Check out the Sweetest Registry Deal Ever with Babies 'R' Us PLUS $50 Gift Card Giveaway!

I remember how excited my husband and I were to find out that we were going to be parents for the very first time. Of course, everyone had opinions on what we needed and could use for the baby and I had my own ideas as well. Being that I was the second oldest of six children, I had a bit of experience raising babies but nothing really prepares you for having your own baby. Taking care of other people's children is a breeze but when it is your own, things are a bit different. I like to tell people that I was a perfect parent until I had children of my own. :) I was SO excited when it came time to register for the items I wanted and needed for the baby and the first store I registered at was Babies 'R' Us because lets face it, that is THE go-to store for all baby needs!

Because I am a busy mom of three little ones, I have learned over the years what is a necessary baby item and what is not. Granted, what I think is needful and what others think is needful can vary so just bear with me while I share some of my favorite baby items with you. If you are doing a baby registry and are stumped about what you should register for, maybe these are some ideas that could help you out a bit...

1. BREAST PUMP

I cannot say enough about these. I never realized just how much I would use mine until my baby slept through a feeding once. Then, there are those times when you just get so full you have to pump so you don't get engorged. My breast pump is my best friend while breastfeeding and is always the first thing I recommend for a new mom to purchase/ask for as a gift (oh, and the electric ones are worth EVERY PENNY).

2. WIPES WARMER
Sooo, this is kind of a luxury item and I truly thought it was ridiculous when I first heard of it. A wipes warmer???  What in the world??? So crazy sounding but they are fantastic! I have yet to meet a baby who doesn't cringe and cry when a cold wipe is used on their bottom. You know, it takes their breath away type of reaction? I was given a Wipes Warmer several years ago and it has been a must-have in my nursery ever since. I love using warm wipes on my children...it is sooo comforting for them and I do highly recommend them.

3. SIMPLE BABY BATHTUB
You really don't need a shower attachment, vibrator or faucet attached to your baby tub. Those, to me, are unnecessary items. The amount of time I actually use a baby bathtub makes those things impractical to me...the simpler, the better. My favorite tub is one that you can use throughout early toddler stage and that offers no-slip features. This one pictured above is my absolute favorite and the brand that I have used since my first baby was born.

Those are just some of my favorite items that I recommend to new moms. I also wanted to let you know about an exciting new promotion that Babies 'R' Us has going on right now until November 15th when it comes to their baby registry. The Sweetest Registry Deal Ever is a promotion that will give expectant parents and caregivers some super sweet deals when they set up a baby registry at Babies 'R' Us. Here are the fun details...

• Expectant parents and caregivers can earn up to $200 back on items purchased off their Babies“R”Us Registry created between now and November 15, 2013 through the Sweetest Registry Deal Ever promotion.
• Moms can earn 10% back on purchases made off their Babies“R”Us Registry (up to $200). This will come in the form of an e-gift card approximately 10 weeks after their expected arrival date, enabling parents to purchase even more products and essentials for baby.
• Due to its unmatched assortment of innovative and exclusive baby products and trusted expert assistance from Registry Consultants or online resources, registering with Babies“R”Us is a smooth, seamless and efficient process.
• While in-store, registrants will also receive additional perks, such as a special welcome package, which includes a Baby Registry Planner with a full checklist of essential items, invitation cards to inform family and friends that they are registered at Babies“R”Us, a $5 off $25 coupon, product samples and more.

I can totally vouch for the ease of registering...when I registered for my first baby, the Registry Consultants were so very helpful and were always there when I had questions. I also was so impressed with the selection of items at the store...setting up a registry is so much fun in and of itself, and it is fun to receive the items that you have chosen for your baby. You can check out the Babies 'R' Us social media sites for more information and also to keep up with other news and deals. Check them out on Facebook, Twitter and also on the Babies 'R' Us Sweetest Registry Deal page.

So, how would you like to enter to WIN a $50 Babies 'R' Us Gift Card for your baby shopping needs? Babies 'R' Us has offered to giveaway a $50 Gift Card to one of YOU!!! Here are your entry options...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. The Babies 'R' Us information and gift cards have been provided by Babies 'R' Us. All quotes and stock photos are from the Babies 'R' Us website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is NOT responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

I LOVE Applebee's Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu! {Review & Giveaway ~ Open to US & Canada}

My husband and I love going out on dates together. Dates are welcome outings to our busy schedule and often help us to regroup and connect while away from the children. I have to admit though that sometimes, we truly talk about the children the entire time we are gone. THAT amazes me but raising children does take a lot of brainstorming and talking. So, one restaurant that we frequent when on dates is Applebee's. The casual environment, the yummy food and the variety of choices is always fun and we have enjoyed Applebee's immensely. In fact, when we were courting we would go for their 1/2 priced appetizers after 9 and to this day, we treasure those outings. One thing I have learned is that every Applebee's is different. Honestly, we have been in some fantastic ones and some that left a bit to be desired. However, our overwhelming vote has been positive for this particular restaurant. 

In celebration of these early days of summer, Applebee's has rolled out a Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu and there are some really yummy dishes that are featured on this menu!

The chef behind these dishes has some great tips and hints on how to create your very own "Fresh off the Vine" dishes! Here are some tips from Applebee's Executive Culinary Chef, Michael Slavin...

How to Pick a Perfect Tomato:

• The type of tomato depends on the recipe. Roma tomatoes are great for cooking while Beefsteak tomatoes make big, juicy slices and are ideal for a sandwich or salad.
• Once you know what type of tomato you need, there are a few things that you want to look for:
• Color: Tomato should be a deep red without blemishes or bruising
• Feel: A great tomato will feel heavy for its size, firm and should yield slightly when you squeeze it but have the resiliency to go back to its original shape
• Smell: Tomatoes that are fresh and ripe will have a grassy, earthy smell, especially right where the stem is
• Stem: While an intact stem doesn't mean that a tomato is automatically fresher than one without a stem, it is an indicator that the tomato was handled with care, probably by hand 

How to Cut a Tomato:

• To avoid splatter (and mush), start with a sharp chef’s knife.
• Make sure the skin side is against the hard surface of the cutting board and not the soft “meat” of the tomato.  You want to cut through the soft side, not through the skin.
• Excess seeds and juice mean you probably got a tomato with an overgrown seed cavity, an indication that the tomato was left on the vine too long. This is most common with larger tomatoes.
• Everything that ends up on your cutting board (aside from the stem and core) should go in with your food! Anything red, all the seeds… All of this will add to the quality and freshness of whatever you are preparing.

How to Pick a Perfect Avocado:

• Avocados begin to ripen as soon as they are picked off the vine so a freshly picked, hard avocado will need 1-2 days before it is ready to eat.
• If you buy an avocado that is perfectly ripe but that you are not ready to eat, a great trick is to put it in the fridge, as that will slow down the ripening process.
• Feel: An avocado is ready to eat when you can squeeze it without leaving any indentations. If indentations remain it means the avocado is overripe.
• Color: Avoid avocados that are completely green. You want color variation. An avocado that is extremely dark means it is overripe so look for something in between.

How to Dice an Avocado:

• Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the avocado in half lengthwise. With one hand on each side, give it a quarter turn twist and it will neatly bisect into two halves (one with the seed, one without).
• To safely remove the seed, use a sharp teaspoon and slide it directly under the seed until it pops out.
• Once the seed is out, hold one half of the avocado so that it lies in the natural shape of your hand and using a chef’s knife, score it twice lengthwise and three times horizontally.
• Using the same sharp teaspoon, scoop around and under the avocado meat and 12 nice chunks will pop right out.

I have NEVER known how to dice an Avocado so these tips are so helpful for me. I love to prepare fresh foods for myself (seeing as my family doesn't eat fresh veggies) and think that these tips will be great!

So, for this review I was sent a $50 Gift Certificate for Applebee's and hubby and I were very excited to get away for an evening. Last night, we were able to get my sister to come and babysit the children and we escaped for a date together. 

The first thing that caught my eye were the little kiosks on each table. I immediately asked my husband what they were and when we were seated, I found that on this kiosk you can order drinks, appetizers, play games (for a price) and do other things to make your dining experience more pleasant. 

Our menus were handed to us and we had already decided that we wanted French Onion Soup and an appetizer to start. Our waitress, who was named Rachel, took our drink orders and hubby ordered a Frozen Strawberry Lemonade. He let me try it and it was DELICIOUS. :)

Obviously, after hearing so much about the new Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu, I eagerly opened my menu and began searching for the newest additions. I sort of wish that they had a specific section dedicated to this menu as the items were scattered amongst the other menu items and you kind of had to look for them. Some of the newest dishes are, Blackened Sirloin & Garlicky Green Beans, Margarita Queso Chicken & Shrimp, California Shrimp Salad, Lemon Shrimp Fettuccine and Green Bean Crispers. Everything sounded sooo delicious (except for the shrimp dishes as I am not a shrimp fan) and I had a hard time choosing something.

One thing that I noticed that is really nice is the fact that they have Weight Watchers menu items (complete with the number of points that meal will use) that make choosing a meal simple for someone who is on the Weight Watcher's diet. Just wanted to note that. :)

While we were waiting for our meal to come out, we decided that we would really love to try the Chili Cheese Nachos. Our Nachos arrived hot and ready to be eaten and we dug right in! As I was eating, I spied something unusual in my Nacho's and upon careful inspection, I found that there was a long, black hair wound around the chips. Whoa, that was totally unexpected. Our waitress was taking care of another table and so I flagged down someone who looked like a manager. After pointing the hair out, he apologized profusely and took the bad nachos to the kitchen. It wasn't long until a new platter was brought out and we thoroughly enjoyed them (in fact they were better than the first platter because there were more toppings on them). Later on in the evening, the manager came back to our table and again apologized for the issue we had. He also told us that it should NOT have happened and that he had removed the Nachos from our bill. I was VERY impressed with his professionalism and the fact that he had taken the almost $9 appetizer off our bill. We were happy with that. :)

For my dinner selection, I chose to try the Blackened Sirloin & Garlicky Green Beans. I typically always order the same thing when I go to familiar restaurants but wanted to try something different and LOVED my choice! This particular dish comes with fried red potatoes, a 7 oz. sirloin rubbed with blackened seasonings and basted in lime butter, garlicy green beans topped with chunky roma tomato pepper relish. The tomato relish was AMAZING. 

My husband chose a full rack of barbecued ribs. He is a fan of ribs and loved his dinner! We ended up taking almost all of his dinner home because he was full from the soup and appetizers. His eyes are always so much bigger than his stomach...ha ha! It seemed as if the restaurant was short staffed as our waitress was gone for long periods of time and that caused the managers to be out and about, waiting on tables, taking care of checks and bringing take-home boxes out. It was nice to see the managers helping out but I do think that Applebee's should do more to make sure they have sufficient staffing to take care of customers. Other than that, our food was delicious and we were glad that we chose to eat at Applebee's last night! 

So, this summer as you contemplate where to visit for a fresh dinner, check out Applebee's Fresh Flavors of Summer Menu! There is something for everyone and if you are like us then you will have absolutely NO ROOM for dessert! The new menu is wonderful and one that I would like to try again very soon. 

Applebee's has graciously given me a $50 Gift Card (electronic...you will need a printer to print it out and take to a restaurant) to give away to one of you so you can go and try out this new menu too! Here are your entry options...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a free Applebee's Gift Card for review purposes. All quotes and stock photos are from the Applebee's websites and email.  Prize is being provided by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, damaged or stolen prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

History Channel’s The Bible Exclusive Blog App & Walmart Gift Card Giveaway

I am very excited about this new miniseries that is coming out on the History channel on March 3, 2013! Many of you have probably figured out by now that I am a born-again Christian and love all things having to do with the Bible. Well, the History channel is getting ready to launch a brand new mini series called "The Bible" and it looks amazing!! I am going to try and somehow watch it...not sure how but I am going to try.

Here is a bit more about this series...

From Executive Producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett comes The Bible — an epic 10-part miniseries retelling stories from the Scriptures for a whole new generation. Breathtaking in scope and scale, The Bible features powerful performances, exotic locales and dazzling visual effects that breathe spectacular life into the dramatic tales of faith and courage from Genesis through Revelation. This historic television event is sure to entertain and inspire the whole family! Where will YOU be 3.3.13?

There is an exclusive Blog App that I have the privilege of sharing with you and there are some fun activities for you to do on it.

• Bible-Scene Quiz! The Bible Series brings stories from scripture to life for a whole new generation! The Questions is...will you recognize your favorite characters when you see them for the first time in the series?

• Clip Countdown! Countdown to 3.3.13 with a new clip from from The Bible unlocked everyday until the premiere!

• Tell 10 Challenge! Where will YOU be 3.3.13? The Bible proves that when talent and passion collide, the outcome is spectacular! Connect with Mark & Roma by sharing their message! And help spread the word about the premiere of The Bible on The History Channel 3.3.13 to 10 of your friends!



So, if you are as excited about this as I am, take a quick peek around the above widget and tell me what you think! It seems like it will be a riveting and exciting series...one that you won't want to miss!

Now, one of you has the opportunity to win a $15 Walmart Gift Card! Please note: The prize will be sent via FedEx or UPS. No P.O. Boxes please.  This may be a digital delivery. Here are your entry options!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I am working in conjunction with History Channel and they have supplied the materials used in this post. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. This blog is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged prizes. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Produce For Kids Launches Get Healthy, Give Hope Campaign (Giveaway)

Sooo, I am a mom of two toddlers who seem to dislike eating healthy. They LOVE all things processed including hot dogs, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. This makes meal planning and preparation very difficult for me and I am always looking for new ideas and help in this tough area of parenting. Well, today I am going to introduce you to Produce for Kids...an organization that focuses on  encouraging families to eat healthy by providing healthy meal solutions and recipes! Sounds great, doesn't it? I was just a tiny bit excited when I found out about them and what they are all about. Here is a bit more about them, in case you are new to this fantastic organization (like I am!)...

Produce for Kids’ marketing programs take place in grocery stores across the country promoting healthy eating and benefiting local children’s non-profit groups. These campaigns combine advertising, in-store displays and events, public relations and Internet marketing. Ideal Meals™ offer simple, healthy meal solutions for busy parents through complete meal recipe ideas created by a chef and approved by a nutritionist.

Since its creation in 2002 by Shuman Produce Inc., Produce for Kids has raised more than $3.7 million for children’s non-profit organizations including Children’s Miracle Network® Hospitals, Let’s Move Salad Bars To Schools and PBS KIDS® among others. All funds raised directly benefit these partner organizations.

Year-round resources for parents include Ideal Meals; the Parents on Produce board, a panel made up of busy working parents; Ideal Meal demonstration videos and healthy eating tips and articles.

The Produce for Kids program has been embraced by the produce industry and covers grocery store retailers in more than 40 states and incorporates suppliers in every major produce category.

The reason I am introducing you to Produce For Kids is because they are launching their annual Get Healthy,  Give Hope campaign now through July 28th. Here are the details!

Produce for Kids^® has launched its annual Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign with 16 major supermarket chains across the country, including your local Price Chopperstores, to help raise money for local children’s hospitals.

Now through July 28^th, thanks to the annual Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign hosted by Price Chopper andProduce for Kids, the more produce shoppers add to their shopping lists the more hope they can give to local children. Celebrating a milestone 10^th birthday in 2012, Produce for Kids is excited to kick off this year’s campaign with a new partnership with Sprout^® and LazyTown^TM. 

During the campaign, Produce for Kids will offer shoppers collectible Ideal Meals^TM – quick and easy healthy meal ideas, which are free and can be found in displays featuring LazyTown characters from the popular, health-focused, children’s series airing exclusively in the U.S. on 24-hour preschool television channel, Sprout.

Ideal Meals offer shoppers chef-created/nutritionist-approved easy solutions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Featuring fresh fruits and vegetables as the main ingredients, Ideal Meals are great for busy families who crave fast meal options that don’t require stopping at the local drive-thru.

In conjunction with this campaign, I was sent a few recipes to share with you all that are sure to get your children's taste buds perked in the healthier direction!

Chocolatey Fruit Skewers

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 12 minutes

Ingredients:

·   1 premade pound cake

·   8 strawberries, whole, leaves hulled

·   8 raspberries, whole

·   1 cup pineapple, cored, chunked

·   4 Tbsp. chocolate syrup

·   4 (6-inch) bamboo skewers

Directions:

1. Cut pound cake into 4 1x3-inch rectangles and 8 1x1-inch squares.
2. Place 1 1x3-inch piece cake on plate, stick skewer in middle. 
3. Add strawberry, raspberry, pineapple and 1x1-inch piece of cake to skewer.  Repeat with another strawberry, raspberry, pineapple and 1x1-inch piece of cake.
4. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Nutrition Information:

Chocolatey Fruit Skewer Calories 354, Fat 2.5g, Protein 12g, Carbohydrate 52.1g, Fiber 2.4g, Cholesterol 9mg, Sodium 280mg, Calcium 348mg, Vitamin A 529 IU, Vitamin C 44.4mg, Iron 1.4mg

Smoothie Pops

Serves 16

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

·   1 large peach or mango, peeled and chopped

·   1 large nectarine, peeled and chopped

·   2 medium bananas, sliced

·   1 pt. strawberries or raspberries

·   ¼ cup orange or fruit juice

·   2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions:

Place all smoothie ingredients in a blender and blend until just smooth.

Place 16 paper cups on a baking tray.  Pour smoothie into paper cups.  Place tray in freezer and freeze until slushy, about 20 minutes.  Remove tray from freezer and insert one popsicle stick into the center of each cup.  Return to freezer and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.

To serve, tear away paper cup and place on plate. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, there is just a taste (no pun intended!) of some of the recipes that you will find on Produce For Kid's website. Don't they look soo yummy? I am excited to try those out with my children...I know they will love them! 

Here is a listing of events that will be taking place so check to see if any of them are near you! 

• Kroger Southwest: Now through July 24^th
•  Fred Meyer: Now through July 26^th
•  King Soopers: Now through July 31^st  
• Kroger Central: Now through July 18^th

As a thank you for taking the time to check out this Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign from Produce for Kids, you will have an opportunity to win a $25 gift card to Price Chopper stores! Please be sure you have a location near you prior to entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I will be receiving free product in exchange for my post. All quotes and stock photos are from the Produce For Kids website and email. Prize is being provided and shipped by the sponsor. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.