reviews

tie buddies

My daughter has been trying to learn how to tie her shoes for awhile now. With very little success. So I just had the opportunity to try out Tie Buddies, I was totally game. I needed help!

What they say:

• Teach them to tie in no time! Simple, easy and fun to use, Tie Buddies® friendly characters create a simple solution to an age old problem!
• By eliminating loops, this revolutionary new product eliminates the confusion of multiple "holes" where the laces can pass through and makes tying easy for those little fingers.
• Tie Buddies® also gives those little fingers something to hold onto.

What I say:

All I have to say is this: my daughter literally was tying her shoes - by herself - in under 5 minutes.

Amazing. It was so simple. I think I showed her three times how to do it - and she was trying it and within minutes, she got it! I wish I had this with her older sister - she had a really difficult time learning how to tie her shoes. The loops used to really confuse her - she would try to pull the wrong ones or not get the loop all the way through. It was really hard! When I was teaching preschool, it was something I always found tremendously difficult for kids.  But Tie Buddies makes it so simple! What an amazing product - I can't believe no one thought of this years ago!

Bottom line: I highly recommend Tie Buddies!

Buy Tie Buddies on Amazon or tiebuddies.com.

Melissa is a work at home mom to 3 adorable, active kids outside Philadelphia. She is founding editor of Thoroughly Modern Mommies and can also be found talking fashion daily at b*Stylish, and dishing about family life on her personal blog, Girlymama. Find her on twitter as @girlymamamel.

disclosure: we received a product from tie buddies to facilitate this post. we were not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are ours . your results may vary.

Fitting into those favorite jeans with Slim Fast

Like 99% of women, I have a pair of awesome jeans in my closet that don't fit. I bought them last summer when I was working out 5 days a week and was - let's be frank - looking pretty hot. But they, um, no longer fit for various reasons. Ahem.

I've been wanting to crack down and lose those 5 pounds so they'll fit again, but I haven't had time/motivation/gumption/whatever. So when Slim Fast offered to send me some samples on a day when I was feeling particularly puffy, I jumped at the chance and gave it a try last week.

With Slim Fast, you eat 6 times a day. This is a requirement for me: I need a diet when I can actually eat because I get really shakey if I don't eat. You can have either a shake or meal bar twice a day, then three snacks (a 100-calorie snack bar or fruit, nuts, veggies or something healthy) and a 500-calorie meal for dinner.

I loved the meal and snack bars. I have tried pretty much any brand of meal bar you could name. Most are awful. They taste like cardboard and they hit your stomach like a rock. But I liked every Slim Fast bar I tried. Especially the Chocolatey Vanilla Blitz Snack Bar and the Sweet & Salty Chocolate Almond Meal Bar. (My name is Melissa and I love chocolate!) They tasted great, had a great texture and filled me up. I will be buying these even when I'm not officially on a diet.

But the shakes didn't work for me. I really didn't like them - but I also hate milk. And I'm lactose intolerant, so these were not a good match for me.  I have friends who love them, though, so there you go.  If, like me, you're not a milk drinker, the meal bars were a fine replacement.

So the result: I lost four pounds and my teeny-tiny jeans allllmost fit! Woo-Hoo!!

If you are a super busy mom like me, this is a great match for you. Life is much to crazy for me to be trying to eat certain foods or weighing things or whatever. I barely have time to eat as it is and often eat on the run or standing up. When I'm making lunches in the morning, I grab a bar and eat with my coffee. When  I'm driving my daughter to school, I can eat a meal bar. Hungry during the morning, grab an apple. This system was perfect for me. Simple, easy, inexpensive and it took almost no extra time! And when you go to Slimfast.com and you can create your own personal meal plan for the week.

Melissa is a work at home mom to 3 adorable, active kids outside Philadelphia. She is founding editor of Thoroughly Modern Mommies and can also be found talking fashion daily at b*Stylish, and dishing about family life on her personal blog, Girlymama. Find her on twitter as @girlymamamel.

disclosure: i received products from slim fast to facilitate this post. i was not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are mine. your results may vary.

Earth's Best Chlorine Free Baby Wipes

Earth's Best provided a sample of their new Chlorine Free Baby Wipes - and I was sceptical.   Because I HATE the Huggies Pure and Natural wipes.   I made the mistake of registering for a lot of them when I was expecting ... so I was prejudiced against any "natural" wipes.    But these were a pleasant suprise!!  

They are both soft AND effective ... and let me tell you my seven month old provided QUITE the test subject for me when we were out the other day.    But these wipes worked really well. 

 Given the lack of chemicals a package of these (conveniently packaged in a reclosable pack of thirty) might take up residence in the diaper bag ... for diapers and messy faces.      But I guess I shouldn't be surprised.   Earth's Best makes the best tasting of the baby foods, in my opinion, as well.    

 

Karen is a working momma to a lovely baby girl.    If she ever finds the free time she misplaced, she will again share recipes and food tips at  friedchickenandcheesesteaks.com, cook more from scratch again, dance, and take a nap.    Karen and her family are juggling life in the Philadelphia suburbs.

disclosure: we received a sample product to facilitate this review. we were not compensated financially for this post. as always, all opinions are ours.

SeaPak Popcorn Fish

My kids ate fish.

Really. My kids. Ate. FISH.

My kids have refused to eat fish. They love shrimp and have even tried scallops, but for some reason every time I have made fish, they refuse to eat it.

So when SeaPak announced the newest addition to its best-selling lineup, Popcorn Fish, I was willing to give it a try. We normally try not to eat much processed food, but SeaPak is made with cuts of  whole, flaky Pollock fillets and is much lower in saturated fat and calories than other popular brands of fish sticks and is made without high fructose corn syrup or MSG. So not too shabby!

I put these on the table after a busy day of school and soccer practice - and they were gone in a heartbeat. The kids positively gobbled these up. I was thrilled! Although - frankly - I'd like to eat more than just two next time so I'll need to make a few more. I'm thinking fish tacos! They were light (not greasy at all) with a very light breading and were ready in about 15 minutes. We had them with a salad and rice - a great dinner for a busy night!

Now I'm so excited to try more and more varieties of fish with them! Maybe Tilapia Sliders or Roasted Garlic Encrusted Flounder.... The possiblities are endless!

Bottom line: I will totally buy these!

Melissa is a work at home mom to 3 adorable, active kids outside Philadelphia. She is founding editor of Thoroughly Modern Mommies and can also be found talking fashion daily at b*Stylish, and dishing about family life on her personal blog, Girlymama. Find her on twitter as @girlymamamel.

disclosure: we received a sample of seapak popcorn fish to facilitate this review. we were not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are ours.

Annemarie Borlind Orange Blossom Energizer

One of  my new beauty discoveries is Annemarie Borlind. They were at an event I went to and I was very impressed. You might remember I just tried out their Anti-Stress Mask and then fell in love when I started seeing great results with the Eye Wrinkle Cream. But today I'm sharing about the Orange Blossom Energizer.

Borlind's Orange Blossom Energizer is intended for dry, poorly moisturized, tired, stressed skin and sun-damaged skin. Unfortunately, that does describe my skin lately.  Orange Blossom Energizer smooths wrinkles and fine lines while revitalizing and strengthening skin, resulting in a 33% decrease in wrinkle depth and 21% increase in skin hydration after only one month.

I started using the Orange Blossom Energizer last week after cleansing my face. First, I LOVE the smell. Its citrus-y and fresh and is great in the morning to perk you up. It leaves my skin feeling smooth and clean and tight. Its not alcohol - some toners make myskin all tingly and tight, but its because it is sucking mositure out of my skin! I normally skip toner in teh winter because of this. But the Orange Blossom Energizer is different. My skin is feeling healthier, better mositurized and smoother after just a week.

And remember that every product Annemarie Borlind makes is all natural and botanically-based, all ingredients are guaranteed to be 100% free of toxins, pesticides and other pollutants and all products and materials used in the manufacturing process are bio-degradable.

Bottom line: Love it. My new favorite toner, hands down.

Melissa is a work at home mom to 3 adorable, active kids outside Philadelphia. She is founding editor of Thoroughly Modern Mommies and can also be found talking fashion daily at b*Stylish, and dishing about family life on her personal blog, Girlymama. Find her on twitter as @girlymamamel.

disclosure: i received a sample of annemarie borlind orange blossom energizer to facilitate this review. i was not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are mine.

annemarie borlind anti-stress mask

I just discovered Annemarie Borlind's products at an event and I was beyond impressed. Every product they make is all natural and botanically-based, all ingredients are guaranteed to be 100% free of toxins, pesticides and other pollutants and all products and materials used in the manufacturing process are bio-degradable.

Last night, I tried out the Anti-Stress Mask. It seemed appropriate on a week when I am totally stressed out due to over-committing myself to my daughter's school PTO. But that's another story.

When I get stressed out, it almost always shows up on my skin. I get breakouts, I get dark circles and tired looking eyes, and my complexion just looks pasty. So a product like the Anti-Stress Mask was definitely something I was interested in trying out.

Annemarie Borlind Anti-Stress Mask claims to reduce puffiness and restore a healthy glow to tired, stressed skin. Rebuild and tone structure with: Carrot protein to firm, reducing wrinkles and fine lines and Hyaluronic acid and sorbitol hydrate to bind moisture.

It felt nice when it was on - it didn't have an overly strong smell (which is a pet peeve of mine with anti stress things. Aromatherapy be darned, sometimes its just too much!). I left it on for about ten minutes as it dried a bit and washed it off with warm water.

My skin felt divine. It was tight and super smooth and felt so hydrated. Plus, the next morning I didn't look quite so tired as I have been. (Disclaimer: my son slept through the night as well, so that probably contributed a bit to my looking less like a zombie.)

I have a feeling this is going to me my secret weapon during those dry winter months! My skin gets super dry in the winters and I constantly struggle to keep it moisturized but not greasy. This will be perfect!

(I've also started using Annemarie Borlind's Eye Wrinkle Cream! Review coming soon, but I'm liking it so far!)

Melissa is a work at home mom to 3 adorable, active kids outside Philadelphia. She is founding editor of Thoroughly Modern Mommies and can also be found talking fashion daily at b*Stylish, and dishing about family life on her personal blog, Girlymama. Find her on twitter as @girlymamamel.

disclosure: i received a sample of annemarie borlind anti-stress mask to facilitate this review. i was not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are mine.

princess party cookbook

Much to my daughters' delight, the adorable Princess Party Cookbook by Annabel Karmel arrived in the mail a few days ago. The girls immediately hijacked it and spent the afternoon pouring over it. Then they came into the kitchen and announced that they wanted to have a party. I can hardly blame them. Look at how cute this book is:

What little girl wouldn't want to make every single recipe in this book? They are so fun and cute!

Now we've only had this cookbook for a few days, but the recipes we have tried have been absolutely delicious. We loved the coconut shrimp skewers (we love grilled shrimp in our house!) and the rice krispie hearts, and cupid's arrows (chicken skewers). And I can't wait to  try some more!

As a mom, I really appreciate that Annabel Karmel makes REAL food for kids. Its not a collection of junk food or processed foods - these are some fabulous, healthy recipes with a fun little twist to make them exciting for kids. The smoothies are sweetened with honey or fruit - not loads of sugar, the desserts are yummy - but there is lots of fruity desserts to avoid sugar overload, the main dishes include everything from pork to salmon to veggie risotto. I was terribly impressed!

And she includes not only a full menu for each party, but also activity suggestions, table settings and even invitation ideas! I LOVE it! Perfect for creativity-lacking moms who still want to throw amazing parties for their little ones. (Personally, we're thinking of throwing the holiday angels party for their friends over Christmas break!)

I highly recommend this cookbook. Its absolutely darling!

 

Melissa is a work at home mom to 3 adorable, active kids outside Philadelphia. She is founding editor of Thoroughly Modern Mommies and can also be found talking fashion daily at b*Stylish, and dishing about family life on her personal blog, Girlymama. Find her on twitter as @girlymamamel.

disclosure: we received a copy of this book to facilitate this review. we were not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are ours .

 

AFS needs your opinion

AFS-USA is a leading international, intercultural exchange non-profit. For more than 60 years AFS has been offering American and international high school students the opportunity to study and live abroad, and in the process, connect the world.

Now more than ever we need the kind of intercultural understanding that exchange programs foster, so we are gathering information to better understand how to improve our programs. This survey will take only a few minutes to complete, and will be invaluable in helping us craft that kind of exchanges that will help you, your family and your readers become citizens of the world.

You can find our survey at by clicking the following link -- https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=8CTxJ51a9uyIRd4CdGom4Q_3d_3d -- or at http://www.surveymonkey.com/AFSnewparentssurvey.

2010 Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival *GIVEAWAY*

**This giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to Chrissy!**
The 2010 Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival, presented by Gourmet Shows, is being held at the Valley Forge Convention Center on October 29th - 31st and is all about Taste! This year's Festival showcases the finest in wine, spirits and gourmet foods…along with the talents of local chefs and culinary personalities.

Gourmet Shows is excited to welcome Bravo's Top Chef: Las Vegas' Michael Voltaggio (winner, Season 6) along with Top Chef: New York's Fabio Viviani (finalist, Season 5). Also, joining us will be Food Network's own Aaron McCargo Jr. of Big Daddy's House; and Christina Pirello of Christina Cooks. Culinary demonstrations by these and other celebrity chefs — including Ron Duprat and Michael Giletto — will tantalize your taste buds and provide you with a myriad of ways to enhance your own dining experiences.

For the complete schedule and detailed information about this spectacular event, go to the 2010 Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival website. You can also connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.

Would you like to attend this amazing event? The Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival is giving away two tickets to the Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival to a lucky Thoroughly Modern Mommies reader!
Here's how to enter:
1. Contest ends Monday, October 25.
2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you'd like to win.
3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader.
4. Entry #3:  Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, Tweeting about it, and/or emailing  friends.
5. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

Discount Code:

If you aren't the lucky ticket giveaway winner, but still want to get to this awesome event, be sure to use the code "FOODIE" to get a 10% discount off ticket prices. Order tickets here.

healthier alternative for halloween treats

Am I the only one who is always a little disgusted by the amount of candy my kids bring home on Halloween? We only go around the block, but somehow they end up with an entire pillowcase full of junk. (Pixy Stix? REALLY?)  And, as much as I hate all of it, I can't get up the gumption to hand out raisins or something super-dooper healthy.

But how about handing out the sugar-free AriZona Iced Tea Stix to your trick-or-treaters this Halloween?  A delicious alternative to candy, the AriZona stix dissolve instantly into water creating a ghoulishly sweet beverage that’s as fun and easy to make as it is to drink. Plus, they are made without sugar and are only 5 calories per stick to boot. The tea stix are available in six of AriZona’s most popular varieties including Arnold Palmer Half & Half, Pomegranate Green Tea, Lemon Tea, Peach Tea, Lemonade and Green Tea with Ginseng.
 
The tea stix are available in a box of ten sticks at a suggested retail of $2.99-$3.99 and can be purchased in stores or online at www.drinkarizona.com.

What a fun idea? What are you handing out for Halloween this year?