day. To call this just a cookbook is a terrible understatement. There are so many amazing stories of military wives from times past and their stories of sacrifice and commitment.

The book is divided into themed sections such as "Teas and Coffees" and "Alfresco Dining" each packed with recipes that make my mouth water. Since the book arrived, I've been sick from a new pregnancy so I haven't had the chance to make any of the recipes yet but I've so enjoyed reading the stories and planning which recipes I want to make. First on my list is the Jalapeno Cheese Bread!

This is a great book that I'd recommend for anyone who has married into the military! This summer is PCS season and I know we are always looking for going away gifts for the spouse to show them our love and this would be perfect! It's also great if you are looking for door prizes for your next OSC or ESC function.

X-14 Mold and Mildew Stain Remover

2009-05-01T17:46:00.000-07:00

I live in a house that was built in 1920. This means that our house has a ton of charm and character. However, our bathrooms were built (as additions) without proper ventilation. This means that the mold and mildew in our shower can get out of control quickly!

When Mom Central asked if I'd review X-14 Mold and Mildew Stain Remover, it happened to be on a day when I was at the end of my rope with my disgusting shower so I jumped at the chance.

My husband used it this past week on our shower and we are impressed! Our shower has a really deep grooved grout between the tiles so it did require a little scrubbing (the bottle claims no scrubbing needed) but it wasn't nearly the elbow grease that we usually have to apply to get it clean. I'll be using it again and again!

I will say one thing. Read the label! There are warnings about the strong smell of the product and the need for good ventilation and you should definitely heed those warnings! Open a window and spray it on, it's totally worth the smell!

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

2009-04-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

My kids are huge fans of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! on Noggin. It's cute, funny and teaches lessons that are perfect for preschoolers. Mom Central recently sent me a copy of the new Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! DVD, Pirate Treasure and we watched it on a 7 hour road trip. As I expected, they loved it and asked to watch it over and over again!

This new DVD would make a great addition to your child's Easter basket and even has a never before seen episode included!

I spent some time on the Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! site in preparation for this review and I have to tell you that above how great this show is, I'm even more impressed with their website. Did you know that Wubbzy is the Good Will Ambassador for Autism Speaks? It's true! Also on their site are cute craft and recipe ideas as well as games and activities for your kids! This week is spring break at our house and the forecast isn't great so I'm thinking that this site will come in handy! The first thing we'll make is the Wub Pops because when you mix peanut butter and chocolate, you have a recipe for fun!

Neosporin...Our Go To Product

2009-03-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"? You know how the Dad thinks Windex is the cure for everything? That's my husband with Neosporin. No matter what accident we have around the house, he brings out the Neosporin. We tease him now as soon as he grabs it by saying, "Helps cuts heal 7-10 days faster, right?" He loves the stuff. So, when Mom Central gave me the opportunity to review Neosporin's products, I jumped at the chance.

We always have Neosporin in our medicine cabinet but recently I decided to clean out all of the expired products and realized that our tube expired almost two years ago!! With Neosporin, a little goes a long way so even though we use it often, a tube lasts forever! Be sure to check yours as Spring gets underway and the scrapes get more frequent!

Within minutes of opening, my son had a rug burn from playing too rough with the puppy and we were able to use it. I also received a Neo To Go Spray that was perfect size for our first aid kit that stays in our car. We were able to use that on our trip to Disney more times than I care to mention!

If you aren't already a Neosporin fan, I highly recommend having it on hand for those little scrapes, burns and cuts!

Special K Crackers

2009-01-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who decided that 2009 would be the year to lose those extra pounds, right?

For me, snacks can be my downfall. I hit a mid-afternoon lull and all I want to do is graze. That's why when Mom Central asked if I'd like to try Special K crackers, I was so excited!

I tried the Multi Grain Snack Crackers and the Italian Tomato and Herb crackers. Both were huge hits at our house but I especially loved the Multi Grain version. For 90 calories, you get a good amount of crackers and they are delicious! The Multi Grain crackers are also perfect for when you are on the go because they are packaged in individual servings.

If you are looking for a new go-to snack that won't ruin your diet, these are definitely worth a try!

Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body

2009-01-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

We are huge fans of GameStop around our house. Each of our friends and family members know that all gift giving occasions, Big Daddy wants only one thing: a GameStop gift card.

GameStop has an initiative for January to help you fulfill your New Year's Resolutions while having fun! Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body is designed to show you a selection of games that will help you in your fitness goals as well as some that will work your brain, as well. There are special demos set up in your local GameStop to help you figure out what games best fit your skills and goals so stop by and check it out!

As a special incentive, all shoppers who spend $35 or more on designated products will receive a free 12-month trial subscription to their choice of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping or Esquire magazines.

Now, if I could just come up with a plan to get Big Daddy to let me go to GameStop and get a Wii we'd be all set. Too bad he's a Playstation 3 enthusiast and considers my requests blasphemy!

Truvia

2009-01-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Just over a year ago while I was visiting a local health food store, the owner handed me a brochure with my receipt. I glanced at it when I got to the car and something caught my eye immediately. It was a brochure about Stevia, a natural, no calorie sweetener that was derived from a plant rather than chemicals.

My interest was piqued because I has been using Splenda and was looking for an alternative because I was trying to figure out the source of recent migraines. It looked interesting but I promptly forgot to go back and get some to try out.

Recently, I've been seeing commercials for Truvia, newly marketed version of stevia and again, I've been meaning to pick it up.

Enter Mom Central! I received a package of Truvia to review and I was so excited to have it in my coffee the next morning!

I have to say, I like it. It's not quite as sweet the Splenda that I've been using but honestly, that's a good thing. Truvia was perfect in my coffee! I was pleasantly surprised at how much it tastes like sugar and happy that it is a natural product.

Check out their Truvia's website and you can even find recipes that will satisfy your sweet tooth without breaking your New Year's resolution!

Love Your Veggies!

2009-01-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

Hidden Valley Ranch is hosting a contest right now for Moms to submit ideas on developing a community garden to encourage families to eat more veggies! I think this is a fantastic idea for that reason alone but they have taken it a step further! Ten winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Chicago for lessons on choosing and cooking great vegetable dishes, dinner at Chef Smith's restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, some amazing pampering, and $5,000 to create or maintain their community gardens. How cool is that??

Check out their Love Your Veggies site for more information as well as some healthy and fun recipes and activities for your family!

Yummie Tummie

2008-12-22T16:30:00.000-08:00

Are you eating as many cookies as I am this holiday season? Want to hide your muffin top at all of those Christmas parties?

I have a product that you will definitely want to check out!

Yummie Tummie was created by Heather Thomson, stylist to stars like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez. She wanted a line of clothing that was made to be stylish, secretly slimming and comfortable all at the same time.

Um...yes, please!!

The folks at Yummie Tummie have launched a site perfect for this time of year! At Eat Drink and Be Yummie, you can find recipes for your favorite indulgences and upload some of your own that you'd like to share. Check it out!

I've just ordered two of their fabulous tank tops and I can't wait to try them out!

Through The Storm

2008-11-20T09:16:00.001-08:00

I recently read the book "Through the Storm" by Lynne Spears. From the hype this book got from the media, I expected to read it and really dislike Lynne for dishing dirt on her children and giving parenting advice just to make a buck.

Instead, what I found was a woman, a mother, who desperately wants the world to see her family through her eyes. She didn't dish up the dirt on Britney's private relationships or the sordid details of Jamie Lynn's pregnancy. She talked about them as a mother would her children, with love and candid honesty about their achievements (good and bad).

I got the feeling from this book that Lynne Spears did what so many mothers do: she lost herself along the way of helping her kids be who they want to be. Sure, not all of us help our kids become pop sensations or television stars but we often cart them music lessons, dance lessons or sports practices and make their lives our priority.

She's at the end of the road with her own children because as adults, they now achieve their goals without her assistance and hindsight has shown her that she should have done the tough parts of parenting more often and taken better care of realizing her own goals. She openly shares her own regrets as a mother and wife but assures the reader that she did what she thought was right at the time.

I don't agree with anyone's parenting choices entirely, including Lynne Spears. I choose not to judge them because I am not in their shoes and the choices they face are very different from those in front of me. Instead, I try to empathize with them and realize that we are all human and have something to learn from one another.

Her book drew me in and made me realize that her family is just that...a family. None are perfect but most are at least trying to be there for one another.

If you want a preview of this book, you can find one here.

SeatSnug

2008-11-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

As many of my friends know, I'm hyper-vigilant about car seat safety. When Sister came of age and weight to be moved to a booster seat from a car seat, I searched high and low to find one that would accommodate her weight/height with a five point harness. I just didn't feel that she was as well protected with just a seat belt and a booster seat.

When Mom Central gave me the opportunity to try out and talk about a new product to secure those booster seats, I was ecstatic.

SeatSnug is a device that you secure onto the seatbelt of your car to make it more secure when protecting your child. It helps prevent the loosening of the seatbelt as you drive which causes bouncing around and could lead to ejection from the vehicle in the event of an accident.

Watch this video and see for yourself what a difference SeatSnug can make in keeping your child safe.

This product is what I needed to help me make the all important step of moving Sister up to a booster seat. If you have used it, please let me know how you liked it!