Island Potcake Dogs

Island Potcake Dogs is a book written and illustrated by artist Mary R. Lee.  My munchkin boys and I recently received a copy of this cute book to read and enjoy. The boys are always excited to have a new book to read for bedtime, and could hardly wait to read this one.


I know my kids love stories where the main characters are animals, so I was pretty sure they were going to be delighted to learn that in Island Potcake Dogs they would be hearing a story about two dogs, Pot and Cake.


So what exactly are "Potcake Dogs?"


From the book:


They are a mixed breed of wild dogs found on the islands of the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. People all over the islands leave their dinner pots outside their backdoors and these wild dogs eat the food caked on the bottom of the cooking pots. After a while, the wild dogs became known as Potcakes.



The book is written in chapters, so it actually made a perfect book to read at bedtime for two nights in a row. At the end of the chapters, my boys were completely intrigued by the adventures of Pot and Cake, and couldn't wait to hear what would happen to them next. The story follows the hardships and challenges that these dogs go through until finally, they find their way to the U.S. and happily live a wonderful life.


Adventures and happy endings.....a recipe for a wonderful bedtime story! And there is a special little bonus at the end of the book too--cutouts of the dogs for little ones to cut out and play with!



Island Potcake Dogs is available at Amazon for $12.95



I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own and my munchkin boys only.

Book Review: Postcards From the Hedge

I recently read Postcards From the Hedge by Jill Appenzellar, and I truly enjoyed it. Appenzellar has written this book in a very easy reading format- somewhat like little segments that reflect her thoughts, feelings and life experiences.

Many might say that this is a book more for those who not just garden, but have a deep passion for gardening. While I agree with that, I certainly do not think you need to be a devout fan of gardens at all to love reading Post Cards From the Hedge. Take me for instance. I do not garden. I admit I often imagine having a gorgeous garden to invite friends and family over to enjoy, but at the moment I do not have anything but a backyard full of toys, bikes and some grass.

But reading this book took me to a place that was full of flowers, birds and color. The descriptions are so detailed and vibrant from the author, I could easily see her garden in my mind. But that is not even the main reason I liked this book as much as I did.

I was drawn in to Jill's reflecting on life, family, and human nature in the context of her ever-changing garden.As the seasons changed, and her garden with them, Jill shares memories, thoughts and wisdom from her life. That is what I enjoyed so much. To listen to someone share their joys sadness, regrets, doubts and questions is without a doubt an inviting reason to take some quiet moments and read Jill's book.

Postcards From The Hedge is lovely to read, and when you need to put it down, it is easy to pick it back up again and immediately get swept back into Jill's musings, and of course, her garden.

I received a complimentary copy of Postcards From The Hedge to review from Parent Reviewers. I did not receive any monetary compensation, and all opinions are purely my own.

Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes : Giveaway

There are quite a few things that can make me smile, but not all of them can make me  smile and say "yippee" and jump up and down like a teenage girl about to go see Bobby Sherman in person (don't ask!) But a night of no cooking because we are going OUT TO EAT at one of my favorite restaurants??? That will do the trick every time.

So when we received two dining passes to Souplantation /Sweet Tomatoes Restaurants. I jumped, screeched and happily dismissed my pots and pans from duty for an evening.

If you have not yet visited a Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes restaurant you have been missing out. First, it is perfect for the kids. They can pick and choose from a buffet style bar of healthy salads, pastas, fruits, soups,breads, muffins ....and PIZZA! And after dinner, the kids (and you too of course,) can make their own frozen yougut desserts....complete with different toppings. Yummy food and an environment that is more than kid-friendly.

Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes is featuring  "around the world" menus this August and September. Every two weeks, Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes chefs will cook up international inspired recipes from around the globe. So there really is no time like right now to try these restaurants. The “Around the World in Eight Weeks” Passport Promotion lets guests “travel” to Italy, Asia, Greece and Mexico – in culinary style of course! Every two weeks, Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes chefs are cooking up different internationally inspired recipes from around the globe.

And before you head out to the restaurant, visit www.souplantation.com or www.sweettomatoes.com to prepare for the trip! Kids’ activity sheets are available for download which also include coupons for 99 cent kid’s meals and $19.99 family dinner coupons! And, get 10% off on your next visit by sharing your trip around the world by sending a virtual postcard from the different countries you’ve “visited” to friends and family via email, Facebook or Twitter.

The Giveaway!!

Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes is giving TWO SETS of TWO Dining Passes AWAY . That is one set of 2 free passes for (2) different readers of HHF.

To Enter:  

 Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite thing about going out to eat is. That's it! (Please leave a valid email with entry!)

Extra Entries:

1.Follow Happy Healthy Families on Twitter  ( 3 entries)

2. Tweet this giveaway  (each daily tweet gets you a separate entry)

3. Friend Happy Healthy Families on Facebook  (2 entries)

4. Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families  (2 entries)

5. Follow HHF on Google Friend Connect  (widget is on right sidebar at top) (5 entries)

6. Blog about this giveaway on your blog.  (5 entries)

7. Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice (Leave me the url in a separate comment.) (5 entries)

Giveaway is open to U.S. Addresses only.

Giveaway will end Sept. 6th @11:59 EST.

Two winners will be chosen by random.org, each winner will receive two dinner passes to Sweet Tomatoes/Souplantation.

"This post was written for Family Review Network & Sweet Tomatoes & Souplantation who provided the complimentary product for review and giveaway in exchange for my honest review"

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship

 This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Woodrow Wilson. All opinions are 100% mine.

 

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship provides recent college graduates and others that are looking to make a change in their current careers, a chance to earn a master's degree at a participating university by awarding a $30,000 stipend to those who qualify. This could be an excellent opportunity for anyone thinking of returning to school but needs some financial help to do so.

The Fellowship includes:
A $30,000 stipend
Admission to a master’s degree program at a participating university
Preparation for teaching in a high-need urban or rural secondary school
Support and mentoring throughout the three-year teaching commitment
Guidance toward teaching certification
Lifelong membership in a national network of Woodrow Wilson Fellows who are intellectual leaders

To apply, you will need to be able to show that you  meet certain requirements, including the following:
Have completed an undergraduate degree in a STEM field by June 2011.
Have graduated with a 3.0 GPA or higher.
Demonstrate a commitment to the program and its goals.

The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship is committed to encouraging talented, dedicated individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—into teaching in high-need secondary schools where students truly need teachers that are there to guide and support them and help them achieve their goals. Therefore an important aspect of this program is that Fellows commit to teaching for three years in an urban or rural school district.



If this sounds like something you could be interested in, you can learn more by visiting www.wwteachingfellowship.org  today.

 

Nature Made SAM-e Complete Winner!

I have a winner for the Nature-Made SAM-e Complete Vitamins!

Congratulations to Heather, #20! You will be receiving a 3 month supply of these vitamins. Please watch for your confirmation email and reply asap!

Also--I will be announcing the winner of the $25 gift card to Little One Books shortly...so stay tuned!!

And: The $10 Gift Card to Wendy's is ending on August 25th....don't forget to enter!

Lastly, I have more giveaways in the works--hope to have one posted later today!!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random integers,

20
25
 2
 9
 2

Timestamp: 2010-08-23 17:04:08 UTC

Wonder Hangers are Indeed Wonderful!

I have seen the commercials and advertisements for Wonder Hangers many times, but just never tried them. But I was excited to know I was actually going to have a chance to try them out after all through a blog tour with Parent Reviewers!

I received a pack of 8 Wonder Hangers and immediately set about putting them together. It took me a couple of minutes to figure out just how to connect the hanger attachment to the hook, but once I got the hang of it, the hangers were a breeze to snap together.

 My bedroom closet (well, mine and the hubbs ) was the one I chose to use the hangers in because it is far and away the most cluttered, over flowing and disorganized closet in our house. I have old clothes from my kids in there, new clothes waiting for kids to grow into, assorted purses, belts, work clothes for the hubby, my assorted collection of clothes.....and on and on. It truly is a challenging place to enter. Not to mention the collection of shoes, boxes of papers that I just somehow cannot throw away because, well, we might just need that receipt from the home improvement store from 5 years ago one day, and other assorted clutter strewn on the floor.

So after assembling my hangers, into the beckoning closet I went.  I am in love these things! I have my clothes organized, and my husband's clothes as well.There is actual space in my closet now, and it is so easy to pick out clothes now. Before it was hard to get find clothes because they were cramped together, wrinkled, and falling off their hangers onto the floor. Now everything is organized...yay!! I have a place for my (too many) purses belts and scarves. Who knew you could get so much organization in a closet with such little effort and expenses?!

 I will am absolutely  buying more of these hangers to use in our entry way closet and all of the kids' closets. I love these things!

I received this product free from Wonder Hangers as part of Parent Reviewers’ Review Team. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

We Have Winners!!

Life gets in the way sometimes.....

A little behind here on giveaways and winners, but I am determined to catch up, starting with announcing a couple of winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Breyer's Smooth and Dreamy Ice Cream (Two Winners) : Congrats to Ashley, #67 entry and to Stroker 881, #15
 Here are your random integers, generated without replacement:

67
15
55
 8

Penguins of Madagascar Gift Pack Giveaway: Congrats to Jeanie, #9 entry!
Here are your random integers, generated without replacement:

9
60
34
 4

American Public University Blog Tour

Going back to school as a mom can be downright intimidating enough that many women opt out of doing so. But there is the option of taking classes online, thank goodness, which can be perfect for stay at home moms and work out of the home moms.

American Public University wants moms to know that they are committed to helping them achieve their educational pursuits from home and on a schedule that fits them. Classes are offered on a monthly basis, with accelerated courses and flexible programs that you can fit around your already busy schedule. APU offers more than 1500 courses and more than 70 graduate and undergraduate degree programs. And we all worry about costs these days--APU's tuition is among the lowest in the country for accredited online universities, enabling it to offer qality, accredited degree programs at an affordable price. Their simplified tuition and fee structure makes it easy for students to estimate and cover expenses.

If you are interested in learning more about online learning from moms who have been there, get ready to chat because this month you can meet moms like you for a live chat and learn about their experience of going back to school, including keys to their success and valuable lessons learned along the way:

    Helenjene Curtis: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

o   Tuesday, August 24 at 8 p.m. ET

·   Jenn Deater: Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management

o   Thursday, August 26 at 12:00 p.m. ET

  “I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of American Public University. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Have You Seen My Good Mood?

So I had the Saturday Blues. Which is all fine and good if my Saturday Blues stayed behind with Saturday. But no such luck. Here it is Monday and The Blues (miserable little things they are) have followed me. I briefly thought they had moved on yesterday....but I was wrong.

I think The Blues woke up before me this morning. I think the plan was to mock me as I stumbled out of bed. It worked.

The Blues are smart. They lurk around in the shadows waiting for me to become susceptible ...kind of like when your immune system is down and colds and such can move in on you...know what I mean? (And if I sound like I am rambling here....forgive me...it is The Blues messing with my thought processes. Nasty things.)

The hubbs and I are not seeing eye to eye on things lately. And I think The Blues have been appraising the situation. I am thinking that discord in the family looks like an invitation to The Blues to come on in.

So now I need to find a way to get them to leave. I am desperately searching for my Good Mood to kindly kick the Blues out the door for me. Problem is, I can't seem to find my Good Mood. Not a trace. And believe me, I have coaxed, pleaded and played tricks to try to get it to come out from wherever it is hiding.

Maybe my Good Mood is afraid of The Big Bad Blues.

So I need help finding my Good Mood asap. My kids need this. I would offer a reward, but I have not much to offer right now. But if you have any tips on how to lure out my Good Mood and/or how to kick these Blues to the curb, I so would appreciate them!

Boost Mobile

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

I usually leave the cell phone plans and services to the hubbs to figure out.....as long as I have my Blackberry in my hand, I am a happy camper. But with the budget still so tight around here, I have given our phone services and costs more attention.

The one thing we have thought about lately is switching at some point to a plan where you pay as you go. One service plan that I have read about recently is Boost Mobile. Available nationwide with competitive rates and plans, they are available through many major retailers. I will say there are some points about their services I like. For example, there are no contracts!  They also offer the "must have" features like texting, web, talk and email. There is no activation fee or roaming charges, and no long distance charges.

I also like the fact that you can pay online (very important to me) as well as in person or by phone, and this makes it easy to Re-Boost as well. You can also have the option to set up automatic payments (see-lots of options--always a good thing!)  And let me not forget to add the phone selection offered. You can choose from the very simple to the wonderful Blackberry, which makes updating and connecting with social media sites easy-peasy.

My Saturday Slump

So I have fallen into a slump today. A Saturday slump. I do not feel like working. I do not feel like playing. I feel like zoning out and staring at the TV while munching on junk food. I am not sure why I am feeling like this, and I don't particularly like it....but can't shake it either.

Maybe it is just burn-out from a busy week and stress. My son started fist grade this past week (that could cause stress and strife, right?) and my daughter will be starting 8th grade in two weeks at a new school. There is much to do still to get her ready...supplies, uniforms, orientation, etc.... so that is another source of stress. And my little guy is feeling sad, left-out and bored with his big brother now gone all day at school. More stress.

So I guess I need to regroup, re-organize and re-prioritize. Because as tough as this beginning part of back to school has been, I know it is nothing compared to what is coming. Homework assignments, projects, field trips, complaining and begging (from me, not the kids) for help from the hubbs with everything, carpool, lunches, .......ack.....

Where is my junk food and tv control???? I am going under the blankets. See you Monday. Maybe.

The Shred Sled Review

My 13 year old daughter is very busy these days...and it has nothing to do with Twilight, boys or clothes! Nope, she has a new fascination lately with the Shred Sled. The day that this bad boy version of a skateboard showed up on our doorstep, she was hooked. Apparently she was already familiar with the Shred Sled, as she cautioned me that it was "very difficult to use and one of the hottest things out there" and :how on earth did I get one of these to review?"

So after picking my ego up from the floor I attempted to  explain to my daughter that yes, there are some people out there that think I am worthy enough of such an important task as this one. But by then the box had been  torn opened and the Shred Sled removed (no assembly of any kind..bonus points in my book!) and my daughter had immediately jumped on.

Well, to be honest here, she also promptly fell right off. But that did not stop her --she was right back on and stayed on this time (with the help of our friendly walls to guide and support her, hehe.)  I will say right here that the very best way to get accustomed to balancing on this board is to make sure you have ample soft carpeting beneath you! Once my daughter got the balancing part of it down, she started being able to let go of the walls and 'sled' around the house.

The Shred Sled® is a 4-wheel inline, dual-deck caster board. Riding The Shred Sled® combines the experience of snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing into a new sport based on two decks, connected by a flexible middle component, that revolve around horizontal and vertical axes. All components of The Shred Sled® have been greatly improved from older 2-wheel models including four 80mm polyurethane wheels, aluminum casters, ABEC-5 bearings and concave decks for better foot control.

It is a combination of surfing moves with sledding moves and requires a lack of fear (which is why you will never see me on this board!) and lots of coordination and balance. And while my daughter truly enjoys pushing herself every day to stay on longer, go farther and faster (eeks) I would recommend this for true lovers of  skateboards and kids over 8 (at the least.) And always insist the kiddos wear their safety gear!



While my two munchkin boys have mostly admired this latest addition to our family from a distance, my six year old has played around some on the living room carpet with it, and I have no doubt that pretty soon he will be giving his big sister some serious competition! (We may need to get another one.)

The Shred Sled retails for $79.99 on the ShredSled.com website, where you can also watch videos on how to use it, great tricks to do with it , and more. You can also find it at retail stores like Target and Toys R Us.

To hear what others think about the Shred Sled:
 Follow Shred Sled on Twitter 
Like Shred Sled on Facebook

Disclosure: We were provided a complimentary Shred Sled to review and post our thoughts on thanks to Team Mom and Shred Sled. All opinions expressed here are our own and may not reflect those of others.

Review and Gift Card Giveaway: Wendy's New Salads

Wendy's has new salads on their menu. Yum!! Some of my favorite things are salads, salmon, reality TV shows (anyone watching Big Brother, btw?) salads, chocolate cake.....hmmm...well, when I think of more I will post them later. But for now, on with this review and giveaway!

"The four reinvented salads at Wendy's combine real ingredients and fresh preparation to deliver an unrivaled taste in every bite. With Wendy's new salads, customers can experience real high-quality ingredients and flavor combinations similar to what they get in a cafe or casual dining restaurant, but with the great value and convenience they expect from Wendy's.

The salads are prepared fresh in-store and topped with a variety of premium ingredients not usually found at fast food restaurants: 11 types of greens, including a spring mix; fruits like cranberries and two types of apples; real blue cheese crumbles and shaved Asiago cheese; fresh Pico de Gallo and guacamole; roasted pecans and warm chicken. Then each salad is served with Marzetti's all natural and preservative-free dressings, made especially for Wendy's, including Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Avocado Ranch, Lemon Garlic Caesar and Creamy Red Jalapeno."

Take a peek at the new salads available at Wendy's now: Apple Pecan Chicken, BLT Cobb, Spicy Chicken Caesar and Baja. Now tell me, is your mouth watering yet? Are you wishing your keyboard was a big old delicious salad?? (Yea, you are....admit it!)

And of course you now are craving to know more about these yummy salads and the fresh ingredients used in them, right? Because I am so nice and giving, I will share these delectable details with you!

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad
A blend of fresh lettuce and spring mix salad greens, topped with real blue cheese crumbles, U.S. grown, hand-picked Granny Smith and sweet red apple pieces, roasted pecans seasoned with sea salt, cayenne pepper and sugar, dried Ocean Spray cranberries and warm grilled chicken. This salad comes with all natural, preservative-free Pomegranate Vinaigrette dressing.

BLT Cobb Salad
A blend of fresh lettuce and spring mix salad greens, topped with two strips of Applewood Smoked Bacon, freshly chopped tomatoes, real blue cheese crumbles, chopped hard boiled eggs and warm grilled chicken. This salad is served with all natural, preservative-free creamy Avocado Ranch dressing.

Baja Salad
A blend of fresh lettuce and spring mix salad greens, topped with natural cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, guacamole made with Hass avocados, freshly prepared Pico de Gallo, all natural tortilla chips, and Wendy’s famous rich and meaty chili. This salad is served with all natural, preservative-free Creamy Red Jalapeno dressing.

Spicy Chicken Caesar
A bed of fresh romaine lettuce topped with vine ripened grape tomatoes, natural shaved Asiago cheese, French bread croutons seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and garlic and Wendy’s famous Spicy Chicken. This salad is served with all natural, preservative-free Lemon Garlic Caesar dressing.

I tried the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad, and it was delicious! I did pass on the chicken as I am vegetarian, but the rest of the salad was as good (and even better in some cases) as restaurant salads I have had. I found it to be very fresh and crunchy. I think I loved the apple the best (the cranberries and blue cheese crumbles are a very close second).....they just added such a unique fresh taste.

And Wendy's not only loves their customers, as evidenced by the care and choice of salads and other menu options, but it turns out they love ME and My Readers!!

Wendy's is giving one hungry reader a $10 gift card to use at any Wendy's near you! (and with Back to School time upon us, what a treat this could be for a parent that has found some free and alone time again??)

To Enter This Giveaway:

Visit the Wendy's website and take a mouth-watering look at these delicious new salads. Then just leave me a comment telling me which one you would like to try. That's it. Also, please leave a valid email address with your comment!

Extra Entries (of course I would offer some...I am nice that way, remember??)

1. Follow Happy Healthy Families on Twitter  ( 2 entries)

2. Tweet this giveaway  (each daily tweet gets you a separate entry)

3. Friend Happy Healthy Families on Facebook  (2 entries)

4. Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families  (2 entries)

5. Follow HHF on Google Friend Connect  (widget is on right sidebar at top) (5 entries)

6. Blog about this giveaway on your blog.  (5 entries)

7. Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice (Leave me the url in a separate comment.) (5 entries)

8. Enter another giveaway on HHF. (3 entries)

Open to U.S. Addresses
Giveaway Ends August 25th, 2010.
Winner Will Be Posted Here and By Email (Some emails apparently get missed, so please do check back here for winner announcement as well)
Winner Will Have 3 days to Confirm or New Winner Will be Drawn.


Disclaimer: Wendy's provided me with a $10 gift card to use to review their new salads. Wendy's will be providing an additional $10 gift card to the winner of the giveaway. All opinions and taste reviews mentioned here in this post are my own and others may have different opinions and experiences.

How To Rehabilitate Your Grocery Bill (Like I Did!)

Like many people nowadays, we well mainly me, are watching our pennies closely at our house. The one area I have the hardest time with however is grocery shopping. Well, not so much the shopping part (*grin*) but the saving money/sticking to a grocery budget/ part of it all. Might I just say in my defense that trying to keep two active munchkin-yet-growing-every-second boys, a 13 year old very busy girl, and a grown man who likens eating to breathing,  full while also sticking to a budget is just not on my list of skills and expertise?

Lucky for me, Daymon Worldwide ( the world's leading Private Brand expert ) feels sorry for my lack of coupon-ing and saving money skills. Because of me, (seriously, I really think I get full credit here!) they have made it their mission to show us moms that we can make perfectly delicious meals using store brand items many times in place of those expensive name-brand items. And they asked me to test out some of their recipes (See--I told you it was all about me!)

So the first recipe I tried out on my guinea pigs, er family, was the Breakfast Smoothie. Now remember, my mission was to use only store-brand items in the recipes.

Breakfast Smoothie
(Makes 2 smoothies)

Half a Banana
4 -6 frozen strawberries
½ c plain yogurt
½ - 1 c orange juice
1 Tbsp Flax seeds
1 Tbsp whey protein powder

In a blender add the banana, strawberries, yogurt, and orange juice. Blend until smooth. Add the flax seeds and whey, blend until evenly distributed and enjoy!

This cannot get any easier, right? And I used store brand orange juice and yogurt as instructed. The result? Very happy smiles and messy faces. This recipe is going to come in so handy for those dreaded school mornings that have once again descended upon our household!

 Mix it up a bit using other fruits -- whatever you have will work but here are some options:
Fresh blueberries, frozen raspberries & pomegranate juice
Fresh strawberries, frozen peaches & orange juice
Fresh bananas, frozen mango, & pineapple juice.


Next on my agenda was trying the Salmon Salad Sandwiches ( I am a registered Salmon fanatic, ask anyone that knows me.)


Salmon Salad Sandwich

4 sandwiches
(2) 6- 7-oz cans boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained
1/4 c minced red onion
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
4 tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese
8 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted (so I opted for the 12 grain bread here instead--didn't think the kiddos would go for the pumpernickel)
8 slices tomato
2 large leaves romaine lettuce, cut in half

Combine salmon, onion, lemon juice, oil and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each of 4 slices of bread. Spread 1/2 cup salmon salad over the cream cheese. Top with 2 tomato slices, a piece of lettuce and another slice of bread. If you don’t like pumpernickel try a nice hearty 12 grain bread.


This was delicious. I probably was the number one fan of this recipe, with the husband a close second. The kids tended to pick out the salmon filling and left the bread...but then again my kids do that with most sandwiches.


My bottom line? I enjoyed both recipes fully, fed my family some yummy stuff, and saved money using store brand items for both recipes.  And want to know what I really loved? No coupons were used in this money-saving experiment!!

I do not get along well with coupons. Just saying.

Disclosure: I was asked to participate in these recipe reviews by Daymon Worldwide and Role Mommy. While I was reimbursed for the ingredients purchased, all opinions and taste results expressed in this review are completely my own and that of my family. Others may have different opinions and experiences.

Little One Books: A Review and $25 Giveaway!

As parents, we all know the value of books in our little ones' lives, and the joy of reading a good night story  to our children.

(Or two.)

(Or three.)

Little One Books is a new online company, based in West Seattle, providing books, CDs, and DVDs for children from birth to five years old. The owners, Barney Cohen and Joan McCoy, have sucessfully created a a resource of very young children’s media that parents, grandparents and others will find trustworthy and not intimidating at all.

They accomplished  this by not only handpicking  the greatest titles in each product category, but also by providing detailed information on why they prefer a particular product --which you will always find in their "Why We Chose" section of each product page.  They have also divided their  products into appropriate  age categories--

"It is our belief that a child of 8 months and a child of 3 years are at very different development stages in life and would be stimulated by different books, music, and visuals. We want to take the parents’ guess work out
 of selecting new children’s media."

Little One Books sent my munchkin boys a DVD featuring two of their favorite characters, Maggie and The Ferocious Beast.

They both love this show, but it is harder to find when it is on TV anymore, so they were delighted to get this movie. And can I just add as a mom I too enjoy watching Maggie and her assorted companions??

As with all the products offered on their website, Barney and Joan Cohen give their insight as to why this DVD was chosen to be offered in their store--

Why we chose this video:

"Maggie and the Ferocious Beast is a funny and creative show that follows a little girl and her friends, the roly-poly and friendly Ferocious Beast and the loyal pig, Hamilton. In these episodes, the characters are involved in all sorts of Halloween adventures that are as suspenseful as they are goofy. The writing of the show is quite smart and will entertain adult and child viewers alike.Your child will be particularly excited by this episode because it deals with the fun subject of Halloween. Aside from being funny and entertaining, the show also promotes kindness and empathy. When Maggie helps Hamilton when he is sick, she demonstrates the importance of offering being thoughtful and showing kindness to others."

Little One Books has generously offered to give one of my readers a $25 Gift Certificate to their store! That means you can happily browse their awesome selections of books, movies and music and find the perfect one for your family!

To Enter:

(Mandatory First Entry) Visit Little One Books and then leave me a comment letting me know which item your little one(s) would absolutely love!

Extra Entries:

1. Friend Little One Books on Facebook (2 entries)
2. Follow Little One Books on Twitter  (2 entries)
3. Sign Up for their Newsletter  (two entries)
4. Follow Happy Healthy Families on Twitter ( 2 entries)
5. Tweet this giveaway (each daily tweet gets you a separate entry)
6. Friend Happy Healthy Families on Facebook (3 entries)
7. Subscribe to Happy Healthy Families (3 entries)
8. Follow us on Google Friend Connect (widget is on right sidebar at top) (5 entries)
9. Blog about this giveaway on your blog. (5 entries)
10. Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice (Leave me the url in a separate comment.) (5 entries)
11. Enter another giveaway on HHF. (two entries) 

Please leave a valid email with your entries.
Giveaway open to U.S. addresses and will end August 16th at 11:59 EST.
Winner will be notified by email and will have 3 days to confirm, or new winner will be drawn.

Little One Books sent our family the DVD Maggie and The Ferocious Beast to facilitate my review. No monetary compensation was received for this review. All opinions stated here are my own, and may differ from others.