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Umi Fun Children’s Shoe Review and Giveaway

February 22, 2011 By 388 Comments

Zoe and I both have a great appreciation for color in our shoes. Umi shoes has fantastic colors, varieties, and comfort all in their shoes. I’ve loved umi as a brand for six years, almost seven. I was first introduced to umi as a shoe sales manager. The store I was working in started carrying umi and they were one of the easiest shoes to sell because they were the most colorful and had the largest variety. umi makes shoes for babies, toddlers and children, all in fun colorful designs. I know I’ve said this before in past shoe reviews, I wish I could get a pair of umi shoes. I would love to have the exact same pair that Zoe just received from umi to review.

umi purpleUmi sent us the Riley in purple and pink. This canvas sneaker is comfortable, supportive and durable all important qualities for a kid’s shoe. The Riley features a lace up style with vulcanized rubber toe and outsole, which is what helps provide the extra durability. The Riley retails for 50.00.

Zoe’s review would be she absolutely loves them and wants to wear them every day. We tried them on and she didn’t want to take them off. She wants to wear them every day. Even Miles likes them, he always says, Zoe should get to wear her new purples shoes today mommy they are her favorite color. That’s why I like them. He’s such a good brother!

Last year we received the Lauren in Lavender and it was a huge hit as well. They lasted forever and we were even able to wash and dry them in the washing machine which is a huge help for moms.

Umi believes that it takes years of experience to make a great pair of shoes and they have that. Umi shoes also believes that caring for little feet also means caring for the earth. They set their standards sky-high. Every shoe they make is tested for safety and durability and meets strict guidelines for child-safe materials. They use non-toxic drum-dyed leathers and other environmentally friendly components. They are protected in recycled packaging. Become a fan of Umi on Facebook  and Follow Umi on twitter to keep up with the latest on their shoes and little feet.

Enter to Win:

Your choice pair of shoes on umi!

To Enter:

Go to Umi and pick out your shoes, leave a comment in the comment section telling me which ones you want.

Extra Entries:

Become a fan of Umi on Facebook 

Follow Umi on twitter

Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post

Win a Pair of Shoes of Your Choice Umi Shoes #Giveaway @MomStart http://bit.ly/gMW7Dn

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List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble (or any of the share options listed below)
Blog About this Giveaway (10 extra entries, linking to the giveaway)
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This giveaway ends March 7th. I received samples for this post. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Retirement, Groceries and Zoe Monday Mingle

February 21, 2011 By 17 Comments

Welcome to Monday Mingle, where we chat over video answering questions. It’s fun and the more video you do on your blog the more comfortable you will be in front of the camera. Want to participate? Monday Mingle is a Meme over at Eighty MPH Mom. Go over to her site, find the questions, take a video of the answers and post them to share. Then visit everyone that linked up and have fun getting to know each other.

Current questions {week of 2/14/11}:

1. How do you compile grocery list – by an inventory, or writing things as you run out?
2. At what age do you plan on retiring (or your spouse retiring)?

3. What do you plan on doing when you retire?

 

 

1) I compile a grocery list as we run out of things and as I make a meal plan. I just received the New KitchenAid Collections Recipe Book it’s amazing, so we’re going to be posting some recipes as we try things from it.

2) We’re not sure when we can retire, We’re taking a class to learn about that and how to prepare for it now.

3) I plan on enjoying the kids and whatever they are doing and hopefully traveling.

Filed Under: personal Tagged With: , ,

Maple Sausage Corn Bread Pudding Recipe

February 19, 2011 By 22 Comments

I’ve been trying to widen our meal plan using ingredients that we know and love. I’ve just been tired of making the same things over and over again. So, I checked out Jimmy Dean’s Website for recipes and found the Maple Sausage Corn Bread Pudding Recipe. My husband was a little bit leery because the recipe called for onions, so I told him to trust me it would be delicious. It came out wonderful, of course with my own modifications.

Sausage Corn Bread Pudding

Here is my version of Maple Sausage Corn Bread Pudding Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pkg of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix (or 8.5 ounces of your choice corn bread mix)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pkg Jimmy Dean Maple Flavor Pork Sausage Roll (8 ounces) cooked crumbled and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn cooked
4 eggs
2 cups half-and-half or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin batter according to package directions, pour into lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

2. Cut cornbread into 1-inch cubes; place in 13×19 inch baking pan. Bake 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer lightly greased 2-quart casserole.

3. Melt the butter and pour over the bread cubes, then top with corn and sausage

4. Beat eggs, half-and-half, salt in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended; pour over ingredients in casserole. Gently press bread cubes into egg mixture until completely covered. Cover with foil.

5. Bake 30 minutes then uncover and cook 10 more (make sure the knife comes out clean) Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I varied the ingredients and directions to the original recipe quite a bit, to see the differences check out this Maple Sausage Corn Bread Pudding Recipe.

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Local Amazon Event for New Moms Seattle February 23rd

February 19, 2011 By 1 Comment

Amazon sent me an invitation to a local event in downtown. I’m pretty excited and hope to learn a lot of information to share with my readers. I’m not a new mom, but I know many of you are. And the exciting news is that you are invited too, if you’re local that is. On February 23rd in Seattle at the Palace Ballroom, from 2pm-6pm you are invited to mingle among other Seattle moms and receive baby smileexclusive discounts on great products for you and for your baby.

The author of “The Toddler Café”, Chef Jennifer Carden will be at the event to show us how to make your own baby food using the Baby Chef Ultimate Baby Food Maker. Everyone that attends will have the chance to enter for some of Amazon’s favorite products including a BOB Stroller (my favorite stroller, used and loved it dearly), a Sunshine Car Seat, Fisher Price Zen Collection Gear, Halo Sleep Sacks (also used these and loved), Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products, and grocery delivery from Amazon Fresh (which is what I’m hoping to win).

This is sure to be a fun and informational event. If you plan on attending you need to RSVP on Amazon’s Facebook event page.

Filed Under: Announcement Tagged With: , , , , ,

Zoe and Miles Fix! A Family Day!

February 18, 2011 By 7 Comments

Today we spent the day together as a family!

I left my phone in the van (so I wouldn’t check my e-mail, upload my Facebook status, or tweet out my location)

I forgot the kids’ coats (oops)

I did remember their lunches and snacks so not all was lost!

I’m too tired to write a recount on the day so I’ll leave you with my kid fix photo for the day!

Zoe and Miles loading up

Filed Under: personal

Go Crazy with Glow Crazy, My Kids Can Draw on The Wall! #Giveaway

February 17, 2011 By 133 Comments

Glow Crazy made my kids go crazy!

Glow Crazy is not recommended for children under the age of three, or if you child can not resist shining things in their eyes when you tell them not too. Somehow, Miles was actually able to resist. But only with adult supervision. Glow Crazy (BIGiggle) sent us the Draw and Write Distance Doodler. This doodler comes with 2 canvas clings, 4 stencils and the light writer. In the video when we were making lines and shapes, it’s hard to see on the camera but the lines stayed there longer and were more visible with a vibrant green color.

IMG_8548IMG_8550

Later when Miles and Zoe were playing with the pen on their own, they were using the one I placed next to her bed. They were using the stencils and making shapes like the moon and cars. Every time they made something new they were excited to show me. Then when daddy came home from work the first thing they had to do was show them how they could create things on the wall. My only complaint is that the sticky canvas clings aren’t that sticky. So to get them to stick on the wall, I suggest push pins.

 

IMG_8549

Enter to Win:

Glow Crazy

To Enter:

Leave a comment here telling me which product from Glow Crazy looks most interesting. They have at least four other Glow Crazy products to choose from.

Extra Entries:

Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post

Go Crazy with Glow Crazy, Let your Kids Draw on the wall #Giveaway http://bit.ly/fxo1Bl

Subscribe to my blog
List this giveaway on any giveaway site, dig or stumble (or any of the share options listed below)
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Follow me on Google Friend Connect

This giveaway ends March 7th. I received samples for this review and giveaway. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

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Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaways Here

February 17, 2011 By 6 Comments

You’ve got a giveaway, I want to know about it! Oh, and if you list your giveaway on Mom Start facebook page then I will tweet it out to all of my twitter followers. Almost at 8500 followers and growing all the time! Cool? I hope so!

boy with ballons

I’ve got a few giveaways you might want to check out too!

Filed Under: linky Tagged With: , ,

Secret Pocket Cape From North American Bear Co. Giveaway

February 17, 2011 By 75 Comments

We received a beautiful satin cape with Velcro closure from The North American Bear Co to review here on Mom Start. The kids were quite excited to find just how special this magical cape was. Zoe first noticed that the cape has a crest on the back. She took out the crest and found that there were blank ones that she could color. Oh, that is the fastest way to Zoe’s heart, letting her get her creative groove on. The Secret Pocket Cape was passed back and fourth for a night of family fun!

zoe wearing cape

IMG_8532Then when Miles had a turn with it he found pockets. He recently discovered the value of having a pocket to store his stuff in so he started putting stuff in his pockets. Now this isn’t so good for the laundry, but it’s great for a boy that needs to take his tools and balls, and rocks, IMG_8521and stamps, and well you get the idea EVERYTHING with him.

Costumes are a great way for children to role-play and become active. My daughter loves to wear princess dresses as you can see above, well, now she actually plays role-playing games with her brother. Sometimes he’s a prince and sometimes he gets to be a monster, guess which one he prefers? He prefers to play the monster.

The North American Bear Co. has been a creative business for nearly 30 years. Barbara Isenberg, starting a family in New York City in the mid-1970’s desired a teddy bear with a nostalgic charm of an antique toy and a contemporary sense of whimsy for her own son. It was this desire that started a wonderful toy company where you can find unique, high quality plush bears and many other awesome toys like the cape featured here on Mom Start.

This giveaway ends March 7th. I received a sample for this post. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Enter to Win:

One Secret Pocket Cape.

To Enter:

Visit The North American Bear Co and tell me what you really like there.

Extra Entries:

Follow North American Bear Co on twitter

Become a Fan of North American Bear Co on Facebook

Tweet or RT this post and include the link to the post

List this giveaway on any giveaway site
Blog About this Giveaway (10 extra entries, linking to the giveaway)
Use one of the Social Media Buttons Below

This giveaway ends March 7th

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My Love Affair with Boots

February 17, 2011 By 15 Comments

Oh, how I love thy boots!

Crocs

 

Most women have a love affair with shoes, I have a love affair with boots. I wear boots all the time! I live in Washington and would have to say that my favorite thing about Washington is that for me it’s boot weather all year round. When most people get out the sandals and flip flops around here I’m still in my boots! I honestly can’t pass by a pair of boots without wanting to try them on. I resist the urge occasionally.

Crocs sent me a pair of boots and they were too small for me. I wear an 8 1/2 or nine depending on the brand and I think in crocs I must wear a 10. This was very unexpected, it was also very unexpected at how much I LOVE Them. Even thought they squish my feet around the toes, I really love how comfortable they are on the heel and how supportive they are on around the souls. My feet prefer extra support and they were really supported in the crocs. I gave them to my neighbor and she loves them. She put them on right away and wore them while I was over at her house.

Counting the new pair of crocs Berryessa boots in Espresso I now have 7 pairs of boots (okay, so I only have six sinse I gave that pair away), that’s almost one pair for every day of the week. I have brown boots, pink snow boots, I have a pair of black flat boots, a pair of brown boots with a small chunky heel and two pairs of Rockports. If you count up all the boots we have on our cul-de-sac, I know we have more boots than anyone would know what to do with.

Here is a photo I put together of a few boots.

Boot Collage

The first pair in the photo is the new pair from crocs. The second pair is a pair I’ve had for five years, I bought them knowing I wouldn’t be able to wear them. I was pregnant and my feet were swollen, it took me 4 years to lose enough weight to get into them but I did it. I can and do wear them all the time! The third pair is my neighbors. I love boots so much that I borrowed a pair of my neighbors boots to wear on the red carpet. I didn’t end up wearing them because I was afraid of stretching them out but I did like them a lot. The final three are of course on my list to try soon each  of those from crocs, pictured in the photo from left to right from crocs: Chikata, Mosman, Claire.

 

 

Crocs sent me a pair of boots in exchange for this post!

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Get on the “Better” Vitamin C By Choosing Ester-C®

February 17, 2011 By 4 Comments

Note from the Editor: Summer received Ester-C and Compensation for this post. These are her honest experiences with using the product. She is not making any miraculous claims about Ester-C, this is her experience. This post is her opinion and is not intended to be medical advice.

By Summer,

I’m getting fit and healthy in 2011. I’ve been working out on a schedule, trying to eat healthier (I have the lowest will-power of anyone ever), and taking my daily vitamins to give my body the extra boost it needs to be at its peak and primed to help these other two variables. So when Ester-C® The Better Vitamin C® contacted Mom Start to try them out, I was totally on board. Ester-C® offers 500mg of vitamin C in immune system support per tablet.

Ester-C logoThe delivery couldn’t have come at a better time either. I was feeling watery eyed and full of snot when USPS knocked on my door with a bottle of Ester-C®. The directions are as simple as the ingredients, one tablet twice daily with food. The ingredients are vitamin C, calcium, C-SorbTM*, vegetable cellulose, with less than 2% calcium silicate, vegetable magnesium stearate, vegetable stearic acid. These vitamins are suitable for vegetarians and contain NO artificial color, NO artificial flavor, NO artificial sweetener, NO preservatives, NO sugar, NO milk, NO lactose, NO soy, NO gluten, NO wheat, NO yeast, NO fish, and is sodium free. I’ve been taking these tablets for three days now and haven’t experienced any full-blown symptoms of whatever germs were attacking my system. (Remember this is her opinion)

You can join me and save $2 on your purchase in stores by registering and printing Ester-C’s online coupon or if you’re a Costco member check the newest coupon book for $4 off a large 300 count bottle. Be sure to consult your physician before beginning supplements such as Ester-C.

An extra deal for you: become the official Ester-C 24/7 mom or nominate a mom you know. “Mom-i-nate” someone by uploading a 30-second video or 150-word (or less) essay with photo explaining why your mom, wife, sister, grandma, aunt, or BFF should win the title of Ester-C 24/7 Mom. The grand prize winner will receive a 7-night Mediterranean cruise; Bottle of Ester-Cother winners will get a first place prize of 24 spa treatments or a second place prize of 24 days of housecleaning services. The contest started February 1 and will conclude on April 13 with the prize winners announced on Mother’s Day. Take some time to nominate someone; I know you have a mom in your life that deserves these prizes! I’d love to have any of these fabulous prizes!

Get your own Ester-C and try it too; use your coupons! Learn more about Ester-C® on their site . You can also “Like” Ester-C® on Facebook to stay up-to-date on their contests, coupons, giveaways, promotions, etc.

*Citrus bioflavonoids complex, citrus bioflavonoids (citrus sinensis)(fruit), sweet orange, tangerine, lime, lemon, acerola, rutin, hesperidin complex (citrus spp.)(fruit), naturally occurring vitamin C metabolites

 

About Summer:

Summer is the President of our Local MOMS Club chapter, she is the mother of two adorable active boys, and is always thinking of ways to help others. She is a friend, a wife, and always busy as all mommies are. She is very active on Facebook, addicted to Geocaching and very interested in organic and green living.

 

Compensated Post

Filed Under: Announcement, Summer Tagged With: , , ,
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