Monthly Archives: March 2007

Holey Donuts! Ultra Low Fat Gourmet Donuts

Fun stuff for parents

Holeydonuts‘Holy crap!’, ‘holy kamole’, ‘holy stinky’s!’, ‘holey donuts’!  Yes, I said Holey Donuts!!  These are a few of the ‘holy’ phrases I use every day. Holey Donuts isn’t just another phrase though, they are actually the most incredible donuts on the planet. No kidding.

The life of a parent is FAST.. to say the least. We shower fast, we dress fast (often mis-matched), we clean fast, and we cook fast. Even fast cooking is something that I don’t particularly enjoy.. especially in the morning. I love to eat warm eggs and bacon, but the whole cooking thing makes warm breakfast a rarity in our house. Holey Donuts has given me some major ‘points’ with Sebastian and Tim. Now I can pop a few donuts in the microwave and give the boys a breakfast that they are all too happy to swallow whole.  Just  few seconds of preparation, a plate, a napkin, a glass of milk, and I feel like I have completed one of the most important tasks for the day.. feeding my two boys. 

I don’t know about you but after just a few bites of the average donut I am already kicking myself in the butt. However, when I eat a Holey Donut!™, I don’t feel bad at all. Why? Because every Holey Donut!™ has under 6% total fat while the average donut contains 40-55% fat! That makes me very happy!

Holey Donuts are an awesome breakfast, mid-day snack, after school treat, or desert. Have a few dozen of your favorite gourmet donuts delivered to your door, store them in your freezer, then pop a few in the microwave and enjoy.

There are plenty of gourmet donuts to choose from including the classic Cinnamon Bun, Marble Frosted, Vanilla, Blueberry Crumb, and lots more.

The fruit filled donuts are amazing. I expected the typical jelly like filling with diluted fruit flavor but the filling in Holey Donuts’ is true to the fruit flavor, and not jelly textured.

I could go on and on, but you will have to order a dozen and try them for yourself. I know your family will love Holey Donuts. Make room in your freezer for a box and order some today!!

Where to buy: Holey Donuts

The Mommy Insider readers get $10 when you order two dozen Holey Donuts!  Use code JMP7.

Baby Chronicles

Books, Fun stuff for parents, Organization, Personalized

BabychroniclesI am all about journaling, but I am not good at keeping all of my entries in one place. I am one of those that jots notes down on little pieces of paper and then I lose the note. I have at least a dozen pieces of paper around the house with  things like "Madelyn took her first step today!" written on them but I couldn’t tell you where they are. It always seems like the right time to write a note, but I just can’t seem to keep up with them.

My project this week is to take all of my notes, which I AM going to find, and transfer them into the Baby Chronicles keepsake journal I received for review.

The format of Baby Chronicles is great.

When you open the book, the first page will feature your baby’s first photograph, name, and birth date. Next is the Table of Contents that breaks down the book by sections including "First things First" where you keep track of your baby’s first haircut, first words, etc. Another great section is the "Medical History & Development" section where parents can keep records of baby’s immunizations, growth, dental information, and more.

Mom can track her pregnancy weight gain,  stomach measurement (yeah),
and baby’s heart rate through out the pregnancy.   The next page is
where mom will show off a photograph of her pregnant belly as well as a
photograph of the family before baby arrived.  There are pages to
feature ultrasound photographs, a copy of the birth certificate, a copy
of the birth announcment.. and one of my favorite pages is titled Sign
of the Times where mom tells the current price of a newspaper, what
cars they have, price of gasoline, and more. I think that is such a
cool idea.

"I’m a Big Kid Now" is my favorite section.  I think this section will be a favorite of Madelyn’s for years to come. In this section you note what your baby’s nicknames for her favorite toys were, show her first scribbles, and talk about baby’s first vacation and travels.

Baby Chronicles is a great baby shower gift idea.

I’m in my thirties and I still like to read my baby book. I am so glad my mom kept a journal of my milestones and special moments and I can’t wait until Madelyn looks at her Baby Chronicles book and say’s "I did that?" or "where did you take me to get my hair cut mom?".  Keeping notes about your child’s development is not only useful to you but nice for them to have when they grow up and have children of their own.

 

Where to buy: Baby Chronicles

Personalized Birthday Hats

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Baby & Kids Clothing, Holiday

PersonalizedbirthdayhatI can’t believe that Madelyn is going to be one in May! The first year goes by so fast and the fun has just begun.

I am in the midst of planning Madelyn’s birthday parties. We have to have at least two because of our extended families so I may be a little stressed in April while trying to figure out who is coming when and how we will celebrate at each party.

One thing that is making the thought of having multiple parties easier for me, is this super cute personalized birthday hat from Darling Designs Boutique. I put it on Madelyn and everything is OK.

This personalized birthday hat is simply too cute for me to put into words how cute it is. There is pink, fluff, polka dots, Madelyn’s name, a big "1".. and it’s all on Madelyn’s cute little head. (You can brag too if you send me pictures! – alicia@themommyinsider.com)

I can’t wait for our families to see Madelyn in her personalized birthday hat.

If you purchase a personalized birthday hat from Darling Designs Boutique or have already, please send me a photograph of your child wearing it and I will post it on The Mommy Insider for your family.. and the world to see!  I don’t do this for many products, but these are just so adorable, that I want to see your kids in them too!

When you order your child’s personalized birthday hat, you are given the opportunity to enter your child’s name, age, and the date you need the personalized birthday hat by.

Darling Designs Boutique offers several other personalized birthday hat designs including an adjustable princess crown party hat, and they don’t leave the boys out. There are designs for the little prince in your family too!

A few things I love about this personalized birthday party hat:
1. The durable construction. The hat itself is very sturdy and not easily squished when a seven year old "accidentally" steps on it.  Sebastian called it part of the review process?!  He’s smarter than I think sometimes.
2. The fonts are adorable.
3. The colors are vibrant.
4. The selection of fabrics and trim make your child’s hat even more personalized.
5. The chin strap keeps the hat on and doesn’t leave a mark on Madelyn’s skin.

Where to buy: Darling Designs Boutique

The Mommy Insider readers get 10% off with code WAHM10!

Quote the Walls

Nursery & Room Decor

Quotethewalls1
Three of Madelyn’s walls have art on them.  The fourth wall, is empty because I got overwhelmed with all the pieces on her walls already. However, the fourth wall looked empty and lonely. I was thrilled when I got an email from Rebecca, creator of Quote the Walls requesting that I review her designs on The Mommy Insider. Rebecca allowed me, as she does any customer, to choose the quote, letter color, and font of the Quote she would send for review. After browsing dozens of quote choices, I decided on "Dream, all you need is a little pixie dust" in purple letters, and in a super cute font. Currently, there are forty fonts to choose from and dozens of quotes in categories including Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Playroom/Day Care, and more. 

These quotes are so fun. I imagine that any child with a customized quote on their bedroom or bathroom wall must feel very special.

Your quote can be as simple as your child’s name in a font and color that matches his or her personality or as complex as "
Having a place to go…is a home. Having someone to love..is a family."

Getting it on Madelyn’s wall was much easier than I thought it would be.   I waited until Ashley, our nanny, got here today then we both went to Madelyn’s room thinking we were going to be in there for at least thirty minutes. I was wrong! YEAH!  I can admit when I’m wrong.  The process was simple. I placed the quote on the wall where I wanted it, made sure it was straight and then put a few pieces of tape at the top of the quote to secure it to the wall. After I put the tape on, I flipped the quote up toward the ceiling and peeled off the back.  Once the back was off, I flipped the quote back down so it would stick to the wall. Then I used a CD case to rub the quote on nice and smooth and made sure there weren’t any air bubbles. After that I started in the top corner and slowly pulled the top layer off to reveal the beautiful purple quote on the wall!

The entire process took about 20 minutes. There were a few times when the letters didn’t come off the paper on the first try but with a little rub of my finger, it came right off! 

This product is something that I will definitely get more of for my home. Tim and I are very into hanging family photographs on the walls so we will probably order one of her family quotes very soon. I am also anxious to get a quote for Sebastian’s room.

Where to buy: Quote the Walls

The Mommy Insider readers get 25% off any order with code momfinds!

Car Seat Poncho

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Baby & Kids Clothing, Travel

CarseatponchoI love the cold weather because I get to wear sweaters to cover up my extra fluff (as Sebastian so kindly puts it). However, one thing I dread about the winter and cold days in general is getting Madelyn all bundled up before we leave the house. That dread came to an end though, when I received a Car Seat Poncho to review. The Car Seat Poncho is made of two layers of 400 weight fleece so it is incredibly soft. Madelyn uses it to snuggle with sometimes when she’s not wearing it..she likes it so much.

When Madelyn is in her car seat, the Car Seat Poncho surrounds her like
a blanket and keeps her super warm. As the temperature inside the car increases, it can be easily opened or removed.

The Car Seat Poncho is perfect for families in apartments because you don’t have to bundle your child up in a coat or jacket just for the short walk to the car.

Carseatponcho_stepsThe Car Seat Poncho is simple to use.  Believe it or not, I actually figured out
how to ‘install’ (ha ha) the Car Seat Poncho without instructions!  Before you go out, slip the Car Seat Poncho over your baby’s head. Then when you sit your baby in the car seat, lift the back of the Car Seat Poncho and drape it over the top of the seat.  Open the zipper from the bottom, and lay the poncho panels aside.  Buckle the harness and tighten the straps as directed by the car  seat’s manufacturer. Pull the zipper down to close the poncho.
That’s it!  You’re ready to go! I love it!

I can’t tell you how many "That’s so cute" comments I’ve gotten when Madelyn wears her Car Seat Poncho in the store. Yes, I use it even when she’s not in the car seat.

The Car Seat Poncho is for use with babies in a convertible car seat, not an infant seat and who weigh 20 lbs. or more.

Where to buy: Car Seat Poncho

Mention The Mommy Insider and get a 10% rebate check with your purchase!