2011 April — MomStart

Ahnu Footwear Mission to Support Breast Cancer Prevention

April 26, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

Spring is upon us and causing a flurry of people to head back outdoors for the sun and warm weather. For me this is almost the case; the Pacific Northwest is still chilling. But I have to ignore the elements and begin training for the Warrior Dash my husband signed-up for in July. I have been a runner for a lot of my life; just for fun, nothing ever serious as I’m not that good at it. I’ve always enjoyed fitness and as an adult I now enjoy various types of aerobic movement.

I have always (since my 9^th grade track and field “career” started) relayed on the same brand of shoes. Lately the same old shoe hasn’t been fitting, yeah literally! This led me to begin some shoe investigating which is when I discovered Ahnu footwear. Not only do I like the look of their shoes but I REALLY LOVE THE FEEL. In the new Windsor trainers I got the toe is wide providing a lot of room and the heal offers the Numentum^TM Technology System which keeps the foot neutrally positioned. I can feel the differences and I love them! Their fabric, like most running shoes, is fully breathable mesh to keep feet cool while you work up a sweat. Ahnu are similarly priced to my old brand of high-quality running shoes, but I do feel like I’m getting more bang for my buck with the quality (most specifically the Numentum^TM Technology System).

An additional bonus for me, when purchasing Ahnu women’s performance shoes (10 women’s performance styles featuring Numentum™ Technology for Run, Hike and Traverse (outdoor cross training) categories) between April and May 2011, is the company then makes a $5 donation to the Breast Cancer Fund (up to $100,000 — You can keep track of where Ahnu is for their giving using the Plus3Network). Ahnu began the donating campaign when they discovered that their home base location of Marin County, California has one of the highest rates of breast cancer in California. They teamed up with San Francisco based Breast Cancer Fund which is the only breast cancer organization focused on prevention through working to identify and eliminate the environmental causes harming our bodies. Their goal is a proactive approach looking ahead to a world where breast cancer is stopped before it starts.

In addition to the Breast Cancer Fund, Ahnu supports Conservation Alliance, Soles4Souls, Team Farsight and The LUNA Chix.

You can purchase Ahnu shoes (including women’s performance shoes to help the Breast Cancer Fund) at OnlineShoes.com, or find a Ahnu store near you.

You can keep up with Ahnu on their website, Ahnu Facebook page and by tracking them on Twitter @AhnuFootwear.

You can also keep up with the Breast Cancer Fund on their website, via Breast Cancer Fund Facebook page and Twitter @BreastCancerFnd.

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation

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.

Filed Under: review, Summer Tagged With: ahnu, Breast Cancer, footwear, show review

THQ Nickelodeon Spongebob Squigglepants Video Game

April 25, 2011 By Momstart 1 Comment

All kids seem to find out about Spongebob sooner or later, I mean, my kids may have seen it ONCE but they ask to watch him all the time. Who knew a sponge living under the sea in a pineapple would be so popular, only Nickelodeon right? Well, THQ is getting in some Spongebob action with Spongebob Squigglepants – uDraw.

SpongeBob SquigglePants gives you the iconic SpongeBob SquarePants character in a unique experience utilizing the innovative functionalities that are available only on uDraw from THQ. It is a fast-paced, frenzy entertaining experience that will have you testing your reflexes and agility with:

Wacky Nanogames – Delivering more than 100 frantic “Nanogames,” SpongeBob SquigglePants challenges players with super swift gameplay that will let them use the uDraw in myriad ways as they draw, tilt, tap, drag, press and flick their way through six zany worlds.
“There is really no other game quite like SpongeBob SquigglePants,” said Martin Good, THQ’s Executive Vice President of Kids, Family and Casual Games. “Discovering what you need to do during a particular Nanogame – in a matter of seconds – is just half the fun, complemented by uDraw’s creative capabilities. The game is addictively engaging and makes a truly fun pastime for the whole family.”
NEW! Splashin’ SpongeBob Looks – Never-before-seen SpongeBob art collections unlocked from the Nickelodeon vault and featured in six zany worlds
“The uDraw is an incredibly creative device, and we’re really happy to have SpongeBob featured as the very first cartoon character to star in a uDraw title,” said Manuel Torres, Senior Vice President, Global Toys and Video Games for Nickelodeon Consumer Products. “SpongeBob SquigglePants captures the fun and excitement of SpongeBob and his friends and gives fans a new way to experience the world of Bikini Bottom.”
Patchy the Pirate LIVE! – President of SpongeBob’s fan club, he serves as a guide for the game in a never-before-seen live action experience adding hilarity and under the sea silliness.
Endless Creativity – Create, color and draw anything imaginable with custom paints, palettes, stamps and art tools to create a masterpiece worthy of a place in Patchy’s own collection of SpongeBob art, or your own refrigerator!
SD-Card Support – uDraw capability enables players to save, share and print their artwork

Spongebob Squigglepants Game Features include:

Tilt, flick, tap and draw through more than 100 Nanogame challenges, frantically timed for laugh-out-loud and fast-paced excitement
Never-before-seen SpongeBob art collections unlocked from the Nickelodeon vault and featured in six zany worlds
President of SpongeBob’s fan club, Patchy the Pirate, serves as a guide for the game in a never-before-seen live action experience adding hilarity and under the sea silliness
Create, color and draw anything imaginable with custom paint, palettes, stamps and art tools fit for Patchy’s own collection of SpongeBob art, or your own refrigerator
uDraw GameTablet capability enables players to save, share and print their artwork

SpongeBob SquigglePants is rated E for everyone and is available exclusively on uDraw GameTablet for Wii, selling for $29.99.

Disclosure: Product Information, photos and product provided free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

Filed Under: Video Games Tagged With: GameTablet, SpongeBob, Spongebob SquigglePants, THQ, uDraw, video game

THQ uDraw Pictionary Wii Video Game

April 25, 2011 By Momstart Leave a Comment

If you have heard of the latest in artistic fun on the Wii known as the uDraw GameTablet then you may be interested in what games you can play on it. One of those games is Pictionary – uDraw .

Are You Ready for…uDraw Pictionary .

A Whole New Way To Play Pictionary™! Ready? Set? Draw! Welcome to the game of Pictionary – guess words from sketches made by other members of your team. The words can be objects, people, actions, places, animals, or the challenging “difficult”. You don’t have to be an artist to play – all you need is a little imagination and the uDraw GameTablet!

Over 3,000 clues.

Draw with several drawing styles, shape tools and colors.

3 Game Modes: Pictionary game show, Pictionary Mania, & Free Draw.

Looking at this game made me think of how fun it would be to play Pictionary with the kids. Zoe and Miles both enjoy art and drawing and this would be a great opportunity to get them to try their hands at drawing items. I can just picture my husband and I trying to guess at what Miles drew and his sister knowing exactly what he drew. Of course, I need to give my husband more credit than me. My daughter wrote on her artwork from church the other day and it said, Happy Easter. He found all the letters and was able to read it.

Pictionary Game Features:

The newest way to play Pictionary! Over 3,000 clues. Draw with several drawing styles, shape tools and colors. 3 Game Modes, Pictionary game show, Pictionary Mania, & Free Draw.
Pictionary, Be contestants on the Pictionary game show with new drawing tools, new Adult and Junior clues, and a 3D game board.
Pictionary Mania, Experience Pictionary like never before. Instead of categories, each square represents exciting draw modes, some only available on the Wii.
Free Draw, Embrace your creativity with your own drawings that you can share in Slideshow mode.
Udraw Tablet Required to Play Game

Filed Under: Video Games Tagged With: GameTablet, Pictionary, THQ, uDraw, video game

THQ uDraw GameTablet for Wii

April 25, 2011 By Momstart Leave a Comment

One thing about the Wii is the fact that the accessories are endless. THQ came out with a really family fun addition to the Wii family, it’s called the uDraw Studio – GameTablet . The Game Tablet Bundle includes the uDraw GameTablet, and the game uDraw Studio.

The Udraw GameTablet Product Features include:

Using an SD card, you can share your masterpieces with friends and family
Use templates or your own imagination to paint, draw, color and sketch using Udraw Game Tablet
Tablet is bundled with the uDraw Studio game
Tablet will be supported with other games including Pictionary and Dood’s Big Adventure available at launch
Watch how a work of art is created stroke-by-stroke for a true learning experience using the Replay Feature

With these fun key game features in uDraw Studio you’re sure to have hours of fun:

Painting – Paint or draw using over 9 different media options
Toolbox – Change colors, brushes, or canvases with your toolbox at the flick of a button
Coloring Book – Color in the lines or out, choosing from a variety of styles and themes
Replay – Watch how a work of art is created stroke-by-stroke for a true learning experience
Gallery – Peruse your latest masterpieces in an easy-to-use, organized manner; or replay and augment your creations
Save and Share – Using an SD card, you can share your masterpieces with friends and family

I love painting and just haven’t had time to explore my creative skills since I started blogging. I guess it’s a fair trade because I do like to write as well. uDraw gives you the opportunity to find the inner artist with simple and intuitive games. You can create your own masterpieces and share them with your friends and family. From simple doodles to intricate works of art, you can even try your hand at learning how to draw, paint, and color simple shapes with some very basic tools. Try your hand at different painting styles and different artistic concepts like shading, and layering.

Basically the uDraw GameTablet is a wireless sketch tablet with tethered stylus developed by THQ. It builds upon the innovative wireless functionality of the motion-sensing Wii Remote controller by integrating a removable Wii Remote (sold separately) directly into the tablet design. This integration opens up entirely new gameplay and input options by allowing the uDraw GameTablet to track your drawing movements more accurately than you ever thought possible, while still allowing easy access to Wii Remote buttons. This integration also allows the tablet to draw just enough energy to power itself from the Wii Remote, meaning less batteries to change and zero battery drain when the tablet is disconnected and not in use. In addition, added sensors in the tablet make the Wii Remote respond even quicker to the slightest movement, motion, or twist of the wrist, while the interactive pen enables you to intuitively connect with your television and games utilizing pressure and tilt-sensitive technology. The uDraw Studio allows you to paint, draw, sketch and color to your heart’s content utilizing nine different media options, and saving and sharing finished work via the Wii’s SD card memory functionality. This combination can also be used as a teaching tool as users take advantage of Replay Mode to explore creations and art techniques on a stroke-by-stroke basis.

Filed Under: Announcement, Video Games Tagged With: GameTablet, THQ, uDraw, video game, Wii

Ascenta NutraSea NutraVege Omega 3 Giveaway

April 25, 2011 By Momstart 54 Comments

I’m trying to be more health conscience these days. I’m done having children and I want to get my body, mind and spirit back to maintain my mommy health. I know when I take great care of myself I am also taking care of my family. My natural path (N.D.) has me on a daily regimen of vitamin that helps my body get what I need for my life and diet. Nature provides us with an abundance of ingredients that heal and balance the body, but sometimes weren’t not getting everything we need solely from the foods we eat or our environment. One of my supplements is Omega 3 fatty acid which is essential for everyone.

Since we need to get Omega 3 from an outside source we need to look to nature for these ingredients. This Earth Day, Ascenta reminds us to be mindful of depleting resources not just today but every day! Ascenta makes two NEW types of natural sustainable Omega 3 fatty acids:

· NutraSea DHA, which was just launched, comes from the most eco-friendly and sustainable marine source: wild squid, which is caught for calamari. Much of the squid is not used for this, and has been regarded as waste, but actually contains 35% more omega-3 than wild salmon and 100% more than krill. Unlike most fish species, Pacific Squid has dramatically increased in numbers over the last 30 years, and is naturally resistant to overfishing due to an early reproductive age and a very short lifespan. NutraSea DHA is an ideal choice for pregnant and lactating mothers as well as seniors and individuals with cardiovascular and eye conditions.

· NutraVege, also just launched, utilizes plant sources to further diversify. Echium and algal oil – used as sources for EPA and DHA, respectively – fill a void in the market of vegetarian omega 3 supplements, as echium, a common plant found in many parts of the world, contains the omega-3 SDA (stearidonic acid), which readily and efficiently converts to EPA in our bodies. Studies have demonstrated that SDA from echium coverts to EPA at a rate of approximately 20 percent, compared with just 3.28 percent for flax.

You can find out more about these Ascenta’s and their other DHA products – NutraSea, NutraSea+D, NutraSea hp, NutraSea KIDS, CanineOmega3 and FelineOmega3 – on their website. Each lot of product is third-party tested for quality, purity and label claims and the test results are posted online with their Pure Check program, something that no other omega-3 supplement manufacturer offers.

The Ascenta NutraSea DHA and NetraVege are both liquid form Omega 3 which taste like green tea. At first I couldn’t quite place the taste, I thought it was lemon, but after looking at the ingredients I saw the green tea extract. Both my children and I tried each of the Omega 3s and the taste was pleasing to each of us. My oldest son, however will take just about any medicine or vitamin; we loving joke about him being Melman from the Madagascar movies. Also when the products were in my mouth I expected an oily after-feel but surprising I didn’t get one. Ascenta makes pour the Omega 3 from the bottle to your spoons (or other measuring equipment) stress-free with an easy-pour, splash guard inside the bottle neck. I think both products would be an eco-friendly value to any home, but consult your physician about adding Omega 3 supplements to your diet.

You can find Ascenta’s products in your local stores by entering your zip code into the store locator on the top right hand corner of their website. If you live in Canada you can also purchase these lines on their site and receive FREE SHIPPING on orders over $40.

You can keep tabs on the latest with Ascenta on Facebook and by tracking them on Twitter @Ascenta_Health [].

Enter to Win:

A bottle of either NutraSea of nutraVeg – winner’s choice

To Enter:

Tell us in the comments section what you do to get some Omega 3?

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

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This giveaway ends May 9th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

About Summer:

Filed Under: giveaway, green, review, Summer Tagged With: Ascenta, NutraSea, NutraVege, Omega-3, Pure Check, review

BBC Earth Human Planet

April 25, 2011 By Momstart Leave a Comment

We love nature films, especially ones that are done so well. BBC Earth is one of the best when it comes to showing us our planet in ways we could only imagine. Human Planet is a three disc extravaganza of astounding images of our beautiful planet released on Blu-ray April 26th, 2011. Human Planet takes us through nature as humans. We’re the main focus of Human planet. The camera follows how people live in all the different parts of the world.

Mongolia Eagles_Timothy Allen_058.jpg

The three discs are broken down into:

Disc 1 – Oceans Deserts Arctic

I love the ocean, the sounds of the waves, the animals that live in it (except for jelly fish I was stung by a man of war once OUCH) and the fun you can have when you catch a wave. Watch the evolution of surfing here:

And I was amazed at how far a pregnant woman could walk through the desert to find a place to give birth and at how cold some people can stand it.

Disc 2 – Jungles Mountains Grasslands

It wasn’t until I watched this scene in Human Planet that I ever would have considered birds to be a pest that needed to be fumigated against. This scene you’re about to watch is a little bit upsetting, but when I think of people going hungry verses the loss of all these birds I pick people.

Disc 3 – Rivers Cities Extras

Living in the US we’re so fortunate on how close and convenient every thing is. Could you actually imagine making a trek through the snow and ice, climbing a mountain just to make it to school? You have to watch this clip from BBC Human Planet just to get a glimpse into how hard it can be.

Human Planet was amazingly put together. As you travel around different places you’ll find some very extreme cases of how others live. John Hurt narrates each segment sharing with us so much variety on human behavior amazing, complex and profound. The Human Planet series weaves together 80 different stories illuminating humanity’s uncanny ability to adapt and live in every corner of our diverse world. Each episode centers on a particular habitat, and by using innovative and cutting edge filming techniques, they are able to reveal how we as a human race have created astonishing solutions to the extreme adversity brought on by our environment. Us city dwellers have a LOT TO LEARN about true adversity and challenges.

The Discovery Channel version will be presented by Charles Parnell and consists of six episodes that will take viewers to the farthest reaches of the globe culminating with, "Life at the Extremes a “best of” episode. The Human Planet Blu-ray will include all eight episodes with three hours of footage that was not seen in the North American broadcast. It includes, Cities, which will be exclusive to the DVD and Blu-ray. Also only on the DVD and Blu-ray is the “making of” bonus features and the exclusive feature called Zanskar, Zanskar showcases the astonishing life struggles of a resilient group of people living at the edge of the Himalayas.

The educational aspect of Human Planet reminds me of how everyone lives differently. We may look at some of the things shown in Human Planet as wrong, but it’s because we live our lives in a lap of luxury. I think Human Planet is a great way to educate others and remind ourselves how humans survive all around the globe. Own it on Blu-ray Human Planet

Win It:

The official Human Planet Facebook page launched a “Human Planet Trivia Challenge Game” last week. There you will have opportunities to win DVD/Blu-ray copies as well as coffee table books and framed photographs from famed nature photographer, Timothy Allen.

Filed Under: Movie review, review Tagged With: BBC, BBC America, BBC Earth, Human Planet, Movie review, review

Happy Easter Jesus is Risen

April 24, 2011 By Momstart 3 Comments

This weekend was a glorious weekend. We had a family fun weekend this Easter celebrating Jesus. Zoe told us the story she learned in class, and my husband captured it on video. But it’s one of those extra precious videos that we’re not sharing except with family. I just had to write and tell you all how impressed I was with the fact that she knows the whole story..

In Her Words

Jesus went and prayed, he was called Hosanna, He died on the cross, angels moved a stone and he was gone because he came back to life. FOR US.

Most of the time I find myself wishing that I had the faith of a child. She makes believing seem like it is so easy. And to her it is.

This is the first year we’ve actually celebrated Easter as a family. We decorated eggs,

We went to two Easter Egg Hunts

We dressed up

We went to church

I love the church we go to, I love it. This is the first church I’ve actually felt like God was in the house. I mean seriously, I enjoy church and with all the different churches I’ve gone to, I just assumed you go to church because you do. It’s God’s commandment Keep Holy the Sabbath Day right?

Now I go because I love it. I’m meeting people and making friends and my husband and I are changing our lives for God. We’re really applying lessons to our lives and I can’t even begin to count the blessings we have. This blog being one of many things he has blessed us with.

It was a great Easter Celebrating Jesus! I hope you all had a great Easter however you celebrated it!

Filed Under: personal

Post Great Grains and Honey Bunches of Oats with Raisins

April 24, 2011 By Momstart Leave a Comment

Last week, Post held a Facebook live video chat with Curtis Stone from NBC’s “America’s Next Great Restaurant” and host of Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters,”on the Post Great Grains Facebook Page. The conversation was about how Curtis believes in a whole-food philosophy and the importance of eating less-processed foods, like Post’s Great Grains Cereal, for better nutrition. Curtis said, “The best approach to food is to keep it whole. That’s what they do with Great Grains.” You can learn more from Curtis by watching the video over on the Post Great Grains Facebook Page.

I actually had no idea that Great Grains is a name of a type of cereal that Post makes. Great Grains uses more simple ingredients; more "whole food" ingredients like whole grain flakes from the actual wheat berry, as well as real fruit and nuts. Rather than grinding our wheat into flour and then stamping it into uniform flakes, Great Grains Cranberry Almond Crunch carefully cracks the whole wheat berry, and adds a mix of grains to provide a flake that helps lock in the full flavor and nutrients. The Great Grains cereals come in three different varieties, Cranberry Almond Crunch, Crunchy Pecan (which I really want to try) and Raisins, Dates, & Pecans.

We received Post’s Honey Bunches of Oats newest variety, Raisin Medley. With Three kinds of Raisins you’re sure to find raisins in every bowl of cereal. My husband and kids both really enjoyed eating it. There’s only one cereal with THREE different kinds of raisins and multi-grain flakes – New Honey Bunches of Oats Raisin Medley! Enjoy the crunchy oat clusters, crispy flakes and delicious raisins for the perfect balance of taste, texture and nutrition. I’m not a big raisin fan, so I didn’t care for the cereal, but my opinion doesn’t really count. I don’t like any cereal that gets soggy. You may be thinking, how do I eat cereal, I actually try not too. Or I eat it dry. I do love cereal dry.

Honey Bunches of Oats vanilla bunches is actually one of my favorites when eaten dry. I love that slight hint of vanilla on my cereal. While I was writing this review, I found that Post also makes a cereal called Just Bunches. Now Just Bunches looks like a cereal up my alley because they removed the part that gets soggy, the flakes. I’m going to have to try a box of Honey Roasted Just Bunches the next time I find it in the grocery store.

Filed Under: review Tagged With: cereal, Food, Honey Bunches of Oats, Post

Simply Potatoes Hash Brown Sausage Casserole Recipe

April 24, 2011 By Momstart 111 Comments

Simply Potatoes contacted me asking me if I could plan out a whole week of meals using potatoes. Well, of course I was up to the challenge, being the potato lover that I am. I love eating mashed potatoes, potato soup, and french fries just to name a few. The Simply Potatoes come in six different cut potato varieties, Homestyle Slices, Red Potato Wedges, Shredded Hash Browns, Southwest Style Hash Browns, Diced Potatoes with Onion. My grocery store was a bit on the lacking side in Simply Potato variety so I picked up one package of family sized mashed potatoes and a bag of Shredded Hash Browns, knowing mashed potatoes go with practically everything and I had great recipe I wanted to try with the Hash Browns.

Simply Potatoes Hash Brown Sausage Casserole Recipe:

6 cooked sausage links
1 package of Simply Potatoes Hash Brown
9 eggs
2 cups cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine sausage, hash brown and cheese and place in a 13×9 baking dish

Whisk the eggs, sour cream, salt and pepper, then pour over the potato mixture

Cook for 45 minutes or until the knife comes out clean

Now if you need a full week’s worth of ideas here are a few other recipes you could try.

30-minute Irish Skillet

Bacon and Potato Chowder

Breakfast Egg Rolls

Baked Chipotle Potato Wedges w/ Layered Dip

Cajun Shrimp and Potato Chowder

Enter to Win:

A coupon for free Simply Potatoes

To Enter:

Tell me how you like to cook up potatoes!

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Simply Potatoes Hash Brown Sausage Casserole #Recipe & #Giveaway @MomStart http://bit.ly/eRN8lG

This giveaway ends May 9th. All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: giveaway, recipe Tagged With: giveaway, Hash brown, Hash Brown Sausage Casserole Recipe, recipe, Simply potatoes

Ahnu Footwear Mission to Support Breast Cancer Prevention

THQ Nickelodeon Spongebob Squigglepants Video Game

THQ uDraw Pictionary Wii Video Game

THQ uDraw GameTablet for Wii

Ascenta NutraSea NutraVege Omega 3 Giveaway

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BBC Earth Human Planet

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Happy Easter Jesus is Risen

Post Great Grains and Honey Bunches of Oats with Raisins

Simply Potatoes Hash Brown Sausage Casserole Recipe

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