reviews

K’NEX Mario Kart Wii™ Building Sets

I don't know if you're aware of this, but I am killer at MarioKart. Its a secret talent. My husband and I have MarioKart battles with my siblings online and they are pretty intense.

Of course, our kids love MarioKart as well! So they were thrilled when a box arrived from K'NEX containing a Mario and Standard Kart Building Set  and a Luigi and Standard Bike Building Set.

I believe the words when the package was opened were "SWEET!" and "AWESOME!"

The bike included a buildable, Luigi figure and K'NEX rods, connectors and bricks to build his Standard Bike, exactly like in the game. And the Kart includes a buildable Mario figure, a banana peel item, plus a pull-back motor and K'NEX pieces to build his standard kart. The package can be re-used as a ramp for even more after-building fun. So fun!

The kids built these easily by themselves (my kids are 8 and 6, and they built these without help) and they had fun zooming these around the house! Highly recommend!! The kids had a blast. My son hijacked them, though, and won't give them back to the girls. He loves the 'motocikle' and I even found it in his bed one morning. That's a hit, in my book!! My daughter's class is putting together a Wii basket for the Spring Fair and these would be perfect to throw in!!

disclosure: i received these k'nex items to facilitate my review. i was not compensated financially and, as always, all opinions are my own.

spiegel's snacktime hour

 

NEW! Shop on spiegel.com during Spiegel’s Snacktime Hour from NOON-1 PM and get 15% off purchases of $100 or more every day of the week! Log on to www.spiegel.com/luxurysale to get the code. This limited time only promo starts Wednesday March 23 and lasts for one month only!

 
PS. Don’t forget Spiegel’s signature estate collection including vintage Chanel, Hermes, Gucci, and more! While these estate pieces aren’t included in the promo, the prices on this batch of arm candy are hard to beat with new merchandise being added regularly.

 

Just Eat Organic by Stoneyfield

Love this. Love, love, LOVE. Must watch!

Sneak Peek at Hawaiian Vacation - New Toy Story Short!

I have GOT to share the newly released clip and images from “Hawaiian Vacation,” a 3D animated short starring the TOY STORY 3 gang! Our family is SERIOUSLY excited about Cars 2 and now that we'll get another little peek of our favorite Toy Story characters, we're even more excited!

 

“Hawaiian Vacation” will appear exclusively with the upcoming CARS 2 theatrical release, which races into U.S. theaters on June 24, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select theaters.

Like CARS 2 on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/PixarCars

Germ Guardian Ultrasonic 55-Hour Humidifier

Last week, we all woke up sick with colds. And in our house, this is bad news. Two of my kids are very prone to croup which means, at best, losing three or four nights sleep. And, worse case, another trip to the ER with a kid who can't breathe.

I'm convinced that humidifiers are key to helping hold off their croup attacks. We've gone through several and its really hard to find one that works properly. So when I had a chance to try out a Germ Guardian Ultrasonic 55-Hour Humidifier I jumped at the chance.

 What they say:

• Mold & Mildew Resistant Tank
  Silver Clean Technology: The water tank has been treated with a fungistatic agent to protect it from fungal and mold growth
• Warm or Cool Mist
• 55-Hour Run Time
• Silent Operation
• No Added Costs
  No evaporating pads, filters or wicks to clean or replace 
• Works in Large and Small Rooms
  Variable spray control works in large or small rooms

What I say:
I am supremely impressed. This is by far the best humidifier we've ever had. I put this in my son's room and was amazed that his cold did not develop into croup. I cannot remember the last time that happened! The completely silent operation is huge for kids - my son used to cry when we turned on his old humidifier. We used to have to sneak in and turn it on after he fell asleep. So a quiet humidifier (with a built-in nightlight to boot) was perfect for him!

What makes the Germ Guardian humidifiers unique is that they all offer ultrasonic technology, eliminating the need to replace filters that grow mold and bacteria. (We're not the only ones who have driven around at 10 o'clock at night looking for humidifier filters, right?) Plus, the water tanks are treated with Silver Clean™ Technology to help prevent mold and mildew from growing in the tank! My other humidifiers have instructions like "dry out and clean completely every single day." Seriously? We busy moms have enough to do around the house without having to constantly worry about the humidifiers in our house.

My engineer husband was impressed by how the humidifier offers both warm and cool mist and variable mist control, so you can adjust the mist to what you need. Perfect. For everyday, a light cool mist is enough, but when my kids are battling colds, we can crank up the warm moisture to make them sleep better. Its like it does the job of two humidifiers.

Honestly, the Germ Guardian Ultrasonic 55-Hour Humidifier is more pricey than others I've bought. But when we need another humidifier, I'd rather pay more for one that works well, stays clean and offers the versatility other humidifiers don't. I highly recommend the Germ Guardian 55-Hour Humidifier!!

Would you like to give it a try? Germ Guardian is offering Girlymama readers a deal on the 55-hour Ultrasonic Digital Humidifier (model H1600) for the drastically discounted price of $89.99 and FREE shipping and handling! That's a 50% savings!!   Use code GGgirlyma1 at checkout!

disclosure: i was provided with a germ guardian ultrasonic 55-hour humidifier to facilitate this review. i was not compensated financially for this review. as always, all opinions are mine.

 

Dr. Oetker's Ristorante Frozen Pizza - GIVEAWAY!

**Giveaway is now closed. Congrats to our winner, Katrina!**

Last week, I opened my front door to find a box containing Dr. Oetker's Ristorante frozen pizzas packed in dry ice. My kids were thrilled. "Yay! Pizza!"

We love us some pizza in our house!

You may not have heard of Dr. Oetker's. Its a family-run business headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany. Today, Dr. Oetker is the market leader of frozen pizza in Europe and sells Ristorante in more than 30 countries - so now you can get Italy’s #1 frozen pizza. Sweet!

We tried two varieties, the Pizza Mozzerella and Pizza Vegetale. My husband called dibs the Pizza Mozzerella immediately. It has creamy mozzarella and pesto with chunks of tomato - he loves pesto! It was fine with me, since I love veggie pizza! But only if its fresh veggies. I cannot tell you the disappointment when I encounter items like canned mushrooms... or worse, canned tomatoes. YUCK. But the Dr. Oetker's veggies were tasted fresh, were nice and big  and were so delicious! Loved the Vegetale! The thin crust was crunchy and the sauce was perfect.

My husband's verdict? "This doesn't taste like frozen pizza." Frozen pizza is usually in a class by itself: You just can't compare it to restaurant pizza. I don't care what claims they make on the box! My husband normally does not even like frozen pizza, so I consider this high praise indeed! Definitely yummy!!

You can see which stores near you carry Dr. Oetker's by clicking here or you can just order through their online store.

Want to try it yourself? Well, Dr. Oetker's is giving one lucky Girlymama reader a Prize pack containing a cooler bag, pizza cutter, apron and Dr. Oetker coupons! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me your family's favorite pizza toppings!
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama's feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan!
Extra Entry #3: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.

Contest ends Wednesday, March 9th at noon. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

disclosure: This post and contest are sponsored by Dr. Oetker and the Motherhood.com. I was compensated for my time in writing this post and running this giveaway. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

Ready for Tax Time? **GIVEAWAY**

**giveaway is now closed! congrats to all of our winners!!**

 Are you ready for Tax Time? We started ours last week and they're almost done! And by "we" I mean "me."

That's right! Miss "I Hate Math" Herself does our family taxes. And I have for the past 7 years - all with the help of  H&R Block At Home online tax preparation program! I love it. It's incredibly easy to use and understand - even for a non-business type like me.  I've even been able to handle doing our taxes once I became a small business owner - which has make our taxes much more complicated. All steps are easy to follow and you can chat with a tax expert if you get stuck.

Seriously, guys. If I can do it, anyone can!

H&R Block is taking the guesswork out of tax season by offering taxpayers tips to help navigate a 2010 tax return:
 

1.  Education benefits extended -- The American Opportunity Credit was extended, allowing taxpayers to claim $2,500 for the first four years of college education for each student. The tuition and fees deduction also was extended and could provide a reduction in taxable income of up to $4,000.
2. Sandwich generation gets tax relief -- Taxpayers supporting their parents and their own children may be able to claim the $3,650 qualifying relative exemption.  Generally, the taxpayer must provide more than 50 percent of the financial support for eligible expenses such as food, lodging, clothing, education, medical and dental care, recreation and transportation.
3. Unemployed are required to file -- All unemployment benefits will be taxed this year, unlike last year when the first $2,400 was tax-free.
4. 2008 homebuyer credit repayment starts, but not for 2009 and 2010 -- The 2008 First-time Homebuyer Credit was similar to an interest-free loan and taxpayers must begin repaying it with their 2010 tax returns. In general, taxpayers must repay $500 a year for 15 years. If the taxpayer no longer lives in the house, then the credit must be repaid in full with the next tax return.  Taxpayers who claimed the credit in 2009 and 2010 will not have to repay it unless the house is sold or no longer their principal residence within three years of purchase.
5. Energy credit reduced -- For 2011, the lifetime maximum for the energy property credit is reduced from $1,500 to $500. Taxpayers who never claimed the credit can claim the entire $500. But, those who claimed $500 or more for the 2009-2010 and/or the 2006-2007 energy credits are not eligible in 2011. Eligible improvements include external windows and doors, insulation, roofing, HVAC and non-solar water heaters meeting specific energy guidelines.
6. Adoption Credit fully refundable in 2010 and 2011 -- The Adoption Credit can be claimed for qualified expenses up to $13,170 for 2010 and $13,360 for 2011. Plus, new for 2010 and 2011, the IRS will refund any amount of the credit that exceeds the adoptive parents' tax liability.
7. 2011 federal filing deadline is April 18 -- Due to the observation of Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia on April 15, the filing deadline for federal tax returns is April 18 this year. But, some state filing deadlines will remain April 15.

Want to give doing your own taxes a try? Now's your chance! H&R Block is offering coupon codes for the online tax preparation product, H&R Block At Home Premium! FIVE WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN! Here's how to enter:

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling me who does your taxes!
Extra Entry #1: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me you subscribed to Girlymama's feed by email or in a reader.
Extra Entry #2: Leave another comment telling me you became a Girlymama Facebook fan!
Extra Entry #3: Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, or  Tweeting about it.
Extra Entry #4: Leave another comment telling me you follow H&R Block on Twitter or Facebook.

Contest ends Wednesday, March 9th at noon. Entries such as "Enter me" or "I want to win" will NOT be counted. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions. If I don't hear from the winner in 48 hours, I will be choosing a new winner.

disclosure: i received a copy of h&r block at home to facilitate this review - but hardly needed it, since as i said, i've been using this product for years! i was not compensated financially for this post and, as always, all opinions are my own.