You are here: Home / 2011 / Archives for October 2011

Fashion Kit For Girls Costumes: Shailie Make Your Own Dress

October 30, 2011 By 192 Comments

My little girl is quite enamored with fashion. She’s been that way since she was at least 15 months but it’s possible she was born with a mind for fashion. She’s so worried about it that earlier this week when it was time to go to her martial arts class she was terribly embarrassed. All her friends were still outside playing and she didn’t want any of them to see her in her black uniform. I think if she could design her uniform it would be purple, with a purple belt and maybe a splash of pink. Well, for children like my little Zoe, there is a company out there with her in mind. Shailie!

aub1

Shailie® is a new small company that created such a cute product that encourages girls to become little designers. What is Shalie? It’s everything your little girl needs to design her own dresses. Dress kits come in pieces, and easily attach and detach from the base skirt and top. Little girls can actually design, create, and then wear their own fabulous fashions. Zoe would love this kit because she loves to try different dresses all the time. This way they have so many dresses just by recreating them. The base skirt and top are stretchy and fit a variety of sizes. Shailie® is recommended for girls 5 and up. Add on dress kits include the Shailie® Fairy, Shailie® Pink Princess, and the Shailie® Prom. Shailie® is fun to play alone, or design with friends. NO SEWING REQUIRED.

Shailie is so awesome that it’s won quite a few awards, having just won Dr Toys Best Pick. Shailie® also won the TDMonthly Innovation Award, Creative Child Product of the Year, Oppenheim Gold Award, and Disney iParenting Award.

paigeaubreydesign

The Shailie® Starter includes a darling life size pink and white polka dot dress form, base skirt and top, Shailie® Closet (simple storage system to keep dress pieces runway ready), and the Starter dress kit.

Shailie starter

Shailie® is now available at Shailie.com, Amazon.com, FAO Schwarz, and specialty stores around the country. 

just won Dr. Toys Best Pick

Product                                                                    Retail

Shailie® Starter                                                      $129.99

Shailie® Prom                                                             80.00

Shailie® Fairy                                                               75.00

Shailie® Pink Princess                                               50.00

 

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, clarissa.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Spices For Health McCormick Enchiladas Recipe

October 30, 2011 By 15 Comments

By Summer,

McCormick has a new “Spices for Health” campaign and Mom Start is one of their choice blogs to bring you recipes to help give your family more antioxidants in your normal diet using McCormick Spices. So far we have spices up your spaghetti and tacos; now we’re offering McCormick Enchiladas.

Enchiladas

For my enchiladas I typically make them when I have left over meats, such as a rotisserie chicken I want to reinvent. Reinventing meat into enchiladas is best when you have a meat that isn’t flavored heavily so your enchiladas aren’t tainted with another flavor. Constructing enchiladas this way is fast since the meat is already cooked; what a great go to, right?!? Meats are also best chosen because they can easily be broken apart such as ground beef or turkey, shredded chicken or pork, or pulled pork. If you have a whole chunk of meat try shredding it with a fork, but note that the meat must be moist and tender.

IMG_8189

For this recipe, I had fully cooked ground turkey. [Note: When using ground turkey, leave all juices in the pan and add spices. Allow spices to fully cover meat and allow the juices too cook off. For beef, drain grease from the meat. I also rinse my beef to remove any access fat and I wash the pan to remove grease before returning the meat to the pan to cooking in the spices. When adding spices to ground beef add 1/3 cup water and allow the water too cook off leaving the spices evenly throughout the meat.] McCormick’s recipe, however, suggests using 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast, so I will use this in the below recipe.

Enchilada Recipe:

Ingredients:

Enchilada Filling:
2 cups fully cooked shredded chicken
½ cup onions, sautéed
½ cup bell pepper, sautéed
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
8 ounces sour cream

Homemade Enchilada Sauce*:
1 cup tomatoes
¼ cup onions
¼ cup peppers
1 clover minced garlic

Ingredients:
enchilada filling
6 tortillas
enchilada sauce
½ cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350oF.

2. Mix all filling ingredients well. Divide into six equal portions and fill tortillas. Fold them up so filling won’t fall out and stick them in a greased baking dish.

3. Pour an enchilada sauce over the top, homemade* or canned. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

4. Cook enchiladas in preheated oven for 20 minutes to allow all ingredients to warm and the cheese on top to melt.

* Blend homemade enchilada sauce well until liquefied in blender.IMG_8190

Adding spices and fresh vegetables adds antioxidants and nutrients to foods you already include into your normal food rotation. For more on spices from McCormick you can Like them on Facebook. Also stay tuned to Mom Start for more recipes spiced up for you by McCormick … next up, PORK CHOPS!

Disclaimer: McCormick sent samples of the spices featured in this recipe.

About Summer:

Summer is very active in 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 while cooking up a storm.

Filed Under: recipe, Summer Tagged With: , , , , ,

Weight Watchers Conair Digital Painted Glass Model WW24 Scale

October 30, 2011 By 336 Comments

Weight Watchers sent us a scale a few months ago. I still really like using it. It’s so easy to use and it’s so interesting to find out what my BMI is even though I’m still not sure what a healthy one is. Which makes me think, while I’m sitting here at my computer maybe I could go look that up on Google or something.

So what I found is that for most people a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. And just incase you didn’t know what a BMI was it’s your Body Mass Index it measures your body fatness. So I’m in the good range. Whew!

Now knowing your BMI isn’t exactly what everyone looks for in a scale. So if you want a simple scale, Weight Watches by Conair still has you covered.

clip_image001Weight Watchers® by Conair™ Digital Painted Glass Scale Model WW24

If you just want a good old simple weight measurement, but with extraordinary style, this best-selling Weight Watchers scale is a great choice! The smooth scale has an easy-to-read 1.3” digital display with a “tap-on” scale activator.  There is a high-strength tempered safety glass with decorative silk screen available in white, red, or blue. The scale is 11.8” X 12.6” and has a 400 lb. capacity. The scale runs on long-life AAA lithium batteries that are included and has a 10-year warranty.

The Weight Watchers by Conair Digital Painted Glass Scale Model WW24 is available nationwide at stores such as Target, Sears, Meijer, Fry’s, as well as at www.conair-store.com for an average retail price of $29.99.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Tiffany Hoyt.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , ,

How To Make Funny or Scary Face Lanterns

October 30, 2011 By 14 Comments

We found this craft in the Disney Family Fun Magazine and the kids needed a rainy day craft. It was perfect for our Halloween décor but I could see fun in this for any party you might have to decorate your porch for coming visitors. It’s sure to make your porch stand out against the crowd.

IMG_5444

How to make a scary face lantern

 

Supplies:

Glass Jars
Paint
Paint Brush
Painters Tape
Candles

Directions:

 

Collect the supplies

IMG_5401

Tape off the jar

image

Paint the jar

IMG_5404

Let the jars dry and then pull off the tape. Then put a candle in them and light it and enjoy.

IMG_5446

Filed Under: crafts, personal Tagged With: , , , ,

Trick Or Treat Safety Tips

October 29, 2011 By 2 Comments

By Ashley

In our house, we’re not quite to the “walking the neighborhood” stage of trick-or-treating. We do have a toddler on the go (with the new ability to run), and so many friends with kids who will be hitting the streets (or the mall, or the shopping center, etc.) on Monday. It reminds me how important it is to be safe on Halloween.

Trick or Treat Safety Tips (brought to you by Duracell)

 

Halloween Duracell

  • It’s easy for a child to become separated from a parent amidst all the excitement. Having your child’s name and phone number attached to their costume is a great safety tip if they are too young to remember them.
  • Make your costume stand out! Remember to carry light producing or reflective devices such as a flashlight equipped with Duracell CopperTop batteries, glow sticks, reflective tape, or flashing Halloween decorations that will make you more noticeable in the dark. You can even add reflective tape to the costume or candy bag your child is carrying for extra visibility in the dark.
  • Remind your child that all treats should be brought home before eating them so you can inspect them. Although the risk that your child’s Halloween candy has been tampered with is extremely low, candy could be unwrapped or spoiled.
  • No one wants an injury while trick-or-treating. Remember to prepare your home for trick-or-treaters by removing obstacles from the front yard, restraining dogs and other animals, and lighting the house well. Keep in mind that artificial lights and battery-operated candles are a safer alternative to real candles with a flame that can pose a fire hazard.
  • Safety first! Instruct your child that they should never go into a stranger’s house or even ring their doorbell for treats unless you are there to say that it is okay. Make sure that they have a fully charged cell phone and Duracell Instant Charger that provides hours of extra battery life on hand to make communicating with you as easy as possible!

As I’m gearing up for our first partial trick-or-treating, I remember how many of these things my parents used to do. We always had flashlights, stayed with our parents, and had the official candy check once we got back home. I still think some of that was so that my dad could pick out a few of his favorites… but it definitely is a must when it comes to Halloween safety.

From all of us here at MomStart, we wish you and your family a spootackularly fun and safe Halloween!

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

About Ashley:

Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and a very active member of our local MOMS Club chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Don’t forget to enter one of our Great Giveaways

Filed Under: Announcement Tagged With: , , , ,

The Sears Holiday Tool Catalog with Craftsman 51 piece MAX AXESS Mechanics Tool Set

October 29, 2011 By 746 Comments

I’ve been shopping in Sears for as long as I can remember. My mom loved shopping in Sears and has instilled that love in me. Sears is one of the best places to go and buy big ticket items because they have the best payment options. My mom bought a flat screen TV there last year and she LOVED the process. You know what else Sears is good at? TOOLS. Craftsman is a Sears brand and I love Craftsman and guess what? Craftsman is featured in the Sears Holiday Tool Catalog.

image

Sears put together a few fun facts about the Sears Holiday Catalog for me to share with you guys.

image

The catalog had Real People… Real Testing

· A new testing panel made up of real tool users, a few pros, a few hobbyists and a few weekend warriors. In short… Real People! Selected product has been given to testing recruits to provide customers with feedback.
· Comments found in the catalog help you select gifts for the tool user on your list… or yourself

The Tool Gift Guru Team

· Chris Duke, host of hit Automotive DIY show “Motorz TV”
· Frank Fontana, host of HGTV’s Design on a Dime
· Carla Bruni, Historic Preservation Consultant
· Bryan Wilmer, Owner of Commercial Construction of Frankfort, Illinois
· Follow the Gift Gurus and their gift recommendations throughout the catalog or online here

Viewable Online

· Find catalog items instantly here

Fun Facts within the Catalog

· 2011 marks the 125th Anniversary of the founding of Sears
· Sears’ first stand alone retail store opened in Evansville, Indiana in 1925
· Sears first opened its merchandise development and testing laboratory 100 years ago in 1911
· Sears sells as many tools as there are lights on the holiday tree at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City… over 30,000!

One really great recommendation from the Sears Holiday tool Guide.

Craftsman 51 piece MAX AXESS Mechanics Tool Set (69.99)

51 piece set

This tool set features an ultra thin-profile design which fits over long bolts eliminating the need for deep sockets. I’ve checked out one of the larger Craftsman tool sets and it was very durable, I mean it still is. The pieces are all very heavy duty. Craftsman is known for quality right? The Ratchet strength is up to 45% stronger than their most popular ratchet. This 51 piece mechanics tool set comes in a convenient and portable briefcase style plastic carrying case. The rest of the contents include 42 sockets, hollow shaft handle, 2 Go-Thru ratchets, 3 standard socket adapters, 2 extensions and a Go-Thru adapter.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, Lyndsey R.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Xbox 360 Kinect For Kids Once Upon A Monster Active Video Game

October 29, 2011 By 3 Comments

Once Upon a Monster is the BEST game we have played so far on Xbox 360 Kinect for Zoe and Miles. They can do all of it by themselves and the game is smart enough to let them leave and come back as they feel like. When you have kids their age they are all over the place game wise. So I LOVE Once Upon A Monster.

I completely agree with Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. She said, “Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster is a very engaging title, which provides families with young kids a quality experience unlike anything they have seen before”. It’s engaging because the kids want to make Cookie Monster and Elmo do the right thing. See I took a photo of Zoe and Miles trying to imitate the screen.

IMG_5390

And they kept trying until they got it. You see, they had to make Cookie Monster and Elmo do that the brown monster was doing, (I already forgot the brown monster’s name.)

IMG_5389

Samantha Ryan also said Once Upon A Monster is  “Full of life lessons, like building friendships and overcoming fears, the game combines the values and appeal of the beloved Sesame Street brand with Double Fine Productions’ talent for creating lush and exciting worlds while delivering a fun game that parents can feel good about purchasing.” I would totally buy this game. It’s perfect for them and gets them off the couch and dancing. Check out Miles grooving to some Disco fever music

 

Once Upon a Monster has six enchanting chapters to explore with multiple activities. They “turn” the page by pulling out. No I take that back, they jump into a chapter by pulling out and they turn the page by swiping. They know how to swipe, as the Xbox 360 dashboard is full of swiping.

As I sorta mentioned above it has drop-in/drop-out co-operative modes that work really well. This game is REALLY REALLY good at it. They can both leave and then the game pauses. When they return it picks them back up. Having played quite a few Kinect games, I really can tell you that this feature hardly ever works as well as it does in Once Upon A Monster.

My favorite feature of this game is that the kids are active. It actually gets them moving.

Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster on Kinect for Xbox 360 is rated “E” and available now at retail stores nationwide at a S.R.P. of $49.99.

We received samples.

Filed Under: review, Video Games Tagged With: , , , ,

National Sandwich Day Challenge With Arnold and Oroweat Breads November 3rd

October 29, 2011 By 1 Comment

We’ve been enjoying the Arnold/Oroweat Healthfull flax and fiber bread this week in honor of National Sandwich Day coming up. Did you know November 3rd is National Sandwich Day? I actually had no idea, until Oroweat told me. So we had Turkey and Mustard, and Ham and cheese. I’ve toasted up some grilled cheese and I got really creative with some fun spreads. I had a turkey sandwich with spinach and spiced sour cherry spread. The kids used the cherry spread to dip their veggies in. It was quite the success!

IMG_5438

I would like to invite you guys to check out the National Sandwich Day Challenge on the Arnold and Oroweat Breads Facebook page and vote for your favorite sandwich recipe.  The page will provide you with recipe inspirations and the winning sandwich will be announced on November 1st.  All of the recipes are delicious, so go vote for your favorite and encourage your friends to the same.

Each slice of the Oroweat Healthful Flax and Fiber bread contains fiber, flax seeds and 5g of protein plus the delicious whole grain taste you love.

Other Health Benefits:

  • 80 calories per slice
  • Excellent source of fiber*
  • Good source of Omega-3 ALA
  • No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
    We received samples.
Filed Under: review Tagged With: , , , , ,

African Cats Now On Blu-ray Combo Pack & Teaching Materials

October 29, 2011 By 2 Comments

Zoe and I went to see African Cats in the theater when it first came out on Earth Day last year. It was an amazing story of two cat families in Africa. As you watch the story unfold you are taken deep into the breathtaking African savanna to witness the heart-stopping rivalry between two lion prides and the epic journey of one brave cheetah family. Shot over the course of two and a half years using state-of-the-art camera equipment, AFRICAN CATS captures the awe-inspiring beauty of one of the wildest places on Earth as it tells the dramatic and often intimate stories of Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion clan.

clip_image002

Some scenes were sad, while others made us giggle. Other scenes were just really good opportunities to teach Zoe about how the cats in Africa live and that animals go through hardships that we don’t think about on a normal basis. Check this out or my full African Cats Movie Review.

In addition to the film, the discs include an incredible array of bonus features that take viewers deeper into the savanna through extensive interactive behind-the-scenes footage including filmmaker and conservationist interviews, an incredibly touching music video featuring Jordin Sparks singing “The World I Knew,” plus a look at the global efforts to which The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund contributes.

In addition to the film and the disks you can find educational materials on the African Cat’s website. These materials can be used to teach students about the science and geography themes presented in the new Disneynature film AFRICAN CATS. The guide will increase students knowledge of the African savanna habitat and the animals that live there, help students develop an understanding as to how living things are connected and why these connections are important, and enrich students viewing of AFRICAN CATS by inspiring appreciation for the animals and ecosystems of the African savanna.

We received samples.

Filed Under: Movie review, review Tagged With: , , ,

Nomad Original Digital Paint Brush

October 29, 2011 By 138 Comments

The digital world is blooming. EVERYTHING is going digital. We have touch screens everywhere. Our cars have touch screens in them. Our phones are touch screens, You can buy a refrigerator with a touch screen. They are everywhere.

You may not know this about me but I have a background in art. I love to draw and paint. I painted all the time when I was in college and up until I was pregnant with Zoe. I t was my creative outlet before I started blogging. I would probably paint if my blog ever just died, but I don’t see my blog going anywhere. So, I’ve been wondering if there was a way to explore my artistic background with the current trends in technology and yes there are, and I don’t have to buy a mac. I can use the iPad I already own and get a few new apps.

Digital & Analog Painting from Pinot on Vimeo.

Just using a Nomad Brush with any electronic art program with a touch screen will allow me to paint anywhere whenever I want. The Nomad Brush is the first handcrafted paintbrush stylus for touchscreen devices.  The Nomad Brush is the only paintbrush stylus that blends natural and conductive fibers with other highly conductive materials to make painting on digital screens feel as authentic as using canvas or watercolor paper. All Nomad Brushes glide smoothly and effortlessly on touchscreens.

IMG_5580

Nomade has a few recommended drawing apps listed on their website. a few of them of their suggestions with Nomad Brush products are: ArtRage, Auryn Ink, Zen Brush, Adobe Eazel, and Adobe Color Lava.

My only issue with the brush is that when I pulled it out of the package a black rubber piece came off and I can’t get it back on. It should cover the copper area of the brush.

IMG_5581

The Nomad Original retails for $24

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winners: Diane Baum, Erica Best, and Tracee.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules. We received a sample to donate.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts