LUNA Protein Bars: Nutrition for Moms on the Go {Giveaway} #cleverLUNA

by Kate on August 26th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  For Mama, Giveaways

Thank you to LUNA Protein for providing me a LUNA Protein sample pack to review. The opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint.

***

How many times have you looked at the clock, realized it’s 11 o’clock, nearly the middle of the day, and you haven’t eaten anything yet? If you’re anything like me, it happens a little too often. By the time I feed both kids breakfast, get both kids dressed for the day, pack lunches, get myself dressed, and get us all out the door to school… it’s a miracle if I’ve remembered to feed myself. Having a quick snack that I can eat on the go or in between wrangling my kids is a must. A snack that’s tasty, nutritious with less than 200 calories? Yes, please! LUNA Protein, welcome to my crazy routine.

LUNA Protein

You’re probably familiar with LUNA Bars, the protein bars from CLIF designed specifically for active women, but there are probably some great facts you don’t know:

LUNA Protein is the first high protein bar for women that provides satiation with natural and organic ingredients. In under 200 calories, LUNA Protein offers 12 grams of soy and whey protein and 3 grams of fiber to satisfy hunger. It contains no artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup or trans fats, and no ingredients sourced from genetically modified organisms.

LUNA Protein Bars are now gluten-free and all five flavors have less than 200 calories. They’re also designed to help you feel full longer – so you can hold yourself off until the next break in your crazy day to eat.

LUNA Protein Bar Flavors

  • Chocolate Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate
  • Cookie Dough
  • Chocolate Cherry Almond
  • Mint Chocolate Chip

Nutrition On The Go

LUNA Protein Bars are really quite tasty. My favorite flavor that I’ve tried so far is Chocolate Peanut Butter – (duh, what’s not to love about chocolate and peanut butter?). But, to be honest, the best part about the LUNA bars, for me, is the convenience of having a healthy snack on the go. I can throw a bar in my bag, eat it in the car between taking my daughter to library story time and hitting the Y. This snack, designed to nourish and satisfy, is certainly better than an alternative to which I often fall prey: the fast food drive-through. I feel better about myself for making a good choice and my waistline appreciates the choice as well.

Shop! LUNA Protein Bars are available at stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Safeway and many more. A case of 12 bars is also available online from our affiliate Amazon.com for about $15.

Win – 5 Winners! LUNA Protein Prizes, including a sample pack of LUNA Protein as well as a bonus treat from LUNA.

How to Enter: Leave a comment telling us the flavor you’d like to try.

Earn Extra Entries: Valid only after completing first required entry. Please leave a comment for each you do.

  • Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter using the blue buttons below. You may do this every day, just leave a link when you do.
  • Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or RSS.

Giveaway ends September 2. Open to US Mailing Addresses Only.

Please click here to learn more about LUNA Protein. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #cleverLUNA

Isabelle Grace Jewelry Review

by Laura on August 26th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  For Mama, Reviews

The Ruby Squared Necklace

As a new mom, I barely get to shower most days, let alone put on makeup and jewelry.  But as a jewelry designer myself, I have a deep love for the statement necklace.  Even if I throw it in my bag and don’t put it on until I’m in the office, I try my best to put on a nice piece each day so that I can feel pretty and put together.  Isabelle Grace’s new fall collection has a variety of pieces that are sure to tickle the fancies of lots of moms, whether you like your necklaces big and bold or small and dainty.

 About Isabelle Grace Jewelry

“We make simple, beautiful, elegant pieces inspired by the most important things in life. Family, children, love, marriage. We make jewelry that celebrates life. Your life and what you’re about.  We make jewelry that will be part of your everyday wardrobe and will become a family heirloom.   We make jewelry that people connect with.

We make jewelry by hand in Dartmouth, Massachussetts.  It takes longer, but it’s worth the wait.  Each piece is expertly crafted with your special message, names, inspiration. Only the highest quality materials are used in the creation of our jewelry, fine and sterling silver, 22kt gold, 14kt gold filled, and semi- precious gemstones.  We stand by our work.”

 Isabelle Grace Review

I tried on the Ruby Squared Necklace, pictured above.  Normally, I am a wearer of jewelry that is the most visible part of my outfit.  My necklaces are often long, or chunky, or bright.  The Ruby Squared was a change for me since the square was probably about an inch wide and the chain was quite delicate.  But it was a nice departure.  I don’t consider my neck especially wide, but I had to clasp the necklace at almost the very end of the chain, so I do wish it was a little big longer.  The chain also didn’t feel very sturdy, but the square sat very nicely on my upper chest and I got many compliments throughout the day.  I liked that the square was clearly something that had been fashioned by hand and the gem was just a tiny perfect little cherry to top it off.  The wire wrapping that connected the chain to the square also had a pretty, rustic quality.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Isabelle Grace’s newest collection has something for everyone.  There are earthy pieces, delicate ones, and statement pieces for ladies like me!  I especially loved the Alicia, the Bombay, and the Rock My World.  Also offered – earrings and bracelets (some that coordinate with the necklaces) and a whole line of personalized jewelry that would make great gifts for glamour girls or bridesmaids.

Or Not to Buy… The prices are steep, but as the website says, Isabelle Grace uses high quality materials.  Gold filled and sterling silver chain are a must and these days they don’t come cheap.

Shop!  Check out the Isabelle Grace website to view, and buy, items from the new collection as well as from the personalized line.  The Ruby Squared Necklace is $85.

Thanks to Isabelle Grace for provising a sample.

Voice Rockrz Microphone {Review & Giveaway}

by Kate on August 26th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaways, Toys

My kids like to sing. The songs aren’t always appropriate (learned the hard way to play the censored version of popular music), the notes aren’t always on key. But the kids love to sing and dance, none the less. And, my husband and I are always a willing audience. Their performance has a new aspect with the super cool new Voice Rockrz Microphone.

About the Microphone

Voice Rockrz is an innovative microphone that magically interacts with included accessories to transform your voice. Tap the accessories to the mic to unlock different voice effects: you’ll hit those soaring high notes with ease, hear your voice echo across the stadium, and transform into a rocking robot as the crowd cheers in amazement!

Features

  • Microphone: Sound Effects, Mic, On/Off
  • Voice Changing Effects: Hi-Note, Echo-Tastic, Robot-Riffic

Voice Rockrz in Action

Here’s a quick video of my kids Rockin’ Out with the Voice Rockrz. You can watch my son sing a song from school in regular mode and two of the sound effect modes, and then the kids “sing” a “duet” (using those terms loosely) of a Laurie Berkner Band song. Enjoy!

Rocking with Voice Rockrz Microphone

Now, let’s be honest, my kids don’t need a microphone. They have plenty of volume. But there is something that makes my little ones turn.it.on. when they’re holding a microphone and singing their hearts out. So it’s not surprising that they both adore the Voice Rockrz Microphone.

The microphone comes with matching rock star worthy ring and bracelet and my kids happily dressed the part. It wasn’t until we, um, read the directions that we realized the ring and bracelet are actually more than jewelry. When tapped against the microphone the jewelry changes the sound effects of the microphone. Tap the ring to the target spot and it activates the crazy high-pitched Hi-Note effect. Tap the bracelet and it starts the Echo-Tastic effect. Tape one and then the other and you get a Robot-Riffic voice. My daughter can’t master this by herself, and frankly she just wants to wear the “pitty jewwy”. My son LOVES the sound effects and thinks the tapping is cool.

The microphone also has an input so you can plug in an MP3 player to sing along with your favorite songs. It’s a pretty cool feature, especially considering the price point of the microphone.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The Voice Rockrz Mic is a lot of fun for kids. Mine are only 2 and 4 and they love the thing. I imagine it would be a hit with older kids. I can just picture a tween girl karaoke slumber party rocking with the Voice Rockrz.

Or Not to Buy… The sound quality out of the microphone when you plug it into an MP3 isn’t the best, but you can still sing along.

Shop! The Voice Rockrz Microphone from First Act is available now for $24.99. You can pick it up from our affiliate, Amazon, with free shipping.

Win! A Voice Rockrz Microphone – so your kids can, um, sing for you!

How to Enter: Just leave a comment and you’re entered to win!

Earn Extra Entries – valid only after the first entry. Please leave a comment for each you do.

Giveaway ends September 7. Open to US residents only.

Back to School With Dinosaur Train

by Kate on August 25th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School

Back to School season is in full swing! Whether your children have started school or you’re still getting ready, there’s plenty of time to prepare and help your kids do all they can to thrive this year. PBS Kids and Dinosaur Train have some fun toys and games to help kids improve skills – and have fun!

Dinosaur Train Games Online

The Jim Henson Company and PBS Kids have some fun ideas on the Dinosaur Train website to help kids with specific skills necessary for school.

Practice reading and speaking. Help your child practice the letters of the alphabet while learning, speaking and singing about the diversity of dinosaurs that once lived on Earth with the “Dinosaurs A – Z song.”

Learn about color. Help your child understand, investigate and make predictions about the science of color, using household basics including food coloring, clean food jars/containers, colored markers and a cookie sheet. Click to play Colorful Hypothesis.

Develop fine motor skills such as coloring; cutting; drawing; buttoning; zippering; building. With Buddy’s help, you can practice some of these skills while making a Stegosaurus Puppet.

Practice gross motor skills such as running, jumping and throwing. Try “Playing Dino Ball Your Way” to improve these skills–and get some exercise too–by inventing the rules for an imaginary game and then playing it!

Explore size and scale. Using illustrations and physical markers, kids can measure out size differences in large dinosaurs to understand their size and scale! Check out the activity “Even Bigger than T.rex!” at the following link and have some fun while learning about size.

Shopping Dinosaur Train Gear

Whether or not you play the great online Dinosaur Train games, here are some fun ideas to bring the loveable dinosaurs into your home. Some of the products will bring back to school lessons to life.

Dinosaurs A to Z (Dinosaur Train) from Golden Books by Andrea Posner-Sanchez; illustrated by Terry Izumi.

I admit that this is not our first learn a dinosaur for every letter book, but we love this particular book. You meet 26 dinosaurs, with fun facts and easy to understand descriptions aided by Buddy, Mr. Conductor and other Dinosaur Train characters. This is a great addition to your library whether or not you watch the television show.

Crayola Color Wonder Dinosaur Train Coloring Pad & Markers.

Crayola mess free Color Wonder markers and coloring pads are the best. Color Wonder with Dinosaur Train? The bestest. We can take this on the go or set up the kids to color at the table and never worry about a stained couch or colored wall.

MEGA BLOKS Dinosaur Train “All Aboard the Dinosaur Train!”

The collection of Dinosaur Train products from Mega Bloks is super cool. You can purchase a single train with Buddy or Tiny all the way up to a big ol’ Dinosaur Train with Pteranodon Station set. We love this opportunity to bring the adventures on the Dinosaur Train to life in our playroom, and kids love to build, rebuild and build again.

DINOSAUR TRAIN APPAREL from Kids with Character.

Dinosaur Train’s summer line shirts and pants/shorts sets are great for back to school and available at Kohls and Kmart.


New Season of Dinosaur Train

The new seasons of Dinosaur Train started this week on PBS Kids. Check your local listings and set your DVR so you don’t miss any new episodes. You can get even more Dinosaur Train with the brand new DVD Dinosaur Train: Dinosaur Big City available now for $9.99 on Amazon.

We received product samples.

Thursday Giveaway Linky

by Kate on August 25th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaway Linky


Happy Thursday! Thanks for stopping by to link up and browse giveaways.

Make sure you check out our awesome Giveaways while you’re here, including our fantastic Back to School Gear Giveaway worth over $275. Make sure you also take a look at our Back to School Shopping Guide!

While you’re linking head over to Baby Loving Mama to link up there, too. Be sure to enter the fun Sam’s Club Giveaway.

Have a great day!

American Living: Affordable Back to School Clothes

by Kate on August 24th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Back to School, Clothes

American Living, available exclusively at JC Penney, offers a classic and stylish line of very affordable children’s clothes that are made for back to school shopping. Trust us, check out the pieces and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the stylish options that won’t break the bank. This is some back to school shopping you can feel good about.

As part of American Living’s Made for Back to School campaign, we received some clothes for my son and took some time to think about the upcoming school year. My son had to come up with his goals for this school year, and they are rather sweet, if I do say so myself. He wants to 1) Make New Friends and 2) Learn to Read. And, by learn to read, I assume he means other than just memorize books and pretend to read which is what he cutely does now.

But, let’s get to the really good stuff – the clothes! Check out my 4.5 year old rocking the American Living Collection.

Big Stripe Polo (reg. $24, on sale for $9.99) and Bailey Chino Pant in Navy (reg. $32, on sale for $15.99)

Big Stripe Polo & Straight Fit Jean (reg. $36, on sale for $19.99)

Polo (reg. $24, now $9.99) & Solid Cargo Shorts (reg. $34, now $16.99)

Shop! Check out the great clothes made for back to school from American Living. And, if you’re shopping for girls, you must take a peek at the Sweater Vest (I’m obsessed!).

Disclosure: I am being compensated for participating in the American Living Made for Back to School campaign. As always, opinions are my own.

SwaddleDesigns Features Angry Birds

by Malia on August 24th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  Shopping

You are probably familiar with the incredibly popular smart phone app Angry Birds, but did you know your baby could be surrounded by adorable images from this insanely addictive game from birth? SwaddleDesigns, the company that first introduced the large square swaddling blanket to the US, recently announced their exclusive Angry Birds collection. The collection includes receiving blankets, swaddle wraps, sleep sacks and more.

Swaddle Designs’ Angry birds swaddling blanket is made with soft, breathable cotton and includes swaddling instructions sewn right on the edge of the blanket. It is available for pre-order in red, blue, yellow, and multi-bird style for $20 each.

Angry Birds Receiving Blankets run $28, Angry Birds Sleep Sacks $38, Angry Birds Lovies $20 and Angry Birds Burb Cloth sets are $20. The cute onsie is coming soon.

I’ll admit, even though I’d heard of Angry Birds I’d never played it until tonight. It’s crazy addictive, but I’m not quite sure I see myself choosing it as a swaddle design for my baby. Maybe I need a bit longer to let the obsession grow. What do you think? Are Swaddle Designs’ Angry Birds for you or someone you know?

Lauren Nicole Gifts: Mom Jewelry Review & Giveaway

by Kate on August 24th, 2011  |  5 Comments  |  For Mama, Giveaways

Lauren Nicole Gifts is a mom-owned company that specializes in monogrammed silver jewelry that is perfect for moms. The company is owned by Denise who is a fellow military wife! She maintains an online-only business so she can relocate every couple years to wherever the Army takes her family. Her active duty husband also gets in on the jewelry business by cutting and forming silver pieces that are used in the hand stamped jewelry designs.

Custom Jewelry for Moms

Feeling a little separation anxiety now that your tot is back in school? Wear a personalized necklace featuring your child’s artwork, handprint or birthstone. Don’t you love it? You can send in one of your child’s paintings or a copy of her handprint and Lauren Nicole Jewelry creates a mold to make the jewelry and gifts.

My Mom Jewelry

I received the Circle of Love Necklace personalized with my kids’ names and two sweet little charms. The necklace arrived in a small box perfect for gifting. I opted for the necklace on a ball chain, but you have a choice between lengths and type of necklace – or no necklace at all if you already have a chain. Below is a photo of the necklace on the 16 inch ball chain so you can see where it falls.

Many necklaces offer a choice of font, too, and here’s a close up of the circle, heart and pearl beads.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Even if you’re not the most sappy, sentimental mother there is just something special about personalized jewelry to honor your children. I love the variety of options at Lauren Nicole so you can create just the right piece of jewelry. The Circle of Love necklace I’m wearing is lovely and a great reflection of my style and my kids.

Or Not to Buy… I have no complaints about the quality of the necklace. It’s just as I anticipated.

Shop! Lauren Nicole Gift prices range from around $50 and up. The Circle of Love necklace as I received it is $60. I love the idea of shopping Lauren Nicole to support a small military-mom owned business.

Win! A $50 Gift Card to Lauren Nicole Gifts!

How to Enter: Visit Lauren Nicole Gifts and check out the jewelry. Leave a comment telling us your favorite thing.

Giveaway ends September 7. Open to US residents only.

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »