Monthly Archives: March 2012

Crayola “Inside the Crayon Box” Prize Pack Giveaway {Contest Closed}

March 20, 2012Arts and Crafts, Contests, Giveaways, New postscrayola, giveawayAlicia

Crayola has been in my life for years and years. I remember melting Crayola crayons on our driveway in Florida. I would set my Crayola crayons that were too small to color with on the driveway or sidewalk and leave them there for the day then check on them later to find them melted. “Yes! What a pretty blob” is probably what I was thinking at 7 years old. Things like melting crayons are what make life fascinating for a child don’t you think? Something as simple as crayons can create memories that last a lifetime.

I’m thrilled that my 5 year old daughter is finally getting into coloring. For the longest time she wouldn’t color because she wanted to stay inside the lines but didn’t have the fine motor skills do make that happen and she would get frustrated. Please note.. I didn’t request that she stay in the lines! That’s not the way I color! Now she will color for a couple of hours straight. I love it.

We recently received a pack of products from Crayola and MyBlogSpark to try out and it couldn’t have been better timing. We have been on the road a lot lately and all of the products except for the Kaleidoscope Chalk are great for car rides.

Crayola Mess Free Color Wonder Tiny Tube
With over 10 ft of coloring, perforated activity pages, a carry-along handle and the ability to store markers inside, kids can color at home or on the road; markers magically appear only on the special Color Wonder paper, not on skin.
I LOVE this! The pictures are perforated and each picture has slightly sticky strips on the back allowing it to stick to a table or travel desk so it doesn’t slide. Great for car rides!

Crayola Crystal Effect Window Markers
Turn an ordinary window or mirror into a colorful crystal canvas and create amazing effects on an unexpected surface that can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.
We spent hours Saturday playing with Crayola Crystal Effect Window Markers. My daughter loved the way her drawings would crystalize and “turn into ice pictures”.
Watch a video of my daughter discussing her favorite things about Crayola Crystal Effect Window Markers

Crayola Washable Kaleidoscope Chalk
Experience sidewalk art in amazing new ways, by drawing designs, putting on the 3D Kaleidoscope glasses and watching as creations pop up off the ground.
My daughter had a friend over to play with Crayola Washable Kaleidoscope Chalk. The outlined each other and then colored themselves in. The loved the way their hair and ‘clothes’ would pop out at them when they put the 3D Kaleidoscope glasses on.

Crayola Dry-Erase Bright Crayons
A dry-erase drawing and writing tool for kids that’s washable, smudge-proof, odorless, and will never dry out.
These crayons are easy to clean. That was my biggest concern with these but I was surprised to find that they really do wipe right off the dry erase board with a paper towel.

Crayola Dual-Sided Dry Erase Board
This two-sided board is white on one side and black on the other switching the typical whiteboard up. This combined with the Caryola Dry-Erase Bright Crayons make for eye-popping pictures or messages!

My First Crayola Washable Crayons, Markers & Stampers
Just the right size and shape for little hands, toddlers can create bright and colorful designs with no caps to lose or no messy ink pads.
My daughter just had to try the stampers out and sure enough she had a great time with them. I thought she would be too old for them but she made beautiful pictures out of the stamps.

To learn more about the tools from Crayola that make it easy for parents to help children develop their creativity www.Crayola.com and like Crayola on Facebook!

My daughter’s demonstration and favorite things about Crayola Crystal Effect Window Markers

Watch Crayola’s “Creativity Matters” and “Inspire” videos on YouTube for inspiration and entertainment!

Who wants to win a Crayola “Inside the Crayon Box” prize pack?
This contest has ended. Congratulations Kelly T!

The prize pack contains:

My First Crayola Washable Crayons, Markers & Stampers
Crayola Mess Free Color Wonder Tiny Tube
Crayola Crystal Effect Window Markers
Crayola Washable Kaleidoscope Chalk
Crayola Dry-Erase Bright Crayons
Crayola Dual-Sided Dry Erase Board

To enter leave a comment below telling us what your favorite Crayola memory or experience is OR who you would give the prize pack to.

Earn extra entries:

2 entries – Like The Mommy Insider on Facebook
2 entries – Follow Mommy Insider on Twitter
2 entries – Subscribe to our RSS newsletter
3 entries each time – Tweet about this giveaway: “I entered to win a Crayola prize pack on TheMommyInsider.com. You can enter this #giveaway here: http://wp.me/plszx-2TY @mommyinsider”
3 entries each – Enter any of our other contests and let us know which contests you entered in the comments below
5 entries – Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave the URL in the comments below. Do not copy and paste this post into your blog.
Be sure to tell us what you’ve done in the comments below.

Contest Rules:

Entries accepted through 11:59PM EST March 29th, 2012.
U.S. Residents only.
Ages 21+.
No P.O. Boxes
Winner must respond to our email within 24 hours to claim their prize.
Read The Mommy Insider’s Contest Rules here. By entering this contest you are agreeing to the rules.

Disclosure: The Crayola “Inside the Crayon Box” prize pack, product information and prize pack for giveaway have been provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark.

Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator {Review and Giveaway}

March 20, 2012Cleaning & Cleaners, Contests, Giveaways, Home & Garden, New postsFebreze, giveaway, laundry, P&GAlicia

Take your shoes to the garage!

Put your gym clothes in the washer!

Get the stinky clothes out of your room and into the washing machine!

Sound familiar?

I have two kids but some days it smells like I’m raising elephants in my house. I have used Febreze odor eliminating spray for years and keep one bottle of it on all three levels of our house. As I tell my 12 year old son who brings home some super smelly clothes after camping trips “I’m ready to aim and spray whenever necessary”!

What do all of the photographs above all have in common?
They all resulted in stinky laundry!

That’s why I was very happy to learn about a new P&G product, Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator. Good Housekeeping- approved, Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator is specially formulated to clean away odors that get trapped in fabrics. Bad odors are washed away during the rinse cycle. To use, simply measure according to the load size and add directly to wash cycle with your liquid or powder detergent. Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator CAN be used in HE washers.

Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator did not interfere with my laundry detergent scent. My son who is doing his own laundry now, when he remembers, knows to use Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator in his loads now. He goes camping a lot and comes home with super stinky clothes. Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator is a godsend for parents of Boy Scouts, campers, and kids who play sports.

You’ll find information about the new Febreze products on NewFrebreze.com. I am a member of the a Febreze Common Scents Institute and you can be too!

Who wants to win a Febreze Common Scents Institute Kit?

I have been given the opportunity to give one lucky The Mommy Insider reader a Febreze Common Scents Institute Kit!

The Common Scents Institute Kit contains a coupon for a free bottle of Febreze Laundry Eliminator, a Febreze Towel, Tide Odor-Absorbing Travel Laundry Bag, and a Common Scents Institute Guide with a magnet so you can stick it on your refrigerator or washing machine.

To enter to win leave a comment telling me whose stinky laundry you hope to tackle with Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminator.

Earn extra entries:

2 entries – Like The Mommy Insider on Facebook
2 entries – Follow Mommy Insider on Twitter
2 entries – Subscribe to our RSS newsletter
3 entries each time – Tweet about this giveaway: “I entered to win a Febreze Common Scents Institute Kit on TheMommyInsider.com. Enter #giveaway here: http://wp.me/plszx-2TK @mommyinsider”
3 entries each – Enter any of our other contests and let us know which contests you entered in the comments below
5 entries – Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and leave the URL in the comments below. Do not copy and paste this post into your blog.
Be sure to tell us what you’ve done in the comments below.

Contest Rules:

Entries accepted through 11:59PM EST March 31st, 2012.
U.S. Residents only.
Ages 21+.
No P.O. Boxes
Winner must respond to our email within 24 hours to claim their prize.
Read The Mommy Insider’s Contest Rules here. By entering this contest you are agreeing to the rules.

Disclosure: I received a Febreze Common Scents Institute Kit for purposes of this review and giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

Lisa Loeb Interview: Lisa on Motherhood, Kids, and Creativity

March 19, 2012Arts and Crafts, Celebrity Momscrayola, Lisa LoebAlicia

I had such a great time during the Crayola “Inside the Crayon Box” live chat with Lisa Loeb a couple of weeks ago and was thrilled when I was given the opportunity through MyBlogSpark and Crayola to ask Lisa a few more questions after the live chat. Lisa Loeb has been in my live since I was in college.. 1995-ish. Remember her hit song Stay (I Missed You)? I listened to that song thousands of times. Lisa stands out as a creative artist to me because her songs are honest and emotional. There’s depth to Lisa’s music and during my recent chat with her and the interview answers, I learned that Lisa really is very creative, honest and passionate about life, being a mother, her music and her new book Lisa Loeb’s Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs.

So, on with the interview.

Me: If you were stuck in a room with colored paper clips what would you do with them?

Lisa: I’d probably put one on each fingertip and pretend they’re long colorful fingernails. That was a dream of my sister and I when we were young, to have long nails, and I think we used to do this trick with the paperclips.

Me: What is the biggest challenge you have faced being a relatively new parent?

Lisa: The biggest challenge is making sure I get enough sleep. Sleep fuels me for the day, emotionally, physically, creatively, and I’m a better wife, mother, and creative person when I get enough. I have to remind myself that my two-year-old daughter has her own inner alarm clock, which is pretty regular, so I need to respect that and plan my sleep accordingly. When sleep is properly planned, everything’s more fun. There are a number of interesting parenting things I’m learning about as well, like discipline, and learning to tell my daughter “no,” which I guess is part of discipline. But, that being said, sleep really makes everything easier for everyone.

Me: What websites do you turn to for parenting tips and advice?

Lisa: I look at all kinds of sites, from healthychild.org, to Parenting.com, to thebump.com. Often I look up a subject and then troll around the Internet looking for information that helps.

Me: What’s your take on elementary and middle schools cutting funding for art classes/programs?

Lisa: I think art classes and programs as well as physical education classes and programs are a major part of our responsibility to our kids. The creative and physical element of a child’s life really enhances the rest of their ability to learn and experience life. Cutting the budget for these things really deprives a child of what they need to become a well-rounded human.

Me: What is one thing that you wish someone had told you about being a new mom, before your daughter was born? (I wish someone told me….)

Lisa: I have so many books and advice that people gave me about being a new mom… I’m trying to think about what they didn’t say. I guess that the first few months are really exciting and beautiful with a new child, but it’s also like a hazing period. I didn’t realize that something as basic as learning how to put a child to sleep could seem so complicated. I had heard that the love you feel for your child is so unbelievable, and they were right.

For more Lisa Loeb interview questions watch Crayola’s “Inside the Crayon Box” Chat with Lisa Loeb video below. It’s 45 minutes long and it really is worth it to watch the entire video so get comfy and enjoy!

Be sure to check out Lisa’s book Lisa Loeb’s Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs (Sterling Children’s Books, 2011) available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Sing, laugh, and play with pop Lisa in this fabulous collection of ten of the silliest songs ever. Fun activities, games, and recipes accompany whimsical songs. Take Lisa’s Silly Sing-Along with you wherever you go and get the high-spirited good times started. Includes a 10-song CD recorded by Lisa!

Connect with Lisa Loeb

Connect with Crayola

What My Doctor Pulling a No-Show Motivated Me To Do

March 18, 2012Health, New posts, PersonalAlicia

I am absolutely exhausted. My entire body is sore, especially my calves, but I accomplished more this weekend than I have any weekend, in years.

It all started Friday afternoon when my doctor didn’t call for my 4:30 telephone appointment. I waited for his call for five hours. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I wasn’t expecting to get the results of my CAT Scans. I anticipated that phone call all day..for two weeks actually. Starting at 4:20 I held my phone. Then at 4:30 I was ready to answer the phone and hopefully be told good news. At 4:50 the receptionist at the doctor’s office called me to ask if I was coming in for my appointment. I said “NO! I’ve been waiting for the doctor to call for fifteen minutes”. She said that he was running behind and would call within an hour. An hour and fifteen minutes passed. I called the doctor’s office. The receptionist assured me that the doctor would call soon. 9:30 came around and I gave up. I really held the phone until 9:30.

Pulling weeds

Saturday I knew I needed to stay busy so I wouldn’t obsess about the missed call and lack of test results. So I..

Cleaned out my car
Pulled weeds
Swept the front deck
Cleaned the sandbox cover
Cleaned the front door
Cleaned the baseboards in the foyer
Cleaned the walls in the foyer
Swept and vacuumed the kitchen, living room, upstairs hallway, and my daughter’s room
Exercised

Today, I pulled all of the weeds out of my big garden and raked. I don’t remember the last time I sweated so much. Maybe I burned a few calories. While I was raking I stumbled across a snake. My son caught it and showed it off to my husband before letting it go. My son weeded and conditioned his vegetable garden to get it ready for planting.

Tonight, after I got home from a fun blogger get-together I cleaned out my closet. I filled two large bags with clothes to give away.

Chances are I’m not going to accomplish that much in one weekend again for a very long time.

I’m counting on talking to the the doctor Monday.

If I don’t, maybe I’ll clean out the garage or build a deck. 🙂

Conquer the ‘Style or Function’ Debate with Mia Bossi Diaper Bags

March 15, 2012Diaper Bags, Handbags & Accessories, New postsdiaper bag, handbag, mia bossiAlicia

Mia Bossi diaper bags allow new moms to conquer the ‘style or function’ debate.

The Mia Bossi Reese Blueberry is a fabulous messenger style diaper bag that will hold all of your mom-essentials. You can double loop the strap through the rings on the site to wear as a shoulder bag. While I don’t need a diaper bag anymore because my

Mia Bossi Reese Blueberry diaper bag — Here I am using the Mia Bossi bag at Blissdom to carry my laptop and more.

daughter is 5 years old, I use my Mia Bossi bags for travel and work. Mia Bossi diaper bags can double as a purse and a laptop case making it perfect for moms as they transition out of the diaper toting years. The lining actually zips in and out making it a breeze to clean. I highly recommend that you get the additional insert for your laptop.

The Reese Blueberry helps keep busy moms organized with the many pockets inside and out. I HAVE to have pockets on the outside of my handbags. The outside pockets on this bag are perfect for holding things like your cell phone, camera, and hand sanitizer.

Features of the Reese Blueberry bag:

Machine washable faux fur changing pad
Zip-in and zip-out inside lining – Love, love, love this! Easy to clean.
Cell phone holder
Two exterior bottle holders – These are a perfect location for your cell phone and compact camera.
One interior bottle holder – Also great for a water bottle
One private zippered pocket
Keychain holder
Diaper holder
Baby wipe holder