Free Sample of Shout Color Catcher

We are big fans of Shout's Color Catcher in my house!  I am always careful to separate my clothes, but there always seems to be one or two loads that just aren't big enough to justify one load.  Not only that, but the colors are all wrong to mix into one load.  Enter the Shout Color Catcher.  All you have to do it throw this in the washer, add your detergent and clothes and wash as usual. 


Click HERE to read a review I completed of the Shout Color Catcher, as well as other Shout products.

Click HERE for your free sample of Shout's Color Catcher.

Gorilla Bread Recipe

I know a lot of you may have started 2011 with a resolution to lose weight, so I apologize now for posting this DELICIOUS recipe.  If you like Monkey Bread, you will love this!  It's not quite as gooey as the monkey bread, but makes a nice sugary coating on the biscuits.

I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com and this recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen (so you know it has to be good!).

Level: Easy
Cook Time: 30 min
Yield: 12 to 14 servings

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside.
4. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese.
5. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan.
6. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts.
7. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.

**Just a side note:  I did not use the nuts called for in this recipe and it was still amazing!

20 Great Tips on Repurposing Christmas Remnants

Are you wondering what to do with all the used wrapping paper, Christmas cards, and uneaten candy canes?  I love trying to find new uses for things, especially when it can be a money saver!  Click HERE  and head on over to one of my favorite sites, Mama Cheaps, to read 20 great tips on repurposing Christmas remnants.

Thanks, Devon!

FREE PBS Kids Coloring Pages and Printables for Kids

WOW!  Does your house have PBS fans in it?  I received an email from Parents.com that offers these great printables and coloring pages from your favorite show on PBS Kids.  This is perfect for our house since Mason is really getting into coloring and a HUGE PBS fan.  He will surely have hours of fun coloring these pages!

Click HERE for Curious George coloring pages and printables

Click HERE for Martha Speaks coloring pages and printables

Click HERE for Sid the Science Kid coloring pages and printables

Click HERE for Dinosaur Train coloring pages and printables

Click HERE for SUPER WHY coloring pages and printables

Click HERE for Mr. Roger's Neighborhood coloring pages and printables

Helpful Hints for Parents of Picky Eaters

I recently came across an article from Parents.com.  It has some great tips on how to help picky eaters get better nutrition.  Here is some advice from the article and some advice of my own that I have thrown into the mix. 

This caught my attention...."In one recent study from the University of Rochester Medical Center, nearly 60 percent of adolescents ate only about one fruit or veggie a day".  60%...only one fruit OR veggie????  I guess I have been REALLY lucky that Mason is still a great eater.  He is usually not picky and will eat just about any fruit and will eat veggies like peas, carrots, corn, etc.  If your child is on the picky side, maybe some of these ideas could help you.  And, as you read this, always remember: Don't assume kids won't like it.  It is often our likes and dislikes that are unknowingly put upon a child.  In fact, a recent Penn State University study found that using "stealth vegetables" -- hiding them in sauces so that kids don't automatically recognize them -- helped boost preschoolers' veggie intake and slash their calorie consumption significantly compared to those who ate pasta without extra vegetables tossed in.

Marinara sauce is a good start, "But you can doctor it up by mixing in a can of antioxidant-packed diced tomatoes before heating in a saucepan." Then toss in shredded carrots, chopped mushrooms, and onions to beef up the veggie quotient even more.  I have already put up one of my favorite posts about putting sweet potatos in pasta sauce.  I do this every time Mason eats pasta!

Tofu?  Yes, Tofu.  I have been sneaking Tofu in dozens of Mason's meals!  Tofu is great for babies 7 months and older.  Tofu does not have to be cooked because it is made from cooked soybeans. You can mix, mash, puree,  or chunk Tofu.  Add it to cereal, fruits, veggies.  It is a great finger food too, since it can be served in chunks or strips! 

I add Tofu to anything with a sauce or broth.  Mason just thinks it is chunks of pasta or veggies since it absorbs the taste of the sauce it is in.  To boost the nutrition in "on the go" foods like Pasta Pickups, I add Tofu and mixed veggies.  Again, don't assume your child will not like it.  It's worth a try!!!!

Healthier chicken nuggets?  Skip the premade stuff. Instead, dip chicken breasts or tenders in egg wash (a mix of egg whites and skim milk), then in seasoned bread crumbs or crushed corn flakes. Bake in the oven at 425 degrees F. for 20 minutes.

Greasy French fries?  Make your own baked sweet potato fries -- they're packed with vitamin A and also provide some fiber if you leave the skin on.  I made these a couple of weeks ago and Mason gobbled them down.  You would be surprised how many fries you get from 1 medium sized potato.  You can also slice up the sweet potato and freeze "fries" for later use.

Mac-and-Cheese?  - If you cannot make it homemade and make it from the box, you can just add some frozen mixed vegetables, like cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots, which help to boost this high-fat, low-fiber entree.

And as always, if you cook from scratch often, make your dish even healthier with whole wheat pasta and low-fat cheese. "Try flavor-packed cheddar instead of processed American".

Some meals may take a little more time and preparation on your part, but I think it is worth it knowing my child is getting the proper amount of nutrients everyday.

Pocoyo Water Taxi Tub Toy Review

If you read my post from the other day, you are now familiar with Pocoyo and his lovable friends.  Now, your child can not only enjoy Pocoyo on television and online, but in the tub too!  Pocoyo Water Taxi features a big green fish that pulls Scuba Pocoyo and Fred the Octopus. 

When I pulled this toy out of the box, I couldn't keep Mason's hands off of it.  He was so excited and started saying "I do!, I do!".  He immediately placed it on the floor and started pushing it around.  He had a ball saying fish and making his fish faces!

He was even happier when I brought the toy into the tub later that night.  I placed the Water Taxi in the water and it floated nicely on the water.  Mason pulled the fish all around the tub and soon discovered that Pocoyo was removable from the 'starfish' he was sitting on.  I showed him how to place Pocoyo so he could sit on the fish's head for additional fun.  He really loved playing with the Pocoyo Water Taxi. 

Aside from Mason loving this toy, from a parents perspective, it really is a fun toy for little ones.  It is not flashy or complicated.  There are no lights, batteries, or sounds. It is a simple plastic toy made for fun play in the tub.  I love the simpler toys that lend themselves to children using their imagination. 
This is also an affordable tub toy.  Another nice feature of the Water Taxi is that it did not hold water once it was removed from the tub.  Hopefully this will cut down on possible mold growth. 

The Pocoyo Water Taxi is a great tub toy for ages 18 months to 3 years of age.  It retails for $9.99.

Three-Sixty Marketing provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Pocoyoworld.com Premium Site Free Access Review and Giveaway (Closed)

Pocoyo...Pocoyo...Pocoyo.  What is Pocoyo?  That was what I was wondering and knew I had to find out more.  Pocoyo, meaning "Little Me" in Spanish,  is a new pre-school animated series about the curious little boy, Pocoyo.  You will also find Pocoyo's friends, an elephant (Elly), a duck (Pato), and a bird (Baby Bird), just to name a few, who are just as lovable as Pocoyo. 

The goal of Pocoyo is to "capture the imagination and stimulate children to watch, listen and interact, promoting creativity, self-awareness and self-confidence by learning through laughter".  Pocoyo is a great show that teaches appropriate and age relevant material and language skills for pre-school children. Your child will be introduced to such concepts as colors, shapes, numbers, and more in very simple language for your little one. Simply put, this series is about discovery and friendship.  Pocoyo is appropriate for ages 1-3 and even up to age 5 or 6.

What I really love about Pocoyo is the imaginative nature of the show.  I think children need to use their imagination more and this is a perfect way to introduce imaginative play while having fun.  I watched several episodes of Pocoyo online and loved the simple nature of the cartoon and the bright colors the animators used.  Against the plain white background, it is very easy to follow the character without getting distracted by a busy background,   Pocoyo is filled with music and simple ideas about sharing, caring, and being friends with others.

You can find Pocoyo on television and online.  I was fortunate enough to have access to Pocoyoworld.com.  Registering was simple..and free!  Once you get set up with a user name and password, you get to create your own character.  You can choose you hairstyle, facial expression and clothes.  It's really fun! 

Once you get registered you will find yourself in Pocoyo's world.  This is a fun and safe interactive online community for your child to use.  Once inside Pocoyoworld.com, you can explore the town.  You will find Pato's Garden, a Pond, Central Square, the Park, the Cinema Square, Amusement Park, Pocoyo's Workshop.  Within each location, you will find new games to play and skills to practice.  There are challenges too!  Each time you sign in you will see a task list you can complete to earn tickets.  These tickets will be used to buy things around the online town.  This site is very user friendly for pre-schoolers and parents alike.

As I noted, access to Pocoyoworld.com is free.  You will have access to all Pocoyo Worlds, games, activities, and shops.  You will also be able to exchange gifts with your friends you make along the way.  However, you can upgrade your account to the Premium Club in Pocoyo's World.  The Premium Club offers more content and areas, and get exclusive virtual objects (costumes, vehicles, interactive objects, etc.). In addition, you will receive a monthly report monitoring your activity on Pocoyo World.  You will also be able to participate in exclusive events and promotions.

You can also check out Pocoyo.com for more information about Pocoyo and his friends.  You will find things like games, activities, music, episodes, and much much more.

If you would like to check out Pocoyo World's Premium Club for a FREE 14 day trial, fill out the Giveaway form below. 

Congratulations to Shannon B, winner of the Pocoyo Giveaway.  The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond.  If no response is received, another winner will be chosen.
There are several things you can do to earn an entry.  Please fill out the form for EACH entry, including the bonus entries.  You may enter once a day, including the bonus entries.  Multiple entries other than daily entries and bonus entries will be deleted.  This Giveaway will run from 12:00pm on 12/20/10 until 12:00pm on 12/27/10.


Three Sixty Marketing and Communication provided me with the item above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100%mine.